MHS School Counseling Newsletter
January Edition
The second semester has started!
This week will also be an add/drop period for any semester-long electives that have just begun during semester two. Students will have until the end of the day Friday, Jan. 26th to make changes to second semester electives.
Important Information for Seniors
Financial Aid Information
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open! The FAFSA opened on December 31st and we encourage all seniors who are attending college next year, either 2-year or 4-year, to fill out the FAFSA. The FAFSA is currently in its soft launch phase, so occasionally they may pause access to the form in order to perform maintenance, but for the most part the form is open. In order to complete the FAFSA, students and parents will need an FSA ID (login information needed to fill out the FAFSA and other federal financial aid applications). The FSA ID can be created at this link.
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) Resources
FAFSA Festival - Do you need assistance completing the FAFSA, the form required to apply for college financial aid? Join MEFA for a virtual FAFSA Festival on January 24th 4:00 PM-6:00 PM. You can log in anytime and you will be paired with an expert who can answer your FAFSA questions and help you complete the online application. Before you join the event, MEFA encourages you to start filling out the FASFA at https://fafsa.gov RSVP for the event here.
FAFSA (Mon)Day Sessions - Join a Monday session offered once a month from February until May to get FAFSA questioned answered by a financial aid professionals. For more information visit this website
DESE & uAspire FAFSA Walkthrough Webinars
The Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education has partnered with the nonprofit uAspire to provide free support to help seniors complete their FAFSA. Their FAFSA webinar for students will be held two times: 5-6pm on Tuesday, January 30, and 5:30-6:30pm on Tuesday, February 27. Registration is available at this link.
Scholarships
Now that we are in the second semester, scholarship postings will begin picking up! Whenever
Whenever we learn of a scholarship available to students, we will post it on the Class of 2024 Google classroom.
The local Maynard Scholarship application will become available next month and we will be going into senior classrooms to discuss the application with them and encourage them to apply.
In the meantime, please check out this Scholarship Resource List which has information about scholarship search engines and where to get started on your own.
Signs of Suicide (SOS) Curriculum
We know that the adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions. It can e hard to tell the difference between normal adolescent turmoil and what might be a mental health concern. Depression is becoming more common among young people and appears to be affecting students at an earlier age. Depression is treatable, but untreated depression is a leading risk factor for suicide.
To proactively address this, school counselors will be going into 10th grade health classrooms to at the end of January and the beginning of February to offer suicide prevention education. We will be using the Signs of Suicide (SOS) curriculum. SOS is an evidence-based program that has demonstrated an improvement in students' knowledge and adaptive attitudes about suicide risk and depression, as well as a reduction in actual suicide attempts.
Below are two attachments. One is the SOS for Parents & Caregivers handout which covers the the key points of the SOS curriculum. The other attachment is a letter describing why we are using the SOS curriculum and a permission form. If you do NOT give permission for your child to participate in SOS, please sign the attached form and return to the main office by Tuesday Jan. 30th, 2024. Please contact your child's school counselor if you have any questions.
Coping Skills Group
We are starting a coping skills-based group for students that will be meeting beginning next week for 10 weeks. We will be using an evidence-based curriculum designed for school based-interventions called Trails to Wellness which will cover skills for coping with and managing strong emotions and stress, skills all adolescents can benefit from!
Exciting Academic Opportunities
Girls Who Code's Free Virtual Summer Program
The Girls Who Code's free virtual Summer Programs empower students to build skills, community, and a professional network for their future with two free programs:
- Summer Immersion Program - In this two-week program, students will learn how to design their own games using p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding. Join classmates and our dedicated Teaching Teams in live virtual classrooms hosted by industry-leading companies like MetLife, Bank of America, Logitech, and Synchrony. We’ve got three rounds to fit your schedule: June 14 to June 28, July 8 to July 19, and July 29 to August 9. This program is for current 9th-11th grade girls and non-binary students with beginning or intermediate coding experience
- Self-Paced Program - This six-week self-paced program offers tracks in Web Development, Cybersecurity, Data Science + AI! From July 1 to August 9, students get to decide how and when to build their coding skills. The Self-Paced Program is for current 9th-12th grade girls and non-binary students with beginner to advanced coding experience, including program alums.
Apply here by the early deadline, Feb. 14, 2024 for priority consideration of apply by the general deadline, March 22, 2024. Click this link for more details
2024 GRiT Conference
GRiT (Gender Representation in Tech) is a student-led club at Concord Academy in Concord, MA that organizes and hosts an annual tech conference designed to promote gender equity in the STEM world. The 2024 GriT conference will take place on April 20, 2024, from 1-3:30pm at Concord Academy (166 Main St. Concord, MA 01742).
While all individuals are welcome at this conference, their goal is to create an open space for female and genderqueer students to explore their interests in tech. All students grades 6 through 12 (ages 12-19) are welcome, regardless of previous experience. The conference will consist of two workshop blocks with workshops hosted by CA alums and other non-males in the tech industry. Students will be able to choose the workshop they wish to attend through a form sent to them prior to the conference.
For more information on this conference and previous conferences, please visit this website. The free registration link is - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gender-representation-in-tech-conference-tickets-795423782947?aff=oddtdtcreator
Supports for Students and Families
Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL)
The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) connects individuals and families to the full range of treatment services for mental health and substance use offered in Massachusetts, including outpatient, urgent, and immediate crisis care. Call for real-time support, initial clinical assessment, ad connection to the right evaluation and treatment. The BHHL is staffed by trained clinicians and certified peer specialists to support every caller's needs.
The BHHL is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by phone call and text at 833-733-2445, and online chat at masshelpline.com
Newport Academy Article - How to Talk to Your Teenager About Anything
Standardized Testing Prep
Khan Academy
PSAT scores became available for students in December. If your student took the PSAT, then they have free personalized SAT prep available to them through Khan Academy! College Board has partnered with Khan Academy to provide every student with a personalized SAT prep based on their PSAT scores. This link details how to link the two accounts and get that personalized SAT prep.
Shrewsbury High School SAT Prep Course
Shrewsbury High School has opened registration for its Spring SAT Prep Course. The course will begin the week of February 12th and run through the week of April 1st. Students can choose either Monday or Wednesday night classes. Classes will meet remotely from 5:30PM-7:40PM for a total of seven night sessions. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. The course is open to juniors and seniors. To reserve a spot, students need to return the completed application form and payment to Jen Lundsten (jalundsten@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us). The application form is attached.
AP Test Schedule
Mon. 5/6 8am - AP US Government
Mon. 5/6 12pm - AP Chemistry
Tues. 5/7 12pm - AP Statistics
Wed. 5/8 8am - AP English Literature
Wed. 5/8 12pm - AP Computer Science A
Fri. 5/10 8am - AP US History
Fri. 5/10 12pm - AP Spanish Literature
Mon. 5/13 8am - AP Calculus AB
Mon. 5/13 12pm - AP World History: Modern
Tues. 5/14 8am - AP English Language
Wed. 5/15 8am - AP French
Wed. 5/15 12pm - AP Computer Science Principles
Thurs. 5/16 8am - AP Spanish Language
Thurs. 5/16 12pm - AP Biology
Fri. 5/17 8am - AP Physics 1
MHS School Counseling
Nicole Fernald nfernald@maynard.k12.ma.us (978) 897-8891 ext. 3209
Dana MacPhee dmacphee@maynard.k12.ma.us (978) 897-8891 ext. 3105
Amy Petroskey apetroskey@maynard.k12.ma.us (978) 897-8891 ext. 3210
Please also visit our MHS School Counseling website!