Bulldog Bulletin
Smyrna High School's Counseling Newsletter
2nd Quarter, November 2017
SHS Counseling Staff
Mr. Raffo: students A-D, raffog@rcschools.net
Mrs. Knox: students E-Lh, knoxh@rcschools.net
Mr. Lay: students Rj-Z, lays@rcschools.net
Mrs. Hockenberry: counseling secretary, hockenberryk@rcschools.net
Mrs. Benton: counseling secretary, bentont@rcschools.net
Website: http://shs.rcschools.net
Phone: 516-904-3865
Twitter: @shscounselors88
Stay Informed and follow us:
Twitter: @shscounselors88
Counseling website: shs.rcschools.net Click "Counseling" on the main menu and browse the side tabs for updated information.
Upcoming Events
Class Meetings
Our senior class meetings concluded at the end of September.
During the month of October, we have been meeting with Juniors and Sophomores to discuss grade level pertinent information. Please watch for information from the counseling office to come with your student. We will also update the "Class Meetings" tab as we meet with each grade level. The packet of information shared can be located on the "Class Meetings" tab on the counseling portion of our school website.
We will begin meeting with freshmen students in November.
College of the Week:
OCTOBER
20TH: LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY
27TH: EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY (ETSU)
NOVEMBER
3rd: MARYVILLE COLLEGE
10TH: UNION UNIVERSITY
24TH: NO SCHOOL
DECEMBER:
1ST: FISK UNIVERSITY
Tennessee Promise (11/1/2017--Deadline)
To date, 96% of our SHS seniors have completed their TN Promise application!!!
Tennessee Promise is both a scholarship and mentoring program focused on increasing the number of students that attend college in our state. It provides students a last-dollar scholarship, meaning the scholarship will cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees not covered by the Pell grant, the HOPE scholarship, or the Tennessee Student Assistance Award. Students may use the scholarship at any of the state’s 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology, or other eligible institution offering an associate degree program.
While removing the financial burden is key, a critical component of Tennessee Promise is the individual guidance each participant will receive from a mentor who will assist the student as he or she navigates the college admission process. This is accomplished primarily via mandatory meetings that students must attend in order to remain eligible for the program. In addition, Tennessee Promise participants must complete and submit eight (8) hours of community service per term enrolled, as well as maintain satisfactory academic progress (2.0 GPA) at their respective institution.
Important Dates:
Application Deadline: 11/1/2017
FAFSA Completion: 1/16/2018 Deadline:
March 13, 2018: Mandatory meeting for students. SHS Cafeteria 5:30 (Parents are invited)
July 1, 2018: 8 hours of community service must be completed
For more information, and to apply: http://tnpromise.gov/students.shtml
ASVAB Testing: Deadline to register November 3, 2017
ASVAB Test date: November 8th, 2017
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-choice test that helps you identify which Army jobs (Military Occupational Specialties) are best for you.
WHAT DOES THE ASVAB MEASURE?
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery measures your knowledge and ability in ten different areas. It is not an IQ test, but the ASVAB does help the Army assess which jobs you are best suited to perform.
HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR THE ASVAB?
You don’t have to go through any special preparation to take the ASVAB. Getting a good night’s rest and arriving on time are the two most important steps you can take to prepare.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT ON THE DAY OF THE TEST?
The ASVAB consists of ten short tests to complete during three hours. An ASVAB test administrator will give you instructions and tell you how long you have to complete each test. However, before you begin, you will have a chance to answer some practice questions and ask any questions about taking the test.
WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS WILL I BE ASKED ON THE ASVAB?
The ASVAB tests cover general science, arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, numerical operations, coding speed, auto and shop information, mathematics knowledge, mechanical comprehension and electronics information.
How do I register to take the ASVAB?
Complete the registration link on the school counseling website :https://tinyurl.com/yavkmejr
The Tennessee Governor's Schools
Students applying for Governor's School of the Arts should return their completed application to their counselor NO LATER than 10/31/2017.
All other Governor's School applications should be completed and returned to the student's school counselor NO LATER than 11/21/2017.
Attending Governor's school is one way that students can earn a diploma with distinction.
Schedule Changes for Semester Two
FAFSA
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is required to be completed in order for your student to be eligible for Federal Aid for college, including the TN HOPE and TN Promise scholarships.
The FAFSA opened on October 1st and the priority filing deadline for many colleges is December 15, 2017. The deadline for FAFSA completion for HOPE Scholarship and TN Promise eligibility is January 16, 2018
For more information: https://fafsa.ed.gov/
TENNESSEE PROMISE MANDATORY MEETING MARCH 13TH, 2018 5:30PM
Please see the TN Promise green handbook that seniors were given for important information regarding attendance to meetings, community service hours, and other deadlines.
Stay Informed
INOW
Make sure that you are checking INOW Home Portal and keeping up with your student’s grades. If you have any questions about the grades, you can email your student’s teachers. If you have not received your login information, please visit the counseling webpage and click the ''Appointments and Sign-ups" tab located on the right side of the page. On the Appointments and Sign-Ups page, you will see a link for Inow Access Request.
Weekly Conferences
Parent/teacher conferences are offered every Wednesday at 3:45. Parents can request to meet your child's teachers. Conferences must be scheduled by the Tuesday morning prior to your planned Wednesday meeting.
Conferences are scheduled through Ms. Benton.
615-904-3865 ext. 23705
School Counseling Appointments
We also ask that parents use this same link when requesting an appointment. We have an open door policy when it comes to meeting with parents; however, having a scheduled appointment allows us to be fully prepared for the meeting and also allows us to make sure we are not involved in other meetings or counseling groups when the parent arrives. Please review the appointment links: http://shs.rcschools.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=562976&type=d&pREC_ID=1133047
Schmoop and Vocabulary.com
Scholarships
Want to know about scholarships? Follow these easy steps below:
1. Visit http://shs.rcschools.net
2. Click Counseling on the main menu
3. On the right hand side, click the Scholarship and Financial Aid tab
We have linked our scholarship database directly to this page. Please check back often; the database is updated multiple times a week.
We have also found a scholarship database that is updated monthly. It is an outside source that we are not associated with, but we wanted to make sure we share resources with our students: https://jlvcollegecounseling.com/scholarships/monthly-scholarships/
Opportunities
We post enrichment opportunities for all grade levels under the Announcements and Opportunities tab of our website. This includes job opportunities, community service, college fair information and any other enrichment opportunity that we receive notification of.
College Readiness Testing
If you are planning to take either the ACT or the SAT you must register online at www.actstudent.org (ACT) and www.collegeboard.com (SAT). You will need the following SHS High School Code to register: 432130
Make sure you visit our new ACT resources page under the "Student" tab prior to the upcoming ACT test dates and re-take date.