There was a required PSEO meeting on February 23rd to all students and families about PSEO procedures. Deans will begin taking appointments for the follow up steps beginning on March 1st, 2022. Students will make an appointment with Priyanka Rai, the SSS secretary, to schedule this meeting.

We have a special day coming up on April 5th, which will look different at each grade level! More information will be coming in the next month but we wanted to give you some information for planning with your students!

9th Graders

• We are planning a blended learning day, in which our 9th graders will work from home on their core classes.

10th Graders

• Our 10th grade students will come to school to take the Pre-ACT exam. The Pre-ACT is a great indicator for students to assess their preparedness for the ACT, which they will take in their junior year. You will receive more information in a letter that will be sent to your home soon.

11th Graders

• The 11th grade students will take the ACT exam on this date. This is a very important exam for our students and we will do our best to create a supportive environment for our juniors to do their best on this exam. You will receive more information in a letter that will be sent to your home soon.

12th Graders

• Our 12th graders will come to school on April 5th to participate in their next steps towards graduation. A variety of workshops will take place that involve college applications, FAFSA completion, apprenticeship search, postsecondary planning, financial aid advising, and more! We are excited to work with your seniors as they are moving quickly toward graduation this spring!

Letters to families of 12th grade students who are credit deficient will be mailed home mid February to update families on any credit recovery needs. All credit recovery will need to be completed by late May in order to participate in commencement.

If you are a sophomore who is 16 years old or a junior or senior and need credit recovery, please schedule an appointment to see your dean. Credit recovery is offered at the high school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Credit recovery is required for any student who fails a required course for graduation.

The FAFSA is the application through the federal government that must be completed in order for college students to be eligible for free aid (grants) and federal student loans. Some scholarships also require that the FAFSA is completed. The FAFSA opened on OCTOBER 1 and will remain open until next summer. This application is for students entering college for the 2022-2023 school year. In general, the earlier FAFSA is completed, the better. Most college financial aid offices recommend that the FAFSA is completed between October and February. Students complete the FAFSA every year they attend college. If you have not completed the FAFSA before, it may seem difficult. The process is fairly simple and necessary for students to complete. Students need information from at least one parent/guardian, plus their personal financial information in order to complete the FAFSA.

More information found here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

For more great resources, visit http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=888.

Students may need letters of recommendation for some college applications or for scholarships. Typically, recommenders may be teachers (current or former), employers, coaches, or other adults who can highlight the leadership and/or academic qualities of the student. If the application requires a school counselor, please use the academic dean to complete that portion.

Things for students to remember:

· Talk to the recommender early! 2 weeks is generally a good minimum amount of time for a recommender to complete a well-written letter.

· Give recommenders the exact details—What/who is the letter for? When is it due? How is the letter submitted?

· It’s a good idea for students to waive their right to see the recommendation letter. This means the recommender will submit the letter directly to the college/scholarship by mail or upload it online.

· Always ask the recommender permission to use them as a recommender on an application. Ask in person, if possible. Email is generally acceptable as well.

· Use recommenders who will be able to highlight positives.

· It’s ok for a recommender to say no. They may not have the time to devote to a letter right now.

· Give the recommender a resume or details about what the student has accomplished and would like highlighted in the letter.