Senior Counseling Chronicles
October 2019
Post Secondary Planning
Senior Resource Meetings
In September, the counseling team hosted informational meetings during Resource with all Seniors. Topics that were covered included: the college application process, scholarships, testing, and FAFSA. If you child missed the group meetings, please remind them contact their counselor to set up a meeting.
College Planning Presentations
Rachel Stern from UW-Milwaukee will be at PWHS this year presenting to students on useful college planning topics during Resource and lunch. This past week, Rachel hosted a resource titled Essay Writing Made Easy. Additional topics that Rachel may be presenting on include:
- Exploring College Options
- College Planning 101
- Behind the Scenes of the College Admission Process
- Comparing College Choices in WI
Milwaukee National College Fair
A National College Fair is coming to Milwaukee on October 6th from 12:00 – 3:00 PM. Admissions representatives from schools across the country are all gathered at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee. Their goal: To encourage you to learn more about their institutions and help you sort through the qualities you are looking for in a college. Use your visit to explore your college options, ask questions and gather information.
Click below to pre-register and obtain a list of represented colleges.
Wisconsin Educational Fair Field Trip
The Juniors and Seniors were invited to attend a Wisconsin Educational Fair (WEF) in late September. Thirty students took advantage of this opportunity and spent the day at Marian University talking with admissions representatives throughout the nation.
Wisconsin Education Fairs provide easy access to information about post secondary options on a timely basis for all Wisconsin citizens, regardless of geographic location.
WEF includes in its participant list all UW state universities and centers, Wisconsin's independent colleges and universities, Wisconsin technical colleges, and many out-of-state institutions. In addition, many community colleges, trade schools, and the national service organizations, such as the armed forces are represented.
Wishing your junior or senior could have attended? Its not too late! Click on the link below for upcoming WEF events. What a great opportunity for our students!
WEF fun!
Marian College Tour
Marquette University admissions consult
UW Help
WHAT IS UW HELP?
A trusted source of University of Wisconsin information for more than 40 years, the UW Higher Education Location Program (UW HELP) is the front door to the UW System and all 26 of its campuses. The program helps students of all ages and backgrounds find UW System campuses that meet their needs. It also provides guidance as they prepare for college and connects them to UW System schools for a lifetime.
UW HELP develops resources such as these:
- The UW HELP website, which helps prospective students get to know UW System schools, the admission process, financial aid options, and more
- UW Journey, a mobile app that helps students determine which UW System campuses best meet their needs and interests
- Electronic and print publications used for UW System marketing and recruitment
The program also builds relationships and provides face-to-face assistance, including:
- Helping people find direction and consider their options as they transition into college
- Advising prospective students, parents, school counselors, community and government agencies, and others seeking information on higher education
- Sharing expertise about UW System schools at college and career fairs, school presentations, workshops, and conferences
- Providing a unique, System-wide perspective to educational decision makers
- Coordinating and integrating services for UW System campuses and their students
FAFSA Completion
College Goal Wisconsin
Scholarship Update
- PWSSD Local Scholarship Application: This application will be released to students in December. We encourage ALL students to apply.
- College/University Scholarships: Information available on each individual school's web page. Please note that some colleges will allow students to begin applying for scholarships as soon as the admission application is SUBMITTED. Contact the university for specifics.
- Nation-wide Scholarships: Students can search online for many scholarships. We also include some scholarship opportunities on the Senior Haiku page. Limited paper copies are available in the Counseling Office. Please do NOT ever pay for a scholarship search.
MATC PROMISE
The MATC Promise means free tuition for eligible students.
For eligible Class of 2020 graduates, the MATC Promise will pay the tuition and program course fees for up to 75 credits, after federal and state financial grant aid has been applied. The cost of books is not covered by the Promise program.Eligible students:
- Are eligible for federal Pell grants (your FAFSA will determine this)
- Earn a 2.0 GPA or higher in the first semester of senior year
- Earn a composite ACT score of 16 or above by June 26, 2020
- Graduate from a high school in the MATC district or live in the MATC district
- Submit final high school transcript with graduation date by June 26, 2020
- Enroll in at least 12 credits at MATC in Fall 2020 (special exceptions may be provided)
To apply and participate, you must:- Complete the Promise interest application by February 7, 2020
- Apply for MATC admission by February 7, 2020 at matc.edu/apply
Students can defer the $30 application fee by using promo code: HS2020
Apply as early as August 1, 2019 - Complete a 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) by February 7, 2020. (MATC’s federal school code is 003866). The 2020-21 FAFSA becomes available on October 1, 2019.
- Be eligible for federal Pell grants (your FAFSA will determine this)
- Earn a 2.0 GPA or higher in the first semester of your senior year
- Earn a composite ACT score of 16 or higher by June 26, 2020
- Graduate from a high school in the MATC district or live in the MATC district
- Submit your final high school transcript with graduation date by June 26, 2020
- Enroll in at least 12 credits at MATC in Fall 2020 (special exceptions may be provided)
Contact your MATC high school recruiter at 414-297-6668
Academic Testing
Does Your Child Need to Retake the ACT Test?
Juniors and seniors can take the ACT more than once, for a fee, by registering through the ACT website.
Test Fees
ACT $52.00
ACT with writing $68.00
Additional ACT test dates (for a fee) include:
October 26th (late registration open until October 4th)
December 14th (Register by November 8th)
February 8th (Register by January 10th)
April 4th (Register by February 28th)
June 13th (Register by May 8th)
July 18th (Register by June 19th)
Click below to register for additional ACT tests through the ACT website.
Method Test Prep
How can I practice for the ACT? How can I improve my original score?
Try Method Test Prep! Method Test Prep is an online ACT skills improvement resource. ALL PWHS students have access to Method Test Prep for FREE! Students who complete 20 weeks of organized practice in Method Test Prep are able to raise individual scores by an average of 4 points!
All seniors created an individual username and password for Method Test Prep. Don't forget about this free resource...It is a great way to improve scores!
Academic & Career Planning
Charter Steel Open House - Learn About Careers in Manufacturing
Academic & Career Planning (ACP) - Xello
Academic & Career Planning (ACP) - Inspire
Social-Emotional Wellness
The Truth About Vaping
Tuesday, Oct 22, 2019, 06:30 PM
Cedarburg Performing Arts Center, Evergreen Boulevard, Cedarburg, WI, USA
Cultivate Mental Health Wellness Series
Parent Education & Resources - OFS
Understanding Anxiety
Tuesday, October 15, 6:00 – 7:30 pm: Middle and High School
Wednesday, November 6, 6:00 – 7:30 pm: Elementary through 5th grade
How can we as parents, caregivers and teachers support someone who is struggling with anxiety? Learn strategies and tools that can help kids recognize and regulate their own symptoms.
Rainbows
Every other Tuesday, October 22 – March 31, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Rainbows is a program for children and adolescents (K-12) who are dealing with major family changes such as divorce or death. The 12-week program seeks to provide a “rainbow” after the storm in a child’s life. Its goals are to help participants understand and express their feelings, to build a stronger sense of self-esteem, and to direct their energy toward a healthy acceptance of the changes that have taken place.
Calming Strategies Café
Wednesday, November 13, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Learn a wide variety of techniques that can be used to help children and adults with self-calming, anxiety and stress relief. These coping techniques will be featured in three hands-on breakout areas that will include art therapy, mindfulness & yoga, and the use of fidgets and sensory processing strategies.
Building Resilience In Kids
Wednesday, December 11, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Hope, resilience, and a growth mindset are essential ingredients in helping to determine and create the future you want for your child. Acknowledging past experiences and understanding how those experiences impact us and our children in the present are the building blocks for change.
Small Groups
PWHS Universal Screenings
The Port Washington-Saukville School District’s mission is to “Educate all children to reach their greatest potential.” To support this mission, students are regularly screened academically and physically (i.e., vision and hearing) via a multi-tiered system of support. During the 2019-20 school year, students in grades 9-12 will also be screened using the Connections Survey and the Devereux Student Strengths Assessments (DESSA).
The goal of the DESSA screeners is for teachers to identify students’ social and emotional skills, which are essential to academic achievement. The DESSA screeners are brief, strength-based rating scales measuring the social and emotional skills that help students do well in school, at home, and in the community. Your student’s teacher will complete the strength-based assessments based on direct observations of the student’s daily interactions at school. This information will be used to better plan for all students, focusing on their individual strengths.
The goal of the Connections Screening is for students to identify adults and peers in the building with whom they have a connection. Research indicates that youth who have at least one positive adult connection in school are more likely to do better in school and are less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors. The survey simply asks students about the connections they have in this building, both adult and peer.
Consistent with practices for analyzing academic data, the results from the screenings will be used by school staff to best meet the needs of all students. Parents/guardians will be notified if the results indicate that a student may be in need of additional instruction in one or more social/emotional areas.
The Port Washington-Saukville School District strives to provide a safe and positive environment for all students. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your student's teacher, school psychologist, and/or building principal at 262-268-5500.