School Counseling Newsletter (Feb)
AHS NEWSLETTER
February 2024
Half Way Through the School Year!
As we find ourselves past the mid-point of the school year, we are eagerly looking forward to what lies ahead. The opportunities, challenges, and growth that await us in the coming months are a testament to the dedication and resilience of our students and staff. As Director of School Counseling, I am excited to share with you the latest updates, resources, and insights in this February newsletter. Let's embrace the possibilities that the rest of the academic year holds for each and every one of us.
Warm regards,
Scott O’Brien
Monthly Reminders:
National School Counseling Week!
National School Counseling Week 2024 (#NSCW24) is Feb. 5-9, 2024, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA (American School Counselor Association), highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. The 2024 theme is "School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused."
Grade 9 & 10
Grade 9 & 10 Parent Night!
Thursday, Feb 8, 2024, 06:30 PM
Arlington High School, 869 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA, USA
Mental Health Screening
Parents/Caregivers of all students:
Please read the following letter about the upcoming mental health screening that is offered to all students: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P7jYbH8xc4cxbbmzb36aXkgPahyomanvnPCTGBzsnb0/edit?usp=sharing
Grade 10 Students!
Grade 11 Parents/Caregivers
Post-Secondary Planning Night
Please visit the School Counseling Homepage and click on the "announcements" tab in the upper right corner to see the slides: https://sites.google.com/a/arlington.k12.ma.us/ahsguidance/
NACAC National College Fair - Boston
CLICK HERE: https://www.nacacattend.org/24Boston
Scholarships! (Grade 12)
Arlington High School Scholarship Application (Class of 2024)!
Click here for the application: https://forms.gle/LDuyBugLPAmdBRE99
ALL SENIORS SHOULD COMPLETE!
Naviance (Outside Provided Scholarship Opportunities)
NextGen Scholarship for Underrepresented Minorities
Performing Arts Parents Association Scholarship
Financial Aid for Grade 12 Students/Caregivers
Slides from Financial Aid Night, 10/5/23
Recording from MEFAs Financial Aid 101
Starting Sept 14th, MEFA will host weekly webinars to educate students and families on the entire college financial aid process. Topics will include financial aid applications and eligibility, types of financial aid, and how colleges determine the details of financial aid offers. Webinars will occur during both daytime and evening hours, featuring subject matter experts from MEFA and colleges and universities across Massachusetts.
Please visit this link to register for MEFA’s Financial Events.
Be sure that both the student and the parent(s) apply for an FSA ID a few days before completing the FAFSA®, as you need an FSA ID to start the FAFSA, and you cannot get an FSA ID and start the FAFSA on the same day. For a FSA ID CLICK HERE! You can apply for an FSA ID at the Federal Student Aid FSA ID site. If parents are married to each other and filed joint tax returns, only one parent needs an FSA ID.
Financial Aid Deadlines: The FAFSA application will be available in December 2023, and the CSS Profile application became available for filing on October 1, 2023, and information from your 2022 tax returns will be used. Students who are filing for financial aid are advised to check each college’s website to get the deadline for both the FAFSA(all colleges) and the CSS Profile (some private and a few public colleges). The CSS Profile often has different deadlines than the FAFSA. There are some schools that require the form to be filed by the college application deadline. The deadlines can be found on the website of the specific college.
FAFSA USERNAME AND PASSWORD. - Students and parents must create a username and password in order to access, sign, and submit the FAFSA application. For further information, go to: https://fafsa.ed.gov/.
How Do Families Pay For College? MEFA Help is Available!
Click this link to see the very helpful events.
FREE Help Applying for Financial Aid for College!
FAFSA Day Massachusetts is a non-profit, volunteer driven program providing free assistance to students and families seeking to complete the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
www.masfaa.org/fafsa-day-register/.
John and Abigail Adams Scholarship- For a Mass. State College/University Tuition Waiver Seniors who receive a letter this year from the Department of Education indicating that their MCAS scores (top 25% of the district) qualify for a Massachusetts state college/university tuition waiver, are reminded to mail a copy of that letter to the business office of the state college/university that they will attend. This scholarship is renewable as long as the student maintains a college grade point average of 3.0. The letters have not yet become available, but should arrive shortly.
Koplik Certificate of Mastery - For a Mass. State College/University Tuition Waiver
Seniors who INITIALLY qualify for the Koplik by their MCAS scores must follow through with additional criteria to be awarded this scholarship. More information will be coming soon! This waiver will remove the cost of tuition only to Mass. state colleges and universities. This scholarship is renewable as long as the student maintains a college grade point average of 3.3.
It is recommended that seniors, who qualify for both the Adams and Koplik, select the Adams Scholarship as no additional test requirements are required and the college grade point average is more attainable. Both scholarships can be used for TUITION ONLY at a Massachusetts public college or university. The letters have not yet become available, but should arrive shortly.
College Applications!
Term 2 grades will be sent to colleges automatically, no need to make a request. Please keep Naviance updated with admissions decisions!
For Seniors: Important Information About Transcript submissions and the Sending of First Quarter Grades:
Seniors who have applied by the EA and ED November deadlines will automatically have their first quarter grades submitted to colleges as soon as they are issued.
Any application deadlines after 12/1 will automatically include 1st quarter grades on their transcripts.
POST SECONDARY FAIR FOR STUDENTS WHO LEARN DIFFERENTLY
Meet representatives from college and university admissions and student support services, gap year programs, technical schools, and other non-traditional options.
Click Here for More Information: https://www.landmarkschool.org/landing-pages/post-secondary-fair
Graduation Requirements
See Student Handbook!
https://ahs.arlington.k12.ma.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2887734&type=d&pREC_ID=2332686
Graduation Requirements
For graduation, all students must earn 106 diploma points, pass MCAS in English and Math and Science, and participate in Community Service.
Graduation requirements are:
Pass MCAS exam in ELA, Math and STE
Pass four years of English
Pass three years of History/Social Science (to include World History, US History I and US History II)
Pass three years of Science (to include Physical Science to pass Introductory Physics MCAS)
Pass three years of Mathematics (to include Algebra & Geometry)
Pass four years of Physical Education
Pass one year of Fine Arts (5 credits)
Pass two years of World Language (three years of the same language is strongly recommended)
Demonstrate competency in Computer Technology
Perform and document 40 hours of community service
106 credits minimum
Students will earn credits for each term in which they receive a passing grade. Students who fail a term will not receive the credit for that term. Students will earn one-quarter of the total credits given for the course per term. The final grade is the determining factor as to whether a course is passed, not the number of credits received. No credits are given if the course is failed.
Under normal circumstances, students will be enrolled for 30 credits per term. Any exceptions to the 30 credit limit, either under or over, must be approved in advance by the Principal.
In order to be eligible for an Arlington High School diploma, regular education students who attend AHS must have attended AHS classes and earned a minimum of one-half year’s credits from AHS courses as well as having met all other curricular requirements.
Foreign Exchange students will be eligible for an Arlington High School diploma only if they have met the credit and MCAS requirements for the diploma and have completed twelve years of schooling counting from grade 1. Graduation requirements/years of schooling required in the country of origin are irrelevant in determining eligibility for an AHS diploma.
Time to Join Extracurriculars!!!
Community Service!
Prom Financial Assistance
Belle of the Ball!
For Juniors and Seniors who need support purchasing attire for Prom. Belle of the Ball helps students with financial need gain access to dresses, jewelry, shoes, etc. (They do not have suits at this time). School counselors will need to make the referral, so please see your counselor as soon as possible. Early referrals get better options for selections. Click here for more information:
https://antons.com/belle/wp-content/uploads/2024-BELLE-Referral.pdf
2024 IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
February: Black History Month!
2/6 & 2/7 - MCAS Re-Take Science
2/8 - Grade 9 & 10 Parent Night (Auditorium @ 6:30pm)
2/19 - 2/23- February Vacation
3/1 - AHS Scholarship Application Deadline (Grade 12)
3/9 - SATs
3/28 - End Term 3
3/29 - No School
Arlington Community Education!
Arlington Community Education
A self-supporting program of the Arlington Public Schools
781-316-3568