LIBERTY COUNSELING OFFICE
News and Information from Liberty Counseling- September 2020
Counseling Department Welcomes You Back to School!
For those of you that are new to the high school or district, the counseling department wants to welcome and introduce you to the monthly counseling smore.
At the beginning of each month in the counseling smore, you will find important information and events coming out of the counseling office that month. This includes but not limited to:
- College and career events
- Virtual tour opportunities
- Job shadowing/internship info
- Testing information
- Senior/Junior Parent Info evening presentations
- And much more
Liberty Counseling Office: Virtual Edition
Don't forget to visit Mrs. Schneider's office, and see all the things that she helps you with (transcripts, PowerSchool, and more!)
Counseling secretary
School Counselors
Bergmann- last names A-G
Naughton- last names H-N
DeVries- last names O-Z
Student Family Advocates
Student Family Advocates and What They Can Do for You
Our Student Family Advocate's mission is to increase the connection between families and schools to ensure a successful learning experience for all of our children. Your Student and Family Advocate (SFA) can help support school success through sharing information and supporting families with:
School and home connections
Mental health resources
Temporary Living Situations
School supplies and winter gear referrals
District and Community resources and referrals
Navigation of school policies and procedures
Help with school registration as well as Free and Reduced Lunch applications
Liberty High Food Pantry Access
The SFAs are available daily, following the school calendar, and during other times as needed/by appointment. You can use the Book Me URL below to schedule an appointment. Services are free for families. Please contact your school SFAs if you have any questions
Upcoming Events this Month
- College Application Week: Sept 20-26, more information to come through email
- Golden Circle Virtual College Fair- Sunday, September 20th, 1:0-3:00 pm For more info: click here
- ICAN Financial Aid Presentation- September 21st, Virtual presentation at 7:00 pm (recommended for senior families) Zoom link
- Senior Student and Parent Informational Night- Wednesday, September, 30th at 6:30 pm, zoom link will be sent out closer to the date. This virtual presentation will include information of what seniors should be doing each month to prepare for life after high school.
College Application Week Sept 20-26: Seniors this is for you!
Important Recommendations for Students
- Career Assessment. Students will be encouraged to complete a career assessment to align with the Career Cluster designations for exhibitors. If students have access to the assessment results taken in school, please remind students how, and encourage them to access them prior to the fair.
- Register to Attend. We have an online registration process to gain access to the fair lobby. Please encourage students and parents to register.
- Expanded Opportunities. With the event going virtual, Eastern and Western Iowa students and families should be encouraged to participate. With nearly 100 exhibitors registered it will be a day they don't want to miss!
To learn more or register: click here
College Virtual Tour Days: Recommended for Juniors and Seniors
Yale University: Virtual Session and Current Student Conversation: Sept 13 at 4 pm central time or Sept 16 at 6:30 pm central time. These sessions will feature an overview of Yale's undergraduate programs and a live panel conversation featuring Yale students from the mid-west.
Tufts University: Voices of Tufts Diversity Experience: deadline to sign up is September 18, event is Oct. 17 & 18: a 2-day online visit program designed to introduce high school seniors to diversity and community at Tufts University. Participants will have the opportunity to go through a guided virtual tour of the university with current students, interactive student panels, learn about financial aid, and have conversations with representatives from their identity-based resource centers.
Carnegie Mellon University: Turn Tartan Experience: Starts Sept 20, with programming throughout the following weeks. This event will allow you to have the opportunity to experience Carnegie Mellon by choosing specific sessions that interest you: Academic college/department info sessions, virtual tour campus and residence halls, student panels, coffee with the deans, and mock classes. See more of the offerings here.
Northern Arizona University: Virtual NAUnity Day event: Sept 23 at 6 pm Pacific time.
This event will feature a student panel, Admissions Info, First GEneration Programs, and Office of Inclusion: Multicultural & LGBTQIA Student Services.
Pennsylvania College of Technology: Virtual Information Session: Sept 24 at 6 pm central time. Learn about the 100+ majors Penn College has to offer, and the promise of small class sizes, and 150+ state of the art labs.
Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford: Exploring College Options: Offered multiple days (click on link to see specific dates). These universities invite you to join them for a 90 minute webinar to help you explore college options and prepare a strong and reflective application in this time of change and new challenges. During the program admission officers from these 5 universities will introduce their institutions, application process, answer general questions and provide individual school breakout sessions.
Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) September Webinars
Getting Connected to Colleges, Scholarships, Jobs and More- Monday, Sept 14, 3:30 pm
Perfect for all students and parents: register here
The Importance of College Fairs- Wednesday, Sept 16 at 3 pm
9th-12th graders and parents: register here
Life After High School: A Guide to Career and College Planning- Wednesday, Sept 23, 3 pm
Sophomore, Juniors, and parents: register here
2020-2021 Scholarships
Only scholarships that come through the Counseling Office will be posted on the spreadsheet. Applications, if available, can be access by clicking on the "Scholarship Folder" button near the top.
Additional Scholarship and Financial Aid resources can be found at the Liberty Counseling Website at: https://www.iowacityschools.org/Page/17318
Senior Section
Senior Radar:
Events:
- College Application Week (mentioned above)
- Golden Circle College Fair (mentioned above)
- Financial Aid Virtual Presentation 9/21- see "Upcoming Events" for zoom link
- Liberty Counselor Presentation: Senior Student and Parent Informational Meeting, Wednesday, Sept 30 at 6:30 pm
- Start organizing important dates and deadlines for potential colleges
- If you plan to be a college athlete, and haven't yet- register with NCAA or NAIA (depending on your college of choice)
- If you haven't already, visit college campuses
- Plan to apply in the fall (September-early November), again look at deadlines!
ACT & SAT Testing: Seniors
Many colleges and universities have waived testing requirements for this fall's applicants. Seniors are encouraged to check with schools they intend to apply to this fall to see what changes to the application process have been made.
ACT does have three test dates in October, 2020. Tests will be held on October, 10, 17, and 24. Registration is open until September 25, 2020 with no late fees assessed. Students must create and account and register at act.org.
Contact Information
Troy Bergmann Students A-G bergmann.troy@iowacityschools.org
Jenni Naughton Students H-N naughton.jennifer@iowacityschools.org
Mayra DeVries Students O-Z devries.mayra@iowacityschools.org
Student Family Advocate:
Shanell Young young.shanell@iowacityschools.org
Career Coordinator/Student Family Advocate:
Rick Spear spear.rick@iowacityschools.org
Registrar:
Sarah Miller miller.sarah@iowacityschools.org
Secretary:
Jan Schneider schneider.jan@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://www.iowacityschools.org/domain/2598
Phone: 319-688-1354
Twitter: @BoltCounseling