Attendance (Mrs. Leamy): 5641

Food Service (Mrs. Hackel): 5184

Financial/Student Services (Mrs. Young): 5510

Work Permits (Mrs. Groth): 5653

Counselor Last Names A-G (Mr. Kowalski): 5836

Counselor Last Names H-N (Ms. Spear): 5726

Counselor Last Names O-Z (Mr. Shomion): 5335

School Nurse (Mrs. Neuser): 5110

School Social Worker (Mr. Morey): 5262

Parent -Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, September 30th, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mr. Pacholke will communicate information on how parents can schedule conference times in Skyward.

The following requirements need to be met in order to earn a diploma from Rice Lake High School:

4 credits of English

3 credits of Social Studies

3 credits of Science

3 credits of Mathematics

1.5 credits of Physical Education

.5 credit of Health

.5 credit of Freshman Success

10.5 credits of Electives

Academic and Career Plan

Citizenship Test

Wisconsin Education Fair (WEF) will be hosting in person and virtual fairs for Juniors or Seniors interested in attending. Students will have access to over 150 college, military branches and specialty schools. To register see the https://www.wefs.org/fair-schedule/ . See your counselor for more information.

Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for academic year 2021-2022 is available at fafsa.gov starting October 1, 2021. The FAFSA determines student's eligibility for federal Pell grants, student loans, work-study, and state grants (if going to an in-state college).

Prior to applying for FAFSA, a student and one parent must each create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) at fsaid.gov. This FSA ID can be created at any time, even prior to October 1st. It is very important that the FSA ID and password for parent and student be kept in a safe place that can be found each year. This FSA ID is used to apply for financial aid each academic year and the FSA ID is used by students after accepting student loans offered by a college to sign their loans and complete loan counseling at studentloans.gov.

Want free help to apply for 2021-2022 FAFSA? "College Goal Wisconsin" at Northwood Technical College (Formerly WITC) in the Conference Center, Monday, October 25, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. This event is for all students and parents no matter which college a student plans to attend. Both student and parent are encouraged to attend together.

What do I need to bring to receive help with FAFSA at College Goal Wisconsin?

• 2020 Federal Tax Returns (Parent and student if applicable)
• Personal email address for parent and student (not a school email address)
• Social Security Number for parent and student
• Current balance of savings and non-retirement investments
• Child support received or child support paid during 2020

Senior Conferences: Mr. Kowalski, Ms. Spear, and Mr. Shomoin are in the process of conducting conferences with all seniors concerning post-high school plans.

College Applications: Most college systems should now be accepting applications for Fall 2022. University of Wisconsin application can be completed at www.apply.wisconsin.edu. Application deadlines can vary from college to college so students should pay close attention to those dates.

Transcript Requests: One of the required documents needed when applying to college is an official high school transcript. RLHS uses Parchment to send transcripts securely to any college or university. Seniors should have a Parchment account created from an email link they received last spring. Please use a personal email when creating an account. Current RLHS students can send transcripts at no cost. Alumni will be charged $4.15 per transcript. See Mrs. Young if you have any questions.

Scholarships: Most scholarship applications arrive in early spring; however, a few scholarships trickle in earlier. When a new scholarship becomes available it will be announced in the daily announcements, paper copies will be available in student services, and electronic copies will be available on the Scholarship website:

https://rlhs.ricelake.k12.wi.us/student_services_home_page/scholarships

Academic and Career Plan: All seniors are required to have an Academic and Career Plan (ACP). Rice Lake High School uses the online Xello program to maintain their ACP requirements. For more information on the ACP see https://rlhs.ricelake.k12.wi.us/parent__student_resources/e_portfolio__a_c_p

ACT Assessment - What is it?

The ACT is a national college admissions exam that consists of tests in English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning and an optional Writing test. The ACT is not an aptitude or IQ test. Instead, the questions on the ACT are directly related to what students have learned in high school courses in English, Math, and Science.

Why should students take the ACT?

• The ACT is an important step in the college search and admissions process. Many colleges require that students submit test results as part of the application process. The ACT is accepted by virtually all colleges and universities in the United States.
• The ACT results are often considered as part of scholarships and grant awards for colleges and scholarship agencies, and many state scholarship programs.
• The ACT is more than a test. The ACT also provides students with a unique interest inventory that contains valuable information for career and educational planning.
• Because grades may not tell the whole story about a student's academic ability.
  
• ACT scores, together with high school grades, indicate how prepared a student is for college.
  

When should a student take the ACT?

Again this year, all juniors in Wisconsin will be taking the ACT at their high school, during the school day on March 8th, at no cost to the student. In the past, it has been recommended that students take the ACT for the first time in the spring (April or June) of their junior year of high school. Students still have the option to take the ACT on the national test dates if they wish to take the test more than once.

How often should students take the ACT?

Students may take the ACT as often as they wish. Many students take the test twice, once on the state test day and again at the end of junior year or the beginning of senior year. There are no limitations on how many times students can retest.

ACT Test Dates and Fees

• October 23 (late registration deadline October 1)
• December 11 (registration deadline November 5)
• February 12 (registration deadline January 7)
• April 2 (registration deadline February 25)
• June 11 (registration deadline May 6)
• July 16 (registration deadline June 17)

*Rice Lake High School is a testing site for the October and June ACT dates only.

ACT non-writing $60; ACT with writing $85. Students should register for the ACT online at www.actstudent.org

The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT/NMSQT) will be administered to interested juniors on Wednesday, October 13 during first and second hours. The PSAT is designed for students expecting to go to a four-year university and is the vehicle by which students become eligible for the National Merit Scholarship. Juniors interested in taking the PSAT should pick up information and sign up with Mrs. Young in Student Services, registration forms are also available on the Student Services website. Study guides are available for students who sign up for the test, so encourage your student to sign up early! Cost for the test is $18. Registration is due by Friday, October 8.

Students can earn college credit through the Early College Credit Program (ECCP) and the Start College Now (SCN) Program. The ECCP is through the UW System (UWEC-BC). The SCN is through the Wisconsin Technical College System (Northwood Technical College). Students are eligible to apply if they are in good academic standing, have met any course pre-requisites, have written approval from their parent or guardian, and have no history of disciplinary problems. Application deadlines are October 1 for spring semester and March 1 for fall semester. More information, including application forms, is available in student services and on the High School Student Services webpage.