Rice Lake High School
Student Services Newsletter Term One 2018-19
Important Contact Information
Attendance (Mrs. Leamy): 5641
Food Service (Mrs. Hackel): 5184
Financial/Student Services (Mrs. Hansen): 5657
Work Permits (Mrs. Groth): 5653
Counselor Last Names A-L (Ms. Ebner): 5470
Counselor Last Names M-Z (Mr. Shomion): 5335
School Nurse (Mrs. Neuser): 5110
School Social Worker (Mr. Morey): 5262
Please Join Us for Term One Parent Teacher Conferences
A Message from Mr. Beise
At the high school, we strive to provide a safe, supportive and challenging learning environment. You have my commitment to working hard for your student(s) and to continually improve myself in order for all of us at RLHS to reach the goals we have set. I feel very fortunate to be able to follow my passion of educational leadership in the district I am so fond of and dedicated to. The students at RLHS are truly top-notch and I know from working side by side with the staff for many years, that they are amazing and extremely dedicated to our students.
I look forward to meeting all of you. Please feel free to stop in to introduce yourself. I believe heavily in being visible to the stakeholders of the district. I also understand the importance of community in having a successful school, so please feel free to reach out to me on issues that we can use to continually improve Rice Lake High School.
I will close by stating how I am hoping for a great 2018-19 school year! I know that by working together to reach our goals of a safe, supportive and challenging learning environment we will indeed have a great year. If you do need to contact me, you may call the high school at 715-234-2181 and dial my extension, 5114, or you can reach me by email at beisem@ricelake.k12.wi.us Have a great day and Go Warriors!
RLHS Graduation Requirements
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 credits of Freshman Success
10.5 credits of Electives
E-portfolio/ACP
Citizenship test
Education Fair
Financial Aid Tips for High School Seniors
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 2019-2020 FAFSA? "College Goal Wisconsin" at WITC Conference Center, October 29, 2018 at 6pm. 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?
- 2017 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 2017
Submitted by Leah Goettl
WITC Financial Aid Advisor
College Goal Wisconsin
Monday, Oct 29, 2018, 06:00 PM
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College - Rice Lake, College Drive, Rice Lake, WI, USA
"MUST Know" for Seniors
Senior Conferences: Mr. Shomion and Ms. Ebner are in the process of conducting conferences with all seniors concerning post-high school plans.
Senior Activity Form: Each senior has been given an Activities Form to complete and turn in to student services. This form if helpful for teachers and counselors when writing letters of recommendation. If your senior has not completed this form, please have them do so.
College Applications: Most college systems should now be accepting applications for Fall 2019. University of Wisconsin applications 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 students need 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 with an email link they received last spring, but if they don't, they can create an account by going to Parchment.com. Current RLHS students can send transcripts at no cost. Alumni will be charged $3.25 per transcript.
Scholarships: Most scholarship applications arrive in early spring; however, a few scholarships will trickle in earlier. When a new scholarship becomes available an announcement will be included in the daily announcements, a posting will be made on the Scholarship website: https://rlhs.ricelake.k12.wi.us/student_services_home_page/scholarships
E-Portfolio: All seniors are required to have a completed E-portfolio. More information and a checklist of requirements is available on the E-portfolio website: https://rlhs.ricelake.k12.wi.us/parent__student_resources/e-_portfolio
ACT - Frequently Asked Questions
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 scholarship 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.
Why do colleges request the ACT?
Colleges require a variety of measures to evaluate a student's application for admissions, generally including class rank, GPA, and standardized test scores such as the ACT. Standardized test scores provide an "equalizer" for colleges. Because grades may not tell the whole story about a student's academic ability, nearly all colleges will ask for a national exam for this purpose. 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 February 20th, 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 a student 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 beginning of senior year. There are no limitations on how many times students can retest.
ACT Dates and Fees
- October 27 (registration deadline September 28)
- December 8 (registration deadline November 2)
- February 9 (registration deadline January 11)
- April 13 (registration deadline March 8)
- June 8 (registration deadline May 3)
*Rice Lake High School is a testing site for the October and June ACT dates
ACT non-writing $50.50; ACT with writing $67.00. Students should register for the ACT online at www.actstudent.org
ACT Prep Sessions for the October Test
Science with Mr. Graff - Monday, October 8
English, Reading, and Writing with Mrs. Hahn - Monday, October 15
Math with Mrs. Wyse - Monday, October 22
Interested students can stop by Student Services to sign up. There is no cost for this event.
Juniors who will be taking the ACT on February 20th during the school day will prep sessions prior to that test date.
SAT Dates and Fees
- November 3 (registration deadline October 5)
- December 1 (registration deadline November 2)
- March 9 (registration deadline February 8)
- May 4 (registration deadline April 5)
- June 1 (registration deadline May 3)
SAT Reasoning Test $47.50; SAT with Essay $64.50. Students should register for the SAT online at www.collegeboard.org
PSAT
ASVAB
Early College Credit Program and Start College Now
Attendance Policy Reminders
- If your student is ill, please call the attendance hotline or dial ext. 5641 at the high school
- If your student has an appointment, he/she should bring the note to the attendance office before the school day begins
- If your student has a medical note from a doctor appointment, have them bring the note to Mrs. Leamy
- Throughout the school year, each student can take 10 pre-excused days (or 50 class periods)
- Throughout the school year, each student can take 10 excused days (or 50 class periods)
- If a medical note is provided for an absence, that absence will not count toward the 10 ill days or 10 pre-excused days
It is of the utmost importance for your student to maintain good attendance throughout the school year. Attendance is a large predictor of academic success. With our block scheduling, missing even one day of school can be very difficult to make-up. Please make your student's attendance a top priority.
2018-19 Exchange Students
Lise Keuwez - Belgium
Elisa Piergiacomi - Italy
Angela Soto Campillo - Spain
Yuliya Podavets - Kazakhstan
Please join us in welcoming these ambassadors to the Rice Lake High School community and help make their stay here enjoyable!
Alternative Pathways
If your son or daughter is in "regular" education classes, you may be concerned about their having a reasonable list of extra-curricular involvements, because these can assist them to get into better colleges and universities. Employers also find music, sports, or other volunteer activities to be an asset to any student's resume. If your child is in special education, she/he should be exposed to a variety of activities for those and other reasons. A healthy adult life will include not only education and employment, but also friends, hobbies, and other recreational activities.
So...what is there to "do" in northwest Wisconsin? I won't aspire to provide a complete list, of courses, but think about each of these categories. One could do motor sports like jet-skiing, snowmobiling or four-wheeling. Non-motorized sports/physical activities are a great way to exercise. These include everything from archery, biking and canoeing to volleyball, yoga, and Zumba. Games vary from card-, board-, video-, and yard-games to geo-caching and paintball. Hobbies and crafts could be birding, knitting, photography, woodworking, and so on. Clubs and organizations offer another way to both be involved socially and to develop talents, whether they are book clubs, church groups, special interest groups (Master Gardeners, NAMI, etc.) environmental organizations, or service clubs. Others may find their passion in the fine arts (art, music, film, museums, and/or theatre). Finally, continuing education classes and activities are available through UW-Eau Claire Barron County, WITC, and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College (see their websites for a current listing of possibilities).
If the goal is to become reasonably competent in any activity, time and effort will be required. One doesn't become skilled at woodworking or playing the clarinet after only an hour or two. If the goal is to develop more social relationships, that also takes time. Thus, while going to a concert or to the county fair or any other one-time activity is a good way to decide which interests an individual may like to pursue, activities that are repeated on a more frequent basis should be given priority. For instance, going to an art exhibition may pique a person's interest in art, but taking a painting or drawing class is more likely to develop a proficiency in that area. Joining that art class - or an artists' collective - is also a way to develop friendships with like-minded individuals.
Submitted by Linda Tollefsrud