WB Counselor Connection
News & Info for the WB Community Aug. 27, 2020
In this issue:
Welcome back!
Message from Administration- Schedules
College Prep Senior Seminars - Sign Up Now!
College Rep Virtual Visits
Class of 2021 FAFSA Virtual Workshops
Message to the Class of 2022
NACAC Virtual College Fairs
NCAA Eligibility Updates
Job Outlook for Michigan
Current State of College Admissions Video
What Does Test-Optional Really Mean?
U of M Ann Arbor Application Changes
Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program
Quest Bridge
WBSD Student Meal Options
Kettering University Bulldog Preview Day
Mrs. Essig's Top Picks
Scholarships
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program
Miami University (Ohio) Merit Scholarships
University of Arizona Scholarships
Class of 2021 College Board Opportunity Scholarships
Check Twitter Daily for Additional Scholarships @WBHSCounseling #WBHSScholarships2021
Welcome Back!
This is our first Counselor Connection newsletter. This twice-monthly newsletter is the best way to stay informed of important events, deadlines, and opportunities. This newsletter is the Counseling Department's primary way of sharing information with you.
The newsletter is emailed to students and parents. If the parent is not receiving the email, please check the parent email address in PowerSchool to make sure it is accurate and no blocks have been set.
Please follow us on Twitter @WBHS Counseling. https://twitter.com/WBHSCounseling
We are excited for a wonderful school year!
Message from Administration Regarding Schedules
Dear WBHS Students & Parents,
We are incredibly excited to start the 2020-2021 school year with you! We have been working diligently to ensure that student schedules are correct. This includes working well into the late hours this evening. Please check PowerSchool tomorrow before you complete any work for your classes to see if any changes have been made to your schedule.
If you submitted a schedule change request (via google form) based on one of the four reasons described, we appreciate your patience as we are working to make these changes. Changes may take up to 5 days to complete. For the time being, please attend the courses that are listed on your schedule.
We will NOT be making schedule changes based on student preference and will only make schedule changes that are absolutely necessary.
Student schedules will ONLY be adjusted for the following reasons:
Failure from the previous semester in a prerequisite course
Completed the course already in a previous academic year or during summer school
An incomplete schedule (there should be seven courses for each semester on your student's schedule)
The computer placed your student in two courses that provide the same credit (i.e. World History and AP World History)
All students will receive a link to the schedule change Google form in their student Gmail. If a student has one of the four scheduling issues listed above, they should complete the google form by the deadline.
Again, please do not email your counselor with a preference-based schedule change as we are not able to accommodate these types of requests.
Please know that we do our best to ensure that every student has a schedule that matches their academic and personal needs. There are always adjustments required - especially when there are technical glitches or when we experience staffing changes. The counselors have been working tirelessly with administrators to get schedules ready for the upcoming school year and we appreciate your patience and understanding.
If your child needs to make a schedule change due to one of the four reasons described above, please have them complete the schedule change request form google form, which will be sent to their student Gmail account. There is no need to email or call if you or your student filled out the google form, as these voicemails and emails can slow the efficiency of the process.
If you have any questions about the daily schedule, please refer to this document: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1598121330/wbsdorg/lv3m7iohgci8tjow1jvd/WBHSRemoteScheduleDetailed.png
Thank you for your patience and understanding,
WBHS Administration
College Prep Senior Seminars
- College Search – What should I be doing now?
- Common App Basics – What do I need to know?
- Financial Aid/Scholarships – Where do I look?
- Parchment – How do I create an account and send my transcripts?
- SAT/ACT Scores – How do I send scores to colleges?
- College Rep Visits – How do I sign up to see college reps coming to WBHS?
Click on this link to sign up. Remember the focus of these meetings is for students that did NOT attend the College App Boot Camp.
College Representative Virtual Visits - Juniors and Seniors!
Every fall WBHS hosts college representatives allowing students to learn more about a variety of colleges and establish relationships. All visits will be held virtually this year.
Below is a link to the visits currently set up. Please know that this list is updated daily! Please bookmark this page and check frequently for updates.
Out of respect for the representative's time, if you sign up, please make sure you attend. Remember that many times the rep hosting these meetings is also the rep reading your college application. This is a great opportunity to ask questions!
Class of 2021 FAFSA Virtual Workshops
The FAFSA will open up for the Class of 2021 on October 1st. West Bloomfield High School will be hosting a Virtual FAFSA Workshop for current seniors attending college in the fall of 2021. The dates are October 22nd and November 16th. If you need assistance, you will be able to sign up for one of the dates for help.
Registration details will be posted in upcoming Counselor Connection newsletters.
Message to Juniors - Class of 2022
GRADES - As you know, the junior year is an important year for your college and career planning. As we've mentioned before, this is the last set of grades that a college will see as they make their admission decisions.
COLLEGE REP VISITS AT WBHS - Juniors have the opportunity to meet with college reps coming to WBHS. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about colleges that spark your interest. College Rep Visit Sign Up Sheet
ACT/SAT TESTING - Given our current situation, many colleges have gone test-optional for the Class of 2021. We do not know the decisions yet for the Class of 2022. It is always best to check the website of the college in which you plan to apply. If all goes well, we hope to administer the SAT to all juniors in the spring. If you would like to do some test prep, Khan Academy offers free test prep for students and can be extremely helpful.
YOU'VE GOT THIS - Navigating the college and career search process, can be overwhelming. But know that you are not in this alone and our Counseling Office and College and Career Center staff is here to help!
Be sure to follow Mrs. Essig on Twitter @WBHSCounseling and read every Counselor Connection newsletter.
Updates for NCAA Eligibility
Uncertain about your career interests?
Virtual College Fairs
The Current State of College Admissions
Test Optional means Test Optional
Success....
U of M Ann Arbor - Application Changes
Quest Bridge
Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program
If you know a high school student who wants exposure to a STEM-related field, here is your chance to get them involved. Register by visiting the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) website here and sign up for the BCBSM Hack Attack course.
Kettering University - Virtual Visit Day
Mrs. Essig's Top Picks
WBSD Student Meal Options
School meals are available to all West Bloomfield School District students. Please see the options below for each student learning model.
Remote Only Learners
All meals must be preordered online, individually for each student
Curbside pick-up online order link can be found at WBSD.org under the Food Service tab
Meals will be charged to student’s Food Service account. Meals will be free for students who qualify for free/reduced meal benefits
Meals are available for curbside pick-up at the front of West Bloomfield HS
Pick-up day is Wednesday
Pick-up times are 6:30a-7:30a, 11:30a-12:30a or 4:00p-5:00p
You may order five days of breakfast and lunch or choose specific meals
These are replacement meals for school days (Labor Day week = 4 days of meals)
Students eligible for the Free and Reduced Meal Program are also able to access six non perishable meals each weekend from the Blessings in a Backpack program at no cost. Look for the sign up form in your school communications or contact katherinesheiko@hotmail.com. Blessings in a Backpack will be distributed with meals from October through June.
In Person Learners (Classroom Only)
All meals must be preordered online, individually for each student
Online order link can be found at WBSD.org under the Food Service tab
Meals will be charged to student’s Food Service account. Meals will be free for students who qualify for free/reduced meal benefits
Meals are available for curbside pick-up at the front of West Bloomfield HS
Pick-up day is Wednesday
Pick-up times are 6:30a-7:30a, 11:30a-12:30a or 4:00p-5:00p.
You may order five days of breakfast and lunch or choose specific meals
These are replacement meals for school days (Labor Day week = 4 days of meals)
Students eligible for the Free and Reduced Meal Program are also able to access six non perishable meals each weekend from the Blessings in a Backpack program at no cost. Look for the sign up form in your school communications or contact katherinesheiko@hotmail.com. Blessings in a Backpack will be distributed with meals from October through June.
In Person Learners Attending Cloud Care
Hot lunch is available at each Cloud Care site
All hot lunches must be preordered online, individually for each student
Meals will be charged to student’s Food Service account
Meals will be free for students who qualify for free/reduced meal benefits (there will be an additional charge if two or more breakfast or lunch meals are ordered/taken for a student in one day, i.e Cloud Care and Curbside pickup)
Meals will be individually portioned
Parents may order remaining week’s meals (five breakfast and one lunch) for curbside pick-up on Wednesdays at the HS
Parents may order all five days of breakfast and lunch meals for Wednesday curbside pick-up if no meals are ordered for Cloud Care
Students eligible for the Free and Reduced Meal Program are also able to access six non perishable meals each weekend from the Blessings in a Backpack program at no cost. Look for the sign up form in your school communications or contact katherinesheiko@hotmail.com. Blessings in a Backpack will be distributed with meals from October through June.
Onsite Special Education and Transition Center
Meals will be ordered and delivered onsite
Please contact Anne Stevens with Nutrition Services questions at anne.stevens@wbsd.org or 248.865.6733.
SCHOLARSHIPS - Where to look
Please note that Ms. Essig posts all scholarship information on our Twitter account. You do not have to have a Twitter account to read the posts. We post opportunities in the newsletter twice and then remove them. Please follow the Twitter page for the most up-to-date opportunities!
https://twitter.com/WBHSCounseling
Look for #WBHSScholarships2020.
How do I find scholarships?
1. Apply for Financial Aid after October 1st. www.FAFSA.gov
2. Check with each college in which you are applying for merit based scholarships and deadlines.
3. Check for memorial and alumni scholarship opportunities at each college in which you may qualify.
4. Check with student’s/parent’s employer, banks/credit union, religious & civic affiliations, etc. for scholarships.
5. Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/WBHSCounseling Click on the hashtag #WBHSScholarships2021.
6. Read the Counselor Connection
7. Conduct a search by using a national search engine, such as www.fastweb.com, www.scholarships.com, www.myscholly.com, etc. Be sure to create an email address just for these searches as students will receive a lot of email. There is no need to pay money for these services! Watch for scams!
8. Check Careeronestop: https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-scholarships.aspx
9. College Board Opportunity Scholarships. https://opportunity.collegeboard.org/
10. For more information: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/finding-scholarships#how-find
11. Remember it takes work to receive most scholarships! You won't know if you don't try!
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program
Miami University (Ohio) Merit Scholarships
University of Arizona Scholarships
Class of 2021.... start your college exploration and you might win a scholarship!
Important Contacts
WBHS Counseling Department
A-CU Kelly Casinelli
CV-HA Joanne Wegrzynowicz
HB-LO Karen Brody
LP-PO Felicia Neumann
PR-TE Lisa Thompkins
TF-Z John Hepper
College & Career Counselor Noelle Essig
Administrative Staff
Mr. Eric Pace, Principal
Ashleigh Larkin, Assistant Principal
Eric Pierce, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
Jamie Glinz, Assistant Principal
Dr. Stephanie Griffin, Assistant Principal
Email: noelle.essig@wbsd.org
Website: https://www.wbsd.org/west-bloomfield-high-school/counseling-office
Location: 4925 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone: (248)865-6768
Twitter: @WBHSCounseling
OK2SAY
1-855-565-2729
Text - 652729
https://www.michigan.gov/ok2say
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Text - HELLO to 741741