The Pirate's Cove
College and Career Center Newsletter
Important Dates
Upcoming Dates
College & Career Signing Day: May 9, @ 9am in the Media Center
Senior Academic Awards Ceremony: May 20, @ 9am in the Auditorium
Senior BBQ: May 23, @ 2:30pm
Saturday, May 25th – 9am Graduation Ceremony
Old News
Mid-Year Exams (early release): Dec 19th & 20-22, 2023
Winter Break: Dec 25th-Jan 5th, 2024, Classes Resume January 8th.
College, Trades & Scholarship Fair: January 25 at Rockledge HS, 4:30-7 pm.
HBCU Fair at Viera HS: Feb. 7, 2024, 6-8:30 pm
Career, College, and Trade Fair on Campus for Juniors and Seniors: Feb. 12, During Lunch
Florida Youth Survey (more info on FOCUS): 2/26/24, select 3rd-period classes have been notified
Multicultural Fair: March 8, During Lunch
FAFSA Night @ PBMHS: March 11
Go Higher, Get Accepted with Eastern Florida: March 12, 8:30 am-3:30 pm
Spring Break: Mar 25-29, 2024
Walgreens Career Information: April 10, B/C Lunch
University of Northeastern Ohio Lunch Visit: April 10, All Lunches
EFSC Tour: April 17 with Professor Raines
Spring Fling: April 19 with SGA during all lunches
NO SCHOOL: April 22
FIT Tour: April 24
DEADLINE EXTENDED & MORE GIFT CARDS ARE AVAILABLE
Scholarship Link Information
- Follow the scholarship link to a document that will have the Loca/Area Scholarship.
- From there, click the blue LINK TO SHARED DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIP LIST.
- Here you will find active hyperlinks to the direct application site without searching online.
College Board Scholarships
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/bigfuture-scholarships?excmpid=vt-00248
Earn chances for scholarships through the College Board just by searching for colleges, practicing for the SAT, and more!
Job & Hiring Opportunities
One Blood Hiring Opportunity
- Exciting career opportunity for graduating seniors at Palm Bay High School who don’t have immediate plans to continue their education and may be looking to begin their working career.
- OneBlood has openings for entry-level full-time Phlebotomists, Biologics Lab Assistants, and other roles to help fulfill our lifesaving mission.
- We offer a structured and paid on-the-job training program in phlebotomy and Biologics Lab Assistants.
- Health care experience is not required, so this is an excellent opportunity for graduating seniors to learn a skill while entering the professional workforce.
In addition to offering competitive wages, OneBlood understands that life is much more than just a paycheck. We also provide our team members with a robust benefits package, including medical, dental, early access to pay, retirement savings with employer match, and paid vacation time, to name a few. Interested students may apply online via OneBlood.org/careers.
BPS Scholar Spotlight, Autumn T.
Shout out to Senior, Aloura C., for their artwork contribution!
Dedicated to turning in FAFSA
Thank you EFSC
Go Higher Get Accepted with EFSC
PBMHS represented for BPS's 3rd Annual HBCU Information Session and College Fair
Breaking News from the Air Rifle Team
An update from MJROTC: Congratulations to the Air Rifle B Team!! They placed 3rd at Florida CMP State Championships!
Egypt J., Jaiyla J., Misha H., and Logan U. They out shot the National Qualifier Team and scored a new team record score for the year!
Breaking News from the Brevard County Science Fair
An update from Mr. Alex Lanio: Congratulations to many of the Science Research students, a very exciting year preparing and ending at the Fair on Friday, and awards Saturday Night. Our competitors were Westshore Jr/Sr, Bayside High, Heritage High, MCC, and Odyssey.
PBMHS students received over $422,000 worth of scholarships to Florida Institute of Technology!!
James N. took home 1st place in Microbiology and will be representing Brevard at the States in April.
Jacob P. took 1st place in Chemistry and will be representing Brevard at the States in April.
Congratulations Mr. Lanio, Ms. Muse, James N., Jacob P., Abdul A., Adonai F., Corey G., Royan J., Elijah L., Marcus L., Kendal M., Adrian M.C., Chyna M., Tyler T., Elijah R., Dalazia C., and Niaeema J!
Senior Sunrise Breakfast
Thank you Starbucks!
Thank you Chick-Fil-A!
Thank you Krispy Kreme!
Seniors!!
Tips for Success
Keep track of each school’s admissions deadlines and important dates.
Listen to the announcements and frequently check in the guidance office to learn about the various state universities visiting our campus this year.
Fulfill any additional requirements for admissions, such as letters of recommendation, autobiographies, etc.
Read and complete each form correctly.
Check out these websites for help with the application process: www.collegeboard.com, www.collegeanswer.com, www.facts.org, and www.act.org. You and your parent/guardian will find a wealth of information on each website to guide you. You will also find links to scholarships on each of these websites.
Transcripts
If you need a transcript, please complete the Request for a Transcript form with Mrs. Miller in the Guidance office.
Letter of Recommendations
Remember to please give your counselor at least a week’s notice if you need a recommendation. Counselors are unable to write a recommendation for you in just 24 hours!
Don’t let your college entrance exams make you break out in a cold sweat. Being prepared ahead of time can make all the difference. Go to www.ACT.org or www.CollegeBoard.com to find out which test is best for you!
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Completion
https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
All seniors should complete the FAFSA application by March of their senior year. The Better FAFSA will Launch in December 2023 for the 24-25 school year. Stay tuned for Open Lab Dates at PBMHS to assist in completing your FAFSA. Create an account using the link above and save your username and password.
Families are encouraged to complete the online application regardless of their income. This application MUST be completed so that students can gain scholarships/grants from colleges. To apply, visit www.fafsa.edu.gov. To complete this application, you will need Your Social Security number, Your driver’s license number if you have one, Your Alien Registration number if you are not a US Citizen, Federal tax information or tax returns including IRS W-2 information, you and your parents if you are a dependent student, any relevant income information. If you should need help filling out the application, chat with an online customer service representative on the FAFSA website.
Florida Financial Aid Application (FAA)
The Florida Financial Aid Application (FAA) for students seeking funding for the 2024-2025 school year will be available starting October 2023. Seniors should visit www.FloridaStudentFinancialaid.org to fill out their FAA application. This single state application is used to evaluate students for the following scholarship programs:
• Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
• Jose Marti Scholarship Challenge Grant
• Rosewood Family Scholarship Program
• Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
If you are interested in playing sports in college, you need to sign up with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (www.ncaaclearinghouse.net). NCAA requires that you complete certain college preparatory courses for college if you plan to be on a competitive athletic team. NCAA is the governing body that promotes fairness in college sports and academics. They have strict guidelines, depending upon the size of the college. Check out the eligibility requirements at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net). There is a fee to apply for approval unless you have a test fee waiver from SAT/ACT.
Other Helpful Websites
http://inlikeme.com/ is a FREE Resource Hub designed to bring together the aspects of the college planning, application, and student aid processes in one practical, easy-to-use site
Many websites have large scholarship databases that will do the grunt work for you. Enter your criteria and they return a list of scholarships that match. Most sites are free and only require you to register to use their services. There are also many organizations that provide scholarships and/or links to scholarship resources. Some sites to check out are:
• www.collegefund.org (Native American)
• www.college-scholarships.com
• www.gmsp.org (Gates Millennium Scholars)
• www.hsf.net (Hispanic)
• www.uncf.org (African American)
• www.apiasf.org (Asian American)
Counselor Appointments
To schedule an appointment with your counselor, please email them your request using the email below.
Stefany Colona, Director of Guidance colona.stefany@brevardschools.org
Tammy Bassile (A – D) bassile.tammy@brevardschools.org
Leslie Hoeft (E – L) hoeft.leslie@brevardschools.org
Mark Baker (M – R) baker.mark@brevardschools.org
Emily McCarty (S – Z) mccarty.emily@brevardschools.org