WBHS Counselor Connection & News
News & Info for the WBHS Community May 28, 2020
In this issue:
- Seniors - Important Message from Administration
- Summer School - Credit Recovery
- Summer School - EDReady Math
- Summer School - Online Courses
- Xello Requirement for 9th-11th Grade Students
- Juniors - Check your email for link to College Prep Newsletter with Common App/College App Boot Camp Registration!
- Juniors - Essay Writing Workshop
- SAT/ACT Updates
- NACAC Virtual College Fair
- HBCU Virtual College Fair
- New - COVID Common App Essay - Optional
- Test Optional Colleges for Class of 2021
- College Board's Career Exploration Tool - Free until July!
- OCC Chancellor's Scholarship Due Date Extended
- Jackie Robinson Scholarship Due July 1
- Hispanic Scholarship Due July 1
- Indigenous Recognition Program Due July 1
- Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Due July 1
IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO SENIORS FROM ADMIN:
WBHS Seniors and Families,
Congratulations! Your last days of high school classes have passed and now it’s all about celebrations and accolades. As information changes day to day, WBHS is working to provide safe and respectful options for our senior students. Please see below for some details regarding senior activities.
Honors Convocation
We are finalizing the last of the accomplishments and recognitions to provide you with a virtual honors convocation. This is a video presentation that will not be live. Expect this to be released the first week in June.
Prom
The original date of 5/27 has been cancelled due to the stay at home order. We do not have a rescheduled date, since we are very unsure as to whether or not we can host an event of around 500 people any time this summer.
Scholar Athletes and Fine Arts Students
The breakfasts for these students were cancelled, however their certificates and items will be provided with their other senior items. We also intend to recognize them in the commencement booklet.
Caps and Gowns
Senior caps and gowns were held in a storage facility when companies were shut down. As businesses re-open, we are starting to receive these items. We are hopeful to be able to distribute senior items the week of June 8 in an outdoor event.
Yearbooks
Yearbook printing was delayed due the stay at home order. Printing has resumed, however we have not received the yearbooks yet. As soon as we can confirm delivery, we will be able to communicate a plan for yearbook pickup.
Personal Items from Classrooms and Lockers
Students will be assigned a time slot and be allowed a short, supervised window for materials pickup from their school lockers. This will take place the week of June 8.
Items from visual or performing arts classes will be collected by the teachers and be available for pickup the week of June 8.
Athletic and Gym Lockers
The majority of WBHS is under construction, and therefore we cannot have students or parents entering the building without special permission.
We are working with WBSD facilities and maintenance, along with the construction group, to set aside specific days and times for pickup.
Students will be assigned a time slot and be allowed a short, supervised window for materials pickup. This will take place the week of June 8.
Graduation
West Bloomfield has reserved the date of August 2, 2020 for a graduation ceremony. We listened to overwhelming parent and student requests to try to hold off for an in person ceremony. As time has progressed, it seems less and less likely that a live, traditional ceremony will be permitted.
We are looking to do something in mid-June to recognize our seniors now, in light of the fact that we may not be able to host a traditional ceremony, even in August. We will not be able to support hosting two live events, so if we finalize plans for an event in mid-June, we will pursue a virtual commencement ceremony as well, for later in the summer.
Stay tuned for specific details within the next week.
Senior All Night Party
The original event has been cancelled, with the hope of having one in August. If we move the senior celebration event up to June, an adjustment will be necessary. Stay tuned for future updates soon.
Returning School Materials, Devices, and Paying Outstanding Fees
During the week on June 8, we intend to have students return items and/or pay fees such as:
Chromebooks
Hot Spots
Textbooks
iCenter Materials
Musical Scripts
Fine Arts Gowns/Outfits
Photography and Media Arts Equipment/Tools (ie. Cameras)
Athletic Uniforms
Outstanding Athletic Balances (if applicable)
iCenter/Textbook Fees (if applicable)
Technology Fees (if applicable)
Receipt of a diploma is contingent upon return of all materials and rectifying of all balances.
Although we know it has been difficult, we appreciate your patience and flexibility. We want to make sure we can handle all of our business at one time in a safe and appropriate manner. We also want to make sure that our seniors get the recognition that they deserve. Stay tuned for more specific plans regarding dates, times, and logistics of specific events later this week.
Requirement for 9th-11th Grade Students:
Dear Students,
We hope this email finds you well! This week, your social studies teachers will be posting an assignment to complete your career profile in Xello, formerly Career Cruising. Per the new career education law, all students must complete the assignments in Xello each year to be eligible for graduation. Please review the attached PDF directions to complete the assignment.
You must have your STUDENT POWERSCHOOL LOGIN in order to complete the assignment in Xello- your parent login will not work. If you do not have your student login information, please email Mrs. Tunic: renee.tunic@wbsd.org.
If you have individual questions about Xello, please email Mrs. Brody: karen.brody@wbsd.org and/or attend the zoom information session on June 1st at 1:00 PM (link will be sent to your student gmail).
Once you are finished with the assignment in Xello, please upload your goals document to complete the assignment for your social studies class. We appreciate your cooperation!
Thank you,
WBHS Counseling Department
Important Summer School Information
If you missed the virtual meeting, you can click on the video links to see it!
Edgenuity - Math program for students entering grades 4-8 in the fall.Here is the link for
Michigan Virtual - Available to all high school students for credit advancement and health only for our current 8th grade students. Here is the link for Michigan Virtual: https://youtu.be/rBpRS-ViAws
Edgenuity - Available to current high school students only for grade improvement and credit recovery. Here is the link for Edgenuity: https://youtu.be/pqEC9KKaGLI
There will be zoom meetings for students on June 2nd because classes start June 8th.
Here are the student orientation zoom links for students who have signed up for Michigan Virtual Classes and Edgenuity classes this summer. Students are welcome to join even if they haven't committed to a class, just to find out more.
Here is the Michigan Virtual link for 6 p.m. on June 2:
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84632486073?pwd=c0xISDV2R0NnYmVRQlU3dGxqSEw5QT09 Meeting ID: 846 3248 6073 Password: summer
Here is the Edgenuity link for 7 p.m. on June 2:
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83110203475?pwd=czBseDdHKzBKYmp0WEFlZUFNN0d3dz09 Meeting ID: 831 1020 3475
Password: summer
Summer Math Program
Summer School for Credit Recovery
WBHS Online Summer School Classes
Juniors - Check your email!
Juniors- Essay Writing Workshop - Sign Up Now!
Essay Writing Workshop - Via College Essay Guy - FREE Opportunity for WBHS Students (Parents can listen in.) Register here: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/sub-ceg-for-schools-students. NOTE TIME DIFFERENCE!
Monday, June 1st (10:00-11:30AM OR 4:00-5:30PM PACIFIC TIME)
Wednesday, June 3rd (10:00-11:30AM OR 4:00-5:30PM PACIFIC TIME)
Friday, June 5th (10:00-11:30AM OR 4:00-5:30PM PACIFIC TIME)
HBCU Virtual Event
Virtual College Fair
Cialfo's Online College Fair is right around the corner! This weekend, we're bringing together our unparalleled community of higher ed leaders to discuss all things admissions.
Our guest speakers include Jayne Fonash, President of NACAC; Meredith Lombardi, Associate Director at Common App; Paul Sanders, Executive Director at College Board; and representatives from 200+ different colleges across the nation.
Register here to participate in Q&As, join panel discussions, and more. We hope to see you there!
NACAC Virtual College Fair Dates
- Sept. 13 — Students Fall Kickoff
- Oct. 12
- Nov. 8
Student registration for NACAC Virtual College Fairs will open later in the summer. For now, students can sign up for our email list and we'll let them know as soon as registration opens.
Questions?
Please contact us at virtualfairs@nacacnet.org if you have any questions. Enjoy your summer and thank you for staying in touch!
SAT/ACT UPDATES
SAT - College Board https://pages.collegeboard.org/sat-covid-19-updates?excmpid=SM48-ED-CB-tw
Test Optional Colleges
Common App Question Regarding COVID 19
Mrs. Essig's Recommended Articles
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 #WBHSScholarships2020.
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. Beginning Class of 2020,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!''
*** Please a note that WBHS cannot endorse or properly "vet" the sheer number of scholarships that come our way. It is up to the student/family to determine.
National Recognition Programs for Your Students
Dear Colleague,
We’re writing because one or more of your students in the class of 2021 were invited to apply for the College Board National Recognition Programs. Our recognition programs aim to create pathways to college for underrepresented students by awarding them academic honors and connecting them with universities and scholarship programs across the country.
For the past 37 years, we've recognized Latinx students through our National Hispanic Recognition Program based on PSAT/NMSQT® performance. Last fall, we launched three additional programs to recognize African American, Indigenous, and rural and small town students.
With the expansion of our National Recognition Programs, recognized students will also receive culturally relevant college exploration and planning supports through the following partnering organizations:
•
The Jackie Robinson Foundation—African American Recognition
•
Hispanic Scholarship Fund—Hispanic Recognition
•
Indigenous Education, Inc.—Indigenous Recognition
•
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation—Rural and Small Town Recognition
The application deadline is July 1. Visit our website to learn more about eligibility, the application timeline, and your role as an educator. Your eligible students and their parents will receive communications from College Board in the upcoming days encouraging them to complete the application. If you have any questions, please email CBRP@scholarshipamerica.org or call 866-545-8467.
Sincerely,
Jati Baeza
Senior Director, Recognition Programs
College Board
The College Board National Recognition Programs are neither affiliated with nor endorsed by National Merit Scholarship Corporation or the National Merit® Scholarship Program.
Chancellor's Scholarship OCC - Deadline Extended
MI Student Aid Scholarship Search Tool
Scholarship links
Calendars/Schedules
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