Room assignments for AP exams are posted in the short hallway by the Connections Center. Students are reminded to arrive at 7:30 for a morning exam and 11:30 for an afternoon exam. Please see Mr. Zickmund if you do not see your name on the room assignment list(s).

If school is closed because of weather, AP students will be re-scheduled for the make-up AP exam (May 17- 19.) If school is on a delayed schedule, all morning AP exams will be re-scheduled and all afternoon exams will follow the original time schedule.

The 2023 AP Exam Terms and Conditions are now available to be read through this link . Students will need to accept these terms and conditions prior to taking each exam. The College Board will send current AP students email reminders to review these terms and conditions. Review: The College Board offers study guides and review exams to help you prepare. Here is a link to the College Board resources.

On May 2, seniors will complete their Senior Graduation Survey. Seniors will update Naviance with their final graduation plans, indicate, if necessary, where final transcripts need to be sent and will be asked to list all scholarship money awarded. All survey information is confidential. Please make sure your student has this information ready for May 2.

Besides early decision, early action and regular decision deadlines, there is one more very important date to remember in the realm of college applications. It can be easily missed if college-bound teenagers are too forgetful or fail to make the right choice of school on time.

The date? May 1, which is also known as National College Decision Day or simply college decision day. After receiving their acceptance letters, students must finalize their choice of institution of higher education by submitting their enrollment deposit. Many enrollment deposits are non-refundable.
TIP: Once you make your decision, be sure to contact and thank the other colleges that accepted you.

Here is a link to help guide you towards making a final decision.

Rising Seniors Family Night was presented on April 17. We covered topics for current 11th grade students including, but not limited to:

· Career Outlooks

· Using Naviance To Assist In Post Graduation Planning

· Trade & Apprenticeship Programs

· Researching Colleges

· College Visits

· An Overview of The College Application Process

Here is a link to the presentation for families who missed the live presentation.

This week, we reviewed several tools to explore post-secondary options. My priority is teaching young people how to pivot careers over their lifetime; these tools are lifelong tools that can be used by any job seeker. Sophomores used My Colorado Journey to discover careers that are related to an industry. We then opened the Occupational Outlook Handbook and O*Net Online to discover “What to Learn.” Next, we used the college search engine in Naviance named SuperMatch. While there are many different priorities when choosing a college or university, sophomores explored those 4,000+ schools by choosing three priorities. One MUST HAVE was the major they chose through earlier exploration.

I hope that you will sit down with your sophomores and spend some time with these tools over the summer. Next year, we will break down the HOW or “Where Do I Want to Do It?” This summer would also be a great time to update resumes, enter community service, add activities to RaiseMe, and start exploring scholarships.

As we finish up the freshmen year, there may be unfinished tasks for a few students. We link our Connections Center lessons based on previous knowledge and would recommend every student complete all tasks. We will build upon these results (and add NEW ones!) in class again next year. Students can see their outstanding tasks on their home page in Naviance.

Here are the inventories we have completed so far:

In Naviance: Learning and Productivity Inventory; Complete Cluster Finder Survey & Add Career Clusters; Complete Career Interest Profiler & Add Careers; Set Goal & Start Resume; Create a high school 4-year course plan; and Complete Skills Explorer Survey.

As a reminder, here is an overview of the Naviance program

In My Colorado Journey: Explore Industries; Families can also create a free account and complete similar inventories to Naviance.

This summer would also be a great time to update resumes, enter community service, add activities to RaiseMe, and start exploring scholarships.

In the Community

AIGA & AAF 2023 Student & Young Professional Portfolio Review will be on Saturday, April 29 from 11:30 - 3:30 at Pikes Peak State College Downtown Campus. Industry professionals will provide one-on-one critiques of student work and offer tips for succeeding in the industry. REGISTER HERE

Apprenticeship Fair on April 29th from 10am-12pm at Montbello High School, 5000 Crown Blvd, Denver, CO 80239. Come to learn about what an apprenticeship is, how to start your career, and get needed resources. This is an in-person event. No resumes required. Please RSVP ahead of time by registering here.

West Point Admissions Information Meeting presented by CPT Kelechi Odocha, the West Point Admissions officer for Colorado, will be on Tuesday, May 9 at 5:30PM at the downtown Colorado Springs Penrose Library, 20 N Cascade.

Virtual

Next Steps: Preparing for your Future as an NCAA Student-Athlete - Sunday, April 30 from 4:30-5:30. High school student-athletes focused on playing their sport at the NCAA level won't want to miss this informative hour with the Eligibility Center staff. Parents/families/advocates are encouraged to join! Click here to register.

2023 Virtual Statewide Outdoor Recreation Job Fair on May 4 from 2-6pm. This fair is open to anyone seeking competitive employment in the field of recreation within the state of Colorado.

The 2023 Young Adult Job Fair will be Wednesday, May 10 from 12-4pm at the Pikes Peak Workforce Center at 1675 Garden of the Gods Road. If you are interested in attending, please create or update your ConnectingColorado.com account before attending the Job Fair.

The Pathways Program offers federal internship and employment opportunities for current students, recent graduates, and those with an advanced degree.

Colorado State University Spur offers rotating summer camp opportunities that combine grade-level learning with hands-on fun. Opportunities include Musical Theater Summer Workshop (ages 14-18) from June 5 to 10 and Engineering Your World Summer Program (ages 12-14) from July 17 to 21. Registration is open now.

The Colorado Nurses Foundation is offering scholarships for Colorado residents that have been accepted as a student in an approved Colorado Nursing Program or in an approved online program. Application begins September 2023.

The Brave of Heart Scholarship is for children of frontline healthcare workers who lost their life to a COVID-19-related cause. Application will open in February 2024.

The Frontline Families Scholarship Program provides educational assistance for students of a deceased frontline health care worker who died from Covid-19 while employed at a medical facility. Application will open in December of 2023.