OHS Student Services Newsletter
October
Junior Pre-ACT
In the next couple of months, our team will begin to work with you to begin your post-high school transition process. Yes, that’s right… this March, we begin intensive support in helping you select, apply, fund, and transition to whatever post-high school career preparation pathway you choose. Over the last two years, we have worked together to explore your interest in various careers as we support each Raccoon in discovering their passions and beliefs. Whether you choose a 4-year College or a local 2-year Technical College, enlist in the Military, seek an Apprenticeship in the skilled trades, or are seeking immediate employment, our Student Services team stands ready to support your transition plans.
One important indicator for Career and College Readiness is the ACT exam. The State of Wisconsin requires all Juniors to take the exam, free of charge, every Spring. This year, we will administer the ACT exam to our Juniors on Tuesday, March 9.
Taking this exam can cause some stress and anxiety for students. While one test never defines a student’s skillset or experience, it is an important measure that indicates post-secondary readiness regardless of the post-secondary career pathway you select. Last year, we launched a Junior year ACT preparation program known as Raccoon Prep, which gives every student the opportunity to participate in a diagnostic practice ACT exam and participate in a personalized (and free!) ACT preparation program during our flexible Pride period. The program was a huge success, and we are excited to offer it to all Juniors again this year! Details are outlined below.
Diagnostic Practice ACT (Thursday, October 22)
All Juniors will be asked to participate in a diagnostic practice ACT exam on Thursday, October 22. The exam takes about 3 hours and students will be excused from their morning classes to complete the exam at an assigned location at OHS. Exact locations and seating assignments will be shared the week prior to the exam. A few weeks later, families and students will receive a score report that outlines their projected ACT composite score range and a score for each subject test.
Raccoon Prep: Free ACT Preparation Program (January 18-March 9)
After we receive your scores, each student will be led through a reflective activity where they identify areas of strengths and areas for improvement. OHS has purchased Method Test Prep, an ACT prep program and has made it available to all students. During this reflection activity, students will examine their responses and identify specific concepts in which they want to improve. From there, we will work with them to develop an individualized preparation program.
Beginning with the start of the second semester in late January and running until the state-wide ACT exam in March, students will engage in completing these lessons under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Families can choose to have students dedicate 3 Pride periods a week to test prep (90 minutes/week), 2 Pride periods a week (60 minutes/week), or 1 Pride period a week (30 minutes/week). In addition, each student will attend a seminar on testing tips and tricks to review test-taking strategies. More details about the sign-up process will be shared after you receive your results.
Junior Family Meetings
In early December, we will offer every family the opportunity to review the results of their child’s practice ACT exam, learn more details about the diagnostic reflection activity, review the details of our Raccoon Prep program, and select a level of support they want for their child. Our Associate Principal, Krista Werchowski, will lead each meeting. It is recommended that you attend the meeting with your student’s specific counselor. Each meeting will occur over Zoom and be recorded and sent out to families who could not make it. If you cannot attend the meeting with your counselor, just send them an email and let them know what session you will be attending instead. Meeting dates/times are below:
Mr. Bakkum (Last Name A-D): Tuesday, December 1 at 6:00pm
Mrs. Fisher (Last Name E-Ka): Wednesday, December 2 at 6:00pm
Mrs. Verhagen (Last Name Ke-O): Wednesday, December 2 at 7:15pm
Mrs. Black (Last Name P-Th): Thursday, December 3 at 6:00pm
Mrs. Schultz (Last Name Ti-Z): Thursday, December 3 at 7:15pm
We will send out more details about these meetings in mid-November. For now, please just mark your calendar!
Student ACP Seminars
In October our ACP Seminars will focus on resumes and work-based learning opportunities for our junior and seniors. Students can even expand on this opportunity and meet in small groups or one-on-one with a business teacher to get personalized feedback on their resume. Our freshmen and sophomores will focus on career exploration along with a Raccoon Prep lesson on values. All grades will get some trips and tricks to prepare for their final exams which will also include strategies that can be applied in other aspects of their life.
As we continue throughout the school year students will continue to use this time to work through their ACP goals and discover who they are and how they fit into our school community.
Online seminar attendance will use the following guidelines:
In the Face-to-Face Learning Model
Students will have an online seminar during this homeroom pride on Monday that needs to be completed by noon on Wednesday.
Students who do not have their online seminar completed by Wednesday will be removed from their Friday Pride offering and assigned to a place to complete their online seminar.
If a student does not show up on the day they are requested they will be marked absent and will not be eligible for student activities or sports that day.
In the Hybrid Learning Model
Students will have an online seminar on each day they meet Face-to-Face needs to be completed by 2 pm.
Students who do not have their online seminar completed by the due date time will be requested to stay in person during the next online seminar time to complete their online seminar work for both days.
If a student does not show up on the day they are requested they will be marked absent and will not be eligible for student activities or sports that day.
Technology Support
*Put in for technical assistance through the student bookmarks
*Email helpdesk@oasd.org
*Call the help desk at 262-560-2126
If you would like to gain access to your student's Canvas account you would need to pair this with your parent portal. Please see the pairing code process here:
https://sites.google.com/oasd.org/oasdtech/canvas?authuser=0
Rogers Behavioral Resources
Free Tutoring Opportunity- HelpNow
HelpNow by Brainfuse is a free, online tutoring and study tool available to anyone with a library card. It offers live online tutoring, a writing lab, test preparation, online meeting spaces, curated lessons and tutorials, customizable teaching tools, and more.
https://landing.brainfuse.com/authenticate.asp?u=main.bridgesparent.wi.brainfuse.com
HelpNow's features include:
- Homework Help Interact with live tutors in math, science, reading/writing, social studies, PSAT/SAT, ACT, AP and state standardized tests.
- Skills-Building Choose your topic to receive real-time help.
- Personalized eLearning Tools My File Sharing, My Session Replay, My Tutoring Archive, My Tests Archive, and more!
- 24-Hour Writing Lab Submit essays and other forms of writing for constructive feedback.
- Homework Send Question Submit homework questions for expert guidance.
- Adult Learning Center Access a library of rich adult learning content (GED) and live, professional assistance in resume/cover letter writing, U.S. citizenship prep, MS Office Essential Skills Series, and more!
- Foreign Language Lab /Spanish-Speaking Support
Virtual College Visits
Please see the attached list for the upcoming virtual college visits that will be offered to OHS students.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FhGrABQriCpSSowGkBmhu_iYOPJWBkRxNmgDG3Vf_C4/edit?ts=5f6df4b0
This will be updated as we get more college visits set up.
Fall 2020 will offer a virtual college fair series with access to over 100 post secondary options to explore. The fair will run from 3 p.m - 5 p.m. followed by an interactive financial aid and scholarships presentation along with a variety of other info sessions to choose from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
The fall dates are:
*Wednesday October 7
*Sunday November 8
Please go to https://www.wefs.org/2020-fall-fairs/ to register
Upcoming virtual offerings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Greetings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment.
We hope this email finds you and your family safe and in good health. As our office continues to serve our prospective students, their families, and high school counselors like you, we wanted to reach out about some upcoming programming we thought may be of interest to you and your students.
Badger Bound
Badger Bound is a virtual event designed for juniors and seniors in high school who identify as students of color and those first in their family to attend college. This event will showcase what makes UW-Madison a world-class institution and a community they'll want to be a part of.
The event will feature current students sharing their unique Wisconsin Experiences and sessions that highlight the academic and extracurricular opportunities that make UW-Madison so special. We'll also cover tips for navigating the application, scholarship, and financial aid processes. Students and their families can join us for the full day or whichever sessions interest them most.
Parents, guardians, and mentors are encouraged to join the final session where admissions counselors and #FutureBadger parents can connect to discuss student success and support throughout college. The Parent Support Sessions will be offered in English, Spanish, and Hmong.
All sessions will be offered via Zoom and are led by a member of the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Q&A will be conducted during each session.
Saturday, October 10, 2020
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central Time
Students and families can Register Here: https://apps.admissions.wisc.edu/visitbucky/event_view.php?eid=12606
Experience UW-Madison at one of our Virtual Fall Open Houses
We invite you, your students, and their families to join us at one of our NEW multi-day Virtual Fall Open Houses. This event offers #FutureBadgers and their families the chance to learn and explore all that is available to them at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Programming is spread over several days to give participants the chance to explore a variety of sessions to customize their experience. During each event, attendees will have the opportunity to join various live information sessions, which include Q&A from housing, financial aid, and undergraduate schools and colleges. Participants can also join a variety of interactive Q&A panels with representatives from programs, offices, and resources across campus, as well as current UW-Madison students. Students and their families can even take a virtual campus tour. They can attend any and all sessions they choose to learn about anything and everything that interests them.
Virtual Open House sessions will be offered via Zoom, and session times vary each day.
Dates:
Students and families can register online at visitbucky.wisc.edu/openhouse
If your students can't join us for a Virtual Fall Open House, they can find our full calendar of virtual events at visitbucky.wisc.edu.
We look forward to meeting and speaking with your students and hope that you will share this information with them as you see fit.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you, your students, or their families have any questions we can assist with.
On, Wisconsin!
Scholarships
Scholarships have begun to be added to our scholarship grid and our website for our Class of 2021. See all of the info below on how to access this information. We will also be reviewing this with our seniors during their small group senior meetings. Make sure you are following our Scholarship Twitter for updates!
OHS WEBSITE: https://www.oasd.k12.wi.us/page.cfm?p=8074
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
OHS Student Services @OCONSCHOLARSHIP
Check out these new scholarship updates:
Kohl Scholarship: $10000 to 100 Wisconsin High School Seniors
deadline Nov. 17th at 5:00 p.m.
apply at: https://www.kohleducation.org/studentexcellence/
Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship
apply at: https://www.elks.org/scholars/scholarships/mvs.cfm
deadline Nov. 15th at 11:59 p.m.
Fleet Reserve Association Americanism Essay Contest: Grades 9-12 due Dec. 1 Grand Prize $5000
Requirement: 350 words or less essay: The Bill of Rights and Me
Application available in OHS Student Services
Always Be Kind Lake Country
This year, more than ever with all the unknowns of the future, it is the time to show them (and even adults) what you stand for in this community. There is power in positivity! Be that person!
Tropitana has promised to help by putting together an initiative to do exactly that! Always Be Kind Lake Country is a way to directly help your school to raise awareness and funds for their PBIS...Positive Behavior Interventions Support...programs. These programs are not only focused on anti-bullying, but also the academic, mental and emotional well-being of students. By purchasing a shirt, you will not only represent Always Be Kind, but 10% of shirt sales will go to the OASD PBIS program.
Some players have already made that commitment (Pink has been the color of choice...which is a perfect way to also support October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month) and we are encouraging everyone to join us in this initiative to put an end to bullying. You can find this information and make your purchase at AlwaysBeKindLakeCountry.com.
Once you are in the check-out, you will find the choice of which school district’s PBIS program you would like your donation to go to.
Together let’s make the Lake Country area shine bright with positivity and kindness!
Any questions please feel free to contact:
Jessica Jacobs
Jill Hood
October 14th 6:30 p.m.
Offering Help & Hope to those dealing with OCD
A Family-Friendly film where kids explain their OCD and how they fight back, followed by an 'Ask the Experts' Panel discussion. Panel includes representatives from Rogers Memorial Hospital and OHS Teacher, Ms. Annie Welsh.
Go here to register: https://adelbkorkorfoundation.org/register/#UNSTUCK-OCD%20Wisconsin
The Team
Admin Assistant
262-560-3115
Krissy Zimmer
Registrar
262-560-3130
Scott Bakkum
School Counselor
A-D (9-11)
A-Fe (12)
262-560-3123
Angela Fisher
School Counselor
E-Ka (9-11)
Fi-Kr (12)
262-560-3125
Susan Verhagegen
School Counselor
Ke-O (9-11)
Ks-Ro (12)
262-560-3122
Lauren Black
School Counselor
P-Th (9-11)
Ru-Z (12)
262-560-3124
Carrie Schultz
School Counselor
Ti-Z (9-11)
IB/GT Coordinator
262-560-3282
Erica Lannan
School Social Worker
262-560-3128
lannane@oasd.org
Brianne Decker
School Psychologist
262-560-3126