Student Services Newsletter Nov '21
An Inside Look at Harvard CUSD 50's Student Services
Welcome to the first edition of the HHS Student Services Newsletter
Our team of school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists are very excited to share information about the great resources we have for you and your students!
If you are still not completely sure about what school counselors and social workers do, never fear! Here are a few things to get you acquainted.
School counselors and social workers are highly trained and support students in many ways. We focus on all aspects of our students including social/emotional, academic, and college and career planning. We provide emotional support, family intervention, social development, academic tools for success, and help students plan for their future.
We work to:
improve behavior
improve academic outcomes
reduce racial disparities
reduce achievement gaps
provide support for all students
increase graduation rates
improve preparation for adulthood
At Harvard High School we have developed a way for students and parents to request an appointment. Simply visit the Student Services office or follow the link below to set up a time to meet with one of us!
Coming Up - 2022-23 school year course selection
We encourage you to talk, as a family, about your student's ideas for their future goals and their schedule for next year. You can access course offerings through the HHS 22.23 Curriculum Guide.
Counselors go into classrooms at HHS to share specific information with each grade level and then work to support students as they make their requests in the time frames listed below:
- Current sophomores - November 8th through November 19th
- Current juniors - November 29th through December 10th
- Current freshmen - January 20th through January 28th
Current eighth-graders and their parents will be invited to the Eighth Grade Expo on Thursday, January 13th. All classes, clubs and sports will be represented! Students will hear about high school options, again, through presentations at the junior high from high school counselors on January 18th and 19th. They will submit their requests at that time.
More information will go out to parents about how to see those course requests after the process has been completed. At that time parents can address any questions to the counselors.
We Want Your Input!
Student Highlight
We are so excited and proud of Steven Austin, a recipient of The Heisman High School Scholarship competition. To be eligible for this award students must have a cumulative weighted high school grade point average of a B (3.0) or better, participate in at least one sport, and be a leader in his/her school and community. From an applicant pool of thousands of high school scholar-athletes graduating with the class of 2022, one male and one female from each state have been chosen as State Winners in the Heisman High School Scholarship competition awarded by The Heisman Trophy Trust and Acceptance Insurance. The Heisman High School Scholarship extends the Heisman prestige to the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors by celebrating and rewarding outstanding male and female scholar-athletes who understand that the most important victories happen not only on the field but also in their schools and communities.
Well done, Steven!
College highlight - ISACorp representative and FAFSA/Alternative Application workshop
We are excited to welcome Daina Sauls from the ISACorp (Illinois Student Assistance Commission Corp) to support our students. She, along with the counselors and our building parent liaison, have been working to provide support with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that is required for all seniors to complete. They offered a FAFSA/Alternative Application workshop on October 28th where families brought in their materials and got first-hand assistance in getting it done! Many of the students learned that they were eligible for pell grants once they had completed the process. These grants help with the cost of furthering their education after high school.
Another FAFSA/Alternative Application workshop will be offered on Tuesday, December 7th at 6 p.m. in the HHS cafeteria area.
Daina will also be at HHS every other Thursday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. This month and next will be November 18, December 2, and December 16. Please contact Mrs. Miller at 815-943-6461 ext. 2201 or students can stop in the office to make an appointment.
November is National Career Exploration month
D50 staff throughout the district work to help students explore career options by learning more about themselves. As students work to explore strengths, skills, and interests they develop their social and emotional skills to gain confidence and make decisions to guide their future. At Harvard High School students use the XELLO program during Strategies for Success/AVID9 class to continue their exploration that they began at the junior high school. Students complete interactive career, personality, and learning style assessments to help them better understand their unique interests, skills, and strengths. Each assessment encourages reflection, helping students connect who they are with relevant career options. Students personalize their Xello experience by creating a shareable, online portfolio that showcases their interests, skills, and abilities. Profiles are easily updated as students gain new experiences, reflecting who they are every step of the way. Students explore hundreds of career and college options that align with their assessment results.
Parents can learn more about the XELLO program through this link. Students, share with your parents your portfolio so that they can learn more about it and your future thoughts!
About your Student Services team
Jim Bosworth, counselor and division chair - jbosworth@cusd50.org
Amy Buchanan, counselor - abuchanan@cusd50.org
Cory Fain, social worker - cfain@cusd50.org
Brandi Ignoffo, social worker - bignoffo@cusd50.org
Linda Miceli, counselor - lmiceli@cusd50.org
Marcia Miller, secretary - mmiller@cusd50.org
Email: mmiller@cusd50.org
Website: https://www.cusd50.org/o/hhs/page/studentservices
Location: 1103 North Jefferson Street, Harvard, IL, USA
Phone: (815)943-6461 2201