Monthly Highlander

September 29, 2023

From the Superintendent's Office

Back to School Night

On the evening of September 21, 2023, Proviso’s Back to School Night was an overall success at all three high schools.

Parents had the opportunity to visit classrooms, meet teachers and learn more about their student’s coursework and expectations for the school year. Parents also had the chance to attend trainings on how to use our online information systems - PowerSchool and Schoology. Building administration, counselors, and school librarians were in attendance to assist parents with questions and provide additional information.

Thank you to our families who joined us for this well-attended event!

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Dignitaries Luncheon with the Superintendent

On Thursday, September 28, 2023, Board of Education President Ms. Amanda Grant and Acting Superintendent Dr. Bessie Karvelas hosted a Dignitaries Luncheon for area Mayors, Chiefs of Police, and Fire Chiefs.

This event became a meaningful gathering where key stakeholders had the opportunity to engage in productive discussions about the future of our educational community. Attendees also discussed ways to better connect with area unions and foundation school districts, as well as ways to connect with Proviso students for more community volunteer opportunities. Dr. Karvelas spoke on the importance of collaboration.

"We need to collaborate and build relationships in order to grow and become one family with our surrounding communities," said Dr. Karvelas.

Superintendent Karvelas also reiterated the importance of our chiefs in command to become one unit with Proviso in order to support and keep our students safe.

"We're really excited to rebuild partnerships with our community," said Board President Amanda Grant. "We are committed to working together in order to help our students succeed."

"The key is for us is to establish better communication between District 209 and community leadership so that we can also better inform our residents about what's going on in the high schools," said Village of Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson.

We are thankful for those who attended and look forward to more opportunities to come together to build a strong partnership.

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The FAFSA Countdown Clock Has Begun

Students have big plans and big dreams for their postsecondary journey. Many students dream about going to college. Others plan on starting a business or joining a trade. But a dream is not enough. College and career plans don't just happen; students have to work to make it a reality. And completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aide (FAFSA) is an important first step.

Did you know that all students are required to complete the FAFSA? Here is some important information about the FAFSA.

The 2024-2025 FAFSA is Changing

As a part of the FAFSA Simplification Act, the 2024–2025 federal process for requesting financial assistance will be changing.

Here’s what we know now:

The FAFSA is opening in December 2023 instead of October, the original opening date.
Up to 20 different colleges can be listed on the online FAFSA and have information sent to them (in prior years, only ten colleges could be listed).
Due to a change in the methodology used to determine aid, a Student Aid Index (SAI) – rather than an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) – is used to measure your (and, if applicable, your family's) ability to pay for college.
The new need analysis formula no longer factors the number of family members attending college into the calculation.

Separate criteria to determine eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant Program, linking eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level, make program funds available to more students.
Revisions to several of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid are required, including a new interface to directly receive federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – this change is made possible by the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act (FUTURE Act).

What can you do now to prepare?

Sign-up for a Federal Student Assistance (FSA) ID

How to sign-up for an FSA ID

Watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTb7hMVtzco

Sign-up for an FSA ID here:

https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

If you have an FSA ID and need assistance to access it, watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIwnEbOXSGg&t=13s

2.Determine if you are eligible for the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP)

The Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid allows qualifying undocumented students who are not otherwise eligible for federal financial aid to apply for Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants to attend eligible Illinois colleges, universities, and career education programs. The pre-screening questions in this application will help determine whether or not the student is a qualifying undocumented student eligible for federal financial aid.

https://studentportal.isac.org/en/alternativeapp

Our schools are prepared to support students through college and career exploration and planning to make an informed postsecondary choice. Students can reach out to their counselor for more information.

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The Digital PSAT is coming in October 2023!

The Digital PSAT testing window is from October 2 through October 31, 2023. Each Proviso campus will have assigned dates for grades 9-11 students to take a practice SAT. Juniors will take the NMSQT to enter into the National Merit Scholarship program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships.

To prepare your student for testing, please see the links below or scan the QR code to the right.

https://bluebook.app.collegeboard.org

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/digital-sat

Half Day Inservice for All Faculty and Staff

On September 20, 2023, all faculty and staff participated in the Half Day Inservice. ELA and Math teachers met with Savvas to learn how to implement their new curriculum while Social Studies met with McGraw Hill to navigate through their digital resources. Science, World Languages, and PE/Wellness engaged in IB writing reflection activities and Art and Music teachers calibrated on their curriculum and lesson planning.

While librarians reviewed instructional resources and counselors collaborated on special programming, CTE teachers engaged in an exciting Team-Based Challenge known as the “Marshmallow Challenge.”

Teachers were divided into four teams and given 20 spaghetti noodles, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. Their objective was to construct the tallest freestanding structure using only the materials given in a short time frame of 15 minutes.

The Team Challenge served as an excellent platform for team development with activities specifically designed to improve teamwork, communication, collaboration, leadership, and trust.

The “Marshmallow Challenge” showcased the creativity and problem-solving abilities of each team and served as a model for future team-based challenges in CTE.

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A Look at Proviso's Math and Science Academy Program

Did you know that the Proviso Math and Science Academy was named as one of the top 10 High Schools in Illinois? U.S. News and World Report ranked PMSA #8 in Illinois! Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare students for college.

The Math and Science Academy (MSA) program is offered at Proviso East and Proviso West High Schools as well as PMSA. All three campuses provide the same rigorous MSA program for students who meet the admissions criteria for acceptance.

If you or someone you know has an 8th grade student who is interested in the Math and Science Academy Program at Proviso, we are now accepting applications for admission. Visit https://www.pths209.org/msa or email questions to MSAadmissions@pths209.org.

Applications are being accepted through January 15, 2024 for the Class of 2028.

College and Career Readiness Fair Offers Various Post-Secondary Learning Opportunities

On Saturday, September 23, 2023, the Glen Ellyn Area Alumnae Chapter (GEAAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. hosted a well-attended College and Career Readiness Fair at Proviso West High School.

The College and Career Readiness Fair provided high school students and young adults of the community with an opportunity to explore various higher education options and gain valuable insights into different paths that included college, trade schools, and the Armed Forces. The fair also offered several workshops that covered a range of topics, including essay writing, ACT/SAT Prep strategies, financial aid advice, scholarship research, interview and resume preparation, and a parent workshop.

More than 40 colleges and universities were in attendance as well as dozens of community partners. Proviso is grateful for GEAAC for leading our students into their future endeavors.

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Meet our Parent Engagement Coordinators!

Proviso East - Cori Hobbs, chobbs@pths209.org

Proviso West - Gail Hibbler, ghibbler@pths209.org

The primary goal for our Parent Coordinators is to work collaboratively with parents and families, as well as be liaisons to the community. Their responsibilities include distributing a weekly newsletter, providing contact information to parents, and attending community events to help create and maintain partnerships that will provide additional resources for students and families. Our Parent Coordinators host various trainings and events for parents and help oversee Parent Advisory Councils (PACs) throughout the school year.

Please be on the lookout for more information from our Parent Coordinators on upcoming workshops and trainings such as FAFSA Night and Paper - Online Tutoring virtual training.