Counselor Connection
IHS Counseling Center Newsletter
Fall Edition
We hope the transition back to school has gone well and that students are settling into their schedules and new routines. We have loved welcoming back our returning students and meeting our new ones! Our Fall Edition Newsletter will include:
- School Counselor Assignment Chart
- Senior Section & College Application Resources
- Financial Aid/Scholarship Resources
- SAT/ACT Information
- College Visits & Fairs
- EMCC & New Visions
- Substance Abuse Prevention Counselor Updates
- College and Career Center
- Upcoming Events
- Additional Resources
As always please don't hesitate to reach out to your students counselor with any questions!
The Counseling Team
Attention Seniors!
The fall can be a very busy time for Seniors - School Counselors have spent time in all of the English courses working with students on the college application process and getting them started with planning for "what's next" for each of them. In this section you will find some great resources to support your student with the college application process. These materials can also be found in their Class of 2024 Schoology Page - Counseling Folder - Post High School Planning.
Seniors will meet with their counselor for 1:1 meetings through the month of October. We will review status toward graduation and their plans for after high school. School Counselors will answer questions and support the students to make sure they are meeting any upcoming application deadlines.
See below for our Save the Date information for the Post High School Planning Workshop. There will be multiple sessions to attend but most importantly for Seniors families the Financial Aid presentation. The FAFSA will open December 1st - links in the Financial Aid Resource section are below.
Financial Aid/Scholarship Resources
Financial Aid Night was on November 8th - Please see the video below if you missed it!
The link below will take you to the Federal Student Aid website. This website is used to complete the FAFSA as well as create an FSA ID which both student and parent need to electronically sign the FAFSA before submitting. The FAFSA is scheduled to be open in December for the 2024-2025 school year.
CSS Profile
Some collleges/universities require the CSS profile to be completed in addition to the FAFSA. This form is available now through the following link. Please check the individual college requirements to determine if this is something your student needs to complete.
Scholarships
Scholarships can be found through our College and Career scholarship newsletter The Chronicle or through the search engine websites below. The Chronicle also houses a list of upcoming college visits!
SAT/ACT
Attention Seniors! Below are the fall SAT and ACT test dates. Please keep in mind your college application deadlines when registering for your exams. Links to the websites are provided.
Attention Juniors! Save the date for the PSAT (Practice SAT) on Saturday morning, October 14th. More information to come!
College Visits & Fairs
College Visits - available to any student to attend:
Please report to class and get a pass down to the College and Career Center for all visits.
10/2 -Hobart & William Smith Colleges –3rd period
Russell Sage College -5th period
10/3 – SUNY Brockport – 2nd period
Hartwick University – 6th period
10/4 - Colgate University – 6th period
10/5 – Canisius University – 4th period
SUNY at Purchase College – 5th period
Keuka College – 7th period
10/11 – Nazareth University – 2nd period
10/12 – John Carroll University – 2nd period
New York University – 9th period
10/13 – University of Rochester – 4th period
10/16 – St. John Fisher University – 3rd period
10/17 – Mount Holyoke College – 8th period
10/18 – Niagara University – 2nd period
10/23 – Univ. of New Hampshire – 6th period
10/24 – Seton Hill University – 2nd period
Rochester Institute of Technology – 4th
10/25 – SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry – 4th period
SUNY Oswego – 8th period
10/26 – SUNY Oneonta – 8th period
10/27 – SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill – 4th period
10/30 – SUNY Geneseo – 2nd period
10/31 – University of New England – 3rd period
Pace University (NYC Campus) – 6th period
11/2 – Marist College – 3rd period
St. Anselm College – 4th period
11/3 – Lycoming College – 5th period
11/6 – College of Mount St. Vincent – 3rd period
University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth) – 8th period
11/9 – Florida Institute of Technology – 7th period
11/28 - Mount St. Mary College – 4th period
College Fair:
The Western NY College Fair is Wednesday, 11/1 during 4th period in the IHS Gymnasium 4
EMCC & New Visions
EMCC Visit December 8th
Attention Sophomores: are you interested in participating in a vocational program during high school? Make sure to sign up to visit the Eastern Monroe Career Center (EMCC) on December 8th. EMCC offers 2-year programs for Junior and Senior year. Students participating attend IHS for half a day and are transported to EMCC for their vocational programming.
Sign ups are in the College and Career Center with Ms. Cook. Students will be asked to choose two programs to visit - use the EMCC Program Guide below to view more information!
*Please note, we do not send students for the Visual Communication & Photography Program
New Visions
For any juniors interested in exploring the medical field through the New Visions Program during their Senior year, be on the lookout for additional information in the next newsletter regarding a visit that will occur later in the year. An overview of the program is available in the EMCC Program Guide below!
Post High School Planning Workshop Materials
The presentations and Financial Aid presentation recording can be found on the IHS website under the Counseling Department page!
Substance Abuse & Prevention Counselor
Hi there, I’m Nicole Corcimiglia, the new Substance Abuse Prevention Counselor. I’m new to the district and have been in the mental health and substance abuse counseling field for the last 10 years. I’m happy to join with West Irondequoit to assist in prevention strategies within the district, as well as provide support and assistance to students who may be struggling with any type of substance use. I’ve created a new referral form that I’d love to share with anyone who may be interested in connecting with me themselves or referring someone to get some support in working with me.
College and Career Center
Make sure to visit our College and Career Center to work with Ms. Bucciarelli in all things career planning! She supports students with their career exploration through job shadowing/volunteer experiences and connecting students with local business and organizations. Students can earn credit for working through our popular Work Study Programming. Keep your eye out for Future Friday events where business's from the area come to meet with our students during lunch periods. Learn more through the Career Connections Newsletter below!
Upcoming Events
PSAT
Saturday, Oct 14, 2023, 07:00 AM
IHS
Western Colleges of NY (Buffalo Area) College Fair
Students can visit with Buffalo area college admissions counselors during 4th period in the IHS Gymnasium.
Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023, 10:30 AM
IHS Gymnasium
Post High School Planning Workshop
This exciting event is open to all families grades 9-12! There will be a variety of information sessions presented through the evening covering topics to support you and your student with their post high school plans. More information to come but save the date!
*Our annual Financial Aid presentation will now be during the Post High School Planning Workshop event*
Wednesday, Nov 8, 2023, 05:30 PM
IHS
EMCC/BOCES Visit
Sophomores interested in attending EMCC can sign up for this visit through the College & Career Center.
Friday, Dec 8, 2023, 07:30 AM
Additional Resources
Safe Schools Hotline
See something? Say something! Safe School Hotline is an annonymous tip line to report any concerns regarding student well-being and safety in WISCD.
Mental Health Crisis Hotlines
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis these resources are available 24/7 to provide immediate help!
Call 211
If you need assistance locating long-term mental health resources, talking through a problem, or exploring mental health treatment options, call 211 to speak with a live person who can help.
- 211 conversations are confidential, can be made anonymously, and are available in 180 languages upon request.
- If you prefer to text, use web chat, or search for resources online, click here to find more ways to contact your local 211.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Dial 988 or 1-800-273-8255 for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.