ROCKLAND HIGH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Term 3 is underway! Midterms are behind us and teachers are introducing new material all over the building. Half year courses have ended and new ones have begun. Grades were posted in Aspen after school on Thursday. Please log into your account and access the "Published Reports" section on the main page to locate report cards.

2/3 - Department Head meeting, 2:50 PM

2/4-2/5 - MCAS Biology Retest

2/6 - Early Release PD Day, 11:25 AM dismissal

2/11 - Senate Leadership Council meeting, 7:30 AM

2/12 - Crisis Team meeting, 9:20 AM

2/12 - New Teacher Induction meeting, 2:50 PM

2/13 - Dog Block, 10:42 - 11:28 AM

2/17 - 2/21 - February Vacation

2/25 - Site Council meeting, 7:30 AM

On Wednesday, March 26th we will be hosting the Harlem Wizards to put on a very entertaining basketball game and show that promises to be a blast and a fantastic boost for our school community. The Harlem Wizards are renowned for their electrifying performances, mixing top-notch basketball with dazzling entertainment and uplifting messages. This isn’t even just a game; it’s a chance to rally our school spirit, engage our students, and strengthen our community bonds, all while raising vital funds for the student athletes within our High School Athletic Department. Visit HARLEMWIZARDS.COM and click “GET TICKETS” to purchase your tickets today!! We can’t wait to see you there!

Join us in raising awareness and funding for Special Olympics Massachusetts! RHS Student Council is hosting a polar plunge on February 6th (half day) from 11:40-12:20 in the RHS front parking lot. Immediately after plunging, all students and staff who participated are welcome to celebrate at a pizza party in the RHS cafeteria. Students who wish to plunge should register and fill out the attached waiver. This is a wonderful opportunity for our school to come together in support of a great cause! Not to mention, RHS members who plunge, attend the pizza party and raise a minimum of $10 will earn a total of five community service hours! Please encourage your child to join in on this exciting event, they won't want to miss out!

Don't feel like plunging? Show your support by wearing RED on February 6th!

FRESHMEN

This week counselors worked with freshmen in History classes. Students began working on career development, which helps students learn about the what (the career) and the why (why it’s a good fit for them).

Students completed a Career Thoughts assignment (what they are thinking about as a future career at this point) and the Career Perfect Insight Values/Work Characteristics Inventory. This assessment provides a personalized list of the most important work values, highlighting which aspects of a job like autonomy, creativity, security, or social impact are most meaningful, allowing the test taker to better align career choices with personal priorities. We will continue engaging students in these types of activities with students over the next several years.

Students also began filling out their 4-year course planner, which will help them prepare for course selection in March (for the 2025-2026 school year). If a student was absent, the agenda and materials related to these activities are posted in their Guidance Google Classroom. Students can see their counselors with any questions.

SOPHOMORES

This week counselors worked with Sophomores in English classes on career development, which helps students learn about the what (the career) and the why (why it’s a good fit for them).

Students completed the Career Interest Profiler - a self-assessment career exploration tool that can help you discover the type of work activities and occupations you might like. You will receive results that correspond to Holland’s interest structure (a theory that describes people in terms of six personality types, or interest codes, which can be used to match people to occupations).

Assessment results include a score for each interest area and a job zone for each. Job zones are groups of careers that need the same level of experience, education, and training. Students explored their results and chose several careers to explore, learning about such things as the job outlook and employment trends, some knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job, work tasks and activities, and more.

We will continue engaging students in these types of activities with students to help them formulate a post-high school plan over the next 2+ years.

If a student was absent, the agenda and materials related to these activities are posted in their Guidance Google Classroom. Students can see their counselors with any questions.

JUNIORS

Counselors worked with Juniors in classrooms today. They briefly discussed the School Day SAT being given at RHS on 3-25 (the deadline to register is February 12th!) and campus visits. Students completed the PrinciplesYou assessment in SCOIR. This assessment is designed to tap into character traits and provide students with results that give them a better understanding of how they will fit into careers and how jobs match their tendencies. Once complete, students received two individualized reports with career matches, as well as Archetype results giving them a better understanding of how they will fit into careers, how jobs truly match your tendencies, and how you can work with different personalities in different fields.

In Careers, students can filter by PrinciplesYou to see a list of best-fit careers based on their assessment results. They can also filter their matches by Education Needed, Income and Career

Outlook. Students can search for information on any career of interest by typing it into the Search Bar.

We look forward to using this helpful information with Juniors during individual future planning meetings as we help students develop their post-high school plans.

SENIORS

Congratulations if you have applied to college! Hopefully, you will receive acceptance letters and financial aid awards soon. Here are some tips & resources to help you navigate the next steps:

Check your email frequently (the email you used on college applications and the FAFSA)!

If you have not submitted your FAFSA yet, this should be done as soon as possible. Resources on the FAFSA can be found here.

Financial Aid - After you file your FAFSA, you will receive:

1. FAFSA Submission Summary - an overview of the report. Your FAFSA Submission Summary is not an aid offer. Aid offers will come directly from schools you’ve listed on your FAFSA form and have been accepted to.
2. Student Aid Report (SAR). Your financial aid reports are based on the information in your SAR, so the information must be accurate and up to date. Here is a Breakdown of the Student Aid Report.

We know students are excited to commit to a college, but it’s best to wait until you receive all your financial aid awards! As you begin to receive financial aid award letters and packages, it is important to read them thoroughly and compare them closely. Here are some resources to help:

What You Can Expect to see in a Financial Aid offer (podcast)

MEFA Webinar - “What to Expect When you Receive your Financial Aid Offers and Guidance on Paying the College Bill” slides from the webinar can be found here.

Understanding your financial aid award letter - step-by-step guide from the Office of the Attorney General in Massachusetts

6 tips for decoding your financial aid offers - on pager from Sallie Mae)

Financial Aid Award Letter Comparison Tool - this article by Scholarship 360 also defines key terms in financial aid award letters.

https://www.collegecovered.com/award-letter-tool/ - College Covered - this online tool allows you to easily compare 5 financial aid awards at a time.

Don't be afraid to ask a school for more money or communicate changes in your financial status. Once you compare your financial aid awards, contact the school you hope to attend to see if there is any flexibility in the aid they can offer. Read these tips: Appealing for More Financial Aid; Communicating Special Circumstances to a Financial Aid office

If you have questions about a financial aid award, we recommend you reach out directly to the financial aid office at that school - they should be able to answer any questions you have.

Updated stories are available in The Veritas.

School Website

Aspen Student & Family Portal

Arbiter Live- Athletic Schedules

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

Please see the attached information. First, there is a free youth workshop series over February break for students. Programs include career exploration, managing money, and more. See the flyer outlining the program. Also, kindergarten registration nights are coming up soon in early March. Information is attached.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Schipper