As we complete the first full week of this new school year, we wish all students success as they pursue their academic goals, participate in and discover new extracurricular activities, reconnect with their peers, and make new friends.

We remind students and families that the School Counseling Department is here to offer support through all phases of the SWHS experience. We welcome the Class of 2028 to our halls. We encourage students in the Class of 2027 and Class of 2026 to get even more involved in our school community this year. And we look forward to helping the Class of 2025 prepare for their next steps and celebrate their graduations.

For families new to SWHS, you can expect this monthly newsletter to provide helpful updates about how we are working with your students relative to their level of high school. It will feature topics such as college and career search processes, standardized tests, scholarships, and upcoming programs and events. This first issue of our newsletter features the following:

• SWHS School Counseling Department overview
• Grade 12 Parent/Guardian Night
• Registering for College Visits and SATs
• Career Center programming
• Free College Application for CT State Universities
• Teacher Assistant and Local Job Opportunities
• Freshman Focus and Sophomore Scene
• Upcoming College and Career Exploration Events
• ...and more!

We hope you find this useful, and always encourage you to reach out to our School Counseling department with your questions and needs!

College visits are typically held in the Career Center throughout the fall. Representatives from a wide variety of colleges and universities meet with South Windsor High School students for approximately 45 minutes. These are great opportunities to hear about college programs and campus life, pick up informational materials, show interest in a school, and have individual questions addressed. While these visits are excused absences, students are expected to have discussed their absence from class with their teacher in advance.

The list of scheduled visits with registration links can be found on the Naviance Student home screen under "What's New". New schools are added daily, but here is the list of schools who have already scheduled visits:

Gettysburg College

American International College

Nova Southeastern University

Syracuse University

University of New Haven

Connecticut Army National Guard

Endicott College

Western New England University

University of Connecticut

Plymouth State University

Saint Anselm College

Bryant University

Southern Connecticut State University

High Point University

Coastal Carolina University

Western Connecticut State University

James Madison University

Christopher Newport University

Stony Brook University

Carnegie Mellon University

Stonehill College

Adelphi University

Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)

College of the Holy Cross

University of Chicago

Brown University

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Dartmouth College

Brandeis University

Babson College

Fairfield University

New York University

University of Vermont

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tufts University

University of Miami

Case Western Reserve University

Boston College

University of Rochester

Lasell University

Sacred Heart University

Northwestern University

Vanderbilt University

University of Hartford

Providence College

Springfield College

Lincoln Technical Institute - New Britain

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

Albertus Magnus College

Rhode Island College

Seton Hall University

Please see below for a guide to SAT testing in the coming months.

October 5 - Registration Deadline - September 20

November 2 - Registration Deadline - October 18

December 7 - Registration Deadline - November 22

Register for the SATs here.

If you are in the Class of 2025 or Class of 2026, make sure you are taking advantage of the BigFuture Scholarships program and its opportunity to win up to $40,000. Anyone with a College Board account can participate by taking six steps in the college search process. Each step is a helpful part of the process to help college bound students get ready, so why not make yourself eligible for monthly drawings of $500 or $40,000 scholarships?

See below for a chart of the steps to take and roughly when to take them. For a helpful guide to the entire program, click here.

The SWHS Teacher Assistant program allows students with free periods in their schedules to assist a teacher with general help in the classroom. Tasks may include research, assisting with tech or lab support, helping with classroom setup (bulletin boards, materials, supplies), and working with a teacher to collect or distribute materials. Teacher Assistants must be in good academic standing with no attendance issues.

Visit School Counseling to pick up an application!

Throughout the year, part-time job opportunities can be found on a bulletin board in the Career Center. These positions will also be noted in daily announcements, and added to the electronic sign outside School Counseling. As the year gets underway, there are already a few jobs posted.

RECENT POSTINGS:

• Whitney Supply - looking for clerical help - data entry, answering phones, general office duties.

  Please email resume to: christine@whitneyglazingsuppply.com and/or john@whitneyglazingsupply.com

• Evergreen Crossings - hiring evening and weekend servers for 2-2.5 hour shifts.

  Students can apply at https://careers.rlcommunities.com/jobs/ or by looking it up on Indeed.

• 4th "R" - South Windsor elementary schools - before and after school childcare.
  Apply at: https://forms.gle/sY2w8uWAYtWPkp3s8
  

Whether you have come from Timothy Edwards Middle School or joined us from somewhere else, we are happy to welcome you to Bobcat Nation! We wish you a smooth transition to high school and hope you are finding helpful students and staff as you navigate the halls and start to understand the expectations of SWHS.

Should you need any help along the way this year, be sure to reach out to your School Counselor. If your last name begins with the letters A-L, Ms. Keleher will help you out, and if your last name begins with M-Z, Ms. Iuliano has you covered.

Ms. Keleher and Ms. Iuliano visited science classes over the past two weeks to introduce themselves and meet their students. Their presentation got them acquainted with the people and services throughout the building as well as understanding their high school credits. If any Grade 9 student did not receive an official SW BOBCATS tee shirt, they may stop into School Counseling and pick one up to join in the spirit!

Looking ahead, mark your calendar for October 24 when we will administer the PSAT-9 to all Grade 9 students. This is a very early practice assessment to help prepare students for future PSAT, SAT and other standardized tests. Students will report to school as usual and take the test during the first half of the day before returning to a modified class schedule for the rest of the day. Counselors will explain the PSAT-9 in greater detail next month during classroom lessons.

Welcome back Grade 10 students and families! You are well on your way and ready to take the next step in your high school career. If you haven't already done so, try to find a new activity and get involved at SWHS. This is a great way to explore interests, meet friends, and build your resume. A list of clubs and activities is on the SWHS website and you can hear about upcoming meetings in the Daily Announcements.

Please note that your counselor assignment has changed since last year. See the list below to determine who your counselor is and refer to the School Counselor guide above to match a name with a face.

• A-Dah - Mr. Dan Peters
• Dai-Hec - Ms. Jillian Dobosz
• Hed-Mir - Mr. Nate Briggs
• Mis-Sam - Ms. Julie Wlodarczyk
• San-Z - Ms. Michele Brown-Quinn

The PSAT will be administered during the school morning of Thursday, October 24. Report to school as usual. You will take the test during the morning and have a modified schedule of classes following the PSAT.

All students in grades 9-12 have a dedicated school counselor. The role of a school counselor centers on each student's social-emotional development, academic achievement/advisement, and career/future planning. These areas are covered through classroom lessons, individual conferencing, family meetings, and in conjunction with school-based teams. School counselors are committed to meeting the needs of each individual student and family.

The Career Center offers a variety of assistance to students and parents preparing for post-secondary opportunities. It is located in the School Counseling office and can also be accessed from the hallway outside School Counseling.

Website: https://highschool.southwindsorschools.org/departments/school_counseling
Phone: 860-648-5003