USC High School November Newsletter

Have you remembered to be grateful lately? Being thankful can often lift our mood and help gain perspective on the things happening in our lives. November is known as the month for giving thanks for all that we have in our world and for the experiences we enjoy.

Research has shown that practicing gratitude for the big and small things in your life can benefit your life all year round. Research shows that consciously practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Other studies have found that a single act of thoughtful gratitude produces an immediate 10% increase in happiness, and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms.

Helping our students find ways to express gratitude is an important emphasis to highlight in November. At USC, we teach students about gratitude and other strategies in Social Emotional Learning through our Be Good Rebels curriculum that takes place each Wednesday. Throughout the year, students are encouraged to list three things they are grateful for each morning when they awaken. You can practice gratitude with your child also. It may become a habit that you both enjoy and look forward to sharing.

I'm grateful for our USC students and all they are learning each day. I'm also thankful that our students have great parents, teachers, and caretakers that show how much they care about our students.

With Gratitude,

Jen Bye

High School Principal

jbye@unitedsouthcentral.org

Congratulations to Liam Schrader, the November Renaissance Student of the Month. Liam will enjoy a reserved parking spot and first in the lunch line privileges for the month of November. His dedication to his studies, involvement in USC Band, USC Theater, Band, Basketball, and his hard work is a positive example for our students. USC is proud to celebrate Liam!

Students and staff honored our Wells Area Veterans on Monday, November 11th with the USC Veterans Day Celebration in the USC Gym. Students performed band pieces, sang patriotic songs, and read a touching tribute to our Veterans. USC alum, Dane Giese, gave a heartwarming keynote highlighting the importance of honoring our veterans and encouraging young people to serve their country as members of the armed forces.

USC truly appreciates our veterans and has deep gratitude for all they have done to protect our American freedoms.

Mrs. Vogelsang joined the USC staff this year as our grade 8-12 Special Education teacher.

Mrs. Vogelsang graduated from Waldorf-Pemberton High School and attended Moorhead State University where she studied and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communications. She earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Arizona State University. She has also studied educational leadership and policy studies at Temple University.

Her most memorable teachers are those who held her accountable for choices, taught her to be prepared, expected her to try and put forward her best effort.

Mrs. Vogelsang chose teaching in order to help teach and prepare students for the real world. Her teaching style is interactive and hands-on. She believes that students learn best by doing. There are also many ways that students can learn.

Mrs. Vogelsang joined the USC staff because of the people. After serving as a substitute teacher for the past few years, she had gotten to know the students, teachers, and staff at USC and enjoyed working with them.

USC students will celebrate the week with dress up days for staff and students. USC is grateful for the contributions of all who support the education of our students.

On November 14th, USC students in grades 5-12 presented their fall band concert under the direction of Mr. Haug in the USC Auditorium.

The 7th and 8th grade band did a great job with their pieces followed by the USC drumline performing an energetic performance with glow in the dark drumsticks. The night capped off with the senior high band masterfully performing several difficult and moving pieces.

USC seventh grader, Audie Olsen, was diagnosed with Leukemia in the winter of 2024. USC is hosting a benefit for Audie and her family on December 2nd 4:30 - 7:30 PM in the USC Commons. All donations go directly to the Olsen family as Audie receives chemotherapy and medical care at Mayo Clinic. The evening events will include a pasta bar, raffle, and silent auction.

USC teachers join in staff development opportunities several times per month to learn and develop strategies to enhance student learning. These dedicated professionals truly care about students and want them to grow into the best people they can be when they graduate from USC. The entire USC staff prides themselves in working hard to help students to grow and learn each day. We are grateful for our USC staff members who are dedicated to bettering each student's life.

The USC Theater students presented a fantastic set of performances of the Wizard of Oz on November 8, 9, and 10 in the USC Auditorium. Thank you to director Kirstyn Wegner, the students, set designers, and costume creators for executing a wonderful experience for all. The familiar story line included many memorable scenes and humorous lines that evoked memories of the Wizard of Oz movie that many viewers have enjoyed for years.

USC students are encouraged to donate to the USC November Food Drive. The USC Student Government, who are sponsoring the drive, will deliver the food items collected to the Wells Area Food Shelf before Thanksgiving in order to help those in need. The class with the highest number of items collected will win a pizza party.

On November 27th, USC students in grades 7-12 will have an extra early release time at 12:12 PM in preparation for Thanksgiving break. The school day schedule will include abbreviated classes followed by a short Thanksgiving pepfest.

On December 5th, parents and students are invited to the USC Parent-Teacher Conferences in the teacher's classrooms from 3:30 - 7:30 PM.

Seniors

Finish your college applications as soon as possible! If you need additional help, please stop into the counseling office to set up an appointment.

Next, we will start focusing on how to pay for college. There are many ways to pay for college, such as: scholarships & grants (free money!), loans and your savings. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which will open up a wide variety of options for you, including federal Pell Grants, the Minnesota North Star Promise Program, and federal student loans. Visit MyHigherEd to learn more.

The FAFSA is scheduled to open December 1st. Before you will be able to access the FAFSA, both the student and parent will need a FSA ID. If a parent has a FSA ID already, they do not need to make a new one.

Make a FSA ID Please use a personal email for this account

Access the FAFSA (Current Seniors will be completing the 2025-26 application.)

Scholarships Information

Information on local scholarships are found online on the Counseling Website. This is not an all-inclusive list; looking for and applying for scholarships falls on the student. Local scholarships that come through the counseling office will be updated on this website, along with an email to Seniors about the scholarship.

• Hagen Scholarship Foundation- DUE December 1, 2024
• Southern School of Agriculture and University of Minnesota, Waseca Alumni Scholarship- DUE January 6, 2025
• Milford O. Larson and Lois M. Larson Scholarship Foundation: DUE January 7, 2025 RENEWABLE scholarship! Need to have a 3.2 GPA and going into one of these areas: Science, Engineering, Business, Technology, Accounting, Pre-Law
• MSHSL 'AAA' Award Application (One Female and One Male winner from USC!)- Due to Mr. K by January 9. Application materials found here.

Juniors

Junior/Parent night is on December 3. See the attachment for information and the link to join. https://meet.google.com/ynm-ucpy-enn

Junior Scholarship Opportunities:

• MSHSL ExCEL Award- Due December 9 to Mr. K

• Horatio Alger Scholarship- Due March 1. This will open December 1. Application materials found here.

Upcoming Dates and Activities:

December 2: Winona State University Representative visit at USC (sign up here for Juniors and Seniors)

February 28: 9th grade Career Navigator @ South Central College (all day)

March 12: 11th grade Career Day @ South Central College (back before early dismissal)

April 8: Testing Day for 10th, 11th & 12th graders! Pre-ACT (10th), ACT (11th), WorkKeys (12th)

April 16: 10th grade Career Fair @ Mayo Clinic Event Center in Mankato (Early leave time of 7:45 AM)