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Shawsheen Tech Guidance Newsletter
March
A word from Mr. Alsup...
It is with mixed emotions that I inform you that Friday March 15th will be my last day at Shawsheen. Although I have only been here for a short time, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I have especially enjoyed getting to know the class of 2027, it is a tremendous group of students who are destined to achieve great success. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for all that Shawsheen has to offer; I can assure you your students are in good hands. I wish them all the best of luck!
Go Rams!!
Mr. Alsup
*Please note: Mr. Carlson will be taking on Mr. Alsup's students following his departure on March 15th*
Who's My Counselor?
Ms. Angela Caira (acaira@shawtech.org) 9th grade counselor: Last Name A-L
Mr. Carlson (jcarlson@shawtech.org) * interim 9th grade counselor: Last Name M-Z
Mr. Greg Harrison (gharrison@shawtech.org) 10th-12th grade counselor
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Auto Collision Repair & Finishing
- Automotive Technology
- Dental Assisting
- Medical Assisting
- Metal Fabrication & Joining Technologies
Ms. Terry Henry (thenry@shawtech.org) 10th-12th grade counselor
- Business Technology/Marketing
- Drafting
- Graphic Communications
- Health Assisting
- Masonry
Ms. Kelly McFadden (kmcfadden@shawtech.org) 10th-12th grade counselor
- Carpentry
- Electrical
- HVAC
- Plumbing
Ms. Amanda Samaha (asamaha@shawtech.org) 10th-12th grade counselor
- Cosmetology
- Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management
- DVC
- Electronics/Engineering
- Information Support Services & Networking/Programming & Web Development
Attention Juniors! Upcoming College Rep Visits
The Shawsheen Tech Guidance Department is continuing to host college admissions representatives throughout the month of March. College representatives will be available for small group question & answer sessions. Please check Naviance regularly as colleges are scheduling visits on an ongoing basis.
Upcoming visits include:
- Tues. March 12 @ 8:30 - Savannah College of Art & Design
- Tues. March 12 @ 10:05 - Plymouth State University
- Wed. March 13 @ 7:40 - University of Connecticut
- Wed. March 13 @ 8:30 - Champlain College
- Wed. March 13 @ 9:20 - Husson University
- Wed. March 13 @ 10:05 - Curry College
- Wed. March 13 @ 12:30 - Florida Institute of Technology
- Thurs. March 21 @ 8:30 - Fitchburg State University
To register for an upcoming college visit, please login to Naviance and follow the steps below:
**you must receive permission from your instructor before attending these sessions**
Freshman Shop Selection & Final Placement
There will be a homeroom meeting for 9th grade students to go over the final shop selection on Tuesday, March 26th. Following the meeting, Ms. Caria & Mr. Norkiewicz have arranged a presentation with Local Union 560 for all the 9th grade students who identify as female to discuss non-traditional trades.
A PowerPoint presentation with voice-over regarding Freshman Shop Selection & Final Placement will be available for parents/guardians to view at their leisure as of March 26th.
If you have not already begun to have conversations with your student about their top 3 choices- now’s the time to do so. During these discussions please be sure to remind your students that a combination of skills and interests is essential for shop selection.
2024 SAT Administration Dates & Deadlines
Please click on the file below to view the upcoming SAT Administration Dates & Deadlines
Attention Seniors! Scholarship Information:
Scholarships are updated regularly in Naviance-seniors are encouraged to review often and apply. Naviance can be accessed via ClassLink. Please contact your guidance counselor with any questions.
See below for the Shawsheen Tech Scholarship Application & Other Local Scholarships:
Course Selection
Course selection is coming up! Guidance counselors will be meeting with 10th and 11th grade students throughout April 1st-April 12th to complete course selection for the following school year.
FAFSA Information
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education along with uAspire have partnered to provide FREE FAFSA support. uAspire is here to help you and your students navigate the FAFSA changes happening this year. uAspire is a national nonprofit whose singular focus is on college affordability and removing financial barriers so that every student has an equitable opportunity to attain a postsecondary degree.
For Students:
uAspire will present virtual webinars on the FAFSA process. FSA has not released the exact date the FAFSA will be available but has confirmed that the FAFSA will come out by December 31st. uAspire will have a FAFSA virtual webinar for students on:
January 3, 2024 at 4:00-5:00 pm -ET
We will also target more dates and topics:
- January 30, 2024 at 5:00-6:00 pm -ET
- February 27, 2024 at 5:30-6:30pm -ET
· April 2, 2024 at 4:00-5:00 pm -ET
· April 24, 2024 at 5:00-6:00 pm -ET
· May 21, 2024 at 5:00-6:00 pm -ET
Please visit uAspire.org/resources for access to our library of resources
College Board Account
Looking to create a College Board account? Follow the link below for steps on how to create an account.
Your personal College Board account gives you access to various College Board programs and services. You will need a College Board account to register for tests directly, view and send scores, personalize your web experience, or use certain tools on the site, such as the BigFuture® college and career tools.
Attention Class of 2024
The Shawsheen Tech Guidance Office created the following document: Senior College Planning Checklist as a tool to help you complete the steps required to apply to college. If you plan to apply to a 4-year college, please review the document and reach out to your counselor if you have any questions or need clarification. Counselors will be visiting students in Related to give a general overview of the college application process but a 1-1 appointment with your counselor is recommended, especially if you plan to apply to college with an “Early Action” deadline (typically on or around November 1st).
Upcoming Military Events
Helpful College Financial Planning Tool
Looking to get involved?
Shawsheen offers over 25 clubs/activites for students to get involved in. Click on the photo below for a list of our clubs/activities and who to contact for more information :
RMV/Union paperwork: Parents/Guardians: you may email your request to guidanceoffice@shawtech.org
*Please give 48 hrs. notice for this request*
Work Permits: Please complete the following form and submit to the Guidance office: Work Permit Application
Where to find us:
Email: guidanceoffice@shawtech.org
Website: shawsheentech.org
Location: 100 Cook Street, Billerica, MA, USA
Phone: 978-667-2111
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawsheentech/
Twitter: @shawtech_hs