LHS Counseling Weekly Update
Friday, May 19, 2023
Greetings!
The topics are all listed below, with a link to the pertinent information so that you can quickly scroll through to see if any of the topics pertain to you. There are 3 sections:
- Mental/Physical health support and resources
- Academic/Career information and resources
- Just for Seniors
MENTAL/PHYSICAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND RESOURCES...
* WSD Mental Health Resources Hub: Find a variety of mental health resources available to families in the WSD in our Mental Health Hub.
ACADEMIC/CAREER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES...
College-bound junior meeting recap (for ALL types of colleges)
- READ THE WEEKLY COUNSELING UPDATE EMAILS EVERY WEEK. This is where I share important - and often time-sensitive - information. There is a section at the bottom that is specifically for seniors.
- ATTEND THE EVENING PRESENTATIONS. Each month there is a district presentation about topics that you probably have a lot of questions about. For instance, almost none of my juniors attended the "Sail Into Senior Year" presentation in March. Please take the time to read through the slideshow and click on links to additional rescources.
- Read the handout from the meeting with important and helpful information about career assessments, college research, and college applications.
Juniors: 23-24 senior schedule meetings
What to expect:
- You will get to see the schedule that the computer created based on your course requests.
- Asking to change courses because you changed your mind might not be possible; our classes are very full, and our schedule is based on the courses that you requested in February.
- If you plan to take a period of TA or Release, you will get the permission form at this meeting and you will remove the extra course from your schedule. You can only have one period of a "no-credit" class per semester - Study Hall, Teachers Aid (TA), or Release. Students will be placed in TA positions by the counselors in the fall. There is a chance that students might not get their first choice of teacher placement.
- If you plan to take any dual enrollment courses, you can arrange what period the "dual enrollment free period(s)" are placed on your schedule, and remove the extra course(s) from your schedule.
- YOU WILL ONLY GET ONE MEETING; we need to get through over 400 juniors before we leave for the summer. If you need to ask for additional changes after your initial meeting, you will need to wait until SLAMM day in August.
DUAL ENROLLMENT
Dual enrollment is open to all students with a 3.0 cumulative GPA who want to get a headstart on college credits. Courses cost $50/credit hour plus text books (most classes will cost @$200).
Summer Opportunities
WSD College and Career Hub
ACT and SAT
ACT (at THS, Holt, or FZW)
Next Test: June 10; Deadline to register May 19th (late fee applies)
SAT (at LHS)
Next test: June 3; Deadline to register: May 23rd (late fee applies)
- Fee waivers available for students on Free/Reduced Lunch
- Colleges have no preference between the two tests
- Some colleges don't require test scores
- Make sure to list LHS as your high school when signing up
Parents: looking for ways to give back?
MENTORS 4 COLLEGE is looking for volunteers.
As you know, college and career readiness is a huge priority in WSD. In an effort to enhance the work of our school counselors, we would like to tap into the expertise of our community members by recruiting parent volunteers to be mentors for students and families as they go through the college search and selection process. WSD has partnered with the Mentors 4 College organization to recruit and train volunteer mentors from our school community. Please read through the information here about the Mentors 4 College organization and the role of a mentor. You can also visit the Mentors 4 College website for additional information. We believe we have parents with valuable experiences to share so please consider signing up to be a volunteer mentor for other students and families.
If you have questions or you would like to sign up to volunteer, please go to the Mentors 4 College website or contact our M4C partner: Jenny Marquart (jlmar0303@gmail.com; 314-808-1155)
JUST FOR SENIORS...
Graduation Practice - May 30
May 30th - 9 am
Large Gym
Make sure you have completed your Exit Survey and paid your fines/fees
You will receive your cap and gown at the practice
If you earned any honors cords, you will receive those at practice, as well
Chick-Fil-A and Kona Ice after practice
IMPORTANT! Final Transcripts
Late changes - If you don't have a college listed as of June 5th -OR- if your plans change after June 5th, you will need to fill out a paper Transcript Request Form and send it to the registrar. If you provide a mailing address, it will be mailed. If you provide an email address, she will email it.
NCAA/NAIA - If you need a final transcript sent to NCAA or NAIA, they only thing you need to do is make sure your NCAA or NAIA account is set up. The registrar will automatically upload final transcripts for all seniors who have accounts.
Summer transcripts - If you are attending a community college in the summer and need an ADDITIONAL final transcript sent to them, please fill out the Transcript Request Form and turn that in to Mrs. Gerringer. Please write "SUMMER TRANSCRIPT" in large letters at the top of the form.
A+ Stamp - Students who complete the A+ Program will have the official A+ Stamp on their final transcripts that are sent out on June 5th. If you need to request an official transcript with the A+ Stamp any time after that, you will need to fill out the Transcript Request Form (which can be found on the Liberty website under "Academics"). MAKE SURE TO NOTE THAT YOUR TRANSCRIPT NEEDS THE A+ STAMP.
Senior Meeting Recap 4/13
Senior End-of-Year Meeting Handout
Activities verification form.docx
Better late than never... FAFSA!!!
Need financial aid to help pay for college? The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important, reliable way to get it! The FAFSA is a free government form you fill out to be considered for scholarships (including the A+ Program Scholarship), grants, student loans, and job opportunities (a.k.a work study!) to help you afford college.
In order to fill out the FAFSA, you will need:
- FSA ID: Seniors and one of their parents will need to create an FSA ID at fsaid.ed.gov
- 2021 Federal tax returns: When applying online at fafsa.ed.gov you will have the option to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to import your tax information. If you are not eligible you will need to manually enter the tax information and order a Tax Transcript at irs.gov
- Social security number or Alien registration number for eligible noncitizens
- 2021 W-2s from your place(s) of employment
- Records of untaxed income
- Supplemental income amount (such as SNAP, TANF, Social security)
- Cash, savings, and checking account balances
- Value of assets and investments other than the home in which you live
RESOURCES:
- Filing the FAFSA (helpful how-to video; narrator is in Maine, but info is exactly the same for MO)
- Steps for Completing your 23-24 FAFSA (article on StudentAid.gov website - FAFSA creators)
LHS Counselors
Last names
A-G: Mrs. Alicia Sheffield (aliciasheffield@wsdr4.org)H-O: Mr. Chad Cunningham (chadcunningham@wsdr4.org)
P-Z: Mrs. Paige Blackford (paigeblackford@wsdr4.org)
College/Career/A+ Program: Mrs. Shelley Gerringer (michellegerringer@wsdr4.org)
Educational Support Counselor: Ms. Nicole Siman (nicolesiman@wsdr4.org)
Email: chelseamccain@wsdr4.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/wsdr4.org/lhsacademics/home
Phone: (636) 561-0075
Twitter: @lhscounselors3