HHS Counseling Newsletter

Are you looking for ways to productively manage stress and anxiety? Come to the SMART club! Flyer attached with details.

Join us on Tuesdays in C201 from 2:30-3:30!

Huge shoutout to HHS Junior Sid Nair and School Counselor Ryan Waselik for their collaborative work with Jeff's Place to provide more grief support to our student community here at HHS. To learn more, please reach out to Mr. Waselik.

Gap Year Pros and Cons for Neurodivergent Students (article linked)

Live Webinar on Tuesday, February 4th at 1pm.

Click here to register for webinar.

3-W Gap Year Night 2025

Live Webinar on Wednesday, January 8th at 7:00 PM

Click here for the webinar registration link.

Jane and Jason Sarouhan – the J2 behind J2Guides – have been respected leaders in the field of experiential and gap year education for 30 years. They have guided thousands of students through the process of discovering life and learning outside the 4 walls of a classroom, and know firsthand how transformative an intentional gap year can be. Developing authentic relationships with their students, programs and colleagues worldwide is central to Jason and Jane’s values and expertise. They are nationally accredited Gap Year Association Consultants and keynote speakers at the USA Gap Year Fairs.

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

If you are still working on applications, don't forget to give your counselor a transcript request form for schools with any upcoming deadlines if you haven't already done so. The forms are due 4 weeks before your deadlines in order to process all documentation.

FINANCIAL AID

Students and families should have already filled out the FAFSA and looked at each college's financial aid requirements and deadlines. If you have not done so yet, this should be completed ASAP. Please reference the financial aid information below to help. You can also visit www.mefa.org to access free online help and resources.

Parents are encouraged to register with MEFA at www.mefa.org/login in order to access video tutorials and presentations by financial aid experts on the financial aid application process and to receive regular emails with deadline reminders. MEFA’s excellent presentations on College Financing are available in English, Chinese and Spanish.

We recommend parents watch the following MEFA videos from the comfort of their home at a time that is convenient:

College Financing

Understanding the FAFSA

90 Seconds with MEFA - Creating a FSA ID

What to know about the CSS Profile

Feel free to view our video from this year's Financial Aid night for a look ahead at what's to come:

10/17/24: Financial Aid Night Slideshow

10/17/24: Financial Aid Night Video

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Sign up for a scholarship information session during Flex Block on January 28th with Mrs. O'Loughlin and Mrs. King to learn more!

Click on this link for scholarship application requirements and deadlines.

OTHER POST SECONDARY PLANS

If you are not planning to attend college after high school, please connect with your counselor to discuss all other options which include but are not limited to:

• Employment
• Trade School
• Certificate Program
• Military
• Gap Year

Our goal is to support all graduating seniors in creating a post-secondary plan as we approach graduation. We are here to help, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

JUNIOR SEMINARS AND INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS

Counselors will continue meet with their juniors in monthly seminar classes which began in November and run through March, to learn about post-secondary options and the college admissions process.

Students should connect with their counselor to schedule their individual junior meetings.

TIME TO REGISTER FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS:

UPCOMING SAT/ACT TEST DATES AND DEADLINES

SAT collegeboard.org

Test Date: March 8, 2025 Deadline: February 21, 2025

Test Date: May 3, 2025 Deadline: April 18, 2025

Test Date: June 7, 2025 Deadline: May 22, 2025

ACT act.org

Test Date: February 8, 2025 Deadline: January 3, 2025

Test Date: April 5, 2025 Deadline: February 28, 2025

Test Date: June 14, 2025 Deadline: May 9, 2025

Test Date: July 12, 2025 Deadline: June 6, 2025

**Once you have determined the most appropriate test date, register ASAP as test site availability is limited. If your child has accommodations through an IEP, 504, or Building Accommodation Plan, please make sure to register with the SSD number for SATs and/or click that you want accommodations for ACTs. Please reach out to your counselor with questions.**

JUNIOR COLLEGE ADMISSION NIGHT (FOR JUNIORS AND PARENTS):

Thursday, February 6th at 6:30pm, HHS Auditorium

We will have representatives from a variety of college admissions offices to discuss the subjective nature of admissions including but not limited to admissions review, essays, extra-curricular involvement, test optional policies, and more!

JUNIOR PARENT WEBINAR: THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS

View the webinar hosted on 11/19 by clicking this link.

SCOIR

All students and parents should have received an invite to and be registered for SCOIR, our new and improved college search platform. Please reach out to your child's counselor if you need help logging on to the site. View the webinar (linked above) for a demonstration of how to use SCOIR.

FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

Feel free to view our video from this year's Financial Aid night for a look ahead at what's to come:

10/17/24: Financial Aid Night Slideshow

10/17/24: Financial Aid Night Video

Parents are encouraged to register with MEFA at www.mefa.org/login in order to access video tutorials and presentations by financial aid experts on the financial aid application process and to receive regular emails with deadline reminders. MEFA’s excellent presentations on College Financing are available in English, Chinese and Spanish.

We recommend parents watch the following MEFA videos from the comfort of their home at a time that is convenient:

College Financing

Understanding the FAFSA

90 Seconds with MEFA - Creating a FSA ID

What to know about the CSS Profile

**PreACT DATE: SATURDAY, MARCH 22nd, 2025

The PreACT is a practice ACT that measures college readiness in the areas of English, Reading, Math, and Scientific Reasoning.

Registration will be in the Counseling Office: February 24th through March 7th.

$45 fee due at time of registration.

** This is the only date for the PreACT administration at HHS (no alternate date.)

SOPHOMORE SEMINARS

Sophomores meet with their counselors for 2 seminar sessions during flex block in the first two weeks of March. Seminars will focus on investigating interests and skills as they relate to career exploration.

School Counselors:

A-Car: Michael Flanagan mflanagan@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Cas-F: Patrick O’Brien pobrien@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

G-Kn: Kristen Wurster kwurster@hopkinton.kj12.ma.us

Ko-Mo: Ryan Wasilik rwasilik@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Mu-Sam: Mark Awdycki mawdycki@hopkinton.k21.ma.us

San-T: Victoria Bellomo vbellomo@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

U-Z: Deirdre King dking@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Adjustment Counselors

Kara Salvucci ksalvucci@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Kerry Simpson ksimpson1@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Anne Tomasz (START) atomasz@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Bethany Hadley (EMPOWER) bhadley@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Developmental Counseling Program

Freshman Seminars are devoted to building connections with our new ninth graders during their transition to HHS.

Sophomore Seminars focus on career exploration related to strengths and interests.

Junior Seminars explore post-secondary options and the college admissions process.

Senior Seminars help students finalize their post-secondary plans.

Annual Check-Ins

Counselors meet with their students for annual, individual check-ins to offer support during high school while continuing to develop strong relationships with students. These check-ins occur predominantly during the first semester for freshman and seniors and during the second semester for sophomores and juniors. Counselors are available for appointments as needed.

Mental Health

In addition to academic advising and post-secondary planning, school counselors are experienced in assisting students with mental health concerns, such as managing stress, anxiety, and depression, developing self-calming and emotional regulation skills, teaching mindfulness, and helping students set goals, make good decisions, and find balance in their lives. Please reach out to your counselor with any questions or concerns.

1. Create a Study Schedule:

   • Break down your study time into manageable chunks. Allocate specific times for each subject and stick to it. Prioritize subjects you find more challenging.

2. Use Active Learning:

   • Instead of passively reading through notes, engage with the material by summarizing, making flashcards, teaching someone else, or doing practice problems.
   • For subjects like math or science, focus on solving problems to reinforce your understanding.

3. Review Past Materials:

   • Go over your notes, past quizzes, and assignments. Identify areas where you struggled and focus your review on those topics.
   • If your teacher provides a review guide, make sure to use it as a roadmap for what will be tested.

4. Practice with Old Exams:

   • If possible, find past midterms or practice tests. This will help you get used to the format and timing.
   • Take these practice tests under timed conditions to simulate the actual test environment.

5. Stay Organized:

   • Keep your notes and study materials organized by subject. This will save time and reduce stress as you won’t waste time searching for materials.
   • Highlight key concepts, definitions, and formulas to make studying more efficient.

6. Use Study Groups:

   • Collaborate with classmates in a study group, but make sure to stay focused. Discussing challenging concepts with peers can help reinforce your understanding.
   • Keep group study sessions brief and productive.

7. Take Breaks:

   • Don’t study for long periods without breaks. Use the Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of focused study followed by a 5-minute break. After four sessions, take a longer 20-30 minute break.
   • This helps prevent burnout and maintains concentration.

8. Stay Active and Get Enough Rest:

   • Physical exercise, even a short walk, can help reduce stress and improve focus.
   • Get plenty of sleep, especially the night before your exams. Lack of sleep can hurt memory retention and cognitive function.

9. Stay Positive:

   • Stay confident and don’t get overwhelmed. If you’re feeling anxious, take deep breaths, break down your tasks into smaller steps, and focus on what you can control.

10. Ask for Help:

• If there are topics you still don’t understand, don’t hesitate to ask your teacher or classmates for help. Getting clarification early on can prevent confusion later.

Good luck on your midterms!

A note to all the wonderful parents out there loving and wanting the best for our children while always wondering if we're doing enough, pushing enough, being enough...

Recently, a member of the HHS Counseling Department stumbled upon this article and thought it was a good one for all of us who work with children (as parents, educators, advisors, coaches, etc.) to read and consider. None of us have "the answer" on how to make the most positive impact on a child, be the best parent, or raise the greatest kids. We're all doing our best every day, probably with intentions of doing even better. In a society that pushes kids to be more, do more, and achieve more, this article provides some important and thought-provoking questions to ask ourselves as we try to collectively raise happy, healthy and balanced children. We hope you take it as food for thought as we work together for all of our children here at HHS and beyond. 🧡💚

An Article by White Fleming from her blog: https://parentingteensandtweens.com/

Parents, can I ask a favor? Can we stop pushing the goalposts back for our kids? Can we stop changing the definition of what success looks like? Can we stop competing with each other for whose kid scores the highest, gets recruited by what team, and wins what award?

I get it. I get sucked in, too. I worry about my teenagers surviving in this cut-throat, competitive world. Sometimes I panic about them being left behind, not as prepared, passed over.

But I noticed something recently. When success is only defined as getting on the best team or achieving the highest grade, the opportunity to feel successful is limited.

And when you feel like your opportunities for your kids are limited, you start making crazy decisions that have a big impact on your family. You give up your time, your money, your compassion, your sanity.

You see it on the sidelines of youth sports, where the tension is palpable, and parents treat each game like a world championship.

You see it in classrooms when a B is seen as a failure.

You see it during the college admissions process, as parents will do nearly anything to get their child into a brag-worthy school.

You see it on social media with carefully curated posts highlighting snippets of a kid's journey.

Find a good trainer or tutor? Keep it to yourself because you don't want anyone else to succeed more than your son or daughter. Think you can give your child an edge by driving an hour away for a club team? Will do it. Teen didn't get the grade they needed? Parent calls to negotiate or complain.

This quest for perfection, for over-achievement, for over-scheduling, and over-activitying your child in order to keep up is stressing even the most capable kids out. There is a reason why college is often feeling easier to some kids than high school.

Why are we overly invested in our children's performance? Why do we value results over experience? Why do we judge our parenting based on their achievements as opposed to their actions?

I get it. I have to fight these feelings off myself. I have to be reminded what my child achieves has nothing to do with who I am as a person, and isn't who they are either.

Teens need to be motivated to find their passions instead of being motivated by minimizing their parents' worries or stress. They need to figure out what inspires them. They need to fail. They need to learn life lessons.

We have become addicted to parenting validation. Like a junkie, many moms and dads are obsessed with engineering every aspect of our kids' lives in order to curate an unsustainable image. The need for affirmation causes us to make irrational decisions and set standards for our kids that can only be achieved by an elite few.

We need to stop performance-based parenting. We need to stop micromanaging their lives. We need to stop acting on fear and anxiety of the unknown.

I get it. I'm in that stage of life where I'm trying to set my kids up for the rest of theirs. We're about to launch into college tours and SAT prep and the "build-your-resume-up-so-you-look-awesome" phase.

And when you try to take a step back and find some balance, the rest of the world does not make it easy. Sometimes you have to negotiate with your school to keep your kid in grade-level classes instead of honors or AP. You have to decide how far you want to drive for your kid to be on the "best" club team. You may hear that your kid shouldn't try out for a sport because at 13, she was too old to learn it.

I have to remind myself over and over that my kid will get into a college even if she struggles at math--if she even wants to go to college at all. I have to remind myself that sports are about building confidence and physical activity. I have to remind myself to make choices based on what's best for my family, not on what anyone else deems necessary or important.

And I needed to redefine what success looked like for my kids.

You might need to do that too.

Our kids' mental health--and their lives--are depending on it.

There is more than one path to success in this life. Take the one that works for your family.

Start parenting the kid in front of you, not the one you want them to be.

Whitney Fleming Writes