BHS Counseling Newsletter:

Jan. 3rd - Schedule Correction Requests Opens

Jan. 6th - NSU Begins E-Learning Courses

Jan. 7th - Alumni Panel - All Seniors to Bell Auditorium During Advisory

Jan 13th - Dual Credit Courses Begin
Jan. 27th - Schedule Correction Requests Closed

Jan. 28th - 2025/26 Registration Kickoff - Counselor Presentations during Advisory

Jan. 29th - Teacher Recommendation Day; 9-11th grade Students bring your registration information with you to all classes.

Jan. 31st - BHS Counselors Advising in BHS Commons (Bobcat Time)

*Registration to be continued in February

Happy 2025 Bobcat Students & Families! December was a very fast month! We hope that you all had a wonderful break and are ready to finish this semester strong! In December, counselors enjoyed getting into the classrooms with our sophomores, discussing their PreACT results as well as having them get into SD MyLife and thinking about their futures! We held a NCAA/NAIA meeting for students who are interested in collegiate sports.

Our office is preparing for 2025-2026 Course Registrations! We will be kicking off registration on January 28th with Advisory presentations. Parents, it is never too early to have a conversation with your Bobcats about their course selections for next school year. Registration information will be given during Advisory periods. Please ensure that your learners attend Advisory and, if possible, avoid scheduling conflicts or excusing unnecessary absences.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest-Grades 9-12 are eligible to participate; must write an original and creative essay demonstrating an understanding of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1917; $10,000 first place. The contest deadline is January 17, 2025.

2025 Drake Physics Prize-This examination is open to any student enrolled in a high school in some midwestern states including SD. It will cover topics in physics normally studied during the 1st semester of a high school physics course. First place is a full scholarship to Drake University. Students wishing to take the test should register soon as they will take place in early February.

Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference Opportunity for Juniors- The annual Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference for high school juniors returns to the nation’s capital June 22-27th, 2025. The Freedom Forum is pleased to welcome students to a week of activities including panels with top journalists and visits to the U.S. Capitol and other landmarks in Washington, D.C. Students selected for the program receive an all-expenses-paid trip and a $1,000 scholarship to the college of their choice. March 23rd deadline.

Schedule Corrections | 2nd Semester

The Counseling Office is starting to receive requests to adjust schedules for second semester. At BHS there is a process in place for schedule corrections only. All requests for schedule corrections must be made through the BHS Schedule Corrections Form. Administration, School Counselors, and Staff will meet to review requests.

Just as a reminder, we can only make corrections for the following reasons:
A. There is a computer error in your schedule
B. Accommodate physical impairments, or you are on a 504 or IEP plan
C. Drop a seventh class to take a study hall
D. There are special circumstances approved by our BHS Administration

Please allow up to one week for your request to be processed. Please check your school e-mail or Student Portal to see if your schedule was corrected.

Note: You are only allowed one request to change your schedule, so make sure to choose wisely and carefully. Schedule corrections will not be handled via phone calls, e-mails or parent meetings. Thank You!

Schedule Correction Request

BHS ACT Spring Prep Course

Students, would you like some help getting ready for that ACT? BHS offers in-person prep courses! These courses will review four content areas including English, Mathematics, Science, and Reading. This time consists of 12 hours of instruction including Content Area Review, Test-Taking Strategies, Test Familiarity, and the use of ACT's book, The Real ACT Prep Guide. An ACT Practice Test follows the courses. The first-time cost is $100 and the cost for repeating is $25.00.

Payment is due to the BHS Counseling Office no later than 3:25 p.m. on Friday, January 31st, 2025, to be enrolled.

BHS ACT Prep Course Dates:

Wednesday, February 26th 6-8 pm - English - Mrs. Ekeland

Wednesday, March 5th 6-8 pm - Mathematics - Mr. Kreie

Wednesday, March 12th 6-8 pm - Science - Mr. Douglas

Wednesday, March 19th 6-8 pm - Reading - Mrs. Ekeland

Wednesday, March 26th 4-8 pm - ACT Prep Test

*Students need to bring two number two pencils and a calculator to the Prep Sessions and Practice Test.

Sign Up Here for BHS ACT Prep

Assessment Information:

Juniors thinking about taking the ACT this spring: Register now to avoid driving to another community!

How Do I register for the National Test?

Register for the ACT

SDSU Junior Day is coming Saturday, Feb. 1st!

There is so much about college to explore—majors, campus life, career possibilities and more. If you’re a high school junior, now is the perfect time to start looking at colleges and narrowing down your options. Make sure to register here!

Ready for an unforgettable summer? Join South Dakota Mines for their STEM summer camps and dive into the exciting world of science and engineering!

These aren’t your typical camps. You’ll get to roll up your sleeves with hands-on experiments, go on epic field trips, and learn from awesome professors who know what it’s like to work in STEM careers. Plus, you’ll be on a real college campus, getting a taste of what it’s like to learn and explore at South Dakota Mines. Click here for more information!

https://www.navy.com/

Our Navy Recruiter:

ETN1(SS) Elijah Sinclair, U.S. Navy
Talent Acquisition Specialist
Navy Recruiting Station Sioux Falls
5019 South Louise Avenue, Suite 2
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
(605)220-0112
elijah.r.sinclair2@navy.mil

No matter your age, you are not invincible against the dangers of vaping, smoking or chewing tobacco.

Learn more about the benefits of quitting and why you or your friends should quit and stay quit. Find the best option for you and your situation.

Quitting options for youth

This is Quiting: The first-of-its-kind program to help young people quit vaping, This is Quitting has helped over 600,000 youth and young adults on their journey to quit vaping. Learn more about how it works and the additional resources available for parents of young vapers and for adults who want to quit.

Teens and young adults can join for free by texting DITCHVAPE to 88709

This is Quitting is not a South Dakota Service but is supported by SD Dept. of Health.

SD Quitline: Ready to quit cigarettes, vape, or chew? The SD QuitLine offers free services for South Dakotans 13 and older.

Together, we can raise awareness, support survivors, and take action to end human trafficking. Every voice matters. Every action counts. Together, we can make a difference.

www.calltofreedom.org

● Website: Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

● Margos Place Domestic Violence Help: Services - Margo's Place

● Parent Guidance

● Brookings Area Basic Needs Resource Guide

● Brookings Helping Hand Emergency Resource Guide

● Brookings Area Mental Health Resource Guide

● Brookings Helping Hand Guia de Recursos de Emergencia

● Home | South Dakota Quitline

🐾 Sign up for standardized tests if needed.

🐾 Send transcripts to the schools you have applied to (through Parchment).

🐾 Focus on second-semester classes and doing well in high school.

🐾 Avoid "senioritis", don't lose your lack of motivation for the present or the future.

🐾 Keep updating your resume and applying for scholarship opportunities.

🐾 Double-check all of your post-high deadlines.

🐾Complete the FAFSA.

2025-26 FAFSA is available

Your high school seniors (and other learners) planning to attend college in the 2025-26 academic year can now complete their FAFSA. Find more information on the early FAFSA release here.

Schools have priority deadlines. Priority deadlines for SD School can be found here.

Remember, if your students have any questions or need help completing the FAFSA or obtaining their FSA ID, Mapping Your Future is an excellent resource. Mapping Your Future can be contacted at feedback@mappingyourfuture.org or 1-800-374-4072.

Who can apply?

• High School seniors and first-year undergraduates are eligible to apply.

• Applicants must have attended high school in South Dakota or be a freshman at a South Dakota institute of higher education

This four-week, all-expense-paid program offers an inside look at diverse STEM careers. Students will travel to renowned research facilities, engage in fieldwork alongside STEM professionals, and gain valuable insights into scientific and engineering fields. Students will also receive a $2,000 learning stipend.

Below are current scholarships that have been brought to the attention of our office. The date next to the scholarship is the deadline for the application. Any scholarship with an asterisk next to it denotes a Brookings or South Dakota Scholarship.

Jan. 3rd - GE Reagan Association Scholarship

*Jan. 17th -Sioux Valley Energy Scholarships; 2 year, 4 year & Power Line

*Jan. 17th - Agtegra Agricultural Scholarship
*Jan. 17th - SDES Enginering Scholarships

*Jan. 17th - Dakotaland Federal Credit Union Scholarships

*Jan. 22nd-Kiwanis Educational Foundation Scholarship

Jan 31st - ESA Foundation Scholarships

*Feb. 9th - Optimist Club of Brookings

*Feb 14th - Kingbrook Rural Water System Scholarship

*Feb. 15th- Ty Eschenbaum Foundation Scholarship

*Feb. 15th-SD American Legion Education Scholarship

*Feb. 15th-Ramia Boersma Scholarship

Feb. 28th-Better Business Bureau Students of Integrity Scholarship

*Mar. 1st-Michael J. Entringer Scholarship

*Mar. 1st - Junior Achievement of South Dakota $500 Leo Crawford Scholarship

*Mar. 3rd - Dacotah Bank Scholarship

Mar. 14th-Mediacom World Class Scholarship Program

Mar. 14th - Missouri River Scholarships
Mar. 16th - The Bellator Titans Motorcycle Club

*Mar. 31st-Build Dakota Scholarship

*Apr. 1st - SD Association of Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Contractors Educational Foundation Scholarship

This new portal is a game-changer, simplifying the process and opening doors to countless opportunities. Stay tuned for more details as we count down to the January 2, 2025, launch!

Students can also visit our website at https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/scholarships and click on the Scholarship Tab to view a list of all available SDCF scholarships.

Requesting Your Transcript (Parchment):

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST YOUR TRANSCRIPT!

Counseling Office Assistant:

Mrs. Victoria Brockel victoria.brockel@k12.sd.us, Phone Number: 605-696-4124

BHS School Counselors:

Mrs. Linda Johnson: linda.johnson@k12.sd.us

Mr. Gary Mork: gary.mork@k12.sd.us

Mrs. Angela Bucholz: angela.bucholz@k12.sd.us

Other Ways To Get Information From Us!

BHS Counseling Facebook Link

BHS Counseling Website

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