There is so much happening at Ipswich High School in the days and weeks ahead! Here are some upcoming events for your calendar:

Tuesday - Friday, January 21 - 24: Midterm Exams, Click Here for details

Thursday - Friday, January 30 & 31: College Admissions Seminars for Juniors during English classes

Tuesday, February 4, 9:00 a.m. Credit for Life Kickoff during Advisory for all Juniors

Monday, February 10 - Tuesday, February 28: Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors request courses for next year in Aspen

Tuesday, February 11, 6:00 p.m. Junior Parent Night in the School Library, see description below

Friday, February 14: Job Shadow Day for Sophomores and Juniors

Tuesday - Wednesday, February 25 - 26: IHS scholarship kickoff meetings with Seniors during English classes

Tuesday, April 1, 3:00 p.m. IHS Scholarship Deadline for Seniors (Institution for Savings Scholarship due to guidance March 31)

Seniors, please let your counselor know when you hear back from your colleges with admissions decisions! Second quarter transcripts will be sent when report cards post, to all schools for which you do not have an admissions decision yet.

Job Shadowing Day is a chance for Sophomores and Juniors to visit a work site of choice to learn more about potential career opportunities. All sophomores and juniors are encouraged to participate! There was a meeting on January 14th during advisory to share details about this opportunity. More information is attached as well.

Counselors will be meeting with students over the course of the next few weeks to talk about course selection for next year. This is a multi-phase process that begins with teachers adding their placement recommendations to Aspen. Students then add their requests to Aspen, so that we have a sense of interest levels, and how many sections of each class to run. With all this information entered, the schedule is then created. Next, Aspen will automatically generate a draft schedule for each student, with the maximum amount of their requested courses included. There may still be holes in student schedules at this point, and a requested class may not appear. If this is the case, students should reach out to their counselor to schedule a meeting and talk about options. Our goal is to have students fully scheduled before school ends in June. Please watch for details on the timing of this process!

The Credit for Life Fair is an interactive event held at high schools across Massachusetts and beyond and hosted by financial institutions and other organizations. The goal of Credit for Life is to prepare students to survive financially in the everyday world BEFORE they leave high school. Students choose professions, assume the roles of 25-year old 'professionals with paychecks' and use their monthly ‘salaries’, ‘credit cards’ and ‘savings accounts’ to purchase everything they will need to live as adults. The goal of the day: to balance their budget and not overspend. This event is organized and underwritten by the Institution for Savings.

There will be an information session on Tuesday, March 11th at 9:00 a.m. during Advisory for all Juniors to learn more about this event. The Credit for Life Fair will take place on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the O'Keefe Sports Complex at Salem State University! Participating high schools included Amesbury, Newburyport, Pentucket, Triton, Ipswich, Georgetown, Landmark, Hamilton-Wenham, Masconomet, Salem, Beverly, Gloucester, Swampscott and Rockport.

Parents and guardians of seniors should be working on completing the FAFSA, the Federal Application for Free Student Aid, in order to qualify for certain loans, need-based financial aid, and institutional scholarships. If you are stuck or struggling with the application, there are several events offered by MEFA, the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, coming up that can provide you with support.

Do you need assistance completing the FAFSA, the form required to apply for college financial aid? Join FAFSA Day MA for a virtual support event on January 28, 2025 from 6:00 PM-7:00 PM. You can log in anytime and you will be paired with an expert who can answer your FAFSA questions and help you complete the online application. Before you join us, we encourage you to start filling out the FAFSA at fafsa.gov. Click Here to Register!

A second FAFSA Day MA will be offered on Monday, February 24th at 6:00 p.m. Click Here to Register for the February 24th event!

Similar to the events above, MEFA will also offer a FAFSA Festival. Join MEFA on January 15th, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM, and February 11th, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.. You can log in anytime and you will be paired with an expert who can answer your FAFSA questions and help you complete the online application. Before you join us, we encourage you to start filling out the FAFSA at fafsa.gov. If you’re an undocumented student not eligible for federal financial aid, we will also be able to assist you with the MASFA, the MA state financial aid form for undocumented students. Click here for more information and to register for one of the upcoming FAFSA Festivals!

The May 3 SAT Test will be offered at Ipswich High School. The College Board does not allow us to save seats for our own IHS students, and the space may fill up, so we encourage students planning to take this test to register now online at collegeboard.org. Fee waivers are available in guidance for both SAT's and ACT's for students who are on free or reduced lunch. We recommend that students who plan to apply to four-year colleges take the SAT and/or the ACT at least once, in case these scores are needed. While many schools have gone test-optional, it is possible that students may have some schools on their list that require them. Juniors should test in the spring of junior year, and seniors wishing to re-test can do so in the fall of senior year. Below are the dates for tests this year.

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) invites students, parents, and counselors to explore the college search process at the NACAC National College Fair in Boston held on Thursday, March 27, 2025 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Friday, March 28, 2025 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. The fair will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Highlights of this year's fair include STEM and VPA focused areas, workshops covering topics such as college essays and financial aid, and access to the College Advising and Financial Aid Center. More information about the NACAC National College Fair in Boston— including directions, a list of colleges exhibiting at the event, and tips to help students prepare for the fair — is available online at https://www.nacacattend.org/25Boston.

There will be a Post-Secondary Fair for Students Who Learn Differently at the Landmark School on Thursday, April 10, 6:00–8:00 p.m. Meet representatives from college and university admissions and student support services, gap year programs, technical schools, and other non-traditional options.

This event is FREE and open to the public. It will take place at the Landmark School (Ansara Athletic Center), 447 Hale Street, Prides Crossing, MA. No RSVP necessary–come with questions and ready to learn more! Have questions now? Contact Kelly Scimone, kscimone@landmarkschool.org

For students considering a Gap Year after graduation, there will be a virtual USA Gap Year Fair on Wednesday, January 22, 7:00 - 7:45 p.m. Click here for details.

The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority is an excellent resource for families who want to learn more about paying for college. Check out the Student Loan Payment Calculator to find out what monthly payments might look like on the amount of student debt your child is considering taking on. The College Cost Calculator allows you to plug in information from various offer letters to compare them clearly and efficiently.

For families of underclassmen wondering what kind of financial aid they may qualify for, check out the Federal Student Aid Estimator on StudentAid.org

Action Inc.’s Trades Gateway Program is designed to prepare you for a career in the trades. This program will connect you with the training you need to become an Electrician, Plumber, HVAC Technician, and more. Students will also have access to career services such as resume writing and interviewing skills.

Open to residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, & Ipswich.

Examples of available trainings include:

• HVAC
• Marine Technician
• Hoisting
• Carpentry
• Plumbing
• Oil/Gas Heating
• Welding
• Wastewater Treatment
• Automotive Tech
• Electrical
• Machinery
• Construction Supervising
• Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Training

Times and locations of these trainings vary based on the specific field of study. This program is free to Cape Ann residents (Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, & Ipswich) who qualify. Sign up here for more information or email Jill at training@actioninc.org.

Going through a tough time? Help is here. Are you or someone you care about struggling with mental health and/or substance use? In crisis, or working hard to prevent one? The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line is here to connect you with clinical help, when and where you need it. Even if you're not sure what kind of help or treatment you may need, we can help guide you. Call, text or chat with a real person to get the treatment and support you need. Real-time interpretation in 200+ languages is available. Call or text 833-773-2445.

Lynn Lyons is a psychotherapist, author and speaker who has been in private practice for 30 years in New England. She specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children. Click here for her website, which will connect you to resources including books, videos, trainings and podcasts.

We bring more ease, joy, and purpose to the college admission process through free resources, online courses and one-on-one coaching.