Upcoming Dates
- 9/5 - FIRST DAY of SCHOOL!
- 9/10-9/12 - Student Photos
- 9/12 - ECHS Meet the Teacher Night - 6pm
- 9/16 - Powder Puff Game - 6pm (rain date 9/18)
- 9/20 - Community Street Fair - 5pm - Bus Loop
- 9/20 - Homecoming Football Game - 7pm
- 9/21 - Homecoming Dance - 7pm - HS Gym
- 9/24 - College Financial Aid Information Night - 6pm - Library
- 9/26 - College Fair - 9am - Library (register below)
- 9/26 - Meet the Teacher Night - 7pm
- 9/27 - Half Day for Students
Parents as Partners
Please join us again this year for Building Better Futures' Webinar Series: Parents as Partners. These webinars are designed to empower families and caregivers with information, strategies, and connections in order to ease some of the stresses of raising a child in today's world. The series covers a range of diverse topics, fosters learning and growth through reflection, and presents actionable steps participants can take in order to make positive change.
Please visit our Parents as Partners webpage (located under the "Parents" section of the district website) to read more about the series topics, webinar dates, and to register for each webinar. Webinar recordings will be available through June 30, 2025.
October 17, 2024:
#1: Strategies for Addressing School Avoidance or Refusal
Presented by Jennifer Bashant
Description:
Approximately one in five children in this country have a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Anxiety can show up in so many different ways, from anger or behavioral challenges, to avoidance, to perfectionism. When a child is experiencing a high level of anxiety, they may complain of various physical symptoms to avoid school, or even outright refuse to go to school. This is extremely stressful to the entire family, often leading to chaotic and tearful mornings. During this webinar, you will learn how to engage with your child and with the school to reduce the anxiety your child feels about attending school.
REGISTER HERE
SAT Registration at www.collegeboard.org
Upcoming SAT test dates hosted at Ballston Spa High School:
- October 5th - Registration deadline 9/20
- November 2nd - Registration deadline 10/22
- December 7th - Registration deadline 11/26
- March 8th - Registration deadline 2/25
- May 3rd - Registration deadline 4/22
- June 7th - Registration deadline 5/27
ACT Registration at www.act.org
Upcoming ACT test dates (NOT available at Ballston Spa)
- October 26th - Registration deadline 10/7
- December 14th - Registration deadline 11/22
- February 8th - Registration deadline 1/20
School CEEB Code: 330-305
Please see your school counselor if you qualify for a fee waiver.
Available NYS Scholarship Programs
The Excelsior Scholarship
In combination with other student financial aid programs, allows students to attend a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free. The program covers tuition for eligible SUNY and CUNY students. For the 2024-25 academic year, families who earned $125,000 or less in the tax year 2022 are eligible to apply.
Click here
Healthcare Workers for Our Future Scholarship
The “Healthcare Workers for Our Future” Scholarship provides a two-year scholarship to approximately 500 selected recipients covering tuition, room and board, and other related expenses in an approved program of study at any approved New York state public or private college or university.
Click here
Financial Aid
FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid
The Education Department announced an update to the 2024-25 FAFSA update & timeline. This will delay higher education institutions' ability to provide financial aid award letters. We encourage students and families to utilize the FSA Estimator tool for an estimate of what could be received in federal student aid.
Users will no longer be allowed to access, create, or submit an online FAFSA using just their personally identifiable information (PII). They must be authenticated using an FSA ID. As such, create your FSA ID at least one week prior (preferably two) before you begin your FAFSA in order to allow time for the identity match process. Every contributor - anyone (student, the student's spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent's spouse) who's required to provide information on the FAFSA - will need an FSA ID to access and complete their section of the online form.
*Failure to create an ID ahead of time will preclude you from accessing the FAFSA
What will I need to fill out the FAFSA?
To complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), you will need:
Your Social Security Number
Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
A FSA ID to sign electronically
College Application Resources for Seniors!
- Scholarship Opportunities: Parents, please click here to gain access to our high school schoology page and use this access code: WHSS-DM79-S6FX7
If you are applying to a college or a scholarship that requires a letter of recommendation from your school counselor, please click your counselor's name below and complete the form.
College Bound ATHLETES
GET INVOLVED!
There is something for everybody!
The Ballston Spa High School Clubs & Activities program exists to provide a variety of co-curricular experiences for students. See a list of clubs here: https://highschool.bscsd.org/students/clubs-activities
If you are aged 14-17 you will need an employment certificate, also called working papers, in order to hold a job in New York State.
Working Paper Instructions and Application
Working papers are divided into two age groups (14-15 and 16-17):
- 14-15-year-olds - Your working papers are blue. If you are 14 and 15 years old, you are issued these working papers because you are not allowed to work in a factory.
- 16-17-year-olds (in school) - Your working papers are green. The difference between 14-15 year old working papers and 16-17 year old working papers is that you are allowed to work in a factory. You cannot work around certain machines, do construction work, help on a motor vehicle, clean, oil, wipe, or adjust belts on machinery.
