"Despite the forecast, live like it's spring." - Lilly Pulitzer🥶🌷

Hello everyone - it does not quite look like spring time outside, but the calendar is telling us otherwise!

Big news this go around is that registration packets for the 2023-2024 school year have been given out*! Registration packets are due back to the office by April 20, 2023! Please visit with me if you have any questions!

*current 8th grade students have not received their packets as of 4/5/23 - Mrs. French will be meeting with this class at a later time to go over the packet with them!

A few other major pieces of information you will find in this newsletter include:

• Current 7th Graders: Check out a FREE Summer Camp opportunity below!!
• Current 10th & 11th grade students & parent/guardians: Registration for Fall 2023 Dual Credits has opened! Please see additional information below to get signed up!
• Current 11th graders: There is also still time to sign up for Summer 2023 Dual Credits, please visit with me if you have any questions!
• Current 12th graders: The end is near! Be thinking about finalizing your plans for the fall! If you have not completed the FAFSA, there is still time! Also be sure to check out the articles at the bottom of this newsletter - awesome tips for choosing a college if you are undecided in a major, and financial help options at college!

Looking forward to a continually productive school year,

Mrs. French

Custer Jr./Sr. High School Counselor

Safe2Say South Dakota is a statewide tip line that allows South Dakota students, school staff, and community members to safely and anonymously report sensitive information that concerns their safety, or the safety of others, including mental health concerns.

Current Sophomores & Juniors - your time to start thinking about Dual Credits for next year is now! Registration opens April 1, 2023 - Plan to attend the Dual Credit Information Night on March 6th to learn more!

South Dakota rising 7th and 8th graders are invited to attend FREE Career Explorations Camps, hosted this summer at BHSU, DSU, NSU, SDSU and USD. These five-day camps will expose students to various career paths through fun, engaging and hands-on learning. By the end of camp, students will have a better understanding of themselves, their career interests and how their education prepares them for professions. For summer 2023, the program will accept 600 students total, 100 at each camp.

Current 8th Grade Students - It's time to start thinking about your next four years in high school! Check out the resource below in how to start making decisions that best fit you and your plans for after high school!

Some tips from Mrs. French:

• ACT - If you haven't taken the ACT, please plan to do so in September or October! This will be beneficial in applying for colleges and scholarships!
• FAFSA - The FAFSA application for the 2024-2025 school year (1st year in college after graduation in May, 2024) will open on October 1, 2023. My advise - complete this sooner than later! I plan to host a financial aid night in September next fall, so please be watching for additional information.
• Review High School Course & Grades - Are you on track for Regent Scholar? To receive an Advanced Endorsement, Advanced Career Endorsement, or an Advanced Honors Endorsement? Do you qualify for the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship (a scholarship worth $7,500 over 4 years)? Meet with me to find out!
• Build That Resume! - Scholarships and colleges like to know what else you spend your time doing outside of school - whether that is a sport, group, and program in or out of school - the more involved you are the more you have to share! Think about trying something new to add to your resume (PS - we have lots of groups here at the high school to get involved with, check out the list below!)

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt

April 17, 18, & 26th, 2023

Custer Jr./Sr. High School

All 7th, 8th, and 11th graders will be testing. Please see the calendar below and the requested packing list!

All 7th, 8th, and 11th grade students are asked to bring the following with them each testing day!

• Student Computer
• Computer Charging Cord (please charge your computer at home each night before testing, this will help with space in the testing rooms)
• Headphones (must have a cord, wireless are not allowed – if you do not have any there will be pairs provided for the students)
• Writing Utensil (pencil preferred)
• Book (to read when finished testing – students will not be allowed to play games on their computers or have their cellphones during testing sessions)
• Water Bottle
• Snacks (some will be provided, but if a student has any special dietary needs or has a preference to snacks, please feel free to bring your own!)

We are taking the hospitality industry to the next level. All we need is you! Stop by our Custer Hospitality’s job fair on March 24 from 2 pm - 6 pm, hosted at our Super 8. We have fresh new positions that could be your next career move!🙋

✨ Front Desk Representatives
✨ Housekeeping Attendants
✨ Laundry Attendants

All properties are ready and waiting to accept resumes and conduct interviews. Wages $15-$18 DOE and position. Apply today! http://bit.ly/3DKm8Z1 ✨.🙋‍ 🙋‍ 🙋

Clerk (OA) position open at Wind Cave National Park - must be 16 years old to apply!

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/693605100

Wanting to find ways to build you college and scholarship resumes? Consider joining a student group here at CHS! Check out all the great options below!

Class of 2024 - it is time to start registering to take the ACT! There are two upcoming test dates in the spring:

• June 10th (Registration deadline May 5th)
• September 9th (Registration deadline August 4th)
• October 28th (Registration deadline September 22nd)
• December 9th (Registration deadline November 3rd)

*I highly recommend that current Juniors register to take the test in April, HOWEVER there is still time! Please consider testing in September or October. This gives students a great idea how they score on each test, areas to work on for improvement, and continued opportunities during their senior year to retake the test to improve their scores!

Check out the link below to create an account and register for the ACT!

Check out the link below to learn how to avoid costly mistakes and how to better manage your investment in a college education! (Special shout out to Custer School District Board Member Heather Grace for this awesome resource!)

What is it?

• Draft Coach the student support extension of Turnitin.com
• It will

• Highlight your grammar mistakes and provide explanations to help you edit your paper
• Run similarity reports within Google Docs to ensure you aren't plagiarizing
• Improve your citation by finding missing references and citations.

Where do you find it?

• Draft Coach lives within Google Docs. In the top menu click Extensions - Turnitin Draft Coach - Turnitin Draft Coach (see picture below)
• You can use Draft Coach for the text of any project (slide show, Microsoft documents); just copy and paste the text into Google Docs and run the draft coach.
• When it opens, a right-hand menu will open and you will have to click through two screens agreeing to terms of service.

Picture 1: Where to find Draft Coach

If you have any questions or issues, please email nora.smolnisky@k12.sd.us

• Scholarship Updates & Reminders
• End of the School Year!