School Counseling Newsletter
February
Building Better Futures
The district is excited to announce that we have partnered with Building Better Futures, LLC. to bring our families a series of 10 virtual presentations titled "Parents as Partners". To learn more about the dates and descriptions for each session topic please click this link: 2023-2024 Parents as Partners Webinar Series.
Topic: Avoiding Power Struggles, Angry Outbursts, and Other Challenging Behaviors
Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Bashant
When: The live webinar will take place February 8, 2024. The session will be recorded and available for 30 days.
Description: Collaboration can be a powerful tool to overcome defiance and reduce the fighting and behavioral challenges in your household. In this webinar, participants will learn how to:
· Identify and address the root cause of challenging behavior, while allowing your positive relationship with your child to serve as the foundation for change.
· Teach your child how to recognize the physical warning signs and knowing how to regulate the body and manage strong emotions such as anger, guilt, sadness and even elation.
· Use mindfulness, art, soothing music and physical activity to help your child develop a toolbox of strategies that help them feel calm
Topic: Making Friends and Keeping Them: 10 Social Skills to Teach Your Child
Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Bashant
When: The live webinar will take place February 27, 2024. The session will be recorded and available for 30 days from January 11th.
Description: Loneliness is an epidemic in this country, and one which puts people at risk for depression, anxiety and even a shortened lifespan. Making friends comes fairly naturally for some children, while others need more support in developing social skills. The ability to have empathy, or identify with the feelings of another, is an important skill for making and keeping friends, but it can be difficult to know exactly how to develop this trait in another person. During this webinar, participants will learn how to model and teach empathy and nine other crucial social skills that will make it easier to connect with others in a meaningful way.
How to Register: Please click this link to view the live session or the recording: Webinar Registration - Zoom
All Session Descriptions and Registration Links: If you miss a session or want to register for a future session you can see a full list of session descriptions and registration links here: Parents as Partners - Links and Topics 23-24.
For more information on the program and its founder, please check our website at www.bscsd.org or click HERE for a direct link to the page.
We hope that you will take advantage of this amazing opportunity!
SAT Registration at www.collegeboard.org
Upcoming SAT test dates hosted at Ballston Spa High School:
- March 9th - DIGITAL - Registration deadline 2/27
- May 4th - DIGITAL - Registration deadline 4/23
- June 1st - DIGITAL - Registration deadline 5/21
*Registration for the spring 2024 test dates are subject to change.
ACT Registration at www.act.org
Upcoming ACT test dates (NOT available at Ballston Spa)
- December 9th - Registration deadline 11/3
- February 10th - Registration deadline 1/5
- April 13th - Registration deadline 3/8
- June 8th - Registration deadline 5/3
School CEEB Code: 330-305
Please see your school counselor if you qualify for a fee waiver.
Financial Aid
FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid
1/31/2024: 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://www.bscsd.org/Page/1243
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.
