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This page was
last updated:
February 21, 2013

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING NEWSLETTER

PSAT TEST RESULTS: PARENT INFORMATION PROGRAM SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 11th

Parents of sophomore and junior students who recently took the PSAT practice college entrance exams may receive test results for this program at an upcoming information program.

PSAT tests results will be available for parents at the December 11, 2012, program at 6:30 PM in the Kuhn Center. At that time Mrs. Rigney will interpret PSAT test results. She will also explain what parents need to know about planning for and registering for the ACT and SAT tests which their children will be taking in the winter and spring of this year. In addition, she will discuss the benefits of test prep courses and introduce parents to the Naviance College Planning Program. Parents of sophomore students who took the PSAT test should attend the PSAT program with parents of juniors.

Parents attending the program should enter the building through door # 12 or #19. If parents are unable to attend this program, their students will receive test results on Thursday, December 13, during homeroom.

PLAN scores for sophomores were mailed to parents before Thanksgiving.

SENIOR STUDENTS SHOULD COMPLETE THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS BEFORE CHRISTMAS BREAK

Due to the high volume of applications that colleges will be receiving this year, senior students should attempt to process all of their college applications by mid-December. This will ensure that students meet most scholarship deadlines and avoid being wait-listed by those colleges that close the application process early.

If a student needs a counselor letter of recommendation sent with the school documents the request must be submitted to Mrs. Rigney by December 5 to guarantee submission before the holidays. All other school documents that must be submitted before Christmas break must be requested through the Guidance Office by December 10, 2012.

Prior to or during the Christmas holidays, students should take the time to write a short thank you note to the classroom teachers who wrote formal letters of recommendation for their college applications. Writing college letters of recommendation for students is a task that goes beyond the teacher’s normal duties of lesson planning and grading. It is a nice courtesy for students to take the time to thank the teachers for writing the letters on their behalf.

JUNIOR STUDENTS SHOULD BEGIN THE REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR ACT/SAT TESTING

Junior students usually begin testing with the January or February test dates. Some juniors test as early as the December ACT date.All juniors should plan on taking the ACT or SAT at least two times before the end of junior year. It also is important that juniors plan ahead to avoid conflicts with spring sports and activities. Juniors should also always take the ACT with Writing since many schools require the writing portion of ACT for admission.

The final deadline to register for the February 9 ACT is January 18. The final deadline to register for the January 26 SAT is January 11. For details on ACT test content and requirements, students should pick up the booklet, Preparing for the ACT, which is available in the Student Services area. Students may also visit the testing company websites for more information.

ACT: www.act.org

SAT: www.collegeboard.com

The St. Francis High School Code is 144-383. Students must use this code when registering for their ACT and SAT tests.

NAVIANCE FAMILY CONNECTION PROGRAM PROVIDES A GREAT COLLEGE PLANNING TOOL AT

http://connection.naviance.com/sfhs-wheaton

Students and parents are strongly encouraged to use the Naviance Family Connection college planning tool. St. Francis has a licensing agreement to use this web based program which provides assistance in all areas of the college search and application process. Current seniors were all shown how to use the program last October and again this September. Seniors should use the user names and passwords they created last fall to log on. Current juniors were shown how to use the program last April and again in November. Parents of current juniors and seniors were e-mailed access codes last year and this summer, but if they have not yet created a user name and password and have lost the access code, they may contact Mrs. Ellis at ext. 1142 to obtain the access code again. If underclassmen or their parents wish to use the program, they may obtain the access code by contacting Mrs. Ellis.

The Naviance program already has password protected student information loaded into the system. When a student or parent logs onto the student account, he or she can complete a college search, create a resume, formulate a list of potential colleges, and check the college visit calendar. By clicking on acceptance history, scatter grams, college match, and college compare, the student can compare his or her academic credentials to the college’s acceptance history for St. Francis students from the class of 2008--2012. Once the student has applied to a college, the student can use Family Connection to track if his or her transcript and recommendations were sent by St. Francis.

The Naviance program has many other great features and is an indispensable tool in the college search and application process. If students or parents have questions or problems in using the program, contact Mrs. Rigney, College Counselor, at ext. 1105.

USE THE SFHS WEBSITE FOR COLLEGE PLANNING

Students and parents who are seeking information for college planning should go to the St. Francis High School website and click on the Guidance tab. From this site, you can access information that is helpful in the college planning and financial aid process. By clicking on ACT/SAT dates, ACT/SAT comparison chart, or ACT/SAT Accommodations you can find a great deal of useful information on these college testing programs. By clicking on websites for college information you can access a list which includes sites for completing a college search, registering for the ACT and SAT, investigating careers, and obtaining financial aid and scholarships. By clicking on dates and deadlines, you can check upcoming dates for ACT and SAT testing, college fairs, AP tests, and other important events. Check out the college planning guide for a step by step process to researching and applying to colleges. Click on the weekly guidance bulletin to find out about upcoming college information programs and recent scholarship offerings. Make http://www.sfhsnet.org/top/studentsvcs/guid-home.htm your first stop for college planning, testing, and scholarship information.

REVOLUTION PREP OFFERS ON SITE ACT PREPARATION COURSE DURING THE WINTER

If junior students have not already taken steps to prepare for upcoming ACT and SAT tests, now is a good time to do so. If parents are looking for resources for test prep, please review the list of test prep programs on the Guidance page of the St. Francis website. We have listed the names, phone numbers and websites of many of the leading test prep programs in the area. Most of these resources also offer individualized programs if that is what the student’s busy schedule requires.

St. Francis has teamed up with Revolution Prep, the nation's largest provider of on campus test prep programs, to offer a course on our campus at St. Francis this winter and spring. The winter course starts on Tuesday, December 11, and ends on Thursday, February 7 shortly before the February 9 exam. There will be no course sessions during final exam week or Christmas vacation. After the two meetings December 11 and 13, the course will resume on Tuesday, January 8. It meets on Tuesdays from 3 PM to 7 PM and on Thursdays from 3 PM until 6 PM. The cost of the course is $599. This is an excellent opportunity for students in their junior year to prepare for the ACT before the busy spring sports season.

Revolution Prep offers course scholarships for families in need. Just call 877-REV-PREP for details before you register. If you wish to register for a course, call Revolution Prep at 1-877-738-7737 or go to www.revolutionprep.com.

FAFSA FORMS WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE

In order to receive need based financial aid families must complete the FAFSA form. You may not submit the FAFSA form until January 1, 2013, but you are strongly advised to send it in during the month of January in order to maximize your eligibility for financial aid. You can use estimated income and assets for 2012 to complete the form in January and begin the evaluation process. You will be given the opportunity later on to update the information you originally submitted. Keep in mind that even if you do not demonstrate financial need on the FAFSA, simply completing and submitting the form will qualify you for the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.

SENIORS: BEGIN THE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS

Now is the time of year when both parents and students begin to wonder, “Now that we have applied to these colleges, how are we going to pay for this?” Such thoughts naturally lead to the pursuit of scholarships.

Obtaining college scholarships is not as easy as some would have us think. The best source of money for college is the college itself. Students should ask every college what merit scholarships are available. These scholarships can be highly competitive at some schools and not as hard to obtain at others. Many schools are now offering “leadership scholarships” for students who have shown a strong commitment to extra-curricular activities.

Students who are looking for corporate or community scholarships can access information on those awards through programs such as:

http://www.fastweb.com

http://www.scholarships.com

http://www.collegezone.com (for general financial aid information)

http://www.finaid.org (for general financial aid information)

The Guidance Department publishes a weekly college information and scholarship bulletin that is posted on our website. This bulletin lists scholarships for which the Guidance Department has current applications. Students and parents can find it on the St. Francis Guidance website under the link for Scholarship Bulletin. Students who are interested in obtaining a scholarship application for any offerings in the bulletin should contact Lynn Ellis, Guidance Administrative Assistant at lellis@sfhsnet.org or ext. 1142 or see her in person during the school day.

PREPARING FOR SEMESTER EXAMS - HELPING KIDS WITH TEST ANXIETY

Feeling jitters is normal and even helps us focus our attention on the task at hand. However, many students feel such extreme anxiety that they have physical symptoms such as weakness in the knees, inability to sleep before the test and loss of the ability to concentrate. One reference to check is a book by Joseph Casbarro, PhD who wrote about anxiety’s impact on student performance in Test Anxiety and What You Can Do About It (National Professional Resources, 1-800-453-7461, www.nprinc.com).

• Encourage your child to see his/her counselor for some help for dealing with test anxiety.
• Teach your child that cramming is not allowed! Review on a DAILY basis.
• Teach him/her to think positively and to learn to relax.
• Teach your child to practice good study habits.
• Teach your child to compete with him - or herself.

• BEFORE EXAMS…

• Start now to organize notes , handouts, past tests, etc.
• Listen very carefully to clues teachers give you in class about what to study, what is important, etc.
• Set specific times each day to study for exams.
• Consider it a contest (you vs. test-maker.)
• Attend any tutoring sessions that teachers offer you.

• Studyeverything: your notes or any other handouts, past tests.
• Study in a way that suits your learning style : see, hear or get physically involved in what you are learning. (flash cards, charts, time lines, mind maps, outlines….)
• Look up any information that is still not clear.
• Get a good night’s sleep the night before an exam.

• ON the DAYS of EXAMS…

• Do not spend lots of time asking others what they studied or for information that you have already studied! Doing this will only make you more anxious.

• DURING EXAMS…

• Relax: Flex your muscles in your hands and feet. Hold for a count of 10. Relax. Close your eyes. Inhale and take a long deep breath. Let the breath out slowly.
• Forget other people around you.
• Tell yourself that you are prepared , you are confident and you are going to do your best.
• Look over whole test first to see how to budget your time.
• Read all directions carefully.
• Read each question twice before answering.
• Think before you write.
• Answer the questions exactly as they are written on the exam! Don’t tryto figure out what you think the teacher meant.
• Leave time to check your exam or essay before you turn it in – spelling? grammar? answer question fully? follow directions?

• AFTER EACH EXAM…

• Take a deep breath!
• Move on to the next exam.
• Repeat the advice above!