HWRHS Guidance and School Counseling 

NEWSLETTER 
January 2019 

We have information to share 

We want your kids to find and maintain a healthy balance.

Freshmen, Class of 2022

● School Counselors worked with Freshmen during their Health and
Wellness classes throughout the first semester. The Transitions Guidance
program included lessons on high school expectations, goal setting,
setting up community service logs in Naviance (x2VOL), learning styles,
signs of suicide, time management, study skills, identity and diversity,
and healthy relationships. Students will be using Naviance, an online
career and college planning tool, throughout high school. We encourage
parents to ask your children about topics covered.
● Freshmen should be gearing up for their first Mid-Year exams experience.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zWX2fxLXDz3nwwujVltPZpvrcphjm
0bvqjz8EEk-mZo/edit?usp=sharing

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Sophomores, Class of 2021

● School Counselors will deliver the Transitions Curriculum to sophomores
during their Health and Wellness Classes throughout the second
semester. They will begin with an introduction to community service logs
in Naviance.
● Any student who took the PSAT in October should have received a printed
copy of their score report just before the school vacation. We encourage
students to link their College Board account with Khan Academy for
individualized free test preparation.

Juniors, Class of 2020

● School Counselors will be delivering the Transitions Curriculum to juniors
during their Health and Wellness Classes throughout the second
semester. They will begin with an introduction to community service logs
in Naviance and cover post-secondary planning steps.
● Any student who took the PSAT in October should have received a printed
copy of their score report just before the school vacation. We encourage
students to link their College Board account with Khan Academy for
individualized free test preparation. Students considering applying to
four-year colleges should register for SATs and/or ACTs.
www.collegeboard.org
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines

or ​www.act.org
https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/Test-Date-Schedule-Na
tional-2018-2019.pdf

● On Thursday, February 28th at 6:30 pm the Guidance Office will host a

MEFA Junior Parent Night to introduce parents to the college planning
process. The college application process can be overwhelming for high
school juniors and their families. This seminar provides a detailed
overview of the entire process, including current trends in admissions,
how to build a college list, the various components of the college
application, and basics of financial aid.
● The Guidance Office will also host a College Panel with representatives
from a half dozen College Admission Offices. The date is TBD.
College Fair. ​Wednesday, April 3, 2019 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - North Reading
High School, 189 Park Street, North Reading, MA

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Seniors, Class of 2019

* Semester 1 Grades will be posted in Aspen after midterm exams. Please

make sure to check your grades and inform the Guidance Office immediately if
there are any inaccuracies. We will begin submitting mid-year grades to
colleges soon after they are posted.
* ​Update your Naviance account and/or inform the Guidance Office of any
college decisions you have received so far. It is IMPORTANT that we have
up-to-date records as we prepare to send your mid-year grades. ​FOR EXAMPLE​,
if you have found out that you were not accepted or you changed your mind
and did not apply, we would NOT need to send that college an updated
transcript. Please make all necessary updates in Naviance as soon as possible.
* If you have received a request for mid-year grades from any of your colleges,
please know that we automatically submit to all colleges ​UNLESS you have
indicated that you were not accepted or did not apply. If you have been
accepted via Early Decision and have not withdrawn your other applications and
indicated that withdrawal in Naviance, please know that we will be sending
transcripts to those institutions.

While some of you have read the words “we are pleased to inform you that you
have been accepted as a member of the Class of 2023,” others are waiting to
hear similar news. Here are some tips to help narrow your choices and
ultimately make the decision about where you will commit to attend in the fall.

College Board​ tips worth considering….

If you’ve received acceptance offers from more than one college,

congratulations! Your hard work has paid off, and now you get to choose which
college is best for you. Don’t worry about choosing that one perfect college —
there’s no such thing. The bottom line is that college is what you make of it:
What you do while you’re there matters more than the college name on
your diploma. Here’s how to make your decision. You don’t have to decide
overnight, but don’t miss the reply deadline.

● Get More Information ​You already have a lot of information about each
college, but digging a little deeper can help you make the best choice for
you.

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● Ask questions. Create a list of any questions you still have about the
colleges you’re considering. You may want to get answers to questions
like these:
● How many students return after freshman year? How many graduate?
● Does the college offer a lot of majors I’m interested in?
● What can I do for fun?
● What kinds of students feel at home at this college?
Get answers. The best place to get an answer depends on the question. Ask
people who work at the college as well as current students. Join FB groups and
Twitter feeds. As you search for answers, it’s important to use only trustworthy
sources of information and to recognize the difference between fact and opinion.
A college’s official website and its admission officers are often the best sources
of factual information about that college.

Visit — or revisit — the campuses​. If possible, check out a college's campus

to get more information. If you can’t visit campus, call or email the admission
office with your questions. Ask if someone there can put you in touch with
current students and recent graduates. Your high school counselor and teachers
also may know students who graduated from your high school and now attend
college.

Think things over​. You've done research and asked questions. Now it's time to
check your own thoughts and feelings. Ask yourself questions like these:

● How did I feel when I was on campus at each college I visited?

● Which colleges best match my list of must-haves?
● At which colleges can I imagine myself as successful and happy?

Compare the colleges​. Use your new information to sort the colleges by what
they offer and what you want. Make a list of the pros and cons for each college.
You can also use Big Future ​College Search or COLLEGEData to compare up to
three colleges side by side.

Compare Financial Aid Awards. ​This is an important step for many students.
Big Future ​Compare Your Aid Awards tool lets you compare up to four offers
side by side. Talk to your family about which colleges work best financially. You
should make decisions about financial aid, such as whether you should take a
student loan or work-study job, together.

Make Your Decision. ​You don’t have to decide overnight. Many colleges don’t
expect your final decision until May 1, so you have some time to make up your
mind. But remember that colleges are serious about reply deadlines. If you
don’t send your deposit in time, you risk losing your place.

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Respond to the Colleges. ​Once you’ve decided which college you want to
attend, inform all the colleges that accepted you about your decision.
Respond to the College you’ve decided to attend. Make sure to send in the
following items by the deadline:

● Your acceptance letter/notification

● A deposit
● A separate acceptance letter for financial aid, if required
● Any other required items
Respond to the Colleges whose offers you're declining​. Send a brief note
to the other colleges to thank them and turn down their offers. This frees up
places for other students.

Scholarships

Koplik Scholarship: Seniors received notification earlier this fall if they met
initial qualifications for the Koplik Scholarship at Massachusetts State Colleges
and Universities. Any student who met the criteria and will be applying for the
scholarship should return their application to their School Counselor prior to the
May 1st deadline.

Links are available in Naviance accounts under the Colleges Tab. Check often as
scholarships are added as they are received. Make a habit of checking at least
once or twice per week and take note of deadlines. Additional information about
local scholarships will be available in early February.

General Information

Summer Opportunities Fair

Phillips Academy at the Smith Center in Andover will host a Summer

Opportunities Fair on January 27th from 12-3pm. Representatives from 100
local, national, and international programs will be present with a focus on
academic programs, language study, community service, camps, sports, arts,
research, internships, outdoor adventure, international travel, & gap year
opportunities.

Community Service Hours

All students are required to be logged in to the new x2VOL community service

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tracking feature. If freshmen or seniors have not done so or have questions,
please stop by the Guidance Department. Sophomores and juniors will be given
an introduction to x2VOL at that start of semester II. x2VOL is the only way
that community service hours will be accepted, and any upcoming opportunities
are posted through x2VOL. This is a graduation requirement.

AP Exams

All students taking an AP exam this spring should receive a ​Bulletin for Students
and Parents this week. Exam ordering will occur during the month of February.
The “AP Store” will open in MySchoolBucks on February 1st and exam purchases
must take place no later than February 28. Please check your email for
purchasing details later this month. 

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