HEADLINES
Spring 2014
A GUIDANCE NEWSLETTER FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
Greetings from the Seaford High School Guidance Staff!!
Mrs. Goldstein, Ms. Cosenza, Mrs. Pimentel, & Mr. Stazzone, Guidance Chair
ATTENTION SENIORS!
Senior Exit Forms were recently mailed home. The data collected from this form is extremely important to continue to best serve future Seaford graduating classes. Please let us know the outcome of all schools applied to (plus all scholarships) and return to the Guidance Office at your earliest convenience.
THURSDAY, MAY 1ST IS COLLEGE AWARENESS DAY!! All Seniors should wear clothing representing their school of choice. Faculty and staff are encouraged to dig out their old college attire for a day of celebration to our proud graduates.
As the school year nears its conclusion, the Guidance Office would like to take a moment to congratulate the Class of 2014. We are so proud of you all and wish you happiness and success on your future endeavors.
Reminder: Colleges make their official decision based on your final transcript proving all graduation requirements were met, and that you maintained previous levels of success. These transcripts are mailed after graduation. Stay focused!
ATTENTION JUNIORS!
Opportunities to take the SAT/ACT/SAT Subject Test are happening now. This is often a major part of the college application process and Juniors should begin the registration process (if they have not done so already). On all newsletters, we will continue to provide the testing opportunities remaining for the school year. NOTE: It is extremely important that students are aware of their College Board account username and password. Students will need to access this account during next year’s application process.
As always, visiting a college campus is the best way to gauge your interest in a particular school. Each campus visit should include an information session and a guided tour. Can’t make it to a college campus? There are several college fairs upcoming that are a great way to jumpstart the search process and learn about several schools at once. Here are a few:
Spring College Expo
Tuesday, May 6th, 2014
Hofstra University Mack Sports Complex
Hempstead, New York
Suffolk Spring College Fair
Monday, May 5th, 2014
Huntington Hilton
Melville, New York
Spring ’14 New Jersey National College Fair
Wednesday, April 23rd & Thursday, April 24th, 2014
Meadowlands Exposition Center
Secaucus, New Jersey
Reminder: Junior college planning meetings began in March. Students are required to complete and submit the green “Appraising myself…” packet in order to schedule a meeting.
ATTENTION SOPHOMORES!
As you prepare for your Junior year at SHS, it is important to anticipate upcoming events that will help prepare you for life after graduation. Every fall, the Guidance Office hosts dozens of college admission reps giving private information sessions to Seaford students. Stay tuned for the list of schools and dates. Sign ups are in Guidance.
The PSAT exam next year is: Saturday October 18, 2014. This will be the last opportunity to take this exam before sitting for the official SAT, so all students should register next fall.
Reminder: Sophomores should feel free to take advantage of college fairs as well. Some upcoming events are listed under Juniors section of newsletter. This would give you a great introduction to the college search process!
ATTENTION FRESHMEN!
We hope to see increased involvement in extracurricular activities next year including possible leadership responsibilities. If you have any questions regarding clubs, sports or community service, please inquire with your guidance counselor.
Reminder: All students enrolled in Algebra I will take both Regents exams (letter mailed home in March with details). It is important to remember that your high school transcript will only display the higher of these two scores!
2014 SAT PROGRAM TEST SCHEDULE-
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
TESTS / DATES / REGISTRATION DEADLINESAT I&II* / May 3 / April 4
SAT I&II* / June 7 / May 9
*Indicates tests will be given at Seaford High School.
Note: Students with approved testing accommodations by the College Board MUST remember to input their SSD # upon registration. Without this, students will be registered to take the exam without accommodations. See your Guidance Counselor with any questions.
2014 ACT PROGRAM TEST SCHEDULE
DATES / REGISTRATION DEADLINEApril 12 / March 7
June 14 / May 9
Seaford High School is NOT a testing site for the ACT. All exams must be scheduled at neighboring sites.
Note: Accommodations for the ACT exam must be applied for when submitting your application for the exam itself. This is different than the SAT exam. See your Guidance Counselor with any questions.
SUMMER INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Students who are interested in finding summer internship programs should stop in to Guidance to view our summer folder. Accumulated throughout the year, we receive numerous opportunities from college campuses and local businesses targeting students, with all kinds of professional interests, to get involved and demonstrate a commitment to learning. This is an excellent way to separate your application from others when the time comes to apply to college.
REGENTS/AP/RCT TESTING ACADEMIES:
Looking for a great way to prepare for major upcoming tests?? In the near future, the high school will conduct testing academies aimed at providing students additional preparation on all Advanced Placement, all Regents and RCT exams (eligible Seniors only) in Global History and Science. All academies will take place after school and are voluntary to students.
Regents exams count as 15% of your overall average in a class and are listed independently on your high school transcript. They may also meet a graduation requirement.
AP exams provide an opportunity for students to earn college credit based on their score. Determination for credit varies based on test score and school student is applying to.
RCT exams may be necessary for graduation and are also displayed on your high school transcript.
COURSE VERIFICATION FOR 2014/2015 SCHOOL YEAR:
The Master Schedule has numerous factors that will influence the eventual academic program for the 2014/2015 school year. The school budget, accumulated course requests submitted by students and results on state assessments are just a few that are currently being evaluated. As adjustments are made and modifications are implemented, the Guidance Office will utilize the Parent Portal as an opportunity for families and students to verify course requests for schedule creation. This is where providing alternate selections during the scheduling process will become valuable for students.
At some point in the near future, we will be asking all families to review potentially modified course requests for final approval leading to the actual schedule. Further directions still to come…. Stay tuned.
If you need assistance logging in to your account, please contact the high school technology office at (516) 592-4367.
SUMMER SCHOOL:
All students that fail either a course for the year and/or Regents exam, and are eligible for summer school, will be contacted by the high school Guidance Office with options moving forward. Specific details regarding where summer school will be hosted as well as registration and cost are yet to be determined. Any graduation required course not satisfied in summer school, will require a student to be re-enrolled in that course next year. Please see your Guidance Counselor with any questions.
FUTURE SCHEDULED EVENTS:
Senior information Night- Tuesday September 16th, 2014
Financial Aid Night- TBD
College Planning Night- Thursday January 15th, 2015
JUNE REGENTS/AP/FINALS:
We want to wish all of our upcoming test takers all the best as they prepare for important tests in their respective classes. As a reminder to all, high school transcripts will only display the highest Regents score a student earns on any specific exam.
Also, students should continue to take advantage of after school teacher office hours: 2:00PM-2:20PM, followed by the NHS tutoring center: 2:20PM-3:00PM EVERYDAY!!
------
***Do you have topics that you would like to see in the next issue of “Headlines”? Any suggestions would be welcome! Contact Mr. Stazzone in the Guidance Office or you can e-mail him at:
Student Contributions are welcome!!