Scholarships

Please see below for information regarding scholarships opportunities.  Stop by the guidance office for an application.

1. Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation - any high school student in the Commonwealth of MA is eligible. The scholarship is not academically based, but is awarded on the basis of need. The committee is looking for exceptional leaders and people who haven proven this leadership within their school. In addition, the committee will give more serious consideration to those students who have made efforts to make a difference in their communities. The annual grants will range from $1,000 to $5,000 to be used as specifically requested for school tuition, summer programs and other appropriate extracurricular activities. Deadline: January 15th

2. Valley Press Club Scholarships - applicants must be seriously committed to careers in journalism.

a. The Valley Press Club Scholarships - funded by contributions and dues to the Press Club, are for students planning careers in print, online or broadcast journalism.

b. The Republican Scholarship - funded by The Republican newspaper and administered by the club, is for students living within the newspaper's circulation area who are planning careers in print journalism.

c. The Channel 22 Scholarship - funded by WWLP-TV and administered by the club, is for students planning careers in broadcast journalism.

d. The Edward J. Malley Jr. Memorial Scholarship - established in memory of a chief photographer for the Springfield newspapers, is for students planning careers in photo journalism.

e. The Al Jaffe Scholarship - funded by Mr. Jaffe, the Valley Press Club's first scholarship recipient in 1964, is for students planning careers in broadcast journalism or sports journalism.

Primary emphasis is placed on career goals, writing ability, scholastic aptitude and overall achievement as measured by applicants' high school transcript, class rank, academic awards, SAT scores, and extracurricular activities. Emphasis will be given to field experience, including work on a school newspaper or yearbook, and employment or courses in journalism. Recipients must also be able to demonstrate a financial need. Finalists are interviewed by the committee. Applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2013

Follow Quaboag Guidance on Twitter

The Quaboag Guidance Department now has a twitter page!  Please feel free to follow us @quaboaguidance.  Many high school students prefer this form of social media.  We will post updates to reach out to students which include information about college, financial aid, tips for academic success and more! 

College Board Report on College and Career Readiness

This post is in thanks to Jennifer Karan from the College Board.  Jennifer follows the Quaboag Guidance Blog and has passed along this report which shares great information on college and career readiness.  The report looks at data from SAT scores and trends from the Class of 2012.  The report highlights some factors which allow for students to be better prepared for the SAT and college curriculum. Please click here to learn more about the SAT program that is run through the College Board.  Thanks to Jennifer for passing this information along to Quaboag families!

College Fair Field Trip

 

Today, 16 Quaboag students attended a college fair at Holyoke Community College. Students were able to meet with college admissions representatives from a variety of schools. There were 65 colleges in attendance which included: University of Massachusetts (Amherst and Lowell), Bentley University, Framingham State University, WPI and Worcester State University to name a few. Students were able to gather information based on interest in an academic program, the type of college or other programs the college had to offer. Students were able to ask a wide range of questions to these representatives that are very knowledgeable with the admissions process at a specific institution. Searching for a college that fits the needs of a student can be challenging.  Attending these fairs or college visits at the high school are great ways to begin the process to research what school may be the best fit!

 

 

 

 

 

*All photos in this post are courtesy of the Quaboag guidance department*

 

 

 

College Fair Field Trip, November 15, 2012



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The high school guidance staff will be taking interested students to a college fair on Thursday, November 15.  The college fair will take place at Holyoke Community College.  Several colleges will be in attendance and it is a great way for students to learn more about what colleges can offer.  Students will have the opportunity to meet admissions counselors who read and decide on if a student is admitted.  This is a great chance to make a nice first impression.  Remember, admissions counselors often read thousands of applications each year.  Meeting an admissions counselor at this fair and making agreat first impression can help your application.  If you have a student that is interested in attending this trip, please have your student pick up a permission slip in the guidance office.  Students will return to Quaboag around 12 noon.  November 15 is a half day due to parent/teacher conferences.  Students attending this trip will need to make arrangements to have a ride home as we will miss the dismissal due to the timing of this college fair.  If you have any questions about this trip, please contact the guidance office at 413-436-5508.

Freshman Seminar Course

Ms. Goldthwaite and Mrs. Paschenko just wrapped up teaching the Freshman Seminar course for first quarter.  Students in this course were introduced to a variety of topics which included: study skills, time management, organization, college exploration, career exploration, financial literacy, technology resources, and goal setting.  The counselors also used this course as an opportunity to check in on the academic progress of students in the class.  Students had a chance to speak in the class about concerns they had academically or about the transition to high school.  The counselors also met with students individually to discuss specific grades in all courses the student was taking during quarter 1.  The next section of this course will be offered to an additional group for freshman students during quarter 3. 

What is Your Advanced Placement Score Worth?

Each year students world wide participate in the Advanced Placement program offered through the College Board.  Students know that in order to qualify for college credit you need to earn a score of a 3, 4, or 5 on the exam.  Each college has their own policy about what a score is worth in a specific class and what that college will offer to students with that score on that exam.  The College Board has a great tool that allows students to look up any college and see what the AP exam score is equal to if you were to attend that college.  Check out the link below to see what your AP score is worth at a college you are interested in. 

AP Credit Policy, What is my AP Score Worth in College Credit

Change in Quarter 1 Report Cards

As you know, Quaboag schools were closed for two days due to Hurricane Sandy.  As a result we will push back the date for report cards.  Quarter 1 grades will now close on Wednesday, November 7.  Report cards will be issued in homeroom to all middle/high school students on Wednesday, November 14.  If you would like an appointment for parent/teacher conference night on Thursday, November 15, please call Mrs. Fairbrother in the guidance office. 

Grades

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The end of first quarter is right around the corner.  Grades close on Friday, November 2.  All students are encouraged to check on Edline to see current grades.  Edline is updated by the teachers every two weeks.  Parent - teacher conferences will take place on Thursday, November 15.  If you would like to make an appointment with a teacher, please contact Mrs. Fairbrother, the guidance secretary.  She can be reached at 413-436-5508 or by email at lfairbrother@quaboagrsd.org

College Financing Presentation, November 14, 2012

Parents and students are invited to attend a free presentation on College Financing. The seminar will be held on Wednesday, November 14th in the QRMHS auditorium at 6:00 PM and is offered through MEFA, the Commonwealth’s resource on planning, saving and paying for college. An experienced MEFA representative will provide an overview of the financial aid process, including types of financial aid, how to apply, and determining financing options for your family. Families are encouraged to download a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation or e-book beforehand at www.mefa.org/seniors. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the guidance office.

PSAT Testing, October 17, 2012

 The PSAT test will be offered at Quaboag on October 17, 2012.  All 10th grade students will be taking this test.  Juniors that are interested in taking this test again are welcome.  Please note: the test is free for 10th grade students and is $14 for juniors.  Any interested juniors should see Ms. Goldthwaite in the guidance office as soon as possible to sign up. 

Welcome Back!



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Summer is over and we are getting back into the routine of school routine at Quaboag.  All students have completed any necessary course changes.  If additional course changes need to be made, the student must set up a meeting with the guidance office, teacher, principal and parent.  If you have any questions about scheduling or the start of a new year, please contact the guidance office.

Seniors Learn How to Budget

Seniors took part in the Credit for Life fair at Quabbin Regional Middle/High School on Thursday, April 12.  This event designed to expose students to financial literacy in a fun, interactive way. Each student was given a career with a monthly income and had to visit 12 booths representing real life expenses they will encounter. After visiting, housing, furniture, utilities, insurance, food, reality check, fun! fun! fun!, clothing, credit score, transportation, employment and education, and savings and retirement students were able to see just how far the monthly income would go with the expenses all adults face. Students were also given a credit score at random and learned how that number can impact purchases and financial goals.   All students were very involved in this activity and learned a lot of valuable skills. Quaboag would like to thank Jodie Gerulaitis, and all of the volunteers at Country Bank for putting together this fantastic event!

All Photos were taken by the Guidance Department

College Deposit Deadline -- May 1, 2012



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Did you decide where you want to go to college next year?  Remember, you must make your financial deposit and notify the college you plan to attend no later then May 1.  This is a national deadline and applies to all colleges.  Deposits amounts vary from college to college.  Most range between $100-$600. Once you have made your decision, please notify the other colleges you have been accepted to that you do not plan to attend.  This is important as colleges have wait lists, if you do not plan to attend, the college can offer your spot to someone on that list who would like to attend.  

Consider the following before sending in the deposit check-

-Be mindful of the May 1 deadline.  You must meet this deadline.  Just like applying for admission and financial aid, it is very important to meet these mandatory deadlines.
-Have you seen your financial aid package from the school you plan to deposit to?  If not, call the financial aid office to see why there is a delay in receiving this information.
-To make your decision, you need to know what the school is offering for financial aid prior to depositing.  What if the school does not give you any financial aid?  Can you and your family afford the full price of the school? If you deposit at a school without seeing the financial aid form and the deadline has passed, you could limit your options.
-Review your financial aid letter.  Be sure to read it carefully to see what the school is offering.  Confused by your letter?  Stop by the guidance office with the letter for further explanation.
-Make sure you are mailing the deposit to the correct address.  You want to make sure the deposit gets to the correct departments on the college campus.  If you have questions about this, please stop by the guidance office.
-If you are having trouble deciding where you want to attend, talk to your parents, friends, guidance counselor or teachers.  This is a big decision that should be given serious thought.

Congratulations for making it through the college admissions process!  As I am sure many of you know, there are 22 school days left for seniors.  Keep your grades up as this last quarter is very short.  We will be sending out your final transcript and want to be sure you show the college your best work!

Local Scholarship Deadline

All local scholarships are due in the guidance office by Friday, April 13.  Students that are applying for these scholarships should make an appointment with a guidance counselor to review the completed scholarship forms. 

What is a credit score? Seniors will find out on April 12!

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All seniors are encouraged to attend the Credit for Life field trip on April 12, 2012.  This is a great financial workshop is presented by Country Bank for high school seniors to learn the basics of financial planning.  Quaboag is thankful for this partnership with Country Bank to provide this valuable resource to our senior class. 

Please see below for additional details about this fantastic opportunity.  If your student is interested in attending, permission slips are available in the guidance office.

What is Credit for Life?

The Credit for Life Fair is a financial literacy exercise where high school seniors are asked to make decisions on how to spend their money. Students will role-play the position of a 25-year old adult with a career, a salary, and a credit score.   They will be assigned a mock checking and savings account balance and possibly a student loan payment, depending on the career choice they selected.   Based on their mock salary, they must make decisions that affect their finances, such as renting an apartment on their own or having a roommate, buying or leasing a vehicle, purchasing furniture, and saving for their retirement. There will be a booth set up for each financial decision the students will have to make. Our goal for the students is to have a better understanding of their future fiscal responsibilities.  We will teach them about balancing a budget and making choices about their finances, and they will learn how one financial choice can greatly impact another.

One of the most important booths at the Credit for Life Fair is the credit score booth. We are going to use this booth to educate the students on what a credit score is and how their future will be impacted with a low, med, or high credit score.  Students will be given a completely random credit score at the very beginning of the fair which will greatly affect their experience.

Lastly, credit counselors will review each student’s final budget one-on-one to ensure solvency or to help students learn how to live within their budget. Managing their own budget and seeing the actual cost of things will leave students with a whole new perspective on real-life financial management.

If you would like more information on the Credit for Life Fair, please contact Jodie Gerulaitis, Financial Education Officer, at 1-800-322-8233, ext. 2024.

Important MCAS test dates

Grades 7, 8 and 10 will take the ELA MCAS test on March 20, 21 and 22.  We encourage your student to get enough rest and to eat a healthy breakfast on these days.  If you have any questions about the MCAS, please contact the guidance office.

Stevens Institute of Technology

Gym

View of Campus

View from Campus to NYC

During her travels over February vacation, Mrs. Paschenko stopped to tour Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.  Stevens is a small school that has high expectations for student admission.  The average student admitted to the school last year had SAT scores of 1190-1390 (critical reading and math combined), a 3.8 G.P.A, a majority of students were in the top 10% of their class.  Of the 4,095 students that applied in fall 2011, 39% we accepted.  This selective school offers 29 majors which include engineering, computer science and business.  If you are interested learning more about Stevens, check out the following link.

Photos provided by Mrs. Paschenko

Course Selection 2012-2013, Program of Studies

Last week the guidance counselors met with all students in grades 8-11 to review graduation requirements, course offerings by grade and reviewed the Program of Studies for 2012-2013.

Yesterday, all students in grades 8-11 were given a course selection sheet for next year.  Throughout the day each student met with their teachers individually to review recommended courses for next school year.  All students were to bring the course selection form home, have a parent review and sign it, and return the form to the guidance office.  All forms should be returned to the guidance office by this Friday, February 17, 2012.

Upon receiving the course selection forms, Ms. Goldthwaite and Mrs. Paschenko will build the schedule for next year allowing for all teachers and students to have a tentative schedule by the last day of school this year.

To view a copy of the Program of Studies, students can ask any teacher in the school, go to the library, guidance office or main office.  In addition, the document is posted to the school website.  Click here for a direct link to the document.  Don't forget to check out www.quaboagrsd.org for other school related information.

If you have any questions about scheduling or courses offered, please contact the guidance office at 413-436-5508.

New Website

Quaboag Regional Middle High School has a new website!  Families are encouraged to view this site for current information about the school.  Many teachers have created pages to include curriculum, homework assignments and study tips.  You will find the site contains a lot of valuable information.  If you have any suggestions about how the site can improve please send us an email.

Add www.quaboagrsd.org to your favorites!

Scheduling for the 2012-2013 School Year

This year, Quaboag will be scheduling students earlier so all students and teachers have a tentative schedule on the last day of school.  The schedule will be tentative as the guidance department will not have final grades for the year until after the students leave for summer.  If a student fails a course, or decides to take another class, changes to the schedule will be made over the summer.  Please see the timeline below for the scheduling process:

Week of February 6, 2012 - Ms. Goldthwaite and Mrs. Paschenko will meet with students to review the Program of Studies.  All students will be reminded of the graduation requirements and new course offerings for next year. 

February 14, 2012 - Teacher Recommendation Day.  Students will receive a course selection sheet in the morning and will meet with teachers to discuss course selection for next year.  All students will be sent home with a course selection sheet that must be signed by a parent or guardian. 

February 17, 2012 - All signed course selection forms are due to the guidance office.  The guidance staff will begin building the schedule shortly after the forms are returned.

Last day of school - Students are issued schedules for the 2012-2013 school year.

If you have any questions about the course selection process, please contact the guidance office.

Scholarship Update

Thank you to all of the students and families that attended the Scholarship Night on January 19!  If you were not able to attend, scholarship applications will be available to students in the guidance office until Friday, January 27, 2012.  Please contact the guidance department if you have any questions.

Boys State and Girls State Update

A prior post in December include information about the Boys State and Girls State programs.  This year the program will take place from Saturday, June 16 to Friday, June 22, 2012.

If you have any questions about this program please see the post from December 23, or contact the guidance office.

Holyoke Community College - Decision Day

HCC will be coming to Quaboag on Tuesday, January 24 to meet with students interested in attending HCC next fall.  Students will have a chance to meet with an admissions representative to learn if they can be accepted to a specific program offered at the school. 

All interested students should sign up in the guidance office by Wednesday, January 18 to make an appointment.  Students attending need to bring a complete HCC application, if they have not already applied along with a high school transcript.

Scholarship Night

All seniors and parents are welcome to attend the annual Scholarship Night at Quaboag Regional High School.  The Scholarship Night is Thursday, January 19 from 6-7 PM in the library. 

All local scholarships will be distributed during this event.  If you have any questions, please contact the guidance office.

FAFSA, CSS Profile and Financial Aid

Welcome back! 

On January 1st, the FAFSA form became available to fill out for students attending college next school year (2012-2013).  To qualify for financial aid, you must complete this form by the specified deadline that each college requires. 

Colleges use the FAFSA form to determine how much financial aid they can award based on the need of each family that applies.  After reviewing the data received for each student, the financial aid office will prepare a financial aid offer.  

If you need assistance in filling out this form please contact Ms. Goldthwaite to make an appointment.  She has experience working with families to assist in completing the FAFSA, CSS Profile and institutional forms.  All information covered in these meetings are confidential.  Below you will find the list of necessary items needed to complete this form. 

Remember, the FAFSA is a FREE form.  If a website charges you to complete this form, you are using the wrong website.  The FAFSA can be found at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ 

1. The majority of high school students use their parent’s income information to file for financial aid until age 24.
2. For the FAFSA you list the income of the parent(s) in your household. (If you live with only one parent you use only their income and personal information.)  Parents can include: your parents, a parent and a step-parent or a single parent.
3. Exceptions are rare and include documented independence (court involved) or if you are married and or have a child yourself.
4. Documents you need to gather:
1. Parents’ 2011 federal income tax return. (2010 can be used to estimate).
2. Parents’ W-2 form for 2011. (2010 can be used to estimate).
3. Records of untaxed income such as welfare benefits, social security benefits, TANF, military or clergy allowances, etc.
4. Your 2011 federal tax return. (2010 can be used to estimate).
5. Your W-2 form for 2011. (2010 can be used to estimate).
6. Your parents’ savings and checking account balance. The value of any stocks or bonds. (Not retirement accounts).
7. Your savings and checking account balance.
8. Net worth of real estate (not your parent’s home); Net Worth of business or investment farm
9. Your social security number
10. Your alien registration number (if permanent resident).
11. Month and Year you became an eligible resident.
12. Your date of birth.
13. Your Drivers License Number
14. Your parent(s) social security number(s)
15. Your parent(s) date(s) of birth
16. Your parent’s wedding anniversary or the date they separated or divorced.
17. Email address for both student and parents
18. Your home phone number
19. List of schools you have/will apply to

If your college requires the CSS Profile to be completed, you will also need to include the following information in addition to the information the FAFSA form requires:

            a.    Rental payment or mortgage payment

            b.   Amount owed on the home, value of the home, year purchased .

                  and purchase price

            c.    Medical and dental expenses for 2011

            d.    Educational Loans (amount owed)

e.    Sibling’s educational expenses

f.    How much family believes they can afford for 1 year of

      student’s college tuition

g.    Amount in Parent’s 401K/Retirement Plan   

h.    Family car(s) – Make, Model, Year, and Purchase Price