Testing Dates at Jane Goodall 

 

NWEA testing: September 12-15, 2022

ACT testing Grade 11 & any 12th graders who have yet to take the exam at school: March 7, 2023 

MCA testing for Grades 6-8, 10, 11: March 27-30, 2023 

NWEA testing: May 1-4, 2023 

 

If parents would like to opt their child out from standardized tests, they can fill out this form and return it to the school: 

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/gsuiteintegration/index.html?state=%7B%22ids%22%3A%5B%221wBcR6NB89zND4HQ4bvpLm94zvUO4_1Ot%22%5D%2C%22action%22%3A%22open%22%2C%22userId%22%3A%22113172625018813311199%22%2C%22resourceKeys%22%3A%7B%7D%7D

 

What the MCA will cover: 

6th & 7th grades: reading and math 

8th grade: reading, math and science 

10th grade: reading 

11th grade: science

October is College Knowledge Month! 

The next week advisories will be getting a visit to discuss Post Secondary Opportunities, from apprenticeships, trainings and certifications to 2 and 4 year degree programs. 

If a student is a senior, they will get some 1:1 time to talk about their plans beyond high school, and discuss what JGESA can do to support their transition. 

October is a time for many free college applications (see a list HERE), and October 1st is when the FAFSA opens. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and is a studen'ts access to grants and federal loans, and can be used to determine scholarship and work study eligibility. More information about the FAFSA can be found HERE. 

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email Amanda!

We are in full swing here at JGESA! I hope everyone is experiencing a great transition- I know staff, students and parents alike have a lot to look forward to with students back in school.

As we get into this school year, we will be offering targeted seminars to support students with the content that they struggle with. In order to get the best placements for students, we are utilizing our NWEA testing results to place them, amongst other factors. This testing will take place next week. 

If you are interested in the testing calendar for the entire year, the dates are listed below:

As always, getting good sleep and eating a good meal are always great before any testing. If you would prefer your students not participate in MCA testing (MCA's are state mandated tests in Reading, Math and Science- we test all these subjects through our own assessments as well), you can fill out THIS opt-out form. 

Let me know if you have any questions!

Hello families:

We are just a few shorts weeks away from the first day of school, and what an exciting time it is! There are some great innovations coming to our community with our addition of Flex Fridays and supportive seminar offerings. Advisors will be connecting soon to discuss what our school year will look like. 

Some considerations:

• If Seniors are interested in applying to colleges, now would be a good time to pull up the application information. Many colleges can be applied to through the Common App, and all Minnesota State Colleges and Universities can be applied to through their system.
• Juniors, check THIS out! Its the MACAC virtual college fair. Sign up starts September 8th, and you can learn from tons of potential post-secondary institutions from all over the world. Remember these schools can offer programs from certificates and licensure through 2 and 4 year degrees. There's something for everyone!
• If providing school lunches or school supplies will be a financial challenge this year, please reach out and we can come up with some solutions together as a team.
• Start modifying routines to more closely mimic the school day (think bedtimes and wake-up times). If you ease into it, it may alleviate some of the first week exhaustion your students may experience!
• We will be supporting students with seminars in reading, writing, math, and Project Based Learning this year. But also, have you seen THIS? AroundCloud tutors offers FREE virtual tutoring, and students can set up times to get support with their school subjects.

Remember, as a school counselor, I am here to support students with Academic, College/Career and Social/Emotional needs. Please feel free to connect with me via email, and I look forward to connecting with everyone soon!

This is the time of year for students interested in PSEO to start taking action. PSEO stands for Post Secondary Educational Opportunities, and is a chance for students to earn credits at both the college and high school level, directly through the college. 

As you can imagine, this is no ordinary undertaking. Students interested in this option must be dedicated, as they will be developing a college transcript that will follow them. However, the chance to earn college credit at zero cost to them is certainly enticing!

If you are interested in PSEO, you can learn more HERE. Any interested students should email me to attend my Informational Seminar on Thursday, February 18th. 

"Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis.

By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year (whichever is earlier), schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year.

There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 and the district does not waive this date requirement.

Funds are available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.

Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.

School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.

Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.

All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final.

Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.

Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8^th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional postsecondary courses. If the student did not take the MCA in 8^th-grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency.

For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage."

For the month of December, the focus of my lessons was Digital Citizenship. Because of the distance learning nature of our education right now, I thought I would share the slides that I went through with the students.

Digital Footprint

Cyberbullying

Students have grown up in the age of technology. However, its tough to assume that anyone, much less adolescents, have a firm grasp on the permanence or impact of what they put out on the internet. The consequences of decisions made through the use of the internet can be huge for future employment, colleges or relationships. Take this opportunity to discuss what apps, social media, and other technology that your family engages in. How can a personal "brand" be maintained, and how can the kindness we exhibit in person be perpetuated in a cyber setting?

Be well!

 

I have to give credit where credit is due, so "Thank You" to Chris who inspired this blog entry title. For the past two weeks I have been visiting advisories and we have been discussing gratitude. This was an extension of this month's theme on Kindness, but also timely with Thanksgiving coming up. 

Did you know gratitude has been scientifically linked to better mental health? We discussed what gratitude is, why its important, and how its related to kindness. After that discussion, I had students share what they are grateful for. Here's what they came up with:

As we finish the month of November, its a final push for students to make entries into the Kindness Competition. Information was made available to students on the Bulletin Boad. Take a look, and take advantage of National Acts of Kindness Day this Friday, November 27th to submit some entries!

As we go back into distance learning, don't be shy to send me an email about any needs, whether it be struggling with mental health during COVID isolation, college and career planning, or looking for Academic support. 

Be well!

Have you all heard of the JGESA Skills Rubric? Being fairly new here, it has been really exciting learning about this foundational assessment that is used to support our students. It measures so many of those non-cognitive "soft skills", that are indicators of their ability to find success in their goal setting, their relationships, navigating high school, and overall employability. This approach to student learning is growth is something that I believe to be very unique.

For the next two weeks I will be visiting all advisories to chat with students about the Skills Rubric, and the value in reflecting on their own skillset, developing goals, and working on them througout the year. This metacognitive approach is something that is well-supported by research to improve a student's learning and skill building. 

Even more so, the skills rubric incorporates many facets of a students overall wellness, as portrayed by the Wellness Wheel. The Wellness Wheel depicts all the facets of a person's holistic health, and if you compare it to the Skills Rubric, you'll see quite a bit of crossover.

Soon, students will be doing a self-assessment on the Skills Rubric. What a fantasitic opportunity for them to identify their strengths and areas of growth, and to set goals based off of the results. Advisors will be supporting the growth of these skill areas by incorporating them into the modules in Headrush. As students delve into this, it might be a good conversation topic around the dinner table. 

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me: asitron@jgesa.org.

Tomorrow is the official start to "College Knowledge Month". During this month I will be visiting advisories and discussing career and college exploration, and will be available for support with college application questions (just send me an email!). 

Tomorrow is also the first day the FAFSA opens up to Seniors and their families. By filling out the FAFSA, it gives students access to Loans, Scholarships, and Grants available through the colleges they intend to enroll in. See THIS website for step by step support through the application. Although colleges may have later deadlines for the application, some do give 1st come 1st served awards of financial aid. 

Remember that there are many colleges that are test optional this year, especially due to COVID-related testing difficulties. Furthermore, many colleges waive application fees sometime during the month of October to celebrate College Knowledge Month. 

Have fun exploring careers and educational pathways this month, and let me know if you have any questions!