March 30, 2017

Post date: Mar 30, 2017 10:45:19 PM

High School Guidance News 

by Chrissy Kafkalas (kafkalac@jenkintown.org)

Keep up with the High School Counseling Department on Social Media:

Guidance Website: https://sites.google.com/a/jtowndrakes.org/jenkintown-hs-guidance/

Guidance Calendar of Events: https://sites.google.com/a/jtowndrakes.org/jenkintown-hs-guidance/guidance-calendar-of-events 

STUDENT RECOGNITION: 

Congratulations to  MAYA POSECZNICK and YUSRA ALI for WINNING the  Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania Foundation Founders Award. For the past 61 years, The Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania has honored outstanding ninth grade girls from local area high schools through its Founders Award.  The foundation recognizes the good citizenship of young women from the Philadelphia area. They were chosen by the faculty for their exemplifying community spirit and leadership potential.  The award serves as an incentive to these young women as it validates their efforts at a very vulnerable time in their school careers. Please also congratulate Laura Dibble who came in as runner up!

Congratulations to CALEB LIMMER for being selected to receive Widener University and NBC10 High School Leadership Award – a $20,000 scholarship to Widener University over four years as an undergraduate.  This awards program is designed to recognize high school students in the region, like Caleb, who embody the university’s commitment to develop and inspire leaders to affect positive change. With this award, the Widener University High School Leadership Awards Committee recognizes Caleb’s ability to demonstrate courage by standing up for what is right, finding a way to address a wrong, or making a difference in a significant way.  Caleb will receive an invitation to join the other award winners at a special event on March 23, 2017 at the National Constitution Center. In the fall, Caleb will be invited to join the 2017 award winners on Widener’s campus for an exciting day of leadership training.

GUIDANCE SPECIFIC EVENTS/INFORMATION:

COMMUNITY EVENTS: 

COLLEGE FAIRS  |  CAREER FAIRS  |  SERVICE ACADEMIES: 

INTERESTING ARTICLES FOR ALL: 

SENIORS:  CLASS OF 2016 (12th Grade) Parents and students:

1)  Students should be updating their Family Connection Account in the COLLEGES Tab with their admissions decisions. 

2) Articles on what to do if you have been WAITLISTED:

3) Still trying to decide which college to attend:

4) New Scholarships:

JUNIORS:  CLASS OF 2018 (11th Grade) Parents and students:

1) Articles Worth Reading:

2)  Sign up TODAY for the FREE Mock ACT (Sponsored by Revolution Prep) - Tuesday, May 16th, 2017, 8am to 12:30pm in High School - Location TBD.  Students are off on this day so why not use this time to take a practice ACT.  Click HERE for more information. You must register prior to this event! 

Please call or e-mail Giulia Hollister at 717-689- 4918 or e-mail her at giulia.hollister@revolutionprep.com to sign up for the exam and schedule your score report review session.

3)  The Junior Guidance Workshops series. To learn more about what the students are learning in each workshop, visit the Grade Level Guidance NewsPage.

4) Make sure to look through the available summer programs and plan ahead for completing some Community Service Hours for the Jtown Graduation Project.

5)  (NEW)The Ron Brown Scholar Program is pleased to announce the opening of the Guided Pathway Support (GPS) Program 2017.  Launched in 2016, GPS is a FREE program designed to help college-bound African American students navigate the admissions process by directing them to the most comprehensive and reliable resources available.  GPS participants will benefit from valuable peer-to-peer mentorship from Ron Brown Scholars and Captains, who are similar in racial identity, age, income, and life experiences to meaningfully engage GPS students.  Eligibility  ---> Must be a current sophomore or junior, have a strong academic record, letters of recommendation, two writing pieces, demonstrated leadership and active involvement in the community and must be African American.  Click HERE for more information and to fill out the application online. Deadline to apply is May 31, 2017. 

SOPHOMORES:  CLASS OF 2019 (10th Grade) Parents and students :

1)  Sign up TODAY for the FREE Mock ACT (Sponsored by Revolution Prep) - Tuesday, May 16th, 2017, 8am to 12:30pm in High School - Location TBD.  Students are off on this day so why not use this time to take a practice ACT.  Click HERE for more information. You must register prior to this event! 

Please call or e-mail Giulia Hollister at 717-689- 4918 or e-mail her at giulia.hollister@revolutionprep.com to sign up for the exam and schedule your score report review session.

2)  The Sophomore Guidance Workshops  will begin in February. To learn more about what the students are learning in each workshop, visit the Grade LevelGuidance News Page.

3) Make sure to look through the available summer programs and plan ahead for completing some Community Service Hours for the Jtown Graduation Project.

4)  (NEW)The Ron Brown Scholar Program is pleased to announce the opening of the Guided Pathway Support (GPS) Program 2017.  Launched in 2016, GPS is a FREE program designed to help college-bound African American students navigate the admissions process by directing them to the most comprehensive and reliable resources available.  GPS participants will benefit from valuable peer-to-peer mentorship from Ron Brown Scholars and Captains, who are similar in racial identity, age, income, and life experiences to meaningfully engage GPS students.  Eligibility  ---> Must be a current sophomore or junior, have a strong academic record, letters of recommendation, two writing pieces, demonstrated leadership and active involvement in the community and must be African American.  Click HERE for more information and to fill out the application online. Deadline to apply is May 31, 2017. 

FRESHMAN:  CLASS OF 2020 (9th Grade) Parents and students:

1) Sign up TODAY for the FREE Mock ACT (Sponsored by Revolution Prep) - Tuesday, May 16th, 2017, 8am to 12:30pm in High School - Location TBD.  Students are off on this day so why not use this time to take a practice ACT.  Click HERE for more information. You must register prior to this event! 

Please call or e-mail Giulia Hollister at 717-689- 4918 or e-mail her at giulia.hollister@revolutionprep.com to sign up for the exam and schedule your score report review session.

2) Guidance is STARTING scheduling FRESHMAN IGP Meetings. Annual meetings are held with individual students and parents to review and plan for individual progress. Since course selection is right around the corner (February 2017), this is a perfect time to meet with your child’s counselor.  The IGP meetings are conducted with both the parents and the student and are done during the school day. Meetings start as early as 7:30am and the last meeting of the day is 2:45pm.  To schedule a conference with Ms. Kafkalas, you should call the Guidance Department at 215-884-1801. You may also email Chrissy at kafkalac@jenkintown.org. Conferences will be scheduled in 45-minute intervals. I look forward to working together with you on behalf of your child. **Please note that 7:30am meetings are very limited.

3)  The Freshman Guidance Workshops series is now COMPLETE. Click HERE to see what the students learned in the workshops. 

4) Make sure to look through the available summer programs and plan ahead for completing some Community Service Hours for the Jtown Graduation Project.

Notable Summer Programs:

1) Kids & Teen College Summer Camps at PSU-Abington: Penn State Abington Kids & Teen College offers students a fun-filled approach to academic learning during the summer months.  They offer summer camps for elementary, middle and high school students. Each camp is one week long. All camps meet Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted.  Grades listed indicate the grade the student will be entering in the fall.  Here is a sampling of what they offer: Multi-Media Design, Acting and Improvisation Workshop, Digital Media & Photoshop, Youth Police Academy, Jazz Improvisation, Dungeons and Dragons, Graphic Novels, Harry Potter Extravaganza, Painting-Drawing-and more, SAT Math and Verbal Prep, Debate & Public Speaking Workshop.  Click HERE for more information.

1) The Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown has exciting summer volunteer opportunities for high school students.  As our busiest time of the year approaches, we are in search of volunteers who would like to share their excitement about science and bring science to life for our visitors.  Information about our opportunities are attached along with detailed application instructions.  Application deadline is April 30, 2017. Click HERE for more information. 

Summer Teen Volunteer Floor Educator (June 19th - August 25th)

•                     For: Teens ages 15-17 (Must be 15 years of age by May 31st, 2017)

•                    To Apply: Applications are accepted (now thru April 30th, 2017)

•                    Commitment: Minimum of one 4 hour shift per week; Mandatory training June 4th from 3pm – 8pm.  Volunteers will learn engagement strategies, science content, and customer service skills

•                    Required Skills: Customer service, enjoy working with people of all ages and backgrounds, comfortable with public speaking

•                    Other Requirements: Parental Consent Form, 2 Recommendation Letters, Clearances

•                    Position Overview: Exhibit floor volunteers are enthusiastic, curious people who inspire our visitors to enjoy the wonders of science around them. They enhance the exhibit experience by engaging and delighting guests through their interactions.  These volunteers should be comfortable with individuals and groups.

 

Summer Camp Volunteers (June 19th to August 25th)

•                    For: Teens ages 15-17 (Must be 15 years of age by May 31st, 2017)

•                    To Apply: Applications are accepted (now thru April 30th, 2017)

•                    Commitment: Minimum of one 4 hour shift per week; Mandatory training on June 19th and from 9am – 5pm

•                    Required Skills: Customer service, enjoy working with children grades Pre K through 8

•                    Other Requirements: Parental Consent Form, 2 Recommendation Letters, Clearances

•                    Position Overview: Summer Camp volunteers enjoy bringing science to life and working with children of all ages in a high energy environment Volunteers will assist the lead counselor with lessons and camp games.

3) Creek Camp (sponsored by Allegheny College: Open to high school freshman, sophomores, and juniors, Creek Camp is a great experience for students who are interested in studying environmental science in college, or those who simply love the outdoors. Do you have a love for our natural environment? Do like exploring the outdoors and getting wet? Want to learn outside the classroom in an interactive setting?  You can do all these things while on a college campus! This experience takes place at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. While living in college dorms, campers will participate in various activities. They will study freshwater ecology in the beautiful streams of Northwestern, PA, observe wildlife, and learn from experts! Campers will be able to interact with many people from the Allegheny College community, including students. Click HERE to read the brochure. Camp fee:  $1500, financial assistance may be available – please ask! Students are accepted on a rolling basis. This is a physically and mentally demanding camp. We are in and out of water each day and work in teams on projects. Do not miss out on this unique opportunity!

4) The Forensic Sciences Mentoring Institute - Summer Program is now accepting applications (must be 16 years of age at the start of the program):  They will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 9am to 11am. It will be held at Center for Forensic Science Research & Education at 2300 Stratford Ave., Willow Grove, PA 19090.  At the Open House, activities will include an overview of the program and activities from last summer, demonstrations of laboratory experiments and activities, and a question and answer session. Space is limited so please RSVP at HERE by April 17, 2017.    For more information, click HERE and for the online application, click HERE. The cost of the program is $1,500-scholarships and waivers are available.  Application deadline for the summer program is April 28, 2017. 

5) Find more programs HERE.