March 8, 2018

Post date: Mar 8, 2018 2:27:13 PM

High School Guidance News 

by Chrissy Kafkalas (kafkalac@jenkintown.org)

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jtownguidance

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtownguidance/

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 

ARTICLES OF THE WEEK:

STUDENT RECOGNITION:

Congratulations to  Kaitlyn McMahon, Julianna Reidell, and Sophie Pettit for being nominated to apply for the  Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania Foundation Founders Award. For the past 62 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. We will find out in the next month who will be awarded the honor of being an Emergency Aid Winner. 

SENIORS:  CLASS OF 2018 (12th Grade) Parents and students:

 

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

2) Try this new scholarship search engine: https://lendedu.com/blog/scholarships

3) Scholarships are being entered weekly into Family Connection, make sure that you are logging in weekly to see if you qualify.  Log in today!

NEW -  Attention Seniors!!  Scholarship alert for Business Majors!!

EMCCC SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS 2018 - Applications are available in Naviance.

What is it?  The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will attend two scholarships to graduating seniors who best meet the below requirements.

Who is Eligible? Any senior, not on academic or social probation who attends Jenkintown High School (as well as Abington, Cheltenham, Hatboro-Horsham, Lower Moreland, Springfield, Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, St. Basil Academy, and Bishop McDevitt High School)

What are the requirements? 

The winner(s) will be notified during the first week of May and will be honored at the Annual Dinner and Awards Celebration to be held on June 1.  The recipients will receive a personalized certificate from the Chamber before graduation.  

*Please note:  Jenkintown is only allowed to submit two applications to this organization.  All application and materials are due into Guidance (to Ms. Kafkalas) by April 20, 2018.

JUNIORS:  CLASS OF 2019 (11th Grade) Parents and students:

1)  The Junior Guidance Workshops  have begun.  Click HERE to see exactly what was covered in each of the completed workshops. 

Please note: All Guidance Workshops happen during the school day in the guidance suite and are for students only.

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

3) Scholarship opportunity for student atheletes: https://positivecoach.org/awards-programs/triple-impact-competitor-scholarships

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

1) Guidance is NOW scheduling Sophomore 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.

2)  The Sophomore Guidance Workshops  will begin in February. 

Please note: All Guidance Workshops happen during the school day in the guidance suite and are for students only.

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

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

1)  The Freshman Guidance Workshops  have begun. To learn more about what the students are learning in each workshop, visit the Grade Level Guidance News Page.

Please note: All Guidance Workshops happen during the school day in the guidance suite and are for students only.

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

SUMMER PROGRAMS:

1) New Volunteer Opportunity: Redeemer Valley Community Garden is pleased to offer volunteer opportunities for high school students who are interested in sustainable gardening, providing fresh produce for community food banks, tending plants and/or small farm animals. Gardners of all skill levels are welcome. Students can experience any stage of creating a garden, from greenhouse seed starting, direct seeding into the soil, transplanting seedlings, daily garden maintenance; all the way to harvesting bushels of vegetables.  The barnyard includes chickens, ducks, dairy goats, sheep and rabbits for additional service activities.  Redeemer Valley Community Garden is located on Moreland Road, just off of Huntingdon Pike in Huntingdon Valley. For more information or scheduling, please visit http://redeemervalleygarden.com/ or contact Sister Anan Dura at adura@holyredeemer.com or (215) 914-4109.

2) New Volunteer Opportunity: Da Vinci Science Center: Do you have a passion for Science? Are you looking for ways to make a positive impact in your community? The Da Vinci Science Center's Summer Volunteer Program could be a perfect fit for you? Positions available are:

Counselor in Training: Counselors in training are an important part of our summer camp team.

Exhibit Guide: Exhibit guides bring science to life by answering visitor questions, facilitating exhibits, and supervising hands-on experiments.

Staff Assistant: Staff assistants are reliable and creative individuals who help out behind the scenes in preparing summer camp and classroom materials.

Program runs from June 18, 2018 through August 10, 2018 -- Deadline to apply is March 31, 2018

3) 2018 Pennsylvania Camp College registrations are now open. Camp College is an intensive three day/two night workshop designed for 60 rising high school seniors and juniors. Paired with mentors, participants will learn about all aspects of the college search and application process, experience life in the residence halls, learn about financial aid, standardized test exams and have a lot of fun! At the end of Camp College, we expect that the students will be equipped with the tools to navigate the college application process. 

If you are a rising high school senior or junior, are excited to learn about the college application process and want to have fun while doing so, Camp College is right for you! All materials are due April 15, 2018.  Camp College is limited to 60 students per location, so apply early! 

Application Materials:

Student Application Form

Letter of Recommendation Form

Transcript Request Form

Parent/Guardian Signature Form

4) Lebanon Valley College: ACTUARY SCIENCE CAMP - An actuary is a business professional who uses mathematical and financial tools to help identify and manage risk, so it's a great career for students who are strong mathematically but who are not necessarily interested in teaching. It's also great for students who like business and have good math aptitude.

http://www.lvc.edu/academics/summer-community-programming/actuarial-science-camp/

5) Program in Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking (PACT) at Princeton University:  https://algorithmicthinking.org/    Click HERE for the program overview.  Picture a room full of students hard at work on math problems. Some draw graphs on the chalkboard, testing out algorithms. Others shuffle complicated algebraic expressions, trying to simplify a summation. Still, others stare intently at a piece of paper, trying to find the one necessary final lemma to complete a proof or to understand a recent result. The students are all working hard, but they are also having fun, as the air is ripe with the excitement of discovery. These are not college students, though they are studying at a college campus, and learning material that is not normally taught until the undergraduate or even the graduate level.  Rather, these are mostly high school students, spending the summer learning and enjoying themselves, studying theoretical computer science. But if this is computer science, where are all the computers? While it is true that computers and programming are a major part of modern computer science, the Program in Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking (PACT) – funded partially through the National Science Foundation and Rutgers University and hosted by Princeton University through the Center for Computational Intractability – goes beyond that. The program teaches students about the mathematics and algorithms fundamental to the computer science field. Many summer programs teach high school students programming and application development, but this five-week intensive course is one of very few with a theoretical and proof-based emphasis. The only requirements to participate are high school algebra, the willingness to work hard and be challenged, and, above all, the desire to learn.

6) Eastern Center for Arts and Technology Summer Fun Program is now accepting applications. Click HERE to view the flyer. Online registration opens up on Sunday, March 4 at  www.eastech.org/Summerfun

Do you know of a minority student with a 3.0 GPA or above, who may be interested in pursuing a business degree in college? 

They offer a variety of week-long summer camps and enrichment programs for students in grades 3-12.  Camps go through the weeks of 

9) More summer programs HERE.

Community Resources and Events:

1) March 21, 2018 - Are Your Children Safe Online? DID YOU KNOW?

Protecting our children is a community effort and knowledge is essential in making that possible. EVERYONE is encouraged to attend this free event. Please share with parents, co-workers and all community members.

Two Sessions Are Available:

Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM 

Date: March 21, 2018

Location: MCIU

REGISTER HERE

To Register:

Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM 

Date: March 21, 2018

Location: Upper Merion Middle School

REGISTER HERE

2) WICS High School Day for Girls will be held in Penn Engineering, Levine Hall, 3330 Walnut St. on Friday, April 20, 2018. This day is designed by our faculty, students and staff to show high school girls what computer scientists and engineers do and to encourage them to major in these disciplines in college. The program is FREE and we provide the students with mid-morning snacks and lunch. Girls who are most engaged in math and science are good candidates to study computer science and engineering in college. More information, parking and the registration link for this program can be found on our website.  https://www.cis.upenn.edu/about-outreach/wics.php.  View the FLYER for more information. 

3) MCCC Spring 2018 Open House dates:

Culinary Arts:  Saturday, April 14th 10:00AM-12:00PM

West Campus:  Saturday, April 21st 10:00AM-12:00PM

Central Campus:  Saturday, April 28th, 10:00AM-12:00PM

4) In partnership with the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Taskforce and Keystone First - Cracked Not Broken - The Kevin Hines Story - May 22, 2018 at 5pm at Montgomery County Community College - Blue Bell Campus.  Click HERE for more information.

5) MANUFEST - Youth Manufacturing EXPO - March 10, 2018, 8:30am to 12:30pm - William Tennent High School - This is a great event for all and an excellent opportunity to network and build connections for college and career readiness activities related to Manufacturing. Learn about career pathways in manufacturing including design, sales, marketing, engineering, customer service, accounting and more. Make connections with possible internships and hands on experiences. Registration is FREE but it is required to attend this event - Please register HERE(https://www.eventbrite.com/e/manufest-2018-tickets-42096757535?aff=es2)

6) ASPENX:  April 6 & 7 - I’m excited to share with you a great opportunity for your students, coming up this spring on April 6 & 7.  The Aspen Institute is bringing the AspenX program to Philadelphia, and is currently accepting registrations for high school participants from all over the city.  AspenX is an opportunity for high school students to take a deep dive into important topics through virtual and experiential learning, and moderated in-person dialogue.  This year, AspenX seminars are focusing on race and equity, and weaving in the amazing work of a new program at the Institute, The Bridge, by utilizing submissions to Michele Norris’ The Race Card Project.  To get a better sense of what the program looks like, watch this two minute video or read a recap of Fall 2017 seminars in New Orleans and Oakland.

 

The Aspen Institute creates opportunities for civil discourse and dialogue across difference, and this program wants to make sure that youth in cities like Philadelphia have a chance to learn and practice those skills before they become adults.  The students who participate will challenge their assumptions and discuss race and equity through the lenses of immigration, gentrification & displacement; police-citizen relations; and how shifting demographics are shaping America.  Students will have a chance to have their voices heard by others they normally wouldn’t interact with.

 

The program will include visits to the Philadelphia History Museum and National Constitution Center on the afternoon of Friday, April 6, as well as a group dinner.  Students will meet at the Museum of the American Revolution for a moderated seminar conversation on Saturday, April 7.  The conversation will be led by Michelle Molitor from the Fellowship for Race & Equity in Education, and will end with a design-thinking workshop where students create solutions they can bring back to their school and home communities to fight inequity.

 

The AspenX program is free of charge.  Dinner will be provided on Friday and breakfast and lunch will be provided on Saturday.  Transportation assistance is also available.  They want to make sure that as many high schools and organizations are represented as possible,  register at http://as.pn/AspenXPhilly2018 by Friday, March 9.

 

7) Camp Erin - A Weekend Camp for Grieving Children and Teens: June 8-10, 2018 is now accepting applications. Camp Erin is a weekend overnight camp for children who have experienced the loss of a significant person in their life.  The Camp provides a safe, fun, and emotionally supportive environment for Children to explore their grief and build healthy coping strategies.  The Camp is open to children ages 6-17 who have experienced the death of someone important in their lives. Camp Erin is offered FREE OF CHARGE to all campers and is held in Montgomery County, PA.  Applications are accepted until available spaces are filled. It is suggested that families apply by March 1, 2018.  Please visit https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/find-a-program-or-service/home-care-and-hospice/bereavement-services/camp-erin to register.

8) Parents and Former Grads:  Help us gather Dual Enrollment data.  Guidance would like to know if your child was able to transfer their MCCC Dual Enrollment Credits to the college they are attending.  Please fill out the Dual Enrollment Participation Survey for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Graduates: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AVUak2o0FbP31CYg6i5fpHizhAgESYdmRF-JNA6toDc/viewform.  To view our current MCCC Dual Enrollment College Credit Transfer Statistics, please click HERE. 

9) Sunday, March 8, 2018: Eastern Center for Arts and Technology Open House from 1-3:30pm, click HERE for more information.

Interested 10th and 11th Graders --------> Eastern Center for Arts and Technology has a few open houses coming up this Spring 2018:

Friday, March 16, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Construction Career Cluster (Construction Technology, Electrical Technology, and HVAC)

Friday, March 23, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Health Sciences Career Cluster (Allied Health and Veterinary Science) 

Friday, April 6, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Transportation & Manufacturing Career Cluster (Automotive Tech, Collision Repair Tech, and Welding) 

Friday, April 13, 2018 - 9 to 10am -  Arts, Human Services and Hospitality Career Cluster (Commercial Art, Cosmetology, and Culinary Arts)

Friday, April 27, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Business, Computer & Public Safety Career Cluster (Business and Technology Professional, Protective Services, and Computer Network Administration)