Spring 2024

Greetings from the Director

Spring Awakening by Dr. Giordano

Dear Students,

As the world around us awakens with the colorful palette of Spring, let this season serve as a powerful metaphor for the renewal that awaits in your own lives. Just as flowers bloom and the days lengthen, so too can you cultivate fresh perspectives, embrace new opportunities, and foster personal growth.

Take a moment to reflect on the achievements and challenges of the past, much like the trees shedding old leaves. What lessons have you learned, and how can you apply them to the vibrant canvas of your future? This is a time for self-discovery, a chance to identify areas for improvement, set new goals, and celebrate the progress you've made.

In the spirit of renewal, consider exploring new interests, joining clubs, or challenging yourself with academic pursuits that ignite your passion. Seize the opportunity to build positive habits that contribute to your well-being, both academically and personally. Just as Spring brings a sense of rejuvenation, let this season be a catalyst for positive change in your life.

Remember, your journey is uniquely yours, and Spring offers the perfect backdrop for growth and transformation. Embrace the vibrant energy around you, and let it inspire you to flourish in all aspects of your high school experience.

Wishing you a season filled with renewed purpose, fresh perspectives, and the blossoming of your fullest potential.

Warmly,

Dr. Giordano


Spring Counseling Events

College Fair - March 8, 2024

Approximately 60 colleges participated in the last college fair of the year on Friday, March 8th.  Juniors and sophomores had an opportunity to meet with college representatives to learn more about the offerings at these colleges.  Our students were engaged with the college reps. and we had a wide variety of colleges attending the fair.  The two fall college fairs will be geared towards juniors and seniors.  Juniors and seniors will also be able to register on Naviance to attend individual college visits in the fall.

Connect with Big Future

e School Mobile App

Connect Your Student Test Takers to BigFuture School

BigFuture® School is a new mobile app* that brings college and career guidance right to students. If students took the PSAT/NMSQT® (October 2023) and provided their phone number to access the app, you are encouraged to use the app. The information is continuously updated, with scholarship and financial aid guidance that can jump-start your future.


Are you Ready for Junior Conferences?

What is the Junior Conference? 

by Mrs. Karen Wolf

A junior conference is an in-depth meeting with the student, the student's counselor, and parents or a guardian if available.  The meeting will cover a multitude of topics, including the ones on the list on the left.  

Juniors conferences start the last week in March and continue into April and May.  To prepare for the meeting, students need to complete a "Junior Conference Questionnaire" that asks about potential college preferences (size, location, athletics, cost, and other factors)  as well as a career assessment tool.  It's also a good idea to talk to your family/guardian about finances as cost is a crucial factor in the college admissions process.  

It's important that you think about what's best for you and not to just follow the crowd.   The more research and soul-searching you do before you start the college process, the better your fit with potential colleges, vocational schools, workforce, or military options.  Students schedule the junior conference meeting with their school counselor.

Stay Active this Summer

After ten months of academic pursuits and growth, students are thrilled to leap into the two months of unstructured summer.  This is an ideal time for them to explore their curiosities, delve into educational growth, expand their employable skills, or give back to the community.  There is no one size fits all to what students can do in the summer however we wanted to highlight benefits of each option.  We recommend that students meet with their School Counselor to discuss which options may be the best choice for you.

Volunteer Service

Volunteering is donating your time and efforts to help the community.  It is a wonderful benefit to those in need or to a larger cause and in return students can develop skills, a greater sense of self and in some instances explore an area they may want to study. 

For Volunteer service to stand out on an application there needs to be depth and breadth of commitment.  

Summer Studies

Students can participate in a pre-college program to learn about a possible area they want to study while getting a taste of the college experience by staying on campus.  

Students can also take college courses, however each college has a different process to enroll and in some instances there may be entrance tests.

Pursuing classes of topics that interest you offers colleges a perspective on the type of individual that you are.  The challenge with summer studies is that for most of them there is a cost. Here is a list of summer programs to consider:  Summer Programs 

Summer Jobs

Working over the summer offers students the opportunity to earn their own money, increase responsibility, and build their experiences. Employment over the summer will most likely not relate to a future career, however the soft skills gained will be invaluable in the future.  

READ

Reading not only increases your vocabulary, critical thinking skills but it also helps build your academic stamina in college.  Classic literature is the most popular for increasing reading levels.  Reluctant readers should be encouraged to pick books based on their interests.  Another option is for students to read the newspaper however verify that the newspaper you are reading has a high school reading level (as some publish at an eight grade or lower level).  

Hobbies & Skills

Colleges like to see that students followed their interests and in the summer when there are no high school classes this is a wonderful time to explore that interest, hobby, or sport. 

The Alternative Campus Tour

by Monica Tate-Melendez


In our previous Counselor Connections, we discussed the "Importance of the Campus Tour" yet there are times when an in-person campus tour is not possible.  It may be difficult to travel due to commitments or the tours are fully booked.  However, with a little creativity and resources families can access a variety of resources to help the student get to know the vibe of the school.

Self-Guided Walking Tour

If you find yourself near a college without access to an in-person tour, remember that most colleges offer self-guided tours.  In the Student Center, they may have the self-guided tour printed.  Check online as a lot of colleges are connected to apps such as Guidebook where you can follow the route and walk at your own pace.  Students can email the admissions office with any questions that they may and this demonstrates initiative and interest.

Virtual Tours/Webinars

Students can check the colleges website to view virtual tours and look around the college campus.  As well, students can register for online webinars to learn more about the school.

Reddit

Students can check out the colleges’ subreddit to find out information about the college and learn more about its personality.

The College Tour

With state-of-the-art production, check out The College Tour on Amazon or YouTube channels which offers insights into student life, sports, and academic programs of various colleges.

Congratulations!

Morris County Counselor of the Year - Mrs. Monica Tate-Melendez

Congratulations to Mrs. Tate-Melendez on being named Morris County Counselor of the Year!  Mrs. Tate was nominated by Karen Wolf, a member of the New Jersey School Counselor Association,  for her creation of the Be the First program, which is geared to providing guidance and support to first-generation students.  Rotating MHS school counselors present topics at the weekly Wednesday lunch meeting.  Past topics include MHS alumni talking about their college experiences, a True Colors career assessment workshop, guest speakers to discuss the NJ EOF college program, and many other topics.  If you would like to be added to the group and the specially-designed Canvas page, please email Mrs. Tate at monica.tate@msdk12.net. Mrs. Tate will be honored at an event on March 15 at The College of New Jersey.

Counselor Happenings

Counselor Lunch Workshops

What are you doing this summer?  How do I create a college list?  What is the first thing I do when thinking about my college essay?

The MHS Counseling Department has been offering lunchtime workshops this school year on a wide variety of topics from Writing Effective College Essays to Discover Summer Programs to Transitioning to College. 

The workshops are publicized on the MHS Bulletin Board, through Canvas, and with School Counselors reaching out to their students. 

Massenberg STEM Institute

by Mrs. Karen Wolf

A select group of freshmen students were invited to an information session on February 6th about the Massenberg STEM Institute, a free 2-week summer STEM program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.  Program coordinator Erika Dawson-Head and her colleague, Alice Feldman, a MHS alumna '2012, gave an enthusiastic presentation about the benefits of the program; they were joined by MHS students Aida Calle Siguencia, Diara Ricketts, and  Jocelyn Amezquita Paredes, who participated in the program last summer. 


Generously sponsored by the Samuel Massenberg Foundation (founded by Dr. Mirian Graddick-Weir, daughter of Samuel Massenberg and Morristown resident) and the UMass Amherst Colleges of Information and Computer sciences, Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Education, this unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity provides eligible students the chance to explore academic pathways and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while getting a feel for life on campus at one of the world’s leading research universities.

In addition to group activities, each student will be individually supported and provided with professional guidance on their plans for finishing high school and entering college.

This year's program will run from July 28th - August 10th on the UMass-Amherst campus.  We wish our students the best of luck with the application process.

College Counselor Tours

MHS School Counselor visit colleges, vocational schools and other post-secondary options throughout the school year to share opportunities with our students.  If you have questions about the colleges listed in this section, please reach out to the School Counselor.

Stockton University 

by Monica Tate-Melendez

Ohio University (attended a local program)

by Kristina Kenny

Be the First Prepares Students for the Next Steps

Ms. Pichardo along with Ms. Bazurto and Mr. Kiernan (not pictured) built awareness on the Education Opportunity Fund (EOF) program available at most New Jersey colleges and universities.  They highlighted their personal experiences to emphasize the benefit of this academic program.

Preparing for Next Year

by Monica Tate-Melendez

As seniors have wrapped up their college applications and completed their financial aid applications, Be the First is now shifting its attention towards offering underclassmen insight on how to prepare for the next year.  For example, recent workshops focused on helping juniors to navigate their upcoming conferences, guide sophomore on how to prepare for college fairs, and for all students to build their experiences with applications for summer programs.  In fact, students learned how to connect careers and majors to their personality as well as listened to various MHS educators share their personal experiences in the EOF program.  

Each week, students have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and expand their skills.  At Be the First students are empowered.  If your child is the first one in the family to attend college, please email Monica.Tate@msdk12.net to be added to the Canvas classroom and receive invites for future activities.

College of the Month

March's COTM Board will go live the first week of March!


Texas A & M University

April's COTM Board will go live the first week of April!


May's COTM Board will go live the first week of May!

Working Papers

Working papers are now online!

Thanks to a new law, the working papers process will be online and streamlined. Rather than going through local schools, younger workers will simply visit this site: https://myworkingpapers.nj.gov and be walked through a few easy steps.

Starting June 1, 2023, SCHOOLS ARE NO LONGER PROCESSING WORKING PAPERS.

Click here to get started!

https://myworkingpapers.nj.gov

Did You Know?