March 30, 2020:

Dear 9th and 10th grade students and families,

We hope you are all managing these unusual times as well as can be expected. We wanted to share some information that will be useful to you as you consider academic and future planning.

At this point, all students have received confirmation of the classes that they pre-registered for in PowerSchool for the 2020-2021 school year. It is important to reflect on your Personalized Learning Plan as you decide what courses to enroll in at each grade level. If you have any questions, school counselors are happy to help you. We are available through email and video chat. Please let us know if you would like to schedule a time to meet.

While graduation may feel like a long time from now, it is not too early to explore ideas for your future. If you are interested in attending college, these are some steps that 9th and 10th graders can take to stay on the right track for college:

College Planning: 9th/10th Grade

If you are interested in checking out some colleges online, there are numerous colleges who are offering virtual tours during this time.

The school counseling office planned to take 10th and 11th graders to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) event, College and Career Pathways earlier this month. Due to the cancellation, VSAC has created an online format for the workshops that were planned for this program. There is a range of information regarding college admissions, technical training, local jobs, financial aid, etc. VSAC is a great resource for students and families at all grade levels.

In November 2019, all 10th graders took the Pre-ACT. A hard copy of each student’s Pre-ACT score report was mailed home in January. Below are some resources to assist in learning more about Pre-ACT scores as well as exploring career information.

Using your Pre-ACT Results

My Next Move Career Awareness Activities

VSAC: Know Your Career Options

In addition to the information above, this is also a good time to be thinking about summer activities. The school counseling office receives a variety of information regarding summer opportunities and we update this document on a regular basis.

The School Counseling website is a great resource for future planning. There is information about the US Military, college planning, Gap year ideas, foreign exchange programs, and much more. We encourage you to take some time to look at the variety of resources available to you and reach out if you need any support. We are thinking of you all during this challenging time.

Be well,

Alan & Erin

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Quaranteen Time: An online event sponsored by UVM and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation about how to get college and career ready. Follow this link for a flyer with more information

Regarding Driver Education: As you earn your Vermont Learners Permit, please remember to show it to your School Counselor if you are interested in taking Driver Education at Mt. Abraham. You are welcome to email a photograph or scan of your permit to your counselor.