News from the Counseling Department

Week of February 2, 2015

Pre-registration for classes for the 2015-2016 school year starts this week!

Counselors will be visiting all of the 9-11^th grade English classes during the weeks of February 2 and February 9 to discuss pre-registration for the 2015-2016 school year. Students will be reminded of the graduation requirements and will be given a copy of their transcript so that they can plan for the appropriate classes for next year. In addition, students will be updating the hard copy of their ECAP (Education and Career Action Plan - a graduation requirement!) with the counselors that will be kept on file and available to students for review and revision.

Shortly following the English class visits, all 9-11^th graders will meet with counselors in the computer lab (again, with their English class) so that they can enter their course requests directly into the computer. Prior to meeting in the lab, every student should have completed a hard copy of their course requests that should be reviewed with a parent (we ask for a parent signature on the form as well).

If you or your student has any questions about which classes should be taken next year, we encourage you/your student to come in and meet with the appropriate counselor for assistance.

SAT and ACT Registration

It is time for college bound juniors to start looking into registering for these exams. College bound juniors should take an SAT and/or ACT during the spring of their junior year. This allows plenty of time to retest early in the senior year if desired and still meet college application deadlines. Registration for the SAT occurs at http://sat.collegeboard.org and registration for the ACT occurs at www.actstudent.org. Please contact your students' counselor if you have any questions about either of these exams.

It's time to start thinking about what your student is going to do this summer!

There are many options available to high school students throughout the summer to improve their academic skills, investigate various career fields, experience college life, give back to their communities, and many other opportunities. We will be compiling a list of various summer opportunities and posting them on our website (thank you Mrs. Mapp!) at: http://www.amphi.com/schools/cdo-high/counseling/summer-opportunities.aspx. Please check the list often as more opportunities will be added on a regular basis as they become available. Many programs require an application and application deadlines begin as early as February for summer 2015.

Don't Forget College Goal FAFSA!

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2015-2016 academic year is available now! For students planning on enrolling in college for the upcoming year, the FAFSA is the first critical step in applying for federal/state grants, loans and scholarships. In order to receive maximum consideration for all available financial aid, especially free money, and to meet the priority filing deadlines of the Arizona public universities it is important for students to complete the FAFSA by March 1, 2015. The FAFSA can be completed at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

For families that need help completing the FAFSA, College Goal FAFSA is here to help! College Goal FAFSA (previously College Goal Sunday) provides information and FREE professional assistance to students and families seeking college financial aid. High school seniors who are planning to enter college this year can get free help to complete the FAFSA. College Goal FAFSA will be held on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8 from 2:00-4:00 pm. For locations and information regarding what to bring with you, please pick up a flyer in the counseling office or visit their website at www.collegegoal.az.gov/college-goal-fafsa.

Scholarship Spotlight:

The Friends of the Oro Valley Public Library Scholarship is a $1,000-$6,000 scholarship for graduating high school seniors in the Oro Valley Public Library service area who plan to attend an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university in the state of Arizona. Applicants will complete an application and write an essay. Details, and an application, can be found at www.amphi.com/media/5239822/scholarship-application-fovpl-fillable-form.pdf.

Deadline = March 1.

Upcoming College Visits:

• Pima Agri-SURF Program - Thursday, February 5, 10:00 am
• University of Arizona - Tuesday, February 10, 9:00 am
• Arizona State University - Wednesday, February 11, 10:30 am
• Grand Canyon University - Tuesday, February 17, 9:00 am
• Pima Community College - Thursday, February 19, 9:00 am

For future visits - No reservations necessary, for parties greater than 4 please email  dglor@amphi.com or call at 520-696-5683 and leave a message.

PAX - the Program of Academic Exchange, a not-for-profit educational organization, is seeking a host family for a visiting student from China!  The student is currently attending CDO High School and is excited to find the right family with whom to spend the rest of the school year.  She is a serious student, but she also likes to have fun!  She would love to have an ice skating rink in Tucson, but since ice skating isn't big in the desert, she enjoys spending her time hanging out with friends, shopping, cooking for her host family and swimming.  She is a nice young lady who is trying to learn all she can about American life since she hopes to come back someday for college.

PAX welcomes host families of all kinds who would like to share their heart, home and culture with one of our international students. Our current student is 18, speaks English, has full health insurance coverage and comes with her own spending money.

Host families come in all shapes and sizes - young couples, single parents and retirees are all welcome to apply as well as more traditional families. Host families provide students with a bed, a quiet place to study (separate bedroom not required), meals, and a warm, supportive environment. Private rooms are not required. Families can expect students to help with household chores and participate in family activities.

This is a wonderful chance to make a lifelong friend and help a young person learn more about America. Both host families and students, through their participation in this program, promote peace and understanding for the world's future leaders, both American and foreign. 

For more information contact Ceci Lou Alter at cloualter@gmail.com or 520-591-1909 or call Ben at the PAX national office in New York at 1-800-555-6211 x202. You may also visit us on the web at www.pax.org.