JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL EAGLE NEWS september 2019 Hello Parents & JHS Students, On behalf of the faculty and staff, we would like to welcome you to the upcoming academic school year at Jefferson High School. We are excited about the upcoming school year and the opportunity to work with you. As a school, we strive for con- tinuous improvement. Through the cooperative efforts of students, parents, staff and community members, we can maintain the highest standards for our young people to learn and achieve. We truly believe that we have the greatest student body and faculty around! We hope you are looking forward to a great school year. The students that walk our halls each day are our #1 priority. Jefferson High School has a history of excellent academic and extracurricular accomplishments. We will do whatever is necessary for our students to be successful and to make our school a better place for them. Students can benefit from everything Jefferson High has to offer by being actively involved in their clas- ses and co-curricular activities that are offered. We are here to make their year as successful and educationally challenging as possible. Jefferson High School continues to be rich in spirit, tradition, and excellence. We embrace the exciting challenge of preparing our young adults academically, socially, and emotionally with the skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century whether that be college or a career pathway. We also believe every student deserves the opportunity to look back on his or her high school experience and feel a sense of pride, purpose and accomplishment. Go Eagles! Sincerely, Steve Dinkel Richard Lehman Principal Associate Principal Also in this issue: AP Test Ordering Change (PLEASE READ) School Happenings Schoology (PLEASE READ) Yearbook Counseling News Backpack News Vaping Health News Bell Schedule Attendance September Activities Calendar Arrive to the JHS Commons by 7:45am where a complimentary breakfast will be served Meet your homeroom advisor Door prizes Meet your teachers Breakfast (Sponsored by local civic groups) Mock Schedule Scavenger Hunt (earn prizes!) ALL students should attend Welcome Assembly Homeroom Activities Full Class Schedule Important AP Information Attention JHS Parents and Students: I hope you and your family have been enjoying the great Wisconsin weather we have been experiencing. There are some fairly significant changes that have taken place to the AP College Board and AP testing for this upcom- ing fall. As a school that has had excellent AP offerings and opportunities for our students I wanted to update par- ents and our AP students of these changes. Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, the AP® Program is introducing new resources and processes designed to help students earn college credit and placement. Here’s what you and your student need to know: ▪ Students will be asked to register for AP Exams in the fall (by November 1, 2019). AP Exams will continue to be given in May. ▪ The exam fee isn’t changing. However, there will be a $40 fee for late registration (after Nov. 15) and a $40 cancelation or unused exam fee. ▪ Jefferson High School will collect fees in the counseling office. ▪ Students will get personalized feedback through new digital tools that provide daily support for every AP classroom. Their teachers will be able to track their performance throughout the year using monthly personal progress checks. To get ready for the coming school year, please encourage your student to sign up for a College Board account. All College Board programs are connected through one account, so if your student created one for the PSAT/ NMSQT®, SAT®, or College Board Opportunity Scholarships, they’re all set. They’ll just need to have their username and password available. Learn more at parents.collegeboard.org. JHS students- if you’re taking AP® next year, make sure to set up your College Board account HERE. Please let us know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Stephen Dinkel Principal Jefferson High School Dear Parents/Guardians, Jefferson High School is now using Schoology, an integrated learning management solution that provides course management, mobile learning, and support for system-wide communication. Schoology enables our students, parents and teachers to engage with learning materials and their school community from the classroom and be- yond. Our goal at JHS is to continue the journey of providing our students with 21st century tools for learning. We look forward to using Schoology in all of our classrooms starting this school year to enhance connectivity and communication across our school and district. With Schoology, students can digitally submit homework assignments, review grades, participate in interactive discussions, receive announcements and feedback, take tests, write academic blogs, and more. As a parent, you will be able to view your child’s activity within the platform. Soon you will be given login credentials for the 2019-20 school year to access the Jefferson High School Schoolo- gy system. We value your participation in your child’s education, and we encourage you to read Schoology’s Privacy Policy & Terms of Use at www.schoology.com/privacy. Students will receive their login credentials for their teachers. Student progress and activity will be monitored by faculty to ensure a safe, secure, and controlled environment. Attached, you will find information with instructions on how to create, log into, and use your Schoology ac- count. If you have questions or feedback regarding Schoology, please email me at [email protected]. Sincerely, Steve Dinkel Principle Jefferson High School Parents: Register to view your child’s activity 1. In your browser, navigate to www.schoology.com. 2. In the top right corner of the screen, hover over Sign Up. 3. Select Parent from the options in the drop-down menu. 4. You should have received a Parent Access Code from your child’s school, in the format XXXX-XXXX-XXX. Enter that code here: 5. Enter your name, email address, and password. Once you log in, you’ll be able to browse your child’s activity by clicking the arrow to the right of your name and selecting your child’s name from the top right drop-down menu: 6. You also have the option to associate additional children using Schoology with this account. To associate addition- al children, click the down-facing arrow in the top right of your Schoology account, select Add Child, and enter the Parent Access Code of your other child/children. Now that you’ve successfully registered for Schoology to view your child(ren)’s activity, check out our Parent Guide in the Help Center: support.schoology.com. Counseling News College Apps Letters of Recommendation 1. Check to see if the schools to which you are applying require WHAT YOU NEED TO APPLY: them! UW System 2. Recommendations should typically come from core academic Apply online at www.uwhelp.wisconsin.edu teachers. 3. Complete a Letter of Recommendation form for each teacher Application fee from whom you are requesting a letter (form available on the Official high school transcript requested through district website). www.parchment.com 4. Submit these completed forms to the teachers (allowing at least Have official ACT scores sent to the university(s) to which you one week). are applying by ordering a copy at www.actstudent.org 5. Request that each teacher: email a copy of the letter to counsel- Wisconsin Private Colleges ing for electronic transfer which will require you to complete an Apply online at www.privatecollegezone.org Upload Request Form. (only for college apps, not scholarships) 6. Print at least 5 original hard copies with signatures. Application fee, if required (some private colleges do not have 7. Be sure to send a thank you note. an application fee) Official high school transcript requested through www.parchment.com Schedule Changes Have official ACT scores sent to the university (s) in which you are applying by ordering a copy at www.actstudent.org Students were given the opportunity to make schedule Wisconsin Technical College System changes prior to the end of last school year as well as over summer break. At this point, any student wishing Apply on-line at www.witechcolleges.org to make a schedule change will be required to speak Application fee with an administrator. Official high school transcript requested through www.parchment.com MATC Application Day Have official ACT scores sent to the technical college (s), if required, by ordering a copy at www.actstudent.org. Tech- Our MATC early application day is scheduled for September nical schools may require you to take the COMPASS test. Con- 25 from 9:00 - 1:00. Any senior planning on attending tact the college to which you are applying to schedule this. MATC should attend this event. Students applying on this day will have their application fee waived. Transcripts and ACT scores will also be sent for free. Early College Credit & Start College Now Early College Credit Program (UW System) and Start College Now (Tech School) allows juniors and seniors who meet certain requirements to take post-secondary courses at a UW institution, a Wisconsin technical college or one of the state’s participating private nonprofit institutions of higher education. Approved courses can count toward high school graduation, as well as for college credit. Under the Early College Credit/Start College Now Programs, a student will not have to pay for a college course if the school board determines the course qualifies for high school credit and is not comparable to a course already offered in the school district. If the course is approved by the school board, the student can receive one-quarter high school credit for every one college credit earned upon successful completion of the course.