Battlefield High School Parent Newsletter November/December 2015 “Success is a Choice” MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Our fall athletes and marching band members started practice in early Table of Contents August, and they have been focused on competitions for the past two Principal’s Letter 1 – 2 and a half months. Behind the many successes all of our students have experienced are parents who are working to make things happen. Counseling 3 – 7 From arranging team dinners to moving marching band equipment to Student Rights 8 working concessions and running fundraisers, our booster parents step Robotics 8 in to assist. Without their dedicated support, we would not be able to purchase equipment, uniforms, and other items. Thank you for all of Cafeteria 9 - 10 those parents who have worked tirelessly this season with the Athletic SOL 11 Boosters Club (ABC) and the Band Support Organization (BSO) to Parking Permits 11 ensure our students have the opportunity to excel. Drivers Ed 11 As you may have heard, several Prince William County Schools lost Art 12 students to suicide this fall. Some young people, including teens who Career/Tech Ed 13 attend Battlefield, suffer from depression; these students can be at a greater risk for suicide. To educate students, our counselors present Science 14 the Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program in mid-December to Senior Info 15 all freshmen who are enrolled in Health and Physical Education I. If Thank You 15 you have concerns about your child or another child you know, please reach out for resources. See page 5 of this newsletter for more Athletics 16 information. Music Department 17 - 18 Safety 19 Congratulations to our twenty-five students who made the Prince William All-County Orchestra. Students competed on Thursday, Clubs 20 - 21 November 12, at Brentsville High School for a limited number of Boosters 22 - 23 spots. Battlefield students won 30% of the open seats. International Club 24 Congratulations to these young musicians for their hard work and dedication. 1 Principal’s Message (cont’d) Please mark your calendars for these upcoming dates: November 17: PTO Meeting November 18: Driver’s Education Meeting for Parents & Students November 19: Financial Aid Information Night November 21: Holiday Vendor Show November 25-27: Thanksgiving Break December 1 & 2: Senior Parent Night with Herff Jones. Order your student’s cap and gown! December 3: Fall Sports Awards December 4 & 5: Theatre Production of Twelve Angry Men December 8: Parking Meeting SCHOOL December 8: Band Concert ADMINISTRATION December 10: Orchestra Concert Amy S. Ethridge-Conti, Principal December 17: Choir Concert Christopher Hintosh, December 21-January 1: Winter Break. Assistant Principal Judity Lester, Assistant Principal As always, we thank you for your support! Christopher McMillan, Assistant Principal Julia Renberg, Assistant Principal Sincerely, Julie Byrne, Director of School Counseling Jason Koch, Director of Student Activities Amy S. Ethridge-Conti Joseph Huddle, Principal Specialty Programs Coordinator 2 COUNSELING Financial Aid Night Attention seniors and senior parents/guardians! How will you pay for college? Do you understand the financial aid process? Get your questions answered at BHS Financial Aid Night on Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. The presenter will be Felice Rollins of College Momentum. Don’t miss this event! Signs of Suicide During the week of December 14th counselors will be working with HPE I teachers to deliver the Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program to all 9th grade students. The SOS curriculum includes lessons on recognizing depression and signs of suicide. It has proven successful at increasing help-seeking behaviors by students concerned about themselves or a friend and is the only school-based suicide prevention program to show a reduction in suicide attempts in a randomized, controlled study (American Journal of Public Health, March 2004). Additional information regarding this program can be found in this newsletter. College Transition Program Attention seniors! Are you curious about what life will be like next year when you go off to college? The College Transition Program is the perfect opportunity to find out what awaits you in just a few short months. On Wednesday, December 16th at 8:30 a.m., the Counseling Center will be hosting the College Transition Program in the auditorium. Battlefield alumni from the Class of 2015 will be here to speak with current seniors. Topics being covered will include what to expect in a college classroom, time management & organizational skills, living with roommates, how to get involved in clubs/organizations, and scholarships/paying for college. Seniors who wish to attend this event must sign up in the college visit section of Family Connection no later than Friday, December 11th. Please contact Mrs. Pomfret or Mr. Merkel in the Counseling Center if you have any questions about this event. PSAT Results PSAT results will be distributed to sophomores and juniors through English classes January 5-8, 2016. Students will receive their PSAT test booklet, score report, an explanation of the score report, tips for improving their scores, and will access the CollegeBoard's "My College QuickStart” website. The College Board’s “My College QuickStart™” is a free resource available to any student who took the PSAT/NMSQT. The website, www.collegeboard.com/quickstart, offers a personalized planning kit based on each individual student’s test results. Students will be able to access this exciting tool by visiting the site, creating an online account, and entering the access code found on the official Score Report Plus that they’ll receive in January. Once students create an online account, they will have access to My College QuickStart™ until they graduate from high school. “My College QuickStart™” includes these personalized features: My Online Score Report – Students may view their enhanced score report and see answer explanations for each test question My SAT Study Plan – A personalized plan based on student test performance, highlighting skills for review and a free practice test My College Matches – A starter list of colleges to help students begin their search My Major and Career Matches – Detailed profiles of majors and careers to match student interests and personality Counseling (cont’d next pg) 3 Counseling (cont’d) PSAT Results Parent Night A PSAT results session will be held for parents/guardians on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. [Snow date: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.] This event will provide an explanation of the PSAT score report, tips for helping students improve their scores, and “next steps” for students. Junior Visits Counselors will be meeting with juniors at the beginning of February through US/VA History classes. These presentations will include important information regarding planning for senior year, graduation requirements, college and career planning, and financial aid. We will be emphasizing the importance of having a post- secondary plan and will begin familiarizing juniors with the college application process. Juniors who are not currently enrolled in a US/VA History class at Battlefield should schedule an appointment with their counselor to cover this information and check the school website for the posted presentation and Junior Handbook. FAFSA The 2016-2017 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will soon be available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Parents and students are advised to request their PIN (Personal Identification Number) electronically as soon as possible. Visit www.pin.ed.gov to request a PIN. Electronic filing is the fastest, easiest, and most accurate way to apply for financial aid. The earliest filing date for the FAFSA is January 1, 2016. FAFSA COMPLETION WORKSHOP MANASSAS PARK HIGH SCHOOL IS HOSTING A WORKSHOP TO ASSIST PARENTS AND STUDENTS IN PREPARING AND FILING THE STUDENT’S FAFSA FORM ON MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016 AT 7:00PM. PARENTS WILL ACCESS THE FAFSA FORM ONLINE AND COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE FORM WITH THE ADVICE OF A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COLLEGEBOARD TO GUIDE THEM. PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO BRING THEIR PIN (PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER) AS WELL AS LAST YEAR’S INCOME TAX RETURN. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED WHILE COMPLETING THE FAFSA FORM! MANASSAS PARK HIGH SCHOOL IS LOCATED AT 8200 EUCLID AVE., MANASSAS PARK, 20111. Selective Service Did you know? According to law, a man must register with Selective Service within 30 days of his 18th birthday. Those who fail to register can be denied many important opportunities including student loans, government jobs, and a driver’s license in most states. Register with Selective Service at www.sss.gov. Counseling (cont’d next pg) 4 Counseling (cont’d) Dear Parent or Guardian of 9th Grade Students: Everyone knows that teenagers can be unpredictable, and their moods can frequently go up and down. This can be difficult for teens, their parents, and educators. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression appears to be occurring at a much earlier age, and the past decade has seen teen suicide rates double. Prince William County Public Schools Health curriculum includes lessons on recognizing depression and signs of suicide. Battlefield High School also presents the Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program as part of this curriculum. Our goals in participating in this program are: To help our students understand that depression is treatable, and help them recognize its symptoms, To explain that suicide is preventable, and may occur as a result of untreated depression, To impress upon teens that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns. Ninth grade students will participate in the SOS screening program during the week of December 14th.