Greetings students, parents, guardians, and Highland Community!

Happy December, hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! Below is information on upcoming events and information on the happenings in the Highland Secondary Counseling Department

SPIRIT Spotlight: Highland Secondary Students

More than 170 Highland Secondary Students showed growth, grit, and genuine effort on their MAP testing this Fall earning their star! Congratulations to all of them, we couldn’t be more proud of their effort and achievement!

High School

Semester 2 Starts Jan. 16

Second semester begins January 16th. Information about scheduling appointments to discuss graduation progress, credits, and second semester schedules has been sent out to all High School Students. Please talk with your student to confirm they have made an appointment.

Seniors

Financial Aid & College Readiness

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Opens by Dec. 31st.

Upcoming Events for assistance with completing the FAFSA

Jan 24th @ Kirkwood Washington Regional Center

        Learn more about this event here FAFSA Night Jan. 24

March 6th during Parent Teacher conferences @ Highland- more details to come closer to the event

Scholarship Information

Master Scholarship List- This is a compilation of local and state scholarships shared with Highland Seniors.  Scholarship information is added as it is received. The number of scholarship opportunities available picks up significantly in Jan/Feb so please remind your senior to check regularly for new scholarship opportunities.

Here’s a link to the newsletter I sent out at the beginning of the year with dates to remember and senior events Class of 2024 Senior Starting Line

Juniors

ASVAB Testing  December 12/13/2023 11am-2pm

Benefits of ASVAB testing

• Identifies your skills & abilities
• Provides career exploration information
• Links Achievement with Interest
• Helps with identifying potential career paths. Does not obligate students to the military!

Results from testing will NOT be released to recruiters/military personnel unless requested by students.

Sophomores

Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center Visit

Friday, January 26th all Highland Sophomores will tour the Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center. During the visit they will tour the ACE (Architecture, Construction, & Engineering), Automotive, and Welding academies, as well as regular classrooms. Students will get a feel for all that Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center has to offer as well as what to expect when earning college credit in high school.

Registration for Kirkwood Courses will begin in the spring, likely early March. More information will be shared once registration dates are finalized and an enrollment event has been scheduled with Ryan Ronan from Kirkwood.

Middle School:

Quarter 3 begins Jan. 16

8th Grade:

High School Preparation

Starting in February all 8th graders will begin learning about the expectations of High School; including graduation requirements, course options, registration, and more. Please keep an eye out for pertinent information that will be shared with you as we progress through our preparation for High School.

7th Grade:

STEAM Field Trip January 9th

STEAM Institute @ the Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center- The 12th annual STEAM Institute is presented by Kirkwood Workplace Learning Connection and University of Iowa Health Care. This day of learning and STEAM includes hands-on learning, activities, and exploration of all things science, technology, engineering, art, and math; it is a fun day for 7th graders and a great opportunity for our students to identify possible career interests and opportunities.