LEARNING AIMED AT EXCELLENCE MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL TRAINING WARRIORS FOR CHRIST
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We believe that all students are unique and all students face challenges. It is our job to work diligently with students to assist them in making decisions, finding paths, and a course of action to help them grow and develop. We believe that along with being an advocate for the students, we are also to be advocates for parents, the school, and the community.
Meet Your School Counselors
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Stay up to date with upcoming events
1.
Federal Student Aid for the 2024-25 academic year
Federal Student Aid (FSA) is CHANGING the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-25 academic year.
The form used to apply for financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and the application for the 2024-2025 school year opens on December 2023. Many families are intimidated by the FAFSA and confused about the relevancy of completing it. There are resources to help in completing the form and it is necessary if you want your child to receive any type of funding from the college/university.
Here are the five most important thingsto know as of now:
- The FAFSA won’t open until December 2023.
- Both students and parents must create a Student Aid Account to get an FSA ID before completing the form. Allow at least three days.
- If parents are divorced or separated, the parent who provided the most financial support in the last calendar year will now complete the FAFSA.
- The number of students a family has enrolled in college will no longer factor into the FAFSA calculation.
- The net worth of family farms and small businesses will now be required as part of the application.
Did you know....
- Some scholarships require that you have completed the FAFSA.
- You must complete the FAFSA in order to receive a GRANT, which is FREE money!
- You must complete the FAFSA in order to receive a LOAN.
- Work Study Jobs (On-Campus Jobs) require you to have completed the FAFSA!
- When filling out the FAFSA for the 2024-2025 school year, you will use tax information from 2023.
FEDERAL STUDENT AID ID WORKSHEET
The FSA ID is the username and password you use on federal student aid websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on the Department of Education websites listed above.
Both the student and the parent need a FSA ID. It’s important to understand that the student and the parent may not share an FSA ID: Your FSA ID is your signature, so it has to be unique to you. Before you apply to the FAFSA on line you will need to have your FSA ID verified by Social Security Administration.
2.
Westbrook Christian School has partnered with Parchment
Westbrook Christian School has partnered with Parchment to order and send your transcript and other credentials securely. Parchment can only be used for the Class of 2018 and after. Any graduate prior to 2018 will need to contact the front office for transcripts.
Once a student graduates it will cost $4.40 to order a transcript from Parchment.
3.
NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER
NCAA Eligibility Updates
In January 2023, NCAA Divisions I and II adopted legislation to remove standardized test scores from initial-eligibility requirements for students who initially enroll full time in an NCAA member school on or after August 1, 2023.
Keep in mind that this exemption is for eligibility purposes only. Many colleges still require students to take the ACT or SAT for admissions or scholarship purposes, and college coaches may still ask to see your scores to determine if you meet their program’s academic standards.
Westbrook Christian School NCAA Core Courses
Division I Requirements
Earn a core course GPA of 2.3 or higher
Complete 16 NCAA approved core courses
- 4 years of English
- 3 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
- 2 years of natural/physical science
1 year must be lab science if your school offers it - 1 additional year of English, math or natural/physical science
- 2 years of social science
- 4 additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
You must complete 10 of the core courses by the end of your junior year (before the start of your seventh semester). Seven of the 10 core courses need to be in English, math or natural/physical science. The grades in these seven courses will be “locked in,” meaning you will not be allowed to retake them to improve your grades.
Division II Requirements
Earn a core course GPA of 2.2 or higher
Complete 16 NCAA approved core courses
- 3 years of English
- 2 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
- 2 years of natural/physical science
1 year must be lab science if your school offers it - 3 additional year of English, math or natural/physical science
- 2 years of social science
- 4 additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
In January 2023, NCAA Divisions I and II adopted legislation to remove standardized test scores from initial-eligibility requirements. Check with the NCAA school you plan to attend regarding whether standardized test scores are necessary for admission or scholarship requirements.
Mrs. Blevins
Contact Mrs. Blevins for information on setting up a Certification account with the NCAA to receive your NCAA ID
4.
Advanced Placement: An Opportunity to Earn Credit
Nearly all colleges and universities in the United States grant credit and placement for qualifying AP scores. Click here for the tool to find colleges you’re interested in and see what you could earn with AP.
What are the benefits of taking an AP class?
- Earn College Credit and Placement
- Stand Out to Colleges
- Save Money and Time
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Exam Dates:
May 13th, 2024
Calculus AB Exam
2023 Exam Fee: $89
5.
9th grade
Students/Parents, Westbrook has purchased a wonderful resource that all of our students have access to. Students can visit virtualjobshadow.com and create a log-in to have access to the following tools:
- Career Cluster Interest Survey- matches student’s interests to a career cluster
- Values Assessment- matches potential careers based on your values and what you consider important in life.
- Aptitude Assessment- Assessment evaluates abilities and the results help students find careers that align with student’s abilities.
- Access to hundreds of scholarship opportunities
- Resume/Cover Letter building template
- Job Shadowing videos for over 1,000 different careers
Mrs. Blevins
Students login is their Westbrook email address and password.
Contact Mrs. Blevins to get more information.
10.
Dual Enrollment/Early College
DUAL ENROLLMENT DATES FOR 2019-2020:
Aug 1
Fall dual enrollment students must have taken Accuplacer Test OR received an 18 or higher on ACT in English.
Aug 1
Fall dual enrollment students must have paid for all fall GSCC dual enrollment courses.
Aug 15
Registration opens for Spring dual enrollment students to apply for admission with GSCC.
The GSCC dual enrollment website where you will find dual enrollment forms, information, and links to apply for admission.
11.
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
DUAL ENROLLMENT DATES FOR 2019-2020:
Local scholarship opportunities
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Simply click on the college logo and it will take you directly to the scholarship portal for that community college. Most have deadlines of December 1st, so get started today!
UNIVERSITIES
Simply click on the university logo and it will take you directly to the scholarship portal for that college. Most have deadlines of December 1st, so get started today!
12-1.
Testing
National ACT test
District ACT test date for all 10th and 11th grade students will be March 12, 2024
To register for a National test date students need to create an account by clicking here. Your MyACT account will be used to register for test events, prepare for testing, view and send test scores, and explore colleges and careers.
National ACT test dates for 2023-2024
ACT Test Date
September 9, 2023
October 28, 2023
December 9, 2023
February 10, 2024
April 13, 2024
June 8, 2024
July 13, 2024
Registration Deadline
August 4
September 22
November 3
January 5
March 8
May 3
June 7
ACT Study Prep Resources
Marcia Farabee
Private tutor for English and Reading
Sessions last anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours. Cost starts at $25 per person, per session. Contact Mrs. Farabee 256-295-2428
Contact Mrs. Farabee:
Sauls Tutoring and ACT Preparation
Tutor/Teacher
Private tutoring for Math, $25/h.
Facebook message through Saul’s Tutoring and ACT Preparation:
Kim Norton
Tutor/Teacher
$150 for a 2-hour session.
Contact Kim Norton:
Linda Guetschoff
Retired psychologist and tutor
$50/$55/hour.
Tutors everyday except for Tuesdays
Contact Linda Guetschoff:
All Pencils Down
They have a multitude of learning options to choose from. They have online resources so you don’t have to drive back and forth to Birmingham.
Princeton Review
Online ACT Prep Course with a money back guarantee.
Private tutoring and online class instruction.
Contact Mrs. Farabee:
ACT.org
ACT has FREE resources online. Follow these instructions to access resources:
- Visit ACT.org
- Along the task bar at the top select MyACT Sign-in
- Create a student account
- Select ACT Free Online Tests
Kaplan
Kaplan has FREE resources online. Follow these instructions to access resources:
- Visit Site
- Taskbar click on More →
Free Practice
FIND THE ACT PRACTICE QUESTION OF THE DAY!
12-2.
Testing
Stanford Achievement Test
Testing will be April 22nd through April 26th, 2024
The Stanford Achievement Test, Tenth Edition® (SAT10) provides a valid and reliable measure of academic achievement toward state and national standards for students grades K-12.
WCS has chosen to use Stanford Achievement tests to measure our students academic achievement. Testing will be administered to our 3rd through 7th grade students.
12-3.
Testing
The PSAT/NMSQT
The PSAT/NMSQT is a standardized test that 1oth and 11th grade students take in October. Like the SAT, it measures the knowledge and skills in reading, writing, and math students learn in the classroom—the same knowledge and skills your child needs to succeed in college and career.
Fast Facts:
01
By taking the PSAT/NMSQT as a junior, students may meet the requirements to enter the National Merit® Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Cick here to learn more about the scholarships.
02
Students sign up for the PSAT/NMSQT at their school—not online. Al 10th grade students will take the PSAT. 11th grade students are encouraged to take the PSAT/NMSQT but are not required. Registration for 11th grade students will be announced and will be completed with Mrs. Blevins in the counseling office.
03
Because the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT focus on the same subject areas and ask the same types of questions, your child can use Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy to practice for the PSAT/NMSQT. It's a free, interactive study tool that provides a personalized practice plan that focuses on exactly what your child needs to stay on track for college. In addition, your child can download and print official PSAT/NMSQT practice tests.