GS@IP Newsletter
August 2020
GS@IP
Website: https://governors.pwcs.edu/
Location: Historic District, 10910 University Boulevard, Manassas, VA, USA
Phone: 703-993-7027
Twitter: @Gov_School_IP
Staff Contact Information
Jason Calhoun: Director
Pamela Thorpe: Administrative Bookkeeper and Attendance Secretary
thorpepl@pwcs.edu
Melissa Bach: School Counselor
bachml@pwcs.edu
Imed Ben Chouikha: Math
Yingjin Cui: Computer Science
Ales Psaker: Physics
apsaker@gmu.edu
Felipe Gutierrez: Math and Engineering
fgutier2@gmu.edu
Elizabeth Romano: Biology
enohelty@gmu.edu
Alexis Patanarut: Chemistry
Lauren Joyave: Math
Mental Health Resources
Emergency Resources:
ACTS Helpline 703.368.4141
1.800.SUICIDE (24-hour hotline) 1.800.784.2433
Crisis Text Hotline (24-hour hotline) 741741
PWC Child Protective Services Hotline 703.792.4200
PWC Community Services Board 703.792.7800 (western PWCS) or 703.792.4900 (eastern PWCS)
Office Hours
Mr. Imed Ben Chouikha (Mr. C.): Tuesdays 3:30 to 5:00 PM
Dr. Romano: Mondays 11:30AM-:1:00 PM
Dr. Gutierrez: Mondays 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ms. Cui: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30 PM
Dr. Patanarut: Fridays from 3:30-4:30 PM
Ms. Joyave: Mondays 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Dr. Psaker: Tuesdays 5:00 – 6:00 PM, Thursdays 4:00–5:00 PM
Ms. Bach Mondays 1:00-2:30 PM
The Society of Women Engineers at UVA Application
The Society of Women Engineers at the University of Virginia invites high school juniors and seniors to apply to our Virtual High School Visitation program on Saturday, November 14th, 2020. The program gives young women a comprehensive look at engineering fields and UVA’s engineering curriculum through informative speakers and interactive design activities. The program is designed to benefit participants with all levels of engineering experience, but we particularly target those students who are not yet familiar with the field and may be interested in applying to engineering schools or pursuing a STEM career.
Informational flyer and packet are attached. Attachments:
HSVF20Information Packet.pdf (Links to an external site.)
HSVF20Flyer.pdf
Free NASA Opportunity for High School Students
FREE NASA OPPORTUNITIES FOR VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS!
Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) provides the following FREE STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) opportunities for Virginia high school students in grades 10 through 12.
10TH GRADE
Virginia Space Coast Scholars (VSCS) – Online course for 10th grade students focusing on missions flown or managed by NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, with a week-long summer academy program at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. http://vsgc.odu.edu/spacecoast/
11TH AND 12TH GRADE
Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS) – Online course for 11th and 12th grade students focusing on NASA’s human spaceflight missions and the Journey to the Moon and on to Mars with a week-long summer academy at NASA Langley Research Center. Students can earn up to four free dual enrollment college credits. http://vsgc.odu.edu/VASTS/
11TH AND 12TH GRADE
Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS) – This interactive online earth system science course for 11th and 12th grade students features NASA scientific research and data. Students can earn up to five dual enrollment college credits and can also be selected to attend a summer academy program at NASA Langley Research Center. http://vsgc.odu.edu/VESSS
Our online course applications are OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 25th for 10th – 12th grade students to apply. Each program also hires a cohort of Master Teachers to grade student work in our virtual environment. Teachers, please refer to each program’s website for details on becoming a paid Master Teacher!
Study Tips
Stress Management
- Keep a positive attitude.
- Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
- Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
- Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi for stress management.
- Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
- Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
- Learn to manage your time more effectively.
- Set limits appropriately and learn to say no to requests that would create excessive stress in your life.
- Make time for hobbies, interests, and relaxation.
- Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
- Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors to reduce stress.
- Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you enjoy.
4-Year Colleges & Universities with ACT/SAT-Optional Testing Policies for Fall, 2021 Admissions
How to Answer the Covid 19 Section of the Common App
Virtual Sessions for Military Academys
Rutgers Engineering Virtual Visits and Student Panels
Virtual College Visits
Click below to see which colleges will be there on each fair date:
◼ Oct. 12: 1-9 p.m. ET
◼ Oct. 18: 12-8 p.m. ET
◼ Nov. 8: 2-10 p.m. ET
Here's general info about these virtual college fairs, including a Quick Start guide and video.
Virtual College Fairs
PAYING FOR COLLEGE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS FOR FAMILIES
Tomika Brown, Director of The College Place-Alexandria, is proud to present virtual workshops on Paying for College specifically for PWCS families. Please see the registration links below for 3 different date options, each as 6:00 pm. After registering, families will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
ALCANZA Virtual College Fair
This year’s virtual ALCANZA welcomes students from across the nation to our annual college fair! Mason hosts ALCANZA each year to promote higher education opportunities to Latinx high school students in the greater DC community. ALCANZA is one of the largest college fairs in Northern Virginia and annually welcomes more than 2,000 students. By going virtual this year, we are able to bring this fantastic event to more students than ever before!
Register here! Don't miss this great event!
Senior College Planning Checklist
September- October
- Make a list of (and visit if possible) all the colleges to which you want to apply. Create a Common App account at CommonApp.org.
- If needed, register for the SAT® I or ACT® and SAT II (again, only if needed) for a test date this fall.
- Create an FSA ID (for the FAFSA) online at fsaid.ed.gov.
- Begin to fill out your college applications.
- If you haven't yet, request recommendation letters from teachers. Provide your recommenders with enough time (at least 6-8 weeks) to write your recommendation.
- Begin to work on your essay. Do not procrastinate! Let your personality stand out and individuality shine. Ask your English teacher to help you edit and proofread it. (The Common app does not allow more than 650 words).
- If you are applying through Early Decision or Early Action, complete and submit your application now.
- Submit the FAFSA as soon after October 1st as you can at fafsa.gov.
October-December
- If you registered for one, take your standardized test and have your test scores sent to the colleges to which you are applying.
- Complete and submit your applications before Thanksgiving for schools with a December or later deadline.
- Start researching scholarships and grants. Check with your school counselor on local scholarship opportunities.
January-February
- Keep doing your best in your classes! Grades will continue to count throughout senior year.
- Have your mid-year grades sent to the colleges that have requested them.
- Complete as many scholarship applications as possible and submit them.
March-April
- Once colleges inform you of your acceptance, inform your school counselor of your acceptances and scholarships.
- Do not take Rolling Admissions for granted. Colleges with no application deadline may reach their maximum class size quickly. Apply as early as possible.
- Carefully review you college acceptances and financial aid packages.
May
- DECISION TIME! As soon as you make your final college choice, return the acceptance form (with the deposit) to secure your spot and notify your school counselor of your choice.
- Take AP tests and arrange for your scores to be sent to the college you will attend.
June
- Request from the main office that your final transcript be sent to the college you will attend.
- Look for information from the college about housing, roommate(s), Orientation, course selection, health records, and placement tests.
- Last day of school. CONGRATULATIONS! You have made it through high school! Enjoy your graduation and look forward to college.
Junior College Planning Checklist
Fall (September-November)
Start your junior year off by registering for and taking the PSAT/NMSQT test.
Feeling overwhelmed about applications next year? Meet with your counselor to organize your testing strategies and college plan.
Explore colleges. Take a deeper look at schools by regions, sizes and academic specialties.
Research college costs and tuition at different types of schools.
Narrow your college list to 10 to 20 schools that interest you.
Keep your stress level low by creating an organization system for all your college documents.
It's not too late to get involved. Pick a new extracurricular activity (or two) and jump right in!
Winter (December-February)
Junior year grades will say a lot about your academic performance. Study hard!
Scared you'll bomb the SAT or ACT? Make a test prep plan immediately to avoid such a disaster.
Take your extracurricular activities to the next level.
Millions of dollars in scholarships goes unclaimed every year. Get scholarships for college by starting your search.
Refine your choices of colleges by comparing and contrasting schools and attending college fairs.
Spring (March-May)
Take (and dominate) the SAT or ACT.
Beat the letter of recommendation rush by asking your teachers before everyone else does.
Get educated about admissions requirements.
Contact prospective colleges to schedule interviews and visits.
Construct a strong senior schedule and a stellar student portfolio.
It'll be a big summer for college prep. Get involved and prepare for your college essay.
Capitalize on some last minute tips to help you ace your AP tests in May.
Summer (June-August)
Get that pesky AP summer reading out of the way and sign up for summer classes.
Grab a summer job to expand your experiences and to earn money for college.
Practice makes perfect: Begin working on your college application essay.
Standardized testing season is coming again. Are you fully prepared?
Develop a financial aid plan before the deadline stress rears its ugly head.
Be your own campus explorer. Schedule your first round of college visits.
Scholarship Websites
Peterson’s is a one-stop scholarship resource — not that we recommend this strategy -- with a number of great (and free!) resources. The site boasts $10 billion in scholarship awards and has an impressive collection of articles, test prep resources and more.
But it’s not just a stockpile of scholarships. It also has the tools and tips you need to start your search -- and its search filters make navigation simple. Filling out a very short survey allows you to adjust the filters as you go, which gives you more control than sites that require extensive profiles to get started.
Like Peterson’s, Unigo has plenty to offer beyond just scholarships, including jobs, internships, college profiles and rankings, articles and a textbook store. When it comes to scholarships, the site offers both profile-based matching as well as easy-to-browse categories.
Fastweb, a subsidiary of Monster, hosts more than 1.5 million scholarships that amount to more than $3.4 billion dollars. And it’s all so well organized! The search platform’s filters make it hard not to find exactly what you’re looking for.
One minor drawback: You have to fill out a profile to get started. But the profile helps match you with scholarships most likely to suit your needs, and the sign-up process is relatively painless.
Cappex has a large scholarship database and they’re not afraid to brag a bit: “We’ve Got More Than $11 Billion in Scholarships.” Registering can be annoying, but you’ll be glad you took the time to get personalized results.
Cappex sets itself apart with its “What Are My Chances” tool, which attempts to calculate the odds that you’ll get into a certain college before you apply.
Over the years, Chegg has expanded from its humble beginnings as an online textbook store to become a well-rounded education resource. It acquired scholarship match service Zinch in 2011 and now hosts scholarships totaling over $1 billion.
Its interface is simple and the mandatory sign-up process is well worth the time. What’s more, it has a “top scholarship picks this week” category, which highlights opportunities you may have otherwise missed. And on top of the scholarships, Chegg offers homework help, tutoring, test prep, internships and (of course) textbooks.
As with all of the best resources, The College Board offers much more than an extensive list of scholarships. It also has test prep, articles and college search tools, among others. And its “scholarships, other financial aid and internships from more than 2,200 programs” totals nearly $6 billion. Added bonus: While you’re perusing the site you can prepare for the SAT!
Formerly known as College Prowler, Niche is one of the easiest sites to navigate. It’s neatly organized into categories that make it simple to start finding and applying for scholarships.
You can browse by categories – including, but not limited to, sports, interest area, career and major -- but it can be tricky to filter outside of these preset groupings. Still, with no required sign-up and a user-friendly design, Niche is a simple and powerful resource.
Scholarships.com’s tagline says it all: “With more than 2.7 million scholarship and grant opportunities worth more than $19 billion, just about everyone is bound to find something.”
It’s one of the largest databases and is updated daily. You can browse by category, but if you really want to navigate the extensive list of opportunities, you’ll need to make a profile. It’s one flaw: The site has ample information about alternate forms of financial aid, but it lacks some of resources other sites offer.
Scholarships are listed by their award amounts, with the highest payout listed first. While the site’s search results are often extensive, it could benefit from some more filtering or organizational tools..
