USC February Newsletter

The month of February is filled with great things at USC. Today, February 12th, our juniors are taking the ASVAB Test. The ASVAB is a standardized test that reveals areas of aptitude and ability in science, math, and language. The test shows students areas of strength as they look at choosing a college and career paths. This week students are also celebrating FCCLA week with dress up days throughout the week.

On Thursday, February 15th, students will take part in a assembly with motivational speaker Craig Hillier, sponsored by FariCARES. Mr. Hillier has spoken to over two million students since 1990 with his energetic and captivating presentation. Mr. Hillier will also meet with some of our USC student leaders later in the morning to take part in a leadership workshop.

The last part of this week also leads up to Presidents Day weekend. USC students will enjoy a four day weekend with no school on Friday this week and no school on Monday next week. I hope this is a time for families to spend some quality time together and relax from their busy schedules.

Our 8th grade students will have the opportunity to be involved in the Prairie Fire Theater Experience. Prairie Fire Theater has been a highlight for many of our 8th graders in past years. This year, students will perform the play Peter Pan. Students audition, learn their parts, practice, and perform a play all within about a week. Students will participate in auditions on Thursday afternoon, February 15th, and practice next week during the school day. The performances will be on Tuesday, February 27th at 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

USC 7th grade students will participate in a Courage Retreat on Tuesday, February 20th. Youth Frontiers and some of our 11th grade leaders will work with the 7th grade class on skills including kindness, resilience, and courage. Classroom teachers will also be at the retreat throughout the day to guide and monitor students during this day of growth for our students.

On February 23rd, our 9th grade students will attend a Career Navigator field trip at South Central College in Mankato. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about careers and the skills they will need in order to work in various career fields. Also on February 23rd, the USC drama department will take part in a Theater Workshop sponsored by MSU. Students will also attend a play that evening as part of their workshop experience.

The National Honor Society will also host a blood drive on Wednesday, February 28th with the help of the American Red Cross. The Honor Society students will be signing up students to donate in the upcoming weeks. Students who are 17 years old and older are eligible to sign up to donate. Students age 16 are able to sign up to donate with a signed parent permission form. This is a great opportunity for students to experience the satisfaction of giving a life-saving gift to someone in need.

USC students continue to work on reading comprehension and reading skills to become better learners. USC is fortunate to have a dedicated and hard working staff who teach students skills daily to fulfill the goals that USC is passionate about. The top two priority goals this year focus on increasing reading comprehension and teaching students social and emotional skills. Together, the staff are working with parents to help our students become their best selves.

Enjoy the rest of your month and find things to be grateful for each day.

Jen Bye

High School Principal

jbye@unitedsouthcentral.org

Five students visited South Central College to explore multiple college and career paths they can pursue after high school. They were also treated to lunch and a tour of Coloplast, a company that develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices and services.

Congratulations to McKenzie Roberts, the February Renaissance Student of the Month. McKenzie will enjoy a reserved parking spot and first in the lunch line privileges for the month of February. McKenzie is involved in Volleyball, Track and Field, FFA, National Honor Society, and Student Government. Her dedication to her studies and hard work is a positive example for our students. USC is proud to celebrate McKenzie!

Mr. Huiras' students come to class excited and ready to learn each day. Students explore several areas of history content as they learn about the events that have happened in our world and the impacts those events have on our lives. Students are learning to make real world connections and apply their knowledge to analyze events in history.

Several 7th and 8th grade students who are involved with Educational Talent Search (ETS) attended a Reach for the Top leadership event at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The students challenged themselves on the rock climbing wall, enjoyed lunch in the student dining hall, and participated in leadership activities with ETS advisors. The students enjoyed this fun way to start second semester.

Several USC Band and Choir members were part of the Gopher Honor Conference Band and Choir event Saturday, February 3rd. The students rehearsed Friday during the school day and then Saturday morning. The students, from 12 High Schools, performed a concert Saturday at 1:00 PM. The students worked very hard and performed a wonderful concert! Kudos to those students who gave up a Saturday to be a part of something so amazing!

February is Minnesota School Board recognition month where we honor our local board members for their commitment to the USC School District and our students. School board members help create the vision for our district, establish standards for student learning, help foster a safe climate for staff and students, forming partnerships with the community, and driving continuous improvement in our district. Thank you to our school board members, Mike Schrader, Brad Heggen, Diana Brooks, Chris Lutteke, Katie Hanson, and Brittany Voigt for their service and dedication to our school district.

Students in Personal Finance were learning about banking and credit unions recently along with learning to manage savings and checking accounts. The class helps students with many skills that they will use when making financial decisions and planning for their future . Students in this class learn about financial decisions and activities including budgeting, insurance, mortgage planning, purchasing a vehicle, savings and checking accounts, retirement planning, and credit cards. The class is a semester-long course that is required for graduation.

Seniors

You are officially into the home stretch of your high school career! There are a lot of things you will need to do this spring to plan for life after graduation. For many of you, this means attending some type of postsecondary education institution. With that in mind, we have a few activities and deadlines for you to remember.

1. Local and Regional scholarships are beginning to be available. Ms. Klemek emails out all local opportunities that are sent to her and adds the updated scholarship information to her website. Recently, the USC Common Scholarship application was emailed to all Seniors. This application includes the Lion's Athletic Scholarship. This is the official and only way to apply for these scholarships, so please look at the scholarships available there. This also requires 2 letters of recommendations (only 1 from a school employee), so please make sure you ask recommenders with plenty of time to return them to me by the March 1, 2024 deadline.

Many scholarships are due in March, so please keep track of which scholarships you would like to apply for, and when the deadlines are. Some completed scholarship applications will be returned to Ms. Klemek. But some are mailed directly to the organization granting the scholarship.

2. File your FAFSA as soon as possible. It doesn't matter how little or how much your family makes, FAFSA is how everyone becomes eligible for the low-interest federal loans, as well as additional grant money. Some universities require the FAFSA to give out institutional money such as scholarships and grants. The roll out on the FAFSA was late this year. But, I encourage everyone to apply.

As part of this initiative, I will be hosting a representative from South Central College during our March 4th parent-teacher conferences to help you complete your FAFSA. Help will be available from 4:30-7:00 pm. Prior to that (at least a week ahead of this), make sure you have applied for your FSA ID. Many of you did this during our fall conferences. If you did not, please do so soon! Both the student and a parent will need a FSA ID for their electronic signature. FSA ID Website

3. If you know where you are going to college, please make sure you send in your confirmation before their deadline. Each college has their own deadline for confirmation, as well as housing (if that is an option). Check the deadlines, and submit any necessary deposits.

4. Seniors will be taking the WorkKeys assessment on April 9th. This is used as part of our required College/Career Readiness requirement by the state. Students who earn scores of 3 or better on the 3 areas will receive a National Career Readiness Certificate at the level they earn. Every year, almost all of our students put in the effort to earn a certificate at the bronze, silver, gold or platinum levels. USC students show they have the skills to be ready for many workplace scenarios.

Juniors

February 12: Juniors will be taking the ASVAB as part of our career readiness requirements. We do not send these results to the military, but if a student decides to pursue this route, this test score can be used. The ASVAB will be completed in the morning, and students will complete the day at USC.

The ACT is coming up on April 9th. This will be during the school day, and USC is paying for your test. This is your only opportunity to take the test during the school day and have it paid for. Please make sure this is on your calendar.

ETS is hosting an ACT Prep Workshop on March 9th. All students are welcome to attend (I know this is during the music trip. ETS services many schools and had to pick the best date for them and the teachers who conduct the workshop.) You can register here and bring your payment to Ms. Klemek by February 28. Please put your child's name in the memo of the check. ETS students, when you attend you will get your check back, so it is free for you to attend. Students are required to have their own transportation to and from the event.

Junior Scholarship Opportunity: The Horatio Alger Scholarship is open to Juniors. The deadline is March 15th. Visit their website to see if you are eligible to apply.

Sophomores

There are a couple of dates to keep in mind for this spring.

April 3rd- Sophomores will be attending the Career Expo in Mankato. We are required to be there early, so we will be leaving USC by 7:45. Students will need to find a way to be here well before the bus would drop them off. We will return around lunch time and will complete the day at USC.

April 9th- Sophomores will take the Pre-ACT while juniors are taking the ACT. This will be done during the school day. Students will complete the rest of the day at USC.

Freshmen

On February 23rd, freshmen will be headed to South Central College for our Career Navigator field trip. A letter will be sent home this week with more specifics about this day, but please make sure you are here on time, as we will be leaving at 8:20 AM.

8th grade

On February 14th, the 8th graders will be part of a pilot program with our South Central Mobile Health Lab. In their PE/Health class, they will explore health science careers with area health students and experts.

Upcoming Date/Events:

February 12: ASVAB for Juniors

February 23: Career Navigator Field Trip to SCC for 9th grade

March 4: FAFSA Completion at Conferences 4:30-7:00 PM

April 3: Career Expo Field Trip for 10th grade

April 9: WorkKeys (12th grade), ACT (11th grade), Pre-ACT (10th grade)

USC staff members learned about the effects and challenges that dyslexic students face. This staff development opportunity, held on January 23rd, was taught by Kelly Turner and her team. Staff members rotated through four different stations that simulated different types of challenges that students with dyslexia face while learning.

The Life Fitness class learns techniques to continue to be active throughout student's lifetimes. Each student has a personalized fitness plan and works daily to improve their fitness. Mr. Huse helps students plan and monitor their fitness logs and daily fitness goals.

All Seniors who plan on attending any type of schooling after graduation should apply for the FAFSA. Each student, along with a parent/guardian will need a FSA ID to sign in and electronically sign. This will take 3-5 business days to verify, so please complete this as soon as possible.

FSA ID: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

FAFSA: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Senior Scholarships Many local scholarships will become available in February and March. Any opportunities that come through the counseling office will be emailed to Seniors, as well as updated on the counseling website. Seniors should be checking their email at least once every day for information from teachers, as well as any announcements from the counseling office. Counseling Website

This week, students will celebrate FCCLA Week at USC. Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) offers members the opportunity to expand their leadership potential and develop skills for life. These important skills are home and workplace skills which include planning, goal setting, problem solving, decision making, and interpersonal communication.

February 16-19: No School. Presidents Day Break

February 23: 9th grade Career Navigator Field trip to South Central College

February 20: Grade 7 Courage Retreat at USC

February 27: Grade 8 Prairie Fire Theater performance of Peter Pan at 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM

February 28: NHS & Red Cross Blood Drive at USC

March 4: Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM

April 3: 10th grade Career Expo Field Trip in Mankato

April 9: 10th grade Pre-ACT test, 11th grade ACT test, 12th grade Work Keys assessment