Alumni Day for Juniors and Seniors- January 4th during flex block

Junior Post-High School Planning Night - January 11th at 6:30 pm

Gap Year Fair - January 17th at 6pm in the PAC and on RMHS Main Street

Future Freshmen Night for 8th grade parents and students - January 23rd at 6:30pm, in PAC

SAT's at RMHS - March 9th

College Fair - March 13th at 6:30pm in RMHS Field House

AP Exams - May 6th - 17th during school day

Senior Awards Night - TBD

Underclassmen Awards - TBD

Future Freshmen Night II - TBD

Each year, the counselors host the Alumni Day Panel during flex. Roughly twelve alumni return to share their experiences about the transition to college. This is a great opportunity for our students to learn from their peers about college life, academic expectations, dorms, roommates, benefits of a large campus versus small, time management, etc. This year both juniors and seniors will attend the presentation. After the event, alumni meet with school and district administrators along with counselors to discuss how RMHS prepared them and hear any suggestions they have for improvements. It is a fun opportunity for us to catch up with past graduates and get our students excited for life after high school.

Mid-year exams are right around the corner. The schedule for each exam is below. For many freshman, this is the first time taking a two hour exam in multiple subjects. We know this can be stressful for some students. To reduce some of the worry, here are a few helpful suggestions for students:

1) Connect with your teachers about exam expectations. Teachers usually provide a thorough study guide and suggestions on how best to study. Take advantage of these suggestions.

2) Plan ahead! Make a schedule of when you are going to study for each exam. Do not wait till the last minute. It is wise to study in advance to leave yourself time to connect with teachers before the exam if you have questions or need extra help.

3) Do not overschedule yourself during exam week. Although this is not common, some students in the past have made the mistake of overscheduling themselves with after school activities leaving no time to study. We advise against this approach and hope you plan ahead. Athletes, look at your game and practice schedule in advance.

4) Get plenty of sleep. If you plan ahead and use your time wisely, there is no need to stay up late and miss out on sleep. Eating and sleeping well are needed for your brain to think clearly and perform at your best.

5) Don't forget to reach out to your teachers or your counselor if you are stressed and need help preparing. Believe in yourself and remember teachers have been preparing you for this exam all semester. If you study and come into the exam prepared you will do well.

Many seniors have started to hear back from the colleges they applied to earlier in the year. This can be exciting for many and stressful for others. The counselors are eagerly waiting to hear as well. Students, please make sure you share the information with your school counselor and update SCOIR when the letters come in. We are eager to hear from you!

This past December, admission counselors from Salem State University visited RMHS to meet with over twenty-five seniors for On-The-Spot Admissions. We are pleased to share 21 students were accepted and others have a solid plan on how to enhance their application to be considered in the coming months. It was an exciting day in our office as many of the students were receiving their first acceptance letters.

Starting next week, school counselors will meet with our juniors for six weeks to discuss post secondary options and start planning their path for after graduation. During the seminars, students will work with counselors to learn how to research colleges and other options as well as start completing some of the necessary tasks to make sure the process goes smooth. Juniors, check in with your counselor to see if you are scheduled for the Tuesday or Thursday flex.

Each year, the counselors host an evening for junior parents and caregivers to provide helpful information about the post-secondary process. The information provided is the same as the information provided to students during their junior seminars therefore students do not need to attend this evening. If this is your first time through the college process or you have not been through the process in a while, we strongly encourage you attend. You will hear specifically from your child's counselor about post-secondary options, the process we use with the students to research options, explore colleges, an overview of SCOIR, and much more. Due to a conflict in the PAC, we are doing things a little different this year. Instead of meeting in the auditorium for a quick overview from Lynna Williams, parents and caregivers will go directly to the classroom of your child's counselor. See below for room assignments. This presentation is not recorded but the powerpoint will be available if you are not able to attend. We look forward to this evening each year and hope you can attend.

On March 9th, RMHS will be hosting the Saturday SAT's. This is a national test date which means students from anywhere in the country can register at our school. It is a first come, first serve registration process controlled by College Board. Any junior interested in taking the exam at our school is strongly encouraged to sign up asap at www.collegeboard.com Student who previously took the PSAT's already created a college board account making it easier to register for the SAT's. The March date is a digital test. We are encourage students to take the exam at RMHS using their school issued computer and our network to hopefully reduce some of the logistical stress. Please see your counselor if you have any questions. Don't forget to sign up as soon as possible to get a spot. We cannot open up seats once we are full.

The Reading Scholarship Foundation is pleased to announce that its 2024-25 application is now available. Any Reading, MA resident who is a high school senior OR is pursuing an undergraduate degree may apply. Any non-Reading, MA resident that attended Reading Memorial High School in Reading, MA, as a full-time student for a period of at least three years is also eligible. The application and the full requirements to apply can be found at https://readingsf.org/scholarship-application-plugin/

As of December 31st, the FAFSA application is available for families of seniors to fill out if you want to be considered for financial aid. In addition to the FAFSA that is required to be considered for financial aid, many colleges also require the CSS Profile. For a full list of colleges that require the CSS Profile, click here. We strongly encourage all students and parents to check the individual college financial aid websites for specific deadlines for their colleges. This can be a stressful process for some families but help is out there. See the next section for details.

The Department has partnered with the nonprofit uAspire to provide free support to students and school staff to help seniors complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For Students: uAspire will offer a FAFSA webinar for students three times: 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3; 5:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 30; and 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27. Registration is open online. In addition, FAQs are available in English and Spanish, and more resources are posted on uAspire.org/resources, uaspire.org/Checklist, and uaspire.org/FSAID.

Starting this Saturday, January 6th, the Northeast Metro Tech is offering three sessions of their exploratory program for any RMHS student that wants to explore a trade. This is an excellent opportunity for students to get tryout a field of interest for a few weeks to decide if this is something they would like to pursue after high school. This is open to all RMHS students free of charge.

Last Year Northeast Metro Tech conducted three sessions that lasted four weeks each in the following fields: Automotive Technology, Business Technology, Carpentry, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Dental Assisting, Drafting and Design (CAD), Design and Visual Communications, Electrical, Health Assisting, Heating and Ventilation, Metal Fabrication, Plumbing, and Robotics.

The sessions are on:

Saturdays January 6, 13, 20 and 27th for sessions 1

Saturdays February 3, 10, 17th and March 2nd for session 2

Saturdays March 9, 16, 23, and 30th for session 3

Students can participate in one or more sessions.

RMHS has participated in this program for many years and we hear positive feedback from students who highly recommend more students take advantage of this opportunity. To learn more about the dates and opportunities, please talk to your counselor or contact the program director, Joe Obrien, at jobrien@northeastmetrotech.org

RPS students are eligible to receive financial assistance for various school related activities (prom, athletic fees, etc), College Board standardized tests, and college applications. We would like to continue supporting families in need but we need your help. We are encouraging any family who thinks they would qualify for free and reduced lunch to review the documents and fill out both the application and the share form. Click here for the financial assistance forms. If you have any questions, please reach out to food services director or your school counselor.

Website: https://www.reading.k12.ma.us/memorial/departments/guidance/
Location: 62 Oakland Road Reading, Ma 01867
Phone: 781-944-8200