|
General Information~The counseling staff is the same as last year but the school has grown by 10%. We will continue to work hard to serve the students and parents.
Many questions that students and parents have can be answered at our website, http://www.fcusd.org/fhs/counseling.
We have worked hard to provide you with valuable information about all areas of student life. You will find timely announcements such as theupcoming college application workshops during PAWS in the library on November 7, 14 and 15 as well as Folsom Lake College’s evening seminar on November 7 from 6:30 – 8:00 PM in the library.
If you have questions about a particular grade, you should contact that teacher directly. Their contact information may be obtained atwww.fcusd.org/fhs. Use the pull down menu and select Our School >Contact Us>Staff Directory.
Senior Information
If your four-year college-bound senior student has not yet taken the necessary college admission examination(s), please be aware that most four-year campuses require that applicants take the SAT or ACT no later than the December 2012 test date. Students who are applying to a UC campus and who plan to take the ACT are reminded to sign up for the optional ACT Writing Test when registering for the exam. For deadlines and to register online for these exams, please visit the following websites:
SAT: www.collegeboard.com ACT: www.actstudent.org
The application filing period for most UC and CSU campuses ends on November 30th. Students can use the following websites to apply:
UC: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/
CSU: www.csumentor.edu/
PSAT Results
Results from the October PSAT will be returned to FHS students in their English classes just prior to winter break in December. Counselors encourage all students who took the PSAT and their parents to put aside some quality time to review the PSAT results. The PSAT test booklets will be returned along with the score results, and this provides students an excellent opportunity to review actual test questions that they got wrong. By doing this, the PSAT can prove a very helpful tool for improving future SAT scores.
College-bound juniors should plan on taking the SAT and/or ACT in the spring. Juniors should plan to prepare for these college entrance exams during the winter and early spring months. Many prep resources are available, including free SAT/ACT online preparation courses atwww.number2.com , www.domesatreview.com and www.khanacademy.org.
Financial Aid Night
Please remember to reserve Thursday, January 17, 2013 for our annual Financial Aid Night. This important workshop will start at 7:00 PM in the FHS Theater. The information is targeted primarily at senior students and their parents, but all grade levels are invited to attend. Our presenter is Mr. Lynn Fox, Director of Financial Aid for University of the Pacific. Mr. Fox will cover all aspects of submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which is the first critical step in the financial aid/Cal Grant qualification process. Whether your student plans to attend a two-year college, a vocational/technical school, or a four-year university, this workshop is full of essential information.
All families are highly encouraged to file the FAFSA electronically atwww.fafsa.ed.gov. You may file as early as January 1st – but we advise you to attend our Financial Aid Night prior to submitting your completed application. In California, the deadline to file for the initial round of awards is March 2, 2012. Don’t wait until the last minute, however! When the financial aid funds run out, grants will no longer be awarded – even to qualifying individuals. Even if you think your student may not qualify for financial aid assistance due to your income level, we encourage you to file the FAFSA. A number of scholarships that are not “need-based” require that a FAFSA be filed first.
Power School~We are pleased that many students and parents are already accessing student information via Power School on a regular basis. Power School provides a Folsom High School student and parent online access to in-progress course grades, and other valuable information. If a parent is in need of a Power School activation code, please email Debbie Cain at dcain@fcusd.org. Remember that the student’s ID and Password is the same one they use at school to log in.
Scholarships
The opportunity to apply for many scholarships extends through early spring. All FHS scholarships will be available only on the Counseling website in the Scholarship Applications folder. Students should check this site at least weekly since scholarships are being uploaded as soon as they arrive. In addition, counselors recommend registering at the following websites if you would like to receive scholarship information via e-mail that is tailored to a student’s individual profile:
Scholarship Searches:www.fastweb.com , www.meritaid.com andwww.scholarships.com.
Letters of Recommendation
Some scholarships require students to submit letters of recommendation from teachers and/or counselors. While the deadline for the Letter of Recommendation packet for counselors ended, October 19, students may still submit a packet to their counselor if it is at least four weeks in advance of when it is needed. The counselor will attempt to make this deadline. With the number of packets already received, it is not guaranteed that the deadline will be met.
Grading Period / Final Exams / Winter Break
Folsom High School will be closed for winter break starting on December 22st and second semester classes will commence on January 7th.
Final exams will be given on December 19th, 20th, and 21st. Minimum school days will be observed at Folsom High School on these dates. Please be aware that the school’s final exam policy does not allow students to take final exams earlier than these dates. If a student misses a final exam, an ‘Incomplete’ grade will be submitted by the teacher for that class. The student will have until January 18, 2013 to complete the missing final exam so that a semester grade can be posted. Failure to meet this deadline may result in a failing grade for that course.
Folsom High School’s first semester ends on Friday, December 21st, and semester grades will be mailed out the following week. Remember that semester grades are part of a student’s permanent record and will be posted to the official transcript. Any ‘F’ grades earned in core classes required for graduation will need to be repeated during summer school. Also, it is important to remember that most four-year colleges (including all UC and CSU campuses) require that students earn ‘C’ grades or higher each semester in all required courses. Juniors are reminded that the 2012-13 academic year is the last chance to improve their college GPA’s prior to submitting applications to prospective universities in the fall of senior year.
The FHS counseling department wishes all students and families a fulfilling Thanksgiving break, a joyous holiday season, a restful winter break, and a happy upcoming new year!
Nurses Corner
STUDENT MEDICATIONS 
If your student requires medicine at school, please complete the required release form(s) and send in the original, labeled container. Medication forms can also be downloaded at the FCUSD website: http://www.edline.net/GroupHome.page.
All meds are kept locked in the Health Office. Students may only carry emergency meds with a physician’s order (e.g., epipens, asthma inhalers, insulin, glucagons).
For more information call 355-1174 ext 3129
From the Attendance Office
Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year at Folsom High School! Listed below are a few reminders from the Attendance Office. Mrs. Burgess is handling the attendance for all students, A – Z. Please be patient when calling. 355-1174 ext. 3141 is for early dismissals and late arrivals. 355-1174 ext. 3140 is to report an all day absence.
We know that occasionally your student may forget assignments, lunch, books, lunch money, etc. You are welcome to bring the item into the attendance office but the item will not be delivered nor will a note be sent telling the student it is here. Your student needs to come to the attendance office to check for the item between classes.
When checking your student out of school for any reason, we ask that you please call ahead as it is very important to keep interruptions to the classroom to a minimum whenever possible. Please call either the night before the appointment, early morning the day of the appointment or have your student bring in a note before school. Many times your student may be in P.E. or at lunch and sending for them at the last minute takes much longer.
A student may not leave campus without checking out through the attendance office. If a student leaves campus without checking out, a parent cannot call after the fact to excuse the student and a detention will be assigned to the student.
Each student is allowed 10 days due to illness for the entire school year. If your student exceeds the 10 days they are required to bring a doctor’s note every time they miss school due to illness. If your student attends any kind of a medical appointment (especially an all day appointment) please have your student bring in a slip from the doctor, counselor, dentist, etc. If your student goes to the doctor and will be out of school due to illness, surgery, etc., the doctor’s note must have the exact dates the student has been and will be out of school. This note from the doctor enables us to code their absence as medically verified and the absence will not count toward their 10 day total.
In years past, we had a code used to excuse students who were out of school for vacation. However, our district is NO longer excusing vacation days during the school year. Vacation days will now be coded Unexcused and may result in Saturday school. If your family has planned a trip that will result in your student missing 5 or more school days or will be out ill for 5 or more days, please contact Mrs. Hartzell at 355-1174 ext. 3118 to discuss an Independent Study contract. Going to the DMV, airport, oversleeping, etc. are absences that are considered personal and are not excused and may also result in a Saturday school.
Occasionally your student may be marked absent for one period. Please send your student into the attendance office for an absence audit slip that the teacher must sign to clear the absence. If you receive a call stating your student was marked absent in PAWS it will be identified as 7th period. Please be diligent in calling to excuse your student’s absence to prevent a Saturday School being assigned.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Thank you!
Ginny Burgess 355-1174 xt. 3141
Folsom High School
Attendance Clerk A - Z
Year Book
Yearbook can be purchased on line at
www.jostensyearbooks.com?
|
