2011 Providence Career Highlights Calendar

View/Print (2011 Providence Career Highlights Calendar.pdf 60kb)

Community Press Notice

Federal Student Aid Help Sites

View/Print (Financial Aid-- FAFSA help sites.pdf 119kb)

A Sampling of Scholarships Available to 2011 HS Grads

View/Print (sampling of scholarships.pdf 133kb)

Upcoming Career, College and Financial Aid Events

View/Print (December 2010 UPCOMING CAREER.pdf 575kb)

NAIA Scholar/Athelete Eligibility and Early Determination

Thank you for creating a profile for your high school! This ensures a smooth communication link to the NAIA Eligibility Center for your students who are registering to PlayNAIA.

Today, we are excited to tell you about the new Early Determination process that is now available to your students with a “B” average after junior year. If your students have completed their junior year of high school and have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and the minimum test scores required (18 ACT or 860 SAT) they can get an eligibility determination before graduating from high school.

Those students will need to request that you send their official transcripts to us and contact ACT or SAT to have their test scores sent and they’ll be on their way to becoming an NAIA student-athlete!

If you have any questions about the eligibility determination process or your role with the NAIA Eligibility Center, just email ECinfo@naia.org and we will be back in touch!

Sincerely,

John Leavens

Executive Director of the NAIA Eligibility Center

One College’s Breakdown of Merit Scholarships It Offers and How the Amounts Are Impacted by GPA and SAT/ACT Scores

This chart shows the amount of Merit Scholar Awards offered by Concordia College for various combination's of GPA and SAT scores.



View/Print (freshmen merit scholarships chart.pdf 1,058kb)

How Education Impacts Salaries and Unemployment

Report to the School Board

REPORT TO BOARD

DATE: Nov. 3, 2010
FROM: ASPIRE Program Coordinator, Janet Herring-Sherman
TO: YCSD School Board
ATTACHMENTS:

1. 78 students have signed up for ASPIRE to date: 43 seniors, 21 juniors, 11 sophomores, three freshmen
2. Year-to-date: Approximately 210 visits (drop-in and by-appointment) have been made to the ASPIRE Office; plus five parent visits.
3. Recruiting is in progress for two new mentors.
4. Annual Health Careers Day held at Portland Community College was attended by Program Coordinator.
5. Training was held for one new and three returning mentors; another training will be held in November.
6. An ASPIRE section has been added to the YC website. Thanks to Andy Ackerman!!!! This makes important dates and scholarship information easily available to students and their parents. More items about financial aid and the like will be added as time permits. We encourage students, mentors and staff to let us know what aids and information they’d like to see there as well. Andy also has set this up with a direct link to the YC Mentors Blog.
7. Yamhill Carlton ASPIRE’s FaceBook page has had 50 visits this school year. .http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yamhill-Carlton-High-School-APSIRE-Program.
8. An ASPIRE section with information about dates and signing up for the program was included in the Senior newsletter mailed to homes of seniors.
9. YC ASPIRE mentors’ blog has been updated by John Donehoo and Herring-Sherman. http://ycaspire.blogspot.com. Information will be added as time allows.
10. Year-to-date volunteers and mentors have spent 449 hours with ASPIRE mentoring and education.

2010 Portland Fall National College Fair

The 2010 Fall National College Fair will be in Portland on November 12 and 13.

View the web site

View a list of colleges that will be represented

Fall Senior Newsletter

This newsletter was mailed to the homes of all seniors.

Click to View/Print (Fall Senior Newsletter 11-10.pdf 128kb)

Upcoming Career and College Events

This document contains a list of College and Career events in date sequence.

Click to View/Print (10-12 short adapted UPCOMING CAREER.pdf 505kb)

COLLGE ADMISSION info at In Like Me website

EARLY ADMISSION: The Secret Handshake

Early Admission: the Secret Handshake (from Forbes)

ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES AT YCHS

YCHS Opportunities for Academic Assistance

Subject	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Math			Advisory- 1:45 to 3:00 Room  102
Biology Study Group		Advisory-Student Commons	Advisory 1:30-3:00 pm- Early release day-Student Commons		Advisory-Student Commons
Study Table (Before school)		7:30-8:00am-Room 311		7:30-8:00 am- Room 311
Study Table (After school)		3:00-3:30pm- Room 311	1:45-3:00 pm- Early release day- Room 311	3:00-3:30pm- Room 311
Teachers are available to help students before and/or after school.  Each day can change due to scheduled meetings or duties.	Check with teacher for availability	Check with teacher for availability	Check with teacher for availability	Check with teacher for availability	Check with teacher for availability

Edline is an easy way for you to keep up-to-date on your student’s progress via the internet.

To receive your parent activation code to access Edline, email or call:

Lori Chamberlain (503) 852-7600 or chamberlainl@ycsd.k12.or.us. 

Teacher and staff email addresses are available on the district web site as well as in the front of your student’s planners.  Teacher’s direct phone lines are also available in the student planner.

Students are requested to sign in and out of each scheduled study table for accountability.

OREGON UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS, 2011-2012

COST OF ATTENDANCE AT OUS SCHOOLS, 2010-2011

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR 2010-2011 (General awards we've been notified of year-to-date; list will be updated )

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION FROM YOUR ASPIRE OFFICE

• The local American Legion is sponsoring a High School Oratorical Scholarship Program “A Constitutional Speech Contest”.  A $1500 Scholarship is awarded to the state level winner; the national winner award is up to $18,000.  Stop by the Counseling Office for more information.

• The State FFA Scholarship packet is available for all FFA Seniors.  See Spearman for details.

• Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America Entrepreneurship Award Program for Girls 12-18. Submit a 250-word essay and letter of recommendation that endorses your business savvy, enterprise and community mindedness. Awards of $1,000 to $10,000. Deadline is Feb. 28, 2011. Details at or in ASPIRE.

• Gates Millenium Scholars Program: Need-based, renewable scholarship for those minority students who plan to study: computer science, education, engineering, library science, math, public health or science. Requirements: 3.3 GPA, community service and leadership; Pell Grant eligibility.DEADLINE IS Jan. 10, 2011. Apply online at www.gmsp.org or contact ASPIRE office.

• AXA Achievement Scholarship: Requirements: Applicants should be active in their mmunity, led a prject that helped others; and overcome personal challenges. $10,000 and $25,000 awards. Leanr more and download application at www.axa-achievement.com DEADLINE IS Dec. 15, 2010.

• Willamette University Music Scholarship Auditions: Dates: Nov. 13, 2010; Jan. 22, Feb. 21 and 25, 2011.300,000 in scholarships awarded each year to music majors and non-majors. For information: 503-370-6687 orwww.Willamette.edu/cla/music.

 ASK THE ADMISSIONS COACH BLOG, Newsweek

CRIB SHEET Education News Items from Around the Web, Newsweek

Education News for Parents blog from Newsweek

http://education.newsweek.com/blogs/loco-parentis.htmlhttp://education.newsweek.com/blogs/loco-parentis.html

NEWSWEEK 2010 COLLEGE RANKINGS and other education articles

LINK to "Counselors and Mentors Handbook to Federal Student Aid" 2010-2011

http://www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov/clcf/attachments/CMH10-11.pdf

NEWS REGISTER "VIEWPOINTS" ARTICLE ABOUT ASPIRE, Jan. 16, 2010

Viewpoints - Sarah Shipley - ASPIRE inspires careers

Published: January 16, 2010

Local mentors needed to help students obtain scholarships and succeed
Commentary
By Sarah Shipley
January is National mentoring month, a lucky happenstance as I make a plea for additional volunteer mentors for ASPIRE, or Access to Student Assistance Programs In Reach of Everyone.
The program, part of Oregon Student Assistance Commission, encourages students to participate in post-secondary education and helps them find ways to finance it.
"The ASPIRE program gave me the motivation to really put forth effort into my studies. I gained life lessons from the volunteer coaches that still hold true," Michael Whitfield said. He graduated from McMinnville High School in 2005.
ASPIRE offers information and money for educational opportunities, which range from public and private four-year colleges and universities to community colleges, vocational training and apprenticeships.
To do this, we need to build a sustainable community of volunteer mentors. Mentors help connect students to careers, colleges and other training beyond high school, as well as scholarships.
Started in 1998, the program now operates in 115 sites across the state. Schools apply to the Oregon Student Assistance Commission to participate in ASPIRE, a unique offering of scholarship administration and support.
Programs in Amity, Dayton, McMinnville, Sheridan and Yamhill-Carlton demonstrate the importance that these local high schools and communities place on educational opportunities for their students. Last year, ASPIRE student awards in these schools totalled more than $300,000.
ASPIRE's goal is to offer one-to-one mentoring to all students. The number of students participating is limited only by the number of mentors we can recruit and train. At smaller, rural schools, finding enough willing volunteer mentors can be a challenge.
Part-time coordinators at each school work with all students on a drop-in basis, but nothing can approach the value of a one-to-one mentoring relationship. No school in the county has enough volunteers to provide every student with an individual mentor.
Mentors receive training, called College 101 and Financial Aid 101. Active mentors include current college students, retirees looking to give back to the community, parents who want to practice before their children need to select a college and professionals in the local community. Some of the most effective mentors have little or no college education.
What does it require? Mentors should believe in the value of education and enjoy working with teens. Volunteers must pass a background check. For everyone's safety, meetings are conducted at schools, so mentors must be able to meet with students immediately before school, during student lunch or free periods, or just after school.
You can be a successful volunteer mentor with an average time commitment of only a couple of hours a month. Mentors range from 22 to 94 in age. Each volunteer brings unique experiences that can encourage a student in making choices for his or her own future.
ASPIRE also provides workshops, information and centralized resources in high school counseling and career centers. Together with mentors, the program opens doors for students who might not otherwise have considered further education. Here in Yamhill County, we have seen high school students who were homeless or supporting themselves secure funds to continue their education after graduation.
Working as a mentor is an incredibly rewarding way to make an investment in the future of Oregon.
Susan Wilson, a Y-C mentor, said, "Helping them determine the timelines for taking entrance exams, applying for admission or for scholarships - and celebrating the results of their efforts is very rewarding."
The most pressing need is for mentors who can meet with students; nothing works as well as someone who can ask the right questions and provide gentle guidance and assistance. But volunteers also are needed to help manage the dizzying array of reference materials and to update lists of possible national and local scholarships.
Give high school students the opportunity to investigate and secure their futures. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, please contact a local ASPIRE coordinator who can match your skills and energies with current needs.
Local coordinators
Amity: Shanna Ramos, shanna.ramos@amity.k12.or.us, 503-835-2181 ext. 295
Dayton: Debbie Kearns, debbie.kearns@dayton.k12.or.us, 503-864-2273
McMinnville: Sarah Shipley, sshipley@msd.k12.or.us, 503-565-4271
Sheridan: Tracey Grauer, grauers@embarqmail.com, 503-843-3938
Yamhill-Carlton: Janet Herring-Sherman, aspire@ycsd.k12.or.us, 503-852-7614
ASPIRE: www.aspireoregon.org.
Guest writer Sarah Shipley moved to McMinnville two years ago after 22 years in information technology at ExxonMobil in Texas. After serving as an ASPIRE mentor, she became McMinnville's ASPIRE coordinator. Her three daughters live on three continents.

NEWS REGISTER "VIEWPOINTS" ARTICLE ABOUT ASPIRE VOLUNTEERS, Sept. 25, 2010

Viewpoints: Sarah Shipley - Viewpoints - Looking past graduation

Columns | Sat, 09/25/2010 - 9:32 am | Read 372 | Commented 0 | Emailed 0

By News-Register Contributor

photo illustration

Commentary
By Sarah Shipley
The Oregon Student Assistance Commission began the ASPIRE program in 1998 to encourage post-secondary education and help students find money to pay for it. ASPIRE is an acronym for Access to Student Programs in Reach of Everyone. Staff and volunteers provide students and families with information about college, alternatives such as vocational and apprenticeships, and financial aid for education.
ASPIRE measures success by the number of students it helps. With the help of community volunteers trained by staff, we work directly with students and their families to ensure success for as many as possible.
What’s in it for high school students?
One of my favorite memories of my first year as program coordinator is of one prospective student, who interviewed me to determine if ASPIRE would be worth her time. At the end of the year, I was thrilled to see in her journal an entry stating that ASPIRE had been valuable for her.
Through ASPIRE and OSAC, Oregon offers high school students an array of tools to help with questions such as “What would be a good career for me?” “Which college is best for me?” “Where can I find an apprenticeship?” “Am I smart enough to go to college?” and “How can I afford to go to school?”
Of the 54 seniors enrolled in the McMinnville High School program in 2010, 23 received a total of 58 scholarships. At Yamhill-Carlton, the 55 students who received coaching earned 64 scholarships.
We know that, in addition to scholarships, many of the program’s students successfully filed FAFSAs (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) thanks, in part, to coaching and ASPIRE financial aid night sessions. This allowed many students to qualify for federal Pell Grants or Oregon Opportunity Grants to assist in paying for their education.
ASPIRE staff and volunteers provide information and mentoring to help students talk through concerns, organize information, keep track of key deadlines and check admissions requirements. They discuss ideas for essays, do proofreading and help interpret scholarship letters. They assist students using the state-administered electronic application to apply for any of the 400 scholarships in the OSAC database and help work with FAFSA staff to resolve any issues identified after FAFSA submission.
High schools in McMinnville, Amity, Dayton, Sheridan and Yamhill-Carlton have ASPIRE programs. To get started, a student need only fill out an application and get a parent’s signed permission. While the mentoring is most urgent for seniors, others — juniors, sophomores and even freshmen — are encouraged to sign up. This gives them a jumpstart on their plan for a successful future.
What’s in it for families?
ASPIRE and OSAC offer tools to help families find and gain access to opportunities for their students. Both the OSAC and ASPIRE websites have resources that anyone can research. In addition, OSAC also offers brief podcasts on key subjects such as completing the electronic application, avoiding scholarship scams and finding financial aid for foster youth. ASPIRE joins with career centers at these high schools to provide reference material and free government publications about job growth, salaries and resources.
What’s in it for volunteers?
You didn’t think I’d get through this without making a pitch for volunteers, did you? In McMinnville, 10 seniors did not have individual mentors. Some joined the program late or didn’t need a mentor. But for some, it was because there weren’t enough mentors.
This year, we are partnering with Linfield with the goal of expanding our mentor ranks with college students who want to participate in the community. Kelsie Burdick, a 2010 McMinnville High grad, serves as a mentor and as Linfield ASPIRE program student coordinator.
We need and would love to increase our volunteer ranks at all five schools in Yamhill County. Volunteers can be effective by donating as little as three hours a month. It’s a rewarding way to support and have a positive impact on our youth and young adults. We require a background check to meet school guidelines, and we supply training and materials. Please contact your local ASPIRE program coordinator to learn about becoming a volunteer.
Guest writer Sarah Shipley, coordinator for ASPIRE at McMinnville High School, moved to Oregon in 2007. She coaxed one daughter to follow her from Texas, but she must venture to France and Australia to visit the other two.

Thank you letters to Walk in the Park and Education Foundation for funding two scholarships for YCHS 2011 grads

ASPIRE Report to YCSD School Board, Oct. 5, 2010

REPORT TO BOARD

DATE:              Oct. 5, 2010

FROM:             ASPIRE Program Coordinator, Janet Herring-Sherman

TO:                  YCSD School Board

ATTACHMENTS:  thank you letters, Upcoming Opportunities list, News Register article

• 1.      Registration forms this year mailed with senior information packets prior to registration, with about 30 of these returned at registration or during first week of school.
• 2.      ASPIRE Program Coordinator and literature present at registration, Back to School Night and Club Rush.
• 3.      63 students signed up for ASPIRE to date: 34 seniors, 17 juniors, nine sophomores, three freshmen
• 2 new ASPIRE volunteer mentors
• 5.      15 returning volunteer mentors plus two volunteers
• 6.      Annual ASPIRE Fall conference at Warner Pacific University in Portland on Oct. 1 attended by ASPIRE Coordinator and six mentors, marking first time this number of mentors have attended.
• 7.      Oregon University System presentation for counselors held at Western Oregon University Oct. 5 attended by ASPIRE Program Coordinator.
• 8.      Oregon Student Assistance Commission’s ASPIRE representative for our region, Gretchen Beckner, conducted ASPIRE 101 and College 101 training for 11 mentors on Oct. 6.
• 9.      ASPIRE Program Coordinator selected for statewide ASPIRE Advisory Team. Funding from Gear Up and the federal College Access Challenge Grant  are being used to “grow” ASPIRE program from 115 high schools to 165 this school year.
• 10.  ASPIRE presentations made in five of six Senior Advisory classes to date. Began with exercise asking the students if they knew what these acronyms (important for every senior to know!) meant: FAFSA, OSAC, SAR, EFC, OUS, etc. Those with ASPIRE experience did, those without, did not.
• 11.  YC ASPIRE mentors’ blog created  You’ll find it at http://ycaspire.blogspot.com This in addition to Facebook page established last year. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yamhill-Carlton-High-School-APSIRE-Program.
• 12.  ASPIRE chosen by Education Foundation as beneficiary of Walk in the Park this past summer; presented with $1,000 for two scholarships for 2011 YC grads. (Thank you letters attached.)
• 13.  Scott Banke Memorial Scholarship Foundation provided a perpetual plaque with name of YC’s first recipient, 2010 grad engraved. Each year’s winner will be added to plaque.
• 14.  Comprehensive list of Upcoming Opportunities compiled by ASPIRE Program Coordinator. Includes  all known area  on-site and off-site events related to post-secondary education as well as SAT and ACT registration and test dates. Distributed for posting in classrooms. (Copy attached.)
• 15.   On Sept. 25, 2010, in the News Register’s Viewpoints section, an article about ASPIRE ran. It was written by McMinnville High School’s ASPIRE coordinator with the YCHS ASPIRE coordinator contributing. The link is:
• 16.  This term, a student aide is assisting in ASPIRE four times a week.