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THE HALFWAY MARK!
Believe it or not, we are now passed the mid-year mark, with the end of the second quarter on December 22nd. The mid-year point in the school calendar is a good time to evaluate your academic progress and make decisions about how you want to finish out the rest of your school year. Of course, every good decision is backed by a plan, so consider what specific changes you need to make in your habits and touch base with your counselor and teachers if you are not sure how or where to begin.
Seniors must also remember that, although mid-year grades are the last set of grades that are factored into an admissions decision, any college acceptance is a conditional acceptance, pending successful completion of the senior year. If a student’s grades drop, the college may request additional information to understand those circumstances before finalizing a student’s matriculation to their college. So be smart and plan to continue to work hard through the second half of senior year.
Please submit requests for schedule changes on the Bishop Mclaughlin website found here at the bottom of the webpage in gold colored box with blue stars https://bmchs.com/academics/#counseling. The last day to make changes is Friday, January 19, 2024. Please not, the guidance department will make every effort to make the changes, however, due to class size, and conflict with other classes, not all requests can be made.
COLLEGE DECISION LETTERS
Seniors, please let your counselor know when you receive any admissions decisions (whether it is an acceptance, denial, or deferral) from the colleges/universities to which you applied. If you received a deferral, remember to write to the college to let them know that you remain a very interested candidate. Good luck!!
DON’T FORGET YOUR FINANCIAL AID!
This is a reminder that by now all college-bound seniors and their parents should have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Various websites offering help with filing the FAFSA for a fee are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Department of Education; many are scams.
SCHEDULING FOR 2024-25
Teachers in grades 9-11 will be speaking with their students regarding course options and will make formal recommendations for students for the 2024-25 school year. Teacher recommendations are based on student performance and work habits evidenced through the first half of the year. This recommendation can change if there is a decline or improvement in the student’s performance in the second half of the year.
At the end of February and through March, counselors will be meeting with students to discuss course requests, review recommendations, formalize course requests, ensure graduation requirements are being met, and encourage students to appropriately challenge themselves. We encourage families to read through the full list of academic offerings available through the Course Curriculum Guide which is accessed on the Bishop Website.
JUNIOR CONFERENCES
What are Junior Conferences? JCs are meetings designed to continue the work of counselors
have begun with students toward their post-high school planning. During these meetings, which include parents/guardians and students, counselors will:
· Review the student’s academic progress
· Provide planning specific to a student’s post-high school goals
Conferences with Juniors will commence in February. Parents are encouraged to attend, and a list of days and times of these meetings will be emailed out to the Junior class and their parents toward the end of January, if there is a need to change a time and date please email Mr. Geiger at matthew.geiger@bmchs.com.
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