Practice ACT

*Due to the SJCA school closing, the Junior ACT Practice Test is being rescheduled for Thursday, March 3rd. *

All Juniors will take a practice ACT this Thursday, February 3rd. We will self-score the test, which means you will find out your score immediately.

Make sure to treat this just like the real thing! It will help you understand the subject areas in which you most need to concentrate.

Good Luck!

Junior College Planning Tips-February

• Start searching for scholarships
• Register and study for the SAT and/or ACT

Senior College Planning Tips-February

• College acceptance and financial award letters start to arrive
• Watch the mail for your Student Aid Report (SAR). Carefully examine the results. A mistake could cause you to miss out on college funding.
• If there are special circumstances affecting your family’s financial situation, be sure to discuss them with the financial aid office.
• Don’t panic if you’re selected for verification. Just provide the college with the documents they need.
• Stay on top of important financial aid deadlines.
• Respond quickly to college requests for additional documentation.
• Compare financial aid packages from different schools.

SJCA faculty-run ACT workshops

Update! There is still room available for the English and Reading sessions. Sophomores are accepted, until capacity fills.

Juniors and Sophomores:

The Guidance Department at St. Joseph Catholic Academy will be offering after-school ACT Workshops in English, Math, Reading, and Science.  Each workshop will be presented by a St. Joe’s faculty member and run Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3-4pm.  The cost for each 3-day subject workshop is $10. 

·         ENGLISH          February 7, 8, 9                       (Sr. Virginia)

·         READING         February 14, 15, 16                 (Ms. Sereno)

If your student is interesting in taking any or all of these workshops, please complete the registration form listed in the Downloadable Documents section and return it, with payment, to Kari Stankowski.

Registration forms are also available in Room 114.

Please contact Kari Stankowski (kastankowski@kenoshastjoseph.com) with any questions.

Badger Boys State

The American Legion Auxiliary Badger Boys State session will be held at Ripon College in Ripon, WI beginning Saturday, June 11 and ending Saturday, June 18, 2011.

This opportunity is open to all eligible males in the Junior class.

To be eligible, students must:

•  Be enrolled in the junior year of a Wisconsin public, parochial or private high school or home school whether she resides in Wisconsin or a neighboring state.
• Imperative that he has an interest in government and citizenship.
• Have a scholastic rating in the upper third of her class. 
•  Have outstanding qualities of leadership, good moral character, cooperativeness, dependability and participation in extra-curricular activities.

Badger Boys State is an experience like none other.  It may be quickly described as a program which teaches the workings of government "by doing"; but it is much more than that.  It is a week long journey through a great many things that make us who we are; leaders, friends, students, athletes, and most of all citizens of our respective cities, towns, and our great state.  It is a journey which can be described as the most challenging and most rewarding (and fun) experiences by those who have already participated in the program.

If you are interested in being considered as St. Joseph Catholic Academy’s student delegate, please see Ms. Stankowski for a Prospective Delegate application and return it to her no later than February 15^th.

You can also visit the Badger Boys State website for more information: http://www.badgerboysstate.com/

Badger Girls State

The American Legion Auxilary Badger Girls State session will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus in Oshkosh, WI beginning Sunday, June 19 and ending Friday, June 24, 2011.

This opportunity is open to all eligible female stundents in the Junior class.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be enrolled in the junior year of a Wisconsin high school
• Imperative that she has an interest in government and citizenship
• Have a scholastic rating in the upper half of her class.
• Have outstanding qualities of leadership, good moral character, cooperativeness, dependability and participation in extra-curricular activities.

During this week, delegates will:

• Stay at UW-Oshkosh and experience dorm life
• Have a chance to meet awesome girls from around WI
• Participate in Campaigning, Pep rallies, State Fair and Talent Show
• Take part in a unique citizenship educational opportunity

If you are interested in being considered as St. Joseph Catholic Academy's student delegate, please see Ms. Stankowski for a Prospective Delegate application and return it to her no later than February 15th!

You can also visit the Badger Girls State website for more information: http://www.badgergirlsstate.org/

2011 Kwik Trip Community Scholarship Program

Kwik Trip Inc. is making one non-renewable $500 scholarship available to a senior at St. Joseph Catholic Academy!

To be considered eligible, applicants must:

·         Be accepted at an accredited college/university in the US and planning to take a minimum of 6 credit hours

·         Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

·         Exemplify the portion of Kwik Trip’s mission statement: “To Make a Difference in Someone’s Life.”  Applicants must exhibit good service to others through their school and community activities.

If you are interested in being considered for this scholarship, please see Ms. Stankowski for an application and return it no later than March 15th!

National Hispanic College Fair

National Hispanic Fairs, Inc. (NHCF), an organization formed to meet the specific needs of the fastest growing minority population in America, the Hispanic/ Latino, in obtaining access to higher education and vocational training programs, is sponsoring the

Lake County National Hispanic College Fair

Friday March 18, 2011

9:30AM – 12:30PM

Waukegan High School
Main Gym - Brookside Campus
2325 Brookside Avenue
Waukegan, Illinois 60085

This college fair brings representatives from a broad range of over 50 colleges/ universities and vocational training institutions to students, providing them a unique opportunity to become aware of their many options and to compare the offerings of participating institutions. Also available at the fair is information about scholarships and grants which may be available to students. NHCF has partnered with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to help achieve their goals of helping minority students gain the widest access to the resources available to them.

SJCA Faculty-Run ACT Workshops

Parents & Guardians of Juniors:

The Guidance Department at St. Joseph Catholic Academy will be offering after-school ACT Workshops in English, Math, Reading, and Science.  Each workshop will be presented by a St. Joe’s faculty member and run Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3-4pm.  The cost for each 3-day subject workshop is $10. 

·         MATH             January 24, 25, 26                   (Mr. Zachariah)

·         SCIENCE          January 31, February 1, 2       (Mr. Mroz)

·         ENGLISH          February 7, 8, 9                       (Sr. Virginia)

·         READING         February 14, 15, 16                 (Ms. Sereno)

If your student is interesting in taking any or all of these workshops, please complete the registration form listed in the Downloadable Documents section and return it, with payment, to Kari Stankowski no later than January 18, 2011.

Registration forms are also available in Room 114.

Please contact Kari Stankowski (kastankowski@kenoshastjoseph.com) with any questions.

National Italian Invitational Golf Tournament for Charities High School Scholarship

The National Italian Golf Tournament For Charities has been raising money for Italian-American organizations for the last 53 years. This is the sixth year the organization has been able to offer scholarships and will be offering two $7,500 high school scholarships to current freshmen, sophomores and juniors of Italian ancestry with a minimum GPA of 3.0. 

This scholarship can help fund your high school tuition!

Please note: The winning candidate must attend the tournament banquet on Saturday August 6, 2011 at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, WI in order to receive the scholarship.

You can learn more about this organization here.

College Goal Sunday is approaching!

Completing the Free Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important step high school seniors can take to help turn college dreams into an affordable reality.  The FAFSA is necessary for access to federal, state, and most institutional financial aid. 

Nationwide, College Goal Sunday events are planned annually to meet the need of helping these students and their families complete the FAFSA by providing them access to expert, hands-on, step-by-step help.

In Wisconsin, College Goal Sunday will take place on February 19-20, 2011 at 30 locations throughout the state.

Visit http://www.wicollegegoalsunday.org/ for more information!

Information about Illinois' College Goal Sunday can be found here.

Best Buy @15™ Scholarship Program

 Best Buy Children’s Foundation is awarding up 1,200 scholarships of $1,000 each to graduating high school students in grades 9-12 who will be attending a college, university or vocational school in the US or Puerto Rico in the fall immediately following their high school graduation.

ü  Applicants must:

o   Have a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale)

o   Demonstrate commitment to and involvement in community volunteer service or work experience

o   Have never been selected as a Best Buy @15 recipient

ü  Awards are one-time only and are not renewable.  Award payment will be made upon recipients’ graduation from high school and submission of eligible enrollment in an accredited post-secondary institution.

ü  Deadline is February 16, 2011

Apply online at www.at15.com or www.bestbuy-communityrelations.com

January College Planning Tips--Seniors

• COMPLETE AND MAIL THE FAFSA THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY
• TIP: Keep copies of your financial aid forms too.
• Continue studying and preparing for your classes and Term 2 finals. 
• Do NOT get senioritis and slack off during the second half of your senior year.
• REMIND PARENTS! Taxes should be completed as early as possible; colleges may request them to prove eligibility for financial aid.

January College Planning Tips--Juniors

• Organize a file for college brochures, viewbooks, and other related college information that soon will be flooding your mailbox.

• Continue studying and preparing for classes and Term 2 Finals. Remember: Each term grades impact your GPA

Winter College Planning Tips--Sophomores

Winter: Get involved, read, practice writing, and refine your college list

Take on new roles.
Stay involved with your extracurricular activities and work toward leadership positions in the activities you like best. Become involved in community service and other volunteer activities. These type of activities will look great to the schools on your college lists.
Read, read, read.
Developing your reading skills will help prepare you for tests and make you a well-rounded individual. Read as many books as you can and read the newspaper to learn about current affairs.
Practice your writing.
You’ll need good writing skills no matter what path you pursue, so work on those skills now to get prepared. Find a teacher or another adult who can advise and encourage you to write well.
Get advice from your counselor.
Meet with your guidance counselor to make sure you’re staying on track. You can also discuss your PSAT scores and ask about postsecondary enrollment options and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Winter College Planning Tips--Freshman

Winter: Focus on grades, explore careers, continue to find colleges, and consider a savings plan

Make the grade.
Get off to a good start with your grades because they will impact your GPA. Although college seems like a long way off right now, grades really do count toward college admission and scholarships. Those schools that are making their way onto your college list will be interested in these grades.
Explore your interests and possible careers.
Discuss your skills and interests with your guidance counselor. Your list of colleges may change in the future based on these interests.
Consider a college savings plan.
Talk to your parents about planning for college expenses. If your family already has a savings plan, continue to add to it. If not, now is a great time to start saving for college.