CLEP Testing Parent Workshop

IVC Guidance will be hosting a parent workshop on Wednesday, March 15th at 6:30 PM in the IVC Library to discuss the financial and academic benefits of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). CLEP exams are offered in many different areas and are similar to the AP tests. This may allow a student to post-secondary education with college credits. This workshop is great for seniors and their parents. Call Mrs. Placher in IVC Guidance with questions at 274-5481.

2017 SIUE Engineering Summer Camps

Two identical week-long residential camps are being offered at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville for all current Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors interested in various engineering disciplines as well as computer science and construction management. Session 1 is June 4 - 9 and Session 2 runs from June 11 - 16. The deadline to register for one of these camps is May 1, 2017. More information can be found at http://www.siue.edu/engineering/summercamps/

Become a Volunteer Firefighter!

The Chillicothe Fire Department is offering an opportunity for all high school students (grades 9-12) to become trained as a Volunteer Firefighter for the community. After a 1 day training, students will be certified to respond to fire calls, attend meetings and further trainings, and will have the opportunity to take higher education courses in Fire Science.

Important Dates:

Tuesday, March 14th: Assistant Fire Chief Greg Hurd will be at IVC during homeroom to talk with interested candidates in the Auditorium.

Thursday, March 16th: Greg Hurd and other members of the Chillicothe Fire Department will be in the High School Library from 4:00 - 7:00 PM (during Parent/Teacher Conferences) to meet with students and parents.

Applications for this program are found in the IVC Guidance office. See your counselor with any questions.

Local Scholarship Information

Seniors met in the auditorium this morning during HR period and were given a list of all the available local scholarships. Last year, over 40 scholarships were awarded totaling over $150,000. Although we do not have exact figures for all of this year's scholarships, it is pretty fair to expect an amount very similar to last year.

To view scholarship list, click here. Although parents are welcome to look at the scholarship list, only students can stop in the guidance office to pick up the applications. The exception is the Cusac application which is available as a link on the right. The presentation listed in Scholarship section includes the projected monetary awards. Most of the amounts are accurate but there are adjustments possible.

All scholarships due Friday, March 24 at 3:30. No late applications will be accepted.

Helen Jordan Truitt Scholarship Application and Workshop

The Helen Jordan Truitt Scholarship was established in 1987. Since its inception, the Truitt Foundation has awarded scholarships totaling more than $2 million.  Last year $95,000 was awarded to three IVC students.

Students are invited to apply for a Truitt Scholarship. The criteria for eligibility was established by the Truitt Foundation, not IVC High School.

College Funding Workshop

Click here for an enlarged view

The College Funding Coach will be hosting a free workshop at Dunlap High School on March 8th. To the right is the flier for the "Little Known Secrets of Paying for College" from The College Funding Coach. The flier has links embedded for parents to be able to register directly for the program. Parents need to register/RSVP for the event so that they know how many parents will be in attendance. The registration will also provide an attendance ticket for the parent, with the information printed on it, this also helps with check-in at the event.

This is a one time opportunity for this workshop. It is a great opportunity for parents to the ins and outs of the funding process.

SAT Test, Prep and Online Resources

SAT Test - The test is April 5th for all Illinois students. As a reminder to all students and parents, the SAT has replaced the ACT as the statewide test offered in Illinois. Registration will be done by the school. All the students have to do is prepare and take the test.

Prep Class - IVC will be offering a prep class for the SAT test. Scores typically improve for students who take prep classes.  The prep class begins Feb. 28th and will last until the end of March. Classes will be after school from 2:45-4:15 two or three days per week. An exact schedule will be out shortly. Students will be able sign up in Counseling Department starting next week.

Online Resources - There are a variety of online options available at no cost to help students prepare for the SAT. A few of those links are below.

• Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/sat - The Khan Academy is a fantastic resource to prepare for the SAT. The best part is that it is all free. SEVEN full length tests are offered as practice. Students also may upload their PSAT scores and Khan Academy will pinpoint areas where extra practice is needed.
• Testive - https://www.testive.com/illinois/ - Similar to Khan Academy, Testive offers practice questions in specified areas. It is free to Illinois residents until February 28th.
• Prep Factory - https://www.prepfactory.com/ - The Prep Factory uses a unique and interactive approach to address all of the aspects of the SAT test. There are videos and written tutorials for each of the areas. Best part - it is all free. Great resource.

Attention All Sophomores- You will be taking the PSAT 10 on March 15th, 2017

The guidance department would like to notify you of an important date coming up! On March 15th, all sophomores will be taking the PSAT 10. The district is paying for our sophomores to take the PSAT 10 in preparation for the SAT as a junior. We will complete a pre-administration session prior to the test date during your advisory period. We will send more information out in a few weeks. Please check out the following website for more details about the test and what to expect:

PSAT 10