IVC Suicide Awareness Week April 18-22

Next week, IVC Guidance Department will be hosting a suicide awareness week. The counselors and several students have come up with a variety of activities and information to help educate our school on the prevalence of suicide, the warning signs of suicide, and what to do when a friend is talking about suicide. The outline for the week is as follows:

Monday - Awareness Day
Tuesday - Warning Signs
Wednesday - Mental Health Day
Thursday - Where to Turn / Celebrate Individuality
Friday - Speak Up!!

We will be blogging each day about the different topics listed above, so check back for more information!

Illinois Central College Scholarships

Illinois Central College Educational Foundation offers more than 600 scholarships for all kinds of students. If you are applying to ICC for the Fall 2016 semester, go to icc.edu/scholarships to find scholarships that meet your needs. All applications are due April 1st.

Suspension on MAP Grants this Thursday

Only 54 IVC seniors have filled out their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Any seniors who have not completed their FAFSA are encouraged to do so before this Thursday. Below is the communication sent out by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC).

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is suspending the announcement of 2016-17 Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for applicants whose initial 2016-17 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after Thursday, March 10, 2016.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Check out where IVC seniors are headed next year on the bulletin board across from the guidance office! Seniors: be sure to tell your counselor your after high school plans to get your name added to the board.

Local Scholarship Applications Announced

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 Local Scholarship section includes the projected monetary awards. Most of the amounts are accurate but there are adjustments possible.

All scholarships due 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 $115,000 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.

FAQ's for 8th Grade Parents and Students

Below you will find many of the questions that have already been asked of the counseling department for the upcoming school year in the fall. Hopefully, this blog will answer many of the concerns that have come up already in the registration process.

If you do have a question other than those listed here, please give us a call (274-5481) or send us an email. We will try to get them all answered.

Click below to see FAQ's.

A How-to-guide to Registering for Freshman Year

Planning a schedule for freshman year can be quite an intimidating process. Hopefully this blog post will help students and parents through the process. Registration sheets are due by Monday, February 22nd to the student's grade school main office. Class selection should also be inputted into TeacherEase before Monday.

The front side of the registration sheet is the demographic portion. It is important that it be filled out completely since the information will be entered into the computer system.

ICC Honors Program - Deadline Approaching

ICC established an Honors Program to recognize those who exhibit academic excellence. Consisting of enriched forms of existing courses, Honors sections are based on active student participation through research assignments, in-depth class discussion, group projects and independent study. Students may also enhance leadership skills in community service activities. 

ACT Prep Class

ACT TEST - April 9th

Prep Class - Feb 8 - Mar 23

Registration for prep class ends Feb 1st.

Cost - $50 (includes ACT Prep book)

Class takes place two or three times per week from 2:45-4:15. 

Every point matters on the ACT.  It can make the difference between a $2,500 scholarship and a $10,000 scholarship.  All students are encouraged to take the ACT.

Continue reading for complete ACT Prep class schedule.

ICC Placement Test

Any senior who plans to attend ICC in the fall should register for the upcoming placement exam. The exam covers mathematics and reading.  Results from the exam will be given to each student by his or her counselor roughly a week after the exam.

Juniors who plan to take classes at ICC as a senior should also be taking the test.

Friday, March 11th

8:30 a.m.

Please sign up in the Guidance Office ASAP.

Local Scholarship Dates Announced

Each year, over $160,000 is given out in local scholarships. These scholarships range from $250 to $75,000.  Last year, there were 45 different scholarships awarded to graduating seniors.  With the growing cost of college, every penny helps.

Here is a breakdown of the upcoming dates...

Peoria Area Regional College Fair - March 3rd

High school students and their families will have the opportunity to learn about nearly 100 colleges and universities during the 2nd annual Peoria Area Regional College Fair on Thursday, March 3 at the Renaissance Coliseum on the campus of Bradley University in Peoria. The fair will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and admission is free. 

Bradley University, in collaboration with the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling and area high schools, presents this opportunity for students beginning their college search to speak with college and university representatives from around the country.

A list of participating institutions, parking instructions, and other details are available at bradley.edu/collegefair.

FAFSA Workshop

All parents and students are invited to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid workshop on Wednesday, January 20th at 6:30 pm in the IVC Library. Seniors and their parents are strongly encouraged to attend this workshop as financial aid as well as most scholarship opportunities require the completion of FAFSA.  ISAC Representatives will be present to walk students and parents through the FAFSA process.

Wednesday, January 20th

IVC High School Library

6:30 P.M.

Registration for 2016-17 is upon us!!

It is that time of the year. Registration meetings have started. Check out all of the information that was distributed to the students by clicking on the links to the right.

Included on this blog:
-- All registration sheets
-- All forms
-- Course catalog
-- Instructions on how to register online
-- PDF version of presentations to students

Start Thinking Scholarships!!

The price tag on college can be scary, but students rarely, if ever, pay the 'sticker price.' Looking and applying for scholarships is a great way to help pay for the cost of tuition, books, room & board, and other expenses. Be sure to check out the scholarship bulletin board in the guidance office to see the latest available scholarships.
www.studentscholarships.org/newsletter.php has a list of scholarships ranging from $500 - $10,000.

Financial Aid/Scholarship Seminar

The 32nd annual Financial Aid / Scholarship Seminar will be hosted at Richwoods High School Auditorium on December 2, 2015 from 7 - 9 PM.

Get free scholarship and financial aid information presented by representatives from various organizations including Peoria Promise, ISAC, Richwoods HS Scholarship Advisor, Midstate College, and CEFCU.

All Peoria County college-bound juniors, seniors, and parents are welcome and encouraged to attend. Save the date and plan to attend for an interactive Q & A session with the presenters.

For questions about the event, contact Jim Bixby at 309-253-1491 or email at jbixby@mtco.com.

Registration Meeting Dates Set

Meetings for next year's class registration are as follows:

• Dec. 1st - Juniors
• Dec. 2nd - Sophomores 
• Dec. 3rd - Freshmen

All meetings will take place during extended homeroom in the auditorium.

ICC Visits the Seniors

Seniors planning to attend ICC next fall met in the auditorium this morning for an informative presentation about schooling next year.  Margot Birkner spoke to roughly 25 students about programs, scholarships, placement testing, and deadlines.

Some important points covered:

• Honors Program - students with an ACT score of 27 or above are eligible to apply. Admittance into the program includes full tuition waiver. Deadline is February 15th.
• ICC Scholarships  - There is one application for all scholarships. Application opens in mid-January. Deadline is April 1st.
• Placement Test - Will take place in March. Date TBA.
• Registration for Fall Classes - Begins April 1st.
• Special Note - Application deadline for students interested in the Two-year Health Career Program is mid-January. This does not apply to students who plan to transfer to a 4-yr program.

Any students who have questions can stop and talk with their guidance counselor.

Online Classes through ICC

ICC will be offering 7 on-line classes exclusively for high school students to earn college credit. The classes will be 14 weeks beginning February 1, 2016. Classes include Composition I and II, Intro to Psych, Intro to Soc, Medical Terminology, Intro to Business, and Business Computer Systems. Students should enroll online before February 1. Any student interested should see their counselor for more information!

Road Trip #2 (Off to WIU)

The second IVC Road Trip will be heading to Western Illinois University.  The trip takes place on Tuesday, October 13th.  We will be leaving at 7:30 and returning by 3:15.  The trip is open to seniors.  Students will only need lunch money.

This is a great opportunity for the students to see a mid-size state university.

--UPDATE-- There are only three spots still available for this trip.

Voice of Democracy Contest - $500 up for grabs

One IVC student will walk away with $500 in this year's Voice of Democracy Contest sponsored by our local VFW.  Students need to create a 3-5 oral essay on the topic "My Vision for America." The competition is open to all IVC students. Deadline is November 1st.  Students should see their counselor for registration sheet and rules.


Topic: My Vision for America
Top Prize: $500
Second Prize: $200
Due Date: November 1st
For more details: Ask a Guidance Counselor

Basically students will need to write an essay and then transcribe it to an audio file.  It is actually quite simple.  The teachers at the high school use many different programs to save audio.  Students should ask their English if they are unsure what program to use. 

PSAT TEST

The PSAT/NMSQT is a great way to preview and practice for the SAT. It will test the same skills and knowledge as the SAT — in a way that makes sense for your grade level.

When you get your test results, connect your College Board and Khan Academy®accounts to get free personalized SAT study recommendations.

The test is October 14th, 2015. We start promptly at 8:00 a.m. We will test in lab 99, be early! The fee is $15.00 and due when signing up. Please make checks available to Illinois Valley Central High School. We have limited spots so the deadline to sign up is September 25th, 2015. Please call Mrs. Myers or Ms. Lee with additional questions (309) 274-5481. Please see below the changes that have been made to the 2015 PSAT/NMSQT.

College Information

Be sure to check the guidance calendar (click here) for the latest info on visiting colleges to IVC. First up, Western is here September 8th. Look for more information in guidance!

Attention all freshmen and sophomores students in health and behind the wheel, this Thursday, September 3rd, you will taking your NWEA MAP tests during extended homeroom in the library. Please bring your chromebook and an alert mind! 

Parents, here is a link to the NWEA's toolkit that provides insight to their different assessments. Please call the guidance department if you have any questions. 

https://legacysupport.nwea.org/node/4661

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” ~Buddha

"The things you say, the things you think, the things you do—even the things you don’t do—all produce energy that impacts you and the people around you. If you work on creating more positive energy, you’ll see improvements in your life and you’ll touch more lives than you thought possible."

Spread some positive energy today by telling a loved one how awesome they are! Happy Wednesday everyone! 

Parent College Breakfast

Combatting Test Anxiety

(We wanted to repost this article again to address the topic of test anxiety)

"I know the material but when the test arrives, I draw a blank."  We hear that quite frequently in the Guidance Department. Test anxiety can most easily be described as the excessive worrying about performing well on a test. Test anxiety can be very tough to overcome. With a little bit of work, though, it can be reduced.

• Preparing for the test is the best way to counter test anxiety.  The #1 reason for test anxiety is that the student is not confident that he or she truly knows the material. Confidence comes from preparation.
• Reducing negative thoughts is so important when taking a test and preparing for that test. Think positive.  Nothing will be gained from dwelling on "horrible things will turn out."
• Exercising actually helps with test stress. Go for a run or work out before a big test.
• Getting a good night's sleep plays a huge role in reducing text anxiety. Being well-rested will make it so much easier to focus on the test and not the anxiety getting in the way of doing well.
• Taking your time on a test will help reduce anxiety.  Do no rush through it; do not worry about when other people are finishing.  Pace yourself well.  If a question is taking too long, move on and come back to it.
• Chewing gum during the exam helps you focus more on the test and less on the thoughts that make you anxious.
• Starting with the easier questions first will help you build confidence to attack the more difficult parts of the test later.

Great News About AP Testing

----Press release from the College Board AP Program----

The Advanced Placement Program® is happy to share with you the tremendous news that Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner last week signed into law HB 3428, legislation requiring all Illinois public colleges and universities to award credit to students who submit scores of 3 and higher on AP® Exams. This applies to entering freshmen at Illinois public institutions of higher education beginning in the fall of 2016.
This new policy will ensure that Illinois students receive the college credits they can earn as a result of their hard work in AP. At a time when AP participation and performance has increased significantly in the state, this law provides more students with a greater opportunity to graduate from college on time.
Our community — including educators, students, and families — played a critical role throughout the legislative process. We appreciate those of you who contacted elected officials expressing support for this important initiative. Your voices clearly were heard, as reflected in the overwhelming bipartisan support the bill received.
We are also grateful for the leadership of the bipartisan group of public officials who worked for this result, including Governor Rauner and the bill's authors: Representatives Carol Sente (Vernon Hills) and Mike Fortner (West Chicago) and Senator Pat McGuire (Crest Hill).
Graduates of the class of 2016 who attend Illinois public institutions of higher education will be the first students to benefit from this new law. We appreciate your unique role, as AP educators, in ensuring that students and parents in your community are aware of this exciting news.

Sincerely,
Advanced Placement Program

ATTENTION FRESHMEN!!!

ALL incoming freshmen will attend the Link Crew freshman orientation on Wednesday, August 12th, 2015 from 8-12. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes - you will be movin' and groovin'. Questions? Contact Laura Stewart at lstewart@ivcschools.com or call 309-274-5481.