vrhs_faq

=**FAQ’S** =


 * ~How do I make an appointment to see my School Counselor? To schedule an appointment, visit the school counseling office and fill out a request form, located right inside the office entrance. Your counselor will then send a pass with a date and time to see you.

~How do parents make an appointment to see a student’s counselor? School Counselors at Valley welcome ongoing contact with parents and advise scheduling appointments in advance to address any concerns you may have. Please contact Mrs. Nicholson in the school counseling department to schedule an appointment or contact your counselor by email with questions or concerns.

~What should I do if I need help in a class? The first thing you should do is speak with the classroom teacher, to arrange for extra help, to find out what assignments you are missing, or to ask about the material you do not understanding. In addition, the National Honor Society has student tutors who can help you during a pre-arranged mutually convenient time. Contact Mrs. Bergman for NHS tutoring at: kbergman@vrhs.com, and make sure you see your counselor for help.

~I would like to receive free or reduced lunch. What should I do? See Mrs. Nicholson in the counseling office for a form to fill out and return to the main office. You will be notified if you qualify.

~I would like to do volunteer or community service. Who do I contact? Mrs. Castleman, in room 418 is in charge of these programs and maintains a bulletin board with contacts and information. You can also receive credit for these programs. kcastleman@vrhs.com

~Who do I see if I want to get work study credit? See Ms. Hambor, our School-to-Career coordinator in room 432, and note her link on the school’s website for further information regarding career internships, job shadowing, and job opportunities. mhambor@vrhs.com

~How do I get working papers? Please see Mrs. Downie in the main office to obtain working papers. You must bring a letter of intent from your prospective employer stating how many hours per week you will be employed. You must also bring your birth certificate to verify your age.

~I’ve lost my ID and password for Power School? Who do I get this from? Any secretary in the main office or counseling department can obtain this information for you. If you have an id or password that does not work, please contact Mrs. Rawn at crawn@vrhs.com.

~My student is sick. What is the procedure for getting missed homework/work? When you contact Mrs. Stoddard in the main office to let her know of your students absence, please let her know you would like to collect work. This is usually done for an absence of 2 or more days. Students are also encouraged to check the homework website and contact another student in the class for more information. If a student is going to be out for an extended period of time due to illness, please contact your school counselor to discuss necessary plans.

~I earned UConn credit for classes that I took at Valley. How do I make sure these get sent to the college I plan on attending? Send your: full name, address, specific names of courses you took through the UConn Early College Experience Program and the dates you took them, school name (Valley Regional HS), social security number, your signature, and the name and address of the college in which you would like the transcript sent. Mail this info to: UConn, Office of the Registrar, U Box 77T, Storrs, CT 06269. This info also appears in the back of our current course catalog.

~I want to participate in NCAA Division I or II athletics while in college. What do I have to do to be eligible? You will need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly called the Clearinghouse). Go online at: https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/. If you have further questions, please contact Ms. Duffy in the school counseling dept.

~I have an insurance form for a good student discount? Who signs this? You should bring this form to the counseling department and leave it with Mrs. Nicholson, who will forward it to your school counselor, and return it to you when information is verified.

~How do I get information about financial aid for college? Any student applying for financial aid must register for a pin number (ww.pin.ed.gov) and have parents fill out the FAFSA (free application for federal student aid) form. The web site is: www.fafsa.ed.gov, and may be completed starting in the beginning of January of the student’s senior year. You may register for a pin number before the FAFSA becomes available in January.

The School Counseling Department offers a seminar on financial aid in December for senior parents. Check the yearly calendar for the date and time.**


 * Males 18 years of age must register with the selective service to be eligible for federal financial aid.

~How do I apply for scholarships? The school counseling resource room keeps a book of scholarships that you can check throughout the year. Two great web sites are: www.finaid.org, and www.fastweb.com. In addition, the school counseling office puts together a packet of local scholarships that will be given out in March. Don’t overlook any of these great resources.

~Who should take SAT’s or ACT’s? How do I sign up? Most four year colleges require the SAT I or ACT scores for admission. Some may also require SAT II subject tests. Students should check specific college websites for this information. Most students should take their standardized testing starting in the spring of their junior year. Some may start taking them earlier depending on their college plan. Please discuss this with your counselor. In order to sign up, you should click on the SAT or ACT link on the homepage. Our school code is 070150. Should we also just list the websites www.collegeboard.com and www.act.org? Or is that overkill? I don’t know what the plans are for the homepage. ☺

~When are PSAT’s offered? PSAT’s are offered at Valley Regional in October of each year. They are given only once and you must sign up in advance in the counseling office. Students should listen to the announcements for deadlines. PSAT’s are a practice SAT and are usually taken after the student completes Geometry. Juniors who take the PSAT are eligible for National Merit Scholarship monies, depending on the scores achieved.****