TERI, on 34 School St, Brockton, MA. Their telephone number is 508-894-4214. Also, plan to attend College Goal Sunday, on Sunday, January 25th, in the Green Cafeteria, at Brockton High School, to receive assistance filling out your FAFSA. Check with your guidance counselor for info.

If you need money for college, here are some helpful tips but remember that there is no need to be intimidated by the prospect of applying for finan-cial aid. Millions of families apply for aid successfully each year.

Here are some dates to help you stay on track. REMEMBER: When you are applying for aid time is money!

December • Apply for FAFSA PIN number (students & parents) www.pin.ed.gov • Apply for outside funding and scholarships • Complete financial Aid applica-

tion from colleges www.collegeboard.com

January—Complete and submit FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 www.fafsa.ed.gov

March

• Correct financial information on FAFSA from current tax returns.

• Pick up BHS local scholarship book from Guidance Department.

April

• Review financial aid Award Let- ters • Apply for Federal Stafford Loans as needed • Apply for private loans as needed • Send in BHS scholarship applica-

tions not later that April 1 A good community resource is

IMPORTANT DATES December 23- Term II Progress notices December 24-January 2- No school January 5– Financial Aid Seminar, 6:30PM Stonehill College January 24- SAT testing January 25- College Goal Sunday (2:00 pm) January 29- Term II marks close January 30- Start of semester II February 2-3- MCAS Bio re-test February 7- ACT testing February 10- Report cards issued to students February 16-20- No school (Winter Recess)

FRESHMEN: ARE YOU READY FOR COLLEGE??...AND LIFE??

SENIORS: FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIP TIMELINE

TIME IS MONEY!!!!!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Important Dates 1

Financial Aid 1

College Readiness 1

Crossword Puzzle 2

Improving Grades 2

Winter Blues 2

• $28,645 for students with a high school diploma or GED • $19,169 for students with no high school diploma. You should be making your plans NOW. You should be considering the following for the next three years: Take challenging classes; improve your study strategies and work ethic; set your goals for only A’s

Did you know that college graduates earn substantially more than high school gradu-ates? Based on a study done by the State University system of New York, the average 2004 annual earnings for college graduates were the following: • $51, 554 for students with a 4-year Bachelor’s degree • $36,032 for students with a 2-year Associate’s degree

and B’s; read outside of class: work hard and effectively on improving your writing and speaking skills; make the most of your summer. So, if you want that nice house, the new car, the good job, the ability to travel, to eat every once in a while, nice clothes, etc., then you will need to work now to obtain all that.

Green Guidance Staff: Alison Asiaf, Claudia Gallagher, Teresa Mascarenhas, Christa Philogene, David Rea and Gloria Rubilar

BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2008

Volume II

• Avoid stress. Don’t do more than you can really handle.

• Use vacation time wisely. Plan ahead. Divide long-term projects into manageable chunks.

• Concentrate on the positive. This holiday season might trigger past memories that may have been sad or negative. Cherish your current loved ones and bask in the warmth of true friendship. Seek help through your doctor if feelings of sadness or hopelessness last for more than two weeks.

Feeling dreary, tired, lazy, sad and depressed are the known symptoms of this Bluesy thing.

• Let the Sun In! Open the blinds/curtains when you get up in the morning. Go out! Get light!

• Go outdoors and get active. Go for a walk. Exercise regularly. You will burn calories and reduce stress.

• Socialize. It helps lift your spirits.

• Get plenty of rest.

PREVENT WINTER AND HOLIDAY BLUES

• Request a waiver and complete a buy back. Make sure you show your waivers to all your teachers and make-up work for each class. Waivers alone are not sufficient.

• Come prepared to class. Bring plenty of pens, pencils, note-books, etc.

• Do your class work, homework, and participate in class.

• Stay after school with your teacher or sign up for tutoring at the Access Center.

The above-mentioned strategies can help boost up your grades and pass your classes,

You are the only one with the power to change your future so all your efforts will count!!!

A TRUE BOXER NEVER GIVES UP!!!! : IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO IMPROVE GRADES Getting an F first term does not mean it is all over!! You still have time to im-prove your grade(s). A TRUE BOXER NEVER GIVES UP!

• Be proactive and take responsi-bility. Figure out what went wrong and correct it.

• Come to school everyday and be on time.

• Be organized.

TEST YOUR BHS KNOWLEDGE: A CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Page 2 BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL

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ACROSS 4. A special day in June. 6. Chess, bible study, Asian 9. Where you find your locker combination 10. I must sign up at collegeboard.com to take it 11. German breed, medium-sized, stocky, short-haired, pug-faced 13. 2nd floor shopping 14. "We are the ....." 15. Hero 16. Reason you don't want to go to the Assistant Housemaster’s office. 17. 95

DOWN 1.Talent search 2. Higher education 3. Merit based, need based 5. Successful completion a particular course of study in high school 7. John and Abigail Adams 8. The best place to get help 12. Hockey, soccer, swimming