Principal's Notes
September 6-10, 2010
gpalmer@fps.k12.me.us          207-781-7429

SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK:

Mon. Sept. 6 -  Labor Day – no school
Tues. Sept. 7        A Day
Wed  Sept. 8        B Day
Thurs  Sept 9        C Day
Fri    Sept 10    E Day

Our first Week!

In order to manage the intense heat of the first week of school, the superintendent's office brought us 1,000 cups which were handed out class to class to all students who weren't carrying water bottles, and students were encouraged to take frequent water breaks. Also, all Thursday afternoon athletic practices were dedicated to low-level walk through or team meetings. We asked coaches to refrain from any aerobic exercise. My understanding is that all students made it through the day in good health.

Beyond the heat, we had a very good week. Students attended a number of school meetings and advisory sessions to get the year up and running. Please fill out the student information packets sent home with your son/daughter and have them return those to their advisors on Tuesday, September 7.

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS:

Parents are reminded to complete all forms and the master permission slip that students brought home the first days of school and return them to their advisors by Friday, September 10.

Guidance Information:

COLLEGE PLANNING NEWS
Fall SAT and ACT Information for seniors:
Remember that next Friday, Sept. 10th is the registration deadline for the Oct. 9th SAT test date, and Friday, Sept. 17th is the deadline for the Oct. 23rd ACT test date.

Both the SAT and the ACT are offered on several test dates this fall.  Below is a list of test dates and registration deadlines.

SAT:  October 9, 2010
Regular registration deadline:  Sept. 10, 2010
Late registration deadline (a fee applies): Sept. 24, 2010

ACT:  October 23, 2010
Regular registration deadline:  Sept. 17, 2010
Late registration deadline (a fee applies):  Oct. 1, 2010

SAT:  November 6, 2010
Regular registration deadline:  Oct. 8, 2010
Late registration deadline (a fee applies):  Oct. 22, 2010

SAT:  December 4, 2010
Regular registration deadline:  Nov. 5, 2010
Late registration deadline (a fee applies):  Nov. 19, 2010

ACT:  December 11, 2010
Regular registration deadline:  Nov. 5, 2010
Late registration deadline (a fee applies):  Nov. 19, 2010

If your senior is planning to retake the SAT this fall (and we strongly encourage students to take it twice), on-line registration is quick and easy at collegeboard.com.  HOWEVER, if your students do not remember their College Board user names / passwords from last year and they set up a new account, they will have duplicate accounts that will greatly complicate matters when they try to send their test scores to colleges.  PLEASE tell them either to call College Board directly (toll free at 877-756-7346) or to stop by the Guidance Office, and we will help them get their existing account information.  (Please note that their account information will only be given directly to students; we are unable to obtain it without the student present.)

Please also be sure to have your student include Falmouth High School’s school code – 200-278 – when registering for either the SAT or ACT.  This insures that their test scores are sent to us.

Both the SAT Reasoning Test and the SAT Subject Tests are offered on all SAT test dates; students indicate which they want to take when they register.

The ACT is accepted by virtually all colleges in place of the SAT Reasoning Test and accepted by many in place of the SAT Subject Tests.  Note, however, that the ACT is offered on fewer dates and at fewer locations, so test sites tend to fill quickly and it is wise to register early to get your choice of locations.

For a comparison of the SAT and ACT, please visit the “Testing” page of the guidance website at www.falmouthschools.org.  For complete information or to register, visit www.collegeboard.com or www.actstudent.org.  Registration for both the SAT and the ACT can also be done by mail, and forms are available in the Guidance Office.  Same day (walk-in) registration (an additional fee applied) is also possible when space is available at a given test center; contact the Guidance Office for more information. 

Fee waivers are available through the Guidance Office for any family with financial hardship.

Senior Parent & Student Questionnaires
All senior families should have received a Senior Parent Questionnaire for parents to complete and a Senior Student Questionnaire for students to complete.  These forms are also posted on the guidance website.  One of the most challenging activities for any guidance office is the writing of personalized, informative and helpful recommendations for our students to accompany their applications to college and other post-secondary endeavors.  In order to be able to write such a recommendation for your son or daughter, we are asking for your assistance.  Please complete and return both these questionnaires to the Guidance Office by September 13th.  By working as a team we will best be able to provide the support that your students need.

Senior Meetings
Each student will be scheduled for an individual Senior Meeting this fall, at which we will review their planning to date; talk about recommendations, testing, and applications; and plan next steps.  Students will also be encouraged to bring in their essays and applications so that we can provide feedback and review any questions they may have.  Senior Meetings are during study halls.  Please remind your students to attend this important meeting!

On Course For College:  Senior Year
The Guidance Office will hold an evening presentation for senior parents, On Course For College:  Senior Year, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, September 13th.  This session will focus on the senior year, and is intended to address senior parents’ concerns and questions, such as Creating and Refining the College List, Application Do’s and Don’ts, the Perfect Essay, and Financial Aid 101.  Senior parents are welcome to attend (and bring their questions) whether or not they attended last spring’s junior year session.

Financial Aid Night:  Oct. 27th
Falmouth High School’s annual Financial Aid Night, featuring Steve Joyce, Director of Student Aid at Bowdoin College, will be held on Wednesday, October 27th, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.  This important program will clarify the process of applying for financial aid and review and discuss the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS Profile.  The evening’s presenter, Steve Joyce, has spoken at FHS in the past as well as at numerous other area high schools.  He is in great demand for such presentations because of his extensive experience in all aspects of the financial aid process and his clear and helpful explanations of the intricacies of this frequently intimidating area.  While primarily intended for senior parents, this program is open to all members of the FHS community.  Parents who have questions or concerns about financing their student’s college education are particularly encouraged to attend.

College Representative Visits to FHS for Seniors & Juniors
Admissions officers representing a wide range of colleges and universities will be visiting FHS this fall, and will be available to meet with both juniors and seniors.  Most seniors are working on developing and refining their college lists, and are strongly urged to meet with the representatives of any schools in which they are interested.  These sessions are also open to all juniors, many of whom are beginning to research colleges this fall. (Please note that juniors must have teacher permission to miss class time.)  A list of colleges visiting FHS is posted on the guidance website and updated frequently, and a list of upcoming college visits is posted around the school each week.  Please encourage your students to meet with the representatives of any schools on their list.

College Fair at USM
Seniors and their parents are encouraged to attend the NEACAC College Fair hosted by the University of Southern Maine on Sunday, September 26th from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Costello Sports Complex on the Gorham campus.  Over 250 colleges and universities will be in attendance; for a complete list, visit www.neacac.org.  We strongly suggest that students bring peel and stick labels that include their name and address, (and possibly email address and intended major).  The time they save by sticking labels on college inquiry cards can be used to visit with more college representatives and to ask more questions.

The Common Application
Over three hundred colleges and universities now use the Common Application, which means that most students only have to complete this one form to apply to several of the schools on their list.  Most students fill out and submit their Common Applications on line at commonapp.org, saving time, paper and postage.  We will go over this with students at their Senior Meetings.  However, seniors can set up an account and begin work on their application at any time; they do not have to wait until they have finalized their list. 


SERVICE ACADEMY INFORMATION NIGHT:  TUESDAY, SEPT 28TH
Maine’s US Congressional Delegration, in cooperation with Maine Maritime Academy, is hosting a Service Academy Information Night on Tuesday, September 28th at the Clarion Hotel in Portland.  Registration begins at 5:30 pm and the program runs from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.  Attendees will learn about world-class educational opportunities; inquire about the nomination and selection process; discover alternatives to achieve their career goals, and find financial scholarship programs.  In attendance will be representatives from:  the offices of Sen. Olympia Snowe, Sen. Susan Collins, Rep. Mike Michaud, and Rep. Chellie Pingree; the US Military, Naval, Air Force, Merchant Marine, and Coast Guard Academies; the Army, Air Force, and Navy/Marine ROTC; the Maine Army and Air National Guards; and several private military colleges and state maritime academies, including The Citadel, Norwich University, Virginia Military Institute, and Valley Forge Military Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and SUNY Maritime College.  For more information, contact Maine Maritime Academy at 800-464-6565 or admissions@mma.edu.


POWERSCHOOL PORTAL:  IMPORTANT REMINDER
Please remind your students never to give out their PowerSchool Portal user name or password to anyone.  Teach your students to treat their Portal log-in information as they would the passwords for any other on-line personal information.

Any request for log-in information to any on-line account is an indicator that someone wants inappropriate access to your personal and confidential information, and you should be suspicious as to their intent.  This is as true for PowerSchool as it is for on-line bank accounts, FaceBook, or email. 

In addition, students’ educational records are protected under federal privacy law.  The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires parent permission for the release of any educational records for students under age eighteen years.  Any professional person working with your students should be familiar with FERPA; any request for access to the PowerSchool Portal should be cause for concern.

Everyone – parents and students alike – should be in the habit of keeping all their user names and passwords confidential.  If you think that your student’s or your own PowerSchool Portal account has been compromised, a new password can be assigned to it; contact the Guidance Office.

EF Educational Tour April Vacation: There will be a combined informational/update meeting for parents and students who are  going to or, are interested in going to, the EF Educational Tour, April 15-23, 2011, to Eastern Europe: Budapest, Krakow and Prague. This is not a school sponsored event. The tour is being led by Falmouth HS Studies Teacher Deb Hjort, and chaperoned, thus far, by Falmouth HS teachers Don Esty, Anna Wrobel and Jon Radtke. The tour is open to all Falmouth High School students and costs about $2300.  The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, September 7, 6:00pm -7:00pm in Room 103 at Falmouth High School. Students are also invited to attend our first tour group meeting of the year on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 7:15 am in Room 102.

Community Information:

SCHOOL STORE:

Welcome back to students and their Falmouth Families.   Shop the school store and support the booster clubs.  Check out the new items or just buy the basics.  Store hours are being set up and Parent Volunteers are needed.  We need store help a half hour a day (during lunch time 12- 12:30) or after school.   Remember this store cannot operate without volunteers.   FMI – please contact me at Shooz61@myfairpoint.net.

Save the Date!  FEF Annual Fall Ball
Saturday October 2nd  - New location—Portland Country Club!
Look for your invitation in the mail.

The Theatre Company at Falmouth High School proudly presents GODSPELL @ the FHS Theatre.
Thursday Sept 9 @ 8:00
Friday, Sept 10 @ 7:30
Saturday, Sept 11 @ 7:30
Sunday, Sept 12 @ 4:00
Tickets are available at the door, $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for students and seniors.

Volunteers Needed: Volunteers needed for the sign out front!  We need a volunteer to change the sign the 3rd Monday of every month, 4th Monday of every month and 5th Monday of every month.  Please check out the volunteer sign up form online, or contact Betsy Oulton directly at boulton@maine.rr.com.

Short Facts/Dates to Remember

•    9.1        Ran an evacuation practice for all freshmen during orientation
•    9.2        Had an all-school meeting in the gymnasium to begin the year
•    9.3        Ran an all-school evacuation practice   
•    9.6        Labor Day
•    9.9        Forms due for any freshman running for student council
•    9.13    Speeches and voting for freshman student council and class officers
•    9.14.10    Open house @ 6:00 p.m.