Falmouth High School Principal Notes
Week of September 8, 2008

ahutton@fps.k12.me.us                    207-781-7429 (ext 481)

Mon. Sept. 8 –A day
•    School Board WS- Consolidation 
o    Educational values-7 pm-music room
Tue. Sept. 9- B day
Wed. Sept. 10- C day
Thur. Sept. 11 – D day
•    Students participate in enrichment #1
•    Bonfire / Rally – 7 pm
Fri. Sept. 12- E day
Sat. Sept. 13- Disco Dance sponsored by Senior Class

Informational Items:
Please be sure to VOTE as an informed taxpayer!
On Tues. October 7, Falmouth residents will be asked to vote on two very important issues involving the construction of the new elementary school. We urge all parents and taxpayers to attend the informational meetings, read the information at the school district website (www.falmouthschools.org) and make an informed decision before voting.

On Tues. November 4, in addition to the political elections, you will be asked to vote on the Consolidation Plan to combine the Falmouth school system with MSAD #51. Once again, we urge voters to attend the informational meetings, review the facts and make an informed decision at the polls. Consolidation information and the full plan is available on the district site (www.falmouthschools.org)

FHS Open House- September 18 @ 6:00 pm- Please NOTE DATE!!
•    On Thursday, Sept. 18, Falmouth High School will hold their annual open house for parents. On that evening, parents will receive a copy of their child’s schedule and will follow an abbreviated schedule to meet teachers, see classrooms and learn about the curriculum. The event begins promptly at 6:00 pm…please mark your calendar now and plan to join us for this informative and enjoyable evening.

School Dance on Sept. 13
 Many students are very excited about the upcoming school dance on Sat. Sept. 13. Parents and students are reminded of the following dance guidelines:
•    The dance is held in the cafeteria from 8-11 pm and students need to enter the building though the rear art entrance.
•    No student will be admitted after 9 pm unless they have a justifiable reason and have been pre-approved by Mrs. Hutton or Mr. Hardy.
•    All school rules are in effect during the dance. Students should be reminded that arriving at a school event under the influence of drugs or alcohol will result in suspension.
•    If a student leaves the dance, he/she will not be allowed to re-enter.
•    Al students should be picked up promptly at 11 pm.
•    Two Falmouth police officers are on site during the event; students are not allowed to loiter in the parking lot before, during or after the dance.
•    If parents or students have any questions or concerns about the dance, feel free to contact me (ahutton@fps.k12.me.us)
Thank you for helping us make this a safe and fun filled evening for our students.

AUDITIONS! AUDITIONS! The Theatre Company at Falmouth High School will hold auditions for two fall productions. The auditions will be held on Wednesday September 10th and Thursday September 11th from 7 - 9 p.m. in The Theatre. There will be a crew sign-up and short parent/student meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 before the first auditions. ALL STUDENTS ARE WELCOME!
Dede Waite
Theatre Director

GUIDANCE NEWS:
COLLEGE PLANNING NEWS -  Fall SAT and ACT Information for Seniors:
Remember that next Tuesday, Sept. 9th is the registration deadline for the Oct. 4th SAT 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.

If your senior is planning to retake the SAT this fall (and we strongly encourage them to do so), 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.

SAT:  October 4, 2008
Regular registration deadline:  September 9, 2008
Late registration deadline (a fee applies): September 16, 2008
SAT:  November 1, 2008
Regular registration deadline:  September 26, 2008
Late registration deadline (a fee applies):  October 10, 2008

SAT:  December 6, 2008
Regular registration deadline:  November 5, 2008
Late registration deadline (a fee applies):  November 18, 2008

ACT:  October 25, 2008
Regular registration deadline:  September 19, 2008
Late registration deadline (a fee applies):  October 3, 2008

ACT:  December 13, 2008
Regular registration deadline:  November 7, 2008
Late registration deadline (a fee applies):  November 20, 2008

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 12th.  By working as a team we will best be able to provide the support that your students need.

Senior Meetings
Each senior has been 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.  Senior Meetings will be held during study halls.  Contact the Guidance Office if you would like to know the date and time of your student’s meeting.  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 15th.  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 Monday, 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 21st 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. 

Project Graduation 2009
The project graduation committee has the Recycling project for the month of October at the Bucknam Road.  If you'd like to help please call Kathleen Holt at 878-3948, or just help by bringing your bottles and cans!  Thanks.

1st Annual Falmouth High School Spirit Week!!!

We are so excited to announce our first annual Spirit Week September 8 through September 13th!  The following festivities will be taking place to kick off our athletic season:  Thursday, September 11th - Bonfire at 8:00 p.m. at FHS!  This is a time to recognize the fall athletics with introductions to coaches and teams.  We will also take time to remember those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.  We expect this to be a wonderful opportunity to bring the Falmouth community together and enjoy the festivities.
On Saturday, September 13th - High School Disco Dance at 8:00 p.m.
Please tell your friends and neighbors and encourage them to be a part of this week as we support our students at Falmouth High School.

Falmouth Education Foundation Update:  Reserve the date...FEF's Annual Fall Ball is October 4th! This year's Fall Ball 2008, will be held on Saturday, October 4th.
Invitations are being mailed this week so watch your mailbox!  If you haven't received an invitation, please pick one up at any school office or at the superintendent's office.  Please contact Stacey Ryan, mailto:sryan@maine.rr.com, with questions or for more information.  Thank you for your support of FEF's primary fundraising event!
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks so much,
Joan Drake
Board Member, Falmouth Education Foundation

Upcoming Events:
Sept. 18- Early Release day for students (FHS classes end at 11:20)
Sept. 18- Open House for parents starts at 6:00 pm
Oct. 1 – FHS PTO @ 6:30 pm