Weekly News 10222018 to 10262018
Lillie Henry - Magnet Coordinator
Hello McFatter Family!
Last week, we wrapped up the first marking period where all students completed the first half of their classes. On Monday, everyone begins again with the second half of their courses. By now, all students should have spoken with their assigned school counselor about any spring scheduling concerns and Broward College Dually Enrolled students need to turn in their spring schedule to their counselor this coming week.
Additionally, letters were sent home to parents of students who did not complete their Back to School documentation online. If you still need to complete yours, it is urgent that we receive the information this coming week. The easiest way to get it done is by going to www.browardschools.com/bts. The information asked is needed to update emergency contact cards, code of conduct, media release (to include yearbook pictures), and much more. Please help us to get the information up to date in your student’s record for the 2018-2019 school year.
This week our Homecoming week with lots of fun theme events daily, including the dance at the end of the week… See details below.
We are also hosting our first Parent Seminar of the school year on Tuesday. We have an outside speaker coming in to present the 2019-2020 updates for Financial Aid. There are a few seats left by going to https://mcfatter-parent-seminars.eventbrite.com or calling Ms. Dixson on Monday at 754-321-5718.
As always there is a lot of new information below… and key events all week beyond what is mentioned above.
Take care,
Lillie Henry
Important Dates:
October 22nd: Picture Retakes
October 22nd-26th: Spirit Week (HS Lunch Period, Mall Area) (details below)
October 22nd: BCPS College Fair (at NSU Arena)
October 23rd: Internal Sports Competitions, Basketball–Game 6 (HS Lunch Period in the ARC)
October 23rd: Parent Seminar (6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M., Cafeteria)
October 24th: Internal Sports Competitions, Basketball–Game 7 (HS Lunch Period in the ARC)
October 24th: Flag Football Game vs. Sheridan Technical HS (5:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. at Sheridan Technical HS)
October 25th: Sandy Hook Promise “Start with Hello” student and staff training
October 25th: NCAA Parent Meeting at Coral Springs high School (6:30-8:30pm)
October 26th: Pep Rally at 2pm
October 26th: Homecoming Dance (7:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M., Signature Grand)
October 29th: Inter-Club Council Meeting (12:19 P.M. – 1:01 P.M., Room 411)
October 31st: Costume Contest (Extended Lunch Schedule, Mall Area)
November 3rd: Discovery Fest (9:00 A.M. -12:00 P.M at McFatter)
November 3rd: FAFSA Lab (9:00 A.M. -11:30 A.M., McFatter Media Center)
December 1st: ED Talk at Flanagan High School (See attached)
For any referenced attachments, please go to https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VuRZMN8SYBC-K_RQwp8Ii4-NHQWh1-Hm
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PICTURE DAY MAKE-UP:
Picture retake day will be on Monday, October 22, 2018, Building 1 room 149.
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ATTENTION SENIORS:
With the October 1st opening of the 2019-2020 FAFSA Applications, you will find an attachment to help you best prepare for an efficient process titled FAFSA Directions. On October 23rd, we will be hosting our first Parent Seminar on October 23rd. If you would like to join us, please RSVP at www.mcfatter-parent-seminars.eventbrite.com by October 18th. Additionally, we will be hosting a FAFSA Lab from 9-11:30 on Saturday, November 3rd in the McFatter Media Center.
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FALL SPIRIT WEEK:
Spirit week is coming; start planning now! The week of October 22nd, will be the Fall Spirit Week for McFatter. Each day will have a theme and the week will wrap up with our Homecoming Dance. We encourage students to participate in all or some of the events.
The themes for each day are as follows:
Monday (10/22): Pajama Day
Tuesday (10/23): Rep your Country/Culture Day
Wednesday (10/24): Opposite Day
Thursday (10/25): Meme/Character Day
Friday (10/26): Class Color Day and Homecoming Dance
***********************************************************DISCOVERY FEST EVENT:
Come join us at McFatter
Technical College and High School for our 5th annual Discovery Fest on
Saturday, November 3 from 9am - noon. Discovery Fest is a FREE,
fun-for-the-whole-family event. No wristbands or tickets to purchase on
site. Just come and enjoy the morning with us.
Discovery Fest boasts live entertainment, food demonstrations & tastings,
photobooth, face painting, arts & crafts, health & wellness checks and
screenings, LOTS of giveaways & prizes, animal rescue and pet adoption,
Broward Fire Academy rescue vehicle, community information, and many, many
hands-on family fun/kid friendly activities. So please JOIN US at McFatter Tech
Saturday 11/3 from 9am-noon for Discovery Fest. Fun, food, entertainment and
exploration. And it’s all FREE for you and your family. You can get full
details at www.discoveryfestmtc.com
See you November 3rd!
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HOMECOMING 2018:
Ticket for homecoming are on sale now until 10/25/18. This year’s homecoming dance is on 10/26/18 at the Signature Grand from 7pm until 11pm. Buy your tickets early before they sell out. This year’s theme is “A Night in New York”.
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BCPS UPDATE:
The
safety and security of our students, staff and schools remain the highest
priorities for Broward County Public Schools (BCPS). We encourage everyone to
‘say something if you see something’ because the safety of our schools is the
collective responsibility of the entire community. We want to make you aware of
a couple of resources that have been developed to improve public safety by
allowing individuals to report potential threats and suspicious activity.
Read
the Superintendent’s Letter (link
to the letter)
SMART update: Click the link to get the October Smart Update:
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2018-2019 BTC FOUNDATION EVENT:
Mark your calendars!!! The 18th Annual Scholarship Foundation will be on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. We will be at a new location this year: The Charles Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines. This is a HUGE beautiful facility so share with your friends and come help us expand our scholarship opportunities for students!
At this time, we are looking for event sponsors… all we need is a commitment to sponsor (at what level) and a registration form from a restaurant (in the attachments). All sponsors and culinary participants who notify me before December will be listed on the invitation. Our hope is that you will share it with you contacts and the businesses that you frequent.
As a part of the way to raise money, baskets are donated by clubs, organizations, and individuals. We will be collecting baskets until March 1st, as they must be inventoried and added to the program by March 5th. Included in the attachments is a donation letter to help get goodies.
We hope to increase our scholarship pool to be able to provide more scholarships this year. Thank you.
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PARENT SEMINAR:
We will be holding 3 parent seminars for the 2018-2019 school year. These events are designed to keep parents abreast of resources available on varied topics to assist their students. This year’s Parent Seminar topics are:
October 23: Paying for College: Financial Aid 101
January 29: Maximizing Success at McFatter in Academics and Technical Programs
March 12: Essays and Resumes: What are colleges and scholarships looking for?
You can RSVP by going to www.mcfatter-parent-seminars.eventbrite.com
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COLLEGE FAIR:
BCPS College Fair will be held at Nova Southeastern University on Monday, October 22nd. Currently there are over 120 colleges, universities, and or military branches signed up to attend. There will be multiple workshops and a FAFSA Lab. The workshop times are 6:16 - 7:00 and 7:15 - 8:00 pm. See the attached flyer, and to add the fair to your academic calendar. Interested students are encouraged to register prior to arrival to skip the lines.
NACAC's Performing & Visual Arts College Fair which is taking place in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, October 28. The fair, which will feature booths from over 100 universities, festivals, and conservatories, will be held from 1:00-3:00 pm at the Rick Case Arena at Don Taft University Center located at 3301 College Avenue on Nova Southeastern University's campus. All attendees will also receive TeenLife's 2018 guide to Performing & Visual Arts Colleges.
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News from Ms. Lynn, BRACE Advisor (multiple attachments):
Please call (754)321-5805 with any questions you may have regarding BRACE News.
Congratulations to the following students who were offered admission to various schools. Shoshana Abrebaya - FAU, Jacob Ilas and Ethan Marshall - Florida Polytechnic University. Great job!
November 1st - November first is a very important date in the college admissions world. For many schools this is the first, or only, application deadline date. This is the only deadline for the University of Florida. It is important for students to pay attention to the deadline requirements for each school. FSU requires all components of the application (application, application fee, SSAR, self-reported test scores, essays, etc.) to be submitted by Nov. 1st. Students need to know what each school needs in order for an application to be complete, and any deadlines that go along with it. (Application deadline, SSAR deadline, Financial Aid deadline, Scholarship deadline, etc.)
Tuesday, Oct. 10th, was our Annual Bright Futures (BF) Authorization Day. To date 107 of our 140 seniors have completed their Florida Financial Aid application (FFAA) (Bright Futures Authorization Form). All of our students were unofficially evaluated on Sept. 21st. Currently we have 12 students who qualify for the Florida Academic Scholars Award (FAS), 19 for the Florida Medallion Scholars Award (FMS), 5 for the Gold Seal CAPE Award (GSC), and 21 for the Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (GSV). Keep in mind that this is an unofficial evaluation. All students who complete the FFAA, will be officially evaluated at mid-year and then again during the summer after graduation. All seniors were given a personalized BF evaluation. They should understand where they stand and what they need to do in order to qualify a Bright Futures Scholarship.
I also spoke with the students about the FAFSA. I explained that there are two financial aid applications that they should all be completing. One is the FFAA (BF authorization form). The other is the FAFSA. l do not complete the FAFSA with the students as it requires personal income information. The students and families need to complete the FAFSA on their own or they can come to one of the FAFSA labs being held at the BCPS college fair on Oct. 22nd around the county on various dates.
Seniors - You will have multiple tasks assigned to you throughout the year. The first task is the "Beginning of Year Senior Survey." It is a quick 7 question survey. Every senior must complete the survey. To date only 62% of our seniors have completed this task. If you are having trouble logging in to Naviance, it is probably because your password was changed. You will need to see Ms. Lynn in order for your account to be corrected.
It's FAFSA Season! - Hopefully you are planning on joining us for our Parent Seminar on Oct. 23rd. This will be a workshop explaining the how to and why complete a FAFSA. In addition to this seminar we will have a FAFSA completion lab at our Discovery Fest on Nov. 3rd. You are also welcome to attend any of the FAFSA labs and workshops around the county. See attached document for dates and locations.
Seniors and Parents: Do you want to get a head start on financial aid? There are a couple of things that you can be doing now.
1. Research and apply for scholarships. Naviance Student is an awesome scholarship resource. There are numerous scholarships, both local and national, on the scholarship database. The scholarship information is listed under the colleges tab, on the student's Naviance record.
2. You can complete the 2018-2019 FAFSA (based off of 2016 tax information). It is available at FAFSA.ed.gov. This FAFSA would be appropriate for students who think that they may want to go to school starting the summer after graduation. The 2019- 2020 FAFSA will be available on October 1, 2018 (using 2017 tax information). Once you have one FAFSA in place, it will be easier for you to update information for following years, as you will have to complete a FAFSA for each academic year. It will also give you an idea of your estimated family contribution (EFC) and/or the amount of money that might qualify for or be offered.
RaiseMe - Students (all grade levels) and parents, are you aware of Raise.me? It is a way for students to earn micro-scholarships for things that they are already doing (i.e - completing a FAFSA, taking AP courses, earning an A). Raise/me has partnerships with many schools across the country. I highly recommend that all students create and update a Raise.me account. https://www.raise.me/
Mindworks SAT Prep Boot Camp - Mindworks offers one day SAT prep boot camps. This year they have two scheduled at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) - Oct. 27th and March 3rd. The cost is normally $199 for the day. This covers the test prep, breakfast, lunch and snacks. They have $5000 worth of scholarships for each test date for students with financial need. They are also willing to offer reduced prices to individual families on a case by case basis. See attached flyer for details or visits:
Registrations: https://www.mindworksprep.com/boot-camps.html
Scholarships: https://www.mindworksprep.com/sat-scholarships.html
As Homecoming season comes around, I would like to make you aware of Becca's Closet (see attached flyer). Becca’s Closet is a national non-profit organization that has been making homecoming, military ball & prom accessible to tens of thousands of U.S. young people since 2003 by donating dresses to deserving high school girls with financial need.
SAT & ACT Test schedules - Please see attached flyer for the 2018-2019 SAT and ACT test dates. Pay attention to the registration deadlines.
If you have not already taken the SAT and/or ACT you need to register asap. Attached is a list of the 2018-2019 test dates. Most colleges and universities have their applications available. All transcripts should be requested through your Naviance Student (formerly known as Family Connection) account. The students will go to: student.naviance.com/wtmtc or log on using your Broward County single sign on. The log on and password are similar to virtual counselor (Student ID # 06....and birth date for password (MM/DD/YYYY).
Traditionally students take the SAT and or ACT for the first time during the spring of their junior year and a second time during the fall of their senior year. Both of these tests are college entrance exams. Schools will accept these tests equally. It is recommended that students take both the SAT and ACT. This way they will be able to determine if they have a strength on one test over the other. Keep in mind that most schools look at the scores that are most favorable to the student. At the time of registration, students are able to send their scores to 4 schools for free. If students wait until after testing to send these scores, they will have to pay a minimum of $12.00 to have their scores sent. It is the student’s responsibility to have their scores sent to the various schools. Schools will only accept official score reports which are sent directly from these testing agencies.
Free and Reduced Lunch - There are many benefits to qualifying for free or reduced lunch, other than the meals themselves. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch are eligible to receive SAT and ACT fee waivers for both their junior and senior years (1 per test, per year). Additionally, seniors who have taken a test using a fee waiver are able to receive college application fee waivers. If a student were to take advantage of all of the fee waiver offers, they could save over $500. It is well worth the time to complete an application to see if you qualify.
Fee Waivers are
now available in the BRACE
office for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
On Campus Events: College visits are open to juniors and seniors.~ All students must have a college
visit pass to attend.~ The student must sign up through Eventbrite (http://www.eventbrite.com/o/brigitte-lynn-8407916290) to
get a college visit
pass/ticket. ~ Space is limited ~ Students must have their
teacher's permission to attend.
~ It is between the teacher and
the student whether it is appropriate
for the student to miss class time
to attend the college visit ~
Students should check
Naviance and
Eventbrite often as
visits are constantly being added.
Oct. 23rd - Colby College @ 1:30
Oct. 26th - Barry University @ 1:30 (rescheduled due to code red drill)
Oct. 29th - United States Air Force Academy @ 9:30
Oct. 30th - Broward College "Jump Start" Senior Application Day 9:30, 11:00 or 1:30 (by appointment)
Nov. 1st - St. Thomas University @ 9:30
Nov. 7th - University of Alabama @ 1:30
Nov. 27th - ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) Exam 9:30 - 12:15
Nov. 29th - Lynn University @ 9:30
Off Campus Events:
Oct. 20th and Nov. 17th - Harriet L. Wilkes Open House
When: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Where: Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458
RSVP: www.honorscollege.edu/visitors
Oct. 22nd - Broward County Public Schools College Fair - See attached flyers
Currently there are over 120 colleges, universities, and or military branches signed up to attend. There will be multiple workshops and a FAFSA Lab. The workshop times are 6:16 - 7:00 and 7:15 - 8:00 pm.
6:15 - College 101, Financial Aid 101, Naviance, and Career and Technical Education
7:15 - College 101, Financial Aid 101, Naviance, and "Donde consigo dinero para la universidad? "
Scholarships: One of the best resources available to our students is Naviance Student (formerly known as Family Connection). In addition to great college and career resources, there is a wonderful scholarship section. It is located at on the student's college page. Click on the Colleges tab, then Scholarship Match or Scholarship List. The "A Complete Easy To View Bulletin," through google docs, shows an easy to view, easy to sort list.
The Horatio Alger Scholarship - Deadline: Oct. 25th - Award: up to $25,000
High School Senior. Exhibit strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor's degree at an accredited non-profit institution in the U.S. Demonstrate critical financial need. Be involved in co-curricular and community service activities. Display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity. Minimum 2.0 GPA. Be a U.S. citizen. To learn more and apply, visit scholars.horatioalger.org.
Golden Door Scholars - Deadline: OCt. 25th - Award: $40,000
This year, Golden Door Scholars is open to DACA students or DACA-eligible students from all states! We have also expanded our program to include robust internship support. Strong preference will be given to applicants who plan to concentrate their studies in one of the following areas (or one similar): Engineering, Computer Science, Technology or Math.
https://www.goingmerry.com/scholarships/golden-door-scholarship/awards/october-2018
Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale Broward Technical Colleges: Atlantic, McFatter & Sheridan Scholarship - Deadline: Nov. 20th
For current and future Broward Technical College post-secondary students who are continuing their education at either Atlantic, McFatter or Sheridan Technical College. Based on: Good Moral Character, Community Involvement, Scholastic Aptitude and performance, Achievement in their technical program, and financial need. two letters of recommendation. Application attached and available in the BRACE office.
Biannual Culinary & Hospitality Scholarship - Deadelin: Dec. 1st and June 15th - Award: $1,500
Students currently enrolled in or planning to attend a culinary arts or hospitality management program. Application and details available at: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/scholarship/
Soroptimist International Davie Human Trafficking Poster Competition - Deadline: Dec. 7th (before (2:00 pm) -Awards: $50 - $300
Open to juniors and seniors. Broward County student. Create a 18 x 22 inch (maximum), poster in portrait format, that increases awareness of Human Trafficking. All art mediums will be considered. For more details, visit: www.sidavie.org or send an email to: pos...@sidavie.org
PEO International Sisterhood Scholarship - Deadline: Dec. 15th - Award: $2,500
Female. Florida resident. Citizen or permanent resident of US or Canada. Accepted for admission for a first year post-secondary course of study at an accredited Florida College or University. Students with Florida Pre-paid college funds and Take Stock in Children are NOT eligible. Application attached and available in the BRACE office.
Soroptimist International of Davie Youth Leadership Award - Deadline: Dec. 15th - Award: $500 (+ $250 to charity)
Broward County High School young women. Ages 14 - 18. Volunteer and take leadership roles in community or school. Application attached Or available in the BRACE office.
The Arts for the Future Scholarship Fund - Deadline: Jan. 25th - Award: $1,000
Graduating Senior. Outstanding in the Arts: theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and technical arts (e.g. lighting, sound, and set design). Application attached.
Blake Rubin Scholarship - Deadline: Jan. 31st - Award: $1,000
Current High School Senior. Accepted in to a university of college. (Also current college students). 500 word (or less) essay on "Who is your role model in life and why." Application available at: http://blakerubinscholarship.com/ <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblakerubinscholarship.com%2F&data=01%7C01%7Cfranzie.williams%40browardschools.com%7Cec9b5599f4e34e7f478408d62a2aeac9%7Ceeacb5cb53704358a96aa3783c95d422%7C1&sdata=sTe4rVlo1O27prTqsOjAK0GO7iWoW%2FtsR4BGgyLOoRs%3D&reserved=0>
Arts for Life! Scholarship - Deadline: Feb. 4th - Award: $1,000
Visual Arts Scholarship. Seniors graduating from a Florida high school (public, private, virtual, or home school) in the Spring of 2019. Need: Portfolio, Essay, Resume. Visual art forms include: ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, crafts, photography, video, film making, architecture, graphic design, and fashion design. Application and details attached, or available in the BRACE office.
Florida State Society Daughters of the American Revolution Women in the Trades Scholarship - Deadline: April 1st - Award: Varies
Female pursuing a career in a non-traditional female trade vocation as defined by the US Department of Labor. US citizen and a Florida Resident.
Southern Scholarship Foundation, Inc. - Deadline: Ongoing
- Award: Low-cost housing
Rent free housing for students admitted
to FSU, UF, FAMU, or FGCU.~ Motivation demonstrated through awards and
activities.~ Financial need.~ Minimum 3.0 GPA.~ Information and application available at: http://www.southernscholarship.org
Interesting Websites:
Following are a couple
of free test prep websites.
PERT prep - Go to Broward.edu.~ Click
on Student Resources, then click
Testing center.~ When you click the PERT link it opens up to offer
you a PERT study guide and practice test.~ They also have links to YouTube tutorials.~
You can also register for a free 4 - week on line college foundations course.
March2Success~ - www.march2success.com
Website includes test prep for the ASVAB,
SAT and ACT.~ They also
offer help with high school math and
verbal skills.~ There is a high
school science hub to help with Biology, Chemistry,
Physics and Earth Science.~~~ Additionally they offer a college
readiness online course.~ There
is a Spanish option for this
website.~
[ http://www.maldef.org ]www.maldef.org - MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) Scholarship List.~ This
list is an informative resource for
students, parents, and educators.~
MALDEF is not a direct provider
of the scholarships on the list, with exception of the MALDEF Law School
Scholarship Program. (This can be a good
resource for students who have residency issues.
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See Weekly News reminders in the attachments for older messages that are not outdated…
For any Attachments referenced above, go to https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VuRZMN8SYBC-K_RQwp8Ii4-NHQWh1-Hm