Waverly Central Schools

The U.S. Department of Education announced the expanded beta access to the 2025–26 academic year FAFSA for the general public. While the FAFSA is now widely available, HESC remains on target to open the 2025-26 New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) on December 1, 2024. Students who submit the FAFSA prior to the TAP opening will receive notification and guidance from HESC to complete the NYS TAP application once it becomes available. From now until December 1, the NYS TAP application link provided at the end of the FAFSA will direct students to the HESC TAP program page at https://www.hesc.ny.gov/find-aid/nys-grants-scholarships/tuition-assistance-program-tap/ where they can sign up to receive a text message or email alert when the TAP application becomes available. Starting on December 1, this same link will take students directly to the 2025-26 TAP application.

ATTENTION STUDENTS! All students grades 9-12, must complete a Career Plan per the New York State Education Department. Students may fill out the Career Plan with the link provided on their own time. Any students that do not fill it out prior to Nov. 25th, will do so on Tuesday, November 26th on the upcoming 1/2 day of school. Career Plans are mandatatory and go in the student's file each year to remain in compliance with New York State. Directions are below: NAVIGATE TO: waverly.jobreadywbl.com • Use the Microsoft single sign on box to log in Choose Work Based Learning Menu on the left hand side Scroll Down – Select “NYS CAREER PLAN” – You are asked for 4 dates for the Progression. For example, if you are a Senior - • 09/01/2021 • 09/01/2022 • 09/01/2023 • 09/01/2024 – Press Submit/Continue. If you have questions, please see the Career Center or the Guidance Department. Form Completion – Enter all the required information for your CURRENT YEAR ONLY. Click Submit/Save to save your progress. SENIORS - You must fill out each year - 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th. Please complete all of the previous years to the best of your ability.

Seniors and Famliies....... Please refer to https://5il.co/313kt to vew the Senior Informational Newsletter.

2025-26 New York State Tuition Assistance Program Application will open December 1 The application will be available at ny.gov/nystap. Students will need to create a HESCPIN at https://webapps.hesc.ny.gov/hescpin/gateway?ag=loginActions&haction=prepareLogin in order to access the TAP application. Preparing to complete the 2025-26 FAFSA Students are encouraged to create their StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) and identify which parents will be required to contribute to their FAFSA application. Learn more about who is considered a contributor. Students can do this at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch. Federal Student Aid continues to share information and resources to support students and families in preparing for the 2025-26 FAFSA, including a recent revision to provide an estimation of the Student Aid Index (SAI) and federal Pell Grant eligibility calculation. FSA will continue to share the latest FAFSA information and updates, so be sure to visit the Federal Student Aid YouTube channel and their website, Federal Student Aid, for guidance and tools. Now’s the time for students to look for scholarships to help them pay for school. Below are links to sources where they can find federal grants and private scholarship programs not administered by HESC: Federal grants at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants. College Board’s Big Future at https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/error/login. Fastweb Scholarship Search at https://www.fastweb.com/. Scholarships.com Career One-Stop Scholarship Search at https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-scholarships.aspx.

Please see the attached message regarding the Waverly Community Ski Program.

PSAT scores are now available for students that took the exam on October 22nd. Students can access the BigFuture School mobile app if they provided their mobile number on test day to view scores. Scores are also available in the Guidance Department. Please refer to the link to learn how to Understand Your PSAT Scores - https://5il.co/30snm.

Girls Swimming Sectional information: The Lady Wolverines Swim Team will compete this Saturday 11/9 @ 2:00pm at Maine-Endwell High School in the Section IV Swimming Championships! Tickets must be purchased online by visiting the following link: https://gofan.co/event/2204735?schoolId=NYSPHSAAIV. Let's all show up in Maine-Endwell to root on our Lady Wolverine Swimmers!

The Waverly Football Team begins their State Title defense with a playoff game this Friday, 11/8/24 in Waverly Memorial Stadium. The Wolverines will take on the Black Knights of Windsor in semifinal action at 7:00pm. Tickets MUST be purchased online at the following link: https://gofan.co/event/2144158?schoolId=NYSPHSAAIV Let's Go, Wolverines!

Girls Regional Soccer Game Information The Lady Wolverines Soccer Team will play this Saturday 11/9 @ 12:00 at Union-Endicott High School in a New York State Regional Playoff game! Tickets must be purchased online by visiting the following link: https://gofan.co/event/2143058?schoolId=NYSPHSAAIV Let's all show up in Union Endicott to support our Lady Wolverine Soccer Team!

TC3 Spring Online Catalog is Now Available! Students that would like to take a Spring 2025 online class at TC3 can view the course guide at https://5il.co/30i7b. Students must register for an online class through their Guidance Counselor. TC3 will begin Spring course registration on November 13th.

Summer 2025 STEM & Entrepreneurship Scholarships for Teachers & Students in the Southern Tier… Take a 1 to 2-week STEM class at Oak Ridge National Labs in Tennessee this summer! The Oak Ridge Associated Universities program is a gateway to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in the Appalachian Region. Working with award-winning scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, high school and middle school students conduct guided group science, math, and computer science technology research projects, while high school teachers work with science practitioners to develop STEM-related curriculum. Many students gain their first exposure to applied science and STEM education through this experience. Apply here before December 6, 2024: https://www.arc.gov/academies-and-institutes/stem/ And high-school juniors: thinking about college &/or starting your own business? Apply for the Appalachian Entrepreneurship Academy and spend 2 weeks at App State in North Carolina develop skills essential for entrepreneurial success. Apply here before December 6, 2024: https://www.arc.gov/academies-and-institutes/aea/ What’s Included: · Roundtrip travel · Lodging · (most) Meals · Supplies · Extracurricular Activities These programs are funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for residents of the federally defined ARC/ NENY Tech Hub Region, which in NYS includes the following Southern Tier counties: (Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins). Participants should expect to bring some extra money for incidental expenses or souvenirs. Call Southern Tier 8 Regional Board for more details 607-724-1327

FINANCIAL AID/FAFSA POWERPOINT Seniors and families - Please refer to the link for information regarding the FAFSA. This presentation was given by Penny Appenzellar, Director of Financial Aid at Elmira College on September 24th, 2024 at Waverly. Link - https://5il.co/30dup

FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION - Seniors and Families - HESC (New York State Higher Education Services) has upcoming Finanial Aid Information Sessions. Please refer to the links to learn more about how you can file the FAFSA starting December 1st, 2024. What Seniors Need to Know about Financial Aid HESC's Senior Basics Presentation provides high school seniors with essential tools and information on application processes, financial aid, scholarships, and time management to help ensure a smooth and successful transition to college - visit https://hesc.ny.gov/get-help/find-event/event-calendar/senior-basics-presentation/?featured_date=911. Creating Your StudentAid.gov Account Creating a StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) is the first step to getting access to federal student financial aid. Join HESC for this 15-minute presentation, where we’ll give helpful information and walk through the quick and easy process of creating an account. Creating Your StudentAid.Gov Account - https://hesc.ny.gov/get-help/find-event/event-calendar/creating-your-studentaidgov-fsa-id-account/?featured_date=861. HESC Virtual Drop-in-Lounge Have questions? Connect with HESC experts to get answers to all their financial aid questions during one of HESC’s virtual drop-in events. HESC Virtual Drop-in Lounge. Visit https://hesc.ny.gov/get-help/find-event/event-calendar/virtual-drop-lounge/?featured_date=891. HESC Downloadable Resources HESC offers a variety of downloadable online resources to help students and families plan and pay for college and better understand the federal and state financial aid process. Visit https://hesc.ny.gov/school-counselors/hesc-fact-sheets/. Get Connected to the Resources Students Need HESC Text can send students and parents text messages with vital information on financial aid, crucial deadlines, and valuable resources to help put them on the right path toward their college careers. To receive text alerts visit Get Connected to the Resources Students Need at https://www.hesc.ny.gov/get-help/sign-text-alerts/.

2025 Community Foundation - Elmira - Corning- Finger Lakes Scholarships Details for the Scholarship(s) for which students at Waverly may be eligible can be found at www.communityfund.org/what-we-do/scholarships with descriptions based on the school district or county. Applications are also available on this website. "General Scholarship Application" - The General Scholarship Application is the first step for all applications. This application condenses several applications into one submission and might be lengthier than typical applications, so students are encouraged to submit early. Deadlines - Most applications have the deadline of February 1st, 2025 and all third party uploads (i.e. transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc..) must be submitted by February 8th, 2025. Please see the attachments for additional Scholarship information.

The Waverly Athletic Department and Football Program are running a donation night for the football game vs. Whitney Point this Friday, 11/1. Instead of charging admission, buckets will be available at each gate for people to make donations for UNICO. Please come support a great cause as UNICO donates funding to school districts in the Valley to assist with scholarships and needs for special education programs

COLLEGE APPLICATION MONTH! Seniors....... In addition to SUNY's Free Application Week, College Application Month (CAM) is part of the American College Application Campaign nationwide effort to bridge the gap between high school graduation and postsecondary education. The primary goal of New York State CAM is to increase the number of students applying to colleges and universities. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_1vW-zK3rQ to hear Governor Kathy Hochul's 2024 College Application Month Proclamation. To see all of the SUNY, CUNY and Independent/Private Colleges & Universities participating please visit https://www.hesc.ny.gov/school-counselors/college-application-month/site-coordinators/2024-nys-colleges-waiving-application/. College application Month continues until November 3rd, 2024.

This year WARP will operate in 3 ten-week sessions. Families must register their child for each session. Due to funding, we are accepting 50 students per session on a first come-first serve basis. The sessions are as follows: Session 1: September 23-December 13 (This session is currently full) Session 2: January 13-March 28 Session 3: March 31-June 13 The hours of the program are from school dismissal until 5:30. In order to fulfill grant requirements, students are expected to stay until at least 4:30. Students that must be regularly dismissed before 4:30 must attend SACC. Registration Link and more information: https://students.arbitersports.com/waverly-csd-and-recreation-and-summer-programs/warp-2024-2025-grades-3-6 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. You may contact Mrs. Rymer at krymer@wcsdletsgo.com

PSAT/SAT Phishing Scam Dear Parents/Guardians: It has been brought to the State Education office's attention that parents and/or guardians of children who have recently taken an SAT or PSAT exam have been receiving scam calls requesting that the parent/guardian provide personal information, including a credit card number, to mail the test results. Please be advised that any legitimate SAT test or prep. organization would not request payment or personal financial details over the phone for test results. Please let this serve as a reminder that you should not share personal or financial information over the phone with unsolicited callers. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately. We are sending this reminder because parents and/or guardians of children who have recently taken an SAT or PSAT exam have been receiving scam calls requesting personal information, including a credit card number, to mail the test results. Additional tips about how to protect yourself from SAT test-related scams can be found on the Better Business Bureau website and below: Always be wary of unsolicited callers: If you receive a random call from someone asking for payment, research their organization before sharing any personal information. Double check with your child: If someone claims they're calling because of a service your child requested, hang up and check with your child first. Understand the College Board's practices: The College Board will never ask you for your bank or credit card information over the phone or through email. Don't give your financial information to strangers: Never agree to pay a stranger with any form of payment for a purchase you didn't initiate.

Important information for students signed up to take the SAT exam on Tuesday, October 29th : Testing will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 29th. Students that enter the exam after it has begun, will be unable to test. Testing will be in the Computer Lab (next to the Library Commons) Students will have 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section for a total of 2 hours and 14 minutes of testing time. Each section is divided into two equal length modules, and there is a 10-minute break between the Reading and Writing section and the Math section. Bluebook has a built-in calculator, so students are not required to bring a calculator. If students are going to bring a calculator, it must be approved. There are only a few things you really need to bring on test day. Best sure to bring: Your fully charged school device. Students are not permitted to bring their own personal device. Your device should be able to hold a charge for 3–4 hours. A pencil or pen. Scratch paper will be provided—do not bring your own. Optional: An approved calculator. There’s a graphing calculator built into the app, but you can bring your own if you'd like. Extra batteries for your calculator and backup equipment—you'll have to ask for permission to access them. They can’t be on your desk during the test. Optional: A drink or snack to have during a 10 minute break. Epinephrine auto-injectors (for example, EpiPens) are permitted without the need for accommodations. They must be placed in a clear bag and stored under your desk during testing. For policies on other medications and medical devices, contact Mrs. Fish in Guidance. Students are prohibited from bringing the following items on test day (unless they have an approved accommodation): Electronic equipment including phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, wearable technology, cameras, recording or listening devices, or any other type of electronic or communication device except for their testing device used for the digital test and, if applicable, any assistive technology as part of an approved accommodation. Books, reference guides, notes, compasses, rulers, protractors, dictionaries, highlighters, or colored pencils. Papers of any kind. Watches that beep, make a noise, or have an alarm. Calculators that aren't acceptable. Detachable privacy screens. Reference guides, keyboard maps, or other typing instructions. Ear plugs. Brimmed caps, which may be worn into the testing room but must be removed and stored under the student's desk during testing. Note: Hoodies have to be down during testing. Ear buds. Headphones (unless approved for a screenreader/text-to-speech). If students would like a 2024 SAT Student Guide or information on how to understand SAT scores please see Mrs. Fish in Guidance for a hard copy.

SUNY FREE APPLICATION WEEK STARTS NOW! Reminder - SUNY is excited to bring back Free Application Week! Beginning Monday, October 21st, and ending Sunday, November 3rd, students can apply to up to five SUNY campuses with no application fee! This includes all campuses, no matter which application vehicle the student uses. Details are available here: www.suny.edu/apply Students can submit their application during this time, but supplemental materials such as transcripts and letters of recommendation can be submitted after Free Application Week. Over the next few weeks, The State University of New York will be holding a variety of virtual events to help your students and their families prepare for Free Application Week. Some topics include: Which SUNY Are You at https://www.suny.edu/whichsuny/ How to Apply to SUNY at https://www.suny.edu/attend/apply-to-suny/how-to-apply/ A full list of programming can be found at www.suny.edu/studentevents.