Deadline October 2nd - Wendy's Heisman Scholarship (Athletes)

One of our seniors was awarded this scholarship last year!

Apply Online by October 2nd

www.wendysheisman.com

Requirements:

B average or above

Participate in one sport or more

Students: Online Safety Tips from the Alabama State Counseling Department

ONLINE SAFETY TIPS FOR STUDENTS
HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL

School supply lists include plenty of items that will help set students up for success. Pencils, papers, notebooks, and calculators are important, but some of the most useful back to school supplies do not go in a backpack. Going back to school means many students will access the Internet both at school and at home. Teachers, parents, and other adults can provide students the following online safety tips, from

Stop.Think.Connect.’s parent and teacher resources:

Do not share personal information. Keep personal information about yourself private. This includes information about your family members, your school, your telephone number, and your address.

Be careful what you write or upload. Think twice before you post or say anything online. Once it is out in cyberspace, it is there forever. Do not post anything that you would not want your family, other students, teachers, or current and future employers to see!

Connect with care. Do not click on links or open emails from people you do not know.

Cyber criminals use emails and links that look okay to lure people into clicking. If you think an offer is too good to be true, it probably is.

Use strong passwords. Try not to use the same password for multiple sites. Make passwords strong and change them often.

Keep your belongings safe. Lock your computer and mobile phone.

Be a good online citizen. Understand that what you do online is the same as what you do in person. Be careful what you post or say about others.

Speak up! If you see something bad or inappropriate online, are contacted by someone you do not know or do not want to talk to, or see cyber-bullying take place, do not try to retaliate or get involved. Talk to a trusted adult and work together on how to solve the problem.

Many Stop. Think. Connect. National Network and Cyber Coalition Partners have additional online and computer safety resources for children and students, including Netsmartz Workshop, Connect Safely, iKeepSafe, and Savvy Cyber Kids.

Smith Scholarships Deadline Jan 15th

Seniors only

C+ GPA

Plan to attend a 4 year school (Except nursing, must be an accredited 2 year)

Significant family or community contribution

Must have taken the ACT

www.smithscholarships.com

(Click to enlarge)

AAFEPA Scholarship Due October 18th

**The copies of this scholarship application are available in Mrs. Butts' office**

Alabama Association of Federal Program Administrators

On behalf of the AAFEPA organization, we are excited to offer a scholarship opportunity to you and your colleagues. The scholarships are in honor of two AAFEPA Presidents: Leo Brown and Joan Buckley. Both of these charter members provided much leadership and dedicated much of their time and talents to move our association forward as a professional organization.

• Persons eligible for the Leo Brown Scholarship are senior students presently enrolled in a public school or students currently enrolled as freshmen in an accredited college or university. The student should be pursuing a degree in education.
• Persons eligible for the Joan Buckley Scholarship are senior students presently enrolled in a public school or students currently enrolled as freshmen in an accredited college or university. The student may be pursuing a degree in any area of their interest.

As a member of AAFEPA, please help us distribute this application to all eligible and interested persons in your school district. The completed application is due October 18, 2013 to Margaret Mastin, Scholarship Chairperson.

Nominations should be sent to:

Margaret Mastin

P.O. Box 744

Boaz, Alabama 35957

If you have any questions please call Margaret Mastin at 256-582-3171, 256-572-7041 or email Margaretmastin@gmail.com

AAFEPA

ALABAMA Association of Federal Education Program Administrators

Scholarship Program

Purpose

The purpose of the scholarship program is to financially support post-secondary education for qualifying seniors or high school graduates who are attending their first year of college. The recipient of the scholarship will be a student who:

1. Exemplifies the following characteristics.

• leadership within at least one school, community, or church activity

• involvement in extracurricular activities

• evidence of positive character, integrity, and leadership traits

2. Has attained the following achievements.

• an overall minimum academic record of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale

• a demonstrated commitment to learning

• a successful experience working with children/young people

Eligibility

Candidates for the AAFEPA scholarship will be selected by the AAFEPA district representatives. Each district may select candidates to represent their district for the state scholarship program.

1. An eligible student must be one of the following:

• a high school senior who plans to enroll in an accredited college

or university

• a freshman currently enrolled in an accredited college or university

2. An eligible student must demonstrate a commitment to school, academics and

community activities.

3. An eligible student must meet all criteria outlined in the purpose section of this

document.

Selection Process

Scholarship winners will be selected based upon the following areas of equal point value:

• High school or college transcript from spring 2013 (20 points)
• Extracurricular activities/leadership activities within the community or church (20 points)
• 3 letters of recommendation, including one letter from a faculty member (20 points)
• Demonstration of financial need (20 points)
• A 300 word (maximum) essay outlining his/her leadership and future goals (20 points)

The student’s application and companion forms must be received by the scholarship chairperson by October 18, 2013

About The Scholarships

AAFEPA offers two scholarships: the Leo Brown Scholarship and the Joan Buckley Scholarship. The AAFEPA Board of Directors established awards in honor of these individuals to recognize their outstanding contributions to the goals of the AAFEPA organization and the students the organization represents. Mr. Brown and Dr. Buckley demonstrated and provided exemplary leadership and dedication to both AAFEPA and the NAFEPA organizations.

• The scholarship grants are $1500.00 and will be awarded at the AAFEPA annual conference in November.
• The scholarship grants are available only for the 2014-2015
• The individual selected to receive Scholarships will also represent our state. Their applications will be submitted as Alabama’s candidates to compete for the three NAPEPA Scholarships. 

Horatio Alger Scholarship due by October 25th

CLICK TO ENLARGE DETAIL PAGE

Interested in Construction? Check out this Scholarship!

Students wishing to study the building trades are invited to apply for a scholarship from the Alabama Home Builders (AHB) Foundation. The deadline for submitting a scholarship application is March 15, 2013.


The AHB Foundation, an arm of the Home Builders Association of Alabama, awards scholarships to students who desire to study the building trades at any two-year, four-year, or technical school in Alabama. Trades include brick masonry, carpentry, roofing, electrical technology, HVAC, and others.


To apply for a scholarship, one must be an Alabama resident who is pursuing a construction-related degree. The Foundation will accept applications from high school students, as well as students attending accredited community or junior colleges, technical or trade schools, and four-year universities in Alabama. The purpose of the scholarship program is to enlist Alabama’s top students into the home building and remodeling industries.

Scholarship applications may be downloaded from the Foundation website, www.ahbfoundation.org , or you may call the Home Builders Association of Alabama at 1-800-745-4222 to request an application. For questions about the scholarship process, contact Artemis Moore (artemismoore@hbaa.org) or Debbie Baxley (debbiebaxley@hbaa.org) at 1-800-745-4222.

New Diploma Options

These are frequently asked questions taken directly from the State Department of Education website:

New Alabama High School Diploma

Frequently Asked Questions

January 18, 2013

1. When will the new diploma be implemented?

• This will apply to all students beginning with the ninth-grade class in 2013-14.

2. Are school systems allowed to have a locally developed tiered diploma (Magna Cum Laude, etc.)?

• Yes.

3. Will this replace all variations of the diploma as in the advanced diploma?

• Yes. Local education agencies (LEAs) may add endorsements.

4. What is the purpose in making this change?

• The purpose for the change is to allow more flexibility for students in pursuing their interests. There are many differences in the courses students may take with this diploma; everyone will not take the same courses just because there is one diploma. Also, LEAs may add requirements for additional diplomas.

5. Will any high stakes test be attached to the requirements for receiving this diploma?

•  No.

6. How do we obtain approval for locally developed courses to count as an equivalent course?

• Locally developed CTE courses must be submitted to the CTE Section.
• Locally developed core courses (Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies) must be submitted to the Curriculum Section.
• Once submitted to either Section, a cross-sectional team will review courses for alignment to standards and approval for equivalent credit.

7. What are the CTE equivalent courses that can be used to satisfy math, science, Computer Application, or CTE requirements?

• Currently, there are only equivalent courses for science. They are:

o Aquascience—Aquaculture Science

o Chemistry—Chemistry of Food

o Environmental Science—Environmental Management

o Forensic Science—Forensic and Criminal Investigations

o Genetics—Introduction to Biotechnology

o Human Anatomy and Physiology—Human Body Structures and Functions

o Botany-Plant Biotechnology


8. Can a CTE course be used to meet the math requirement and also be used to meet the CTE/Foreign Language/Arts Ed requirement?

•  Yes, it could be used to meet the requirement, but a student cannot earn two credits for the same course. So, the student would have the opportunity to earn an additional credit. Also, the CTE class must be an approved equivalent course for math.

9. Under math requirements, what is meant by “or its equivalent” after the Algebra II requirement?

• Algebra II, Algebra II with Trigonometry, or an approved equivalent course is required. Currently, a course is being developed as an equivalent option for Algebra II.

10. Is there a minimum level of math required for graduation?

• Yes. The minimum level is Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II/Algebra II with Trigonometry, or the equivalent of any of these and one additional math course.

11. What sort of credentials or certificates will be required of CTE teachers whose courses meet the requirements to count as a math or science credit? How will this affect HQ status?

• The current requirements of certification remain in place at this time.

12. How will the new diploma affect HQ? Will there be any flexibility as it relates to HQ for any of the subject areas?

• At this time, HQ remains in place. However, we are pursuing what can be done related to HQ flexibility.

13. Currently, students can choose either 3 CTE courses for the AHSD/Advanced Career and Technical Endorsement or the AHSD/Career and Technical Endorsement (based on which math the student completes) or an Advanced Academic Endorsement by adding two of the same foreign language courses.

a. With the new diploma, can the student choose any of the following combinations?

• 2 Foreign Language courses (same language) and 1 CTE or 1 Art course = 3

• 3 CTE courses and no foreign language and no Art = 3

• 2 CTE courses and 1 foreign language or 1 Art course = 3

• 1 CTE course, 1 foreign language and 1 ART = 3

• Yes; however, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders in 2013-14 will follow previous requirements.

b. Will students still be required to take an Arts Education course?

• No.

14. There was much discussion about the two courses in CTE, foreign language and/or art. Some administrators believe the arts may suffer from loss of enrollment. What was the rationale for grouping these together? Many students have an interest in two or three of these areas.

• Actually, this should foster greater opportunity for arts classes. There should be enough elective credits available for students to take additional courses in subjects of interest including art. Also, students may choose to take two sequential courses in one area and one additional course in another area or all three in one area.

15. If students are “encouraged” to take two courses in sequence in CTE, Art, or a foreign language, does that mean that taking one of each type course is also allowed (although not encouraged)?

• Yes, it is allowed. Some pathways may require two courses in the same area, for example a CTE pathway, in order to achieve certification/credentials in a specific CTE field.

16. What happens if a student transfers and the student had chosen not to take a foreign language at the previous school and the new school requires a foreign language?

• Foreign Language is not a requirement for the Alabama High School Diploma. Each district determines how to fairly acknowledge previously earned credits.

17. According to the CTE and/or Foreign Language and/or Arts Education credits to be acquired, is it a possibility that a student could complete high school with three (3) years of foreign language? In other words, they can graduate without taking either art or a foreign language.

• Yes.

18. For clarification―this reflects THREE consecutive years of the same foreign language to graduate. Is that accurate? This would be a change necessitating the hiring of more teachers.

• No. A student may take three consecutive years of foreign language, arts, or CTE. However, he/she may choose to take only one of each.

19. What Arts Education courses can fulfill the Arts Education requirement(s)?

• Any courses from the Alabama Course of Study: Arts Education.

20. Does the Career Preparedness Course have to be taught in ninth grade? Does it have to be taught as a one credit course?

• No, each LEA is encouraged to determine the most appropriate grade for the course to be offered for students.
• It is a one-credit course, but it may be taught as two one-half credits. In other words, students may take the Part A–College and Career Planning/Computer Applications portion in one grade and then Part B–Financial Literacy can be taught in a different grade. Or, the course can be taught as a whole credit in Grades 9-12.
• Outcomes for this class are the most important factor to consider. This can be one of the most important courses that students take to help them plan and prepare for college and careers.

21. Will the Online Experience no longer be required when the proposed Alabama High School Diploma is adopted?

• There is no indication that this requirement would be dropped. This requirement can be satisfied in the new Career Preparedness course.

22. Will we be able to offer Business Technology Applications (BTA) in the eighth grade? Would we be able to offer personal finance in the eighth grade?

• BTA may be offered in Grade 8 with an approved waiver from the ALSDE. This course offers foundation standards for Personal Finance. The financial literacy component of the new Career Preparedness course is very rigorous and may only be taught in Grades 9-12.

23. Can we still issue an AOD in May to a student who has met all the requirements of the AOD?

• Yes, the new diploma will not be available until the beginning of the school year 2013-14. Meaning, the first group to take advantage of the new diploma will be ninth graders beginning with the 2013-14 school year.

24. When the IEP Teams meet in the spring to develop the annual IEP, how will we complete the transition page of the IEP that includes selecting a diploma option and determining a course of study/program credits to be earned? Was it revised to have just the one diploma option?

• At this time, the form has not been revised. For next year’s 10th and 11th grade students who are currently pursuing an AOD, the ALSDE will allow LEAs to issue a regular diploma to students who have earned course credit for the AOD. For ninth graders in the 2013-14 school year, the IEP Team should choose the AHSD because that will be the only option available when they graduate.

25. Will the work component be a requirement for students with disabilities?

• Cooperative Education Seminar/Work-Based Experience will be required for any students with disabilities earning core credits through Essentials/Life Skills courses (formerly known as AOD courses).

26. Can we count the AOD students as graduates this school year?

• Yes.

27. Will this be the last year of AOD or will current 9th, 10th, and 11th special education students that are currently working toward an AOD remain on AOD until they graduate?

• Students currently working toward an AOD who will be 10th and 11th graders next year may receive a regular diploma if they earn course credit for the AOD. Ninth graders in 2013-14 will be the first class to work towards the new diploma.

28. Will AOD students be required to take the AHSGE to earn a regular diploma?

• This year’s 12th graders and next year’s 12th graders will be required to take the AHSGE as their nondisabled peers must do to earn a diploma.

29. Will the content/curriculum standards for special education and regular education students be the same or will there be a Curriculum Guide similar to the ones that are in place now for AOD students?

• There are Curriculum Guides for special education students. The guides can be found at http://alex.state.al.us/specialed/curriculum.html.
• All students must follow the requirements of the selected pathway leading to the Alabama High School Diploma. We anticipate continuing to develop the Curriculum Guides as the Alabama Courses of Study are revised.

30. Are only IDEA eligible students able to take the “AOD/Essential Coursework” Pathway classes or are we opening up this pathway/coursework to nondisabled students?

• Nondisabled students may take Essential courses/Life Skills courses as per the student’s four-year plan.

31. Will special education students who receive the regular/standard diploma be able to return to school to work on transition skills even though they have received a “terminal” diploma?

• Yes, we would still require LEAs to allow students who received a regular diploma through the “AOD/Essential coursework” pathway or “AAA” pathway to return to school to work on transitional/life skills until age 21.

32. When will training be scheduled for Special Education Coordinators on the proposed Alabama High School Diploma?

• Training for all school personnel will be determined at a later date.

33. Will the students on certificates be involved in this or will this be an IEP Team’s decision for those students with cognitive deficits?

• Yes, Alternate Achievement Standards courses for these students will count toward the required credits for graduation.

34. Have plans been made for articulating the new requirements to two- and four-year colleges in the state of Alabama?

• Yes.

35. Will you provide LEAs with College- and Career-Choice forms for building student educational plans and explaining the new diploma requirements to the community and parents?

• Yes.