Welcome to the 25-26 School Year! We are so excited to have you here!
Updates:
Free virtual college and financial aid events for Minnesota students and families!
The series, starting September 30, will cover the college application process and general financial aid information, details on the -Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Dream Act for undocumented students, and other ways to pay for college. A fact sheet for schools is attached.
-Formerly called “Ready Set FAFSA”, this series has been renamed “College Planning Series” to include college planning topics beyond the FAFSA.
-All sessions will have simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Somali and Hmong. Information for families about registering for the series is available here.
-Students who attend a session or watch one of the recordings will be eligible to win a $1,000 scholarship (2 available)!
-Higher education professionals will available during each meeting to answer live Q and A.
-These sessions are a collaborative effort between the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Minnesota Department of Education, ECMC The College Place and Minnesota Goes to College.
There are free college planning and financial aid events available to Minnesota students and families this fall. These sessions will be held via Zoom on Tuesday Evenings and are designed to support you as you move through the college application and financial aid process.
9/30: Explore College Options
10/7: Apply to College
10/14: Understand Financial Aid
10/21: FAFSA 101 (For 12th grade students who are US citizens or eligible noncitizens)
10/28: Dream ACT 101 (For 12th grade undocumented students)
11/18: Scholarships 101
Space is limited, so register soon: bit.ly/CollegePlanningSeries
Questions? Contact [email protected].
*Free College Application Opportunities
*A Calendar of College Planning Tips and Sessions for October
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Community Events (not hosted or sponsored by MNCA)
We invite school counselors, teachers, and students in grades 6-12 to register for this free Zoom webinar on Monday, November 17 from 10:30-11:30 CST. A panel of U of MN School of Nursing alumni will speak about their experiences as students, their career paths after graduation, and the varied kinds of nursing that can be pursued. School of Nursing academic advisors will also join the panel to offer their expertise on School of Nursing requirements. Students will have a chance to submit questions for the panelists to answer.
Our esteemed panelists include: Gertrude Thomas, DNP ‘22 (Nurse Manager, MHealth Fairview) Christy Waltz, DNP ‘24 (Public Health Nurse, Hennepin County) Anne Boisclair-Fahey, MS ‘97, DNP ‘07 (Retired - Interim Chief Nursing Officer, Children’s Minnesota - St. Paul Hospital) Dane Brownlow, BSN ‘23 (Pediatric Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nurse, Masonic Children’s)
In brief:
What: Career Webinar featuring the UMN School of Nursing
Who: School counselors, teachers, and students in grades 6-12
When: Monday, November 17 from 10:30-11:30 CST
Where: Zoom RSVP
Contact Maggie Bergeron, College Readiness Coordinator, with any questions.
High School Reminders:
Success Sessions will be held every Wednesday based on grade-level. We can't wait to see you there!
Live Lesson Schedule
Course Changes: You have 4 weeks after the start of the semester to make any course changes. If you start with us on 8/25, the deadline to make a course change ended on 9/19/25.
-->Course Guide
Success Sessions will be held every Wednesday based on grade-level. We can't wait to see you there!
Live Lesson Schedule
Course Changes: You have 4 weeks after the start of the semester to make any course changes. If you start with us on 8/25, the deadline to make a course change ended on 9/19/25.
-->Course Guide
Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health Tips for Supporting your Child About Recent Events:
1) Communicate Appropriately: Evaluate what is appropriate to share with your child about recent events. It's important they know even when things feel big and scary, it is safe for them to talk to you.
2) Listen Actively: Your child may have a lot to say, or very little, but it's important that you give them your undivided attention and support them as they process their thoughts and feelings out loud.
3) Remain Calm: This is scary for adults, too. Remember to remain calm as best you can, when having a conversation with a child. Your calmness will help them feel more secure.
4) Turn Off the Media: Though it's helpful for adults to stay informed, overconsumption of the media around an event can cause further distress for children.
5) Monitor for Changes in Behavior: Tragedy and trauma can activate a number of emotions for children. Monitor their behavior for any short and long term changes that may require additional mental health support.
Supporting Kids Impacted by Violence
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
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Free virtual college and financial aid events for Minnesota students and families!
The series, starting September 30, will cover the college application process and general financial aid information, details on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Dream Act for undocumented students, and other ways to pay for college. A fact sheet for schools is attached.
1) Communicate Appropriately: Evaluate what is appropriate to share with your child about recent events. It's important they know even when things feel big and scary, it is safe for them to talk to you.
2) Listen Actively: Your child may have a lot to say, or very little, but it's important that you give them your undivided attention and support them as they process their thoughts and feelings out loud.
3) Remain Calm: This is scary for adults, too. Remember to remain calm as best you can, when having a conversation with a child. Your calmness will help them feel more secure.
4) Turn Off the Media: Though it's helpful for adults to stay informed, overconsumption of the media around an event can cause further distress for children.
5) Monitor for Changes in Behavior: Tragedy and trauma can activate a number of emotions for children. Monitor their behavior for any short and long term changes that may require additional mental health support.
Supporting Kids Impacted by Violence
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
---------------
Free virtual college and financial aid events for Minnesota students and families!
The series, starting September 30, will cover the college application process and general financial aid information, details on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Dream Act for undocumented students, and other ways to pay for college. A fact sheet for schools is attached.
- Formerly called “Ready Set FAFSA”, this series has been renamed “College Planning Series” to include college planning topics beyond the FAFSA.
- All sessions will have simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Somali and Hmong. Information for families about registering for the series is available here.
- Students who attend a session or watch one of the recordings will be eligible to win a $1,000 scholarship (2 available)!
- Higher education professionals will available during each meeting to answer live Q and A.
- These sessions are a collaborative effort between the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Minnesota Department of Education, ECMC The College Place and Minnesota Goes to College.
Remember to STRETCH:
S: Prioritize your safety
T: Treat yourself
R: Rest & Relax
E: Exercise *Movement*
T: Talk to Someone
C: Care for self- and others
H: Hold on to hope
(Adapted from Hatchingresults.com)
Counseling at MNCA
Who do I contact?
Counselors
Contact Information for your team is found when you login to your Pearson Online Classroom homepage. You can call/text/webmail all staff directly.
Counselors
- Course Changes
- Graduation Plans
- Mental Health Support
- Academic Support
- Resources
- Academic plans for the semester
- Sports participation
- Release to other school's functions
- Revisions
- Content Support (resources/one-on-one)
Contact Information for your team is found when you login to your Pearson Online Classroom homepage. You can call/text/webmail all staff directly.
What does my Counselor do?
The role of a counselor is to help all students:
Apply academic achievement strategies
Manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills
Plan for postsecondary options (higher education, military, workforce, etc.)
and more!
Apply academic achievement strategies
Manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills
Plan for postsecondary options (higher education, military, workforce, etc.)
and more!
We can't promise to fix all of your problems, but we do promise that you will not have to face them alone."
Your School Counselors are Here for You!
