This is St. Pius X's Counseling website. Pius has two counselors: Mr. Richard Murphy and Mrs. Mariza Cascone. Mrs. Cascone works primarily with the freshmen. This website provides timely materials and updates for present seniors -- scholarships available, recruiting visits -- in particular. Many recruiters begin visiting Pius in early September as school begins; the majority will visit in October and November individually. There will be several college fairs around the city; parents and students should check

the "Calendar" for dates and times of these fairs as well as college recruiting visits to SPX. Thanks for visiting !

UPDATES & IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

The calendar (see link, top right part of this page) is for recruiting visits, ACT and SAT testing dates, and other important information for seniors that can be accessed. It is updated regularly. BE VIGILANT ABOUT CHECKING THIS.

Senior Parents: Be aware that the FAFSA form is required for any type of financial assistance from a college, university, and usually a specialty/trade school. You can secure this online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov March 1st of each year is the priority deadline. It entails knowledge and usage of the previous year's tax information. You may still file the FAFSA, and should file the FAFSA, even if you have missed the priority deadline. These are available now online only. You may download one and print it if you wish.

ADOLESCENT CONCERNS AND TEENS' NEEDS

I have included a number of links that deal with "adolescent concerns" which parents and students may find worthwhile and interesting to read. These include ADD, ADHD, depression, eating disorders, bullying, suicidal tendencies and other situations which may interfere or affect your child's performance.

TESTING In October, St. Pius X has an All-School Testing Day. Juniors take the PSAT, sophomores the PLAN (though some opt for the PSAT and make up the PLAN a few days later). Freshmen will take something new in 2009, as their previously-administered test is no longer given.

SEMESTER FAILURES AND MAKEUP GRADES

Links to High School Make Up Classes and Enrichment Courses

JUNIOR YEAR:

1) Set up a FASTWEB account: Go to http://www.fastweb.com and set up a profile and scholarship mailbox. Periodically, you will receive an email alerting you to a scholarship or grant for which you may be eligible. Go to the link, read the "capsule" and apply if you fit the criteria.

2) Set up a ZINCH account: Go to www.zinch.com and set up a profile, user ID and account. This website can help you with college searches and scholarships, too.

3) Set up an account with MISSOURI CONNECTIONS: Go to http://www.missouriconnections.org and set up an account with this wonderful career assessment instrument.

The Batch Codes are available with this link: Batch Codes: Missouri Connections (Kuder) .

4 Set up a "My College Quickstart" and a "My Road" account: This program is associated with a student's PSAT/NMSQT score administered in October. Once the student receives their printed score results, there is an unique access code on the score report that allows a students to set up an account. The site contains a significant number of resources that can assist students in preparing for college.

ACT and SAT TESTING:

The ACT and SAT testing dates alternate by month. Registration deadlines are usually about five weeks before the actual test.

ACT testing dates for 2009 - 2010 are available at the ACT website

http://www.actstudent.org/regist/currentdates.html

SAT testing dates for 2009-2010 are available at the College Board website:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees.html

EXPLORE TEST FOR 8TH GRADERS:

8th Grade students and parents: this link will provide further information for you regarding the EXPLORE exam, the high school placement test: http://www.actstudent.org/explore/

DO YOU KNOW >>>>>>>>>> ?????????? This next link will answer many general questions that seniors and their parents might have; you might check this link out in its entirety. It may save you a phone call or a headache when deadlines are approaching:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ -- Ask Mariza and "Murph")

ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY AND COLLEGE SPORTS: Students who wish to play college sports need to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse [see the link below "NCAA Eligibility Center."]. Please note that, effective May 2007, a student's ACT or SAT scores must be sent directly from ACT or the College Board. Scores on the transcript are not considered official. The student (family) can request those online by going to http://www.act.org and clicking on "send my scores." You have to include the date(s) of the score(s) you wish sent. Fee is $9.00.

SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCIAL AID SECTION

Seniors: Scholarships for You, Updated 05/26/2009

Scholarships: Master List

Maple Woods CC: Scholarships, Grants, Applications

http://www.meritaid.com/index.jsp This is a merit-based scholarship resource. Check it out !

http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/ This link is a financial aid estimator for any family who wishes to calculate TODAY !

SchoolSoup.com - World's Largest Scholarship Database