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OHS NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES:

HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND PLAN – Graduation Requirement
Attention Students & Parents! High School & Beyond Plans are a graduation requirement and are to be reviewed and updated annually by students and parents. The High School & Beyond Plan (HSBP) is a multi-year process that supports students in exploring their interests, planning high school classes that are aligned to those interests, and tracking work and other relevant experience, graduation status, and achievements.

Students and Parents can access and update their plans by logging into their Skyward Account. Helpful steps are listed below:

  1. Log in to Skyward Account

  2. Locate “District Links” tab (upper right hand corner of screen)

  3. Click “High School & Beyond Plan/MySchool Data”

  4. Log in to MySchool data using Skyward username & password

  5. Click on High School & Beyond Plan
    a. Student Plan

After updating and reviewing the HSBP, the parent will click APPROVE at the bottom. This is a great opportunity to have conversations about future planning during AND after high school.

ONY FIRE DISTRICT #1 PRESENTATION - Jan 15
Onalaska Fire District #1 will be on campus January 15, during lunch for a presentation on careers in firefighting. From volunteering on the FAST team as a high school student, to training in Fire and EMT, they are eager to share valuable information to our students! Students are to email Mrs. Kenny if interested in attending this session. 

PERRY TECH PRESENTATION! - Jan 21
Perry Technical Institute will be on campus Tuesday, January 21, from 11:15-12pm. Perry Technical Institute is a private, non-profit educational institution which offers 14 specialized technical training programs. A representative will be presenting on the specific programs offered for students who wish to learn more about this route for post-secondary planning. Sign up in the College & Career Center if you would like to attend.

ORDER YOUR YEARBOOKS NOW! - Customization Deadline Jan 31
The school year is in full swing! With so many fun activities, can’t-miss events and exciting things happening, your school’s yearbook students and staff are busy at work creating a fantastic book filled with memories you won’t want to miss. Turn your yearbook from limited edition to one-of-a-kind with front cover personalization! It’s easy! Simply add your name & choose up to four personal icons from among 70 options when you complete your yearbook order. The last day to order a customized yearbook is January 31. Order your Yearbook today!

SENIORS – COMPLETE YOUR FAFSA NOW!
OHS Seniors the FAFSA is designed to determine eligibility for financial aid like grants, scholarships, and federal loans. The FAFSA is a tool to help students afford higher education. Without it, you might miss out on FREE MONEY for school. If a student still needs assistance setting up their FSA ID, they can contact Ms. Baker at jbaker@onysd.wednet.edu to receive an appointment time. Students and parents will need to apply for an FSA ID (Federal Student Aid Identification number) in order to complete the FAFSA application when it opens later in December 2024. This is a permanent ID number that will remain with the student and parent indefinitely. To create your FSA ID, begin here. It typically takes about 2 weeks for FSA ID applications to be processed.

COLLEGE & SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

BIG FUTURE SCHOLARSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE TO CLASS OF 2027
Exciting news! Students in the Class of 2027 can now qualify for BigFuture scholarships! 10th graders can earn entries for our $40,000 and $500 scholarship drawings by completing the steps on their BigFuture dashboard. Help your teen get started today: http://spr.ly/6187tLkQU

How to Qualify - Earn entries in monthly drawings for $500 and $40,000 scholarships by completing the six qualifying steps on BigFuture. If you don’t win, your entry rolls over for the next month. For more information visit Big Future – an integrated career navigation connected to postsecondary options through College Board's BigFuture® platform.

WASHINGTON STATE FAIR FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS – Deadline Jan 31
The Blue Ribbon Scholarship Program is made possible through the generosity of the Foundation’s donors. Since the inception of the program in 1991, more than $2,000,000 in awards have been distributed and have provided a "fair chance" at a college education. As support of the program has grown, so have the opportunities for students. We are now pleased to offer scholarships to students statewide.

Students only need to submit one application for all our scholarships offered online. The application system will automatically apply students for the scholarships in which they qualify. Click here to set up an account and to apply. For any Scholarship questions, please email scholarships@thefair.com.

WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN SCHOLARSHIP – Deadline Feb 15, 2025
Women Supporting Women Scholarship is a non-profit organization which supports Lewis County women in their pursuit of higher education by awarding tuition scholarships. Applicants must be a graduate of a high school in Lewis County or Rochester, Wa., who are enrolled in any undergraduate level, freshman through senior at accredited colleges or universities, as well as online, technical and trade schools. Application packets are available in the OHS College and Career Center or can be requested online after November 1, 2024, at WSWScholarships@gmail.com. Completed applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than February 15, 2025.

GESA CREDIT UNION SCHOLARSHIP – Deadline Feb 28
Know a college student or graduating high school senior in need of scholarship money? Or maybe a recent grad who could use some help paying off student loans? Please urge them to apply for a Gesa Credit Union scholarship today!

APPLY NOW Scholarship applications will be accepted until February 28, 2025.

Gesa will be awarding:

  • Two $5,000 and ten $2,000 scholarships to entering first-year college students.

  • One $5,000 and five $2,000 scholarships to current college students.

  • Five $1,000 Student Loan Repayment scholarships to eligible members with accredited degrees.

  • $50,000 in scholarships to seniors who have participated in Gesa’s High School Credit Union Program.

You can find more information about eligibility requirements and the application categories at gesa.com/category/scholarships.

Feel free to forward this email along to anyone who could benefit from scholarship money or student loan repayment assistance. Remember, they must be a Gesa member to apply—but if they aren’t, let them know joining is as easy as opening a free savings account!

As always, it’s normal to have questions, and we can help. Call Gesa Credit Union at (888) 946-4372, email scholarships@gesa.com, or visit gesa.com for more information.

ROBERT MORRIS MASONIC LODGE #97 OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD – Deadline Feb 28
The Robert Morris Masonic Lodge #97 has opened applications for their Outstanding Student Award. Scholarships are awarded to recipients in a school-wide competition. All awards are made on the basis of scholastic achievement, community service, citizenship, financial need and evaluation of written responses. Application packets can be picked up in the OHS College and Career Center. Applications must be postmarked by February 28, 2025.

WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL RETIREES’ ASSOC SCHOLARSHIP – Deadline March 1
Robert J. Handy/WSSR Foundation/Gene Forrester Memorial Scholarships:
The Washington State School Retirees' Association (WSSRA) invites senior students who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to apply for the above scholarships. These awards are given to students who plan a career in the field of education.

Eight $3,000 WSSR – Foundation Scholarships, eight $2,000 WSSR – Foundation Scholarships, and sixteen Robert J. Handy Scholarships ($900 per year renewable for up to four years) 2 for each district will be awarded to students whose degree would be in one of these areas: teacher, counselor, speech therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, or psychologist.

In addition, two Gene Forrester Memorial Scholarships will be awarded to students who will major in Agricultural Education at Washington State University.

WSSRA collects applications and refers them to reading committees that score applications and select the recipients. Applicants will be notified by May 17, 2025, if they have been chosen. Please encourage your outstanding students who are committed to a career in the field of education to apply.

For an APPLICATION to be considered it must be submitted online by March 1, 2025.

2025-2026 AMERICAN INDIAN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP – Deadline March 1
The American Indian Endowed Scholarship (AIES) helps students with financial need who have close social and cultural ties to an American Indian community in Washington State. Students can use the scholarship at public colleges and many independent colleges in Washington. The program prioritizes upper-division and graduate-level students, but all applicants are considered.

Award amounts range from around $500 to $2,000. Ten to 15 students are selected each year to receive the awards. Students may get AIES funding for up to five years, but must reapply each year.

Many past recipients have careers in law, medicine, education, business, and resource management. All have returned, or plan to return, to their tribal communities to work on behalf of Indian peoples within the state.

For more information visit https://wsac.wa.gov/american-indian-endowed-scholarship.

THE KELLY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP – Deadline March 7
The Kelly Foundation of Washington is pleased to offer the Ewing C. Kelly Scholarship. High school seniors in the state of Washington are eligible. Applicants will be judged on citizenship, academic achievement, and financial need. Each award is worth $3,000 and winners will be notified in April.

Packets can be picked up in the OHS College and Career Center. They do not mail applications to individuals. Applications with all required attachments must be postmarked by March 7, 2025. For more Information contact the Kelly Foundation scholarship hotline at (206) 706-8486.

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY – Deadline March 31
Washington State University (WSU) does not offer early action or early decision. Instead, WSU has rolling admissions and priority dates for applications. March 31, 2025, is the Fall 2025 admission application priority date for first-year students. Students who may be eligible for automatic academic awards, such as DUAA, UAA, and the WUE/Cougar Award should complete their application and provide required documents by this date. Admission applications will be accepted after this date on a space-available basis.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COLLEGES?
The College Tour is a TV series brought to you by multi-award-winning producers. The series tells the story of colleges and universities around the world.​ Each episode of The College Tour focuses on a single college or university. From campus life, academics, housing, sports, activities, and much more… each student-driven segment gives the audience an inside look at what it’s truly like being a student at the featured college or university. Join us for a truly one-of-a-kind series featuring colleges and universities in a way they have never been seen before! Click here to see featured colleges and to watch their series.

JOB/INTERNSHIP/CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:

NO CURRENT POSTINGS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME
There are currently no opportunities available. Continue to watch this section weekly for updates.

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