Announcements & Events

 
This website uses collapsible boxes.  If you do not see any information then please click on the header to expand your selection. 
 
Downloadable forms can be found on the right side of the screen.
 

We're having our second financial aid night of the year.  It is a live, virtual event being held at 6:00 PM.  The presentation will be recorded and made available on the HS Guidance website.
 
Registration via zoom is required in advance.
 
The information is below:
 
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Apr 30, 2024 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Hackettstown High School “The Sophomore/Junior HS College Aid Prep Program”
 
 
Register in advance for this webinar:
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
 
 
 

Hackettstown High School “The Sophomore/Junior HS College Aid Prep Program"

 

“The Sophomore/Junior HS College Aid Prep Program” will cover the financial aid process and the important items to consider before Junior and Senior year is High School.

 

-The Fafsa, CSS Profile, and the HESAA

-What Soph and Junior parents should know and be doing now

-The federal financial aid system and the aid it provides

-Institutional Scholarships available at area universities

-The impact of divorce and remarriage on Financial Aid Opportunity

-The different loans available and payment plans

-Tuition Assistance Grant, Pell Grants, and Institutional Grants

-Appeal Assistance: Asking for more assistance after awards are given

 
Students graduating with the HHS Class of 2024 have received a Google Classroom invitation to apply for the scholarships and awards that will be announced at the Senior Awards Ceremony in June.  All information and applications materials are only available via the Google Classroom. Any questions or concerns, please contact Laurie Cardell at [email protected]. Application deadline is Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 11:59pm- no exceptions!
 
We're preparing to meet with students soon so that you can make course selections for next year.  Please read through this email as it will outline the process and connect you to resources for your use.
 
The following information can be found on the HS Guidance website under HS Scheduling & School Profile ( https://hhs.hackettstown.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1540753&type=d&pREC_ID=1768173 ):
  • Course Catalog for next year.
  • Instructions on how to enter course requests on your student/parent portal.
  • The Scheduling Presentation that you'll review when you meet with a guidance counselor in a large group setting.
 
You can expect the following:
  • The ability to make course requests on both the student and parent portals should begin on February 13 and will close on February 25.  You may change your selections as often as you like within this window ... just do not hit "Finalize" or you will be locked out.
  • You will meet once with a guidance counselor in a classroom-setting to view their presentation, discuss the scheduling process and ask general questions.
  • You will meet a second time with your guidance counselor for a one-on-one scheduling meeting where you can ask specific questions and will finalize your selections.
 
Please keep this in mind:
  • Now is a great time to talk to teachers about courses, levels and get some advice about next year.
  • Now is a great time to have conversations with your parent(s)/guardian(s) about your choices and how they support your plans for after high school.
  • The counselors will be reviewing your mid-year report card to make sure you have the grade prerequisites to get into the academics that you're selecting.
  • The administration does its best to build the schedule around what you tell us you want at these individual meetings.  Please do your best to make these choices as accurate as possible.  If you don't ask for something now, then we probably won't be able to give it to you later on.
 
Some changes for next year are as follows:
  • Animation is a new 1/2 year course in the Business & Technology department.
  • Illustrator is a new 1/2 year course in the Visual & Fine Arts department.
  • Our Physics courses are being renamed to match up with the AP curriculum that is being taught. 
    • Honors Physics will now be called AP Physics 1.
    • AP Physics will now be called AP Physics 2.
  • And for those of you who like to sing:
    • Treble Choir is now called Concert Choir and is the foundational choir at the school.
    • Concert Choir is now called Chamber Choir and enrollment is by audition / teacher recommendation only.
 
 
 
SCHOOL DAY DIGITAL SAT
 
SCHOOL DAY SAT TEST DATE -- TUESDAY, MARCH 26
 
DEADLINE TO REGISTER -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 19
 
 

This is a digital SAT test administration -- as the paper & pencil format is no longer available.  Students must bring their fully charged Chrome book & power cord to the test administration.

 
Registration Fee for the Test:
    • $60 -- Please make checks out to "Hackettstown High School"
    • There is a cancellation fee of $30 charged if you don't take the test for any reason.
    • Students on free and reduced lunch may take the test for free.
 
The SAT is a commonly used college admission test.  It’s designed to measure students’ readiness for college by assessing them on reading, writing & language and mathematics.  College bound students are recommended to take the PSAT twice: once in the sophomore year (practice only) and once in the junior year (additional practice and participation in the PSAT/NMSQT scholarship program).  The SAT is recommended to be taken by juniors in the spring or by seniors (who still need it) in the fall.
 
Information, practice questions and helpful videos can be found on the CollegeBoard website at www.collegeboard.org.
 
This is the last SAT that will be offered at Hackettstown High School this school year.
 
Hackettstown students may also take the SATs on a Saturday at a different school. Visit www.collegeboard.org to create an account, search for local schools, register for available test dates, and to make online payments directly to College Board.
 
Students should report directly to the New Gym for testing.  Please do not go to your first class.
Students should bring their student ID, extra #2 pencils and a CollegeBoard approved calculator with extra batteries. 
 
 
 
 
 
FSA Announced that the 2024-25 FAFSA Will Go Live By December 31, which is another delay.  
Not sure what you’d like to be when you grow up? Unsure of your plans after high school? Possibly considering military service? The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is being offered at HHS to 10th through 12th grade students on Monday, January 8, 2024 in the library from 7:50 am until lunch. This test examines personal interests and skills to predict success in a wide variety of jobs. Whether you’re interested in the military or not, this test will be beneficial to you. There is no commitment to the Armed Services. Sign-up by completing this Google Form below.
 
 

ROTARY SEEKS STUDENTS FOR

3 WEEK EXCHANGE WITH JAPAN

 

Rotary District 7475 is looking for students ages 15 to 18 to participate in a unique three-week trip to southern Japan.  The Rotary Short Term Youth Exchange to Japan (STYE), now in its 46th year, provides an in-depth cultural experience that cannot be duplicated as a tourist.

If you know students who may be interested in this trip, please send this information to them.

The exchange is expected to depart Thursday, June 27, 2024, and return Thursday, July 18. (These dates may change by a day or two depending on airline schedules.)  The trip gives students the opportunity to experience Japanese culture, interact with Japanese students and families, visit local high schools, participate in home-stays, and form friendships that will last a lifetime. 

 

The group will visit major cities in southern Japan including Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima. The students will then move to the island of Shikoku where they will enjoy four home-stays with local Japanese Rotarian families.   

The all-inclusive cost of the trip is $3,950 (this includes airfare).  Students are selected through an interview process which will take place in January and February.  Applications will be accepted beginning December 1. Interviews are scheduled based upon the order the applications are received. 

For more information and the application form visit our website at:   

https://njrotary.org/SitePage/japan-youth-exchange

If you have any other questions, contact me at JRA18[email protected]. 

 

                               Jim Allison, Chair Rotary District 7475 STYE

 
Students must register for the test separately from paying for the test.
 
REGISTRATION:
  • Students receive a "Join Code" form their AP teacher at Hackettstown.
  • Students use the code to join their AP Classroom.
  • In the AP Classroom the student must change their exam order status from "undecided" to either "yes" or "no".
  • This must be done separately for every AP Course the student is taking.  (Each course has it's own join code, its own classroom and the test must be ordered separately.)
 
PAYMENT:
  • Print the AP Payment Form  (The form can be found in the upper right of this webpage.  It was also emailed to students and AP teachers.)
  • List all of the AP Exams which were marked "yes" for order status.
  • Complete the from to calculate the costs.
  • Checks should be made out to "Hackettstown High School".
  • Return this form to Mrs. Willson in the guidance office by Friday, October 20th.
  • NOTE:  Collegeboard charges fees if tests are ordered late or if an ordered test is cancelled or not taken.
 
REIMBURSEMENT:
  • Hackettstown will reimburse students the cost of every exam where a score of 4 or 5 is achieved.
  • AP normally releases scores in early to mid July.  Reimbursement checks should be processed by the end of the summer vacation.
 
 
Did you miss the financial aid presentation?   Is there something that you'd like to go back and review?   Watch the presentation here:
 
The 2023-24 Complete Guide to the Financial Aid Process
 
 
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  
 
 
The "College Aid Presentation" will cover the financial aid process and the important items to consider while applying to college. Also, our scholarship program.
 
  • New Changes to the Fafsa form
  • Changes to the Federal loans
  • Where to Find Scholarships
  • The New NJ Garden State Grant Programs 
  • State Financial Aid Changes
  • The Impact of Early Decision and Early Action on Financial Aid
  • New Deadlines for the College Process 
 
The presentation is virtual.  Log into the event with these credentials:
 
 
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  
 
 
If you want to get a head start on the FAFSA (or other financial aid questions) then please visit our presenter's YouTube channel: Ed Zamora College Prep Channel . 
 
 
What to apply for the James Russo Memorial Scholarship?   Watch this video.
  • Our Scholarship Program The James Russo Memorial Scholarship Video
 
 
Here are some of his recent recommendations for our senior families -- but there's a video on his channel to answer almost any of your questions.
 
 
There will also be a spring Financial Aid Night held virtually on April 30th at 6:00 PM.
 

PSAT

DATE OF TEST -- WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25
 
DEADLINE TO REGISTER -- FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
 

 

The PSAT is a practice test designed to prepare students for success on the actual SAT which is a common college entrance requirement.  It is recommended that students who are considering college take the PSAT twice – once in 10th grade and again in 11th grade.  Juniors who take the PSAT are also enrolled in the PSAT/NMSQT scholarship competition. 

 
Test fees:
  • Juniors test for free;
  • Sophomores pay the $18 fee charged by CollegeBoard;
  • Sophomores on free/reduced lunches can take the test at no cost.
 
***NEW***
The PSAT is now administered electronically -- students are required to bring their fully charged chrome book, a calculator and their student ID to the test.
 
Students should report directly to the New Gym for testing.  Please do not go to class first.
 
Information, practice questions and helpful videos can be found on the CollegeBoard website at www.collegeboard.org and information on the new digital test can be found at https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/k12-educators/educator-experience/get-to-know-digital/whats-different and information on the Bluebook app can be found at https://bluebook.collegeboard.org/ .
 
COLLEGEBOARD COLLECTION OF PERSONAL DATA ON STUDENTS
 
Now that the CollegeBoard has gone to digital test taking, they require a certain amount of demographic information to be collected in order to create a student test.  By registering for the test, you are giving Hackettstown High School permission to release this information to CollegeBoard.  There is no way to opt out of this data collection and still take the PSAT.  This is mostly information that, in prior years, was filled in by the student on the day of the test.
Demographic data collected in advance from Hackettstown High School:
•    First Name
•    Middle Initial
•    Last Name
•    Date of Birth
•    Gender (F = Female; M = Male; A = Another)
•    Grade
•    Student School ID
•    State Student ID
 
 
Please plan to join the Hackettstown High School Guidance Department as we host our 2023-24 College Fair on Monday, September 11th from 6PM to 8PM.
 
Here's the current list of attendees (subject to change):
 
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Albright College
Bryant University
Cairn University
Caldwell University
Cedar Crest College
Centenary University
County College of Morris
Delaware College of Art and Design
Delaware Valley University
CCM-Career Advance USA
DeSales University
Dickinson College
Drew University
Eastern Connecticut State University 
Elizabethtown College
Emmanuel College
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Felician University
FullSail
George Mason University
Georgian Court University
Georgian Court University
Georgian Court University 
Holy Family University
Husson University
Indiana University-Bloomington
Innovate Salon Academy
Johnson & Wales University
King's College
Lawrence Technological University
Lees-McRae College 
Lincoln Tech-Mahwah Campus
Lycoming College
Manhattan College
Marywood University 
Merrimack College 
Montclair State University
Moravian University 
Muhlenberg College
New York Film Academy
Nichols College
NJIT
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University 
Ohio University
Ramapo College
Ramapo College 
Rider University 
Roger Williams University
Saint Elizabeth University
Saint Elizabeth University 
Saint Joseph's University
Seton Hall University 
Stockton University 
Suffolk University
SUNY Oswego
SUNY Oswego
Susquehanna University
The College of New Jersey 
The University of Maine
The University of Scranton
The University of Scranton
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
University of Alabama
University of Maryland
University of New Haven
University of Rhode Island
Wagner College
Warren Community College
Washington & Jefferson College
Wentworth Institute of Technology
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Western Connecticut State University 
Western New England University
William Paterson University
York College of Pennsylvania
 
 
 
Schedules:
  • The student & parent portals currently display the courses which students are currently enrolled in for the 2023-24 school year on the "Schedule" tab.  (Information about periods, rooms and teachers are not shown.)  
  • These courses were displayed since June's course drop/add window.
  • We anticipate providing full schedules with periods, rooms and teachers on or shortly after Friday, August 25.
  • Students should play to begin the school year with the schedule as is.
 
Schedule Change Requests:
  • Counselors begin the school year working with students who are new to the high school.
  • The schedule change request window will open on Wednesday, September 6th.
  • The deadline to request a schedule change will be Friday, September 15th.
  • To request a change, please complete and email a "Schedule Change Request Form" to your counselor.  Forms must include the parental signature to be considered complete.  The form can be found in the upper right-hand of this webpage.  Please expand the box to select the pdf.
  • We want to address your request as promptly as possible.  It may, however, take a few days for the counselor to review your request.  We ask for you patience during this time.
  • Students should follow their schedule until they receive an actual change from their guidance counselor.
  • Students who are (1) have an empty block with no classes in it or (2) who are in a class that was taken in a previous year are asked to come down to the guidance office during that block to have the problem expedited.
 
Thanks and we hope you have a wonderful school year!
FORMS & LINKS