As cooler weather finally starts to arrive in northern Florida, it brings a natural pause to reflect on our progress and prepare for the season ahead. We are more than halfway through the first semester, and our students have shown remarkable growth, adaptability, and enthusiasm in their academic and personal journeys.
This month, our counseling department is focusing on the theme of Gratitude. November offers a wonderful opportunity to help students cultivate a positive mindset by recognizing the everyday strengths, relationships, and achievements that uplift them. Research shows that practicing gratitude regularly boosts emotional resilience, improves focus, and fosters a compassionate school community.
Our counseling team has been supporting students with academic and organization strategies, as well as mindfulness techniques and goal setting. We have also been assisting senior students with application deadlines, post secondary planning, and supporting them in meeting graduation requirements.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership in supporting your student’s success and well-being. We encourage you to ask your child this week about one thing they feel grateful for at school.
Wishing you and your family a restful, and fulfilling November!
Your School Counseling Team |
During September and October, our School Counseling Team collaborated with students to deliver tailored support and resources aimed at fostering academic achievement and post-secondary planning. We aim to inspire students to recognize their unique strengths, assess their aptitudes, and leverage vital tools to achieve their aspirations. We strongly encourage students to take advantage of these opportunities to gain self-insight, evaluate post-secondary pathways, draft a resume, and establish actionable goals.
Student Action Plan: - Discover Strengths & Aptitudes: Utilize career assessments such as the O*Net Interest Profiler, Big Future Career Quiz, and Xello’s Matchmaker Quiz (via Classlink).
- Get Involved: Joining extracurricular activities builds leadership skills, fosters teamwork, creates opportunities for community service and scholarships, and strengthens your college and job applications - Check out the clubs/activities and sports opportunities on the MHS website
- Build a Resume: You may need a resume for a job, internship, educational programs, or scholarships - Check out Anatomy of a High School Resume for what to include in your resume - Check Big Future - for step-by-step guidance & templates; Canva (via Classlink) — for design-forward resume templates; Google Templates - for simple, accessible document formats
- Research Schools and Programs: Attend College & Career Fairs, schedule campus visits directly through the college or trade school website, and utilize research engines such as Big Future College Search, FloridaShines (colleges, technical schools and centers) and Xello
- Search For Scholarships: Use scholarship search engines such as Big Future; FloridaShines; Fastweb; ROTC Scholarships; Xello (via Classlink) - Raise.me is also a great scholarship resource
- Explore Paths & Set Goals: Map out future plans using planning platforms like Floridashines.org, MyNextMove.org, and Xello.
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Daytona State College Senior Admission Day is coming up!
DSC Advisers will be in the MHS Media Center on Thursday November 12th from 8:10am - 2:50pm to assist seniors who plan to attend DSC after graduation. They will help you to complete your admissions advising session and understand the enrollment process. Please note - This event is for 2027 high school graduates and is by appointment only. Please click HERE to make an appointment for your Advising Session. Please visit Ms. Salcedo, the Guidance Secretary, in Rm. 5-216 to pick up a pass for your scheduled appointment time. If you have not done so already, please complete your Online Admissions Application before arriving at your scheduled advising appointment. Apply now with the event code MATANZAS27 to have the $18 application fee waived. |
Award Spring Senior Local Scholarship Information Meeting - Nov. 19th - Hosted by the Flagler County Education Foundation - Thursday November 19th - MHS Cafeteria - 5:30-6:30pm - Seniors and parent(s)/guardian(s), please plan to attend this meeting for information on the senior local scholarship application - for questions please contact the Flagler County Ed Foundation (386) 437-7526
- The Senior Local Scholarship Application opens November 16th (see the MHS Scholarship Page for the link to the application)
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Seniors, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA "Bright Futures Application") opened on October 1st! Complete these application early!
Bright Futures Application (FFAA) - Seniors MUST complete this application prior to graduation to secure any potential money! Completing the application opens an account to track your progress towards eligibility throughout the school year (follow the instructions in your Prep Packet). You need 100 volunteer and/or paid work hours posted to your transcript to meet the top award. See the Bright Futures site for eligibility requirements and details.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - The FAFSA takes about 30-45 min to complete. Seniors that complete the FAFSA early, typically receive better financial aid packages! See your prep packet for details and the FAFSA Help Center for support.
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Check out the following scholarship search engines and other resources |
If you have not yet met the English Language Arts (ELA) and/or Algebra state exams needed to graduate, we have good news for you! You have more testing opportunities on the horizon to meet the score(s) needed for graduation, and there are also several concordant exams you can take to meet testing graduation requirements!
MHS In School Testing Days (dates subject to change) All exams start promptly at 8:10am
- Tuesday December 2nd - ELA Exam Retake
- Tuesday December 2nd - Algebra Exam Retake
- Tuesday December 8th - CLT Exam - for 11th & 12th graders that need to meet the ELA and/or Algebra exam graduation requirement
- Wednesday March 4th - PSAT Exam - for Seniors only - that need to meet the ELA and/or Algebra exam graduation requirement
- Thursday March 4th - SAT Exam - for all Juniors
- Tuesday April 6th - CLT Exam - for 11th & 12th graders that need to meet the ELA and/or Algebra exam graduation requirement
- Wednesday May 5th - ELA Exam Retake
- Tuesday May 12th - Algebra Exam Retake
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Students who have not yet met their English Language Arts (ELA) and/or Algebra exam(s) needed to graduate, can also meet these requirements with a passing concordant score on the ACT, CLT and/or SAT exams!
(ACT - 11th & 12th) (CLT - 11th & 12th) - CLT Practice: CLT Test Prep
- Choose a REMOTELY proctored at home test
(SAT - 11th & 12th) - Practice: See Classlink - Bluebook, Khan Academy & Khan Migo (AI powered Socratic tutoring); College Board
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The School Counseling Department wants to remind every student that we are dedicated to helping you thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Our team is always available to assist with academics, future planning, or personal matters.
Scheduling an Appointment: |
Have a quick question, need guidance or resources, or want to stop by to say hello? Drop by the Counselor's Corner in the Lower Spot or outside the Lower Spot in the courtyard during your lunch! A counselor will be on hand to listen, support, and assist you without needing an appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Stop on by and see how we can brighten your day! |
Supporting a Grieving Teen: A Parent’s Guide Grief in high schoolers is layered because teens enter a loss with adolescent dynamics already in play. It is often hard to untangle whether a teen’s withdrawal, moodiness, or fatigue stems from bereavement or typical hormonal stress.
Understanding How Teens Grieve - Grief is as individual as a fingerprint: Even within the same family, sports team, or friend group sharing the same loss, every teen processes it differently. Avoid comparing your teen’s reactions to siblings, peers, or your own timeline.
- Grief is non-linear: A teen may be laughing with friends one hour and sobbing or shut down the next. They often experience guilt or feel they "don't have a right to be happy" when experiencing normal joy. Expect these sharp emotional swings.
- Peer first vs. family loss dynamics: When a classmate or friend dies, most teens prefer to process their grief alongside friends who share the experience. However, if they lose an immediate family member, they may pull away from peers, fearing their friends simply cannot understand the magnitude of the loss.
Parental Communication & Connection - Ask open, honest, humble questions: Adults often react out of anxiety and inadvertently shut down conversations. Replace advice with transparency:
- "I want to do the right thing, but honestly, I’m not sure what that is. I don’t want to push you away by over asking, but I also don't want to act like nothing happened. What feels most helpful from me right now?"
- Normalize feelings and model tears: Avoid prescribing how they should feel. Shedding tears in front of your teen models healthy vulnerability and reinforces that grief has no single "correct" look.
- Actively keep memories alive: Prompt them to share stories by asking open invitations like, "Tell me about them." If you knew the person, share your own memories or support creative tributes.
Navigating the Digital & Mental Health Landscape - Manage social media: Online platforms offer vital connection and communal memorials. However, teens often feel intense anger when distant acquaintances sensationalize the loss, or when malicious comments circulate. Monitor what is being posted and shared.
- Recognize indirect trauma: Teens do not need to have been physically present at an accident, violence, or sudden tragedy to experience post-traumatic stress. Hearing vivid descriptions or obsessively visualizing the event can trigger trauma responses that derail daily functioning.
- Know when to seek immediate help: Consult a professional if you observe radical, prolonged isolation, severe inability to function, reckless coping mechanisms, or any mention of self-harm or wanting to "be with" the deceased.
Crisis & Support Resources - 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (Available 24/7, free, confidential)
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741-741
- Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
- Depression & Crisis Hotline: 1-800-784-2433
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Registration for Spring 2027 Daytona State College courses opened on October 29, 2026, with some students qualifying for an advanced enrollment date. To be eligible for enrollment, students must have applied, tested, completed their orientation and new student advising sessions, planned classes with a DSC adviser, and have been ready to submit completed forms. If you have not yet submitted your completed form to DSC, please do so by the district approved internal deadline of November 15th 2026. We encouraged students to have submitted their forms on the 29th, or on their advanced enrollment date, in order to secure a seat in their DSC course(s).
Please share your Spring DSC course schedule with your school counselor. This information is needed in order to place your DSC courses on your MHS schedule and for you to obtain your Spring DSC textbooks. Be sure to return all of your Fall textbooks. It is Flagler Schools policy that students return all dual enrollment textbooks no later than one week after final exams for each term enrolled. No additional dual enrollment textbooks will be issued until all Fall books are returned or any financial obligations are paid. Visit the MHS Dual Enrollment Page and follow the steps carefully to order your Spring textbooks/courseware. If you have any questions about the dual enrollment textbook process please contact the DSC bookstore at sm8566@bncollege.com or email/see the Guidance Secretary, Ms. Rose Salcedo, in Rm. 5-216 for questions (salcedor@flaglerschools.com) |
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Community Service/Work Hours are not needed for graduation, but most scholarships require hours to meet eligibility requirements - Record your hours on the MHS log sheet and turn the sheet in to the Guidance Secretary, in Rm. 5-216 (It is your responsibility to keep a copy of your logs for your own records!)
- You can also pick up log sheets on the wall outside of Rm. 5-216 (Guidance Secretary/Registrar Office)
- Bright Futures - 100 volunteer and/or paid work hours needed
- Scholarship committees- Look for about 250 hours of varied volunteer service
- Visit flaglervolunteer.org for community service opportunities
- Complete the City of Palm Coast Volunteer Form for invitations to help out, meet new people, and earn service hours
- Join an MHS Community-Based club (ex. Interact or Key Club) - check out the MHS Activities page for details
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Please always consider college admissions deadlines and the time it will take for transcript processing and mailing
If the deadline is soon, priority mail the transcript yourself or drop it off at the college to ensure you don't miss the deadline!
- MHS - Complete the form on the MHS Transcript Request Page - Visit the Guidance Secretary in Rm. 5-216 for questions
- Dual Enrollment Students - Send your official transcript to your prospective college(s) through the college’s website that you’re dual enrolling through
- AICE - Visit the AICE Transcript Service site to send your transcript/test scores to your college(s) - Need your AICE Candidate # or have questions about the request or AICE program? Contact the MHS AICE Coordinator - Ms. Erin Davis (DavisE@flaglerschools.com)
- Advanced Placement - Login to your College Board account and send your official scores to your prospective college(s) from your account
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Matanzas High School offers FREE after school tutoring and test retakes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons! Students also have access to Khan Migo Tutoring through Classlink! Tutoring can offer more personalized attention, academic improvement, can improve study habits, and can boost confidence! Transportation is provided for students that live in the MHS zone. Parent permission is required for your student to participate in after school MHS tutoring and test retakes.
Parent Permission Form: Please complete the Parent Permission Form if you would like your student to participate. Pursuant to Rule 6A-10.089(5), Florida Administrative Code, Flagler Schools requires parent/guardian authorization before a student may participate in a school-sponsored event or activity.
Khan Migo Tutoring Khanmigo is an AI-powered personal tutor. Students have access to Khan Migo through Classlink.
How It Works - Socratic Method: Khanmigo uses guided questioning to help learners figure out problems on their own.
- Curriculum Integration: It is deeply integrated into Khan Academy's content library, so it understands the exact math, science, humanities, or coding exercise a student is working on.
- For Students: Provides 24/7 personalized tutoring, writing feedback that doesn't rewrite the student's work, code debugging, and interactive activities like debating historical figures.
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Participating in high school clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities is important because it builds essential life skills, improves mental and physical well-being, and strengthens future college and career opportunities.
Key Benefits of Involvement - Leadership Growth: Taking on roles like team captain or club officer teaches students how to communicate, solve problems, and guide others.
- Teamwork and Social Skills: Working with peers toward a common goal fosters cooperation, builds lasting friendships, and creates a sense of belonging.
- Time Management: Balancing practices, meetings, and events with homework teaches students how to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
- Better Academic and Mental Health: Physical activity and creative outlets relieve stress, reduce boredom, and are statistically linked to better attendance and higher grades.
- College and Career Readiness: Admissions officers and employers value deep, passionate involvement because it demonstrates character, initiative, and responsibility.
Check out the MHS Activities & Athletics pages for offerings and information
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MHS School Counseling Team
MATANZAS HIGH SCHOOL 3535 Pirate Nation Way Palm Coast, FL 32137 (386) 447-1575 mhspirates.com |
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