SILEX HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ANNOUNCE AND CELEBRATE POST-GRADUATION PLANS AT 2nd Annual “DECISION DAY” EVENT
Silex Administrators, Teachers, Staff and Fellow Classmates Encourage All Students to Create Strong Plan for Life After High School
Silex High School along with RoodEd Alliance Advisor, Amy Grote and Silex High School Guidance Counselor, Hillari Heitgerd hosted their 2nd Annual “Decision Day,” on April 10, 2024. This is an event in which 36 graduating high school seniors publicly announced whether they are enrolling in college, seeking career training or enlisting in the military following graduation. Silex Administrators, Teachers and Staff attended the event to celebrate students’ plans for success after high school and to encourage younger students to begin planning for the future.
High School Principal, Robert James says “With this being my first year as principal. I will always remember this group as my first seniors. They've had an unbelievable amount of success not only in the classroom, but outside the classroom in our clubs, sports and organizations. They have represented the Silex School District and community very well. We are all so proud and can't wait to see all the amazing things they go on to accomplish. I know I will never forget this group.”
“This is our 2nd Annual Decision Day. We are so excited to celebrate the Class of 2024 and announce their future plans to the community. This group sure has a bright future ahead of them,” said Amy Grote, rootEd Advisor.
Seniors celebrated the occasion with a blow up obstacle course courtesy of the Missouri Army National Guard, games of Corn Hole and prize giveaways. Lunch consisted of pizza, cookies, and soda. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department provided snow cones. “One of the neatest aspects of Decision Day was the response of our faculty and staff. We asked the staff to each adopt a senior class member. Unbelievably, within an hour, every senior was adopted. The support the Silex R-1 staff shows every student is just amazing,” added Amy Grote.
Abagail Mooney, Student Council Executive President said, “Decision Day was a great experience for myself and the senior class to announce our plans after high school. I enjoyed getting to hear what my classmates are doing in the future, receiving a great gift from my college, and getting to spend time with my counselors, Mrs. Grote and Mrs. Heitgerd. They have done a wonderful job with helping us students complete applications, scholarships, and assist in planning our future.”
The Decision Day event is part of a larger effort by Silex High School to support students to prepare for lifelong success. As the result of a partnership with national organization rootEd Alliance and Ozarks Technical Community College to improve outcomes for high school students, Silex is among select high schools statewide that have added a dedicated college and career advisor to its school community. RootEd advisors work alongside school counselors to ensure students have the resources they need to chart a path beyond high school—to the military or technical school, community college or a bachelor’s degree. Silex hosted special guests from Ranken Technical College, Pike-Lincoln Technical Center and Local 513 Heavy Equipment Operator Training School.
Superintendent Nick Heggemann would like to relay the following message to the Class of 2024: “Congratulations on this time in your life where a new adventure begins. Many of you will be off to college looking forward to the future. For the rest of you, this starts your world of being a productive citizen. As you leave Silex, remember failures are not the end of the world but are growth opportunities, get better each and every day.”
About rootEd Alliance
rootEd Alliance, Inc. is a collaborative effort founded by family business owners and philanthropists who recognize that all students need more than a high school diploma to succeed in today’s economy. Rural students face unique barriers to pursuing a postsecondary pathway, and rootEd aims to remove these barriers and expand opportunity by investing philanthropic capital in a transformative advising model and partnering with states to bring it to scale. The rootEd model trains and places dedicated advisors in rural high schools. This ensures students have the resources they need to chart a path beyond high school—to the military or technical school, community college or a bachelor’s degree. The rootEd model has a proven track record of success across rural communities in Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Idaho. rootEd Alliance was born out of BDT & Company’s commitment to convening and catalyzing philanthropists around big ideas that are under-resourced and overlooked, with great potential for impact. For more information, please visit: https://rootEdAlliance.org/.
SENIORS: It is not too late to complete the FAFSA. Any student who completes and has the FAFSA verified by Mrs. Grote will be entered into a weekly drawing. If you need assistance with completion, please reach out to Mrs. Grote. Click https://5il.co/2gvsl to read an important message from Missouri Governor, Michael Parson.
November 16, 2023:
The Department of Education announced today that the newly overhauled 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, will be open to students and families by December 31, 2023. This is nearly three months later than usual. Unexpectedly, institutions are just learning that delivery of applicant information from the FAFSA will be delayed also. This is why it is so important for students and families to be prepared to complete the FAFSA when it officially opens.
One of the changes is the new FAFSA is a delay between creating a FSA ID and the time it takes to process the request. To get ahead of the game, we are planning a Senior FSA ID Day for Wednesday, December 6th.
Students can stop by my office, and I will help them create their FSA ID. Snacks will be provided. Students just need to create an FSA ID or show me their already created ID to grab a treat.
Seniors will need:
Full Name
Date of Birth
Social Security Number
A non-school email address
Cell Phone (For this instance students may use their cell phones)
Memorable Username and Password
Students should not use parent's email addresses as parents will need to use their email to set up their parental FSA ID and emails cannot be duplicated. Also, if there are any parents who need help setting up their FSA ID, please feel free to reach out.
Once FSA ID's are created and have been verified, we will be scheduling a FAFSA Frenzy in January where we will offer assistance in completing the FAFSA.
I have attached a Creating and Using the FSA ID worksheet.
As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Mrs. Grote
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Candi Ferguson Arrigo from Lincoln County Area Retired School Personnel presented Mrs. Amy Grote with a check for $200. Mrs. Grote completed the LCARSP grant application and was chosen as one of this year's recipients. Mrs. Grote is the rootEd College and Career Advisor and plans to use the $200 to help fund this year's Decision Day. This is the day Silex senior class members formally announce their official plans for after graduation. Congratulations Mrs. Grote! #rootEdMissouri