SCHOOL COUNSELING DEPARTMENT

Phone: 978-897-8891
Fax: 978-897-6089

Counselors are available Monday through Friday during the school day. If you need to meet outside of regular hours, please contact us.

Nicole Fernald, M.Ed., C.A.G.S. (she/her)
Certified School Guidance Counselor
Caseload: Last names Lb-Z (K-Z for class of 2025 and beyond)
Email: nfernald@maynard.k12.ma.us
Phone: 978-897-8891 x3209
Office: B109

Dana MacPhee, M.A., C.A.G.S. (she/her)
Certified School Guidance Counselor
Certified School Adjustment Counselor
Caseload: Specific students, last names A-Z
Email: dmacphee@maynard.k12.ma.us
Phone: 978-897-8891 x3105
Office: A203

Amy Petroskey, M.Ed., Ed.S. (she/her)
Certified School Guidance Counselor
Caseload: Last names A-La (A-J for class of 2025 and beyond)
Email: apetroskey@maynard.k12.ma.us
Phone: 978-897-8891 x3210
Office: B110

Olivia Hull, M.A. (she/her)
School Adjustment Counselor
Email: ohull@maynard.k12.ma.us
Phone: 978-897-8891 x1417
Office: A202

Counseling Department Newsletters

Other Counseling Pages

Important Information

2023-2024 Program of Studies - This document includes MHS graduation requirements.

Application for Free/Reduced Lunch - Although all students receive free lunch, it is helpful for families to apply for free lunch each year. Qualifying for free/reduced lunch allows for fee waivers or reductions for the bus fee, activity fees, standardized tests, and college applications. If you think you may qualify, please apply here.

Work Permits - Work permit applications are available in the main office. Completed applications can be turned in at the main office for official work permits.

Official Transcripts for Alumni - Official transcripts can be requested at the main office, by calling 978-897-8891, or by emailing Gail Lucas at glucas@maynard.k12.ma.us.

SCHOOL COUNSELING

IN-SCHOOL EVENTS

Maynard Local Scholarship Application Now Available!

Counselors went into senior project classes to tell seniors about the Maynard Local Scholarship Application. One application allows students to apply for a vast number of local scholarships provided by local businesses, school alumni, and others interested in supporting Maynard students.

Any student who is going to a 2-year college, 4-year college, training or certificate program next year is eligible to apply.

The application is due Friday, April 5th at 2:05pm. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. The application can be found here.

2024-25 Scheduling

School counselors went into English classes to have 9th, 10th, and 11th graders choose electives for next year on February 8th and 9th. Students can see their course recommendations for core classes through Aspen and which electives they chose those days. The program of studies is available here.

Counselors have been meeting individually with students and will continue to meet to discuss scheduling through March.

OTHER EVENTS

SERF Annual College & Gap Year Webinars and Fair

The Sudbury Education Resource Fund (SERF) annual College & Gap Year Fair is coming! This event consists of a series of webinars culminating with an in-person College & Gap Year Fair.  

This year the online webinars will be March 11th-14th, 7-8pm with topics such as Behind the Scenes of College Admissions, College Planning for Students who Learn Differently, and Planning an Intentional Gap Year.

The College & Gap Year fair, with over 80 College Representatives in attendance, will take place Saturday, March 16th, from 12-3pm at Lincoln-Sudbury High School.

For more information, please visit the SERF website.

NAMI Presents "College and Your Mental Health" - Monday, March 18, 7-8:30pm

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) annual “College and Your Mental Health” program prepares students and parents/caregivers for transition and success in a college environment for those living with a mental health condition.

The Central MIddlesex affiliate of NAMI presents a webinar (in which your identity will be private) covering topics such as:

-Mental health-friendly signs to look for when applying to colleges
-Disclosing a diagnosis
-Types of support on campus
-Managing a daily college schedule
-Thinking about living arrangements
-Alternate paths to a degree
-Coping with a medical leave

There will be a panel including a student currently balancing college life and mental health challenges and administrators from Middlesex Community College, UMass Lowell, and Boston University. 

For more information and to register, please click here.

NEACAC Spring College Fairs

Every spring the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) holds college fairs at local colleges in the area. The closest fairs are:

Sunday, May 5, 6-8pm @ Merrimack College, North Andover, MA
Wednesday, May 29, 5:30-7:30pm @ Assumption College, Worcester, MA

For the full listing and more details, please check out the NEACAC website.

POST-SECONDARY PLANNING

Seniors: please make sure you are completing the documents necessary for counselors to submit documents to college, including your brag sheet and the transcript release form.

Parents/caregivers: please complete the caregiver brag sheet to brag about your student in ways they won't do themselves and/or to share additional information that you think we need to know.

Last spring, school counselors presented to families and students in the class of 2024. You can view the slides presented to families here and a recording of the full presentation is available here. Please also feel free to refer to the Postsecondary Planning Timeline and Resources page for more information. There are links to additional documents on the Class of 2024 Google Classroom.

Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which all colleges require for financial aid (and sometimes merit aid, as well) is finally available!

Step 1 is to create your FSA ID (username and password) here.
Step 2 is to complete the FAFSA here.

MEFA has created a great checklist for what you need and the steps to complete the FAFSA. That document can be found here.

FAFSA Day 2024

FAFSA Day is a non-profit, volunteer driven program providing free assistance to students and families seeking to complete the FAFSA.

Events this year will take place on Mondays from 6-7:30pm on March 11, April 8, and May 13. During these online sessions, financial aid professionals from colleges and organizations across Massachusetts are ready and available to answer questions
and walk you and your family through the application process.

For more information and to register, visit their website here.

uAspire Financial Aid Workshops

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education along with uAspire have partnered to provide free FAFSA support. uAspire is a national nonprofit whose singular focus is on college affordability and removing financial barriers so that every student has an equitable opportunity to attain a postsecondary degree. Here is a one-pager that shares more about the upcoming changes to the FAFSA.

Next Steps Post-FAFSA: The Next Steps Post-FAFSA walkthrough will discuss in detail how to review the Student Aid Report and what to look out for. The presentation will also cover making corrections, adding schools, and completing verification for both the FAFSA and CSS Profile.
-April 2, 2024 at  4:00-5:00 pm ET
Register for this webinar here.

Financial Aid Offer Review: The Financial Aid Offer provides students and families with critical information to interpret their financial aid offers. uAspire advisors will share key details about the different types of financial aid, best practices for reviewing and comparing financial aid offers, and the essential next steps to take after determining how much each college will cost.
-April 24, 2024 at 5:00-6:00 pm -ET
Register for this webinar here.

Students with 504s or IEPs

The process to receive accommodations at college is not the same as in high school. Students need to disclose their disability and request accommodations through the office of disability services (sometimes also called accessibility services). For more information about the transition to college with a disability, check out these resources.

TESTING

Testing information has been moved to the post-secondary planning website.

RESOURCES

Mental Health/Crisis Hotlines

  • Advocates 24/7 Mobile Crisis Line: 800-540-5806

  • MA Behavioral Health Help Line: 833-773-2445

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

  • Crisis Text Line: Text ACT to 741741

  • theTrevorProject.org 1-866-488-7386

  • Trans Lifeline 1-877-565-8860

Community and Mental Health Resources (Webpage)

Mental Health Resources List (Google Doc)