November 30, 2023
CLASS OF 2025 GLC NEWSLETTER: Volume 3 Issue 4
REMINDERS/ANNOUNCEMENTS ETC…
Greetings Class of 2025 Students and Parents,
Class of 2025-Diamond Bar High School 11th Graders
As your Grade Level Coordinators-GLCs, we will work with you and guide you through your high school experience here at DBHS. Periodically, we will send out a GLC Newsletter with timely announcements which affect our class. We encourage parents and students to closely read these GLC Newsletters and avoid missing out on important topics, deadlines, announcements etc.
NEW BRUNCH-LUNCH SUPERVISION AREAS FOR YOUR GRADE LEVEL COORDINATORS
Now through February 23, 2024, our brunch and lunch supervision areas will be as follows:
Mrs. Duenas will be in the Music Building/PE Locker room areas and Mr. Patterson will continue to float around campus. Keep in mind, that your GLCs are not in their offices during brunch and lunch. This is a great time to find us out on campus to ask questions, chat etc.
12-WEEK GRADES-PROGRESS REPORTS
November 3rd ended the most recent 6-week progress report grading period. Your student’s 12-week grades and current grades are easily viewed on Aeries Portal. We encourage both students and parents to check on a regular basis, their current course grades.
THANKSGIVING BREAK
We hope everyone enjoyed some relaxed family time over the Thanksgiving Break.
LAST FEW WEEKS OF SEMESTER 1: STUDENTS MAKE A PLAN…
As we return from our Thanksgiving break, students will have 3-weeks of class instruction before semester 1 Final Exams. The last day of semester 1 is Wednesday, December 20th. Here are some key reminders:
MATH BOOT CAMP
Math students needing extra support now and preparing for final exams…Attend our Math Boot Camp this Saturday, December 2nd from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Use the link below to register. Registration is required.
https://forms.gle/bgt4xzR1J8Diifyz7
Do You Really Read These Newsletters?
The first Class of 2025 student to send his/her GLC an email with the following message will be presented with a Starbucks Gift Card to enjoy… Email this message to your GLC: “I love these GLC Newsletters; they are so helpful.”
PARENT WORKSHOP/PRESENTATION IN JANUARY-GREAT PROGRAM ON CYBER SECURITY
Please mark your calendar and plan on attending a valuable presentation on safety on the internet, cyber security, social media practices etc. We have a guest speaker on our campus on Monday, January 22, 2024 in our Theater starting at 7:00 pm. Clayton Cranford, a Cyber Safety expert and founder of Cyber Safety Cop will present to parents “best practices” we should all be teaching our children! Please attend this valuable program.
COLLEGE SEARCH
As we close in on second semester of 11th grade, we encourage students to begin or hopefully continue with their search for colleges which may be good matches for them upon graduation in May, 2025. Whether a student is considering starting their college studies at the community college, university, trade school etc. now is a good time to create a list of possible schools/destinations. In grade 9, we met with our Class of 2025 students and reviewed a helpful Powerpoint presentation on POST HIGH SCHOOL OPTIONS. Now would be a great time to revisit this Powerpoint presentation: https://4.files.edl.io/f21c/02/27/22/194333-33d3aafe-ade7-4079-8dd6-727d86c29e73.pdf
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
“It costs nothing to be kind, but it can mean everything to someone else. You can never go wrong being kind.”
ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS/INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS GLC NEWSLETTERS
MID-POINT OF OUR 2023-2024 ACADEMIC SEMESTER
By the end of this week, we will have reached the mid-point of our academic semester. Time does pass by quickly. We ask that you remain supportive of your student and involved with your student’s academic efforts. Reminders:
ATTENDANCE
The most important step to achieving academic success is to be present in class. We encourage our students to only miss class when they are ill. In the event students miss part of a school day or the entire school day, we encourage parents to call DBHS and communicate with our attendance staff regarding the absence the same day as the absence or at the latest the next morning. Students may also bring in a note from the parent the next day and provide this note to our attendance staff first thing the next morning. Failure to clear absences may result in consequences for your student (detention/SWAP).
If your student arrives to school late, he/she must sign in at the Attendance Office even if they don’t have a note or a phone call has not been made yet. By signing in, there is a record of official arrival time to school. Voice Messages may be left 24-hours a day by calling 909-594-1405 and using extensions 33123 or 33124.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAMS/TUTORING:
Below is the link for our Academic Support/Tutoring programs. We have tutoring programs which are no cost to the student and we have a Peer-Tutor for hire program as well. Please check this out if you need support with your studies.
https://4.files.edl.io/0c81/08/23/23/235834-34546e3e-10f3-4544-871c-3de65ada7b7b.pdf
DRESS CODE
We ask students to follow our Dress Code. Violations of the Dress Code policy will be an assignment of a Saturday Work Program-SWAP. Warnings have been issued via our Due Process meetings newsletters, DBHS Bulletin announcements etc.
PARKING LOT-SENIOR STUDENTS ONLY
11th graders who are driving vehicles to school are not allowed to park in the DBHS parking lot. Student parking in the lot is reserved for 12th grade students who have registered their vehicle with DBHS Administration and who have a DBHS-Issued Parking decal properly displayed on the vehicle.
11th graders who choose to ignore this policy will be assigned consequences for their decisions. Consequences may include Saturday Work Programs, Suspensions, Loss of parking lot privileges as a 12th grader! Parents, if your 11th grade student drives to school, please discuss this policy with them-Thank you.
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND THOUGHTS:
We encourage our students to always work hard and do their best. Great effort and a great work ethic will result in good results and students will feel good about the results. We encourage students to be well-rounded and involved in activities outside the classroom as well. Clubs, Athletics, Employment etc. help make our students interesting people and that is what colleges want.
Off Campus Opportunities
We hope you have visited our Guidance Webpage and The Class of 2025 Webpage often. Did you know that on our DBHS Guidance Webpage, we have a tremendous section which lists many Off Campus Opportunities for our students to pursue. These include opportunities during the school year as well as summer opportunities. CHECK IT OUT!!
https://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=64577&type=d&pREC_ID=836560
COLLEGE PREPARATION/COLLEGE PLANNING TIPS/ADMISSION 101:
Bentley University shared this information with us recently. It is not specific to Bentley University; the information is for students who are preparing to attend college. The tips are good for students pursuing 4-year universities, community colleges etc. Check it out!
TOPICS INCLUDE:
https://www.bentley.edu/undergraduate/school-counselors-resources
SHOULD I TAKE THE SAT OR ACT??:
Please see previous GLC Newsletters for a detailed discussion about the SAT or ACT exams. We have also included this information at the bottom of this GLC Newsletter.
Common Questions:
NOTES ON THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY-CSU AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-UC
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-UC:
The UC Application for Admission will include Student’s Courses, Grades, Personal Insight Question Responses, Activities among other criteria. The UC uses a process called COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW. Below are the points of emphasis for the UC Comprehensive Review Process:
The following criteria provide a comprehensive list of factors UC campuses may use to select their admitted class. Based on campus-specific institutional goals and needs, admissions decisions will be based on a broad variety of factors:
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY: CSU
The CSU Application is very straightforward and will emphasize Courses completed and Grades.
Mrs. Lauren Osajima-Intervention Counselor-Office 277
Mrs. Stacy Woodward-School Psychologist-Office 252
Mrs. Inger Turner-School Psychologist-Office 252
Wellness Center-Peer Counselors available for all students during periods 2-3-4 and during lunch-Room 254
Kevin Patterson Students Last Name A-Lio [email protected]
Stephanie Duenas Students Last name Lip-Z [email protected]
Julie Salas Pathways Academy [email protected]
REMINDERS/ANNOUNCEMENTS ETC…
Greetings Class of 2025 Students and Parents,
Class of 2025-Diamond Bar High School 11th Graders
As your Grade Level Coordinators-GLCs, we will work with you and guide you through your high school experience here at DBHS. Periodically, we will send out a GLC Newsletter with timely announcements which affect our class. We encourage parents and students to closely read these GLC Newsletters and avoid missing out on important topics, deadlines, announcements etc.
NEW BRUNCH-LUNCH SUPERVISION AREAS FOR YOUR GRADE LEVEL COORDINATORS
Now through February 23, 2024, our brunch and lunch supervision areas will be as follows:
Mrs. Duenas will be in the Music Building/PE Locker room areas and Mr. Patterson will continue to float around campus. Keep in mind, that your GLCs are not in their offices during brunch and lunch. This is a great time to find us out on campus to ask questions, chat etc.
12-WEEK GRADES-PROGRESS REPORTS
November 3rd ended the most recent 6-week progress report grading period. Your student’s 12-week grades and current grades are easily viewed on Aeries Portal. We encourage both students and parents to check on a regular basis, their current course grades.
THANKSGIVING BREAK
We hope everyone enjoyed some relaxed family time over the Thanksgiving Break.
LAST FEW WEEKS OF SEMESTER 1: STUDENTS MAKE A PLAN…
As we return from our Thanksgiving break, students will have 3-weeks of class instruction before semester 1 Final Exams. The last day of semester 1 is Wednesday, December 20th. Here are some key reminders:
- Attendance: It is very important that students attend school each day. Regular attendance and being on time to each class is the first step to academic success.
- Effort: Students should be laser-focused with their effort in their studies these last few weeks. Lack of effort the last few weeks could be detrimental to a semester of hard work.
- Good Habits: Attending each day, being on time, paying attention in class and communicating with teachers are all good habits to continue.
- Health: We encourage students to keep a “balance” with their school activities, studies, family time etc. Getting enough sleep is critical to staying healthy physically and emotionally.
- Final Exam Schedule: Link for Semester 1 Final Exam schedule: https://4.files.edl.io/7a82/11/30/23/000411-42c8a6a2-3cac-4b94-912f-199d6fabbd12.pdf
MATH BOOT CAMP
Math students needing extra support now and preparing for final exams…Attend our Math Boot Camp this Saturday, December 2nd from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Use the link below to register. Registration is required.
https://forms.gle/bgt4xzR1J8Diifyz7
Do You Really Read These Newsletters?
The first Class of 2025 student to send his/her GLC an email with the following message will be presented with a Starbucks Gift Card to enjoy… Email this message to your GLC: “I love these GLC Newsletters; they are so helpful.”
PARENT WORKSHOP/PRESENTATION IN JANUARY-GREAT PROGRAM ON CYBER SECURITY
Please mark your calendar and plan on attending a valuable presentation on safety on the internet, cyber security, social media practices etc. We have a guest speaker on our campus on Monday, January 22, 2024 in our Theater starting at 7:00 pm. Clayton Cranford, a Cyber Safety expert and founder of Cyber Safety Cop will present to parents “best practices” we should all be teaching our children! Please attend this valuable program.
COLLEGE SEARCH
As we close in on second semester of 11th grade, we encourage students to begin or hopefully continue with their search for colleges which may be good matches for them upon graduation in May, 2025. Whether a student is considering starting their college studies at the community college, university, trade school etc. now is a good time to create a list of possible schools/destinations. In grade 9, we met with our Class of 2025 students and reviewed a helpful Powerpoint presentation on POST HIGH SCHOOL OPTIONS. Now would be a great time to revisit this Powerpoint presentation: https://4.files.edl.io/f21c/02/27/22/194333-33d3aafe-ade7-4079-8dd6-727d86c29e73.pdf
- Students should use the STAIRCASE APPROACH
- This approach will help students find their path in life starting with their college studies.
- Use this link for the STAIRCASE APPROACH Powerpoint
- Community Colleges/Trade Schools:
- The process for applying to a community college will take place during 12th grade, usually around January 2024 for Fall-2025 enrollment. MTSAC is our primary community college and staff from MTSAC will be very involved with our students during their 12th grade year.
- Universities:
- Begin making a list of colleges which may be a good match. Use the Staircase approach above and determine “Must Have/Deal Breaker” characteristics a college being considered offers to the student. For example:
- Your major or areas of academic interest. This should be on your list of “Deal Breaker” characteristics. If the school does not have the academic area of interest, why pursue attending the campus?
- Location-does the student want to stay in California or venture out of state?
- Size of the campus and student population, How active the campus is with social activities may be important to the student. Things as simple as a student wanting to attend football and basketball games etc. could be an important element of their college life.
- Each student should have some criteria which are simply “deal breakers” meaning if the college does not have this, then I am not interested in pursuing the school.
- Your list of colleges should be broken into the following categories and a list of 8-12 schools is just about right. Find data on each prospective university. Data should include average GPA of recently accepted applicants, average SAT or ACT scores (If Required or If Optional) of recently accepted applicants.
- 1-2 REACH schools: These would be schools in which your averages may be lower than the publicized or researched university averages of GPA and SAT/ACT scores or within the average range. This type of university is a challenge for admission for any student. (regardless of what some website or person tells you about your chances, pursue some of these universities).
- 3-5 TARGET schools: These are schools based on your research, you have a good, legitimate chance of getting in based on your comparison of your GPA/SAT-ACT scores with the publicized averages.
- 1-2 SAFETY schools: These are schools based on your research who should definitely make an offer of admission to you based on your comparison of your GPA/SAT-ACT scores with the publicized averages.
- Key Point: Only apply to schools which have your main criteria…If only 1 of your 10 schools you applied to accepted you, you should be able to say it has my main criteria and I am happy to accept their offer of admission. (No point in applying to a back-up school you wouldn’t actually want to attend). What word was mentioned several times just now? Research! You can’t determine a Safety or Target school properly without thorough research.
- Begin making a list of colleges which may be a good match. Use the Staircase approach above and determine “Must Have/Deal Breaker” characteristics a college being considered offers to the student. For example:
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
“It costs nothing to be kind, but it can mean everything to someone else. You can never go wrong being kind.”
ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS/INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS GLC NEWSLETTERS
MID-POINT OF OUR 2023-2024 ACADEMIC SEMESTER
By the end of this week, we will have reached the mid-point of our academic semester. Time does pass by quickly. We ask that you remain supportive of your student and involved with your student’s academic efforts. Reminders:
- Check your student’s grades via AERIES on a regular basis.
- Students should regularly communicate with their teachers.
- Keep your student in school with daily on-time attendance.
- Monitor your student’s overall emotional and physical health.
- Rest: Students need a minimum of 7-8 hours of nightly sleep.
- Nutrition: Help your student maintain a healthy diet
- Exercise: Encourage your student to get some form of exercise daily.
- Balance: Monitor your student to ensure he/she is maintaining a balance of school work, extracurricular activities and keep to a minimum social media and gaming time.
- November brings a holiday and Thanksgiving breaks to us for a “recharge” of our batteries for a strong finish to the semester in December.
ATTENDANCE
The most important step to achieving academic success is to be present in class. We encourage our students to only miss class when they are ill. In the event students miss part of a school day or the entire school day, we encourage parents to call DBHS and communicate with our attendance staff regarding the absence the same day as the absence or at the latest the next morning. Students may also bring in a note from the parent the next day and provide this note to our attendance staff first thing the next morning. Failure to clear absences may result in consequences for your student (detention/SWAP).
If your student arrives to school late, he/she must sign in at the Attendance Office even if they don’t have a note or a phone call has not been made yet. By signing in, there is a record of official arrival time to school. Voice Messages may be left 24-hours a day by calling 909-594-1405 and using extensions 33123 or 33124.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAMS/TUTORING:
Below is the link for our Academic Support/Tutoring programs. We have tutoring programs which are no cost to the student and we have a Peer-Tutor for hire program as well. Please check this out if you need support with your studies.
https://4.files.edl.io/0c81/08/23/23/235834-34546e3e-10f3-4544-871c-3de65ada7b7b.pdf
DRESS CODE
We ask students to follow our Dress Code. Violations of the Dress Code policy will be an assignment of a Saturday Work Program-SWAP. Warnings have been issued via our Due Process meetings newsletters, DBHS Bulletin announcements etc.
PARKING LOT-SENIOR STUDENTS ONLY
11th graders who are driving vehicles to school are not allowed to park in the DBHS parking lot. Student parking in the lot is reserved for 12th grade students who have registered their vehicle with DBHS Administration and who have a DBHS-Issued Parking decal properly displayed on the vehicle.
11th graders who choose to ignore this policy will be assigned consequences for their decisions. Consequences may include Saturday Work Programs, Suspensions, Loss of parking lot privileges as a 12th grader! Parents, if your 11th grade student drives to school, please discuss this policy with them-Thank you.
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND THOUGHTS:
We encourage our students to always work hard and do their best. Great effort and a great work ethic will result in good results and students will feel good about the results. We encourage students to be well-rounded and involved in activities outside the classroom as well. Clubs, Athletics, Employment etc. help make our students interesting people and that is what colleges want.
Off Campus Opportunities
We hope you have visited our Guidance Webpage and The Class of 2025 Webpage often. Did you know that on our DBHS Guidance Webpage, we have a tremendous section which lists many Off Campus Opportunities for our students to pursue. These include opportunities during the school year as well as summer opportunities. CHECK IT OUT!!
https://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=64577&type=d&pREC_ID=836560
COLLEGE PREPARATION/COLLEGE PLANNING TIPS/ADMISSION 101:
Bentley University shared this information with us recently. It is not specific to Bentley University; the information is for students who are preparing to attend college. The tips are good for students pursuing 4-year universities, community colleges etc. Check it out!
TOPICS INCLUDE:
- Creating a College List
- Campus Visit Tips
- Build a Resume
- Letters of Recommendation
- Prepping for College Admission Questions/Essay Responses
- How to get the most out of College Fairs
- Preparing for College Admission Interviews
- Financial Aid/Scholarships
- Prepping for Standardized Tests
https://www.bentley.edu/undergraduate/school-counselors-resources
SHOULD I TAKE THE SAT OR ACT??:
Please see previous GLC Newsletters for a detailed discussion about the SAT or ACT exams. We have also included this information at the bottom of this GLC Newsletter.
Common Questions:
- Should I take the SAT or ACT test?
- Answer: Students need to consider the following. UC and CSU campuses will not use the SAT/ACT score for admissions-it is NOT required and they won’t consider the score if submitted. Students should consider taking the SAT/ACT if they have found a university they may consider applying to and the university either requires the SAT or ACT score and/or they say it is optional to submit the SAT or ACT score. Some students may choose to take the SAT or ACT this school year “just in case” they find a college of interest which requires the exam or says submitting the score is optional.
- When should I take the SAT or ACT?
- Answer: Students should take the exam whenever they feel most prepared. Once a student feels they are at a math level and an English (Vocabulary and reading level) which has prepared them for the type of questions on the SAT or ACT, then they should take the test. We do recommend that students take the exam during 11th grade (most will wait until the spring semester to take the exam). 12th grade gets pretty busy so having the test completed before the 12th grade is wise.
- How do I sign up for the SAT or ACT?
- Answer: Students will need to create their own Student Account via the respective websites. Students will select the test date, test location and pay for the exam via their student account:
- Collegeboard.org (SAT)
- Act.org (ACT)
- Answer: Students will need to create their own Student Account via the respective websites. Students will select the test date, test location and pay for the exam via their student account:
- Can I take the SAT or ACT more than one time?
- Answer: Yes. Universities will use the highest score presented to them via your application.
NOTES ON THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY-CSU AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-UC
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-UC:
The UC Application for Admission will include Student’s Courses, Grades, Personal Insight Question Responses, Activities among other criteria. The UC uses a process called COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW. Below are the points of emphasis for the UC Comprehensive Review Process:
The following criteria provide a comprehensive list of factors UC campuses may use to select their admitted class. Based on campus-specific institutional goals and needs, admissions decisions will be based on a broad variety of factors:
- Academic grade point average in all completed A-G courses, including additional points for completed UC-certified honors courses.
- Number of, content of and performance in academic courses beyond the minimum A-G requirements.
- Number of and performance in UC-approved honors and Advanced Placement courses.
- Identification by UC as being ranked in the top 9 percent of their high school class ("eligible in the local context," or ELC).
- Quality of a student's senior-year program, as measured by the type and number of academic courses in progress or planned.
- Quality of their academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in their high school.
- Outstanding performance in one or more academic subject areas.
- Outstanding work in one or more special projects in any academic field of study.
- Recent, marked improvement in academic performance, as demonstrated by academic GPA and the quality of coursework completed or in progress.
- Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, communication or athletic endeavors; special skills, such as demonstrated written and oral proficiency in other languages; special interests, such as intensive study and exploration of other cultures; experiences that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, such as significant community service or significant participation in student government; or other significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus.
- Completion of special projects undertaken in the context of a student's high school curriculum or in conjunction with special school events, projects or programs.
- Academic accomplishments in light of a student's life experiences and special circumstances.
- Location of a student's secondary school and residence.
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY: CSU
The CSU Application is very straightforward and will emphasize Courses completed and Grades.
Mrs. Lauren Osajima-Intervention Counselor-Office 277
Mrs. Stacy Woodward-School Psychologist-Office 252
Mrs. Inger Turner-School Psychologist-Office 252
Wellness Center-Peer Counselors available for all students during periods 2-3-4 and during lunch-Room 254
Kevin Patterson Students Last Name A-Lio [email protected]
Stephanie Duenas Students Last name Lip-Z [email protected]
Julie Salas Pathways Academy [email protected]