CLASS OF 2012

 

Seniors – Stay Focused On School!!

Please encourage your students to keep working hard in the classroom. A failed class at the end of the semester could cost them graduation, and a drop in past performance could cost them admission to the school of their choice.  Universities have the right to rescind offers of admission if a senior’s grades go down.

 

Please help your student get to school on time every day.  Attendance is directly related to a student’s performance in the classroom and your child needs to be in each class in order to do his/her best.  Please do not write notes excusing morning absences due to “over-sleeping” as the state of California does not recognize failure to wake up as an excuse for missing school.

 

College Acceptances

As seniors begin receiving notification of acceptance and unfortunately, denial letters from the colleges to which they applied, be sure to talk to your child so you’re there to congratulate and console.  The college admissions process is so complex that no one will really know exactly why a particular student is accepted or denied.  Why dwell on any conjecture.  Get excited with your child about where he or she is going to be attending school next fall!

 

College To-Do Items

Regardless of where your student decides to continue his/her education, it is critical that students follow through and complete any and all applications/paperwork for their chosen college.  For example, most universities will need to be notified of your acceptance decision no later than May 1^st.  It is the student’s responsibility to meet all deadlines and to be in regular contact with their college.  Entrance/Placement exams, housing information, class scheduling, financial aid will all be important topics for your student. 

 

Financial Aid For College

Students need to monitor their financial aid status.  Submit any requested documents in a timely manner.  Once you know where you will be attending college, you need to contact the financial aid office at that college and confirm your financial-aid status.

 

Final Transcript

Seniors will need to send a final transcript to the campus that they will attend in the fall. This will be done online this year.   Students must go to parchment.com and follow the steps required to send the final transcript.  Once the student has chosen the campus, he/she can go on the site and make the request.  The transcript will however, not be sent until at least 2-3 weeks after graduation.

 

Graduation

Graduation will be held on Thursday, May 31^st at 6:30 p.m. in Holmes Memorial Stadium on Elfelt Field.  Caps and gowns will be given out at the first MANDATORY practice on May 29^th at 8:00 a.m. in the gym.  At the second MANDATORY practice (May 30^th at 8:00 a.m.), students will receive their 3 free tickets to graduation.  Extra tickets can be purchased for $7 starting May 7^th through USB.

 

CLASS OF 2013

 

It is hard to believe that senior year is right around the corner! All students need to continue to work hard in their classes so that they meet the goals they have set for themselves. Remember this is the last semester of grades that will be used to calculate admissions GPA for college. Information for senior registration will be distributed to your students soon. It is extremely important that you have checked all graduation requirements and college admissions requirements so that you are registered for the correct courses as a senior.

 

Twelve week progress reports were recently mailed home. If you have concerns about grades, please contact your student’s teacher directly so you can get immediate information about the most current progress. Aeries Parent Portal is also a great resource.

 

SAT and ACT

Students hoping to attend a four-year university should take the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT. We encourage students to take the test near the end of their junior year in March, May or June and then again at the beginning of their senior year. Registration for the SAT may be completed online at www.collegeboard.com. This website also features great information about financial aid and also a college search feature to help students and parents as they begin looking into possible colleges and universities that they might be interested in attending. Registration for the ACT may be completed online at www.act.org.

 

 

College Search Process

A great way to begin narrowing the college choices is by making campus visits if possible. Many students find that summer vacation is a good time to go on campus tours. Most college campuses have regular tours available. The best way to find out is by going on their website. Remember – finding the university and/or career major that is the “best fit” should be the goal.

 

Summer GLC Appointment

Each student in the Class of 2013 should make arrangements to be in town and attend their meeting with their GLC this summer. Extremely important information regarding senior year and beyond will be discussed. 

 

Paying for College

If you want to begin exploring the financial aid options and get an early start on the process, FAFSA4caster is for you! By using FAFSA4caster, you will receive an early estimate of eligibility for Federal Student Aid. This process will educate you on the various types of financial aid available. Check it out at www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov.

 

CLASS OF 2014

 

Strong Finish

Final grades for second semester are coming soon.  You recently received the 12 week progress report for your child so you have a good idea of his current grades.  Please monitor Parent Portal regularly and talk with your child about his assignments over these last few weeks to help him have a strong finish and earn the best grades possible.

 

Summer School

If your child earned an F in English in any of his first three semesters of high school, he should already be signed up for summer school.  If he does not attend, or if he fails summer school, he will not be considered on track for graduation.  If he earns an F in second semester English this year, bring him to the first day of summer school and add him to a class.  If he earns a D, he will earn graduation credit, but he would need to make up the class in summer school for CSU/UC admission.

If your child earns a D or an F in world history, biology, chemistry, or math, he will need to either sign up for a tuition summer school class or plan on repeating that class during his junior year.

 

Extracurricular/Community Service Involvement

Several people have probably advised your child to get involved in extracurricular activities or community service because it “looks good for college,” but we recommend encouraging your child to get involved in these activities for other, intrinsic reasons.  It’s good for your child to pursue his passions, to learn more about the world around him, to experience something different, to build confidence, to gain compassion for those less fortunate.  While participation and leadership in extracurricular activities and community service are positive factors in college applications, it is only because they provide insight into the type of person your child is and the range of experiences that have supplemented his education.

 

Junior Year Course Selection

Many students are making a transition in eleventh grade to more difficult classes.  That’s a good, positive direction, but please remind your child to take these more challenging courses very seriously.  Several students like the idea of taking many AP classes, but they don’t like the idea of doing all the work these classes require and can make the mistake of cheating or plagiarizing.  Please discuss the upcoming year with your child and make sure he is ready to work hard and meet the challenge.

 

CLASS OF 2015

 

First Semester Grades

By now you’ve had a chance to review your child’s first semester grades.  These are the first official grades that will make up your student’s CSU/UC GPA, and your child needs to continue working hard to earn the grades that truly reflect the kind of student he or she is.  The 12 week progress report has gone out as well. This is a reflection of how your student will end this spring semester. Please continue to talk with your student about pushing through in these final weeks. We have free tutoring Mon-Thurs from 3:00-4:30 in room 232.  If your child earned an F in a class required for graduation, he or she needs to plan on making it up in summer school this summer. If your child earned a D in a class required for CSU/UC admissions, he or she should make it up in summer school this summer.  If your student earned a D in the first semester of math or foreign language, a C or better in the second semester would allow him/her to move on to the next level next year, but we would suggest contacting the GLC about possible tutors for hire.

 

Parent Portal and Tutoring

Many of you have been actively monitoring your child’s progress in classes via the parent portal and already know what a useful tool this can be.  It’s a great way to have informed conversations with your child about class assignments and overall performance.  If you have trouble getting started, please contact your child’s GLC and we will help you. 

 

If your child needs a private tutor for any subject, please have your student see his or her GLC for names and phone numbers of students available for hire.

 

Sophomore Schedules

The sophomore schedules have been turned in. The GLCs will be revisiting the English classes in May to update schedules based on any changes that may have occurred since March. For example, if you child was accepted into a summer class or made a team or is now part of a program, they will have the opportunity to change their course selection at that time. 

 

Tenth grade is a very crowded year, with most students taking a full load of five academic classes – English, math, science, world history, foreign language – and one period of P.E.  If your child hopes to take something as an elective in sophomore year, for example, orchestra, he or she must make room in the tenth grade schedule by taking world history or science in summer school this summer.

 

Clearing Attendance

Please make sure that you are calling the attendance office if your child is out ill or absent for any reason. The attendance office needs to receive a call from you even if your child was only out for one period. Failure to call the Attendance office may result in consequences for your student. The attendance office direct line is 909-594-1860