Class of 2017 Students and Parents,
Greetings from your Grade Level Coordinators Mr. Kevin Patterson and Mr. Jack Galeener!
News and Notes:
Summer School 2015
Summer School registration continues. Students who need to repeat an English, ELD, Modern World History or Algebra B course have been seen by their GLC and have been registered for summer session. Summer School rosters are posted on our website under the summer school link.
Non-Tuition Course registration for advancement has closed. Class rosters for these courses are posted on our school website under the summer school link.
Tuition Course registration opens up next Monday, March 9th. You can access the link for the Dedicated 2 Learning program via our school website under the summer school link.
SAT/ACT
Students should be looking into the SAT and ACT standardized tests. Sophomore year and the summer after sophomore year are great times to start with any test-preparation programs or seeking out test-preparation resources. Check out the DBHS website for test-preparation programs. Check out your local bookstore for SAT/ACT preparation materials. Students can do a great job of preparing for the exams on their own via their school work and preparation materials they find at good bookstores. Universities will require either the SAT or ACT as part of their admission requirements.
The SAT Reasoning test is changing as you may have heard. The current version of the SAT will be available to take through about February, 2016. Beginning in March, 2016 (our students’ junior year), the new version of the SAT will be launched and the current version will no longer be available. Our students in the Class of 2017 may take either the current version of the SAT or the new version of the SAT. Our students can take both if they would like to try both. Universities will take the best scores the student presents during the university application process. Please consult the Student/Parent Information Handbook given to your student during the GLC meeting last summer. This Handbook is also available on our school website, www.dbhs.org under Guidance. The Handbook has a wealth of information for you and your student including information on the SAT and ACT exams.
PSAT
Next fall, our class (Junior Year) will have the opportunity to take the PSAT NMSQT. This is a practice SAT exam; however when taken during the national test date as a junior it is the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Students who take this test as a junior and score in the top 1.5% of all test takers in the nation could become National Merit Scholars. Each year, DBHS has several students who receive this recognition and opportunity to pursue scholarship opportunities as well. The PSAT next fall will be based on the New Version of the SAT exam.
Generally students start taking the SAT or ACT during their junior year. All test registration is done by the student via their personal accounts they will create on the respective websites www.collegeboard.org (SAT) and www.act.org (ACT). Most universities will accept SAT or ACT scores through the December exams during a student’s senior year. Students should double check with universities to ensure what the cut off exam dates are for specific universities.
SAT Subject Tests
Some universities will also require applicants to take SAT Subject Tests. If a university requires these exams they will usually require (2) Subject Tests. Your student should begin researching which universities they are interested in to determine if the SAT Subject tests are an admission’s requirement. Our University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) schools do not require the SAT Subject exam. However, there are some UC campuses which will “recommend” the student take (2) SAT Subject exams. Student research will determine which UC campuses and which Majors at those campuses will “recommend” the SAT Subject tests. We recommend to our students to take the SAT Subject tests if they plan on applying to any private universities and/or any UC campuses just to be safe.
Volunteering/Community Service
We are often asked about this topic. DBHS does not require our students to participate in community service as a graduation requirement. We do believe that when students do volunteer that they are more well-rounded and diverse than those students who do not participate in community service. Universities want well-rounded students. We recommend for our students who do participate in community service hours etc. to keep track of their hours of service. Upon applying to universities, many schools will do random audits and checks on student applications to confirm that the information submitted by the applicant is accurate and honest. Keeping track of your hours served with dates of service, the person the student reported to with contact information will make things much easier when senior year rolls around. We do not have a form for this process; we suggest that students produce their own document for recordkeeping purposes.
11th Grade Course Registration Process
Beginning March 16, 2015 we will be visiting our students in their English class to start the course registration process for the 2015-2016 school year. We will distribute the registration materials the week of March 16 and we will then return to their English class the week of March 30th to collect the completed registration documents. When this process begins, please be involved with your student’s course selection process. It is very important that educated choices are made taking into consideration graduation requirements and university admission requirements.
Military Academy Night
Congressman Ed Royce is hosting a Military Academy Night Monday, March 16th. If your student is interested in learning more about the United States Military Academies then this is a tremendous event. Information will be posted on our school website as well.
http://royce.house.gov/constituentservices/academies.htm
See you soon,
Kevin Patterson & Jack Galeener
GLCs for the Class of 2017
Diamond Bar High School