Class of 2017
GLC NEWSLETTER-Issue #1
September 25, 2015
Students and Parents of the Class of 2017,
Periodically, we will send out an email titled GLC NEWSLETTER. We will include news and notes about DBHS, planning for after high school and much more. We will also post these issues on the Diamond Bar High School website under GUIDANCE and The Class of 2017 pages. The GLC NEWSLETTER will be in addition to the GLC Quarterly which is sent out 3-4 times each school year.
OPENING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR:
Academic Progress of your student: Well, the school year has opened up successfully and we are already completing the first 6-week grading period. Please keep in mind that these 6-week grades are a “snap shot” of your student’s current progress in his/her classes. Final grades posted to your student’s transcript do not occur until the end of each semester. Semester one ends December 18, 2015.
Parent Portal: Using our parent portal is the best way to keep up to date on your student’s academic progress. Please contact us if you need information on how to create your parent account for Parent Portal.
Due Process Meeting: Day 3 of the school year, August 19th, we met with the entire Class of 2017 and reviewed a Power Point presentation on our expectations. We reviewed school rules, behavior expectations etc. You may view this Power Point on our school website at the GUIDANCE AND CLASS OF 2017 page.
Clubs and Activities: We recently concluded “Club Promotion” week. We sincerely hope your student has become involved in a positive activity outside of the classroom. These activities may or may not be on campus. We believe when students are involved in an extra-curricular activity it helps them grow into positive and involved young adults. Please encourage your student to seek out these positive activities.
POST HIGH SCHOOL PLANS:
Interest Inventories/Searches: We encourage all of our students to take steps to find out what areas of study and/or career interests best fit them. Students may access Interest Inventories (Simple tests/questionnaires which help direct students to careers/college majors that may match their strengths etc.) via our school website www.dbhs.org. On the Guidance Page, students should look at the right hand side of the page for several available links. The link titled Careers will guide them to some of these Interest Inventories. In addition, we strongly recommend our students create a free account on the following websites:
These websites have tremendous resources available on helping students look into different career opportunities and college majors.
College/University Searches: During our summer meeting, each Class of 2017 student received the Student/Parent Information Handbook. This is also available on the Class of 2017 webpage. In this handbook, you will find a 2-page College Search Process. Please encourage your student to begin the process of creating a list of colleges/universities which may be a good fit for them after high school. As Grade Level Coordinators, we want our students to eventually move on to a college or university setting which is a great “fit” for them. Students and parents need to put aside only looking at “prestigious name” universities and open up to consideration, universities which will provide the environment that will allow their son or daughter to flourish, to be happy and content as they pursue their career interests. “Happy Students are good students!” The student’s list of potential colleges/universities may be quite large at this point; however, as the year progresses into next summer, your student should begin narrowing the list down. If your student begins this process now, he/she will have plenty of time and opportunities to research the school, ask questions, visit the campuses etc. prior to the senior year beginning. The final list of colleges/universities to which your student will eventually apply should be established by next August/September. Encourage your student to have fun with this process and to tell friends and family of their interests.
SAT/ACT-
If a Class of 2017 student is looking to start their college experience at a 4-year university, he/she will need to take the SAT or ACT. In addition, some universities will require SAT Subject Tests as well. Go to www.collegeboard.org (SAT) and/or www.act.org (ACT) to create a student account and to register for tests. We recommend these tests be taken during junior year. Students may be able to retake the tests the first 2-3 test administrations of their senior year, but don’t wait until senior year to take them for the first time! Another factor to consider is when to take the SAT as a junior. Generally speaking, if a student is currently in Geometry or Algebra II then it may be wise to wait until the last 1-2 SAT test administrations this school year. This will allow these students to have as much Geometry and Algebra II math instruction completed.
SAT Subject Tests: Many private universities will require (2) SAT Subject Tests as part of their admission’s requirements. UCs and CSUs do not require SAT Subject Tests; however, some UC campuses “recommend” students taking (2) SAT Subject Tests. Some universities, if they require SAT Subject Tests, may accept any (2) subjects. Some universities, if they require SAT Subject Tests, may specify specific test subjects for certain majors. For example, a student majoring in a Science or Math related field or engineering may be wise to take the SAT Subject Test Math Level II and a Science SAT Subject Test. To be sure, a student should research individual university admission requirements. In addition, if possible, students should arrange to take an SAT Subject Test in the spring time which could coincide with their preparation for an Advanced Placement (AP) exam. For example, if a student plans to take an SAT Subject Test in Chemistry and is also enrolled in AP Chemistry here at DBHS this school year, he/she should take the SAT Chemistry Subject test in the spring. Students should go to the Class of 2017 Web page to look under FILES for the document titled: UC Campuses and The SAT Subject Tests. This file will give you information on what UCs recommend the SAT Subject Tests and which ones!
MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS:
REMIND TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM: If students or parents are not receiving periodic text message reminders, please sign up with our system. Go to our Class of 2017 Web page (Text Message Remind System) for directions on how to register for this helpful REMIND Text Message system.
EXTRACURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP & COLLEGE PREPARATION ETC.: Another great resource for our students. Go to our Class of 2017 Webpage and look for this heading. Students will be able to find extracurricular programs under this heading. These will include College Fairs, Summer Workshops, and Internship Type Programs etc.!
CHECKING THE DBHS WEBSITE OFTEN! The class of 2017 should check our school website www.dbhs.org often for school announcements, opportunities, deadlines etc. Once on the school website, our students should go to the GUIDANCE LINK AND THEN TO THE CLASS OF 2017 WEBPAGE. Students who do not check this information often are missing out on important announcements and opportunities.
TOEFL-Test of English as a Foreign Language:
Who Should Take the TOEFL Test?
- Nonnative English speakers at the 11th-grade level or above should take the TOEFL test to provide evidence of their English proficiency before beginning academic work.
- The test content is considered too difficult for students below 11th grade.
- Many institutions report that they frequently do not require TOEFL test scores of certain kinds of international applicants. These include:
• Nonnative speakers who hold degrees or diplomas from postsecondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g., the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand)
• Nonnative speakers who have successfully completed at least a two-year course of study in which English was the language of instruction
• Transfer students from institutions in the United States or Canada whose academic course work was favorably evaluated in relation to its demands and duration.
• Nonnative speakers who have taken the TOEFL test within the past two years.
• Nonnative speakers who have successfully pursued academic work at schools where English was the language of instruction in an English-speaking country for a specified period, generally two years.
Students should contact their prospective institutions directly concerning their specific admission requirements.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSCRIPTS- We have been advised by the UC and CSU system that students who attended any part of their high school’s 4 years at a school outside of the United States will need to provide their International Transcripts when applying to the universities. Keep this in mind, and take the time now to collect these documents so they are ready for the admission’s process in Fall-2016.
LEGAL NAMES USED FOR SAT/ACT, COLLEGE APPLICATIONS- Reminder!! When students register to take the SAT or ACT, they should use their legal name. This legal name should match the name used here at DBHS on their academic transcript. It should also be the same name the student will use during the college/university admission’s process next year as a 12th grader. Using different names (nicknames etc.) may result in the student’s academic records never matching up and resulting in the student missing important requirements for the admission’s process.
Student Email Addresses: We advise our students to be careful when selecting an email address. It may be wise for students to create an email account specifically for the upcoming admission’s process. Using “cute or silly” email addresses for the admission’s process doesn’t give a positive first impression. We suggest very simple, straight-forward email addresses such as First Initial of First Name and last name or some combination of this.
Kevin R. Patterson Jack M. Galeener
Grade Level Coordinators
Class of 2017
Diamond Bar High School