Sophomore PARENT NIGHT

1. Sophomore PARENT NIGHT

2. Agenda Communication with school General Information Attendance Sports/Clubs Coursework/Homework Major Dates Graduation Requirements Post Secondary Choices Summary Steps to Success

3. Communicating with the School Administrators Christina Thomas, Principal, cthomas@lwsd.org Miriam Mickelson, Associate Principal, mmickelson@lwsd.org Prato Barone, Associate Principal, pbarone@lwsd.org Attendance Sandy Preugschat spreugschat@lwsd.org Athletic Director George Crowder gcrowder@lwsd.org School Nurse Victoria Findley vfindley@lwsd.org

4. LWHS Counseling Center A – G Lori White lwhite@lwsd.org H – O Kimberly Sheely ksheely@lwsd.org P – Z Marilyn Hargraves mhargraves@lwsd.org Y.E.S. Drug / Alcohol Counselor Andrea Frost afrost@lwsd.org School Psychologist Larry Tiritilli ltiritilli@lwsd.org Counseling Secretary Teresa Muro tmuro@lwsd.org College & Career Specialist Julie Madson jmadsen@lwsd.org

5. Counseling Center Services Appointment Process Academic Counseling Credit checks – graduation requirements Goal planning for life after high school Problem solve when things get in the way of these goals Connect students to resources at school and in the community Personal counseling Scheduling adjustments

6. Attendance Students must attend classes regularly; statistics show performance suffers with irregular attendance Not all in-class learning is possible to re-create for an absent student 10 absences in a class period is the max, at 11 you lose credit (excused or not)

7. Coursework, Homework and Tests Homework everyday Absent The focus is on learning and applying concepts to new situations. Ensure your child has the course syllabus so they know the late policy, etc.

8. Clubs Anime Annual ASB BETA Cheer Debate DECA Drama Drill Environmental Key Club Firm in Faith Gay/Straight Alliance International Club Journalism LW College Prep Math National Art Honor Society National Honor Society Peace Club World Harmony Club Loyalty Clubs

9. Sports Volleyball Cross Country Soccer Swimming Basketball Gymnastics Softball Track Golf Tennis Football Tennis Golf Cross Country Basketball Wrestling Swimming Baseball Track Soccer Girls Boys

10. Important Dates October 26th – Performing & Visual Arts College Fair @ Seattle Center/Fisher Pavilion November 3rd –End of first quarter November 14th and 15th : National College Fair at Washington State Convention Center January 21st – End of first semester March 15th – Reading HSPE March 16th – 17th – Writing HSPE October 2011 - PSAT

11. Working with Teachers Student meets with teacher (make an appointment) If student continues to have a concern, set another meeting with the teacher, student and parent Allow the plan time to work Check back with your student and teacher to see how things are going If you continue to have concerns, set a meeting with the teacher, student, and administrator ) to discuss concerns and create a plan for success to discuss concerns and develop a plan Form a relationship with the teacher before there is a problem) to discuss concerns and create a plan for success to discuss concerns and develop a plan Form a relationship with the teacher before there is a problem

12. The Journey to Graduation 22 credits including 4 years English 4 years social studies 3 years math 2 years science 1 year Fine Arts 1 year Career/Tech Ed 1.5 years PE .5 Health Advanced Literacies Compare/Contrast or Cause/Effect essay Literary Analysis essay Persuasive essay Formal science lab report Math data analysis Culminating Project High School & Beyond Plan HSPE or End of Course Assessment Washington State History Credits District / State

13. Life After High School

14. Post High School Options Apprenticeships Community College Four Year College Job Opportunities Military Private Career Schools Vocational/Technical College Volunteering/Gap Year

15. Grades and GPA Semester grades go on transcript Cumulative grade average based on all high school credited courses GPA and Rank are quick numerical references to judge your academic performance on college applications Colleges account for rigor in their transcript review No dropping of classes to avoid poor grades is done in high school

16. How to calculate GPA Write a list of each course with the letter assigned to it. Each letter is assigned a value: A+ =4, A =4, A- =3.7, B+ =3.3, B =3, B- =2.7, C+ =2.3, C =2, C- =1.7, D+ =1.3, D=1, D- =.7 and F=0 Divide by number of classes

17. College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR) 15 credits English – 4 credits Math – 3 credits Math – Senior year – students must earn a credit during their senior year in a math based quantitative course, e.g. statistics, applied math. Science – 2 credits of laboratory science. Once must be algebra based. World Languages – 2 credits of the same World Language Social Science – 3 credits Arts – 1 credit of fine, visual, or performing arts

18. College planning time line Meet with counselor Discover resources Research colleges, financial aid Continue college prep courses Attend and speak to college representatives Get involved with activities outside the classroom. Leadership Search online for college admission requirements In the summer following visit a nearby college Attend college fairs in your community Get a summer job

19. Rigor Put simply Rigor is how hard you challenged yourself based on the level of challenge available to you Standard, remedial and honors/AP levels exist in most core areas Your “elective” choices matter Colleges will take into account that you have to meet your graduation requirements, so you don’t have to avoid PE or other requirements Colleges seek information not only how well you performed at your chosen level of rigor … but how you handled yourself Elective choices matter a lot also, always try to choose “academic” electives and not load up on non-academic easy classes Colleges will take into account that you have to meet your graduation requirements, so you don’t have to avoid PE or other requirements Colleges seek information not only how well you performed at your chosen level of rigor … but how you handled yourself Elective choices matter a lot also, always try to choose “academic” electives and not load up on non-academic easy classes

20. Steps to Success A Student’s Role Attend every day Be present in class; be alert and prepared Check Standard Score Pay attention to GPA/Attendance When absent, check in with the teacher not only for missing assignments, but also for understanding missed material. Continually check graduation requirements to make sure you are on track to graduate. A Parent’s Role Help your student with good study habits Check Standard Score Encourage them to be an advocate for themselves Discuss options after high school Pay attention to GPA/Attendance Be a part of registration – help with rigor and balance Make up failed classes ASAP Stay involved and know what they are doing and with whom

21. Online Parent Access http://www.lwsd.org/Parents/Pages/Default.aspx If you have any problems registering for Parent Access, send an e-mail to: ParentQuestions@lwsd.org http://www.lwsd.org/school/lwhs/career-center/Pages/default.aspx

22. Thank you for coming!