Freshman Parent Resources
Dear Parents of the Class of 2012,
Once again, welcome to the SI community! We recently met with our freshmen students individually and enjoyed the opportunity to get to know them better. The purpose of the initial meeting was to familiarize the students with the counseling process, give the students a chance to talk about transitional issues, answer any questions they might have, and to offer suggestions as to how they might get organized for the year.
Here are a couple of things that we have discussed with our students and that we’d like to share with you:
Day Planner and Organization: We went over the Student Day Planner that was given to them during registration week. This is a wonderful tool that the counselors and teachers urge the students to use. This is a great place to keep track of assignments, tests, extra-curricular commitments, and to put their class schedule as well as the bell schedule. We encourage students to find a place to put their homework so that it makes it from home to school. Staying organized is the key to success at SI!
Activities: SI has a lot of extra-curricular opportunities. We encourage students to go out for a sport, try out for the play, join a music group and/or join a club. Students had an opportunity to sign up for clubs during the activity fair. Club meetings and tryouts are announced daily during the announcement period. We encourage students who get cut from a sport, dance or the play to keep trying, and keep playing. Club sports and outside productions/activities are a great way for students to get to know kids from other schools and have an outside support network, while doing what they love! Please note that there is a Freshmen Activity Requirement which states that all freshmen must be involved with one activity (club, sport, theater, dance etc…) by the end of freshmen year.
Course Status Reports: A CSR is a document prepared by the teachers and sent home to parents in the middle of each quarter. They are usually sent out when a student is receiving a C- or below in the class, but sometimes are used as a form of communication between a teacher and parents. So, some students may get a CSR even if they are doing well in a class.
Midterm Exams (Monday, October 13th and Tuesday, October 14th): Each individual teacher decides whether or not they want to give an actual midterm exam. They are not required to give midterms, so some teachers may choose not to. Midterm exam days are held at the end of each academic quarter. We are available to help students organize for midterms.
Midterm Grades: Midterm grades are NOT final grades and they will not appear on the students’ final transcripts. They are only indicators of how a student is currently performing in the class. First quarter report cards will be mailed home and available online on October 25th, 2008. This is a great time to see your counselor if you have concerns about your grades. We can help you get organized, talk to teachers and arrange for tutoring.
PARENTS—DON’T PANIC!!! Remember this is a time of transition for your child. It is very important for both you and your child to have realistic expectations. Students who came in with a 3.5-4.0 will be surprised to see their grades take a drop. This is very normal, in fact, expected. SI is a strong academic school that does not believe in grade inflation. The students that make up the freshmen class came from 100 different grammar schools, each having a different academic emphasis. It is important to set attainable goals, as the transition process takes time. Colleges understand that freshman year is a transitional year, we hope you do too.
Do freshmen grades count for college? Don’t believe the popular myth that colleges don’t look at freshmen grades. Many colleges do indeed see freshmen grades. How students do in their classes as freshmen determines their future placement in classes later on. But colleges do look for other things like community service, extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, and leadership potential.
Homework: Expect to do 2-2.5 hours of homework a night. This means 2-2.5 hours worth of actual work. It does not include IM, TV, eating, bathroom breaks, petting the dog, talking on the phone, texting or doodling. Projects and group work may take extra time, but on average plan about 30 minutes/night for each class.
We are here to assist not only our students but also their parents in navigating their way through the SI experience. We understand the transition to high school is stressful for both students and parents. Here are a few suggestions for how you can help your son or daughter.
Encourage them to get enough sleep
Keep setting limits
Listen with compassion
Establish good communication
Create a safe space for serious talks
Be Patient
Place responsibility on them
Help provide a good working environment
Encourage them to talk to the teachers or counselor as soon as possible if they are having difficulties.
Family Connection:
We have enclosed the registration information for Family Connection. This is a very useful program as it assists students with both the college search and the admissions processes. We are asking that each freshman student and their parent(s) log on to the site and begin to explore what the program has to offer. We have already created an account for your son/daughter. This will be their account for the next four years. Their assignment on family connection for this year is to complete the learning styles inventory. This website will become increasingly important as it is one of the tools we use to manage the college admissions process. Both you and your child will have access to your child’s account. You will find your parent password on the enclosed sheet.
To learn more about what you can do to help your child, please join us on Thursday, September 18th at 7:00pm for a counseling evening. As always, please feel free to contact your child’s counselor with any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
The SI Counseling Department