Freshman & Sophomore Chronicles
September 2021
Individual Freshman Conferences
Academic & Career Planning (ACP) - InspireWI and Xello
In October, students will have their first virtual Academic & Career Planning (ACP) lesson. The focus of the lesson is to introduce our students to two very valuable ACP Resources: InspireWI and Xello.
InspireWI is our local partner that helps connect our students with meaningful career experiences right here in our area. Opportunities available to our students include; job shadows, work co-ops, and a variety of field tips and career exploration events. This year, there will be many virtual and in-person opportunities for students. For more information visit: InspireWI.org
Xello is an online program that is designed to help every student understand and navigate their future academic and career possibilities. Xello helps students discover relevant college, university, trade, and career options based on their personality, skills, and knowledge. All students have access to Xello at anytime. Ask your child to show you their Xello Dashboard!
InspireWI Virtual Career Events Calendar
This fall, InspireWI will be offering many virtual and in-person career experience opportunities. Experiences may be available in healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, business, aviation, engineering, and much more. If your child finds an experience of interest, make sure to register for the event on the InspireWI webpage below. All virtual events will be recorded, so if your child is unable to attend at the time it is offered, don't worry, you will have access to the recording. Don't see something of interest? Check back as InspireWI will be adding additional experiences regularly.
Click HERE for the InspireWI Career Experience Calendar
How Freshmen and Sophomores Can Get a Head Start on College Admissions
How early is too early to start preparing for college admissions? While you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with college prep right away, freshman and sophomore year is the best time to start shaping your resume.
By demonstrating a rigorous schedule, good grades, and quality extracurricular involvement from the very beginning, you’ll make your college application much more competitive. Click on this article to find out how.
College Planning Timeline
OFS Parent Education & Resources
Ozaukee Family Services (OFS), located in Grafton, offers a variety of free and low-cost parent and child resources and workshops.
Visit the OFS website for additional information, to register for upcoming workshops, or to view previously recorded workshops. http://ozaukeefamilyservices.org/
Small Groups
PWHS Universal Screenings
The Port Washington-Saukville School District’s mission is to “Educate all children to reach their greatest potential.” To support this mission, students are regularly screened academically and physically (i.e., vision and hearing) via a multi-tiered system of support. During the school year, students in grades 9-12 will also be screened using the Connections Survey and the Devereux Student Strengths Assessments (DESSA).
The goal of the DESSA screeners is for teachers to identify students’ social and emotional skills, which are essential to academic achievement. The DESSA screeners are brief, strength-based rating scales measuring the social and emotional skills that help students do well in school, at home, and in the community. Your student’s teacher will complete the strength-based assessments based on direct observations of the student’s daily interactions at school. This information will be used to better plan for all students, focusing on their individual strengths.
The goal of the Connections Screening is for students to identify adults and peers in the building with whom they have a connection. Research indicates that youth who have at least one positive adult connection in school are more likely to do better in school and are less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors. The survey simply asks students about the connections they have in this building, both adult and peer.
Consistent with practices for analyzing academic data, the results from the screenings will be used by school staff to best meet the needs of all students. Parents/guardians will be notified if the results indicate that a student may be in need of additional instruction in one or more social/emotional areas.
The Port Washington-Saukville School District strives to provide a safe and positive environment for all students. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your student's teacher, school psychologist, and/or building principal at 262-268-5500.