SSHS Freshmen News
Fall 2017
Look at school as an OPPORTUNITY, not an obligation
The video below explains that being successful in life is having the belief system in who you are and what you want to accomplish. Everyone has doubts in life, but we don't linger there. We should overwhelm negative thoughts with positive. At mid semester, we are taking a look at where we are academically and personally. We are setting a goal for our year then looking at semester goals.
Goals provide us with a plan. Without a plan, we may not know where we are going! When we plan a trip, we plan for our hotel, transportation and budget because we want to make the most of our time. As students, making a plan to graduate will keep you on track to get your HS diploma and to explore post secondary options. Fail to plan, plan to fail!
The goals that we are making are SMART goals. Goals should be specific, not broad. Your goal should be measurable. Instead of saying I want to get good grades, you should say, "I want to have a 3.5 GPA". Set goals that are attainable where you are challenging yourself but also being realistic. Also, goals should be time specific in giving yourself a deadline to get it done.
Every Day Attending School Matters!
Attending school is a life skill that you can use for the rest of your life because you will need to attend work too! At mid semester, if you have missed just four days, you could be in jeopardy of failing a course, retention, or at risk to graduate with your peers. Staying engaged in school is important because it gives you purpose for coming to school and applying the skills you learn in all areas of your life.
Sure, things happen! An illness or emergencies pop up. When it does, bring a note to the front office. When you return, you are allowed the days missed plus one for your make up work. Ask your teacher what you missed and get it done as soon as possible.
If you should continue to be absent due to medical issues, contact your school counselor or nurse so that we can help remove any barriers to coming to school.
Also, it's important to get engaged with meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs to provide you with something to look forward to at school and to be part of a team that will encourage your attendance as well.
· Students should miss no more than 8 days of school each semester to earn credit for the course according to CCS board policy.
· Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty. Talk to your parents or counselor to get help.
· By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
· Missing 10 percent, or about 18 days, of the school year can drastically affect a student’s academic success.
· Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.
· Attendance is an important life skill that will help you graduate from college and keep a job.
Calculating GPA
GPA (grade point average) is very important in high school. GPA can determine college decisions, scholarships, and course placement. As Freshmen you need to start strong and keep it up to finish strong four years from now. At the end of THIS semester, you will earn a GPA with your final semester grade. Now, you have another nine weeks to go! Can you predict, based on your nine weeks grades, what your GPA will look like???
Calculating GPA unweighted:
A=4 B=3 C=2 D=1 F=0
Calculating GPA weighted (Honors classes)
A=4.5 B=3.5 C=2.5 D=1.5 F=0
To calculate your GPA, assign a number for each grade you received then divide by 4 to calculate your GPA.
For Parents...
What Parents Should Know...
1. Monitor your child's texts and social media. Make sure they are being appropriate and that others are being appropriate to them. Report any bullying, harassing, or inappropriate texts or posts. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do this. Parent monitoring cuts down on the issues that follow your children into school. It helps curb cyber-bullying and helps protect our students.
2. Make sure your kids get a full night sleep. Did you know the adolescent brain is growing more now than it did when your child was a toddler? Seriously!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/adolescent.html
That brain needs sleep to weed out the unimportant mess and file away the important stuff. Turn off ALL electronics about an hour before bed. The light from screens wakes our brains up and can disrupt REM sleep. Charge cell phones away from the bedroom.
3. Help them get to school ON TIME. Students who come in late disrupt class and start their own day off on the wrong foot. Students come in feeling rushed and ill-prepared for the day. They have to spend valuable time catching up on what they missed.
4. Create a routine and stick to it. Students at this age have so much chaos in their lives and in their bodies and in their brains. A sturdy routine can help them feel secure and grounded when everything else feels out- of- control.
5. Help them get organized and stay organized all year. Color coded folders can be helpful in organizing homework. Find one spot in your house for homework, to keep book bags, lunch boxes, band instruments, sports equipment, etc. Train your child to always put their things in that same spot. This cuts down on out- the- door chaos and helps children stick to those routines we just discussed.
6. Talk to your teen every day. This may be hard, especially as they get older. They need to know you are there for them and that you still love them even when they can seem hard to love.
7. If you notice your child struggling, come meet with me, Ms. Wike, your child's school counselor. I can work with you in providing them the resources they need to be successful. We serve as liaisons with teachers, mental health professionals, the Special Education Department, the AIG department, and much more.