HOLY CROSS SCHOOL 8 th Grade PARENT presentation ( ) Administrative staff Mr. Charles DiGange – Headmaster Dr. Joseph Murry, Jr. – High School Principal Mrs. Teresa Billings – Middle School Principal/Director of Studies Mrs. Patricia Hrapmann – Director of Curriculum and Instruction Mr. Eric DesOrmeaux – Dean of Men/High School Mr. Ronnie Kornick - Dean of Boys/Middle School and 8 th Grade PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS Ms. Karen duPlantier – Director of Counseling and Guidance ( Grade 8 & Scholars ) Ms. Gaye Trombatore - High School Counselor ( Grades 9, 12 ) Dr. Matt Wegmann – High School Counselor ( Grades 10, 11 ) Mrs. Stephanie Strain– Middle Counselor ( Grades 5, 6, & 7 ) COLLEGE COUNSELOR Mrs. Raynette Lumas ( Grades 11, 12 ) Professional staff Mrs. Dixie Crayton– Administrative Assistant Mrs. Tricia Bristow – Registrar

Parents of the Class of 2019 Welcome!

Holy Cross Counselors are committed to the: Academic Success College and Career Exploration Personal and Social Development … of every student

Holy Cross Counselors: Invested Helping students to recognize and make the most of their abilities Helping your son develop goals and objectives Assisting your son with developing a successful plan to realize those goals Through o Individual Counseling o Group Counseling o Parent and Teacher Conferences (arranged by the counselor) o Classroom Guidance

Holy Cross Counselors: Involved Developing and delivering classroom guidance lessons that teach skills such as: * Healthy decision making * Anger Management * Conflict Resolution * Respecting Others * Organization & Study Skills

Holy Cross Counselors Help Your Son Acquire Knowledge Skills Positive attitude Improve Attendance Behavior Academic achievement Relationships -Family -Teachers -HC Brothers

Holy Cross Counselors support the school community by… Helping create a safe school environment where students can learn Coordinating referrals to outside agencies Helping to design interventions that enhance student success Helping parents, teachers, and administrators meet the needs of all students We must work together!

Holy Cross Counselors help students by: Promoting positive attitudes among students towards: Self Family Peers Community

LA REGENTS CORE 4 Current requirements : 4 English 4 Math 4 Natural Science 4 Social Science 2 Foreign Language (same) 1 Arts (HC requires 2 years if Art, Drama, Chorus or Band. Fine Art Survey is 1 year)

TOPS ELIGIBILITY (Tuition [AKA -Taylor] Opportunity Program for Students) 2.5 GPA – CORE COURSE (GPA) PLUS 20 COMPOSITE ACT OR SAT Equivalent (verbal + math 970 approx.) _______________________________________ OPPORTUNITY AWARD: 2.5 Core GPA – 20 ACT PUBLIC LA INSTITUTION - TUITION ONLY * PRIVATE LA INSTITUTION - WEIGHTED AVERAGE PERFORMANCE AWARD: 3.0 Core GPA – 23 ACT Opportunity Award Amount PLUS ($ – per year) HONORS AWARD: 3.0 Core GPA – 27 ACT Opportunity Award Amount PLUS ($ – per year) * See TOPS AWARD AMOUNTS FOR AWARD YEAR

Maximum TOPS Award Amount ( ) InstitutionsTOPS Annual Award Amount (3) Baton Rouge Community College (1)$2, Delgado Community College (1)$2, Grambling State University$4, Nicholls State University4, LSU – BR$6, Louisiana Tech University (Quarters)$ McNeese State University$4, Northwestern State University$4, Southeastern La University$4, UL – Lafayette$4, UL – Monroe$4, University of New Orleans$5, LA Private Institutions$4, Notes: (1) Includes all campuses within the designated colleges. (2) Schools that are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Includes both Academic and Technical Programs. (3) The total amount does not include summer payments allowed for students enrolled full time in technical programs or students in an academic program that elect to have their award paid for a qualified summer session. The amount of the award may not exceed the tuition amount charged to the student for summer attendance.

Of the courses taken in 8 th grade, how many courses can be applied towards my son’s TOPS Core GPA? Answer: Earth Science Spanish I / French I / Latin I English I Algebra I World Geography

Exam Exemptions 8 th – 12 th grade All students take exams 1 st semester Must receive an “A” 1 st semester Prior to 2 nd semester exam Student has an “A” Teacher informs student they are exempt If exempt, not required to be here during that exam period

The Path to TOPS: Standardized Tests ASPIRE: 5 th – 10 th grade Allows students to get a head start on the ACT. Lets students know if they’re on track for college. Shows students the subjects in which they need to improve.

Standardized Tests cont’d What it includes : Tests in English, math, reading, and science- just like the ACT. Questions about his plans for high school and beyond. A guide that tells him what his scores mean and how he can read them. An ACT prep!!! Standardized tests will be administered in the spring All Sophomores are required to take the ACT before beginning their Junior year Juniors are now taking the ACT during school in the spring The ACT test can be taken up to 12 times! We recommend that our students take it several times! Why? More scholarship opportunities!

Admissions to 4-Year Universities Effective: Fall 2012 High SchoolRegents’ Core: 19 units (from Core 4 Curriculum) Curriculum AND Minimum Minimum overall HS GPA: 2.0 HS GPAFlagship, Statewide, & Regional Minimum ACT sub-score: English 18+, Math 19+ Flagship, Statewide, and Regional Students meeting minimum admission standards except for the need for developmental courses may enroll in the summer and upon successful completion of the developmental courses will be admitted for the fall. AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING HS Core GPAGPA on the CORE Flagship GPA on the CORE Statewide GPA on the CORE Regional OR ACTACT Composite Flagship ACT Composite Statewide ACT Composite Regional % AdmissionsFlagship – 4% Statewide – 6% Regional – 8% Exceptions Calculated from the previous year’s entering freshman class Allowed Flagship: LSU Statewide: LA Tech, ULL, UNO Regional: Grambling, LSU-A, LSU-S, McNeese, Nicholls, NSU, SLU, SU, SUNO, ULM Always check with the specific institution for additional requirements and information as they may choose to adopt other admission requirements.

MY PERSONAL PROFILE F illing out a personal profile will help you complete the application process more quickly and easily. You can use it as a cheat sheet as you complete your college applications, and give copies to the people who are writing your letters of recommendation. If you haven’t thought of that perfect essay topic yet, a thoughtfully completed profile should give you some good ideas. Name: Phone Number: Address: address: High school counselor’s name:Phone Number: Colleges I’m applying to: SCORES ACT: High School GPA: SAT: HIGH SCHOOL COURSES (Attach a transcript.) List your favorite courses and a few words about why they interested you. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ AWARDS List award, date received, and description. ____________________________________ _________________________________________ ACTIVITIES Include jobs, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities. List the dates you participated and/or hours per week, and any leadership positions you held. On a separate sheet, you can summarize what you did and why it was meaningful. ____________________________________ _________________________________________ PERSONAL INFO Are you the first member of your family to attend college? Did you have an extraordinary childhood? Do you breed show turtles for fun? Outside of individual awards, activities, and courses, what is most interesting about you? What makes you stand out as a college applicant? Using the space below, write down a few ideas and continue brainstorming on a separate sheet. _________________________________________________________________________________

HELPFUL WEBSITES College Searches SAT registration, test taking strategies, college ACT and SAT tutorial TOPS information Louisiana colleges information STUDY SKILLS RESOURCE WEBSITES

Any Changes? - Address -Phone Number - Address Please note: Demographic information can be changed or updated by parents through the Portal. For additional assistance, please the HC Registrar: Mrs. Tricia Bristow, with any updates Remember: YOU MUST KEEP US INFORMED

Who is my son? Understanding Adolescence Pushing for autonomy – Independence vs. Belonging Better able to develop logical arguments. Contributes to more conflict! Questioning everything – see injustices everywhere: family rules, school rules, society, etc. More aware of flaws – in others and self – Positive feedback is very important!

Who is my son? Understanding Adolescence (continued) Ego-centric: his actions are the CENTER of everyone else’s minds Differences in maturity – Emotional – Physical Physical changes – Difficulty with athletics – Uncomfortable with looking different than others

Supporting Your Son’s Development Our mutual goals: – Independent – Self-motivated – Responsible – Self-disciplined – Integrity – Self-aware – Confident – Strong moral compass – Academically successful – Well-rounded – True Holy Cross Man

Supporting Your Son’s Development How to achieve our goals? Encourage your son to communicate directly with teachers and his counselor Encourage your son to get involved! Service projects, clubs, athletics, etc. Begin to give him independence yet continue to monitor him Academically Socially

How to achieve our goals? Open Communication – maintain connection with your son Listening more than talking! Determine goals together Clear rules and consequences – be consistent Accountability – helps them mature and make better choices in the future Good Role Model – as parents, we’re not perfect but we do our best!

Know that separating from you and becoming an individual is normal and healthy!

Help Your Son Succeed Provide a good place to study Help your child set goals Help with time management Use rewards and consequences to encourage change Attend all parent programs Insist on daily attendance Check Edline often Deal effectively with homework Be an active listener Be aware and be informed Encourage independent problem solving Monitor activities and jobs Encourage positive activities Set limits and boundaries

Other Important Information Teachers are assessing the placement of students during the first few weeks of school. Please contact your teacher/me if you have questions. New Peer Tutor list Math tutor on campus for Pre- Algebra and Algebra I: Mr. Matherne. Days and times to be determined soon.

Contact Information Karen T. duPlantier, M.A., LPC, NCC