Fall 10th Grade Parent Meeting Sophomore Year The Time to Dig In!

WEST Counseling Staff 10 th Grade Assignments SLC 1 Len Mormino A-O Rick Rosen P-Z SLC 2 Becky Bebber-Wells A-Mo Rick Rosen N-Z SLC 3 Sara Neuenschwander A-C Carol Shepard D-Z SLC 4 Sara Neuenschwander A-G Lucerne Rice H-Z ESL-Marilsa Hansen

Counseling Mission Work to develop each student’s potential in:  Academic achievement  Career Exploration  Personal/Social Attributes

The High School Counselor Role Individual Counseling Academic Support and Advocacy Course Advising and Scheduling Career Exploration Testing Programs Post High School Planning and Preparation Collaboration, Referral, Program Communication Consultation, Mediation

Developmental Assets The Search Institute identified the building blocks of healthy development External Assets - Categories  Support  Empowerment  Boundaries and Expectations  Constructive Use of Time

Developmental Assets Internal Assets - Categories  Commitment to Learning  Positive Values  Social Competencies  Positive Identity

Pyramid of Help Start with Asking for Teacher Assistance  Make regular appointments with teacher—Keep dialogue open!  Review with teachers for tests and different concepts. Get papers proofread  If teacher isn’t available, meet with another teacher (same subject)  Lunchtime Help: English – Rm. 204, 301,306, &309 Social Studies – Rm. 234, 215, 232 Science – Rm. 341 Math – Rm. 141, 145 Increase Study Strategies  Go over Study Skills Hand-outs with your counselor I.E. Start assignments or studying early Have a a routine place and time to study that works for you! Study with groups (in addition to on your own) for tough tests

Get a Tutor  Use Honor Guard in Resource Hall (Rm. 225)  Fill out Tutor Request form in Tutoring Office-Talk to Ms. Jones (Rm. 212)  ASPIRA- Rm M-R (3:45-5pm)  MATC Pre-Collegiate Program- Rm M & W (3:35-5pm)  UW-PEOPLE Program- Rm M-R (3:35pm)  Private tutor (ask your counselor) Assessments for Reading --- Read 180, testing with school psychologist Talk with counselor, psychologist, social worker to discuss issues affecting school  Attendance, personal or social issues, friends, work, learning challenges Work with teacher, parents, students to discuss/plan accommodations/ modifications “Lighten the Load”  Schedule Change  Add a Resource Hall or Commons  Drop a class Think about and explore Alternatives  CRIS/ online course  Work and Learn  Shabazz  Night School  AERO  MATC for Credit  HSED Program

Tutorial Assistance Available Classroom Teacher is 1st Resource West Tutorial Program -West or UW Student Rm.212 MATC Pre-Collegiate Program -3:45-5:00 p.m.- M,W -Rm.005 Aspira-3:45-5pm - M-R-Rm.235 Private Tutor List with Counselor

Graduation Requirements Students must have a minimum of 3 credits to achieve sophomore status, and finish with 9 credits to achieve junior status Sophomores typically start 10th grade with 6 credits, and finish with 11.5 credits

Graduation Requirements/ UW- System Admission Requirements Graduation: 22 credits  English- 4 credits  Social Studies- 3 credits (1 semester of Recent U.S. History)  Math- 2 credits (Alg & Geo)  Science- 2 credits  Phy. Ed credits  Health-.5 credits UW-System:17 credits  English- 4 credits  Social Studies- 3 credits  Math- 3 credits (Through Algebra II/Trig.)  Natural Science- 3 credits  Electives- 4 credits (Arts & Foreign Language Helpful)

Foreign Language UW Schools:  Madison and Eau Claire require 2 years of the same language for admission  All other campuses do not require 2 years for admission but may require taking college foreign language if 2 years have not been completed in high school Useful for:  Socialization in today’s society  Job Acquisition  Marketability and Earning Power

Sophomore Year Timeline November - Encourage your student to meet with their School Counselor - Encourage students to talk to teachers if they are having difficulty  1st Quarter ends 11/5/08 Grades Distributed November 11th  Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (State Exam) November 4 th – 7 th November 22 nd PLAN Test at 8:00 a.m. Sign-ups the week of November th in the counseling office, Room 203 before/after school and at lunch

The PLAN (Pre-American College Test) Meant as a practice test for the ACT which is taken for college admission junior/ senior year Normed for Sophomores; scored 0-32 range Assesses academic ability in Math, English, Science, and Reading (Social Science/Arts/ Literature) Can help assess amount of preparation needed for the ACT

Understanding Your PLAN® Results in Three Quick Steps How am I doing so far? Your PLAN Score Report shows you your relative strengths and weaknesses in four subject areas important for success in college: English, math, reading, and science. You can see how your scores compare to those of other students like you who have taken PLAN.. What are my plans and goals for after high school? When you took PLAN, you answered questions about the courses you are taking or plan to take in high school, your career interests, and your plans for after high school. This information will help you see if you need to change your educational plans in order for you to meet your goals. Am I on track for college? Your PLAN Score Report shows you how well you are learning the skills you’ll need to be ready for college. Most likely, you have learned some of these skills better than others. Use your PLAN Score Report to help you strengthen those skills that you still need to work on. This guide will help you understand the information on your PLAN Score Report and how it can help you. Later, visit for more information on using your PLAN Score Report.

What Do Your Scores Mean? Your scores are between 1 (the lowest score you can receive) and 32 (the highest score you can receive). PLAN takes the number of questions you got right on each test and translates it into a number between 1 and 32 (called a “scale score"). Just like grades, your scores tell you how well you did on each test. Your Composite score is simply the average of the English, Mathematics, Reading and Science Test scores (rounded to a whole number). The two scores directly under English and Math (called “subscores”) range from 1 to 16. They tell you how well you did in two specific areas of each subject: Usage/Mechanics (punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence structure) and Rhetorical Skills (your understanding of the use of strategy, organization, and style in writing) in English; and Pre-Algebra/Algebra and Geometry in Mathematics. These scores added together do NOT necessarily equal your English or Math Test scores because the two subscores are scaled independently from the total score.

WKCE (WI Knowledge & Concepts Exam) State mandated exam Given at 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grade levels Assesses reading, writing (composition), language, arts, math, science, and social studies aptitudes Used to help school systems nationally improve their instructional practices Scores can be used to identify strong and weak academic areas for students affecting their:  high school coursework  career choices, college admissions/selection process

Sophomore Year Timeline December  Prepare for Final Exams  Schedule changes for 2nd semester TBA  Look into volunteer activities and clubs

Sophomore Year Timeline January  End of 1st Semester, Final Exams Only SEMESTER Grades go on transcript, combining your two quarter grades

Sophomore Year Timeline  February:  Be aware of drop date period for an extra class (7 th week of the semester)  Spring 10th Grade Parent Meeting- Feb. 12th Scheduling information Emotional status of 10 th grade students Review of Developmental Guidance 11th Grade Planning

Scheduling Issues Number of Classes offered Class Choices  General Chemistry vs. Chemistry  English class electives If you’re unsure about course difficulty, talk to a teacher you’ve had in that subject area

Sophomore Year Timeline March  Teacher Recommendations for 11th grade courses  End of 3rd Quarter- March 27 th

Sophomore Year Timeline April - 10 th grade developmental guidance – Future Paths  Consider Summer Enrichment: Summer school (Brochures Sent Home Late April) Specialized Study at Camps and Universities (many listed on the counseling web page) Volunteer Service Opportunities Internship, Apprentice, and Work Opportunities

Sophomore Year Timeline May  Summer School Applications Due  Commit to Summer Enrichment Choices

Sophomore Year Timeline June  Final Exams  Summer School Begins

WEST HIGH Website and use OF IC Infinite Campus – To obtain an initial log-in parents must see Deb Peterson in the main office. If you already have a log-in but forgot it and your password you many contact Theresa Calderon, Assistant Principal, Highland Community, Room 211, phone # West High School Web Page:.