Names & Notes
Schools set open house dates
Natrona County schools have scheduled open houses in January to help families select their children’s schools for the 2008-09 school year.
A full schedule of open houses is available at www.natronaschools.org.
The Natrona County School District will hold its online school request period during January. Families will be able to go online and select their top three choices for their child’s school for the 2008-09 academic year.
This process applies to all families whose children are entering kindergarten, moving to a new school because of grade level or simply choosing to change schools.
Families who would like their children to remain in the same school from this year to next year do not need to complete the process. Their child will have a place in their current school.
Detailed information on Natrona County schools and the online request program will be sent to the homes of currently enrolled students during the last week of December and the first week of January.
Information on kindergarten programs will be available at local schools, preschools and other community sites at the same time.
To start planning now, you may download these publications from the district Web site at www.natronaschools.org.
Families who request a school during the January process will be notified of their child’s school by mail in mid-March.
Secondary schools host goal-setting day
All middle, junior high and high schools in the Natrona County School District will be on an alternative schedule on Wednesday, Jan. 9, the first day students return from winter break.
Classes will run for the first half of the day, and then students will be dismissed. During the afternoon, students and parents will be invited back to school for special conferences to focus on goal-setting and scheduling for the second semester and for the 2008-09 school year.
Each school will approach the conferences a little differently:
* Casper Classical Academy students and parents will be assigned a 45-minute appointment with their homeroom teacher. Students and parents will be asked to complete a questionnaire prior to the meeting and will discuss students’ strengths, struggles and goals.
Students and parents also will look at first semester report cards and PAWS and NWEA results.
* At Centennial Junior High, conferences will be scheduled in half-hour blocks. Each student will have a prepared folder to share with their parents, including report cards, assessment profiles, student goals, parent goals, career interest information, graduation requirements, Hathaway Success Curriculum, planning for second semester and online enrollment information.
* At CY Junior High, more than 40 volunteers representing a wide variety of careers from across the community will share their perspectives with CY students in the morning.
Presenters will provide information about education or training necessary for the careers, job responsibilities, salary ranges and future job demand. School will be dismissed at 11:20 a.m.
CY parents and students are invited to return to the school between 12:45 and 2:45 p.m. for student-led conferences in the student’s Prime Time classroom.
Students will share first-semester report cards and information with their parents about short-term goals for the second semester and possible long-term career interests.
* Dean Morgan Junior High teachers will schedule 40- to 45-minute conferences with students and families in their Comet block class. Students will lead conferences to discuss report cards, second semester courses, attendance, transcripts, assessment profiles, credit recovery options and transitions to high school.
* Frontier Middle School parents will receive a brochure with important dates and details about the student-led conferences. Students will discuss assessment goals, report cards, recent work and transitions to high school with their parents.
* Kelly Walsh High School invites parents and guardians to join their child in its first student-led conference session from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Students will meet in designated meeting areas as determined by their T.R.O.Y. adviser. Students will share their individual transcripts, assessment profiles and career interest survey results, as well as graduation pathway, Hathaway and online enrollment guide information.
Goal setting will be discussed using this information, and students will lead a discussion focused around four questions: How did first semester go? What are the plans for second semester? What are the plans for next year? How can Kelly Walsh help?
Counselors will be available for additional support.
* Natrona County High School students will set appointments with their parents for the afternoon of Jan. 9. The students will go over transcripts, graduation documents, proficiency reports, report cards, second semester schedules and the Hathaway Success Curriculum with their parents.
Connections teachers will be available to facilitate. Each student-led conference is scheduled for approximately 15 minutes.
* Roosevelt High School families will be asked to sign up for a 15-minute conference between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Students will have folders prepared to help explain results from the first semester, plans for second semester and long-term graduation plans.
University Park celebrates recognition
In honor of being selected as the 2008 National Title I Distinguished School, University Park Elementary School will host a celebration at 8:35 a.m. Jan. 10 in the gymnasium, honoring each student who met or exceeded their quarterly goals.
Between 50 and 60 schools nationwide will join University Park representatives in Nashville, Tenn., from Jan. 31-Feb. 3 at a public recognition for their positive educational achievements.
For more information, contact the school at 577-6715.
Tips to help avoid college prep mistakes
High school students sometimes have difficult choices to make as they prepare themselves for the next level of education.
Below are five common mistakes to avoid.
1. Taking the easy road. Students who take the easy road when choosing high school classes, opting for courses that require the least amount of work and brain power. are probably hurting their chances for success in college.
Students who don’t take challenging courses in high school are likely to struggle even more with college coursework.
2. Slacking off senior year. Students who “take their senior year off” actually may find themselves behind academically when they arrive at college.
3. Focusing too much on GPA. Grades are certainly important when it comes to getting into college. However, colleges tend to look not only at students’ grades, but also at the specific courses they took.
Earning a “B” in an advanced course, such as calculus or physics, can mean more to college admissions officers than earning an “A” in an easier course.
4. Waiting until high school to start planning. Some students wait until their junior or senior year in high school before they start planning for college. By
5. Not asking for help and advice. Counselors, teachers, administrators and parents may seem out of touch about some of the things that are important to teenagers. When it comes to planning for college and the future, however, they tend to know what’s important.
To learn more about college and career planning, visit ACT’s student Web site, www.actstudent.org.