Transition tips for parents
- Take an active role in course selection throughout high school.
- Stay involved with your student’s teachers.
- Communicate regularly. Encourage responsibility and organizational skills.
- Check your child’s assessment notebook / planner daily until a routine is established
- Support and promote joining co-curricular activities.
- Support your child’s efforts to become independent.
- Read together. Limit TV and video game time.
- Expect good grades and achievement appropriate to your student’s aptitude.
- Praise for progress and help during struggles.
- Get to know your child’s friends.
- Join parent groups.
- Utilize support services for any concern.
- React and discuss the student handbook with your teen.
- Use the MyStudentsProgress (MSP) computer program to stay current with your student’s achievement and post-secondary planning. If you need login information please call the schools office.
Ten Positive Ways We All Can Make A Difference In The Life Of A Child/A Friend
- Notice them by making eye contact, listening intently to what they have to say, and acknowledging the importance of what they say to you.
- Surprise them by doing something special for them or saying something special to them each day.
- Believe in them by being the one who sees what they can do and helping them achieve their goals.
- Invest in them by supporting their needs, hobbies, and dreams.
- Enjoy life with them by playing together, creating memories, perhaps even by just laughing with them.
- Value them by being their friend, a person who cares, who is by their side, and try to see things from their point of view.
- Dream with them by finding out what they dream for and helping them achieve their dreams.
- Disciple them by meeting with them outside of church and helping them understand how much God loves them.
- Pray for them and follow up to see how they are doing during tough times.
- Remember them by being a friend for life.
Study Skills:
Becoming a Better Student
SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Review and Recite
- How to Survey (Q & 3 R’s later in the handout)
- Directions: Look through the chapter to find out the important points. This should take about 5-10 minutes.
- Read the title: Read and focus on the title. Think about what it means and what should be in a chapter with that title. Think about what you may already know about that topic.
- Read the introduction: Sometimes the first paragraph gives you an overview (review) of the whole chapter. It may give you clues to how the chapter is organized, and tell you what you will be learning about.
- Read the bold faced subtitles: Subtitles are labels. By reading them you will read a list of all the important parts of the chapter. Think about each one, what it means and what you will learn.
- Look at the pictures, charts and graphs: Glance at these to pick out anything you feel is important and/or interesting.
- Read the summary at the end: The summary gives you the key points in the chapter. It will help you understand the chapter because you will gain a better idea about what the chapter is about.
- Look at the questions at the end of the chapter: Read through the questions, these will give you a better idea of what you will be learning from the chapter. DO NOT read the chapter to simply answer the questions though.
- Complete SQ3R note cards. Study during wasted time in chunks of 5 minutes. Take a 5-15 minute break before studying the note cards again.
Organization Skills
Directions: Planning, setting aside time each day, rehearsal of information to place it in long-term memory, and asking for help, will assist you greatly in learning and being academically successful!
- Plan & get organized: Use your agenda book to write down assignments in each class. When you complete your assignments, have your parents check your work. Put it in your binder that is designated for each class. Turn in your assignment promptly at the beginning of each class. If you have an assignment due sometime in the future, work on it early and finish it well ahead of time. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Each day before it is due, look at the assignment, revise it and make it better!
- Set aside time each day for studying at home: Every day at home, spend 2-3 hours studying. That means not only to do homework, but review material covered in class that day. This study time at home needs to be at a quiet place, preferably away from distractions like TV, the computer, or music playing. Your entire focus needs to be on studying. Part of this time each day should be used for SQ3R note cards.
- Rehearsal, repetition, rote memorization – the 3 R’s to successful learning: In Bloom’s taxonomy, the key to being a successful learner, to be a critical and creative thinker, you need to have a solid foundation of common knowledge. To acquire basic facts and information to be stored in our long-term memory to which later we can more easily learn new information, attachment of this new information is easier if we can easily recall similar information previously learned.
- Ask for help! Get a peer tutor, stay after school and work with your teacher individually each week, form a study group, and call a homework hotline like 1-800-ASK-ROSE, all can assist you in doing better in the classroom. See Mrs. Miller for additional information on homework assistance.
All Shawe students have an account for the Indiana Career Explorer website. This is a great resource for career assessments, results, and exploration. Contact Mr. Deffenbaugh, School Counselor, for student account login information if needed. [email protected]
All Students Throughout Each Year:
- Take challenging courses. Study! Ask for help. Grades from each year impact your college and future planning opportunities!
- Read the weekly Shawe Newsletter.
- Compile information for your student resume–track activities, service, leadership, employment and awards. You will create your student resume in the Fall of your senior year.
- Volunteer for an organization related to a career interest area.
- Get involved! Volunteer. Be an active club member. Join a team or serve as a team manager.
Freshman Year
- Develop strong study habits. Freshman grades count toward your college applications. First semester grades determine which classes you may select for your sophomore year.
- Complete college & career exploration activities during School Counselor presentations.
- Register for challenging classes for your sophomore year. Be sure you meet the prerequisites. Meet with your counselor if you have any questions or concerns.
- Continue with strong study habits. Second semester grades impact the classes you are allowed to take your sophomore year and beyond.
Sophomore Year
- Take the PSAT exam in October at Shawe (practice for the SAT; determine your strengths).
- Participate in college & career exploration activities presented by School Counselor.
- Use My College Quick Start to review PSAT results and strengthen skills (available in December).
- Attend at least one College Open House at a college campus (weekends, vacation days or summer).
- Attend a College Fair.
- Job shadow one day during the summer.
Junior Year
- Sign up & attend college admissions presentations at Shawe.
- Take the PSAT exam in October at Shawe (practice for the SAT & determines National Merit qualifiers).
- Use My College Quick Start to review PSAT results and strengthen skills (available in December).
- Prepare for ACT and SAT. Go to www.collegeboard.com and www.act.org
- Register for and take first ACT and SAT
- Take second ACT and/ or SAT (or the higher of the two)
- Utilize your college visit days (up to 3 total for junior & senior year—must complete form).
- Visit colleges before your senior year so you can expand or narrow your list, as needed.
Senior Year
- Meet with Dean of Studies to discuss colleges and options for after graduation.
- Send rough draft of student resume to Dean of Studies.
- Begin college applications.
- Complete transcript request with Dean of Studies (see Transcript Request Process)
- Sign up & attend college admissions presentations at Shawe.
October 1: File FAFSA (school deadlines vary)
- Utilize your college visit days (up to 3 total for junior & senior year—must complete form)
- September through December: Retake ACT / SAT, if necessary.
- Send final copy of student resume to Dean of Studies.
- Ask teachers, supervisors, coaches and other community members to write letters of
- recommendation (see Tips for Letters of Recommendation).
- Complete college applications.
- Utilize your 3 College visit or days wisely.
- April: Evaluate financial aid packages from colleges
- May 1: Commit to one school. Notify other colleges that you have decided against.
- Notify Dean of Studies of your final college decision and of scholarships received.
- Take AP Exams if enrolled in AP courses.
- Write Thank You notes to scholarship providers and those who wrote you letters of recommendation.
Monthly Catholic Character Values.
These Catholic Character Values for 2017-18 will be taught monthly by Peer Mentors & Mr. Deffenbaugh. It is hoped by the blessing of God that our students will model these values in their everyday life, in their school, in their family, and in their community! As Partners in Christ, may we implement His Word by displaying these character values in our daily behavior towards others.
- September – Active Listening
- October – Compassion
- November – Dedication
- December – Generosity
- January – Empathy
- February – Love
- March – Kindness
- April – Wellness