March 8, 2010
Middle College students recently collected money and supplies, to be airlifted to Haiti next month. Among the supplies were 15 boxes of sheets, donated by local hotels, and toiletries.
Though we’re one-third of the way into the semester, students will start planning for next semester. All students will meet with counselor Tony Basques to design or revise a Student Education Plan. The deadline for the plan is April 20. Students who are continuing at CSM, either as a Middle College student or as a regular college student, must complete the SEP. Students will begin registering for summer and fall classes in mid-May. The summer schedules will be available in March; the fall schedules should be available by the end of March.
We will be requesting progress reports from the college teachers in mid-March. Parents who would like to find out how their student is doing in a college class should contact one of our high school teachers. Our teachers then will contact the college instructors.
Parents will be notified when a student’s attendance becomes a concern and interferes with his/her learning. Although students are attending college and are maintaining the responsibilities of college students, the Middle College program strives to keep parents/guardians involved in their student’s academics and attendance.SAT/ACT deadlines: The next SAT and Subject Tests are May 1 with a March 31 registration deadline. This would be a good time for juniors to take the SAT and Subject Tests. View www.collegeboard.com for details. The next ACT will be April 10; the registration deadline wass March 5. See www.act.org for more information.
Career 122: All students are required to take and pass CRER 122 (“Strategies for Educational Success”) to meet a graduation requirement for Middle College. Most new students began the CRER 122 on Jan. 19. This eight-week class covers such topics as time management, organization, note-taking and test-preparation. The class runs through March 11. The CRER 121 class begins March 16,
STAR Testing: All Middle College juniors will take the state-mandated STAR tests, just as they would have at the comprehensive high schools, the weeks of March 29 and April 12. The testing will be conducted during the three-hour block of high school classes.
Attendance reporting: Parents/guardians are reminded that they must call the Middle College office (574-6101) to report a student’s absence, otherwise the absence is considered a truancy. Students should not take vacations during the semester. Students, not parents/guardians, should call the high school or college teachers when the student is absent. Two reasons: the teachers sense the student is concerned about missing the class and class material; and the student can complete assignments at home and not fall behind.
Graduation information: Seniors will be contacted by staff assistant Carol Ullrich regarding graduation info. Seniors need to provide their full name, which will be listed on their diploma. Also students will be placing orders for caps/gowns/tassels. The graduation is June 1 at the CSM Theater, 5:30pm.
Visiting Home School Campuses: I have reminded students that they are not allowed to visit high school campuses, unless they make prior arrangements with the administration. Reasons why a student would return to a campus: to get a transcript, to purchase dance/prom tickets, to meet with a career/college specialist, to return textbooks or pay a fine. Students are not allowed to hang out with friends.
Volunteering: Ms. Fraser reminds juniors that they are required to complete twenty-four hours of community service work between August 15 and June 1. “We have found that not only is this a rewarding experience in and of itself for our students and their communities, but often times the experience can be influential in directing career interests. Students have worked with veterinarians, community shelters, and save-the-beach cleanup efforts, to name just a few.” Two additional benefits for students going to four-year colleges and universities are 1) community service gives our students experiences to write about on college applications and 2) it gives then a deeper understanding of the economy and social problems facing their world. If your student has not begun the hours or is at a loss for a location in which to volunteer, please encourage the student to see Ms. Fraser for some ideas.The Middle College staff is available and willing to help our students transition to the new classes. Stop by the offices when you have questions or concerns.
If you need to reach someone, use email or call.
Carol Ullrich (ullrichc@smccd.edu) 574-6536
Jennifer Fraser, junior advisor (fraserjen08@yahoo.com) 574-6537
Michael Clardy, senior advisor (clardymichael@hotmail.com) 574-6114
Anthony Basques (basques@smccd.edu) 574-6468
Greg Quigley
Principal
574-6101
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