CVHS GUIDANCE NEWS

There will be two opportunities for parents and students to learn how to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) process. The two dates/times and locations are: January 9^th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Aliso Niguel High School, or January 16^th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at San Clemente High School. Please save these dates and plan to be there!!

Each year, CVHS hosts a college “Scores Back Night” – an evening event where those students who took the PSAT and/or PLAN tests in October can receive their scores and hear a short presentation regarding score interpretation, college admissions implications, etc. This year, the event will be held on TUESDAY, January 15^th, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the CVHS Mall. (NOTE: A letter that was mailed home to parents inadvertently stated that the day of this event was Thursday, January 15^th instead of the correct day, TUESDAY. We apologize for any confusion.) Students and parents are both invited and should plan to park and enter through the upper parking lot since there is also a basketball game scheduled the same night and parking will probably be full in the lower staff lot. Please plan to attend!

On February 5^th and 6^th, all seniors who have not yet passed one or both sections of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and those juniors who missed the November test dates will have another opportunity to take these important exams during the normal school day. Students who still need to pass one or both sections of the CAHSEE should plan to attend the Saturday CAHSEE preparations classes listed below. Preparation study books are also available for pick-up in the Guidance Office. NOTE: Passing both sections of the CAHSEE is mandatory for ALL students in order to earn a California High School Diploma.

Saturday CAHSEE Preparation Classes prior to February 5^th and 6^th Test Dates:

FREE CAHSEE preparation classes are being offered for any CVHS senior or junior who will be taking the CAHSEE on February 5^th and/or 6^th. (These February test dates are only for seniors who have not yet passed one or both sections of the CAHSEE, and any juniors who missed the November test dates). The Saturday preparation class will be held on Saturdays, February 3rd in room P-1. Math preparation will be conducted from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m., and English Language Arts preparation from 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. It is highly recommend that students attend these preparation classes since data shows that attendance greatly increases student performance and passing scores. For more information or to sign your student up, please contact Academic Intervention Counselors Dana Galasso (ext. 2246) or Jenna Jordheim (ext. 2258).

Tentative high school summer school dates have been announced. Summer school will be conducted at CVHS this summer on Monday through Thursday each week from 7:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. as follows:

Students who fail a required class or who must make-up a “D” grade for college admissions should plan to attend in order to stay on track for high school graduation and/or college admissions. NOTE: Some students will need to attend both sessions above, while others may only need to attend one session, depending upon which semester(s) of a given class need to be made-up. In general, a student who fails a class during fall semester will need to attend Session I, while a student who fails a class during spring semester will need to attend Session II. If a student fails a class or classes both semesters, they would need to attend both Sessions I and II.

The CVHS AVID program is sponsoring a practice SAT/ACT Exam for any interested CVHS student. The details are as follows:

Scores Review Night – Tuesday, January 29, 2008 6:00 pm (presented by the Princeton Review)

HOW TO REGISTER: Pick up a registration form in the Guidance Office and complete the information, INCLUDING which test you want to take – the SAT or the ACT. Return completed forms with checks or cash to the Ms. Jordheim in the Guidance Office.

According to Paul Kanarek, head of The Princeton Review in Southern California, now is the time of year when PSAT/SAT scores begin arriving, and hence, students can become extremely stressed about their perceived testing woes and scores. Mr. Kanarek suggests that parents and students keep the following points in mind when reviewing PSAT/SAT test scores (points paraphrased):

Remind students that the PSAT/SAT has nothing to do with how “smart” a student may be.

Mr. Kanarek feels that the PSAT (and the SAT) tests have limited correlation with what students have learned in school. It is not a curricular test, and this is why some students can have A’s in advanced classes but average or poor PSAT/SAT scores. (Advanced Placement (AP) exams are examples of curricular tests that seek to measure what students have learned academically. The ACT exam is more curricular in nature than is the PSAT/SAT.)

In general and if possible, Mr. Kanarek feels most students should avoid the SAT test date in January (due to 1^st semester finals) or June (students are often exhausted from the school year). March or May tend to be the best test dates, unless a student has more than one AP class and exam, in which case, that student should probably choose the March test date.

Mr. Kanarek advises that test preparation has a place in PSAT/SAT testing but that students should be smart about their strategy. Look at the student’s test scores and compare them with the scores needed to go to various colleges. If the student’s scores are close (within 80 points), Mr. Kanarek suggests that the student purchase test prep books and study for him/herself. He goes on to suggest that if a student is 90-150 points away, the student might opt for one of the less expensive and less time-consuming programs. He only suggests taking one of the longer (5+ weeks) and more expensive ($700+) classes if scoring more than 150 points higher will make a substantial difference in the student’s college application.

Although the above points represent just one expert’s opinion, they are probably worth considering.

A graphic organizer (provided by CVHS math teacher Teresa Miller), which is designed to assist students with organizing their study time and materials for fall finals, is available at the following link: http://www.cvhs.com/guidancedocs/finalsorganizer.pdf All students are encouraged to use this organizer as they prepare for finals on January 30^th, 31^st, and February 1^st.

Students in AP classes were recently given the exam registration forms in their AP classes. Students who may need replacement forms should visit the Guidance Office. AP exams will be administered during the period of May 5^th through May 16^th. The registration fees are $84.00 per exam and the deadline to register is February 22^nd, 2007. Students may pay for the exams at the CVHS Activities Office with checks payable to CVHS. An official bulletin from the College Board with detailed information will be coming sometime in early January. Additional information regarding specific test dates, locations, and times will be given to students following the close of registration. Any questions regarding AP Testing should be directed to Academic Advisor Cassandra Ondryas at condryas@capousd.or

All students met with their first period teachers on Wednesday, November 28^th for Spring Semester Advisement Day – the first step in registering for Spring Semester classes. Students were given a list of course offerings for second semester, along with a course registration form and other information necessary to select classes. Students were directed to complete their course requests, obtain all necessary signatures (including a parent signature), and return the completed forms to their first period teacher on Friday, November 30^th. Academic Advisors and Counselors are now in the process of meeting with each student during English classes in order to finalize course requests for second semester. Parents who have questions regarding their course selection should contact their students Academic Advisor/Counselor.

Current scholarship opportunities are now posted at the following link: http://www.cvhs.com/Scholarship.htm , or go to www.cvhs.com and then click on “Guidance” and “Scholarship Info.” Recommendation: Scholarship information will be updated approximately every 7-10 working days, so students and parents should check the posting periodically throughout the year. In addition, a “Scholarship Notebook” of information will be available in the Guidance Office.