CVHS GUIDANCE NEWS: April 2nd, 2008

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The CVHS Guidance Team would like to wish students and their families a very happy and restful Spring Break!

DON’T MISS THIS SUNDAY - National College Fair – held in Orange County!

A national college fair, sponsored by NACAC (National Association of College Admission Counseling), will be held this Sunday, April 6th from 1:30 – 4:30 pm at the Orange County Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa. This is an excellent opportunity for parents and students to learn about hundreds of colleges and universities from all around the country all in one place. In addition, there is now a handy College Fair Checklist posted on the CVHS website at http://www.cvhs.com/guidance.htm to help parents and students make the College Fair experience the best it can be.

FREE Academic Help!! Spring Semester After-School Tutorial and Homework Center:

Does your student need some extra academic help or a quiet place to study after school? The spring semester CVHS After-School Tutorial and Homework Center, staffed by CVHS science/math teacher, Mr. Eric Johnson, is held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:55 – 3:55 p.m. in room M-26. Mr. Johnson can answer questions regarding all levels of math. Volunteer student tutors for other academic areas will also be available whenever possible. Recommendation: This is a great opportunity for students to get extra help and/or improve study habits, and we highly recommend regular attendance for those students who are earning below a “C” in any class.

“D” and “F” Grades: Implications for College Entrance, Graduation, and Summer School:

Students who receive a “D” or an “F” in a college prep course (i.e. math, science, English, social studies, Foreign Language, Visual/Performing Art, etc.) MUST improve the grade to a “C” or better if they wish the course to satisfy a college entrance requirement. For more specific information on grade and subject requirements for college admissions to CSU and UC campuses, please go to www.cvhs.com Click on “Guidance” and then on “College Info”. NOTE: Current seniors MUST immediately notify their college in writing if they have a change in their academic program from that which was reported during the application process. Students who receive an “F” in any course required for high school graduation MUST repeat the course. Summer school applications are now available in the Guidance Office. Please see summer school information in announcement below.

Summer School – Save the Dates!

High school summer school dates have been announced, and summer school applications and flyers are now available in the Guidance Office. Information about summer school is also available on-line at http://www.capousd.org/summer/ 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:

Session I: Monday, June 23rd through Thursday, July 10th

Session II: Monday, July 14th through Thursday July 31st

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.

Fall Advisement/Registration Begins:

The process of fall course advisement/registration will begin the Monday following Spring Break, Monday April 14, 2008 for all returning CVHS students. On Monday, April 14th, students will receive advisement and registration materials from their first period teachers. (See special notes below!) Most students will be pre-enrolled in their core classes (English, Math, Science, and Social Science) based upon courses and grades this year. Students will then seek course selection advice from all of their teachers on Monday and Tuesday, and then return their registration forms to their first period teachers on Wednesday, April 16th. The registration form MUST have a parent signature. Students will then meet individually with their Academic Advisors/Counselors in April and early May during their English classes.

Note for Current and Prospective International Baccalaureate (IB) Students: Current International Baccalaureate (IB) junior students will meet with the IB Coordinator (Mr. Redding) to set their senior schedules sometime after Spring Break. They will receive notification of this from Mr. Redding directly. Current qualified sophomores who plan on entering the IB program next year as juniors will be directed to mark a large “IB” on their course registration forms; these forms will then be forwarded to the IB Coordinator, Mr. Redding, who will meet with these students during special IB informational meetings to be held sometime between April 18th – 25th – exact dates and times to be communicated to students later.

Parents and students should keep the following key points in mind when selecting classes for next year:

Sophomores must take six (6) classes. Juniors and seniors must take at least five (5) classes. However, it is recommended that students planning to attend a community or four-year college after graduation take six (6) classes.
It is recommended that all students planning to attend college after graduation, including community college, maintain enrollment in college preparatory classes.
Students and parents should ensure that students choose courses that will satisfy college entrance requirements. The CVHS Curriculum Guide is an excellent source of information and can be downloaded on-line at the CVHS Guidance webpage.
If a student failed a class this year, that class MUST be automatically placed on the student’s fall schedule for remediation. However, should the student successfully pass the class during summer, then the class will be removed in the fall and the schedule adjusted accordingly. Some elective courses may not be available at that time.
Students should choose classes wisely. Student course requests to a large degree dictate course offerings; therefore, some course changes may not be possible in the fall once the master schedule is set. Making appropriate and accurate course selections now will help ensure the best possible schedule for each student.

AP Testing Update:

AP exams will be administered during the period of May 5th through May 16th. Additional information regarding specific test dates, locations, and times will be given to students as the test dates move closer. In the meantime, any questions regarding AP Testing should be directed to AP Testing Coordinator /Academic Advisor Cassandra Ondryas at condryas@capousd.org

Annual STAR Testing Dates:

Annual STAR testing will take place for all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students on May 15th, 16th and 19th. There will be no zero period on these days, and students will be testing with their fourth period teacher all three days. All students should avoid absences during STAR testing if at all possible, and parents are asked to assist by speaking with their students regarding the importance of giving a best effort, and eating properly and getting enough rest prior to testing.

Classroom Driver’s Training Available in Summer School:

The classroom portion of driver’s training will be available for eligible students this summer during summer school at Capistrano Valley High School. For information, dates, eligibility requirements, etc., please visit the following link: http://www.capousd.org/summer/ and then scroll down and click on the “Drivers Education Classroom Course” title under the “High School” heading.

ATMS Students Needing to Complete Geometry:

ATMS students are reminded that completing a geometry course is a condition for college admission. Therefore, those ATMS students who have not yet completed their geometry course requirement should consider doing so this summer through one of the two district-approved methods: either completing the course through Irvine Valley College (the course is unfortunately not available at Saddleback College) or the University of Missouri (on-line). For further information on these options, students should see their Academic Advisor immediately.

CAHSEE Make-up Testing Dates for Sophomores:

Sophomores who missed one or both California High School Exit Exams in March will have an opportunity to make up these important tests on May 6 (English) and May 7 (Math). These are the only state-approved make-up test days allowed, and students MUST make up the exams on these days. Please make sure to mark calendars now with these important dates!

Juniors – GOT COLLEGE ??

Now is the time for our juniors to start planning for college application acceptance. Does your junior student plan on attending college after graduation next year? Will that include a 2-year community college, a 4-year state university, or a private school? To help answer these questions, we recommend three things: 1) Please visit our Guidance website by going to www.cvhs.com and then clicking on “Guidance.” Once you are on the Guidance page, check out the “Junior Checklist,” which is under the “Annual Checklists” heading. The Junior Checklist contains information and tasks juniors should be doing each month. Also, take a look at the “Senior Newsletter” to see what next year will be like. 2) Make sure you and your student are both signed up for the CVHS listserve so that you will receive weekly messages like this one from our Guidance Office that will keep you up to date on college and guidance information. To sign up, simply go to www.cvhs.com, then click on “Info and News” and then on “listserve” and follow the prompts. 3) Attend the National College Fair that will be held April 6th from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. at the Orange County Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa (see details below).

SAVE THESE IMPORTANT DATES!!

**Tentative Dates for Summer Registration Packet Pick-up, Walk-through Registration, and Freshman Orientation:

The following dates have been tentatively scheduled for registration packet pick-up, walk-through registration, and incoming freshman orientation:

Drive-through Registration Packet Pick-up in the CVHS Staff Parking Lot:

August 5th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

August 6th 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

August 7th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Walk-though Registration:

Freshman Day 1 (January – June birthdays): August 11th – times to be announced

Freshman Day 2 (July – December birthdays): August 12th – times to be announced

Seniors – August 18th – times to be announced

Juniors Day 1 (January – June birthdays): August 19th – times to be announced

Juniors Day 2 (July – December birthdays): August 20th – times to be announced

Sophomores: August 21st – times to be announced

Freshman Orientation – Class of 2012:

Wednesday, August 27th – time and location to be announced.

**Please note that the above dates are projected to be accurate and are provided to assist parents with summer planning; however, dates are still tentative at this time. Also, please note that freshman and juniors have two separate days for registration due to the large numbers of students in these classes. Lastly, even though freshmen register first for logistical reasons, students in upper grades will still be given priority for selection of electives.

IMPORTANT – Parents of Freshmen – PE Fitness Testing:

All parents of freshman were sent important letter via US mail in late February regarding recent legislation involving 9th grade PE fitness testing. Per the new legislation (SB78 and SB601), all students in the class of 2011 and beyond must pass five out of six physical education standards as measured by the state Fitnessgram test when it is administered to all freshman during the spring semester. Students who do not pass the pass the Fitnessgram either in grade 9 or by the end of grade 10 will be required to complete additional years of PE in grades 11 and/or 12. Freshmen have been completing fitness testing over the past three weeks with their PE/Health teacher or athletic coach. Students not enrolled in PE/Health or athletics are being tested by PE teachers during student choice tutorial days.

PAST “OLD” ANNOUNCEMENTS & DATES:

Important Guidance Calendar Dates:

Please read the announcements above and/or below for details regarding each date/event listed.

Date Event Notes

4/6/08 National College Fair at OC Fair Event Center See announcement above for details

5/5 – 5/16/08 AP Testing See announcement above for details

5/6 and 5/7/08 CAHSEE Make-up testing for sophomores See announcement above for details

5/15 – 5/19/08 Annual STAR Testing More details to come in April

6/23 – 7/31/08 High School Summer School Dates See announcement above for details

8/5, 6 & 7 Registration Packet Pick up See announcement above for details

8/11 & 12 Freshman walk-through registration See announcement above for details

8/18 Senior walk-through registration See announcement above for details

8/19 & 20 Junior walk-through registration See announcement above for details

8/21 Sophomore walk through registration See announcement above for details

8/27 Freshman Orientation See announcement above for details

**WEBSITE REMINDER:

CVHS Guidance Website Resources:

Perhaps the best source of guidance information for parents and students can be found on the Capistrano Valley High School website at: www.cvhs.com For guidance information relating to college, scholarships, testing, careers, and general information, simply click on the following link: http://www.cvhs.com/guidance.htm or visit the CVHS website at www.cvhs.com and then click on “Guidance.”

Archive of Past Guidance News Listserves Now Available:

An archive of past CVHS Guidance News Listserve messages is now available on-line by visiting www.cvhs.com, then clicking on “Guidance” and looking near the bottom under “Guidance News and Announcements Archive.”

Attention Seniors Accepted to Cal State Campuses:

Seniors who have been accepted and plan to attend a CSU campus should check the status of their English Placement Test (EPT) and Entry Level Math (ELM) on their acceptance paperwork when received from the university. If the student has not met these requirements, either through the EAP process or SAT/ACT scores, they should plan on taking the tests soon. Click on the link below to see general information and the testing schedules for the various CSU campuses.

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=e9a72d3631df4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=bc41e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD

College Scholarship Information Posted:

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.

PTSA Community Service Opportunities List:

Students who are looking for community service hours are encouraged to visit the CVHS PTSA website at the following link: http://www.capoptsa.org/programs/programs.html and then click on “Community Service.” The PTSA keeps an extensive and up-to-date list of community resources where students can look to fulfill various community service hour requirements.

SAT/ACT Test Preparation through CUSD Community Education and Ivy West Partnership:

The CUSD Community Education Department and Ivy West have partnered in order to provide affordable, quality SAT/ACT test preparation programs to CUSD students. To download information and registration materials, click on the following link (which may take a minute or two to load): http://www.cvhs.com/guidancedocs/Capistrano%20SAT%20&%20ACT%20Flyer%202008.pdf or visit the CUSD Adult and Community Education Website at: http://www.capousd.org/adult/ , then click on “Children and Teens” and look for the Ivy West test preparation section.

California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) Test Dates and Info. for 2008:

May 6th and 7th - held at CVHS during the school day for only those juniors and seniors who have not yet passed one or both sections, and make-up test dates for sophomores who missed testing in March.

California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) Preparation Books Available!

California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) preparation books for Math and English Language Arts are now available in the Guidance Office for all sophomores and any juniors or seniors who have not yet passed one or both portions of the exam. (NOTE: These are the same booklets that will be handed out in all sophomore English II classes during Back to School Night, so students whose parents attended will not need to pick up booklets.)

On-Campus College Visits:

For a listing of the dates and times when various colleges and universities will be on the CVHS campus providing information and answering questions for potential student applicants, please visit the following link on our Guidance website: http://www.cvhs.com/guidancedocs/Collegerepsfall07.pdf Recommendation: Please check the list frequently as it will be updated throughout the year.

CVHS Guidance Team