September Newsletter

The Counseling Department welcomes all new and returning students and parents to West High School for the 2017/18 school year. We take pride in serving you and look forward to a positive and productive year. Trust that we will do all we can to insure that your experience at West is one that you will cherish and reflect on positively for the rest of your life. For the freshmen transitioning from middle school, we look forward to meeting you and helping you make that important transition to West.

We feel that in a large metropolitan high school, it is important to communicate information in a timely and effective manner. This newsletter is intended to give you a summary of important grade level, counseling information which should be useful in making plans and assisting your son or daughter. If you have questions, please call us. In addition, please make sure you read the “School Counseling News” section of the Regent Reporter, which is published at the beginning of each month and can be found on our website: west.mmsd.org. To find other specific information relating to the Counseling office, go to the same website and click on For Families and then Counseling.

We want to encourage all students to check their school email often for important announcements, opportunities and updates. School announcement bulletins will be sent as a daily email to student school email accounts. If students need assistance accessing their school email, they can stop in to see their school counselor.

Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the parent meetings.

Grade 9 - Monday, September 11th at 5:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria

Dinner (5:30) and meeting (6:30)

Information on the teenage brain

Administrative Expectations and Overview of Grade 9

Introduction of Support Services

How to access counseling/support help, Developmental Guidance overview, & scheduling/academic concerns

Grade 10 – Tuesday, October 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the West High Auditorium

Administrative Expectations and Support Team Structure

Overview of the sophomore year and what teens need from us to succeed

Developmental Guidance overview and sophomore testing (WKCE, PLAN)

Grade 11 - Tuesday, October 17th at 6:30 p.m. in the West High Auditorium

West High will host the FuturePaths Speaker Program for 11th grade students and their families. Presenters will speak on a range of postsecondary opportunities including Madison College (MATC), Apprenticeships, the UW System schools, UW-Madison, University of Minnesota, Winona State, private colleges, an art and design school, “IEP Goes to College”, and military choices. This is a great time for you and your student to begin exploring post high school options and start discussions about their interests, feelings and emerging goals. Seniors and their parents who are interested in attending the presentations to obtain more information on post high school options are also welcome to attend.

Grade 12 - Monday, September 18th at 6:30 p.m. in the West High Auditorium

Welcome by Senior Class Principal – Important post high school and financial aid information for parents of seniors who are applying to college.

‘Go to School Night’ – Monday, September 25th at 7:00 p.m. in West High Auditorium

English Language Learners’ (ELL)

Parent Meeting on Monday, September 25th at 5:30 p.m. in West High Cafenasium

The intent of this newsletter is to provide general, grade level information that is helpful to families prior to the beginning of the school year. For continually updated information from the Counseling office, please visit our webpage at westweb.madison.k12.wi.us and click on the COUNSELING link, which is updated frequently.

4 credits of English*

3 credits of Social Studies (.5 credits of Modern US History or African Experience

or 1 credit of AP US History)

3 credits of Math

3 credits of Science

1.5 credits of Physical Education

.5 credit of Health

7 elective credits

Completed Civics Exam with a passing score

*ENGLISH COURSE SELECTIONS

Students are required to earn four credits of English for graduation. All English courses at West High School fulfill the high school graduation requirements; however, students planning to attend a college or university are encouraged to ask the college of your choice which “communication arts” course(s) it accepts for English/Language Arts credit, if any. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, for example, will accept one semester course (0.50 credit) of communication arts for high school English credit. The communication arts courses at West High School include: Film Study and Public Speaking.

In preparation for a successful year, here are some things to consider:

• Good attendance - one of the most important factors in academic success

• Organization - Use an assignment notebook, fit homework into a routine, have a plan so schoolwork doesn’t suffer during a theater production or sport season.

• Good Study Habits - Pick a quiet place to study and study at the same time every day, set goals for your studying/what you want to accomplish, re-read notes taken in class and summarize them, study a few days before a test- not the night before.

• Resource/Study Hall – Plan an hour in your schedule to take advantage of time to study, tutoring resources and the literacy center.

• Ask Teachers For Help - Teachers should be the first to know if students have questions or need help; talk to teachers about what you do not understand.

• Seek Help - If you need additional assistance, please have students see their Counselor to discuss tutoring resources.

Below are the dates for the end of each quarter during the 2017/2018 school year.

First Quarter: November 3, 2017

Second Quarter: January 19, 2018

Third Quarter: April 4, 2018

Fourth Quarter: June 8, 2018

West High School offers many extracurricular opportunities ranging from Amnesty International to Comic Book Club to Taiko Drumming. Information regarding these clubs can be found in the daily announcement bulletin found in your student email through the student’s MMSD gmail account. A comprehensive table including contact people and other information is available on the West High School website, in the student planning organizer, and in Room 2044. Additional clubs are often formed by interested groups of students. See Assistant Principal Mueller-Owens in Room 2044 if you are interested in starting a new club or activity at school.

The focus of the Developmental Guidance Program is to provide students with developmental appropriate information in a timely manner that will assist them in being successful at West High School and in planning for academic and career pursuits after West High School.

West High School is very committed to supporting students in their transition to the 9th grade. There are many programs in place that assist with this process throughout the year; Homeroom, Senior Citizens, individual conferences with counselors, tutoring (peer and AmeriCorps volunteers), resource hall, the literacy center and parent information nights. The goals of 9th grade include the continued development of solid study and academic skills, investigation of clubs, activities and athletics, and learning how to advocate for oneself. Our Developmental Guidance curriculum focuses on many aspects of these goals and continued career investigation.

YOUTH OPTIONS PROGRAM (YOP)

This program was established in 1992 to allow qualified MMSD 11th and 12th grade students to enroll at an institution of higher education in Wisconsin to take courses that lead to credit granted toward high school graduation. The MMSD is required to pay for a course taken by a high school student at a post-secondary institute if a comparable course is not offered anywhere in the school district. If you wish to participate in the YOP, discuss your plans with your counselor.

Applications for YOP are available from the student’s counselor. The application deadlines are as follows:

To enroll in a class second semester of the 2017/18 school year, the application must be submitted by October 1, 2017.

To enroll in a class first semester of the 2018/19 school year, the application must be submitted by March 1, 2018.

Upon completing the application, the student will mail it to the Assistant Superintendent of schools in an envelope West High School provides. At this point, the applications are reviewed and students will typically be notified within 6-8 weeks if their course was approved.

Students admitted to the University of Wisconsin under this program are encouraged to take only one course per semester. (Exceptions may be granted by the university.) You should select one or more alternative courses in the event your first choice is not available. Your school counselor can be helpful to you in making appropriate course selection decisions. More information is available on the MMSD website (www.mmsd.org).

The Developmental Guidance Program for 11th grade students is centered on developing an individualized post high school plan for each student.

This program was established in 1992 to allow qualified MMSD 11th and 12th grade students to enroll at an institution of higher education in Wisconsin to take courses that lead to credit granted toward high school graduation. The MMSD is required to pay for a course taken by a high school student at a post-secondary institute if a comparable course is not offered anywhere in the school district. If you wish to participate in the YOP, discuss your plans with your counselor.

Applications for YOP are available from the student’s counselor. The application deadlines are as follows:

To enroll in a class second semester of the 2017/18 school year the application must be submitted by October 1st, 2017.

To enroll in a class first semester of the 2018/19 school year is March 1st, 2018.

Upon completing the application the student will mail it to the Assistant Superintendent of schools in an envelope West High School provides. At this point, the applications are reviewed and students will typically be notified within 6-8 weeks if their course was approved.

Students admitted to the University of Wisconsin under this program are encouraged to take only one course per semester. (Exceptions may be granted by the university.) You should select one or more alternative courses in the event your first choice is not available. Your school counselor can be helpful to you in making appropriate course selection decisions. More information is available on the MMSD website.

COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS

Colleges typically will require the ACT or the SAT as one basis for admission--all colleges and universities in the United States accept either test. The specific college website is a good guide for admissions’ requirements, as is our web based education and career planning program, Career Cruising. Traditionally, the ideal time for college bound students to take the SAT or ACT tests is in the spring of their junior year. Registration information for college entrance exams is available on the web at www.actstudent.org , or www.collegeboard.com, or in the Counseling Office. You will need our high school code to register, which is: 501-165

The TOEFL test is an admissions test sometimes required for students who are non-native speakers of English. Registration for the TOEFL can be completed online at: www.ets.org/ell.

About the ACT

Students need to register for the ACT online. Go to www.actstudent.org. All of the information needed to register is available online. The 30-minute Writing Test is an optional component to the ACT Assessment which complements the English Test. We recommend that students take the ACT Plus Writing. Note: The UW-Madison and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities require the ACT Plus Writing. FREE ACT Test preperation through Method Test Preperation in Career Cruising.

www.careercruising.com/login/MMSD

Username: Student’s ID number

Password: Student’s six digit birthday and first and last inital with no spaces.

About the SAT

Students must register 0n-line registration for the SAT . Go to www.collegeboard.com. The SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests are often required by highly selective schools (generally private schools or schools on the East and West coasts). The SAT Reasoning Test is a general admissions test which now has an optional writing test. SAT Subject Tests test one content area in depth. Students planning to apply to the most competitive colleges are sometimes required to take three SAT subject tests. These tests should be taken as close to the completion of their high school course as possible; for example, if a student takes Math Physics 2 during the fall of his/her junior year, it would be advantageous for the student to take the Physics SAT Subject Test in the spring of the junior year.

Taking the Test

Students should read the information given to them when they register for the tests, especially regarding their ID and the prohibited use of electronic devices. Photo ID is required to enter a test room, so remember to bring your school ID or driver’s license with you on test day. Also, the use of cell phones on test days has become a big problem. Many students are dismissed and their tests voided each year because their cell phone rings or they use their phone before testing is completed. We urge students to leave their cell phones at home on test days.

The Developmental Guidance Program for 12th grade students is intended to provide information which is critical for students to complete their post high school plans in a timely manner.

ACT Test Scores

It is the student's responsibility to have the appropriate test scores (i.e., ACT or SAT ) sent directly from the testing service to colleges. West High will not send test scores. Most colleges (including UW System Schools) require that your score be sent to the admissions office directly from the ACT or SAT testing company. You can request that your scores be sent when you register for an ACT or SAT by filling in the appropriate college codes. If you took the ACT or SAT as a junior but did not send your scores to colleges at that time, you now need to go online or call the testing company to have your scores sent for an additional fee. (ACT – 319-337-1270; SAT 866-756-7346). Scores are usually available 4-6 weeks after the test date, and are automatically emailed to you and sent to the Counseling Office.

Throughout the year, students and parents have the opportunity to meet with ADMISSIONS COUNSELORS representing colleges and universities from around the country. The schedule of college visits is posted outside the Counseling Office and on our web page, and announced in the Daily Bulletin announcements sent to student email. We encourage you to attend these sessions, which are held in the Counseling Office. Students who have a class during the visitation time can obtain a pass from the teacher of the class that will be missed prior to the visitation.

In addition, please make note of the following college fairs:

Wisconsin Education Fair

Thursday, September 28th from 9-11 a.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Sun Prairie High School.

888 Grove St, Sun Prairie, WI 53590

Milwaukee National College Fair

Sunday, October 15th from 12:00-3:00 p.m.

Wisconsin Center

400 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53203

WEST High School Transcripts are ordered and delivered electronically (on-line). The Madison Metropolitan School District has joined the Wisconsin e-transcript initiative to bring you a quick, confidential, and paperless way to send your transcripts directly to colleges, the NCAA, the Common Application and other destinations of your choice. Transcripts may be ordered at www.Parchment.com by MMSD graduates, parents and guardians of students, and by current students who are over the age of 18.