Your son’s freshman year is full of new and exciting experiences. It is important that he is aware of all that Mt. Carmel has to offer both academically and extracurricular. He should also be informed of what his freshman year will entail in regards to being successful in high school and preparing for college.
As a freshman, your son will meet with his guidance counselor twice a year (once per semester). In the first meeting, his counselor will make sure that your son is adjusting to the demands of high school and understands all that Mt. Carmel has to offer. His counselor will also explain the grading system and the importance of maintaining a high GPA. In the second meeting, his counselor will discuss course scheduling and register him in the appropriate level of each subject for sophomore year.
To prepare and have a successful freshman year I would advise your son to:
Be Organized:
Have a neat locker
Have a folder and a notebook for each class
An most importantly get a homework planner!!
Don’t get behind in work:
Be aware of GPA scale
If he is sick for more than 1 day, contact counselor to collect homework assignments from the days he missed so he does not get behind.
***Here are a few tips that are important for your son to remember as a freshman:
Maintain GPA, and improve on it
All freshman will take the PLAN test in October (see below)
Get involved in activities whether it be sports or extracurricular
Maintain or increase involvement in activities
Begin to consider life after high school
----College choice, military, trade school
----What are the requirements for university/college-electives, foreign language, etc.
Research colleges based on size, location, and what the college/university has to offer
***Here are some helpful websites for both parents and students to get information on standardized testing and college planning:
www.act.org
www.collegeboard.com
PLAN Test
PLAN helps tenth graders build a solid foundation for future academic and career success and provides information needed to address school districts’ high-priority issues. It is a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school and post-graduation years.
PLAN can help all students-those who are college-bound as well as those who are likely to ender the workforce directly after high school.
As a “pre-ACT” test PLAN is a powerful predictor of success on the ACT Assessment. At the same time, many schools recognize the importance of PLAN testing for all students, as it focuses attention on both career preparation and improving academic achievement.
***Note: your son will take the PLAN test again his sophomore year and will be able to compare his results from freshman year. This will give him a good idea in which areas he has improved and in which areas he needs to focus on to improve.
