“Is the Upper School here? We’re here, we’re here!” That familiar song that culminates with “Are the Seniors here?” will ring out at our Opening Convocation on September 3rd – probably the favorite convocation of all when we celebrate being back together again and welcoming everyone to our school – I can’t wait!
Please remember that morning drop-off and afternoon dismissals take longer during the first weeks of school, especially due to our youngest students who need help getting into school. Your big girls were once that little and the first days of school were sometimes overwhelming. Please relax, plan on some extra time, drive safely and observe the car pool rules.
During Advisory on Wednesday, September 2nd, your daughter will receive her own copy of the Red Book and a copy for you – be sure to ask her for it! She will also pick up her re-imaged laptop and new password.
I hope that you will all put a big circle around September 9 on your calendar (Parents' Night) and make every effort to be here to meet your daughter's teachers and learn more about the courses she is taking. Please remember that if your daughter is taking a class at Gilman and/or Bryn Mawr, you are to go to their Parents’ Night, between 6-6:30 p.m. to meet your daughter’s teacher and learn about the curriculum for that course (Gilman’s night is September 10th and Bryn Mawr’s night is September 9th, same as ours).
During the first cycle of school, students will hear from club leaders about the various opportunities available through the co-curricular program. On September 15th, students will sign up to join clubs of interest to them. Clubs will be meeting on every day, except day 4 when Class Meetings occur, from 3:10-3:40 and teachers who are not sponsoring a club or activity are available for Academic Help during that time as well. While clubs and other activities provide fun, camaraderie, and wonderful learning experiences, they should also teach the lesson of commitment. We want all Upper School students to have meaningful involvement in the school outside of the classroom, but we don't want to see a student so loaded with co-curricular activities that she cannot possibly be true to herself and the commitment she has made. There is no magic formula to determine the right amount of involvement because it varies from student to student. Please encourage your daughter to be involved at school, but to keep it all in balance and perspective. Too often we hear students (and sometimes parents) say that a long list of clubs and activities will help in the college admissions process. It is true that colleges are interested in how a student uses her non-academic time, but what they are really looking for is the student who has found something she is passionate about and has made a significant contribution of herself to that activity over a period of time. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this, please talk with your daughter's advisor, Angelia Allen, Dean of Students, or me.
Please also pay attention to the dates for the practice SAT testing that we do as a vital part of our SAT Prep program. Research shows us that girls will do better on standardized tests (so-called “bubble tests”) that more opportunities they have to practice them. This is why we require that they take two practice tests a year in as similar as setting as we can produce (Saturday morning, same time slot, large group setting). And a reminder that a student whose grades would otherwise place her on Honor Roll, who has “failed” SAT Prep (either not attending two tests and/or failing too many vocabulary quizzes), cannot be placed on Honor Roll. In a nutshell, this program can be very beneficial to your daughter if she takes it seriously, and is a wonderful “value added” for your tuition dollars.
Happy back-to-school everyone!
~ J.F.S.