Welcome to Freshman/Sophomore Parent Night!

1. Welcome to Freshman/Sophomore Parent Night!

2. When does my child need to start thinking about future plans? College? Workforce? Military?

3. What are colleges looking for? • Grades in college prep courses (English, Math, Science, Social Studies) • Challenging course choice • SAT/ACT scores (Counselors will help each individual student determine which test is best for them) • Some accept SAT subject tests • Some schools do not require the SAT or ACT • Dedication/Passion with a few activities

4. Do grades really matter yet? • YES! • GPA is an average of ALL years of high school • Skills learned now are the foundation for more difficult concepts later on • Think of every day in math and English class as SAT/HSPA prep

5. How important are grades? • Class Rank – You are in competition with everyone in your graduating class • GPA – What’s average? • Monmouth: 3.31 - U of Delaware: 3.5 • Montclair: 3.2 - Boston U: 3.54 • NYU: 3.7 - Penn State: 3.56 • UCLA: 4.0 - U of Miami: 3.8 • Rider: 3.27 - Seton Hall: 3.0

6. Attendance policy • At the third absence, unexcused or excused, students will be notified to apply for the credit recovery process. • After the application has been turned in the process will be individualized for each student’s situation. • Give doctor’s notes the day after an absence • Parents shall notify the school the morning of the absence before 8:00 am by telephone or note. Call 732-229-7300 extension 41005. ?

7. Is attendance really that important? • Colleges ask for your attendance records • Positively affects grades • Perform better on the SAT and HSPA • Feel more connected to the school and have more fun in High School

8. How important are extra curricular activities? • 21st century college mission: To develop the “whole student” • Colleges are looking for students who will be interesting additions to their college campus • They have entertainment and social purposes and help you gain and improve skills • They teach you about yourself

9. Athletics • Soccer • Football • Swimming • Bowling • Track • Volleyball • Lacrosse • Basketball • Baseball • Softball • Wrestling • Cheerleading • Cross Country • Tennis • Volleyball • Field Hockey • Indoor Track • Golf

10. Requirements for athletics • To participate in sports students must: • have earned 30 credits from the previous school year • maintain at least a 77 in each class

11. Why Volunteer? • Learn new skills • Develop your interests • Be inspired • Feel good about giving • Looks great on a resume or college application

12. How does a college application look?

13. How does a college application look?

14. Does discipline matter?

15. Requirements for graduation • 120 total credits (5 credits = a 1 year class) • Pass the HSPA in Language Arts Literacy and Mathematics (11th grade) • Pass the Biology End of Course Assessment Important to note: Students take 35 credits a year. 30 credits earned makes a sophomore, 55 a junior, and 85 a senior.

16. Requirements for graduation • 4 years of English • 3 years of Math • 3 years of Science • 3 years of Social Studies • 1 year of a Practical and Performing Arts Elective • 1 year of a Vocational/Career Education Elective • 1 year of a World Language • ½ year of Personal Finance • (class of 2014 only) • 1 year of Physical Education, Health, and Safety Education during each year of enrollment

17. But for a 4 year college you’ll need… • 3 years of Math 4 years of Math • 3 years of Science 4 years of Science • 3 years of Social Studies 4 years of Social Studies • 1 year of a World Language At least 2 years of the • same Language • 3 years of Math • 3 years of Science • 3 years of Social Studies • 1 year of a World Language **Colleges want to see that you have challenged yourself by choosing a course load that will prepare you for college level work**

18. How can I learn more about college? • Attend college visits in our school • Attend the Higher Education Summit on 11/3 • Go on Naviance for campus web tours and tons of information • Go on day trips to visit colleges • Talk to your teachers about where they went to college and what it was like • See your counselor!

19. Online risks faced today • Inappropriate conduct • The online world can feel anonymous. Kids sometimes forget that they are still accountable for their actions. • Inappropriate contact • Some people online have bad intentions, including bullies, predators, hackers, and scammers. • Inappropriate content • You may be concerned that your kids could find pornography, violence, or hate speech online.

20. What to do? • You can reduce these risks by talking to your kids about how they communicate—online and off— and encouraging them to engage in conduct they can be proud of. • Remind your kids that online actions can have consequences offline. • Explain to your kids why it’s a good idea to post only information that they are comfortable with others seeing.

21. Cyberbullying • Cyberbullying is bullying or harassment that happens online. It can happen in an email, a text message, an online game, or comments on a social networking site. It might involve rumors or images posted on someone’s profile or passed around for others to see, or creating a group or page to make a person feel left out.

22. Cyberbullying – What to do? • Talk to your kids about bullying. Tell them they can’t hide behind the words they type and the images they post. Hurtful messages not only make the target feel bad, but they make the sender look bad—and sometimes can bring punishment from authorities. • Ask your kids to let you know if an online message or image makes them feel threatened or hurt. If you fear for your child’s safety, contact the police.

23. Cyberbullying – What to do? • Read the comments. • Don’t react. • Protect their profile. • Block or delete the bully. • Help stop cyberbullying. • Recognize the signs of a cyberbully. • Keep in mind that you are a model for your children.

24. Questions?