Next stop, Midwinter Break

Dear Parents & Guardians of Pre-APers,
I'm trying to avoid having each blog open with an apology for the delay in blogging, but it's been unavoidable, I'm afraid.  The National Board process has been very rewarding, but also terribly time-consuming, so I haven't been able to return to this as soon as I had hoped.  Now that I have a planning period back (hooray!!), and with the end of National Boards in sight (my portfolio has to be mailed by March 31), I'm hoping that I can blog more often.

I wanted to say a few words about semester grades before they are forgotten.  After entering all of the assignments, including both extra credit sheets, the overall grades still seemed a little bit low.  Matt Tucker, the other Pre-AP teacher, and I talked, and agreed that we didn't want students penalyzed for their decision to challenge themselves in Pre-AP Lit., so we dropped the grading scale by 1.5 %.  In other words, instead of a 93% for an A, a student needed a 91.5 %. Since we don't weight grades in this state for AP classes, this seemed a fair compensation, given how important grades are in the college and scholarship process.   In reviewing these revised grades, they seemed to fit with what I knew about my students' abilities, efforts, and accomplishments. I hope that you, and they, felt the same.

I also had students complete a semester evaluation of the course.  Based on their feedback, I've changed my website a bit.  I grouped the Documents section bycategories, so it's easier to find items, and also started a Homework section.  I was a bit confused as to why they wanted me not only to go over homework during class (while asking them to record it in their planner); upload all of the slides, including the homework slides; and ALSO copy/paste the homework into the Homework section :-), but it actually doesn't take much time.  There is truly no excuse for them not to know the homework now :-).

A few things changed at semester.  After using homework packets successfully for the last five years, I eliminated them.  For some reason, students this year were losing assignments, not copying the list of assignments correctly, not putting them in order in the packets,trying to submit very late assignments, etc.  So, I've been recording homework directly and just entered 4 or 5 (depends which period) assignments into Skyward.  This should, hopefully, help the disorganized souls among them to be more successful. and make it easier for you to see when homework isn't being submitted.

Outside reading also changed.  800/1200 of their pages for the semester must come from the AP Free Response list (posted on Website in Documents/Information).  This list is from the 3rd essay question on the AP Lit exam, when they ask a general question and ask students to respond using one of the books on the list or another book/play of equal literary merit.  By having Pre-APers read 800 pages from this list, they will build their repertoire of books for next year's exam.

It is incredible that we are within a few days of Midwinter Break.  Once we return to school, it's March, which is the month of College Credit Night, Registration, HSPE, & AP test registration. Here are quick announcements about each:

• College Credit Night is for students/parents in grades 8-11 to learn about AP, UW, Running Start, and, for the first time this year, "How to Get in to a Competitive University."  It runs from 7:00-9:00 on March 1, and draws a big crowd.  Come early for parking.
• Registration is very important, as students are seldom allowed to change their schedules later, as we build our master teaching schedule around their choices.  I'm happy to meet with your student during my AP Coordinator period, period 5, or any other time, for that matter, to help them if needed.  They should be challenged academically, but should also have some balance in their life.  Two to three AP/UW classes is a heavy load for most students.  Registration information will be delivered right after Midwinter Break.
• HSPE Writing & Reading is March 15-16-17.  It runs from 8:15-11:00.  Anyone who is absent must take the test in August, and both test must be passed  in order to graduate in Washington.  Please try not to schedule any appointments or vacations on these days.  The Science test is April 12.
• If your son or daughter is in an AP class, he/she has received test information already.  Please have your son or daughter see me if he/she has any questions.  Financial aid is available for those on free/reduced lunch and in a few other circumstances.  Please feel free to contact me.

That's it for now.  By this time of the year, your children feel like nieces and nephews to me, and I already hate the thought of losing them at the end of the year.  Thank you  so much for sending them to THS.

Have a wonderful Midwinter Break.

Wishing you well,
Brooke Dillon