Latest Focus on Freshmen
Focus on the Freshmen
November, 2015
With the end of trimester 1 upon us, I think about the wide array of upper-school activities that have enhanced the freshman experience thus far. From sports competitions and artistic endeavors to social events such as Homecoming, the pool party, and the Halloween bonfire, the class of 2019 has had many opportunities to engage and form important bonds beyond the classroom. Teachers and administrators recognize that an important part of transitioning into the ninth-grade year is discovering and unleashing academic potential, developing an original voice, thinking critically, and striving to connect with peers and adults in authentic ways. Of course, there’s not a precise timeline nor checklist to reach these benchmarks. The 9th-grade year serves as a time for students to appreciate the expectations that lie before them as they strive to attain and maintain their goals with ongoing faculty support.
Some noteworthy points to make as we transition into trimester 2:
• All freshman classes will now be graded A-F. As all teachers maintain an open gradebook throughout the year, students will continue to know where they stand and be able to use this knowledge as a way to initiate conversations with their teachers. Additionally, teachers of P/F classes have been preparing students for the transition to letter grades through discussions in class and advisory. Students are also encouraged to self-assess and reflect upon their performance and effort thus far as a way to gauge what they want to improve upon moving forward.
• More freshman advisories will be doing their required on-campus Service Learning. The Magid and Jans advisories have completed theirs and both groups experienced, first-hand, what goes in to feeding 1,000+ people every day and keeping our campus beautiful, clean and safe. Through their SL day, students are able to develop positive relationships with adults beyond the classroom and truly appreciate our community-centered school environment.
• Two important dates to keep in mind: December 8 and 11
On December 8: The two authors of Lost Girl Found will be working with all of the freshman English classes. (http://www.leahjbassoff.com/index.php)
On December 11: All freshmen will be involved in either the Elders Project (off campus) or a special Design-Thinking project (on campus). Attendance is very important, so please don’t schedule anything that will conflict with your student’s ability to fully engage on this day.
You should have received a letter from Dr. Vogels regarding Winterfest and the school’s message to students to rethink the “Sadie Hawkins” tradition which can, many times, be a source of unintended angst and peer pressure among this particular age group. We encourage all students to attend the dance (and begin a new tradition, perhaps?), and the messaging to the students is: “Anybody can ask anybody,” “You don’t have to ask or be asked in order to go to Winterfest,” “Going in a group is great idea.” This messaging holds true for all grades.
As always, please feel free to email or call me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Meg Hill
© 2024 Colorado Academy
