Syracuse City School District s2

SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Edward Smith School Sharon L. Contreras 1106 Lancaster Avenue• Syracuse, NY 13210 Superintendent of Schools Phone 315•435•4650 • Fax 315•435•6219

5-20-13

Dear Parents,

RE: AVID PROGRAM 2013-2014 – INVITATION TO PARENT INFORMATION MEETING – Monday, June 3, 2013, 6:00pm

A select group of our students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 have been identified as potential candidates for our school’s AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Program which will commence in September 2013.

These identified students will receive and bring home to you, on Monday, May 20 (Grades 5 and 6) and Wednesday, May 22 (Grade 7), parent invitation letters to our AVID Parent Information Meeting which will take place in our cafeteria on Monday, June 3, 2013, at 6:00pm.

AVID is a 6th through 12th grade course elective and support system designed to prepare students in the academic middle (C to B+) for college.

AVID has a proven track record, nation-wide, for bringing out the best in students and ensuring that they are eligible to enter a four-year college after high school graduation.

PARENTS PLEASE NOTE: The perception that AVID may be merely for a struggling or at-risk student from a low-income family is misleading. AVID is a college preparatory program that prepares students with organizational skills, time management skills, study skills, note taking skills, inquiry skills, oratorical skills, full career exploration and college tours as well as enrollment and success in advanced courses with the goal of enabling students not merely to enroll in a four-year college but also to graduate in four years.

Research studies are showing that students from middle class and high income families with college-educated, professional parents are increasingly failing to graduate from four year colleges or are losing several years while in the colleges. AVID, therefore, is truly for every student and our goal is to systematically avidize our entire middle school. This means that while only 20-25 students per 6th, 7th, and 8th grade will take the AVID elective in 2013-14, all students will gradually receive the benefit of instruction, in all core areas, embedded with the above-stated AVID strategies, including organization of all school work in AVID binders purchased by the district.

We urge you to please make time to attend this information meeting to learn more about this lifetime opportunity.

If you cannot attend the meeting but are still interested in having your child apply for this program, your child may obtain an application packet from Ms. Unobagha, AVID Program Administrator or from Ms. Gendron, AVID Site Coordinator. The AVID Application Form and Contract are to be completed by students and their parents and returned to Ms. Unobagha or Ms. Gendron by Friday, June 7, 2013.

Student interviews for the program will be conducted by our school’s AVID Site Team from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14, 2013. Letters of Acceptance will be disseminated to successful students on Wednesday, June 19, 2013.

Yours sincerely,

Uzo Unobagha Vice Principal & AVID Program Administrator.

Cc: Sam Barber - Principal