The High School Process in the Upper School
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HIGH SCHOOL PROCESS A NewsletterCurrents for City and Country Families Spring 2013 Dear C&C Families, This is our latest edition of Currents, our newsletter that explores key City and Country programs in depth and puts them in writing for our families. We continue this practice with our Spring 2013 issue of Currents on the high school process in the Upper School. High-school preparation is a serious matter for C&C. As educators, we understand and appreciate that, along with preparing children for life-long learning, we have a responsibility to prepare them as fully for the next step of their educational journey. At the same time, we believe the overarching responsibility of a C&C education is instilling in our students a curiosity for learning, a foundation of competence, confidence, resourcefulness, and a commitment to collaboration and active citizenship. These are habits of mind and life skills that will form the basis of their life’s work. At C&C, these qualities are fostered consistently from the IIs on up. We believe that these are the skills that will matter in the next decades and know C&C students are well prepared. Beyond the immediate future, we know from our graduates that the skills, knowledge of self, and habits of mind acquired at C&C serve them throughout their lives. I welcome your thoughts about the high school process and this issue of Currents. Read about other aspects of our program, such as Literacy, Math, and Rhythms, at www.cityandcountry.org/publications. Sincerely, Kate Turley Principal Currents SPRING 2013 C&C Graduates Are Bold, Original Thinkers HIGH SCHOOL: a new ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT environment with new The XIIIs and their families are supported in the high challenges and new school process by many grown-ups: the XIIIs teacher, rewards. After serving their the Learning Specialist, the APL instructor, the Director final year at C&C as role of the Middle and Upper School, and the High School models for the twenty-two Placement Coordinator, who, as a team, guide each Graduation diplomas for the class of 2012. Groups beneath them, our student in essay writing and other aspects of the C&C graduates begin 9th application process, mock interviews, and ultimately grade as the youngest in their new high school community. selecting a range of high schools that are a good match. Before they encounter new curriculum and processes and see the satisfying ways in which their time at C&C has prepared them for this chapter, our students must sense of self and their interests, and know how to reflect grapple with standardized tests, craft applicant essays, on their own thinking. They are bold, original thinkers, and navigate interviews, all the while identifying who they genuine and self-assured, creative problem-solvers, expert are as students and making the big decision on which high collaborators, supportive of their fellow citizens, community school will be the best match for them. This is a tall order, leaders, and are equipped with strong academic skills. and we at C&C have put a lot of thought and structure into making sure our students can achieve their potential. These sought-after traits are the outcome of C&C’s nursery through XIIIs Program that is directed towards helping When teachers, parents, alumni, and admissions directors our students become independent, competent learners talk about graduates of our school, their comments revolve and responsible citizens of any community. These traits around the surprisingly mature characteristics they find in assure that C&C students have much to offer to the high our XIIIs: C&C students are comfortable talking to adults, schools they choose to attend, and that they will have the are eager to ask questions when in need of additional desire and ability to reap the benefits of a new social and information, know how to self-advocate, have a strong academic environment. The way they taught at City and ACRONYMS ‘‘ APL: Academic Performance Lab: C&C’s test prep Country was not at all like the usual and analytical thinking program rote learning. As a mater of fact, it was DISC: Downtown Independent Schools Consortium like nothing I have ever encountered since. I don’t remember reading a TEST NAMES ERB: Educational Records Bureau Tests. textbook in that school, and yet, I CTP4: Comprehensive Testing Program 4— came out of there with knowledge measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and especially an outlook that have writing skills, and vocabulary. The Level refers to the grade level and measures material that students permitted me to live in harmony with learned the previous year. life, rather than in confrontation.’’ ISEE: Independent School Entrance Exam —Former C&C student and journalist Vladimir Posner in Parting with Illusions 2 APL not only prepares students for different‘‘ test formats, it gives them a chance to explore their own thinking and problem-solving skills. Through APL, students learn to focus on what they do and don’t know and how to be XIs respond in APL, C&C’s test prep introspective about their thinking.” and analytical thinking program. —Gino Crocetti, C&C Alumni and APL Instructor High School Preparedness: Group-By-Group In conjunction with continuing to explore C&C’s social studies, inquiry-based program, C&C students in the Upper School devote time specifically towards high school readiness. Each Group expands on previous years and by the XIIIs, C&C students are primed for any learning An author environment. visits the XIIs. THE XIs YEAR As students enter the Upper School, formal preparation THE XIIs YEAR for the high school admissions process begins. The XIIs continue test-taking preparations and practice in APL. In the fall, most of the APL work centers on the In the XIs, a new Special, APL, is introduced. APL, or Educational Records Bureau tests (ERB CTP 4 Level 6), Academic Performance Lab, focuses on standardized test which are completed as homework and then reviewed in preparation and students practice general test-taking skills. detail in class. “Review is the key,” says APL Instructor Gino Crocetti. In the middle and end of the year, the XIIs The goal of APL is to increase each student’s ability to take and review several other tests in addition to logic perform academic cognitive tasks exemplified by, but not puzzles, the LSAT, and other sources. The XIIs also limited to, standardized tests. The specific cognitive goal engage in mnemonic and relaxation techniques. is to help each student become more aware of his or her thinking in order to meet the student’s academic needs. In the spring of the XIIs year, students and their Naturally, this builds upon and works with many other parts families become more familiar with the high school of the curriculum. application process through events such as a Coffee & Conversation meeting with the High School Placement The XIs work on becoming familiar with the procedures Coordinator (HSPC) and the Director of the Middle and and thought behind standardized tests and other formal Upper School (DMUS). At this meeting, parents are academic assessments. Students take and review in class introduced to the overall process and receive a timetable a variety of standardized tests, formal puzzles, and logic and basic calendar. Around the same time, parents and games. To deepen their introspection about their thinking, students attend the Secondary School Fair offered by the XIs write and share some questions of their own. the Downtown Independent Schools Consortium (DISC), Come spring, the XIs take and review a battery of where students meet representatives from local schools. Stanford Math and Verbal tests. XIs take their first full Back at School, the DMUS and HSPC invite parents who practice test in January. would like to begin the process to meet with them. 3 XIIIs teacher Ann Roberts works with an XIII on The XIIIs annual trip with editing an essay. teachers Gino and Ann. Our students have an edge in the interview process. That’s their strong point. They‘‘ use their brains; they’re more self-confident. Other students spend their time trying to figure out what they’re supposed to do and how fast they can do it once they figure it out; C&C kids are freer to think for themselves.” —Ann Roberts, XIIIs teacher THE XIIIs YEAR TIMELINE OF HIGH SCHOOL In the fall of the XIIIs, the pace of the high school application PREPAREDNESS EVENTS process picks up. Because we know our students so well, the XIs • Students begin APL process is highly individualized and supported by the DMUS • Practice tests and the HSPC. The DMUS and HSPC meet with each XIIIs • ERB test family to determine a slate of prospective schools that would XIIs • APL continues be a good match for each student, and the HSPC supports • Other tests, logic puzzles, the LSAT each family through the various application processes. At the • Group work explores personal essay writing start of the school year, XIIIs families attend an orientation • Coffee & Conversation with HSPC in late spring meeting where information about attending open houses, • Students attend HS Open Houses preparing typical applications, and a review of various • Secondary School Fair (DISC) in early May deadlines are discussed in detail. • ERB test in June • Following the ERB, DMUS, HSPC, XIIs and XIIIs teachers, and Learning Specialist To minimize absence from school, C&C works with high identify potential HS and student matches, schools to select four days during which our students can visit. starting in June • DMUS, HSPC, and parents start to identify Standardized tests are required for many high school HS goals admissions.