September 29, 2005

Dear AVID Parent:

I know you can’t believe it either. Your senior is already half way through his/her first quarter. Interim report cards were mailed out last week to give you a better understanding of your senior’s performance in all courses – core and elective.

As you know, this is crunch time for seniors. A strong (perhaps stellar) senior year is crucial for college acceptance. Even if students struggled academically early in high school, excellent grades now mean awesome opportunities for next year. They need to be working extremely hard to meet their goals.

I have spoken to several of your student’s teachers, and many of them have expressed concern about work ethic and time management. Some AVID students are not working to their potential, some are repeatedly missing assignments, and some are failing tests. I try daily to stay in contact with these teachers, but oftentimes, I do not learn about major problems until the end of the marking period.

As a senior, your student should have a firm, clear understanding of what individual determination means (the ID in AVID). With that said, I am calling a Senior AVID Parent meeting to discuss your student’s anticipated academic achievement for this year and to talk about the steps students, AVID teachers, and parents can take to ensure a productive, successful year. I want us thinking early about those acceptance letters. Now, perhaps, is the right time to remind our students of the AVID contract stipulations. I will have a copy of the contract for your review at the parent meeting.

Thank you in advance for your commitment and support. I hope to see you on Thursday.

Meeting Time: Thursday, October 6, 2005 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Meeting Place: FCHS Little Theater

Sincerely,

Kim Torpey
FCHS AVID Senior Seminar Teacher