Guidance Newsletter Archive

May 1, 2007

Hi parents! We’re getting close to the end of the year. Remember that the 4th quarter and final exam count for about 40% of your student’s final grade for the year!

Course selections for the 2007-08 school year have been sent home recently through the mail.  Please review these selections with your students, as these will be the exact courses your student will be taking next year. Please see the course selection booklet for Madison’s policy regarding schedule changes once the school year starts. Any changes need to be sent to your student’s counselor by June 15. This is particularly important as it is normally very difficult to changes courses during the summer or after the school year begins.

Junior Planning Conferences-Please be sure you have scheduled a college planning conference with your junior and his/her counselor.  This is a very valuable experience and you don't want to miss it!

Interims for 4th quarter will be given out through 3rd period on May 14th.

Advanced Placement tests are almost upon us. Here is the schedule:

Monday, May 7        7:30-11:30 AM   US Government       
           12:00 – 4:00 PM French Language
Tuesday, May 8        7:30-11:30 AM  Computer Science A , AB and Spanish Language                 
                                  12:00-4:00 PM      Statistics 
Wednesday, May 9   7:30 – 11:30 AM    Calculus AB, Calculus BC
Thursday, May 10     7:30 – 11:30 AM    English Literature (12th grade)
Friday, May 11          7:30 – 11:30 AM    U.S. History

12:00– 4:00 Studio Art , European History

Monday, May 14        7:30 – 11:30 AM   Biology
                                      12:00-4:00 PM       Physics C
Tuesday, May 15       7:30 – 11:30 AM    Chemistry
Wednesday, May 16 7:30 – 11:30 AM    English language (11th grade)
Thursday, May 17      7:30-11:30 AM       World History (10th grade)
Friday, May 18           12:00-4:00 PM       Latin

SOL Tests- SOL end of Course tests will be given from May 21 through June 8. All tests will be given online. The advantage of this is that we should have the scores back fairly quickly. Please make sure that you don’t schedule appointments during your student’s SOL’s, as it is relatively difficult to do makeups.

For our graduating Seniors………..

Graduation- Our Graduation is at Robinson HS on June 13 at 7:30 pm this year. No tickets are necessary this year, so you have a little more flexibility with who to invite to the ceremony. The senior graduation mailing will go out by mid-May. 

Baccalaureate - Our Baccalaureate service for the Class of 2007 will be at St. Mark’s Church (9970 Vale Rd., Vienna) on Wednesday, June 12 at 6:00 p.m. It is an interfaith, service of thanksgiving, reflection, celebration, and inspiration. Baccalaureate is one of the highlights of the graduation festivities, an opportunity for reflection and rejoicing. Sponsored by the PTSA, attendance is voluntary. Seniors arrive at 5:30 PM and gather in the Activity Center. Please wear your graduation gown, but not the cap. Graduates will then process in.

Senior Sendoff, May 22, 7:00-9:00pm
The Guidance Department is proud to announce a program for seniors AND their parents called “Senior Sendoff”, which will be held at Madison HS on May 22 from 7:00-9:00pm.
            The transition from high school to college is not a “one time event”, but rather a process that begins long before the college applications are due and one that doesn’t always end when the student goes off to college. It is during the student’s senior year that the majority of families feel the full emotional impact of the “gateway experience” of transitioning from high school to higher education. We hope that this program can explore some of these issues and open the door for this important communication at home. We ran this program last year for the first time and got a tremendous response.
            It is critical that BOTH parent and student attend. If you have any questions, please call Bob Gambarelli at 703-319-2337 or e-mail him at Bob.Gambarelli@fcps.edu . We look forward to seeing you on May 22nd.

Senior Field Trip – June 4, 2007 to Kings Dominion
The information and permission forms for the Senior Field Trip to Kings Dominion should arrive in the mail to your house the first week in May.  All forms are due by Monday, May 14 and should be returned to your student’s government teacher.  The second senior mailing that contains graduation and related information will be sent out the second week in May and will contain graduation/senior information.  Much of this information will also be available on the JMHS web site.

College visit

Penn State Information Session, Thursday, May 10, 2007
Penn State will be at the Hilton Garden Inn, 3950 Fair Ridge Drive, Fairfax, VA to present information to parents and students.  For registration and driving directions, visit www.psu.edu/admissions/programs.htm

Summer Opportunities

Job/Intern/Volunteer Opportunities
Students looking for jobs should check out the job opportunities information in the Guidance Section of Blackboard http://fcps.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
Internship and volunteer information is also available on the Career Connections web site http://www.fcps.edu/ss/CareerConnections/

Bob Gambarelli
Director of Student Services
Madison High School
703-319-2337