To parents of 8th graders:

1. High School Open Houses begin in November.  Please plan to attend them.  That is where you pick up high school application packets. They can also be downloaded directly from the high schools.

 

2. Please sign up your child for the SSAT test. You can sign up for the SSAT on line by going to www.ssat.org. Please sign up for the December date. Be sure to have the scores sent to all school your student is applying to.

 

3. When you are beginning your process for making application to various area high schools, please pull all school forms from the packet and send to my attention.  You’ll see forms that say teacher/principal/counselor recommendation forms, release for records forms or transcript release forms.  Send all school forms directly to me.  I will log in all forms and distribute them to the appropriate person.  Those people then give all the forms back to me. This paperwork process is part of my job here at STM.  Doing things this way cuts down on lost paperwork.  Please have all the forms in to us before the Thanksgiving Holidays.  It takes these teachers a lot of time and effort to do these recommendations thoroughly.  Plus it takes the office staff lots of time to pull records and make copies.

 

4. If you applying to St. Pius or Marist,  NO postage is necessary.  We hand deliver those forms as they are completed.  If you applying to other schools, postage stamps are most welcome, but please don’t put them on the envelopes.  The business size envelopes are too small.  We use the 8x10 envelope size.  Just clip a few stamps onto the forms and we’ll take it from there.

 

5. If you have any questions call me at 404-377-4520.
6. For our graduating 8th graders, I also work with the A Better Chance program. The mission of this program is to substantially increase the number of well-educated students of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American society. This program does not provide financial aid, it is awarded to the Scholars by the schools that accept them. Information packets are available on line at www.abetterchance.org. Their phone number is 404.344.9115.

The eighth grade Life Skills Curriculum is called Fighting Invisible Tigers, A Stress Management Guide for Teens. This curriculum emphasizes understanding the roles of exercise, nutrition, recreation and relaxation for maintaining a healthy life style now and in the future. For teenagers, stress has both an internal and external component. First, young teens have the "normal" stress of growing up. This includes the developmental tasks of growing up physically, mentally, and emotionally, and making all the psychological adjustments in that growth process. Growing up means figuring out how to separate from parents and clarify just who one is in relation to family and the peer group.

I also use Confronting Sexual Harassment, Learning Activities for Teens by Russell A. Sabella and Robert D. Myrick. The jump from teasing to harassment is not always obvious to some people. As children become teenagers they need the opportunity to talk and sort out stereotypes, the myths, and then what the law says. This time in their life also means experiencing sexuality and wondering about dating and those kinds of "new relationships", such as having a "boyfriend" or a "girlfriend". Add to all this "normal" stress, we must acknowledge that there are many other stresses involved in living in contemporary American culture. We discuss:

1. Living in a society that has become increasingly more violent.

2. Living with family situations such as separation or divorce.

3. Finding one's way in the world.

4. Work and career exploration.

5. How does the economy (unemployment) impact young people.

6. Unristricted freedoms, negative influences, media messages, rampant materialism, drugs...

7. Teenage suicide

Our culture no longer provides adolescents with a safe transition period in which they can grow and develop in a setting without negative influences. My goal is to provide a safe classroom setting where it is ok to talk - even debate - about their beliefs and stresses, and about ways to "get it together". The curriculum includes an assortment of activities, games, and stress-reducing and life-enhancing strategies that help people find balance and connect positive life style habits, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors in a well-adjusted young person.

Another focus of my work, is preparing the students for the 8th grade retreat. This very special event is a wonderful experience that I've been part of for twenty plus years. This is when you really understand what great people we are sending out into the world from St. Thomas More School.