Rolesville HS Weekly Updates     | January 18, 2019

“I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great a burden to bear.”  

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

New and Critical Review

Life and Legacy of Dr. King:  Remember that we will be out of school on Monday in remembrance of Dr. King and his contributions.

Exam Volunteers:  Thank you so much for your help!!!  Your assistance was invaluable.

Schedule changes:  Student Services has requested that there be no additional schedule change requests.  They will look at and address the requests that were made prior to the holidays. The order that requests will be reviewed is as follows: seniors, English, Special Education, situational with respect to graduation and promotion and teacher concerns.

Schedules for the first day of the Second Semester:  Students need to review their respective schedules online to prepare for the first day in all periods.  We will not distribute paper copies, but we will have student information available if we need to assist.  See a counselor or administrator first thing to ask for schedule clarification. We will run a regular Monday-Thursday schedule.

Senior fees and fines:  It is important that seniors pay fees and fines and return books.  We cannot release transcripts until these are cleared. Likewise, this is necessary to participate in prom and graduation activities.

Curriculum Night - January 30th at 6 PM:  This is the evening that rising freshmen families come to ask registration-related questions.  It is also when families can ask questions about AP courses.

Second Semester Schedules:  We will not print the schedules for Jan 22nd.  Most students regularly access their schedules online anyway.  Please have your Ram check the schedule well in advance of Jan. 22nd to be prepared for the first day of classes.

From PTSA:

1. We will soon post the Sign-Up Genius for the first-semester honor roll recognition which is set for February 22nd.  We will be asking for wrapped candy, cookies, water, and juice as well as volunteers.
2. They will soon share the form for seniors who are members of PTSA to apply for the PTSA scholarship  The PTSA needs freshmen parents to volunteer to read and score the essays/applications that students submit.
3. They will also begin planning for the senior picnic and will need volunteers.  Be on the lookout for requests for help and donations in the upcoming months.
4. Planning for next year’s board needs to be addressed this spring. If you have an interest in a position, please contact the current board.  Facebook is an easy way to reach them.

Prom Information:  We will share information with the students this coming week regarding the start of prom ticket sells.  Keep in mind that the cost will increase as we get closer to the event. As we prepare, keep in mind that all fees and fines must be cleared prior to the sale of tickets.  I will share more details with you next weekend. I just want to let you know that it’s time for kickoff.

Review

Exam Score Delays:  Scores for English II and III will be delayed.  We accustomed to almost immediate turn-around. We expect it to take several days for the vendor to send results.  While we are hopeful it will not impact report card grades, it is very possible that this might occur. I just wanted you to be aware that this might be an issue of which we are at the mercy of the folks who score the exams.

Optimist Club Essay “When All the World’s Problems are Solved, is Optimism Still Necessary?” - January 18th (We have the information about where submissions should go.)

Juniors Take the ACT:  On February 20th, all Juniors will take the ACT for free.  The scores for this administration can count for college admissions or it can be the kick-off as the first to help students improve over scores over subsequent administration.  Remember that additional administrations must be secured and paid for by the students. We just want families to be aware that the February administration is a legitimate administration despite being free.  We will send more information as we get closer to the event.

ACT and Thinking about College Applications:  Special thanks goes out to Ms. Lucas for organizing the practice ACT and evening information session.  We had two presenters that gave us much to think about. I want to share a couple of pointers that I noted.

1. Students need to take the ACT or SAT about 3 times and need to start early enough in the Junior year to have final scores back at the start of the Senior year.
2. Students generally need to start prep for a test 3-4 months in advance and put 30 minutes 3-4 times per week into review.  Online reviews are good.
3. Students need to set a focus.  Know your weak areas and use practice materials in those areas.
4. Realize that it is going to take effort.  These tests are not supposed to be easy.
5. When you begin to try to figure out where to apply, go to the college of interest and look up the freshman class profile.  Is it a fit for you?
6. Transcripts need to show evidence of rigorous coursework, GPA, rank, and exploration.
7. Super scores made from the best subscores are usually accepted.
8. Students need to work hard to share their voice when they write the essays.  The textbook version of an essay is just plain boring.
9. If a student has to do an interview, it is important to do homework and KNOW the school info before entering the interview.
10. Know why you want to attend that school.
11. Be on the lookout for the College Fair held each March at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Regarding the SAT:  Remember that we have one onsite administration remaining for this year.  There are spots open for the March 9th administration, but they will fill up fast.  I recommend that students register asap for our location. Mr. Morales pursued this for our school this year because he wanted our students to have the chance to test where they are most comfortable.  Remember, juniors need to take care of testing and have their best results no later than around September of the Senior year. Therefore, they need to test in plenty of time going into the Senior year to be prepared for applications.  Please just think about this and do your research to prepare for timely testing. Most schools that require ACT or SAT will accept either one. Research your schools of interest to know what they require.

AP Exam Registration:  The deadline to register for AP spring exams is February 25.  See the information on the school homepage.