It´s Semester & Unit Test Time!!! Some Tips for You!

DURING THE TEST:

A.        Time Usage

1. After receiving the exam, survey it to get a sense of the whole exam and how much time each section will take to complete. Allow more time for questions that: a) carry a high point value b) will take more time to complete (e.g., essays) c) are less familiar in content or format

2          You do not have to take the test in the order in which it is presented.  Take parts, which are easier first. This will save time and give you confidence.

1                    If questions take too much time, skip or mark them (+ or -), and return to them later. 2                    Be aware of how much time remains in the examination period.  Know when half the time is up. Too often a time-consuming, point heavy part of the test is placed at the end, and one may not have enough time to complete it if one does not watch the clock.

B.        Additional tips you can use when taking tests can come from your friends. Ask if they have any additional Tips about test taking.

1                    Multiple Choice: Learn to read ALL the choices. Too often a student will choose the incorrect answer, forgetting that the directions call for the BEST choice. The best choice might be ALL OF THE ABOVE or another answer. 2                    Matching: Read all the choices and match the ones that you are sure of; cross off the choices used, but do not obliterate them in case you make a mistake. Then try to do the remaining ones. 3                    True/False: Learn that a statement is FALSE if any part of the statement is false. 4                    Essay: Learn to outline your ideas before writing. How an answer is organized and presented is part of the grade. You should always rephrase the question in the answer so that you know you are answering the question. It is good to practice underlining all parts of essay questions and not to skip anything.

AFTER THE TEST:

A.        Final Checks Too often students have time remaining and do not check their work. Go over your answers. Especially read over short written answers and essays. Don’t believe that using the allotted time means you are SLOW! It is being thorough!

B.         Learning from Tests After a test has been handed back, use it as a study tool. Analyze the kinds of mistakes you made and get clues as to where you need to apply yourself more. The great thing is, once this is over you will be able to enjoy a nice long break! Keep studying!!

How do we teach our children to give?

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It is important we help our children understand that giving is not a once a year deal. Christmas time brings about many wonderful ideas. One of them is sharing with those less fortunate than ourselves. However, it is important we foster acts of kindness and sharing all year round.

Give year-round

First, we need to bring giving into our lives all year long. During the holiday season, it is easy to share our good fortune. Food drives, bell ringers, charity functions help us remember the needs of others.

People are hungry the other 364 days of the year! Do our children see us model charity and giving from January through November? If not, what message are we sending them: that hunger and pain and misery only exist at Christmas? That we should only respond to this need only at Christmas time?

Make giving real

Second, we need to make giving real to our children. Best strategy: get them involved.

One effective method for school-aged children is something like NPH Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos Organization or similar outreach efforts sponsored by many churches and charitable organizations. A family sponsors a child of designated age and sex, buying gifts and clothing for delivery by the charity.

Children do the shopping with you for the child you sponsor. It makes giving very, very real when a child chooses to buy his friend the radio-controlled car he hopes to find under his own tree! Do take a picture of the wrapped gifts and the young givers. Your children will not forget that shopping trip.

Everybody loves to buy toys for a three-year-old, but needy teens need love, too--and hats and scarves and games. Explain to your children why you have chosen those last few forlorn tags. They will understand the love you express when you make sure that even no-longer-cuddly children have a holiday gift, too.

Give being discreet

Third, make sure your right hand doesn't know what your left hand is doing. Tell your children why: it is no gift when we expect gratitude, appreciation, or attach strings to our offerings. We give, instead, to relieve need; to share the abundance with which we've been blessed; and to reflect to others the good that we find in the world. Giving with grace is reward enough!

Allow your children to sacrifice

Finally, give your children the chance to experience sacrifice in order to give. Even a small sacrifice on their part will reinforce a lesson on giving more than any other factor. Think of ways they can give like, giving a part of their allowance to contribute to the money spent on the gifts. Another example is going to the grocery store and deciding to go without their favorite cereal for a couple of weeks and using that money to buy help purchase a gift for someone else.

Source: http://christmas.organizedhome.com/celebrate/teaching-children-give?page=2

Cliques, they are still around!

The jocks. The nerds. The popular girls. Everyone who has ever attended school knows about cliques—social groups that are so often a source of angst and conflict in the lives of children and adolescents.

Dr. Michael Thompson, a psychologist, former seventh-grade teacher and author of the book Best Friends, Worst Enemies, argues that parents don't understand the importance of friendships in childhood and the deep emotional impact these relationships have on their children's lives.

By nature, people are social beings who need to be part of a group. In a group setting, children learn values such as loyalty, leadership and what it means to be a good friend. And, there is power in numbers—groups are more influential than an individual alone.

About 80 percent of children are part of a social group at school. Most groups begin forming around fourth grade, but some can develop as early as kindergarten. By eighth grade, most children have established strict boundaries of the group.

While becoming a part of a clique is appealing, it can also have its dangers. Sometimes members of a group are not really friends; rather, they rely on each other for an identity. There is often a ringleader who defines the boundaries and has the power to influence others to do good or bad.

According to Dr. Thompson, a child may be a "good person" as an individual, but group dynamics lead to what is known in psychology as a "risky shift." This change happens when children get together in a group and devise a mischievous plan that they wouldn't be able to come up with on their own as individuals. Even though a child may feel bad insulting or hurting other children, he or she might be influenced by the power dynamics of the group.

Dr. Thompson encourages parents to be involved, to listen to their children and to have compassion for their social issues. And parents should recognize that their own past social experiences can impact their children's social success.

• Don't assume your children are having the same problems that you had as a child.
• Realize that your own fears for your children are not necessarily their fears.
• Don't "interview" for pain by asking questions like, "Who was mean to you today?" Instead, ask, "Who did you talk to today?"
• Check with other parents who see your child in action to get a sense of how he or she behaves outside of the home.
• If your child is popular, educate him or her on how to be a good leader.

However appealing it might seem, you can't pick your child's friends, because friendships are based on chemistry. Instead of forbidding friendships with classmates who experiment with drugs and alcohol, for example, a parent should tell his or her child, "I hold you accountable for your behavior."

If you are upset about something your child did, don't attack his or her friends—monitor your own child's behavior. Children resent it when their parents think of them as "angels" and their friends as "devils."

Get to know the parents of your child's friends, so that you can talk to each other and supervise better. Adolescents need monitoring for reasons like the "risky shift." Remember, even good kids need monitoring.

Invite your child's friends over to your house so you can get to know them. And, remember, the more they're under your supervision, the better behaved they'll be!

Asking your children's teachers is crucial to understanding your child's social behavior. "I'm distressed that parents ask so rarely about their child's social life," Dr. Thompson says. If you find that your child is in trouble socially, you can make an alliance with the teacher and guidance counselor to work on helping your child.

Some key questions to ask your child's teachers include:

• Do you know something about where my child stands in the social hierarchy?
• Is my child getting along with other children?
• Does my child have a friend?
• Is my child a good leader?
• Is my child accepting of other children?

Most social problems children experience, such as feeling left out or switching social groups, are very normal. In fact, these situations can help the child understand treachery, loyalty and friendship. Your child does not need you to step in and try to make things better—your involvement could make things worse.

However, a child who is ostracized or rejected—neglected in every category—may need adult intervention and support. You should talk to your child's teacher and guidance counselor, and you may need to get your child into a social skills group or activities that promote healthy social relationships. 

Source: www.oprah.com

Interested in our AP program?

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement (AP) offers many college-level courses in subject such as English, history, humanities, languages, math, psychology and science.

AP courses are a good deal because:

• Students may earn both high school and college credit. This can save you time and money when you actually get to college.
• The course work is college-level. You may do better in college classes later because you'll know what to expect.
• You take college-level courses in your high school. This gives you a taste of college within the safety of your high school walls.  

Who is eligible to participate?

You must be a high school junior and senior, and Discovery requires a certain academic standing before you are allowed to participate. We want you to understand the level of responsibility needed to be part of the AP classes offered. Do you want to join the AP classes in school? Check with Mrs. Palacios, and counselor.

Who teaches the course?

The class is taught by a trained high school teacher.

How do I earn college credit?

You must take a fee-based exam which is graded on a five-point scale. Many colleges award credit for scores of 3 or higher, but some require scores of at least 4.

Do all colleges and universities accept these credits?

Acceptance and transfer of credits varies by college, but many do accept credits earned through the program. Others colleges may choose to award advanced placement instead. This allows you to take upper-level courses without taking the introductory, prerequisite courses. Some will allow you to earn both credit and placement. If you're interested in a specific college, be sure to ask admissions about their policy.

For More Information

For more information on how AP courses work at your high school, contact your school counselor or visit College Board for detailed information.