Attention all Sophomore Parents!
Sophomore Parent Information Night is coming soon so set aside Tuesday night, November 29th, to join us. We are pleased to welcome Lee Winderman, PhD. as our guest speaker.  Lee Winderman, PhD. is an experienced family and child therapist and a great presenter!  His work with adolescents is well regarded throughout the Houston community.  Lee will be talking about the challenges of parenting your 10th grader -- adolescent development, managing conflict, and communication. In addition, we will briefly cover what to expect from the upcoming sophomore conferences and other important dates for the spring.

Please join us at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 29th, in St. Agnes' Strake Family Cafeteria.  Light refreshments will be served.

Perfect Timing for the SAT and ACT for the Class of 2013
We get many inquiries about the timing of the SAT and ACT for our junior class.  There are a few rules of thumb that every family should consider.  First of all, both of these tests should be taken in the spring of the junior year.  The most popular test date for the SAT will be Saturday, March 10, 2012.  It is the first Saturday of spring break and St. Agnes is a test site.  We have encouraged your daughters to register for our test site by the end of January.  Other spring test dates and deadlines to register can be found on the SAA website by clicking here.

The ACT is accepted by all colleges in lieu of the SAT.  We have found over the years that students taking our college prep curriculum tend to do well on the ACT.  Because it is an achievement test, it is best taken at the end of a school year.  We favor the April and June test dates for the ACT.  Please remember that you MUST sign up for the writing portion of the ACT for the score to be accepted by most colleges and universities.

SAT Subject tests are required by approximately 30 of the most highly selective colleges.  These are one hour achievement tests in specific subject areas and are best taken at the end of a school year so we suggest the May or June test dates for students taking subject tests.  Interestingly enough, many schools have begun to take the ACT in place of subject tests so it is best to become familiar with the requirements of each individual university.

Finally, because so many schools have begun to "superscore" tests (both SAT and ACT), we strongly recommend students release as they test.  This way schools can see all of the test results.  Please remember that schools will use the best scores they see regardless of the test and regardless of whether or not they "superscore."  We will continue to remind your daughters of our testing philosophy as we meet with them in the spring.  Please be sure that your daughters use the SAA school code when registering for the SAT and ACT.  It is 443-420.  This is also referred to as our CEEB code.

If you have any specific questions regarding testing, please e-mail your daughter's counselor.

Duke TIP and First SAT Registration
As we start individual junior conferences  in January, college counselors are advising and encouraging juniors to sign up for an ACT and SAT in the spring time. The most popular date for SAT is March and April for the ACT.  However, each year we find that a few of our juniors come across a stumbling block in their online registration process for the SAT with the College Board.  It has come to our attention that if a student signed up for the SAT in 7th grade as part of Duke TIP (Talented Identification Program), then they already have a registration number, which is needed to complete the online registration process for an SAT. If you find your child in this position and not knowing the registration number, just have your daughter contact the College Board (by phone) and they will help her.

If you have any questions about the testing or junior guidance, please feel free to contact your daughter's counselor.

Senior Parents!   
If you are interested in any type of financial aid (loans, merit aid, need based aid) for your daughter for college next year, check out our Financial Aid section which includes articles on FAFSA and CSS Profile. It is also time for you and your daughter to apply for your PIN numbers. You cannot fill out a FAFSA until January 1, 2012, but it's a good idea to get the PIN now (which acts as your electronic signature) and put it in a safe spot when you are ready to fill out the FAFSA.

Holiday Reflections
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season..a time of celebrating, gathering of family and friends and, a time to reflect.  Rituals are intricately connected with this time of year---pulling out family recipes, making grandma's stuffing, trimming the tree with our favorite ornaments.  These traditions can be heartwarming and soothing but also bittersweet.  Even when things are going well the season can stir up emotions we don't expect.  It is important to be in touch with what's happening in yourself and in the family.

For families who have had recent loss or significant change the holidays can be especially challenging.  Clearly the holiday will be different.   However, maintaining some rituals are important especially for children.  It gives them a sense of anchoring and belonging.  The event, however, does not have to be the way you always did it.  The important part is coming together.  You may not have the desire or energy to cook a big meal or put up the usual big tree.   Compromise...I recall a mother telling me following the death of her husband, "I want to have the family together but I don't have the energy to cook.  I am going to order the meal and bring it in but we will still be together. And, I hope I can hold it together."  My comment, "If you don't?  It's okay to acknowledge the loss and even cry."  This is part of the grieving process.  Some families find it consoling to take a moment before the meal to remember the person or even to light a candle in their memory.  Whatever the loss it is important not to brush what we are feeling under the rug but find a way to acknowledge that things have changed.  When we express what's going on it allows us to move forward.

The winter solstice is a time when all things around are changing and retreating.   It offers each of us the opportunity to contemplate the changes and transitions that have occurred during the year. 

College Tour - Spring Break 2012
Bill Rubin of the College Authority will be at St. Agnes Academy on November 30th to talk about his upcoming spring college tour for juniors.  Mr. Rubin has been planning and executing tours for the last several years.  If you are interested in finding out more about the spring tour, we will be meeting in the Fleming Room at 6:30 pm on November 30th.  Please click here to review the two itineraries for this spring.  Mr. Rubin will determine which tour he will ultimately host this spring  based on interest.