Ninth Grade Parent Night
The counselors will be hosting the Ninth Grade Parent Night, Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 6:30 PM in the Strake Family Cafeteria at St. Agnes Academy.  The focus of this presentation is the transition to high school.  This stage of high school can be a challenge not only academically but also, socially and emotionally.  We look forward to a stimulating evening as we talk about this change in your the lives of you and your daughters.
 
Homework and Studying - Part 1
At the end of each first quarter, faculty and the counseling department, along with the Academic Dean, convene to discuss students who are struggling academically.  Inevitable, one phrase is often heard from the faculty in regards to these struggling students - 'she's not turning in her homework'.   Homework is a critical part of a student's success, especially at the high school level, and is often overlooked as "just busywork".  Homework is not only an essential element of a student's grade in most classes as St. Agnes, it also provides the fundamental reinforcement of the day's work as well as the repetition necessary for learning and understanding material and integrating key concepts. Homework also helps create and reinforce the skills of organization, time management, personal responsibility and self-pacing which are noted as key components of students who find success in college.  Homework is that material which is assigned by the teacher to be completed and turned in by a specific date and time.  There are three vital parts of the homework process - 1) writing down and keeping track of assignments, 2) producing or completing the work and 3) turning in the completed work on or before the due date. If you notice that your daughter has many zero or low homework grades on Netview, it usually is an indication that one or more parts of the homework process is breaking down.  You are encouraged to talk to your daughter about using her planner to keep track of assignments, providing her with a study area which is conducive to good concentration, and monitoring outside distractors such as internet, phone or television, which should be limited during homework/study time. Most importantly, provide positive feedback when your daughter has shown improvement in responsible homework behavior. Sometimes, those words of encouragement, along with letting your daughter know that homework matters, can make a significant difference in academic achievement.   Next week we will discuss the differences between homework and studying and how important studying is for long-term memory retrieval, the key to better test taking ability. As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please contact your daughter's counselor or Lisa Crank in the Academic Services Center.

Recommended Articles from the Counselors
Every once in a while, our department reads articles we believe may be of interest to you and your daughter. Here are two columns we think you may enjoy:

• Sue Shellenbarger writes in The Wall Street Journal, a column titled Toughest Exam Question: What is the Best Way to Study? where she addresses questions like "What foods are best to eat before a high-stakes test?" and "When is the best time to review the toughest material?"  To read the full article, click here.
• In The New York Times, Gail Collins discusses her thoughts on how is it that students are supposed to select the best college in her op-ed column Humming to Higher Ed.  To read the full article, click here.