Personal and academic growth go hand in hand. Our goal is to help students develop a positive self-concept and assume responsibility for their own learning. In so doing, we raise their awareness of their community and the world. Academic and personal counseling at Prospect Sierra is supported throughout the school by our teaching faculty, assisted by three credentialed learning specialists and a licensed psychologist.
Learning Specialists
The learning specialists serve students in the following ways:
- Observe and evaluate students in the classroom
- Help parents, teachers, and students articulate concerns
- Guide teachers in the design of special or additional materials and teaching strategies
- Serve as referral sources for both private and community services
- Provide the interface between outside service providers and the school
- Monitor the progress of identified students
- Perform limited assessments
- Facilitate staff development sessions regarding cognitive development and learning differences
Counseling Services
- In the K-6 homerooms, teachers use a variety of methods to facilitate students’ personal growth. Class meetings, journal writing, art projects, and private conferences are common ways to reach students.
- Conflict-resolution skills are taught at all levels and are integrated into a peer mediation program at the middle school level.
- Guidance is provided on various matters of student life, for example, social interactions; attitudes, values, and behavior; peer conflict mediation; and personal development issues.
- Confidentiality is honored and the policy is reviewed with students and parents prior to initiating meetings with the counselor.
Seventh and Eighth Grade Advisories
In grades 7-8, the counselor aids the Middle School Division Head in coordinating the advisory program. Seventh- and eighth-grade students are organized into groups of 10 to 12 students by grade. In these small advisory groups students develop close, trusting student-adult relationships that support engagement with learning and feelings of self-esteem and belonging. Each advisory is a safe haven for discussing personal and/or family issues. Specific activities are designed for some topics, including multiculturalism; organizational skills; peer and family relationships; decision making with regard to serious teenage issues, such as intimate relations, drug use, and violence; and choice of high school. One or two staff members are assigned to each group to provide direction, guidance, and leadership. Advisory groups meet at the beginning of each day for five minutes and for one 50-minute period each week.
High School Placement Services
Admission Packet
Request an application packet by phone or via email. We supply a List of Area High Schools for numbers, addresses, and web sites. For some schools it is possible to apply on line and to download forms.
School Visits
Sign up for a school visit for your child. You do not need to have submitted an application in order to visit the school. Some schools strongly encourage these campus tours, while others require them for all applicants and sometimes for parents, as well. The length of these visits varies from school to school. Some high schools interview the students and/or ask them to write a short essay on that day. Find out so your child knows what to expect.
Open House
Call, email, or return the RSVP postcard that comes in the application packet to reserve admission to an open house. Again, check with schools to see what they require. Some schools will mail you tickets or a confirmation notice. Please note that some high schools do not require you to make a reservation to attend their open house.
Financial Aid
Return the postcard to request a financial aid packet. Plan to do your taxes early this year. Although you have the option of “ estimating” when filling out forms, schools require a copy of your actual tax return before they make their final decision.
Entrance Exams
- Register for the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) or the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam). Some schools accept either of the tests while others only accept one of the two. You can register online, by fax, or by phone. Check registration deadlines carefully. Please note that schools have different code numbers for the ISEE and for the SSAT. Information on how to register for these exams is usually found in admissions packets and on line at www.ssat.org and www.iseetest.org.
- Catholic schools administer their own exam, the HSPT (High School Placement Test). A few of them accept the ISEE and/or the SSAT. Sending the application and fees will automatically register the student for the HPST. The SSAT, ISEE, and HSPT are all different versions of the same concept: a standardized test designed to determine proficiency in verbal and mathematical skills through timed multiple choice sections and an essay section. Depending on the schools your child is applying to, he/she could end up taking three different exams.
Transcripts
Most high schools request transcripts from seventh and eighth grades. This includes grades and ERB scores. Fill out and sign the “Transcript Release and Confidentiality Form.” Please give transcript requests to the middle school office during the first week of December. Provide a stamped ($1.76) envelope (9×12) for each high school.
Create a Calendar
When all dates are scheduled, make a master calendar. Record all scheduled events over the next four months for quick reference. Include time to work on applications.
Complete the Applications
Carefully read over the application and admission information. Note all due dates. They vary from school to school. Complete the parents’ section, which can be mailed, along with the application fees, before the student portion (note the “ courtesy” date). The student’s section usually requires answering questions and writing one or two short essays. Most high schools use a common form. After the student completes his or her section, it can be photocopied and mailed to the different high schools.