Welcome to PCSST High

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Welcome to PCSST High

• Freshman Success

Ms. Katz- Social Studies/World History I
Katz_at_pcsst.org Mr. Ritchie- Language Arts/English
I Ritchie_at_pcsst.org Ms. Tempesta-
Science/Biology Tempesta_at_pcsst.org Ms.
Pavlica- Math/Algebra I
Pavlica_at_pcsst.org Mr. Ziem- Phys. Ed. Health
Ziem_at_pcsst.org
September 28, 2007
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Agenda

• I. Whats different about high school?
• II. Know your resources
• III. Getting organized
• IV. Homework and study skills
• V. Healthy students are successful students
• VI. Reading, note taking, and research skills
• VII. Wrap up student QA

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I. Whats Different About High School?

• And.
• II. Know Your Resources
• Home
• Community
• School

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I. Whats So Different About High School?

• A. The bridge for the life you want
• 1. Where do you go from here?
• a. College?
• 1. Junior (or Community) College? AA (Associate
  degree)
• 2. 4 Year college? B.A.? B.S.?
• 3. With plans for graduate school? Law? (JD),
  Medicine? Business (MBA)? Or Masters in your
  subject of interest? (MA or MS)
• b. Military?
• c. Trade School?
• d. Work?

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I. Whats so different about high school?

• What kind of life do you want?
• College graduates earn almost twice as much as
  those with only a high school diploma

No HS 18,734 HS 27,915 4 yr. College
51,206 Advanced Degree 74,602
Source Report on Literacy Programs, March 2005
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GPA Grade Point AverageYour Grades Follow You

• A 4.3, A 4.0, A- 3.67
• B 3.3, B 3.0, B- 2.67
• C 2.3, C 2.0, C- 1.67
• D 1.3, D 1.0, D- .67
• F 0

F no credit for the class, and no credit for
graduation. It will bring down your GPA, AND you
need to make up the class.
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GPA Example- Freshman Year1st Marking Period (of
4)
Note ELECTIVES COUNT, TOO!
1st marking period GPA 3.28
For illustrative purposes only. Database system
calculations may differ the concept and
principles are the same
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GPA Example- Freshman Year2nd Marking Period (of
4)
2nd marking period GPA 2.46
(MP 1 MP 2)/2 2.87
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GPA Example- Freshman Year3rd Marking Period (of
4)and what an F will do
3nd marking period GPA 2.22
(MP 1 MP 2 MP 3)/3 2.65
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Whats So Different About High School?You Should
Know If Youre On Track! Make Honor Roll! ?

• Scholars-
• All As
• GPA 4.0
• High Honors-
• More As than Bs
• No Cs
• 3.5-4.0
• Honors
• 1. More As than Bs
• No more than 1 C
• 3.0- 3.5

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I. Whats so different about high school? Your
GPA affects your lifes choices

• A. Which college you go to
• 1. Everyone in America can go to college?
• 2. But you must compete for which one
• 3.0 GPA? 2.0 GPA?
• 3. Scholarships?
• B. Other post secondary (HS) choices
• C. Your GPA says a lot about you not
  necessarily how smart you are, but how hard will
  you work?

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I. Whats so different about high school?
Behavioral records also follow you!And everyone
remembers attitude

• A. Your behavioral records are becoming
  increasingly important- required for college
  applications
• 1. Citations? Suspensions uh oh!
• B. Dont burn your bridges
• 1. Youll need teacher and administrator
  recommendations
• a. College
• b. Other post - high school plans
• c. Jobs (summer, interns, post high school)

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II. Know your resources and problem solving
support!

• A. Home- family, friends, neighbors
• B. Community- city and county services
• 1. Religious Institutions
• 2. Paterson Library
• 3. Paterson Museum
• 4. YMCA/YWCA
• 5. Local Colleges (PCCC, William Paterson
  U.)
• 6. Local Clubs and Business Internships
• . Watch for local and school postings during
  the year, or contact school resources

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II. And. School Resources

• A. Library- Mrs. Jang
• 1. Period 6 Lunch and after school- with
  a pass
• B. Guidance Counselor- Mr. Sweet
• 1. PSAT and SATs, interest inventories,
  and college preparation
• C. Child Study Team- Mrs. OReilly/
• Dr. Merachnik- If you need to discuss
  personal issues
• 1. School Social Worker- Mrs. Friendly (10-2 pm
  Mon- Thurs.)

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II. School Resources Continued

• D. PCSST is a safe environment
• 1. Dean- Mr. Anzaldi
• 2. Assistant Dean- Mr. Bacote
• E. Nurse- Mrs. Casale
• F. Computer Lab- Mr. Cebeci
• G. ESL- Mrs. Attyeh
• H. Reading Specialist- Mrs. Magazzolo
• And always use your teachers! We are here for
  YOU.

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II. School Resources- How to Best Use Them

• A. Arrange for extra help if necessary (if
  staying after school bring a permission slip
  indicating you have a way to get home.)
• B. Make an appointment
• C. Get a pass
• D. You are always responsible for making up
  missed work.
• 1. Negotiate with your teacher if necessary.

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II. School Resources The PCSST Website and
Database

• A. Website- home page
• 1. Keep up to date with hot topics
• 2. Check the school calendar
• B. Student Database
• 1. Check your assignments- missed a class? Keep
  up! (No internet? No excuse. Have a buddy!)
• 2. Check your grades. No surprises!
• C. Have your student ID name and password?

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III. Lets Get Organized!

• A -Binders
• B -Lockers
• C -Planners
• D -At Home

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III. Lets Get OrganizedA. Binders

• 1. Three inch binder for all core classes
• 2. Separate each subject with color coordinated
  folder
• a. Blue for Social Studies
• b. Green for Language Arts
• c. Yellow for Science
• d. Red for Math
• e. Any other color for Health

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III. Lets Get Organized A. Binders (continued)

• 1. Have loose leaf paper at ends of each
  section.
• 2. When you need to refill loose leaf paper,
  indicate it in the homework section of your
  planner.
• 3. Purchase a binder three hole punch at
  Staples. Three hole punch everything to avoid
  loose papers.
• 4. Keep all papers/notes/handouts in the proper
  subject section.

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III. Lets Get Organized B. Lockers

• 1. Only keep necessary school items in locker.
• 2. Hang all clothing and book bags on hooks.
• 3. Put shoes in a plastic bag so it can be hung
  from a hook.
• 4. Put all smaller items, pens/pencils, jewelry,
  etc. on top shelf.
• 5. Stand up all books with the spine facing out
  on the bottom shelf. Organize your books, (every
  morning), in the order in which you have class.
  Youll always grab the book on the left and put
  it away on the right.
• 6. Do not put loose papers in your locker, place
  them in the correct folder first.

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III. Lets Get OrganizedB. Lockers (continued)

• 1. You can only go to your lockers before
  homeroom, even numbered periods, and after lunch.
• 2. You dont need to go to your locker every time
  you are allowed, especially if all you need for
  class is your binder.
• 3. You are responsible for keeping your locker
  AREA clean.
• 4. If you need to catch the bus, get your book
  bag together before ninth period.

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III. Lets Get OrganizedB. Lockers (At the End
of the Day)

• 1. When leaving for the day, consult your
  planner to determine which books/binders you
  need to bring home for homework.
• 2. Take home all items you accumulated during the
  day that doesnt need to be in school.
• 3. Every day, throw out any trash youve placed
  in your locker.

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III. Lets Get OrganizedC. Planners

• 1. Make your planner a part of your daily
  routine.
• 2. When your teacher tells you deadlines or test
  dates, write it in your planners. Indicate
  subject and type of exam.
• 3. Write your homework in todays date section.
  Write neatly and leave enough room for every
  classs homework.

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III. Lets Get OrganizedD. At Home

• 1. Pick a quiet spot in your home, where you will
  do all of your homework every day. Avoid TV and
  Music.
• 2. Do your homework every day at the same time
  and in the same place.
• 3. Make sure there is sufficient lighting, a flat
  surface, and enough room to write.
• 4. Check off each homework item, in your planner,
  as you complete it.
• 5. After completing your homework, make sure you
  keep all of your homework in each subjects
  section of the binder. This will help you access
  your homework quickly.

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III. Lets Get Organized D. At Home (continued)

• Pack up your book bag as soon as you are finished
  with your homework.
• Do you have everything?
• A. Working pens/pencils
• B. Binders
• C. Homework is in your binder
• D. Books
• E. Planner
• Leave your book bag in a place where no one will
  bother it.

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IV. Study Skills

• For Freshman Success

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IV. Study Skills

• Reality Tests, Exams, and Quizzes are not going
  anywhere.
• GEPAs, HSPAs, High School Exams, SATs, College
  Placement Exams, driver license exam, college
  course exams, GREs, Police Force Entrance Exams,
  Firemans
• Most classes at least 25 or more of your grade.
• Why not master techniques now?

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IV. Study Skills

• Doing well on tests isnt necessarily about how
  smart you are
• 1. Smart people know when they need to prepare
• a. that means studying!
• b. there are skills required in studying and
  test taking
• c. study and test taking skills need to be
  practiced, just like any other skills

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IV. Study Skills

• Create a Study Environment
• 1. Set up a place
• a) well lit
• b) quiet and distraction free (turn off cell
  phone, TV and radio)
• c) spacious (enough space to put textbooks,
  notebooks, paper, high lighters, etc.)
• d) comfortable, but not too comfortable
• Ex. Library, desk, kitchen table

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Study Skills

• D. Set up a time.
• 1. Create a routine
• a) schedule certain hours that are used for
  studying only everyday
• b) schedule at a time when most alert (not
  right after eating dinner)
• c) prioritize! Make a list of what you intend
  to study and what is a priority
• 2. DO NOT WAIT until the night before to start
  to study
• a) stay up to date with assignments
• b) review notes everyday (right before class
  and after each class)
• c) repetition is key!!!

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IV. Study Skills

• Cornell University Study
• Make it easier for yourself!
• Review everyday recall 75 of the information
• Did not review everyday recall only 20 of the
  information

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IV. Study Skills

• SQ3R Method
• 1. Survey
• 2. Question
• 3. Read
• 4. Recite
• 5. Review

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IV. Study Skills

• SQ3R Method
• 1. Survey
• a) overall picture
• -chapter headings, subtitles, end of chapters
  review, websites for textbooks
• 2. Question
• a) ask questions as you read
• b) look at questions at end of chapter to see
  what you will need to answer as you read

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IV. Study Skills

• 3. Read
• a) actively read which means be alert to bold
  or italicized words.
• b) include tables, graphs and illustrations
• 4. Recite
• a) stop reading to recall what you have read
• b) recall in your own words and connect to
  things you already know

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IV. Study Skills

• 5. Review
• a) go over what you just studied
• b) dont wait until before the exam

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IV. Study Skills

• Create your own study aids
• 1. Make an outline from your notes/textbook of
  just the main ideas
• a) go over outline with highlighters
• b) highlight the main ideas (do not highlight
  everything) ie. important vocabulary, headings
  etc
• c) color code

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IV. Study Skills

• 2. Make a timeline of important dates or the
  order of events.

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IV. Study Skills

• 3. Make flashcards for studying vocabulary or
  events/important dates.
• 4. Make up your own quiz, use questions in
  textbook that have answers in the back, or go
  over quizzes and homework from class. Have
  friend, parent, or sibling test you.
• 5. Make acronyms (first letters spell a word)
  or ways to remember first letters as clues
• Ex. King Philip Came Over For Good Soup
• Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus,
  Species
• 6. Form study groups with your friends.

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IV. Study SkillsA. Ten Tips for Taking Tests

• Read the instructions carefully. Never assume.
• Answer the easiest questions first, then the ones
  with the highest point value.
• If you get stuck come back to it later.
• If you dont know an answer fully, try to answer
  at least part of it.
• Need to guess on a multiple-choice test?
  Eliminate the answers that you know are wrong.

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IV. Study SkillsA. Ten Tips for Taking Tests
(Continued)

• On an essay test, take a moment to plan your
  writing.
• Keep it neat!
• Quickly read through the entire test before
  starting. Notice number of questions and point
  values. This will help you pace yourself.
• Dont waste time doing things for which you will
  not receive credit, such as rewriting test
  questions.
• Leave time at end to go over your work.

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V. Healthy PCSST Students Are Successful!
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V. Healthy Students Are Successful StudentsA.
Top 10 tips for helping students to become
healthy, successful students

• 1. Turn off all electronics, getup and get
  outside.2. Sneak exercise into your regular day
  even if its walking up the stairs instead of an
  elevator3. Drink waterstay hydrated4. Get
  enough sleep (8-9 hours)5. Start morning with
  stretching or exercise

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V. Healthy Students Are Successful StudentsA.
Top 10 tips for helping students to become
healthy, successful students

• 6. Eat your veggies7. Stock up on healthy
  snacks--Fruit chunks, Trail Mix, Nuts, Energy
  Bar8. Eat breakfast9. Find an active
  hobby--basketball, biking, jogging10. Hanging
  with friends builds on social well being

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VI. Reading, Note Taking and Research Skills
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VI. Reading and Note taking

• A. You must be aware that reading comprehension
  and writing take place in ALL classes. (not just
  language arts!)
• B. Keep track of all your important information
  and notes by keeping a neat and organized binder.
  
• 1. Place headings on all your paperwork.
• 2. Practice writing things neatly.

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VI. Note taking continued

• 3. Just because you can hear it doesnt mean you
  are listening.
• a. Put distractions away.
• 4. If you miss the notes for a class, ask to
  borrow them from a responsible student.
• 5. When a teacher is lecturing
• a. Identify key points to write down. Dont try
  to write everything.
• 6. On worksheets or packets
• a. Use a highlighter
• b. Write in the margins.

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OutliningTitle

• I. Main Point
• A. Subpoint
• 1. Sub-subpoint
• a. specific detail
• b. specific detail
• 2. Sub-subpoint
• B. Subpoint
• 1. Sub-subpoint
• II. Main Point
• A. Subpoint
• 1. Sub-subpoint
• B. Subpoint
• 1. Sub-subpoint

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VI. Reading, Note Taking, and.Research Skills

• A. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!!!!!
• 1. Dont copy and paste information from the
  internet without citing the source.
• 2. Dont copy another students work
• B. The best way to eliminate plagiarism is to
  study the information first, put the information
  away, and then write information from memory.

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VI. Research Skills Finding Sources

• Helpful websites
• www.dictionary.com
• www.sparknotes.com
• www.famouspoetsandpoems.com
• www.takesat.com
• www.infoplease.com
• www.mytextbook.com
• www.wh.glencoe.com for world history
• www.literature.glencoe.com for language arts

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VI. Research Skills When Creating a Final Draft
of a Paper

• A. Remember to do all of the following
• Use size 12 font
• Use standard font style for the text (e.g. Times
  Roman or Arial- not italicized or in a font that
  is difficult to read.)
• Always Double Space
• Never type or write a final draft on the front
  and back of a page.
• Black ink

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VI. Research Skills How to cite information

• A. First you need to keep track of all the places
  you found information.
• B. Once all of your research is complete, use the
  website below to plug in information.
• C. www.citationmachine.net
• 1. This website will put your cited information
  in order but will not do either of the following
• a. Put cited sources in alphabetical order
• b. Indent AFTER the first line of the source

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VI. Research Skills- Example Works Cited page

• Works Cited
• "Global Events." World Problems. 30 May 2002.
  Discovery. 18 Sep 2007
  .
• Smith, John. The World Turns. Chicago Penguin,
  1998.

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CLASS OF 2011

• The balls in your court. Make wise choices.
• Your teachers are excited about your
  possibilities.
• Its all about your
• future.
• Best of Luck!