TRECA Digital Academy S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 Graduation is the Goal! TRECA Digital Academy inspires students to achieve excellence through customized educational experiences. Save the dates! OAA, grades 3-8 April 29-May 3 Students in grades 3-8 will be testing at locations across the state! Senior Deadline Friday, May 31 Students who intend to participate in the graduation ceremony MUST have their work complete by this date. Graduation Sunday, June 9 The graduation ceremony will be in Marion, OH. See page 4 for details. From the Director: At TDA we strive to provide a safe and effective learning environment for all of our students. While we make every effort to accomplish this we know that parents/guardians are invaluable partners in any school environment. To that end we will be delivering three unique workshops designed to empower parents/guardians with the information necessary to help their children be successful online students. Each workshop will target specific areas to help you monitor and participate in your child s education at TDA. Descriptions for each are listed below and all will be coming to a regional office near you starting in April. Please contact Jamie Staton at 888-828-4798 x310 or ms_staton@tdalearn.org if you are interested in attending. Time and location will vary. Computing Essentials: In just two hours this workshop will demonstrate techniques for communicating effectively with TDA staff as well as how to support the computer in your home. Topics such as creating an email account, efficiently searching the Internet, file management and overcoming common computer & connectivity issues will be addressed. Monitoring Student Progress & Activity: In this two-hour workshop TDA trainers will demonstrate all of the strategies available for monitoring your child s activity and progress online. Whether in PLATO or Compass, this workshop will show you a wealth of information that is just a click away. In addition to academic progress time will be devoted to discussing life online and ways you can protect your child. Tools for Enrichment: Although at times it is overwhelming the Internet can be a powerful tool to support your child s education. In this workshop TDA trainers will highlight dozens of online resources available to assist your child in virtually every subject area. Demonstrations of various tools will be provided in addition to tips for connecting activities with your child s online classes. What else will you find in this newsletter? Page 2: Freshman Focus, Sophomore Spotlight Page 3: Junior Junction Page 4: Senior Syndicate Page 5: TDA Student Spotlight; Credit Flex Page 6: Dr. Seuss details End of Year Grade Status The end of the 2012-2013 school year is very near! Now is a good time to remind all students that we are a continuous progress school. What that means is that everyone can work at his or her own pace. This is good news for students who want to get caught up on schoolwork or work ahead of their current classmates. Please remember that just because it is the end of the school year that does not mean that you will automatically be promoted to the next grade for the 2013-2014 school year. Please check with your advisor to see if you are on task with all of your classes in order to be promoted next year. Here are the credit requirements for each grade: Freshman (9 th grade): 0.00-4.99 credits Sophomore (10 th grade): 5.00-9.99 credits Junior (11 th grade): 10.00-14.99 credits Senior (12 th grade): 15.00 credits and up
Freshman Focus Freshman should start thinking ahead to life after graduation! Are you interested in military enlistment? Do you want to go to college? Do you want to enroll in a vocational training program? Spring is finally here! It is a great time to look at your classes and evaluate where you are and where you need to be before the school year is over. Your advisor can help you by providing you with pace guides and helping you set goals. As you are finishing your freshman year, it is also important to begin thinking about college and career planning. One system TDA has to help you with your decisions is the OCIS: Ohio Career Information System. If you haven t checked out this site, let your advisor know and he/she can send you the directions on how to set up an account. Your school counselor is also available to you to help set specific career goals and answer questions you may have about college planning. She can help you get on track to achieving your future hopes and dreams! In the spring of your sophomore year, you will take the OGT for the first time. You will want to prepare for this week by taking practice tests and attending test prep sessions offered by TDA teachers. Sophomore Spotlight Can you believe you are almost halfway finished with high school? Time sure flies, doesn t it? That is why it is so important to begin planning now for life after graduation. Here are some things you can do to prepare for a successful future: Check in with your advisor and see if you are working at the correct pace in order to finish your classes in a timely manner. Look at a course catalog and think about which electives you would like to take during your junior school year. Your guidance counselor can help you determine what type of credits you need to graduate. Consider taking the practice ACT so you can do your best when you take the actual exam. Continue to work in the OCIS Career Step by Step (Your advisor can help you set up an account if you haven t done so already.) Attend Career Chat to learn more about career options or to ask questions about that career path. Research majors that might be a good fit with your interests and goals based on your results from the OCIS. Career Chat Interested in learning more about specific careers? If so, consider attending Career Chat! Career Chat is held in Mrs. Whitaker s Elluminate Classroom once a month and features a guest speaker who shares his/her career experiences. Upcoming chats include ones about careers in the Navy, as a public relations officer, law enforcement and sales. To learn more about Career Chat or to get a recording of a previous session, email Mrs. Whitaker at ms_whitaker@tdalearn.org 2
Junior Junction Juniors have a lot to consider! Use this checklist to keep yourself on track through summer. The more you plan now, the better prepared you will be for graduation next school year! Spring (March-May) Sign up for classes for senior year that will earn college credit through Postsecondary Enrollment Options (Deadline for Intent form is March 30 th of the year prior) or Dual Credit. Arrange campus visits to those schools that interest you. Take the SAT or ACT. Beat the letter of recommendation rush by asking your teachers before everyone else does. Get educated about admissions requirements. Find GPA requirements (Grade Point Average) Contact prospective colleges to schedule interviews and visits. Construct a strong senior schedule! Don t take the easy way out, challenge yourself! Not interested in college? If you are interested in a military career, begin investigating now to learn the requirements for acceptance. Summer (June-August) Get a summer job to expand your experiences and earn money for college. Practice makes perfect: Begin working on your college application essay. Standardized testing season is coming again. Are you fully prepared? Develop a financial aid plan before the deadline stress rears its ugly head. Be your own campus explorer. Schedule your first round of college visits. Check out your dream school online and see if they offer Virtual Visits! Make some preliminary visits to colleges during spring break. Use your summer vacation time productively; visit colleges during the summer. Request admissions and financial aid forms. ACT / SAT Information If you plan on attending college, most require that you take either the ACT or SAT. It is recommended that you check the admissions requirements for the school that you want to attend in order to find out which test they prefer that you take. Fee waivers are available to students who qualify. Please go to http://www.princetonreview.com/sat-act.aspx to help figure out which test is best for you. The ACT tests your knowledge on English, Reading, Math and Science. It takes about 3 hours to take the test, and they have multiple locations where you can take the test. The SAT tests you on reading, writing and math. It takes about 3 hours 45 minutes to complete, and also has multiple testing locations for you to choose from. Go to www.act.org for testing dates and to register for the ACT. If you would like to take the SAT, go to www.sat.collegeboard.org for testing dates and to register online. The final testing dates of the school year are quickly approaching! TRECA s school code is 363246 (you will need this number when you register). If you have any questions, please talk to your counselor. Would you like to be entered into a drawing for a $20 gift certificate? Go here: http://goo.gl/wcokv (use the capital letters or you will be directed to a Barney video!) 3
Senior Syndicate What is a Syndicate? A syndicate is a group with a common interest. As a senior in high school, the common interest is meeting the requirements for graduation! GRADUATION TDA s 2013 Graduation Ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 9 in Marion, Ohio. In order to be eligible to participate in this year s ceremony, students must complete all of TDA s requirements for graduation by May 31 st. This includes passing all 5 OGTs and completing all required courses and credits. It is the student s responsibility to work with their advisor and counselor to make sure they are on track for graduation. Students who do not meet credit requirements for graduation will not be permitted to participate in the 2013 TDA Graduation ceremony. If you have questions regarding graduation, please contact your counselor for more information. COLLEGE JUST ISN T IN YOUR FUTURE? Did you know that aside from college there are TONS of other opportunities? Are you a student who likes to work with their hands? Be outside as opposed to sitting behind a desk? Prefer your education to be hands on instead of reading and memorizing? Do you need a job NOW so you help support yourself? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you SHOULD consider an APPRENTICESHIP! Apprenticeship programs are available in HUNDREDS of career fields. BUT the best part of an apprenticeship? You get paid to learn! You work during the day learning the trade and then attend classes to further your education. I encourage you to explore these options that may be available right IN THE COUNTY you live! Below is the link to the Apprenticeship website where you can research options. http://jfs.ohio.gov/apprenticeship/index.stm Want to Just GET A JOB? SO you graduated now what? If you are not interested in furthering your education you are going to need to find a job so you can support yourself. Do you know how to fill out an application? Create a resume (or know what that is?!?) or how to interview for a position? All of these things are important steps to getting the job you want. The site below can give you the tips you need. It even has a quiz so you can test your readiness! Remember jobs DON T grow on trees and you want to represent yourself in the best way possible. BE PREPARED. Contact your counselor if you need additional help! http://www.quintcareers.com/teen_first_job.html The sites below are SPECIFICALLY for a high school graduate looking for a first job. http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/83c57e69/how-to-find-your-first-job/ http://dougberry.hubpages.com/hub/5-tips-for-getting-your-first-job Seniors! You are almost there! Soon graduation will be upon us. As you finish your courses you should continue to keep in good contact with your school counselor. It is VERY important that you contact your school counselor before the end of the year regarding your final transcript being sent to the college you have selected. If you have any questions regarding this matter please contact TDA Guidance at 888-828-4798 ext. 761. Although the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) is behind us, we are already looking forward to the next round of testing. Juniors and seniors that still have sections to pass have the option to attempt the OGT again in June. This testing period is optional. Summer OGT testing will be given the week of June 17, 2013. If you are interested in testing during this time please contact your advisor. 4
On February 5, TRECA Digital Academy held its first every school wide Poetry Out Loud Contest in order to select a champion to represent our school at the state competition, held Saturday, March 16 on the campus of Ohio Dominican University. Hannah Thompson, a TDA 11 th grader from West Mansfield, was chosen TDA s Poetry Out Loud Champion. She recited: Be Music Night Kenneth Patchen American Smooth Rita Dove Joy Davis was our runner-up winner, while J Mauri Jackson and Carrie Smith earned honorable mention. We are so proud of everyone s performance. The daylong event on Saturday at Ohio Dominican brought parents and teachers from 38 high schools throughout the state to compete for the chance to represent Ohio at the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest in Washington, D.C., April 29-30. TDA s Hannah Thompson competed in her first state competition. After classroom-level and then school-wide contests, 37 students competed in the final event. They performed classic and contemporary poems for a five-person panel of poetry and performance experts. Students were awarded points for accuracy, physical presence, voice and articulation, level of difficulty and other criteria. Hannah remarks, I thought I did really well for my first time. I made a lot of friends. It was an experience I ll never forget. It was funny because I knew the winner Taribo Osuobeni, a senior at Westerville Central High School in Westerville. He and I went to the same elementary school years ago, so it was nice to see him again and that he won the competition. TDA was the first digital school to ever compete in the Poetry Out Loud contest. For more information about Poetry Out Loud and this year s Contest visit the Ohio Arts Council Website or the National Poetry Out Loud website. You can download the Credit Flex Application in the DOCUMENTS section of Backpack! Completed applications should be submitted to your school counselor. There is an option to test out of 1 2 credit of various high school classes. You can master out of a course entirely by passing both the Semester A Credit Flex and the Semester B Credit Flex (when both are available). This opportunity can help you reach your goal of graduation! This is NOT for credit recovery if you fail a class. Credit Flex is based on MASTERY of information. When you sign up for credit flex, you are saying that without working through the class you feel you already have mastery of the material. This test, once you apply to take it and are approved, must be taken at one of our regional offices or another agreed upon site (public library). You cannot take it at home. You can only take 1 test on a given day. The 1 2 credit test is about 2 and 1 2 hours of work. It is designed to represent 1 2 credit of work so it shouldn t be quick and easy! It s free you just have to complete the application, be approved, drive to the regional center, and then take the test. Once you complete the test, a TDA teacher will grade it within a week of your test date. You must earn an 80% on the test in order to pass it. The test cannot be returned to you, but you will be notified of the results once it has been graded. If you do not pass the test, you cannot take it again. You would have to complete the coursework to earn your credit for the course you tried to test out of. Testing may not occur every day of the week, so you will want to have a few dates in mind. Credit Flex also provides students the opportunity to follow alternate plans for earning credits. We have a program designed that uses TDA-arranged field trips to earn credit. We will have more information about this in our summer newsletter. Student's Perspective: Credit Flex By: Destiny Middlemiss, TDA Student Have you ever thought of going on field trips to earn a credit? Well TDA did. They gave me an opportunity that I'm glad I didn't pass up. The credit flex program gave me the chance to earn the credit that I needed without having to sit through tutorials, applications, and mastery tests. All I had to do was drag my parents out of the house to take me on a field trip. A field trip that would be educational of course, but more or less they were still fun! 5
We want to see you at our next Regional Event! Throughout the year, TDA has been hosting several events to meet and engage with our students! So far, we have had our Back to School Ice Cream Social, Family Math Night, Gingerbread Craft event, National Underground Freedom Museum, Cleveland Art Museum, and even the Dayton Air and Space Museum! Our next event is for students in grades 3-8. Our Dr. Seuss: Rock the Test Pizza Party will be Wacky Wednesday, April 3, at our Marion location (100 Executive Drive, Marion, OH). Students in grades 3-8 are welcome to join us for pizza and OAA test prep fun! Please RSVP to Ms. Jamie Staton, 888-828-4798, extension 310, or email her at ms_staton@tdalearn.org TRECA Digital Academy 100 Executive Drive Marion, OH 43302 (888) 828-4798 http://www.tdaonline.org/