Review your mid-quarter progress report and share it with your parents. If your progress report contains poor grades, a poor attendance record or negative comments, and you do not make changes to improve your record, you may face the following consequences:

  • Failing the course(s) for the school year
  • Attending summer school and/or LEEP (night school)
  • Repeating your entire grade
  • Not meeting graduation requirements (including the MCAS)
  • Being ineligible for…admission to certain colleges…scholarships…and/or extracurricular activities
  • College acceptances and scholarships can be rescinded if you do poorly during the 3rd & 4th quarters

It is strongly suggested that you work diligently during the remainder of the school year to improve these grades. You should abide by some or all of the following suggestions to improve your academic standing:

  • Report for your teachers’ nights back for extra help until your grades improve
  • Use a separate notebook to keep track of assignments or grab a Daily Assignment Worksheet in shelving unit by the Guidance secretaries
  • Devote more time to studying and/or change your study habits
  • Ask questions in class for clarification
  • Immediately inform your guidance counselor if you are really struggling in a class
  • Seek outside tutoring for additional help
  • Complete a Talent Search application to determine if you qualify to receive tutoring sessions from an adult tutor
  • Visit www.khanacademy.org for FREE educational videos on Math and other subjects
  • Frequently check for missed classwork, homework, quizzes, tests, projects, essays, reports, etc. with your teachers and using the Home Access Center (HAC).
  • Pick study / lab partners (or study / lab groups) who understand the subject in which you receive below-average grades. Always being with friends may not be academically advantageous.
  • Take a Weekly Progress Report (WPR) from the shelving unit by the Guidance secretaries on Thursday mornings. Have your teachers complete the WPR on Thursday and Friday. Have your parents review and sign the WPR over the weekend. Return the WPR to your guidance counselor on Monday morning. Determine which classes require more effort.
  • Avoid being tardy or absent for illegitimate / dishonest reasons so you do not miss class time.

PSAT/NMSQT: Preliminary SAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

Fee-paying or waiver-approved juniors will take the Preliminary SAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which is a program cosponsored by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It’s a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools. The PSAT/NMSQT measures critical reading skills (two 25-minute sections), math problem-solving skills (two 25-minute sections), and writing skills (one 30-minute section). You have developed these skills over many years, both in and out of school. This test doesn’t require you to recall specific facts from your classes. The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to:

  • Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice.
  • See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college.
  • Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11).
  • Help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT.
  • Receive information from colleges when you check “yes” to Student Search Service.
  • To prepare for the SAT and planning for college, PSAT/NMSQT participants can go to www.collegeboard.com/quickstart to access My College QuickStart, a free personalized planning kit based on their test results. With access until they graduate high school, students are able to take the next steps toward college with these features:

An online PSAT/NMSQT Score Report, including projected SAT score ranges, state percentiles and the power to sort answer explanations by difficulty and question type.

  • A customized SAT study plan.
  • Personalized lists of colleges, majors, and careers.
  • Access to MyRoad – the College Board’s online major, college and career exploration program.
  • All testing accommodations for students with disabilities must be approved by the College Board before the test administration. Eligibility forms are mailed to schools in the spring and must be completed and returned to the College Board well in advance of the test date. For complete information, visit www.collegeboard.com/ssd. The same form can be used to request accommodations for students for the SAT and AP exams. The College Board recommends that schools submit SSD eligibility forms at the end of the student’s first year of high school. If you have any questions, schedule an appointment with Ms. Passanisi in the Guidance Department.
  • The Guidance Department administers the PSAT/MNSQT on a Wednesday in October. It usually $14.00, cash only, and there are only 250 spots available. There are a limited number of fee waivers available for students with free or reduced lunch. Registration commences in the middle of September and is on a first come, first serve basis. Only juniors are eligible for the scholarship competition.