College presentations at Darnell

This friday, October 15th, four colleges will be visiting Darnell-Cookman to speak with interested Juniors and Sophomores. Please see Mrs. Fricker (School Counselor) to sign up. There are limited seats available so sign up now.

College 301 workshop

Just a reminder 11th grade parents, our first College 301 workshop is tomorrow night at 6:00 pm. We will be discussing the college application process and how parents can support and guide this process. We will also talk about the difference between the ACT and the SAT and which one is best for your student.

See you then!

10th grade parents

Just a reminder that the first session of the College 201 series will be Tuesday night at 6 pm in the Darnell-Cookman media center. If you are unable to come during the evening, join us for a morning session on Wednesday at 9 am.

Yearbook Club

Join the Darnell-Cookman Yearbook Team. Meet new friends, learn new skills, have fun, and get involved.

Informational meeting Thursday, September 9th in Room 345 (Mrs. Healy)

Get Involved

High School just isn't the same unless you get involved in something you are interested in. School clubs, a job, church groups, political organizations, and volunteer work are all ways to explore topics you are interested in and to gain valuable experience. Colleges want to see that you didn't just have your nose stuck in a book all during high school. Your college application and resume looks really good if you pick one or two things that you really like and get involved in related activities.

National College Fair

National College Fair will be hosted in Jacksonville on October 16th at the Prime Osborn Convention Center Downtown from 9:00 am till 1:00 pm.

Students and Parents will have the opportunity to visit with college admission representatives and to attend workshops on a variety of topics.

For more information and to register in advance (recommended) please visit: http://www.gotomyncf.com/

Minorities in Medicine Symposium

University of North Florida is hosting the annual Minorities in Medicine Symposium on November 20, 2010 at the Mayo Clinic on San Pablo Road.

If you’re a high school student thinking about studying medicine, this program is for you and your parents.

• Meet representatives from Florida universities
• Prepare for SATs
• Learn about financial aid
• Get insight about health careers and how to become a doctor, dentist, pharmacist, nurse

Sponsored by the Pre-Med Minority Affairs Committee, Department of Biology, University of North Florida and Mayo Clinic.

Info:

minoritiesinmedicine@gmail.com

www.unf.edu/dept/premed/index.html

Mayo Clinic
4500 San Pablo Road
Jacksonville FL, 32224

PSAT

All 9th & 10th graders will take the PSAT on October 13th during 1st and 2nd period. The purpose of the PSAT is to practice for the PSAT taken 11th grade year and to practice for the SAT.

11th graders also have the opportunity to take the PSAT for $13.00. 11th graders could be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship program based on their score on the PSAT.

Juniors, please see Mrs. Morris to pay for the PSAT before September 30th.

Parent Workshops

As we continue to build towards our college dreams, parents and students are invited to take advantage of the many opportunities to learn about preparing for college. This year, we are excited to announce the beginning of the College Workshop series. These workshops are designed to provide specific information to parents and students each year of high school. The information provided will help you and your son/daughter to be successful in high school and to work together to find the best college fit for students and the whole family. We understand that this can be a daunting process, but if we begin early and work together it can be an exciting journey.

This year, all Darnell-Cookman faculty and staff are focused on helping students to dream big and build the foundation needed to support big dreams. Parents play an integral part in building these dreams and you can provide the most help by staying informed and being involved every step of the way.

College workshops will be held 4 times this year for each grade level. Each workshop will be offered in the evening or in the morning. Please select the session time that works best for you. Both parents and students are invited to attend the evening sessions. Drinks and light snacks will be provided for the workshops. Each session will last approximately one hour. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Morris.
College 101- 9th grade
Workshop 1: Intro to High School (Sept. 14th @ 6:00 pm or Sept. 15th @ 9:00 am)
Workshop 2: Beginning Career Exploration (Nov. 2nd @ 6:00 pm or Nov. 3rd @ 9:00 am)
College 201- 10th grade
Workshop 1: Exploring College Majors & PSAT Prep (Sept. 21st @ 6:00 pm or Sept. 22nd @ 9:00 am)
Workshop 2: Connecting Your Interests & Hobbies to College Plans (Nov. 9th @ 6:00 pm or Nov. 10th @ 9:00 am)
College 301-11th grade
Workshop 1: ACT/SAT & Mock College Admissions Board (Sept. 28th @ 6:00 pm or Sept. 29th @ 9:00 am)
Workshop 2: Completing College Applications & Essays (Nov. 16th @ 6:00 pm or Nov. 17th @ 9:00 am)

SAT/FCAT practice for ALL Students

Bethel Baptist will be offering the BEST Saturday Academy to help students study for the SAT and FCAT. The classes will meet every Saturday beginning August 28th through October 30th.

There will also be a Parent Academy offered on Saturdays. For more information about sessions/dates and to register please download this form

http://sites.google.com/site/dchsstudenthandbook/act-sat-information/BESTAcademyRegistrationForm.doc?attredirects=0&d=1

FCAT for Juniors

Attention Class of 2012

If you did not pass the FCAT in your sophomore year, you NEED to sign up for the ACT and/or SAT as soon as possible. You may be able to fulfill the FCAT graduation requirement by taking and earning a certain score on either of these tests. I would recommend you start with the ACT. The next test date is September 11th and you must register by August 6th. Go to http://www.actstudent.org/ to register.

Online Study Plan Tool

GradeFix is a FREE online study plan tool. Once you create an account, you enter the classes you are taking and then any homework assignements, projects, quizzes, exams, etc that your teachers assign and it automatically creates a daily homework/study schedule for you. This is a great tool if you have a hard time keeping up with assignments, procrastinating on studying, or just don't want to use the old fashion paper planner.

Go to http://www.gradefix.com/ to try it out.

Darnell-Cookman High School Handbook

Please visit the new Darnell-Cookman High School Student Handbook. This site is still being updated with more information so check back regularly for updates.

https://sites.google.com/site/dchsstudenthandbook/

Study Skills

It's Almost Time!!! Get ready for back to school by reviewing some great study and organizational skills. Starting the school year out on the right foot can make all the difference between an A for Awesome or a F for Forget About It.

Study Skills sites:
https://www.nhheaf.org/index.asp?page=stu_hs_studyskills
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRTFoN-SGng&feature=related
http://www.maryvillecityschools.k12.tn.us/education/dept/dept.php?sectiondetailid=8322&

Time Management
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~studskl/tmths.html
http://www.whatnowgrad.com/article/2008/10/time-management-tips-for-high-school-students
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/timemanagement/Find_Time_to_Study.htm

Taking Notes
http://www.homeworkandstudyskills.com/takingnotes.html
http://www.studytechniques.org/note-taking-in-the-classroom.html
http://www.teensadvisor.com/teen-schooling/note-taking.html

Scholarship Searching

Check out this website that lists Scholarships for High school students and many others.

http://www.scholarships4students.com/scholarships_for_high_school_students.htm

US Senate Youth Program

The US Senate Youth Program is a week long program in Washington D.C. Students will have an opportunity to learn about the three branches of government and attend meetings and briefings with Senators, cabinet members and other government officials. All expenses for the week are paid for by the Hearst Foundation and only two students from each state will be selected. Please visit their website for application criteria and more information.

http://www.ussenateyouth.org/

Summer Programs

Check out these lists of summer programs for high school students around the country.

American Mathmatical Society
http://www.ams.org/programs/students/high-school/emp-mathcamps

Teen Ink Summer Programs Page
http://www.teenink.com/Summer/

MIT Summer Programs for High School Students
http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/before/summer_programs/

Women's Technology Program @ MIT
http://wtp.mit.edu/

National Institute of Health Summer Internship in Biomedical Research
http://www.training.nih.gov/student/sip/

Connecting College Majors with Careers

This is a great website that helps you see what careers you can pursue with specific college majors.

http://career.stuser.colostate.edu/explore-majors--careers/what-can-i-do-with-this-major.aspx

Green Careers

Check out this website on Green Careers. It talks about career opportunities, training needed and other informative articles.

http://www.greencareersguide.com/

11th Grade

Time to start those college visits. The summer time is a perfect opportunity to go check out a college campus that you have not visited yet. Chances are that if you have visited a college campus, you weren't looking at it as a perspective student, so go check it out again.

Some things to look for:
-Housing options (What kind of dorms are available for freshmen and how much do they cost? Also check out some local apartments, could you afford to live there if you don't want to live on campus?)
-The activities available (Do they have the kinds of things you like to do, when your not studying of course. Are things within walking distance or would you need a car? Does the campus feel comfortable to you? It is important that you feel like it fits or you may not be happy there for 4+ years)
-Check out the facilities (Are things up-to-date? And no I don't mean everything has to be brand new, just well maintained and updated.)

TIP: Call ahead to say your coming for a visit and most colleges/universities will have someone give you a tour or at least say hello and answer your questions.