Week 5!

Hello beautiful people,

Can you believe it is already week 5? Where has the time been going???

This week at BCSM we have continued talking about the SAT and ACT tests and completed more practice questions. The students definitely like a challenge and a few enjoyed testing their own abilities by attempting the practice problems. I also enjoyed introducing the new SEAD Point System to the students. Students can now receive points for things like attending college visits, filling out college knowledge worksheets and putting forth effort and enthusiasm. Points will then lead to prizes like a Dartmouth t-shirt or hat! (Many have their eyes on the Dartmouth hat)

The Point system goes as follows...

-  WilsonPrep Weekly Completion (completing 5 each week, on time): 1 point each

·     -  College Knowledge Weekly Check Ins and Task Completion: 2 points/week

·     -  College Visit with Intern: 2 points/each

·     -  Attendance at the Practice SAT Exam: 10 points* (Plus a Dartmouth Water bottle)

-  Enthusiasm/Effort: up to 5 more points
-  College Fairs: 2 Points

The Wonderful Prizes are pictured below...

25 Points = Dartmouth Keychain
35 Points = Dartmouth Lanyard or Dartmouth Beanie
45 Points = Your Choice of Dartmouth T-Shirt

I have no doubt that students can earn some of these prizes if they just keep up the great work and put forth the effort!

Next week we will begin talking about how to select schools, including narrowing down their selections into categories such as Target, Reach and Safety schools. I know students have been so anxious about the college process especially when it comes to deciding where to apply but hopefully our talk next week about colleges and how to narrow down their college lists makes the the decision process easier and less stressful. We will also have a volunteer day next weekend on Saturday Nov. 1st. I will send out more information to students as the date gets closer about where we will be volunteering and what time. 

To parents...I enjoyed meeting those of you who came to parent-teacher conferences! It is so nice to be able to match a face to your names. I look forward to seeing you all at the parent-dinner, which again will take place on November 11th (students do not have school that day) at 6:30 pm and at Full Moon Pizzeria located on 600 E 187th St, New York, NY 1045. 

Have a great weekend!,

Erika

This Week at BCSM...

Hi Everyone!

I hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to their weekend!
Last weekend the students and I had a great time at Dave n Busters and afterwards the ladies and Johnael had a great time playing in the makeup at Sephora (Well Johnael sat near the entrance and waited while we ladies played in makeup).  I am loving all the quality time I get to spend with the students and I look forward to spending even more time with them! Be sure to check out the pictures below of our adventures at Sephora (I'm working with some beautiful ladies!) and Dave n Busters.

This week the students enjoyed their Monday off from school, so it was a bit of a short week. All the same we discussed how they were feeling at this point in the term. I know it's tough but I encourage you all to keep up the great work you are doing! The students also took the PSAT (practice SAT exam), minus the writing portion, at school. In a couple weeks, on November 1st, after more SAT/ACT prep, I will administer another practice SAT exam, with the writing portion included. The more students take the test the better they will do on the real one, so I encourage you all to take it when given the opportunity. I also had the wonderful opportunity to speak with so many parents and I truly hope to meet you all at the parent dinner which will take on November 11th at 6:30pm at Full Moon Pizzeria located on 600 E 187th St, New York, NY 10458. As the date gets closer I will make phone calls to remind parents of the dinner. 

Next week we will continue the ACT and SAT prep and look over more essay examples. I know the curriculum may seem SAT and ACT prep heavy but we want to make sure students are getting acquainted with the tests and that they have a good idea of what to expect on them. Other than the prep, I will be scheduling more one on ones with students to eat candy and check in with them. 

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! As always feel free to contact me if anyone has questions about what SEAD students have been up to or just to say hi!

Happy Friday!,

Erika 

Week 3!

Hello everyone!,

Can you believe this is the end of week 3? Time is flying and I am enjoying all my time with the SEAD students. Thank you to all the students who were able to make it to the Columbia University tour on Saturday despite the pouring rain. In spite of the downpour outside we learned a bit more about Columbia including it's political atmosphere and it's many many clubs (Over 500!). Afterwards we enjoyed a nice lunch in each others company and I loved getting to know you all outside of school. I hope to see even more of you able to attend future college visits and SEAD activities.

This past week students got a better understanding of why they want to attend college when they filled out the College Counseling Resume. Students sat down and answered questions like why they want to attend college, what type of college they would like to attend and what they would like to study. I must say BCSM students are very ahead of the game. Many of them already had a clear idea of why they want to go to college and where they envision themselves. Some of the students are still deciding, which is perfectly fine! Junior year is the time to explore you're options and I encourage all students to do so, even those who feel they already have a plan. We also discussed the different essay prompts that been previously asked on the SAT and more about what is expected of the writer in the essay section.

Next week we will continue discussing the SAT's. More specifically we will be looking the different types of questions that can be found in the different subject areas on the SAT. I will be handing out sample questions and giving out more information and tips when it comes to taking the test. It's never to early to start preparing and getting familiar with test taking strategies. Students will also be encouraged to attend College Greenlight's "How to survive senior year" seminar online on October 15th. Did I mention by attending you have a chance to win an Amazon gift card? Think of the headphones and phone cases you could buy.

As for the weekend I cannot wait to spend more time with you all at our SEAD activity taking place this Saturday at 3:30 at Dave n Buster's where we will play games until we run out of coins and then move to a different location for an early dinner. I hope to see many of you there!

Have a great weekend everyone!,
Erika

SEAD Weekly Update!

Week 2!

Hi Everyone,

First off I apologize for not updating information about what we were up at BCSM last week.
Last week, my official first week, was amazing. I feel so lucky to be able to work with the SEAD students and staff at BCSM who have all been so charismatic and welcoming. The students and I have gotten to know each other over candy and conversation during the lunch hour and I cannot wait to get to know them even more as the term progresses.
SEAD Activities...We did some activities last week that included Academic and Character Self-Assessments and started discussing plans to make this term a successful one. I know that as long as the students put in the hard work and effort they can have an awesome term. This week we have moved even further along to start discussing goals and picking classes they will need to ensure they graduate next year. I am blown away by how ahead of the game all the students are. Next week in preparation for the upcoming PSAT I will begin going over SAT questions and essay samples.
Also parents and guardians please encourage students to come to the SEAD college visit on October 4th at Columbia University. We will meet at Low Memorial Library in room 213 at 11:30am for a tour. The students have my number so should they not be able to find the library/room I am more than happy to meet them at a different location and walk with them to the library. Afterwards we will go together to the City College of New York where at 1pm we will do a self-tour of the campus and after have a snack or light lunch together. Junior year is the time to really be looking at colleges so it would be highly beneficial for them to go.
That's it for this week and I encourage you all to keep checking the blog weekly.

Have a great weekend!,
Erika