PRESENTATION FOR PARENTS OF 6 TH GRADERS PATRICK HENRY SCHOOL BY GEORGE DOOLEY COUNSELOR, SCHOOL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION NORTH ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL YEARS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. IN FACT, THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY WILL AFFECT WHAT CHOICES YOUR CHILD MAY HAVE FOR THE REST OF HIS/HER LIFE!

TODAY’S WORKSHOP WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ON WHY EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT AND HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD BE A SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE.

YOUR CHILD MAY ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT HE/SHE PLANS TO DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. THIS IDEA MAY BE REALISTIC, LIKE GOING ON TO COLLEGE OR WORKING IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

OR, IT MAY BE MORE OF A DREAM, LIKE BECOMING A SOCCER PLAYER. OR PERHAPS YOUR CHILD IS INTERESTED IN MANY DIFFERENT THINGS AT THIS POINT IN THEIR LIFE.

WHATEVER FUTURE YOUR CHILD DREAMS ABOUT, DECISIONS THAT YOU AND HE/SHE MAKE NOW AND DURING HIGH SCHOOL CAN BE VERY IMPORTANT!

REMEMBER: YOUNG PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR MINDS OFTEN, SO THE BEST PLAN IS TO KEEP OPTIONS OPEN. LETS’ LOOK AT SOME THINGS YOUR CHILD CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR WHATEVER THE FUTURE HOLDS.

TAKE CONTROL—LEARN TO BE A GOOD STUDENT MANY YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT ENJOY GOING TO SCHOOL. THEY FIND IT BORING OR THEY FEEL TRAPPED IN CLASSROOMS WHERE SOMETIMES THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT.

THEY MAY FEEL EMBARRASED TO ASK FOR HELP. LET’S LOOK AT FEW WAYS YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD IN SCHOOL. 1. SIT CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM WHEN POSSIBLE.

2. JOIN IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS. YOU WILL LEARN MORE BY BEING A PART OF THE CONVERSATION INSTEAD OF JUST SITTING THERE.

3. ASK QUESTIONS! IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING IT’S OK, CHANCES ARE OTHERS IN THE CLASS DON’T UNDERSTAND EITHER.

4. KEEP UP WITH CLASS WORK. WHEN THE TEACHER GIVES THEM HOMEWORK HAVE THEM DO IT RIGHT AWAY. CHECK WITH YOUR CHILD THAT THEY ARE DOING THE WORK AND DOING IT RIGHT.

5. ASK FOR HELP IN ANY CLASS IN WHICH YOU FIND THAT THEY ARE FALLING BEHIND. REMEMBER THE TEACHERS ARE THERE TO HELP THEM!

6. ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO TAKE COMPUTER CLASSES. THIS WILL HELP THEM WITH THEIR SCHOOL WORK AND USE THE COMPUTER.

7. LEARN TO TAKE GOOD CLASS NOTES. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT SKILL THAT YOUR CHILD WILL NEED AS THEY GO ON IN SCHOOL.

8. LEARN TO PROOFREAD, CORRECT AND REWRITE THEIR WRITTEN WORK. NEVER LET THEM TURN IN ANYTHING THAT IS NOT THEIR BEST EFFORT.

9. DEVELOP TEST-TAKING SKILLS. IF YOU ARE UNSURE ON HOW TO HELP THEM ASK THEIR TEACHER OR COUNSELOR.

TALKING WITH YOUR CHILD ABOUT THESE TIPS MAY HELP HIM/HER UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS WITHIN HIS OR HER POWER TO BE A BETTER STUDENT.

LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU CHILD TO BEGIN TO EXPLORE WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. THEY WILL BE ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE: 1)SHOULD I GO TO COLLEGE? 2)SHOULD I GO TO WORK? 3) SHOULD I JOIN THE MILITARY?

WHY ATTEND COLLEGE? EVEN THOUGH JOINING THE MILITARY OR GOING TO WORK ARE GOOD CHOICES, A COLLEGE DEGREE CAN PROVIDE YOUR CHILD WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE.

A COLLEGE EDUCATION CAN MEAN: 1)GREATER KNOWLEDGE A COLLEGE EDUCATION WILL INCREASE YOUR CHILD’S ABILITY TO THINK, EXPRESS THEMSELVES CLEARLY IN SPEECH AND WRITING, AND MAKE WISE DECISIONS.

2)MORE MONEY A PERSON WHO ATTENDS COLLEGE GENERALLY EARNS MORE THAN A PERSON WHO DOES NOT.

3) GREATER POTENTIAL A COLLEGE EDUCATION CAN HELP INCREASE YOUR CHILD’S UNDER- STANDING OF THE COMMUNITY, THE NATION AND THE WORLD.

4) MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES THE WORLD IS CHANGING RAPIDLY. MANY JOBS RELY ON TECHNOLOGY AND ALREADY REQUIRE MORE BRAIN POWER THAN MUSCLE POWER.

WHAT TYPE OF COLLEGES ARE THERE? GOOD QUESTION. MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE THAT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLEGES. THIS SHOULD HELP. THERE ARE: 1)COMMUNITY COLLEGES 2)TECHNICAL/VOCATIONAL 3)FOUR YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT EACH. 1)COMMUNITY COLLEGES THESE ARE PUBLIC, TWO-YEAR COLLEGES. THEY MOSTLY SERVE STUDENTS FROM NEARBY COMMUNITIES.

THEY OFFER ACADEMIC COURSES, TECHNICAL COURSES AND ADULT EDUCATION. THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED OFTEN LEAD TO A LICENSE, CERTIFICATE OR AN AA/AS ASSOCIATE DEGREE.

COLLEGES LIKE CYPRESS COLLEGE, FULLERTON COLLEGE, SANTA ANA COLLEGE, GOLDENWEST,AND MANY MORE IN THIS AREA FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY.

2) TECHNICAL COLLEGES GENERALLY HAVE A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN TECHNICAL FIELDS. THEY MAY BE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE.

EXAMPLES OF THESE COLLEGES ARE: BRYMAN SCHOOLS ITT CAREER ACADEMY OF BEAUTY HORIZON LEARNING CENTERS (COMPUTERS)

3) FOUR YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THESE SCHOOLS USUALLY OFFER A BACHELOR OF ARTS(BA) OR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE(BS) DEGREE. SOME ALSO OFFER GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEGREES.

EXAMPLES OF THESE COLLEGES ARE: CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY AT FULLERTON, LONG BEACH, RIVERSIDE AND ALMOST EVERY MAJOR CITY. UNIVERSITIES INCLUDE: UCLA, USC AND OTHER MAJOR CITIES AROUND THE UNITED STATES AND WORLD.

IS IT EXPENSIVE FOR MY CHILD TO GO TO COLLEGE? ANOTHER GOOD QUESTION. MANY ADULTS BELIEVE THAT COLLEGE IS REALLY EXPENSIVE AND THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEND THEIR CHILD TO COLLEGE. THIS IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH.

ALTHOUGH SOME COLLEGES ARE EXPENSIVE, COSTS VARY FROM COLLEGE TO COLLEGE. AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (2YEAR) SCHOOL TUITION IS AROUND $26.00 PER UNIT. OK WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

LET’S LOOK AT THIS EXAMPLE: YOUR CHILD HAS DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO TO CYPRESS OR FULLERTON COLLEGE. HERE IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THEIR EXPENSES.

TUITION IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT A STUDENT IS CHARGED FOR INSTRUCTION, AND FOR THE USE OF THE COLLEGE FACILITIES, SUCH AS LIBRARIES. BOOKS AND OTHER FEES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE TUITION.

IF THEY WISH TO GO TO SCHOOL FULL TIME THAT WOULD BE 12 OR MORE UNITS. AT THE CURRENT TUITION THAT MEANS THIS 12 $26.00 PER UNIT= $ THAT WOULD BE (4) 3 CREDIT CLASSES.

US HISTORY 3 UNITS ENGLISH 3 UNITS SPEECH 3 UNITS MATH 3 UNITS 12 UNITS

BOOKS WILL VARY FROM CLASS TO CLASS BUT ON AN AVERAGE AROUND $50.00-$ PER CLASS. OTHER FEES COULD BE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER OR ACTIVITIES FEES.

IS THERE HELP AVAILABLE? YOU BET THERE IS! IF COLLEGE IS A GOAL, DON’T WORRY ABOUT COSTS AT THIS POINT. IF YOU CHILD DECIDES TO GO ON FOR MORE EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, THE CHANCES ARE VERY GOOD THAT THERE WILL BE

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP MAKE IT POSSIBLE. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES OFFER MANY TYPES OF FINANCIAL HELP FOR FAMILIES WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE FULL COST.

FINANCIAL AID CAN HELP MANY FAMILIES SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO COLLEGE. THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF AID AVAILABLE. 1) GRANTS AND SCHOLARHIPS. THIS TYPE OF AID NORMALLY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REPAID.

HOWEVER, YOUR CHILD MAY HAVE TO TAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CLASSES AND MAINTAIN A CERTAIN GRADE AVERAGE.

2) LOANS LOANS ARE ANOTHER TYPE OF AID AVAILABLE TO BOTH STUDENTS AND PARENTS. LIKE A CAR OR HOUSE LOAN IT MUST BE PAID BACK WITH INTEREST. MOST TIMES IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REPAID UNTIL AFTER GRADUATION.

3) WORK STUDY MANY COLLEGES OFFER SUMMER OR PART TIME EMPLOYMENT TO STUDENTS. THESE JOBS ARE USUALLY ON CAMPUS AND THE MONEY EARNED IS USED TO PAY FOR TUITION OR OTHER COLLEGE COSTS.

THERE WILL BE TIME TO LOOK INTO FINANCIAL HELP FOR COLLEGE DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL. IF IT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOUR FAMILY TO BEGIN SAVE EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY EACH MONTH, THIS WILL HELP YOUR CHILD IN THE FUTURE

WHAT KINDS OF JOBS ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLEGE GRADUTES? CERTIFICATES AND DEGREES EARNED BY GRADUATES TO TWO-FOUR YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES LEAD TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF JOBS. LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TYPES OF JOBS IN WHICH A COLLEGE DEGREE MAY BE REQUIRED.

TWO YEAR DEGREES CERTIFICATE OR DEGREE PROGRAMS MAY LEAD TO EMPLOYMENT IN: AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC COMPUTER TECHNICIAN DENTAL HYGENIST GRAPHIC DESIGNER

HEATING, AC AND REFRIGERATION TECHNICIAN HOTEL OR RESTAURANT CHEF OR MANAGER MEDICAL RECORD TECHNICIAN X-RAY TECHNICIAN

FOUR YEAR DEGREES ACCOUNTANT EDITIOR ENGINEER BANKER PHARMACIST SOCIAL WORKER TEACHER AND MANY MORE

MORE THAN 4 YEARS OF COLLEGE ARCHITECT BIOLOGIST DENTIST DOCTOR COLLEGE TEACHER LAWYER DIPLOMAT

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL 1)HAVE YOUR CHILD EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST EACH MORNING. 2)WAKE THEM UP EARLY TO GET UP ON TIME AND NOT BE TARDY. 3)BE SURE THEY GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP.

4) CREATE A STUDY ROUTINE AND STUDY AREA. HAVE THEM DO THEIR HOMEWORK RIGHT WHEN THEY GET HOME (NO TV OR VIDEO GAMES) 5) GO OVER THEIR HOMEWORK WITH THEM.

6) ENCOURAGE YOU CHILD TO ASK QUESTIONS, THAT’S HOW WE LEARN. 7) HAVE YOUR CHILD READ TO YOU ON A REGULAR BASIS. 8) FEED THEM HEALTHY SNACKS 9) BE A ROLE MODEL TO YOUR CHILDREN. BE POSITIVE AND SUPPORT THE SCHOOL.

10) ATTEND PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES OR TALK TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER OR COUNSELOR ABOUT YOU CHILD’S PROGRESS, PROBLEMS OR DREAMS. REMEMBER: TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION.

OK, THIS WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? REMEMBER: TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR CHILD!

GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND YOUR CHILD AS YOU MOVE FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO JUNIOR HIGH.