1. BEGINNING A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO HINSDALE CENTRAL
Presented by: William Walsh & John Bruesch
Facilitated by HC-PTO with a special thanks to Kelly McMahon, Sara Magnuson, and all sender school PTOs

2. OVERVIEW Review of the transition points to HC
The macro-view of the transition process
Some advice on how to think of course selections
Where this transition falls in the process of college-readiness and preparedness
MARK

3. KEY TRANSITION POINTS Take MAP & PSAT 8/9 tests in October
MAP Test Results and course selection options, “Characteristics of a student well-suited for honors” ed home before, or right after Thanksgiving.
Course Change Request due by December 7th.
Eighth Grade Family Night – department curriculum presentations for required and elective courses Jan. 11
Registration Appointments with High School Counselor Late Jan-early Feb
PTO - Parent Coffee in early May
Freshman Experience & building tours in the summer
JOHN
Those who are involved in a sport, extracurricular, music have a .8 higher GPA—GET INVOLVED

4. Additional Transition Points for 504’s and IEP’s
Transition meetings will happen in December and January
IEP Transition Meeting with HC Director of Special Education to discuss:
MAP/PSAT scores, teacher recommendations, IEP transitions, and scheduling options, followed by a counselor meeting
504 Transition Meeting with Director of Student Services and 504 Personnel to discuss:
MAP/PSAT scores, teacher recommendations, 504 transitions, and scheduling options , followed by a counselor meeting
JOHN

5. The Importance of this Transition
Research by John Hattie, The National High School Center, and our experience suggests that the transition to a new school is very stressful on a student and their family.
The successful transition from Middle School to High School includes all of that transition stress, along with the social and emotional stress of this time of their life.
Before we think about college, we should focus on the transition to high school, let us get this one right
MARK

7. Course Selection Process 17-18
Nov 23 Parents receive “Blue Sheets” with preliminary placement in all courses ( s)
Nov 23- Placement Change Window Opens -- Parent/Department Chair Collaboration (parents call DCs to begin collaboration)
If desired, Parents fill out the Placement Change Request Form – online ends December 7th
Asterisks on
the Blue sheets

8. Department Info. Example
Freshman English Placement - Class of 2021
Overview
Calendar
Finding the Right Fit
Placement Trends and being “on the bubble”
Information to Help Make a Good Decision
MAP score information
3 qualities in successful students
3 ways that English 1 Honors is different than English 1
English 1 matriculation data
Opportunities to move from regular to honors later
Your Choices

9. The Big Picture of Course Selections
Recommend four years in the cores, which includes World Languages.
This will give the most options in 4 years
Course Selection Process:
Know your student-think about their personality, traits of AP/honors students, other commitments, and a new school will not mean your child will become different overnight
Review the Program of Studies (PoS) & Homework calculator (click here)
JOHN

10. Course Selections Continued…
Honors placement—take the ones that are recommended, that your child has a passion for, and that fit into their overall schedule.
We know that all children are unique, and we have thousands of unique students that we base our recommendations on.
Growth over 4 years is the most important aspect that colleges are looking for.
Take electives to find new passions and explore fields of career interest.
Take a study hall, if necessary, otherwise take advantage of the comprehensive high school offerings at HC
JOHN

11. Preparing for College
A successful transition to High School is the MOST important focus…that will allow for more opportunities in 4 years
Growth over 4 years is very important for college admissions.
Focus on THIS transition and having success here at Hinsdale Central, and wonderful options will be there for you!
JOHN

12. Things to Think About & Monitor and Help your Child in this Transition
Talk to your child about grades, and that they will matter at HC.
Do some child action research on the time commitments of your child now, and utilize the HW calculator.
Have them keep track of their own time.
How do they study, and/or what are their study habits? (learn how to learn independently)
How much do they own their grades, and their work?
You can find this presentation on the HC website on the Guidance Page
JOHN & MARK--Not pouring information into empty vassals
There is no magic switch that gets turned on when they come here…if it’s not happening now, it is not going to magically happen here at Central.

13. DEFINE SUCCESS IT IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERY CHILD
Get to know your child: his or her interests, beliefs, fears, and passions.
Try new things; explore; experiment…Discovering what you DON’T want to do can be very valuable!
GROWTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EXTERNAL SUCCESSES or VALIDATIONS
Grit and Resiliency are the prime movers to opportunities later on in life
Coping skills are incredibly important to the development of Grit & Resiliency
EVERY CHILD HAS A UNIQUE PATH AND DEFINITION OF SUCCESS

14. TOP 50 MATRIC DATA…Top 10 RANK College 1 College of DuPage 2
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 3
Indiana University at Bloomington 4
The University of Iowa 5
DePaul University 6
Miami University, Oxford 7
University of Illinois at Chicago 8
University of Missouri Columbia 9
Loyola University Chicago 10
Northwestern University

15. 2016 English 1 – College Matriculation (grade of A)
College Attended
Colorado School of Mines
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Saint Louis University
University of Notre Dame
Northwestern University
Cornell University
DePauw University
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Indiana University at Bloomington
Tufts University
Purdue University
Denison University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Loyola University Chicago
Occidental College
University of Illinois at Chicago
Texas Christian University
College Attended
Buena Vista University
Butler University
Iowa State University
Gannon University
Miami University, Oxford
University of Kansas
University of Mississippi
Elon University
Baylor University
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
University of Michigan
Valparaiso University
Villanova University
Middlebury College
Columbia College Chicago
Benedictine University (IL)
The University of Iowa

16. FIND AVERAGE GPA’S…THEN THEY GOT IN BECAUSE OF A PASSION THAT CAME THROUGH IN THE APP PROCESS
YOU ARE MORE THAN A GPA NUMBER
THE COLLEGE THAT WANTS YOU AND SUPPORTS YOUR PASSION IS THE RIGHT “FIT”