Ask Questions Get Answers

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Dougherty Valley High School 10550 Albion Way, San Ramon, CA 94582

College Night is designed to educate you on the many higher education opportunities available to students. Representatives from over 135 colleges, universities, vocational schools and military academies will be on hand to answer questions and distribute literature. All students and parents are invited to attend.

This 29th Annual College Night is brought to you through the combined efforts of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District and the Academic Boosters from California, Dougherty Valley, Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley High Schools.

Participant RSVP is NOT required.

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For more information contact your high school’s College & Career Center:

• California High School, Mrs. Grimm, hgrimm@calhigh.net, 803-3201
• Dougherty Valley High School, Ms. Cranmer, kcranmer@dvhigh.net
• Monte Vista High School, Mrs. Haberl, chaberl@mvhigh.net, 552-2889
• San Ramon Valley High School, Mrs. Smit, asmit@srvusd.net or Mrs. Wise, swise@srvusd.net, 552-3007

Students: How to make the most out of attending College Night!!

Questions to ask yourself before you attend College Night

Prior to college night, ask yourself “Why do I want to go to college in the first place?” This may sound basic, but you’ll be surprised how difficult this question might be for you to answer in the beginning. Consider sitting down with your parent(s) and discussing some factors or features they might be looking for in a college for you.  Do you have the same thoughts? During this discussion, be sure to talk about budget and location to help understand your options. In addition, think about your skills and interests, and identify potential majors that fit your current personality and lifestyle. Use the tools in Naviance and your College & Career Center to help you start defining your strengths and explore college possibilities. Use Naviance to help build your profiles and college searches.

Get a list started

Once you have identified a list of 15 or so “very likely” and “maybe” schools, find out which colleges and universities will be represented at the fair. You can expect to see approximately 135 or so colleges represented at our college fair.

Be organized and have a plan in place before you attend. This will make the evening a more pleasant experience for you (and your parent), and will keep you focused. With 135+ colleges it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Planning ahead will keep you sane!

Make some labels

Include the following information on a label: Name, Address, Phone number, Date of High School Graduation, Name of High School, Email, Major interest (if you have one), Sport of interest (if you have one), and along with your current GPA and SAT/ACT test scores (if you want). This makes visiting different tables a lot easier when you can have more time to talk to the college representative and just put a sticker on an interest card.

Bring a bag

You will be gathering materials of all shapes and sizes and a bag will help.

Student driven

Students should guide their parents through the event. Don’t let them lead you!  Stop at college tables that might not be on your list if they look interesting, but try to stay focused so you get the information you need to assist you with the college application/research process.

What should you pick up from the table?

Students should try to get the following information: View book, application information, and information on specific majors, financial aid information and the representative’s business card for future reference. Be sure to ask about summer programs for high school students as these are great ways to learn about a college campus.

What can your parents do at College Night?

We will be having two speakers: one to talk about “The Collegiate Athlete” and one to talk about the Exploring Community College Options: Learn about Associate Degrees, Certificates, Transfer Options and more”… See flyer for details.

What should you do after College Night is over?

In the few days after the event take time to sort through the materials that you gathered from the evening. Save business cards from representatives in case you need to email questions that you might have.  Set up a favorite list within your Naviance account (“Colleges I am thinking about”). You can also watch for when the colleges that you are interested in might be visiting your high school campus and sign up to attend those visits through Naviance (using your school’s procedure).

Note for Parents: You can assist your student by encouraging him/her to begin the exploration process EARLY! Be ready to discuss potential college (post high school) options, including finances. Encourage your student to do some self- reflection regarding his/her plans after high school to enable him/her to find a “right fit” college or post high school experience. Rev. 9/1/15

San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) students showed significant increases in both English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics according to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) released this week. The scores demonstrate growth at various grades levels but of particular note was the 11^th grade results where scores grew by 6 points in mathematics and 5 points in ELA from the previous school year.

“We are especially proud of the gains we achieved in math.  When the results of the first CAASPP administration were released, we recognized that there was a significant discrepancy between how our students performed on English Language Arts as opposed to mathematics,” SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt said. “We made a concerted effort to focus on math in 2015-2016 in terms of professional development for our administrators and our teachers, implementing interventions for our students and providing multiple opportunities for student success.”

Last school year, the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation granted a generous donation to supplement professional development in the area of mathematics for all K-12 teachers across the District. This grant will also enable the District to continue its partnership with Silicon Valley Math Initiative and to work with Stanford University Mathematics professor, Jo Boaler.

This year marks the second administration of the CAASPP, which replaced the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) system.  The CAASPP is more rigorous than the STAR and focuses on college and career readiness.  Unlike STAR, CAASPP is a computer-based assessment that measures students’ cognitive skills such as critical thinking and the ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources.  In addition, the CAASPP is aligned with the new SAT and ACT assessments.  Performing well on CAASPP is an indicator of success on the SAT and ACT.

“The credit for our District’s continued improvement goes to many stakeholders,” Schmitt said.  “First, our amazing teaching staff has done a remarkable job in transitioning to the new California State Standards.  They have embraced the changes in both curriculum and instructional strategies.  Next, the overwhelming involvement and support we have received from our parent community as we have implemented new standards has been instrumental in the success of our students. Finally, our remarkable students work hard each and every day and take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow.”

California provides a dedicated Web site, http://caaspp.cde.ca.gov, where parents and the public can view and compare aggregated results among schools, districts, and counties along with statewide results.

The San Ramon Valley Unified School District wants everyone to get off on the right foot this school year with a reminder about the importance of online reputations -- often referred to as your Digital Footprint. This term is used because every time you click in the Internet you are leaving a permanent and public trace, trail or footprint online.

In today’s digital world, all of us our creating a digital footprint whether we are posting images on social media, commenting on online news stories, register for something, watch an online video or send an email.

Over the next year, the SRVUSD Digital Citizenship Committee will work with staff, students and parents through newsletter articles, social media, the classroom and other communications to help everyone learn how to leave behind a positive footprint rather than a negative one.

Stay tuned for updates and don’t forget to “Think Before You Click.”

More information can be found at www.digitalsrvusd.net.

On May 3, 2016, the SRVUSD Board of Education approved a revised Board Policy, Administrative Regulation, and fee schedule for Facility Use.  The new fee schedule will become effective on August 15, 2016. The Administrative Regulation has been updated with a "Priority of Use Schedule."  These documents can be found by clicking here.