News from our Secondary Principal, Craig Randall
Dear Parents,
I am sitting in the gymnasium on Thursday afternoon as I write, watching as parents, teachers and students meet to discuss progress, accomplishments and areas for growth not only academically but also holistically. As a parent myself, of eighth grade twins, I always find that my favorite part is when I can tell a teacher really understands the core of who my child is. It really feels great to know that the teachers care enough to really want to know my son and daughter as a person.
I feel so honored to work with so many amazing teachers who care about our kids like this. I have to say I am also always amazed at how many things my kids do at school, good things, cool accomplishments, that they never even tell us about. I look forward to going home tonight and quizzing my kids about exciting things they have done that they had kept secret from their mom and dad. I hope you get to do the same this weekend as well. I suppose I also have to share that we will also engage in a couple of conversations about areas for growth as well. Finally, I just checked with Ms. Brown and so far we have had over 386 children whose parents have attended conferences. Way to go parents!
As a reminder, next week as I am sure you already aware, MAP tests will take place for 6th-10th graders. These tests in Language, Reading, Science and Math will take place during one of your child’s English, Social Studies, Science and Math classes.
Lastly, a reminder for the girls that we still will be enforcing the dress code regulations for skirt length. If skirts are above the knee when sitting down students are required to wear dark tights or leggings underneath the skirt. The school clothing store located near the pool does sell these leggings. Pants are another alternative that works as well.
Sincerely,
Craig Randall
I am sitting in the gymnasium on Thursday afternoon as I write, watching as parents, teachers and students meet to discuss progress, accomplishments and areas for growth not only academically but also holistically. As a parent myself, of eighth grade twins, I always find that my favorite part is when I can tell a teacher really understands the core of who my child is. It really feels great to know that the teachers care enough to really want to know my son and daughter as a person.
I feel so honored to work with so many amazing teachers who care about our kids like this. I have to say I am also always amazed at how many things my kids do at school, good things, cool accomplishments, that they never even tell us about. I look forward to going home tonight and quizzing my kids about exciting things they have done that they had kept secret from their mom and dad. I hope you get to do the same this weekend as well. I suppose I also have to share that we will also engage in a couple of conversations about areas for growth as well. Finally, I just checked with Ms. Brown and so far we have had over 386 children whose parents have attended conferences. Way to go parents!
As a reminder, next week as I am sure you already aware, MAP tests will take place for 6th-10th graders. These tests in Language, Reading, Science and Math will take place during one of your child’s English, Social Studies, Science and Math classes.
Lastly, a reminder for the girls that we still will be enforcing the dress code regulations for skirt length. If skirts are above the knee when sitting down students are required to wear dark tights or leggings underneath the skirt. The school clothing store located near the pool does sell these leggings. Pants are another alternative that works as well.
Sincerely,
Craig Randall
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Each week, the main story has featured some aspect of the college admission process that is most relevant or current in the college planning timeline. This week, recognizing that this process may be new to many of you, I thought it might be good to focus on the “the basics.” A nice starting point is reviewing the terminology that is used when applying to college. Below is a list of widely used terms and definitions in the college admission world compiled from The College Board, ACT, and First In the Family:
COLLEGE “LINGO”
College readiness: The courses students take in high school show colleges how ready they are for college level classes. Colleges want to know if a student is signing up for advanced classes or honors sections, if they are choosing electives that reflect their abilities—or are they doing just enough to get by
Electives: Courses students may select to meet total graduation requirements.
GPA& (Grade Point Average): The GPA is figured by averaging the numerical value of a student's grades: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1,F=0. It is cumulative, starting freshman year; grades count every year. A poor GPA in ninth grade can drag down the overall average, despite, for example, good grades junior year. The higher the GPA the better, but colleges also look at academic levels: a “B” in a hard class can be worth more than an “A” in an easy class.
Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA): A grade point average that’s calculated using a system that assigns a higher point value to grades in more-difficult classes. For example, some high schools assign the value of 5.0 (instead of the standard 4.0) for an A earned in an AP or Honors class.
Admission Tests: Also known as college entrance exams, these are tests designed to measure students’ skills and help colleges evaluate how ready students are for college-level work. The ACT and the College Board’s SAT are two standardized admission tests used in the United States. The word "standardized" means that the test measures the same thing in the same way for everyone who takes it.
Associate's degree: A degree earned after completing the equivalent of the first two years of a education at a four-year institution. Degrees include Associate of Arts, Associate of Sciences and Associate of Applied Sciences for completing a vocational or technical program.
Bachelor's degree: A degree earned after completing a prescribed course of undergraduate study at a college or university. The two most common degrees are a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).
Class Rank: A measurement of how your academic achievement compares with that of other students in your grade. This number is usually determined by using a weighted GPA that takes into account both your grades and the difficulty of the courses you’ve taken.
College Application Essay: An essay that a college requires students to write and submit as part of their application. Some colleges offer applicants specific questions to answer, while others simply ask applicants to write about themselves. Colleges may refer to this as a “personal statement.”
College Credit: What you get when you successfully complete a college-level course. You need a certain number of credits to graduate with a degree. Colleges may also grant credit for scores on exams, such as those offered by College Board’s AP Program® and CLEP.
Common Application: A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are members of the Common Application association. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 475-plus colleges that accept it.
Deferred Admission: Permission from a college that has accepted you to postpone enrolling in the college. The postponement is usually for up to one year.
Early Action (EA): An option to submit your applications before the regular deadlines. When you apply early action, you get admission decisions from colleges earlier than usual. Early action plans are not binding, which means that you do not have to enroll in a college if you are accepted early action. Some colleges have an early action option called EA II, which has a later application deadline than their regular EA plan.
Early Decision (ED): An option to submit an application to your first-choice college before the regular deadline. When you apply early decision, you get an admission decision earlier than usual. Early decision plans are binding. You agree to enroll in the college immediately if admitted and offered a financial aid package that meets your needs. Some colleges have an early decision option called ED II, which has a later application deadline than their regular ED plan.
Financial Aid: Money given or loaned to you to help pay for college. Financial aid can come from federal and state governments, colleges, and private organizations.
Legacy Applicant: A college applicant with a relative (usually a parent or grandparent) who graduated from that college. Some colleges give preference to legacy applicants (also called “legacies”).
Priority Date or Deadline: The date by which your application — whether it’s for college admission, student housing or financial aid — must be received to be given the strongest consideration.
Rolling Admission: An admission policy of considering each application as soon as all required information (such as high school records and test scores) has been received, rather than setting an application deadline and reviewing applications in a batch. Colleges that use a rolling admission policy usually notify applicants of admission decisions quickly.
Selective admissions: The policy of admitting only well-qualified applicants, based on high school grades, admission test scores, and additional personal information often provided through essays, resumes, interviews, and letters of recommendation.
Transcript: The official record of your course work at a school or college. Your high school transcript is usually required for college admission and for some financial aid packages.
Undergraduate: A college student who is working toward an associate or a bachelor's degree.
Universal College Application: A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are Universal College Application members. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 44 colleges that accept it.
College Lingo Part 2: College vs. University
In the United States, "college" and "university" are very often used interchangeably and this sometimes causes confusion.
The Difference Between a College and a University
Becker College
In a global context, the words “college” and “university” can inspire confusion. Different countries use the same words to name different things. What is usually called a “college” in Europe is really more like the two-year institution called a “community college” in the United States.
How they are essentially the same:
While many factors affect the quality of an institution, the same type of baccalaureate, or bachelor's, degrees can be conferred by both colleges and universities. Admission requirements differ only according to selectivity; highly ranked colleges are often more selective than universities. Both colleges and universities can be either privately or publicly operated. The phrase “going to college” is used to mean attending any college or university in the United States.
How they differ:
Colleges tend to be smaller, with smaller class sizes, and students receive more personal attention from faculty. Universities offer master’s and doctoral degrees which require completion of the bachelor’s degree first. Universities tend to be larger, with faculty time and attention divided between research and teaching. Some large universities will have divisions named “The College of Liberal Arts” or the “College of Engineering.”
Neither term should be considered significant in assessing the quality or stature of an institution. One is not better than the other - they both offer four-year bachelor degrees.
COLLEGES VISITING CAMPUS for Seniors & Juniors
NOVEMBER
November 8 @ 9am-9:45am — Qatar Education City: Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, Texas A&M Univ., Weill Cornell Medical College, Georgetown Univ., Virginia Commonwealth Univ.
November 10 @ 9am-9:45am — Mini-fair: UC Santa Cruz, University of Tampa, Rollins College, St. Edward’s Univ.
November 15 @ 9am-9:45am- UAE University Options Fair: American University Dubai, American University Sharjah, International Horizons College (IHC), Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi University
GRADE LEVEL INFO
SENIOR Info (grade 12)
1) Don't miss important ACT/SAT Registration deadlines! Students sign up on their own on the testing websites.
SAT Registration: sat.org/international
ACT Registration: www.actstudent.org
2) Semester exams are approaching in December. Now is the time to begin your preparation. Organize yourself and your study calendar.
JUNIOR Info (grade 11)
Semester exams are approaching in December. Now is the time to begin your preparation. Organize yourself and your study calendar.
Continue to Sign-Up for College and University Visits
SOPHOMORE Info (grade 10)
Semester exams are approaching in December. Now is the time to begin your preparation. Organize yourself and your study calendar.
FRESHMAN Info (grade 9)
Semester exams are approaching in December. Now is the time to begin your preparation. Organize yourself and your study calendar.
COLLEGE “LINGO”
College readiness: The courses students take in high school show colleges how ready they are for college level classes. Colleges want to know if a student is signing up for advanced classes or honors sections, if they are choosing electives that reflect their abilities—or are they doing just enough to get by
Electives: Courses students may select to meet total graduation requirements.
GPA& (Grade Point Average): The GPA is figured by averaging the numerical value of a student's grades: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1,F=0. It is cumulative, starting freshman year; grades count every year. A poor GPA in ninth grade can drag down the overall average, despite, for example, good grades junior year. The higher the GPA the better, but colleges also look at academic levels: a “B” in a hard class can be worth more than an “A” in an easy class.
Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA): A grade point average that’s calculated using a system that assigns a higher point value to grades in more-difficult classes. For example, some high schools assign the value of 5.0 (instead of the standard 4.0) for an A earned in an AP or Honors class.
Admission Tests: Also known as college entrance exams, these are tests designed to measure students’ skills and help colleges evaluate how ready students are for college-level work. The ACT and the College Board’s SAT are two standardized admission tests used in the United States. The word "standardized" means that the test measures the same thing in the same way for everyone who takes it.
Associate's degree: A degree earned after completing the equivalent of the first two years of a education at a four-year institution. Degrees include Associate of Arts, Associate of Sciences and Associate of Applied Sciences for completing a vocational or technical program.
Bachelor's degree: A degree earned after completing a prescribed course of undergraduate study at a college or university. The two most common degrees are a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).
Class Rank: A measurement of how your academic achievement compares with that of other students in your grade. This number is usually determined by using a weighted GPA that takes into account both your grades and the difficulty of the courses you’ve taken.
College Application Essay: An essay that a college requires students to write and submit as part of their application. Some colleges offer applicants specific questions to answer, while others simply ask applicants to write about themselves. Colleges may refer to this as a “personal statement.”
College Credit: What you get when you successfully complete a college-level course. You need a certain number of credits to graduate with a degree. Colleges may also grant credit for scores on exams, such as those offered by College Board’s AP Program® and CLEP.
Common Application: A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are members of the Common Application association. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 475-plus colleges that accept it.
Deferred Admission: Permission from a college that has accepted you to postpone enrolling in the college. The postponement is usually for up to one year.
Early Action (EA): An option to submit your applications before the regular deadlines. When you apply early action, you get admission decisions from colleges earlier than usual. Early action plans are not binding, which means that you do not have to enroll in a college if you are accepted early action. Some colleges have an early action option called EA II, which has a later application deadline than their regular EA plan.
Early Decision (ED): An option to submit an application to your first-choice college before the regular deadline. When you apply early decision, you get an admission decision earlier than usual. Early decision plans are binding. You agree to enroll in the college immediately if admitted and offered a financial aid package that meets your needs. Some colleges have an early decision option called ED II, which has a later application deadline than their regular ED plan.
Financial Aid: Money given or loaned to you to help pay for college. Financial aid can come from federal and state governments, colleges, and private organizations.
Legacy Applicant: A college applicant with a relative (usually a parent or grandparent) who graduated from that college. Some colleges give preference to legacy applicants (also called “legacies”).
Priority Date or Deadline: The date by which your application — whether it’s for college admission, student housing or financial aid — must be received to be given the strongest consideration.
Rolling Admission: An admission policy of considering each application as soon as all required information (such as high school records and test scores) has been received, rather than setting an application deadline and reviewing applications in a batch. Colleges that use a rolling admission policy usually notify applicants of admission decisions quickly.
Selective admissions: The policy of admitting only well-qualified applicants, based on high school grades, admission test scores, and additional personal information often provided through essays, resumes, interviews, and letters of recommendation.
Transcript: The official record of your course work at a school or college. Your high school transcript is usually required for college admission and for some financial aid packages.
Undergraduate: A college student who is working toward an associate or a bachelor's degree.
Universal College Application: A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are Universal College Application members. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 44 colleges that accept it.
College Lingo Part 2: College vs. University
In the United States, "college" and "university" are very often used interchangeably and this sometimes causes confusion.
The Difference Between a College and a University
Becker College
In a global context, the words “college” and “university” can inspire confusion. Different countries use the same words to name different things. What is usually called a “college” in Europe is really more like the two-year institution called a “community college” in the United States.
How they are essentially the same:
While many factors affect the quality of an institution, the same type of baccalaureate, or bachelor's, degrees can be conferred by both colleges and universities. Admission requirements differ only according to selectivity; highly ranked colleges are often more selective than universities. Both colleges and universities can be either privately or publicly operated. The phrase “going to college” is used to mean attending any college or university in the United States.
How they differ:
Colleges tend to be smaller, with smaller class sizes, and students receive more personal attention from faculty. Universities offer master’s and doctoral degrees which require completion of the bachelor’s degree first. Universities tend to be larger, with faculty time and attention divided between research and teaching. Some large universities will have divisions named “The College of Liberal Arts” or the “College of Engineering.”
Neither term should be considered significant in assessing the quality or stature of an institution. One is not better than the other - they both offer four-year bachelor degrees.
COLLEGES VISITING CAMPUS for Seniors & Juniors
NOVEMBER
November 8 @ 9am-9:45am — Qatar Education City: Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, Texas A&M Univ., Weill Cornell Medical College, Georgetown Univ., Virginia Commonwealth Univ.
November 10 @ 9am-9:45am — Mini-fair: UC Santa Cruz, University of Tampa, Rollins College, St. Edward’s Univ.
November 15 @ 9am-9:45am- UAE University Options Fair: American University Dubai, American University Sharjah, International Horizons College (IHC), Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi University
GRADE LEVEL INFO
SENIOR Info (grade 12)
1) Don't miss important ACT/SAT Registration deadlines! Students sign up on their own on the testing websites.
SAT Registration: sat.org/international
ACT Registration: www.actstudent.org
2) Semester exams are approaching in December. Now is the time to begin your preparation. Organize yourself and your study calendar.
JUNIOR Info (grade 11)
Semester exams are approaching in December. Now is the time to begin your preparation. Organize yourself and your study calendar.
Continue to Sign-Up for College and University Visits
SOPHOMORE Info (grade 10)
Semester exams are approaching in December. Now is the time to begin your preparation. Organize yourself and your study calendar.
FRESHMAN Info (grade 9)
Semester exams are approaching in December. Now is the time to begin your preparation. Organize yourself and your study calendar.
News from our IB Diploma Coordinator, Patrick Lyons
Dear Parents,
Extra Seminar Session from OSC
Joyce Halsey from the Oxford Study Courses group is visiting the school on Sunday 15th November. She will be hosting a number of student and parent sessions and has agreed to put on an extra seminar session for Grade 9 and 10 students and their parents at 3.00 in our Auditorium entitled “Why choose IB?”
This will be an open session running for about 40 minutes and will be especially useful for Grade 10 as we begin the process of planning for their Grade 11 and 12 options in the coming weeks. We would encourage all Grade 10 students and parents to attend and also any forward thinking Grade 9s will also of course be welcome.
Patrick Lyons
IB Diploma Coordinator
Extra Seminar Session from OSC
Joyce Halsey from the Oxford Study Courses group is visiting the school on Sunday 15th November. She will be hosting a number of student and parent sessions and has agreed to put on an extra seminar session for Grade 9 and 10 students and their parents at 3.00 in our Auditorium entitled “Why choose IB?”
This will be an open session running for about 40 minutes and will be especially useful for Grade 10 as we begin the process of planning for their Grade 11 and 12 options in the coming weeks. We would encourage all Grade 10 students and parents to attend and also any forward thinking Grade 9s will also of course be welcome.
Patrick Lyons
IB Diploma Coordinator
Here is our Community and Secondary School Calendar - Scroll through the months to see what's planned for this year at GAA
Please make sure you check this calendar regularly for updates and new events