Athena Learning
High School Readiness Grade 7
High School Readiness Avoiding the 7th Grade Slump
The most important grade for high school admissions is 7th grade. It is the 7th grade test scores, report cards and attendance that are prioritized in high school admissions. And yet it is also in 7th grade that many students experience a motivational “slump.” The High School Readiness Program is designed to counteract that.
Section 1 7th Grade High School Readiness Program Overview Meeting once per week, the program prepares students for high school admissions.
The program motivates 7th grade students by introducing them to the amazing range of high school options available in New York City including: • ! SHSAT Schools • Screened High Schools • Open Enrollment Schools • Performing Arts Schools • Visual Arts Schools • Charter High Schools • TACHS/ Catholic Schools • Other Religious Schools • Independent Day Schools • Boarding Schools • District 75 High Schools By learning about the exciting options that lie just ahead, as well as what it takes to access them, 7th graders keep their eyes on the prize. The program also teaches goal - setting and study skills to help students maintain their fo - cus.
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Students in 7th grade are at the early phase of adolescence; a stage of life that begins around the age of 11 and culminates in the early - mid 20s. As the long bridge between childhood and adulthood, adolescence is a time of dramatic growth...but how they grow and what they grow into depends on what adolescents do. Adolescents are naturally concerned with their identity, with how they fit into the larger world. There are positive ways and negative ways of forming an identity. Negative ways of establish - ing an identity can include forming or joining a clique or a gang, leaving others out in order to feel “in”, bullying, becoming the class clown and participating in anti - social or even illegal behav - ior in order to appear “cool.” These behaviors are negative be - cause they rarely lead anywhere good. Positive ways of establishing an identity usually involve develop - ing a skill that has real value in the world. These skills might in - clude cooking, piano playing, debating, sports, dance, gardening, chess, community service, writing and math, just to name a few. Because of the remarkable capacity for brain growth in the ado - lescent years, 7th grade is the ideal time for students to identify an area of passion for them --- and then find ways to pursue it to the utmost. Becoming skilled at an area of authentic interest to them provides 7th graders with an enjoyable way to engage with Section 2 7th Grade Curriculum Overview
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the world. As their skills and knowledge develop, young adoles - cents become more confident and self - assured. It doesn’t matter if they eventually give up their initial area of in - terest in order to pursue another: the habits of learning, explor - ing, persisting and mastering transfer beautifully from one inter - est to another. For these reasons, a major aim of the High School Readiness pro - gram is to support 7th graders in identifying their authentic inter - ests. These may or may not be interests that their parents share. When students can express what really interests them, and re - ceive support in pursuing those interests, they are better able to stay motivated through the inevitable ups and downs of master - ing a skill. They are also much better able to find a high school that will allow them to develop their abilities in an area of great personal interest. Ultimately, this is more likely to produce an adult who is pursuing an occupation that they enjoy and that can support them. We have all heard of highly successful professionals who lament that they lived up to other people’s expectations without ever really knowing what they wanted to do with their lives. Often these professionals quit mid - way through one career to find an - other one that suits their newfound passions. It is critical for the 7th graders to identify their own areas of interest so that they can use these as a spur to their own positive development --- and to access a high school that is just right for them.
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THE HIGH SCHOOL READINESS GRADE 7 CURRICULUM
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The High School Readiness program helps students identify the subjects they love and the careers they envision so that they can find high schools that wi ll a ll ow them to pursue their areas of interest at the highest level possible.
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Students learn the Cornell Note - taking tech - nique which helps them to organize what they learn in the program and retain it. This tech - nique will be useful across all academic subjects.
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Early Co ll ege High Schools a ll ow students to begin their co ll ege careers while sti ll in high school.
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At Career and Technical schools, students are able to pursue hands - on learning opportunities that lead directly to their profession of choice.
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Students and families who prefer a single - sex setting for high school have the opportunity to review the finest single - sex high schools in New York City.
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Students benefit from hearing about the experiences of current 9th graders who attend a wide range of high schools.
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Students identify schools their favorite art forms...
so that they can find high schools that o ff er strong classes in their areas of interest.
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7th Graders leave for the summer with a High School Readiness Summer packet to complete.
By continuing with test prep, reading and summer portfolio/audition prep, they arrive at the start of 8th grade ready to start the high school admissions process.
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Family engagement is a critical component in the high school ad - missions process. The High School Readiness Program o ff ers the following workshops to provide deeper dives into topics of inter - est to specific school categories. Section 3 Family/ Parent Workshops Parent Workshops O ff ered: Workshop 1: Overview of High School Admissions Workshop 2: SHSAT Admissions and Test Prep Workshop 3: Preparing an Audition or Portfolio to Arts High Schools Workshop 4: Applying to Boarding Schools or Independent Day Schools, including the Financial Aid process.
These workshops are included in the price of the program.
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For more information, please contact Heather Miller, Director of Athena Learning at
Email: heather@lepage - miller.com
Phone: ! 617 710 8746
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