High School Application Process - Attn: 8th Grade Parents

On Friday, October 10th, your 8th grade child will receive his/her High School Application.

Please keep the following key points in mind:

The applications are due back to Guidance Counselors, Ms. Peters or Mr. Feigelson in the Guidance Office by November 21st, 2008. Please fill them out in ink. They must be signed and dated by a parent and the student.

You may list up to 12 program choices on the application, but are not required to do so. In fact, most students will not have that many choices listed.

Only list schools that you would be comfortable having your child attend. Remember that your child may be assigned to any school listed in the 12 choices!

Be sure to check the travel time to each of the schools you list. You may go to www.hopstop.com to see how long the commute would be during different times of the day.

If you want your child to attend his/her zoned school, it must be listed on the application. If you are zoned to an undesirable school, do not list it on the application, or your child may get assigned to it, if not given any other offer.

If your child is taking the test for the Specialized High Schools, he/she should indicate the order of preference for the Specialized high schools on the ADMISSION TICKET ONLY. No Specialized High Schools should be listed on any of the 12 choices on the H.S. Application. There is a spot to indicate that he/she will be applying to the Specialized High Schools. Careful consideration should be given to the order of preference since it will affect the outcome of the offer given. Offers to a Specialized H.S. will depend on the score of the exam, the order of preference indicated, and seat availability.

A student is guaranteed a seat in the zoned program at the school in which he/she is zoned only if he/she lists it on the application. The computer will automatically match your child to his/her zoned school if he/she is not offered a seat in any other school which he/she listed higher on the order of preference. Any school listed after the zoned program of your zoned school will not be considered.

If your child is auditioning for any school, he/she must familiarize himself/herself with the audition requirements for that school (listed in the H.S. Directory) and obtain an audition ticket from Ms. Peters or Mr. Feigelson.

Tickets for the Specialized HS exam will be distributed on or about Oct. 17th.

When you receive your child's High School Application, you may notice that some/all report card grades do not appear. The Office of Student Enrollment is working with us to ensure that your child's grades are updated. Where updates are made, a new application will be generated for your child.

If after referring to the H.S. Directory you need further assistance, please call the Guidance Counselors at (718) 464-5763, extension 2531, and we would be more than happy to help you.

Cristina Peters and Jerry Feigelson, Guidance Counselors

Upcoming Events

• On October 7th, Parent Coordinator Corley and our Math Coach, Janet Marmo, will host an Everyday Math Workshop for fourth and fifth grade parents. As you know, the Everyday Math program is now implemented in grades four and five at the Holliswood School.
• Please join us for our upcoming PTA Meeting on October 14th at 7:00 PM. We will have representatives from the School Construction Authority discuss the construction project at our school.
• On October 23, 2008, we will have a family volleyball game from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. We would like to invite parents and staff members to join us for some volleyball fun!

School Closings

Reminder to Families:

School will be closed on September 30th and October 1st due to Rosh Hashanah. School will resume on October 2nd.

School will be closed on October 9th in observance of Yom Kippur and October 13th for Columbus Day.

To view the official NYC Dept. of Education 2008-2009 School Calendar, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Calendar/2008_2009.htm

Make Up Date for Field Day June '08 - Cancellation

To the Holliswood School Community,

The make up date for June 2008's field day was scheduled for September 26, 2008. However, due to the increased possibility of precipitation, we have decided to cancel this event.

In the Spring, we will schedule the 2008-2009 field day.

Review of Last Week's Events

Thank you for a terrific turnout during Meet the Teacher Night for Middle School families on September 10th, as well as Elementary families on September 18th. We appreciate your efforts in helping us to move the school forward.

The first PTA General Meeting was also held on September 18th. Thank you for attending. In case you did not attend, please consult with Mrs. Kelly or Mrs. Ellerby, our PTA Co-Presidents, regarding the agenda. Mrs. Corley, our parent coordinator, can also keep you abreast of important updates.

One of the subjects I talked about was the recent progress report. The progress report grade of B reflects the 2007-2008 school year. A letter was sent last week to congratulate the Holliswood School Community on achieving this grade. If you would like to view the progress report, please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2007-08/ProgressReport_EMS_Q178.pdf We discussed this year's schoolwide goals and what we will do to make progress towards next year's grade.

A special congratulations to the entire Holliswood School community on achieving an outstanding feat, which was to receive the 2008 Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education!

We also expressed our gratitude for receiving grants for the upcoming school year from Councilman Mr. David Weprin, Councilman Mr. James Gennaro, and Assemblyman Mr. Mark Weprin.

We are enthusiastic about starting exciting new programs this year!

Morning Arrivals

To the Holliswood School Community,

A letter to families was issued today to clarify to parents/guardians our morning arrival procedures. We have listened to your feedback regarding making the morning arrival procedures more effective and smooth. Thank you for your concerns. We apologize for any inconvenience that has been caused.

Please inform your child's teacher if you did not receive that communication.

As a reminder, please be advised that early drop off is available beginning at 7:30 AM. Breakfast is available daily to all students at 7:30 AM as well.

We appreciate all your efforts during the school year.

Thank you.

Meet the Teacher Night & Important Dates in September

Meet the Teacher Night

• Meet the Teacher Night for Middle School Families will take place on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008, from 7:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Meet the Teacher Night for Elementary School Families will take place on Thursday, September 18th, 2008, from 7:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Class 5/6-220 and 7-224 will hold their Meet the Teacher Night on September 10th, from 7:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Meet the Teacher Night is an opportunity for parents and/or guardians to meet their child's teacher. It is not an opportunity for an individual conference with the teacher. All one-to-one conferences with teachers must be made through an appointment.

Other Important Dates

• On September 10, 2008, at 6:00 PM, we will host a meeting regarding the High School Admission process for our 8th grade parents. This meeting will take place in the auditorium and will be facilitated by Mr. Feigelson, our Guidance Counselor, and Parent Coordinator Corley.
• On September 18, 2008, at 8:00 PM, the PTA will hold its first general meeting.
• On September 22, 2008, at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, we will hold our Pinwheels for Peace Assembly, coordinated by Ms. Guglietta.
• Students will begin receiving catalogs for school fundraising from Big Apple at the end of September.

Upcoming School Closings

• School will be closed on Tuesday, September 30th and Wednesday, October 1st, in observance of Rosh Hashanah.