Welcome to the 2012-2013 School Year!

Another school year has started and this year we have 7th and 8th graders who will benefit from GEAR UP programs.  Our grant for the 2012-2013 school year has been approved.  Some highlights of our grant proposal are:

· College trip for all 7th and 8th graders to Flathead Valley Community College

· Field trip to the Mobius Science Center in Spokane

· Monthly Career Talks from local professionals

· Career Fair

· College Student Panel

· Before school tutoring daily from 7:30am-8:00am

· After school tutoring Monday through Friday from 3:30 -5:30.

· 8th graders take the EXPLORE assessment (in preparation for the ACT which they will take in 11th grade)

· Geography Bee

· All 7th and 8th grade students received a planner

· Mock College Application Week

· Strut Your Stuff for 7th and 8th graders

· I Pledge to Graduate Ceremony for 7th graders

· And many more!

Currently, all 7th graders are enrolled in "Preparing for High School Success," a class that will explore career development, enhance study skills, and develop leadership skills in all students.

There will be many exciting opportunities for 7th and 8th graders during this year.  A newsletter will be mailed monthly and you can also check out the GEAR UP Troy blog: http:// gearuptroy.blogspot.com

If you have any questions about GEAR UP or would like more information about the benefits it will bring to Troy and its students, please email me: sarah-k-davis@lycos.com or call me at the school 295-4520. 

GEAR UP Summer Camps

Did you know that some of our students spent last summer solving crimes, looking at bones, and living in a college dormitories? 

Twelve junior high students participated in GEAR UP summer camps that were held at MSU Northern, the University of Missoula, The University of Montana Western, and Dawson Community College. 

Students were given the permission forms for these FREE camps back in the spring.  They lived in real dormitories, ate food in the cafeteria, and participated in activities ranging from archaeology to academic skill building with students from all over Montana.

Next year, the 6th and 7th grade students will be eligible for these camps.  Information will be available in the spring.

Read the interview  for one student’s opinion of one of the camps!

Advisory Period

Every day, students in grades 7-12 meet in the same classroom during advisory.  Mondays through Thursdays are for silent reading.  On Fridays, the groups complete an activity together.  For the month of September, the theme was teambuilding.  Activities are designed to be fun, engaging, and help students get to know each other.

Research has shown many benefits of advisory in a school setting.  Some of those benefits include:

• · Improved relationships between students and teachers
• · An increased sense of trust and belonging
• · Better communication among all members of the school community
• · A strong atmosphere of equality
• · Reduced student smoking and alcohol use

   Students will stay with their advisory teachers throughout their junior high and high school

    career.  October’s topic will be goal setting to help students reach their academic and personal 

    goals.

Source: http://essentialschools.org/resources/282

8th Grade Students and EXPLORE

On Tuesday, October 10th, all 8th grade students will take the EXPLORE Assessment.  The EXPLORE is a standardized test that prepares 8th grade students for postsecondary education and career options.  There are 128 questions on the test covering English, Math, Reading, and Science.

It shows students:

· areas needing extra help or additional courses

· suggestions for improving skills

· careers that match the student’s interests.

Students who take the EXPLORE are more ready for postsecondary education.  In order to do well on the test: make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before, follow directions on the test exactly and ask for help if needed, pace yourself as it is a timed test, use the process of elimination if you are not sure of the answer and then take your best guess, and once you finish, go back and review your work.

Go to the EXPLORE website for more info:

www.explorestudent.org

8th Grade Student Interview: Taralyn Colgan

What did you enjoy most about GEAR UP last year?

Going to Dillon for the CSI Summer camp this past summer.

What do you want to do after high school?

I don’t know yet  Maybe a CSI agent or something like that.  But I want to go to a four year college for sure.  I learned that this summer by going to the camp.

What are your favorite things about school?

I like when we have field trips to Schweitzer.  My favorite class is English.

What advice would you give to 7th graders this year?

The work in school gets easier if you actually pay attention.  And next summer if there is a GEAR UP Summer camp you want to go to, you should because it is a lot of fun!

What is GEAR UP?

GEAR UP is a federal grant program, which means that Troy Public Schools receives money for certain services, field trips, supplies, and more to help its students know what they need to be successful in high school and plan on continuing their education once they graduate.  This could be at a 2 year college, a 4 year university, a certificate program, a tribal college, or a college of technology.  Students will learn about these options as well as how to stay in school, research scholarships, talk to current college students, visit colleges, listen to talks by professionals in a variety of careers and much more!  A committee of teachers, administration, and parents meet monthly to plan GEAR UP activities for students.

Montana GEAR UP Website:   http://mus.edu/gearup/