November 30, 2009
Deadlines and Gossip
Please let me know if you plan to attend the financial assistance workshop next Tuesday so that we will have plenty of material ready. Remember, this is intended for families applying for assistance for the first time.
Tomorrow marks the preliminary due date for the Part I: Parent Application to independent schools. If your daughter has not yet shadowed at a high school and is thus unsure of her intention to apply, it is fine to hold off on submitting this form. It is a preliminary deadline. However, a number of schools do not schedule interviews unless you have submitted this form so be mindful of each school’s expectations.
I still need a number of you to let me know how many independent Bay Area schools you intend to apply. This information is needed so that I can begin to copy recommendation forms. I need these numbers ASAP!
The next due date is Lowell on December 11th. A complete Lowell application includes two forms: a Lowell application as well as a SFUSD application. You must mark Lowell as your first choice on the SFUSD form if it is, indeed, your first choice for public schools. Remember, these forms must be hand-delivered to the Educational Placement Center along with the required proof of residency documentation. Plan your time accordingly as you may end up standing in line this week and next in order to turn in your forms. Please confirm your application to Lowell with me so that I can cross check the list from SFUSD when it arrives.
If public school beyond Lowell is a possibility or a necessity for your family, be sure to list the other public high schools in order of preference on the SFUSD form. If your daughter does not get into Lowell, then the district will refer to the remainder of the list in order to make your daughter’s public high school assignment. If you do not select other high schools, but determine in the spring that public school is a must, then you will be given whatever the district assigns you.
December often marks an interesting time in the high school search process. As families narrow their lists, nerves can kick in and anxiety may heighten. Remember, girls and parents have, no doubt, done extensive work exploring new educational possibilities and should feel secure in the choices they are making. Parents, you have also supported your daughter with her role in this process by driving her to shadow visits, listening to exuberant reports after a visit or interview, or perhaps wiping away tears. It is critical that you keep the focus on your family and what is best for your daughter. Listen closely to your intuition as well as that of your daughter’s while maintaining perspective.
This process is strictly about finding the best fit for the individual girl. It does not matter where anyone else is applying or what may be the right fit, in your opinion, for another girl. What does matter is ensuring that you have cultivated a list that reflects a range of appropriate opportunities and that you have realistic expectations.
There is a tendency for this process to become competitive. While there is a degree of competition, in that the girls are applying to some of the same schools, the process should not become competitive between girls or their families. Remember, there is a place for everyone. Please do not engage in gossip about the choices other families are making or the appropriateness of a school for a girl other than your own. Girls, this holds true for you as well. Remain invested in your process and let others sort out their options within their family.
Please do not put down any of the high schools to other parents or girls. We have forty-five unique individuals in the class of 2010 who will, no doubt, attend a variety of independent, parochial, and public schools. The private schools in the Bay Area are thriving because they serve kids well. It is fine to know that a school may not be the right match for your child, but remember that it is the right fit for a number of other girls in the class.
I present this information to you as a reminder, not as an admonition. My goal is for all families to have a positive experience.
As always, please feel free to call or email if you need any support or advice. Also, if you need to vent, I am here for that as well!
Thanks,
Lisa
PS—Girls will no longer be assigned weekend homework until after applications are submitted in January.
