9th Team Building: M & Ms

Team building with M&Ms was a fun way for students to share information about themselves with their classmates. Each student was given a fun-sized bag of M&Ms and the worksheet to fill out. Students were asked to open the bag of M&Ms, count how many of each color there was in the bag, write that number in the chart, and then share information based on the color of the M&Ms.

For each red M&M, students were asked to share things they like about Savanna. For each orange M&M, students shared embarrassing moments. For each yellow, students shared what they had learned from AVID so far. For each green, students shared any goals they had. For each blue, students shared information about their families. Finally, for each brown, students were asked to share things that make them happy or proud.

Within their groups, students shared information about themselves. Once they shared the information, they were allowed to eat the corresponding M&M.

AVID NEWS DECEMBER 2008

Mrs. Hill, the AVID Coordinator at Savanna, compiled some interesting data about students in the AVID program.

Last Year's AVID Seniors Go On To Bigger Things:
AVID's graduating class of 2008 are all in post secondary programs.

• Five students are attending state schools. Three students are at CSU Fullerton, one student is at San Francisco State, and one student is at Cal Poly Pomona.
• One student is at UNLV.
• Two students went to private schools. One went all the way to the University of Denver, and one is playing baseball at Concordia University.
• Two students went to local community colleges, Cypress College and Goldenwest College.
• Two students are in a nursing ROP program with plans to enter CSULB's rigorous nursing program.

This Year's Seniors Have Big Dreams:
2008-2009 AVID Senior Class College Applications
UC Los Angeles
UC Riverside
UC Irvine
UC Santa Barbara
UC Berkeley
CSU Fullerton*
CSU Long Beach
CSU Monterey Bay*
CSU Humboldt
CSU Fresno
CSU San Diego
Cal Poly Pomona
Cal Poly San Luis Obisop

*Students have already received acceptance letters


AVID Students Are Making the Grade!
9th grade Quarter 1 Grades
4.0: one student
3.75 or above: eight students
3.5 or above: nine students
3.0 or above: twenty-two students

10th grade Quarter 1 Grades
3.75 or above: one student
3.5 or above: five students
3.0 or above: twenty-one students

11th grade Quarter 1 Grades
3.0 or above: fourteen students

12th grade Quarter 1 Grades
3.5 or above: one student
3.0 or above: four students


Some Interesting Facts
22 hours of college tutoring are available to AVID students each week!

60 AVID students are enrolled in AP courses at Savanna High School.

Mandala Autobiography

The 9th grade AVID students have been given the assignment to write an autobiographical essay using a mandala that they have created on their own. (A mandala is a circular representation of themselves. It consists of at least five symbols, items that are unique to that person.) The essay should be about that mandala. It needs to contain at least seven paragraphs, one for an introduction, one for a conclusion, and at least five for the symbols chosen in the mandala. The essay should be typed, two to three pages long, using size 12 font and double spacing. The essay is due January 6, 2009 (rough draft) and January 12, 2009 (final draft). Any final draft essay that is turned in before January 12 will receive 10 extra credit points. Students will have the opportunity to peer edit each other's papers, giving them a chance to both give and get help. Presentations will be made on the mandalas once the essays have been turned in.

Handouts for the assignment can be found on Mrs. Neubert's website.

Save Me a Spot in College

Want to make your voice heard and win free money for college? All you have to to is tell your California leaders why they should save you and your peers a spot in college, and you could get money for school! You will need to participate in this contest. Find out more information at Save Me A Spot in College.

The deadline is March 15, 2009.

There is also an "early bird" scholarship of $500, due by February 1, 2009.

9th Socratic Seminar: Homework

Mrs. Neubert's 9th grade AVID students had their first Socratic Seminar on Wednesday, December 3, 2008. The topic of the seminar was homework, how to make it less work. Subtopics that were discussed within this seminar included: the best time to study/work, creating and following a homework plan, the best location for homework completion to take place, where to turn to for help, and more.

Students responded positively to this seminar, and look forward to the next one.

9th Team Building: License Plates

For this activity, students were asked to get into groups of two or three people. Each student was given a blank license plate and the assignment to make a license plate for a classmate. (Students were not allowed to make a license plate for themselves.) Once they completed the license plate design on the front, they were asked to write on the back side of the paper why they made their partner the license plate that they did.

This activity gave students a chance to be creative for someone else. The license plates turned out very well, showing the great diversity of AVID students within the class.

9th Test-Taking Tips

The 9th grade AVID students in Mrs. Neubert's class looked at different test-taking tips. The class was broken into groups, and each group was given a different type of test-taking tips (e.g. short answer tips, multiple choice tips, preparing for the test tips, etc.). Each group had to make a poster and present their tips to the class.

Students took Cornell Notes on the tips.

Knott's Berry Farm

Students enjoying the rides.

Students taking a rest from all of the fun.

Students eating together!

Knott's Berry Farm had a private party for AVID students in the Orange County area on Friday, November 14, 2008 from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am. About 80 students from Savanna High School participated in the party. All rides were up and running for the students to enjoy. In addition, there were places designated for dancing parties and huge gatherings.

Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Neubert captured pictures of SHS students at restaurants, on rides, and walking around. Even though the park was very crowded, students had a positive experience at the park.

An added benefit of this private party was the amount of money earned for AVID scholarships. Because so many students from Savanna and other schools participated, over one thousand dollars was earned for scholarships.

Soka University Visits Savanna

This morning, a representative from Soka University, Ramon, came to Savanna High School to share information about this new college with AVID students.

Soka University is a new college, created in 2001. It is a private university located in Aliso Viejo that has an emphasis in Liberal Arts. The tuition is comparable to other private universities, but this tuition also includes a 4 - 6 month study abroad as well as a laptop computer for each student. There are more than 30 countries represented at Soka. Class sizes are small, the average being 13 students per class. The ratio of students to faculty is 9 to 1.

Students are encouraged to go online to www.soka.edu to find out more information about this university. In addition, on Saturday, November 22nd, Soka University will be opening up for students to check out. There will be club presentations, information given out, and a free sample of the food. Students should take advantage of this opportunity to see Soka University on their own.

Field Trip to UCR

A presentation to students on college life. Handouts were given to each student.

One of the tour groups taken around the campus.

Another tour group taken around campus.

Today, freshman, sophomore, and junior AVID students were taken on a field trip to the University of California, Riverside. They were given a tour of the campus grounds, buildings, classrooms, the library, and the food court. After the tour, students were shown an informative video created by UCR students on college life. They were also given information on UCR and a review on the requirements to get into this college. After the tour and presentation, students had the opportunity to sample college food.

PSAT

The PSAT, the Preliminary SAT test, was administered today to all freshman, sophomore, and junior students. The test is composed of three sections: Mathematics, Critical Reading, and Writing. It takes about two hours and ten minutes to complete. Each of the three sections is scored on a scale of 20 to 80 points, which add up to a maximum composite score of 240 points. This parallels the SAT, which is graded on a scale of 200 to 800.

AVID students are encouraged to take the PSAT each year, beginning in the freshman year. Research has shown that each time students take the SAT, the score increases by a significant amount of points. Therefore, taking the PSAT will help students increase their score on the SAT. In addition, it gives students a chance to see what the SAT will be like, and in what areas they need work.

Our Tutors

For the 2008-2009 school year we are lucky to have three college tutors and one peer tutor. Our college tutors are: Anna Diaz Villela, Jill Taylor, and Aabida Mayet. We also have one of our 12th grade AVID students, Xitlali Tapia, as a peer tutor to the 9th grade AVID students.

Anna Diaz Villela, a Savanna High School graduate class of 2006, attends California State University, Fullerton. She is majoring in Spanish. In her free time she enjoys playing soccer and being with her family. She loves helping in the high schools and especially its students. Her advice: Take advantage of tutorial time because they are very helpful. And yes, having an organized folder with notes and a detailed planner/agenda will be necessary for college and your future.

Jill Taylor is a junior at California State University, Fullerton. She is studying for BFA concentration in photography. She graduated from Diablo Valley College in 2006, earning her AA in Liberal Arts. Being an AVID tutor has been her favorite job. She loves helping students and making a difference. She also enjoys creating art, taking photos, spending time with her family, and going to concerts. Her advice: Take advantage of tutorial time. Ask questions in areas that you are struggling in. Any questions about college, feel free to ask the tutors. That’s what we are here for.

Aabida Mayet, a former Savanna High School AVID student and graduate class of 2007, attends California State University, Fullerton. She has an emphasis in teaching. She loves coming to Savanna to tutor and catch up with students and help them. She loves cooking and spending time with her family. She wants to be a high school math teacher. Her advice: Take advantage of AVID because it is helpful. The only thing is you only get as much out of it as you put in. Take tutorials seriously because they will help you out in your other classes.

Back To School Night

Before Back to School Night started, parents and students were invited to Savanna’s library for an informative meeting about the AVID program at Savanna. Mrs. Poppy Hill, the AVID Coordinator for Savanna, presented a power point presentation for parents discussing the components of the AVID program, why AVID is important for students, and much more. Parents were able to ask any questions they had about the program or the upcoming PSAT. Parents also filled out a survey.

The A-G Requirements

The A-G Requirements are the classes required for admissions to four-year universities. First time freshman applicants are required to have completed the “comprehensive pattern of college prep courses” with grades of C or better in each course.

• English: 4 years required
• Mathematics: 3 years required, 4 years recommended
• History: 2 years required
• Science: 2 years required, 3 years recommended
• Foreign Language: 2 years required, 3 years recommended
• Visual/Performing Arts: 1 year required
• College Prep Elective: 1 year required

These are the minimum courses required for students who wish to attend a CSU or UC. As the demands for students applying to colleges increase, students are recommended to aim for higher grades than the minimum and to take as many college preparatory courses, including Honors and Advanced Placement, as possible.

Students who wish to attend a private university or a college out of state should look up the desired college and see what the requirements are for that specific college. (Each private university or state may have different requirements than the ones listed above.)

The Mission of AVID

The mission of AVID is to ensure that all students, especially the students in the middle with academic potential capable of completing a college preparatory path:

• will increase in school-wide learning and performance
  
• will succeed in rigorous curriculum
• will enter mainstream activities of the school
• will increase their enrollment in four-year colleges
• will become educated and responsible participants and leaders in a democratic society

Components of AVID

Rigor is the goal of helping students develop the capacity to understand content that is complex, ambiguous, provocative, and personally or emotionally challenging.

WICR stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, and Reading. Each category has a list of activities students may do in their AVID class.

• Writing: pre-write, draft, respond, revise, edit, final draft, class and textbook notes, learning logs, and journals
• Inquiry: skilled questioning, Socratic Seminars, quick-write and discussion, critical thinking activities, writing questions, and open-mindedness activities.
• Collaboration: group projects, study groups, tutorials, jigsaw activities, read-arounds, response/edit/revision groups, collaborative activities.
• Reading: SQ5R (survey, question, read, record, recite, review, reflect), KWL (what I know, want to learn, what I learn), reciprocal teaching, and think-alouds

Tutorials are held every class period except Fridays. Students are grouped according to questions they bring from their academic classes. They direct the questioning and learning process. In addition, they help each other work through their questions. Cornell notes are written on each question. A summary and reflection are written at the end of tutorials.

Cornell notes are a vital part to success in the AVID program and in high school. Students are expected to take at least 10 pages of Cornell notes each week. This breaks down to two pages per day. Each page of notes should have five parts: heading, title, notes in the right side, questions on the left side, and a summary at the end. Notes should be meaningful to students, and used often as review.

Binders are essential part of proper organization for an AVID student. It is recommended that students have one binder for all of their classes. In that binder students should have materials (paper, pencils, pens, highlighters, glue sticks, etc.), dividers for each class, the student planner, and any other assignment or information for the respective class. Binders are checked each Friday.

Tests are an important part of preparing students for college. Students are expected to take tests, including the PSAT, the SAT, the ACT, and more. In addition, AVID prepares students for the California High School Exit Exam, CAHSEE.

Basics of AVID

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. It is a program designed to help underachieving students prepare for and succeed in colleges and universities. Students in the program commit themselves to prepare for college. AVID offers a rigorous program of instruction in different academic skills as well as college level entry skills.

The AVID program teaches students how to collaborate, study, read for content, improve writing skills, take notes, stay organized, set goals, take tests, and manage time, to name a few. Students participate in tutorials led by themselves under the supervision of tutors who use skillful questioning to bring students to a higher level of understanding. They are expected to maintain an organized binder for all of their classes. In addition, students should be taking at least ten pages of Cornell Notes each week.

The three main components of AVID are academic instruction, tutorial support, and motivational activities.