Hello Parents - Your 36 kids are SUPER smart!!! Did I get your attention???
My name is Nick Cady, and I recognize the names of many of your children because they are in our Engineering Program now, or will be in Quarter 2.... with the exception of a few. To be exact, 31 of the 36 are in Engineering. That said, this email has nothing to do with Engineering!
If you are receiving this, your child scored in the Top 36 (of the current CHS 9th graders) when they took the CMAS exams last spring in 7th grade (as there were no tests in spring 2020). Congratulations to them!!! This means, your students are both very skilled, and good at demonstrating those skills on a standardized test. Not all "highly-skilled" kids can do that. I know there are a million different filters we could use to identify groups of potential students for an opportunity like this, but using their middle school test scores is really the only filter that works with the amount of time I have available for this endeavour.
I would like to invite your students to consider signing up through http://www.centerforbrightkids.org/ to take either the ACT (Dec 12th, Feb 6th, April 17 or June 12th) and/or the SAT (Dec 5th, Mar 13th, May 8th or June 5th). Registration for this year's tests opens October 1st.
If your child scores high enough, which I know this group is capable of doing, they will gain access to exciting summer opportunities, connections with universities and exposure to, and recognition from the Center for Bright Kids (CBK) and the Western Academic Talent Search (WATS) group.
If your child decides to test, I will write the confirmation letter that states that your student is in the "Top of their Class at CHS".
You sign up through CBK's website so that your child's results are reported to the organization as well as you. Each registration deadline is usually more than a month before the test date.
Let me be clear that "You do not have to do this... and I am not guaranteeing that it will be an amazing experience", but from the feedback parents have given me over the last many years, it is, and your students are who they are looking for.
Question: How did this group do last year on these tests?
Answer: Last year, the program was cancelled because of COVID, so I never received the scores, but in 2018-2019... 21 of the 22 9th grades beat the Colorado 11th/12th grade state average. One of our 9th graders scored a 35 on ACT Comp. (36 is max score), and another scored a 1540 on SAT (1600 is max score) Both scores are 99th-percentile nationally.
Question: Why is Mr. Cady doing this??? Does he get a kick-back from CBK or something?
Answer: Nobody ever asked me to do this. I get nothing from it other than the pleasure of seeing your kids build self-esteem and kick butt on the test. I just want your families to be aware of the opportunity.
Question: Why Top 36?
Answer: Had to draw the line somewhere. Based on my experience, I feel very good about this group.
Question: My child has a friend who also has the skills and interest to test ACT/SAT. Can they do this too?
Answer: Of course! And I am happy to write the recommendation letter for them. Have them email me.
Running Analogy:
Mr. Cady sees a kid with obvious natural running talent jogging down the street. "Hey kid, you should join the CHS Cross Country Team" Mr. Cady says. The kid replies, "Well, I was thinking I will wait until 11th or 12th grade. The CHS XC team was recently state champion (true) and they have some really fast runners, and the varsity squad is mostly 16-18 year olds." Cady admits, "That is true, but if you start now, you can build your skills and confidence, learn to control your fears and anxiety about the competition, and by the time you are in 11th grade, you will be even faster than if you had not run early on. You will learn how to race well!" Kid runs off muttering... "Crazy old man..." ;)
Let me know if I can answer any questions.
- Nick Cady