Weekly Announcement for September 19th, 2021

Sunday, September 19th, 2021

Students and Parents,

Welcome Southside High Freshman Class of 2025! I hope everyone is having a great start to the new school year. Freshman year is a crucial step toward graduation and it is very important that students do everything they can to make their Freshman year successful. Here are some statistics:

• On average, students earning a 2.0 GPA or lower during their freshman year exhibit much lower graduation rates than students earning just a half point higher (on a 4-point scale).

• Students who don’t earn enough credits to be promoted to 10^th grade are off track to graduate on time and have a higher risk for dropout.

• In the Consortium’s 2007 report What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools, it was demonstrated that one “F” in a year-long course in the ninth grade decreases the probability of eventually graduating by 30 percentage points, even if a student has strong test scores.

• Two “Fs” in ninth grade decrease the probability of graduating by over 50 percentage points (from 85 percent to 33 percent).

Students that fall behind during Freshman year find it very difficult to stay on track to graduate. It is possible, but it is very difficult to catch up. Students must be vigilant in doing their very best in the classroom and getting the help they need if they need it.

Southside High School teachers, counselors and administrators will do everything they can to support students. It is up to the students to be proactive in their classes and reach out when they need help.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Kenneth Skipper

Freshman Academy Assistant Principal

keskipper@greenville.k12.sc.us

864-355-8712

MAP Testing

Fall, Winter, and Spring for Grade 9

• September 13-October 1

• December 1-16

• March 1-17 and March 28-April 1

Note: Tests for GCSVP will be administered remotely with students' virtual teachers.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Proviso 1.96, passed by the SC Legislature in June 2021, requires that school districts in South Carolina administer a reading and math test three times a year (fall, winter, and spring). Your student will be scheduled to participate in MAP Growth testing in reading and math in September, December, and March. Assessment results help guide teachers’ reading and math instruction by better understanding what students know and are able to do, where students need support, and what students are ready to learn next.

Parents and students can learn more about the test, complete practice items, and practice using tools available on the test by accessing the MAP Growth Student Resources website: https://studentresources.nwea.org/.

Your student has been scheduled to take the reading test the week of Monday, September 13th through Friday, September 17th and the math test the week of Monday, September 20th through Friday, September 24th. Makeups will be administered during the week of Monday, September 27th through Friday, October 1st. Due to the uncertainty of and impact surrounding COVID-19 affecting schools’ schedules, all dates are subject to change.

Students should bring their assigned Chromebook (charged) to each testing session. During test sessions, students may not be in possession of or use any electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, smart watches) other than the device used for testing.

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Sonia Leverette at sleverette@greenville.k12.sc.us or 864-355-8752.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Skipper

Freshman Academy Assistant Principal

keskipper@greenville,k12.sc.us

864-355-8712