SUMMER 2005
Florida Partnership
FAMILYNEWS
in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley and Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the AllAmerican Meal by Eric Schlosser. Maybe you want to try poetry. Have you
read Once by Alice Walker or Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot?
Many books—especially fiction—have inspired movies and plays. Check the
library for these videos and ask if there’s a nice cool place to watch them.
Get the College “Feeling”—Visit Some Real
Campuses
Summer is a great time to visit colleges. No matter where you live in Florida,
you’ll find college campuses nearby. In the southern part of the state are
Florida International University, the University of South Florida, and Florida
Gulf Coast University. Toward the west is the University of West Florida. The
University of Central Florida and the University of Florida are near the middle.
In the northern part of the state are Florida A&M, Florida State University,
University of North Florida, and Jacksonville University. And those are just a
few. Many big schools have several campuses. In addition, Florida is home to
more than 30 community colleges, plus lots of private colleges.
Photos by: Claude Charlier taken at Felix Varela Senior High School, Miami
College: It’s in YOUR REACH
College is more than a dream. It can be your reality show. At college, you’ll
learn about things that interest you, gain better job prospects, and meet great
friends. You can do it—begin planning now.
For starters, you’ll need to take the high school courses that colleges require.
These include four years of English (at least three with a substantial writing
requirement), three years of math (Algebra I and higher), three years of natural
science (including lab courses), three years of social science (like history), two
years of a foreign language, and other classes. Also, take the toughest courses
that you can handle. The challenge is worth it. You’ll learn more in harder
courses, and that’s what colleges want you to do.
Get ready for college success. Don’t settle. Begin with these simple steps:
• Find out exactly which courses and tests you need to take by looking up
colleges of interest on the Internet at www.facts.org or in the library.
• When school starts, meet with your counselor or teachers and review
your schedule. Make sure you’re taking the right classes to prepare for
college. Ask about Advanced Placement Program® (AP ®) and honors
courses.
• Start a “college countdown” calendar with important dates and
deadlines.
• Get involved in an extracurricular activity that you like doing.
• Go to college fairs at your school or in your area.
Visit www.collegeboard.com to help you plan.
Keep Your Mind Sharp
School’s out, but that doesn’t mean you should waste the summer. In addition
to working, why not do some things that make learning fun? You don’t have
to go to science camp to explore Florida’s amazing natural world. Create your
own adventure by going on a field trip with your family. Visit a beach to get
closer to marine life. Or check out one of Florida’s many free nature centers,
preserves, or state parks. Go on virtual trips by reading nature magazines at
your library.
Your family can take an inexpensive weekend trip to visit colleges. Why not try
camping or staying with relatives and then visiting college campuses to see
which feel right to you? (You don’t even have to travel to check out your local
community college or take an online tour.)
To get the most out of your campus visit, plan ahead and find out about the
college. Look at viewbooks, course catalogs, and Web sites. Are summer
tours offered? Sign up— they’re free. Be sure to get a map of the campus so
you don’t get lost. Some other tips: Bring a notebook to help you remember
your experience. Jot down things you liked about the school. Once you’re on
campus, you just might find it’s the place you belong.
Mark Your Calendar…in Bold
Wednesday, October 12, 2005: PSAT/NMSQT®
It’s free for tenth-graders in Florida, and it’s the first step on your road to college.
If You Did Not Pass the FCAT, Stay in the
Learning Loop
If you have completed high school and did not pass the FCAT, don’t be
discouraged. You can still continue your education and career preparation. If
you earned all the required course credits and have at least a 2.0 GPA, you can
get a CPT-eligible certificate of completion. (CPT stands for Common Placement
Test.) The certificate lets you enroll in community college or career and technical
education programs. If you earn a high enough CPT score, you can take college
credit courses. If you don’t make the cut-off score, start with remedial (makeup)
courses. You may be able to take credit-earning courses later.
There are other options, too. You can sign up for adult high school credit
courses or take an adult education GED-prep program at a technical center,
adult education center, or community college. Visit your local library and ask
the librarian to help you to find programs near you. Or go to www.fldoe.org
and click on “Students” to learn more.
Your education is just beginning. Stay in the learning loop. You can make
college your reality and put a great career in your future. It’s in YOUR REACH!
Parents—encourage students to read more, and talk and write about their
experiences. Read and discuss the newspaper as a family. What are your teen’s
views on current events? Steroids in sports? Protecting the environment in the
Florida Keys or the Everglades? Does global warming contribute to hurricanes?
How is the Hurricane Research Division of the Atlantic Oceanographic and
Meteorological Laboratory working to better forecast hurricanes? What’s
the history or science behind today’s news? Students should learn how to do
research at the library and online. If you don’t have a computer, go to a local or
county library or to the study room at a community center.
Summer Reading Is Cool
Here’s a smart way to beat the heat—read! At your local library, you can find
works of fiction including novels such as Their Eyes Were Watching God by
Zora Neale Hurston, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, and The Bluest
Eye by Toni Morrison. Nonfiction books include biographies and histories
such as Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett Fischer, and books about
science and social science such as Genome: The Autobiography of a Species
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