Monday, January 31, 2011

Secretary of Commerce Visits Dutch Fork High

By: Kelly Payne, Social Studies Teacher










Former South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor recently visited Kelly Payne’s IT Kids to recount the state’s recruiting successes during his tenure in that office. He discussed reasons the state was so successful in creating new jobs at the same time the national employment situation was worsening.


Mr. Taylor talked about “soil conditions” that are necessary to attract business and promote growth.  Those conditions include a low tax burden, reasonably priced land and utilities, and an educated and trainable workforce.  He inspired the students to always try to excel in every class they take, explaining that by doing so they’ll develop valuable skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

Prior to serving as Commerce Secretary Mr. Taylor created and operated Southland Log Homes, a thriving, major employer located less than five miles from Dutch Fork High School.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Online Course Registration for Rising Seniors of 2011-2012

By: Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction


















Dutch Fork High School is offering an additional option for scheduling students for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year. The PowerSchool Parent Portal has a new feature that allows parents to enter course requests. The feature is available for rising seniors 2011-2012 only. Additional grades will be added next year. The traditional process is also available for seniors if they choose not to use the online method.

The online option will be available from February 1 - 8, 2011. The Apex Lab (Room 502) will be open from 4-7 pm during this window (except for Friday Feb. 4, 2011) to assist students with onling course registration. To enter the building on those nights, you will need to use the 2nd set of double doors to the left of the bell tower (facing the building). Upon entering the building, proceed down the hallway and Room 502 is the fourth door on your right.

If you do not have your Parent Portal web access id and password, please visit the main office at Dutch Fork High School as soon as possible.

Friday, January 28, 2011

New Forensic Science Course 2010/2011

By Carl Tilson, Science Teacher













Do you have an interest in a Forensic Science career? Have you recently seen any of the popular television shows CSI Miami, Los Angeles, New York and thought to yourself, “wow that would be an amazing career, I wish they taught that in my high school.” Well we've got great news for all students and parents. Dutch Fork High School is adding Forensic Science to its expansive list of course offerings for 2011-2012!

Course Description:

Forensic Science is a lab course that teaches the science of crime scene investigation through a detailed examination of the following topics:
ü      Crime scene techniques
ü      Physical evidence
ü      Glass, soil, organic and inorganic analysis
ü      Microscopy
ü      Drugs, toxicology, serology and DNA analysis
ü      Bloodstain pattern analysis
ü      Trace evidence
ü      Fire investigation and explosives
ü      Firearms, documents and fingerprints

This course is based on the application of topics from biology and chemistry which are utilized in new and exciting ways to solve crime. Forensic Science is an introductory course for students who are interested in criminal justice, law enforcement, crime scene investigation, or who consider becoming a laboratory technician.

Why take Forensic Science?

ü      You need a fourth science or fifth science based on your college or career goals.
ü      You want a different science experience than what is offered in a traditional science elective.
ü      You are curious or interested in a potential career in law enforcement.

What are the prerequisites for forensic Science?

Biology 1 College Preparatory and Chemistry 1 College Preparatory
Biology 1 CP and currently enrolled in Chemistry 1 CP
Teacher recommendation

If you are interested in taking Forensic Science at Dutch Fork High School next year (2011-12), please see Mr. Carl Tilson, Mrs. Susan Elvis, Mr. Patrick Smallwood, or any member of the guidance staff. You can also contact us here at school at 476-3305.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Academic Video Tutorials

By: Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction
















We have an exciting new feature on our website that is available to all students. Utilizing the weblinks to the Kahn Academy, students at Dutch Fork High School have access to over 1800+ (and growing) videos on YouTube covering everything from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus and from biology to chemistry and beyond. Also included are a series of exercises that allow students to practice and assess their knowledge at their own pace.

In addition to Compass Learning, Apex, teacher-led academic assistance and the services of our Academic, Literacy, and Enrichment Center (ALEC), students have twenty-four access to a library of standards related material. We are so excited to be able to link the students of Dutch Fork High to this extensive collection filled with user-paced exercises thus allowing us to join Khan Academy in becoming the free classroom for the world.

As an award-winning school, Dutch Fork High continues to advocate using varied approaches to explain concepts to students. Visit our webpage @ http://www.lex5.k12.sc.us/DutchForkHS.cfm to begin accessing the free video tutorials. Once there, select from the left menu:

- For Students
- Kahn Academy Tutorials
- Select Topic (Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, etc...)
- Select Skill (Simple Equations, Phthagorean Theorem II, Acid Base Introduction, etc...)
- Select Play

We feel that this is an invaluable resource to students and should help with those difficult concepts and lessons. It is our hope that you will utilize this free material to ensure that your student obtains a level of course mastery consistent with their academic goals and career plans. If you need any further information, feel free to give us a call here at school @ 476-3305.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Junior Parent Workshop

By Laura Dilworth, Guidance Counselor
      Robin Lowman, Guidance Counselor

















Dutch Fork High School will be hosting a very important, free, informational workshop entitled “Financial Aid 101.” This invaluable presentation is open to all college-bound high school seniors and their parents. The workshop will cover financial aid, the importance of the FAFSA, how to correctly complete the FAFSA form and how to handle unique situations such as divorce and guardianship, options for paying the remaining college bill, plus much more.

This free workshop will be held on Tuesday, January 25th at 6:30 pm in the Dutch Fork High School Media Center. Please register by going to http://www.cfcsc.com/ or by calling 798-0390 so we may have enough materials for everyone in attendance!

Additionally, on the same night, a workshop for junior parents concerning the college admissions process will be held on Tuesday, January 25 at 7:00 in the evening. This event will be held in the auditorium, and all interested parents of juniors are cordially invited to attend.

For additional information or for questions, please call the Guidance Office at 476-3305. Thank you and good night.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Tips for Exam preparation: A Principal’s Advice to Students

By: Jonathan Martin
Published on Connected Principals Blog


Exams are next week: how many of you are looking forward to taking exams?   I hope the answer is many of you, because I believe that when a well-prepared mind engages with a well designed test, fireworks can happen inside our minds.   I had many experiences of feeling more intellectually stimulated, engaged, creative and innovative, when taking a well-designed exam than during almost any other time. My mind leapt to new insights and perceptions, made more connections and inferences, and discovered and constructed original solutions or approaches to vexing problems.   I loved taking exams. But you do need to be well prepared to be successful. Some suggestions for you to be better prepared.

1.  When you study, don’t just read: write!   Too often we think we are studying when we let our eyes drift over the words in our notes, our textbooks, and our study guides.   That isn’t enough; we must write to remember and develop better understanding.    My freshman year of college I struggled with my midterms, and was quite disappointed with the results.   Come finals, I chose to do something I had never done before: I simply rewrote, word for word, every note I had taken during lecture– and when I went to take my exams I was flabbergasted with how much more I recalled and how much more confident and authoritative I was addressing the questions.    Recopy notes, or write about your notes and texts:  what are the most interesting, more original, most surprising, most confusing, most important, most controversial ideas or informational nuggets in the texts you are studying?  Write these out, and you will be better prepared.

2. Study in groups. When this works well, it is awesome; when it doesn’t work well, it can be a disaster.   The opportunity is great, but effective execution is essential.    When you do it well, the result will be better understanding and retention of key factual content and key interpretations , better anticipation of what will be on the test, and far more breadth of wisdom in how to answer those questions.

            Here is my suggested strategy for group study:  gather 3-6 students, no more, together for a couple of hours: be clear up-front that this is serious study time. Have food available: this is very valuable! Bagels and cream cheese (not donuts or candy) is my recommendation.   Spend thirty to forty-five minutes brainstorming what you think will be asked on the test: review previous tests, study guides, textbook unit tests, and any other materials to guide you.  You might have each member of the group individually write up 3-4 questions, and then share them with the group for discussion and feedback as you generate the best (and what you think are most likely) test questions you can identify. Then, having established the best set of potential questions you can determine, spend 90-120 minutes answering them.   You might talk about them, one at a time, taking turns having a group member be the note-taker, and talk as widely, deeply, and inclusively as you can about how to answer these questions.    If you didn’t come up with good, challenging, and representative problems in the first round, this round might fall flat.    Sometimes it works better to divvy the questions up, have each of you individually answer them in writing, then share the answers out loud for discussion and expansion.
           

            The discussion benefits you two ways: as someone speaking and sharing your suggested answer, you yourself are gaining far more comprehension and retention of those ideas because the best way to deeply understand and remember ideas is to explain it to someone else.    Second, by listening to others, you will get new ideas and perspectives to bring to bear on the question you might never have thought of, and by using this broader set of ideas in your answer on the exam, you will perform better than you would have alone!

3. Exercise and sleep. This is common-sense and universally advised, but it bears repeating. Exercise in particular is so valuable, and take the time to walk every 30-45 minutes around the block or up some stairs.  You might even try to do very light exercise, on a treadmill or exercise bike at low rates for instance, while you are studying.

4.  Move around. When you are trying to learn, master, and memorize ideas or facts, do so while moving from spot to spot.  At each spot, focus on learning one idea/fact/topic, and do so while looking around and taking in your surroundings.  Do this inside or outside your house or anywhere you might be.    If possible, repeat, returning to the same location for the same nugget.    Our brains are more like those of squirrels or pigeons than we realize; they are deeply wired to associate learnings with location.   Squirrels memorize the location for their acorns so they can return to them months later; if we associate a physical location with an idea, it is imprinted in our brain, so that all we need to do is remember the location and the acorn buried there will return to mind in all its detail and specificity.

5. Connect smells to learning. This may seem bizarre, but as Proust taught us with the madeleine, memory and smell are deeply, powerfully intertwined.    You might try sucking on a particularly flavored altoid mint while you study a difficult subject, and then, (with the permission of your teacher!), suck on that same flavor mint while you take your exam.   Medina, is his terrific book Brain Rules, tells us that research has demonstrated this works.

One more tip, not about studying but exam-taking.    When you encounter a question which entirely stymies you– one you think you have no idea whatsoever how to answer– just begin writing.   Begin to fill that white space with something, anything.  You might try just rewriting the question, and then free associate to anything at all you do remember about the topic at hand– even if your ideas have no direct relationship to the question at hand.   

What you will find, more often than not, is that ideas are connected to other ideas; ideas follow each other like a long train of widely varying units, and by beginning to write words and ideas you do know, the connected ones that you have forgotten begin to emerge in your mind and on the paper.   Just get the train of ideas moving, and what you are looking for will come along before too long.


Readers, please share other advice you might have on best study practices for our students as they anticipate exams.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Parent Registration Meeting Rescheduled

By: Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction

Dear Parents:

It is our pleasure again to extend an invitation to all students and parents to attend a very important meeting regarding the 2011-2012 course registration process.  This very important meeting will be held on Wednesday January 19, 2011 beginning @ 6:00pm (for rising 9th graders) and 7:30pm (for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students). Both meetings will be held in the auditorium at DFHS. 

At this meeting we will discuss the process students will follow to register for their classes.  In addition, we will relay important information about district policies that will assist students in having a successful high school experience.

As a component of the 6:00pm meeting, coordinator's from all specialized programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics @ DFHS, International Baccalaureate @ IHS, and Leadership @ CHS), across the district, will share important information about enrollment criteria, scholarship benefits, ties to Advanced Placement coursework, and requirements leading to program completion. Parents and students who are interested in either of these programs are encouraged to attend this session.

Our goal is to involve students and their parents in a guidance and advisement system that develops positive relationships and ensures completion of an accelerated program of study with an academic or career/technical concentration. Research indicates that when we provide this type of collaboration, student’s results improve. Again, we strongly urge you to attend this important informational session concerning the registration process. You are welcome to bring your student with you to the meeting.

Should you need any additional information, please feel free to contact us here at the school (803-476-3305) or contact your child’s counselor.



Trina Offing (toffing@lex5.k12.sc.us), 9th Grade                   (A-L)                       476-3347
Monica Harvin (mharvin@lex5.k12.sc.us) , 9th Grade           (M-Z)                      476-3544
Dorothy Burckart (dburckar@lex5.k12.sc.us) , 10th – 12th     (A-Ca)                     476-3342
Laura Dilworth (ldilwort@lex5.k12.sc.us) , 10th – 12th         (Ce-G)                     476-3343
Robin Lowman (rlowman@lex5.k12.sc.us) 10th – 12th          (H-Ma)                    476-3348
Jessica Capps (jcapps@lex5.k12.sc.us) , 10th – 12th             (Mc-Sa)                   476-3346
Dana Martin (dpmartin@lex5.k12.sc.us) , 10th – 12th            (Sc-Z)                       476-3345


Thursday, January 13, 2011

Revised Exam Schedule & Start of Second Semester

Revised Exam Schedule (Semester Classes) & Start of Second Semester
By: Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction

The exam schedule for Dutch Fork High School has been revised in order to accommodate for the instructional time lost due to inclimate weather. Semester Exams will be administered as follows:

Tuesday January 18th                                Blocks 1A, 3A
Wednesday January 19th                       Blocks 5B & 7B (No Delayed Opening)
Thursday January 20th                              Blocks 2A, 4A
Friday January 21st                                  Blocks 6B, 8B

Note: Wednesday January 19th will be a normal instructional day. We will not have a delayed opening on this day because of semester exams. The first semester will end on January 21st. Report cards will be sent home by students on January 27th.

The 2nd Semester will start on Monday January 24th which is a A-day. Students will report to their second semester classes as indicated by their schedules. Lost schedules can be obtained through the Guidance office.

Remember, as required by law, the school district has three make-up days incorporated into the calendar. Those days are February 21, March 18 and June 3. We will announce at a later date which of these dates are A-days or B-days on our calendar.


A student who misses a mid-year or final exam will not be allowed to make up the exam unless he/she has approval from Assistant Principal for Instruction. Any exam not made up will result in a grade of "0" for that exam. Recognizing that there may be some exceptions, the following are valid reasons for making up exams:

1. Death in the immediate family.
2. Confirmed move out of the district that will occur within two weeks prior to the end of the term.
3. Illness as confirmed by a written statement from a doctor. (Only a medical excuse from a doctor will be accepted.)
4. Out of town trips should not be scheduled during exams. Students will not be allowed to take make-up exams because of travel. Some make-up days for inclement weather are included at the end of the school year and may affect the exam schedule. Plan accordingly!

After the exam schedule has been completed, the make-up exam for the midterm (if approved by the Assistant Principal for Instruction) must be taken during non-instructional time at the classroom teacher's discretion. The make up time for final exams will be determined by the Assistant Principal for Instruction.



Only A student who qualifies as a senior at the beginning of the school year may exempt the final examination for a course if she/he;

1. Has official senior status at the beginning of the school year;
2. Has an overall 85 or better average in the course; and
3. Have not received any suspensions or Twilight detentions during the entire school year.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

EXAM EXEMPTIONS
FINAL EXAM MAKE-UP POLICY

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Schools Closed on Thursday, January 13

Due to significant accumulation of ice on secondary roads and in neighborhoods across the school district, there will be no school for students on Thursday, January 13.  As always, the safety of our students, staff and parents drives this decision.
All athletic and other school or district-related meetings, after school programs, adult education classes, events or extra-curricular activities scheduled for after school on Thursday evening are also canceled.
 
Friday remains a scheduled student holiday/professional development day. 
 
As required by law, the school district has three make-up days incorporated into the calendar.  Those days are February 21, March 18 and June 3.
 
We regret the loss of instructional time and encourage students to take this time to read a good book or continue practicing other skills such as math and science.

School district administrators will continue to monitor weather conditions and will use the school district’s automated telephone system, the district website and local media to keep the public informed.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Basketball Games Rescheduled for Saturday!

By Faye Norris, Head Girls Basketball Coach
Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction

The Monday (B-Team and JV) and Tuesday (Varsity) games have been rescheduled for Saturday, January 15, 2011. Listed below are the game times. All games will be played at Spring Valley High School.

B - Team - 2:00
JV Boys - 3:15
JV Girls - 4:30 (Yes, the JV girls will play after the JV boys)
Varsity Girls - 6:00
Varsity Boys - 7:30

Please come out and support all our basketball programs. Students perform better academically when they see adults connecting with them outside of the classroom.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Spring Valley High School

Thursday, January 6, 2011

DFHS AFROTC Wins Battle Of The Bells

Dutch Fork Air Force JROTC won the Battle of the Bells among area high schools to win the most money collected for the Salvation Army Christmas Red Kettle Program.  Dutch Fork raised $3057 to beat the 10 other schools competing.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Update on the 2011 AP Calculus Exam Administration

By: The Collegeboard








Beginning with the May 2011 exams, the format of the free-response sections of the AP Calculus AB and BC Exams is being modified as follows:
  • Section II, Part A (graphing claculator required) now consists of two questions to be completed in 30 minutes; and
  • Section II, Part B (no calculator is allowed) now consists of four questions to be completed in 1 hour.
Please read the 'Use of Graphing Calculators" section on pages 12-16 of the AP Calculus Course Description, Effective Fall 2010, for a full description of the change.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Lady Silver Foxes Claim Tournament Title

By: Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction



The holiday break is normally a restful one for students. This would hold true in most circumstances except for high school basketball players. Teams typically use the holiday break to work on added schemes while developing some team chemistry prior to heading into the conference schedule. The Lady Silver Foxes of Dutch Fork High used the holiday break to participate in the Taco Bell Invitational at W.J. Keenan High School. They played three games and were victorious over all three teams earning them the tournament title for the second consecutive year.

In the first game, the girls defeated Marlboro County High School 71-33. The semifinal game drew the home team W.J. Keenan Raiders. They used solid team play and a relentless defense to defeat the Lady Raiders 64-38. In that game Alaina Coates scored 31 points and Donnesha Shuler had 24 points. This win advanced them to the tournament championship game. This was an anticipated match-up between the Lady Silver Foxes and the defending AAA State Champion Myrtle Beach Lady Seahawks. This would prove to be an excellent early season test for the Lady Silver Foxes. Each team had their share of outstanding plays with the Lady Silver Foxes gaining the momentum in the second half and pulling away from Myrtle Beach to gain the victory 66-54. Donnesha Shuler finished with 23 points, Alaina Coates 15, Shelby Curtis 12, Kyla Wigfall 8, Sierra Stokes 7, and Audra Snipe 1. Donnesha Shuler was named to the all-tourney team and Alaina Coates named the most outstanding player.

DF remains undefeated and improves to (10-0). The Lady Silver Foxes return to action on Jan. 4 with a non-region game at home against Lugoff-Elgin. Both girls' and boys' team return to region 4-4A action on Jan. 11th  in a long awaited match-up against AAAA State Runner'sUp, Spring Valley High.

2010-2011 Advanced Placement Bulletin for Students and Parents

By: Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction

Bulletin for AP Students and Parents 2010-2011

Introduction
The Bulletin for AP Students and Parents is being provided for students and parents so that they can be fully aware of the benifits associated with taking Advanced Placement courses. You can download free copies of the AP Bulletin or order free printed copies by calling (212) 713-8066.

How to Enroll in AP
The AP Program isn’t just for the top students or those headed for college. The only requirements to take an AP course are a strong curiosity about the subject you plan to study and the willingness to work hard. Once you’ve decided to take the AP challenge, it’s easy to enroll: talk to an AP teacher or the AP Coordinator at your school about the course you want to take. Discuss the course workload and any preparation you might need. If you are a homeschooled student or if you attend a school that doesn’t offer AP, you can still participate.

Challenge Yourself: Take AP® Courses
Participating in the AP Program gives you the opportunity to take college-level courses while you’re still in high school. With over 37 courses in 22 subject areas, there’s bound to be a course that matches your interests—you’ll find AP courses in art, computer science, languages, human geography, and more. AP courses teach you skills that can lead to success in college. You’ll develop the writing skills, problemsolving techniques, and study habits that will prepare you for college academics. Plus, taking rigorous AP courses demonstrates your maturity, willingness to push yourself intellectually, and commitment to academic excellence, which can help you stand out in the college admissions process. Take AP courses for yourself. Enter a universe of knowledge that might otherwise remain unexplored in
high school. You’ll study subjects in greater depth and detail, and rather than simply memorizing facts, you will be expected to develop and support your own arguments and perspectives.

Put Your Knowledge to the Test: Take AP Exams
Each AP course has a corresponding AP Exam that schools worldwide administer in May. AP Exams provide students with a standardized measure of what they’ve accomplished in the AP classroom, and are thus an essential part of the AP Program. As a result, college admissions offices and many high schools expect that students who enroll in an AP course will take the AP Exam at the end of the course. Because the College Board is committed to providing access to AP Exams to all students—including homeschooled students and students whose schools do not offer AP—it does not require students to take an AP course before taking an AP Exam.Students taking AP Exams give permission to the College Board to release their contact information to researchers supportive of the College Board’s mission.

Benefits of Taking AP Exams
Taking an AP Exam allows you to experience a college-level exam now, while you are still in high school. Your work will be evaluated by unbiased college and university professors and AP teachers using college-level standards. If you are worried about how well you will do, remember—you risk nothing by taking the exam. You control which colleges (if any) receive your AP Exam grade. Most colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and institutions in more than 40 other countries, grant students credit, placement, or both for qualifying AP Exam grades (not AP course grades), providing you with more study options in college. For example, you could move into upperlevel courses in your field of interest, pursue a double major or a B.A./M.A. program, or gain time to study or travel abroad.

You’ll also have the opportunity to earn an AP Scholar Award. Each September, the College Board recognizes high school students who have demonstrated exemplary college-level achievement on the AP Exams through AP Scholar Awards. These awards are academic distinctions you can include in your applications, résumés, etc. You will not receive any monetary award from the College Board. For information about award criteria, go to www.collegeboard.com/apstudents