Academic and Career Planning in the SDNB
Academic and Career Planning in the School District of New Berlin is a process primarily implemented at the middle/high school to help students identify their personal, academic, social and career goals and develop plans to achieve those goals. A student’s elementary school years, however, certainly provide a strong foundation to inform their planning when they get to middle/high school!
Elementary school is a time when students find out a great deal about themselves. We look forward to guiding them through this process and will provide them with ample opportunities to:
- discover who they are as learners
- identify what they like and don’t like
- gain confidence in their unique abilities
- develop self-management and advocacy skills
- learn how to set goals and develop plans to achieve them
Additionally, the following activities are specifically designed support your student’s development and inform the Academic and Career Planning process when they transition to middle/high school:
- Junior Achievement “Jump Into Your Future Day” (Grades K-6): Each spring, parent and community volunteers provide engaging hands-on activities to provide exposure to a wide variety of future opportunities. Students choose what they are interested in learning about.
- Junior Achievement BizTown program (Grade 5): This program is taught by your student’s teacher and culminates with a visit to an interactive simulated town. Parent volunteers are encouraged to attend. Students are later asked to write a reflection about the experience which is sent home for your review and stored in their Google drive for reference as they move to middle school.
- Academic and Career Planning - Introduction (Grade 6): In fall of your student’s sixth-grade year, your building administrator and/or a counselor from the middle/high school will provide an overview of the ACP process that students will be engaged in during middle and high school. Students will complete activities and a reflection which is sent home for your review and stored in their google drive for reference as they move to middle school.
- ACP Parent Information Night (Grade 6): This event occurs annually in January and is held at the middle/high school to support students as they make their course selections for the following school year. All sixth-grade students are strongly encouraged to attend with their parents and/or guardians. Please watch for information about this event beginning in December of your student’s sixth-grade year.
Please pay attention to school newsletters and announcements for all of the great opportunities both in and out of the classroom that your student has available to them and consider volunteering to assist where you can!
Our vision for students in the School District of New Berlin is for each to graduate truly ready to navigate the world of higher education and the world of work to ensure a smooth transition to their life after high school. This is a gradual process that builds from one year to the next and supports the unique development of each student. Student goals and plans are expected to change annually based on each student’s personal experiences.
Parents continue to be an extremely important part of the process. As your student makes the transition into middle school,
- Become familiar with the information located under the College and Career Readiness menu on your middle/high school’s website.
- Work with your student to reflect on the questions/topics included in the ACP Guide. Not all will apply at this time but you will get a feel for where your students is and what they may choose to consider as they transition to middle/high school.
- Help them discover what they want to learn about, which subjects they want to challenge themselves in, and how to balance their priorities to ensure they can accomplish their personal goals.
- Encourage them to attend the Middle School Prep Camp and/or STEM Camp over the summer: www.nbexcellence.org/district/summers-semester.cfm
Who Should You Contact With Questions?
Your first point of contact is always your student’s teacher. If you have additional questions, you can also talk to your building principal or associate principal.
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