Now more than ever, students need to see a connection between what they are learning in the classroom and their future careers. This connection is vital to student engagement in school and increases the likelihood that students will graduate with a successful academic resume.
Sycamore Community Schools has always provided career awareness opportunities for our students, but has recently formalized a more comprehensive career advising plan for grades K-12 called Aviator Flight Plan. This career advising framework is multi-faceted based on grade level and interests. Starting in kindergarten, students are introduced to relevant content-embedded instruction and whole grade field experiences; students in middle grades participate in career-related strengths/interests inventories and goal setting; and consistent counseling and advising is provided for students in the upper grades.The Aviator Flight Plan seeks to build the capacity for our students to develop personalized academic pathways that will prepare them for the college and/or career to which they aspire. Parent partnerships are an integral part of our Aviator Flight Plan mission. Here is a look at the process and how you can get involved: Kindergarten-Grade 4: Students participate in career awareness opportunities within their classroom utilizing in-class and online resources, speakers, and participation in whole grade INSPIRE trips. Parents are encouraged to discuss careers related to those offerings as the classroom teacher communicates monthly plans. We welcome opportunities for parents to share their own career experiences relative to areas of study. Please contact your child’s school if you would be willing to be a speaker or can offer a unique experience to our students. See Curriculum Connections for some examples of embedded activities related to each grade level. This is an organic document based on availability of site options at the time. Grade 5-6: Students continue to participate in curriculum embedded activities and INSPIRE trips, but in addition this becomes our entry point for Grade Level Plans that students fill out as they learn how to use various Career Advising Tools. At E.H. Greene, students are introduced to the Ohio Means Jobs website in their Social Studies classes and participate in activities to develop a better understanding of the 16 career clusters and set goals to help them plan for academic success. Parents will be notified once students have developed their plan so that you can discuss the career cluster together and encourage your child to see the relevance between school success and their potential career choices. As always, we welcome opportunities for parents to share their own career experiences relative to areas of study. Please contact your child’s school if you would be willing to be a speaker or can offer a unique experience to our students. Grade 7-8: Curriculum embedded activities, INSPIRE trips, and Grade Level Plans continue at Sycamore Junior High School and the students are introduced to Naviance. This is the primary planning tool they will use until graduation from high school. Utilizing Naviance, students complete a Learning Style Inventory, Career CLuster Finder, and Strengths Finder during their classes. Students will also be able to access the high school course planner to assist them with scheduling. Our junior high and high school counselors guide this process and discuss grade level plans with students as they schedule courses. Parents will be notified once students have developed their plan and will be encouraged to have their students share their Naviance profiles at home. We encourage parents to become familiar with Naviance and to discuss your child’s goals as they relate to school success and potential career choices. We welcome opportunities for parents to share their own career experiences relative to areas of study. Watch for future communication from the junior high Navigator Blog and building website about upcoming opportunities for your expertise to be shared in our classrooms. Grade 9-12: Utilizing Naviance, students will move through a series of self-guided “missions” during their ACE bell and with the assistance of their guidance counselors as follows:
Student Success Plans State law requires that school districts identify students who are at risk of dropping out of school using local criteria with input from teachers, school counselors and other appropriate school staff. Sycamore Community Schools looks at chronic absenteeism, failing grades, and repeated code of conduct offenses as risk indicators and will initiate a Student Success Plan as needed for students who meet this criteria, beginning at the fifth grade level. Parent participation in development of the plan is vital and will include a discussion with the student about the importance of a high school diploma, a listing of the pathways to graduation available to the student, and a comprehensive plan for graduation developed with the help of the student’s guidance counselor. Want more information or have questions? We encourage you to visit the Aviator Flight Plan website to get additional information. Questions regarding the timing of this process at your particular school should be directed to one of the following staff members: E.H Greene: Jennifer Asher or Tracey Bachmann Sycamore Junior High: Ben Brenner Sycamore High School: Megan Brenner or Chelsea Rose |
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