It's Back to School!
We at The Grizzly hope that you are all having an amazing summer! We’ve all enjoyed taking a break from academics. Perhaps you were (or currently are) on a family vacation, or maybe you just sat around your house all summer. Either way, the school year is creeping up fast and it’s time to get everyone prepared for it! For that reason, we’ve created this special article to help make sure that you are all up and ready for the school year.
We’ve included advice for freshman from our current sophomores while also providing you with a few other tips we think will come in use. We hope that you enjoy, and that you’ll be ready to come back to school by August fifteenth. See you then!
Suggested School Supplies for Freshmen:
4 folders: 1 for each class except math
1 binder: for math (1-1 ½ inch)
Several pencils
6 notebooks: 1 for each class + 1 for summit solves
1 red pen: for working out math problems and other notes
1 blue pen: for working out math problems and other notes
Calculator
Reusable water bottle
Advice for incoming Freshmen from The Grizzly staff:
English I
“A key aspect of English class is being comfortable asking questions when you are stuck and challenging yourself. The best thing I ever did last year was just talk stuff through with the English teacher. We would collaborate on ideas and share thoughts” - Bridget K.
“If you're struggling with something, or don't know what to write, go to Ms. Ro for help! Don't be afraid to ask her, she'll be happy to.” - Maddy W.
“English class is the perfect time to learn more about what’s going on in the world and (what could be considered more importantly), the community that you are living in. While going through the material, be sure to take notes and make sure that you really understand. Ms. Ro is always there and willing to help if you need it, so do not be afraid to ask. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with different writing styles. It’s your first year of high school, so it’s the perfect time to learn more about yourself. Trust me, it will help you in all of the rest of your classes and in the future.” - Ellen H.
“For English, the most important thing is to get as much teacher feedback as possible. This is because grading depends on the teacher, and at the very least you need to know how the teacher will grade.” - Miles C.
“English projects and playlists require you to look at certain ideas, topics, and texts from every possible angle. When reading a book or thinking about a playlist, try to really focus on the subject at hand, use notes and stuff if you have to. Like most classes, you won’t be able to get through with just memorization alone, you have to utilize critical thinking.” - John D.
Modern World I / History I
“Just do not get on the bad side of the teacher and put effort into the class. It will certainly be a hard class but it will fly by.” - Bridget K.
“Do your work on time. It will make life easier.” - Maddy W.
“History is a tough subject for me, so I find that going through the playlists before they’re covered in the projects help me understand and work better when it comes to the different cognitive skills. The more you know before you go into the project, the more confident you’ll feel when you turn in the final product.” - Ellen H.
“When doing a history project, feedback is the most important thing if you’re trying to get half-decent grades on your project. If you didn’t get feedback from at least five people, you’re doing something wrong. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a bit in that last sentence, but it is still important to get feedback. In terms of passing history playlists, memorization helps a lot. Personally I found the history playlists to be extremely easy, but if you do find them difficult, take notes. I noticed that notes helps a lot of other people.” - John D.
Biology
“Get to the point. In our class last year we wrote two big lab reports and feedback that I heard and got was just get to the point. There is no need for three extra sentences of fluff; it is not going to help your grade. Another thing is pay attention during the reviews it helps a lot.” - Bridget K.
“Keep your interactive notebook organized. You don't necessarily have to do it Mr. Sewell's way, but especially for Lab Reports, make sure you can easily find each page.” - Maddy W.
“Lab reports and hypotheses are perhaps the most difficult parts of this class, but don’t worry! Scientists all around the world are creating both of these things every day, so you have lots of examples to look at before you actually start writing your own. I found that NCBI often has lab reports that (somewhat) outline the material in the class, so go through and use the hypotheses from these lab reports as examples. You’ll also have to do a lot of research outside of class in order to fully understand the background information and fully and effectively implement the information into the hypothesis. When researching, take breaks between your research (unless you are totally enthralled in the material you’re learning). And remember, always check with Mr. Sewell if you need help. He has a great way of explaining the material!” - Ellen H.
“In Biology, because the writing style isn't so important, make sure that you have written everything that has been required to be written before getting feedback.” - Miles C.
Spanish I
“Spanishdict.com; it is a life saver. ;)” - Bridget K.
“Study your vocab words! You probably won't want to, but it will make your life easier.” - Maddy W.
“While playlists and vocab words are very important to learn, you also have to be able to use and learn different objects in Spanish. Go around your house and label objects in Spanish using Post-Its so that whenever you use them or look in their direction, you’ll see the Spanish translation. You will start to use these phrases (especially towards the end of the year) and it will just make your life easier. Also, talk to Mr. Zepeda if you need help. He’s always open to lending a helping hand!” - Ellen H.
“Make sure you write your name on the Spanish Vocab packets that are handed out to you at the beginning of every unit. Also make sure you don’t lose those packets, they’re very helpful.” - Marina S.
“The largest priority is memorizing words and sentence structures. Once that's done, you can do everything else easily.” - Miles C.
“In Spanish class, memorization of vocabulary is crucial, and using sites like duolingo will usually help you go over stuff you’ve forgotten, or perhaps even allow you to be ahead of your peers in some areas. And when constructing sentences in Spanish, don’t just throw words together. Keep grammar in mind. And as always, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher for help, especially in playlists.” -
Math I
“Appreciate Ms. Sheu. Go to her office hours, do extra credit if she gives it to you, ask for help if you need it.” - Maddy W.
“Don’t. Stress. If there’s one thing I did last year that I shouldn’t have done, that would be it. When you first walk into math class, Ms. Sheu does a great job of making the problems seem like pattern problems, not just numbers that you may not understand. As the year progresses, keep thinking of the problems as pattern and simple problems. Additionally, be sure to take advantage of the extra credit she gives along with the practice tests. Trust me, they will become your best friends.” - Ellen H.
Math II
“It is very fun class because it is one classes filled with all of the smart people. You get to collaborate and talk about problems. One piece of advice is just do the homework and the packets they are not fun but they really are helpful.” - Bridget K.
“For math, just make sure to remember all the equations/formulas/rules and whatnot and do your homework and it'll be fine.” - Miles C.
Keep up with your school work while keeping calm
We’ve all been in a place where we’re sitting at our desks and thinking about how much we don’t get something. It could be math, science, english, history, and much more. As the school years go on, the material only gets more advanced. So how do you stay calm under all of the pressure this school work is putting on your brain? Here are a few ways for you to keep yourself calm throughout those times when it feels like the world is caving in on you.
1. Break your work into different sections. Once you’ve finished one section, take a 15 minute break. During this time, stand up and stretch out! Play your favorite song and dance, sing, or just jive. Sometimes breaking your work into these blocks keeps your focus going while the breaks will give you a chance to do something fun!
2. Listen to classical music while you work. Remember, it has to be classical music. It doesn’t exactly have to be the stereotypical classical music with Bach and Beethoven, instrumentals also work. When you hear a song that doesn’t have lyrics, your mind becomes more focused on your work while the music will help you calm down.
3. Create a plan! It’s something that we really push at Denali and other Summit schools in general. Do it by yourself, with your mentor, or parent(s). Start with a larger goal. Something like, “I want to pass all of both the power and additional focus areas for biology”. From there, work your way down into the minor details. Once you’ve created goals for yourself, go even deeper and create a schedule. This schedule should include what you are going to do during PLT and what you are going to do at home. Include breaks, notes, and other important events. Don’t forget to add some leisure time into this, as sometimes the schedule will become thrown off. Plus, if you give yourself some leisure time, the work and schedule will feel like it isn’t bearing down on you as much.
4. Get together with friends. Sometimes the people who can help you relax the most are your friends. They are always there for you and make you smile, so why not hang out with them when you’re feeling like the schoolwork is piling up and you can’t focus? Call, text, hangout, or chat with them to get your brain fluids pumping. It’s very likely that this will get you back into the positive mindset that you need.
We all know that school isn’t only about academics. It’s about becoming a community and building relationships with the people around you We’ve covered your academics, so here are a few tips and exercises to help you build these relationships throughout the year.
Some fun ways to find friends!
When you first walk into a new class filled with people you don’t know, it can be intimidating. Try smiling! Look around the room and see if there’s anyone who smiles back at you. If someone does, find a seat near them and say, “Hi!”. This might be the start to a new and blooming friendship.
Don’t forget, if you’re already sitting/standing in the room, you can smile back!
Once you’ve introduced yourselves to each other, start with some sentence starters. Here are a few to get you started:
“I really like your backpack!”
“How was your summer?”
“How are you doing?”
“Are you nervous/excited/etc.?”
During this time, try to find something that you have in common with this person. Trust me, it is very likely that you have at least one thing in common.
Sometimes it doesn’t feel like you’ll find anyone who will be your friend. But here are three different things to remember throughout the year.
There will always be someone who has something in common with you. It may seem crazy, but it is true. Whether it is the sport they play, a book that they really like, or an activity that they really enjoy. When you are talking to someone (don’t do this when you are supposed to be talking about schoolwork), ask a little about them. You might find something that you have in common with them.
You don’t have to be friends with everyone. You will still need to be nice and polite to everyone, but you don’t have to be friends.
Friends will come and go throughout your first year of high school, but no matter what you are still you. Keep being the amazing person you are!
