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High School Transition
2023 8th Grade Parent Meetings for High SchoolTop of Page
From Principal Pedersen...
There are many options to consider when thinking about high school. We are lucky to have excellent public and private schools in the area. If you are applying to private schools, there are important deadlines to adhere to, both for our school and for the schools you are applying to. For public schools, there are also processes and deadlines that all families must meet in order to get their child set up in the District’s system. In order to help you understand these processes, I will be meeting with each family individually during the week of September 18th. I will be holding 20-minute meetings with each family, and meetings will be in-person on September 18, 20, and 21 and on Zoom on September 22. I highly encourage all families to sign up for a time to meet so that we can go over all of the important details that pertain to this transition to high school. Sign up for a high school transition meeting HERE.
Prior to the meeting, I encourage all parents to explore the options available in our area and to come with questions. If you are interested in private schools, sign up for Ravenna and begin exploring the information that is preliminarily available. Schools will begin to add much more information as we move into Fall. Many, but not all, private schools use Ravenna as their main interface for admissions events and applications. If you are interested in public schools, start with a Boundary Search to identify your child’s home school.
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From Upper School to High SchoolTop of Page
Woodside School graduates are well prepared to take on the challenges that high school provides. Roughly 60% of our graduates will elect to apply and attend private high schools, and about 40% will choose to attend public high school in the Sequoia Union High School District.
The application and decision process can be arduous and sometimes confusing. In order to help make this transition as easy as possible for students and parents, we have created a synopsis of both the public and private High School application process. Below you will find important information and dates to help the transition process.
The application and decision process can be arduous and sometimes confusing. In order to help make this transition as easy as possible for students and parents, we have created a synopsis of both the public and private High School application process. Below you will find important information and dates to help the transition process.
Public High School – Sequoia Union High School DistrictTop of Page
- Visit the "Information for Incoming 9th Grade Students" on the Sequoia Union High School District's website at www.seq.org for information regarding boundary search for your home High School, address verification, and open enrollment.
- If your child is interested in shadowing at Woodside High School, you can sign up online for a specific date.
- Determine your home High School by conducting a Boundary Search.
- Online Registration begins on October 15th, and ALL families need to complete SUHSD's online registration process. Even if you are considering private High School, it is highly recommended that you do this to prove your address so that your child is put into SUHSD's student database and a spot is reserved for them as a back up option. If your child elects to go to private High School, we notify SUHSD later in the year. The Priority Online Registration window runs from October 15-November 30 to ensure your student's placement in their assigned school based on your address. OLRs compelted after November 30th are subject to placement at different schools in the district based on availability.
- Open Enrollment is a period of time when you may request a High School other than your assigned home school for your child to attend. Open Enrollment submissions typically begin on October 15 and end on February 1. Check the Sequoia Union High School District enrollment site for more information. Open Enrollment is now completed as a part of the Online Registration process.
- If you apply for Open Enrollment, in early March you will be notified of acceptance to your desired home school. Decisions at the High School District are made through a lottery process.
- Please notify Jennifer Pedersen, Upper School Principal, and Elvira Ramirez, Student Information Coordinator, as to which school your child will attend (public or private).
- All 8th grade students, no matter if they plan on attending private or public High School, may take placement tests for the Sequoia Union High School District. This typically occurs in December/January. These placement tests, along with current placement, state testing, and grades, may help determine which World Language, Language Arts, and Mathematics classes students take during their 9th grade year in the Sequoia Union High School District.
- Counselors from Woodside High School come to Woodside School and meet individually with 8th grade students at the end of March. If students know that they will be attending a private High School, they will not attend these meetings. Students who know that they will be attending public high schools sit down with the counselors and discuss the classes that they will take their 9th grade year (e.g., Math, ELA, electives, etc.). Information will be sent home to parents regarding classes prior to these meetings with students. In addition, all class enrollments are handled online, and parents will have access to this component to check classes, make changes to certain classes, etc.
Private High SchoolsTop of Page
- Families should monitor private school websites regarding admission beginning in September.
- Families considering private schools must sign up for a Ravenna account. Many of the local private schools process their applications through Ravenna.
- Schedule shadow dates with the private schools, and try to schedule these dates on Woodside School holidays or minimum days, whenever possible. Most schools now require that you pay the application fee before your child is allowed to shadow. In addition, it is a good idea to try and space out the shadow days so that students don't miss multiple days in succession, or miss days where there are exams occurring. Also, please notify your child's teachers well in advance.
- Plan to attend Open Houses at any schools being considered. Most schools require registration to attend.
- Follow instructions regarding submitting teacher and administration recommendations and transcript forms. It is vital that you complete the transcript release form so that Woodside School can send your child's report cards to prospective schools.
- Begin student/parent applications for private schools. Be sure to complete the applications by the appropriate deadline.
- Complete financial aid paperwork, if needed.
- Register for testing according to what each private school requires (e.g., ISEE, SSAT, or HSPT).
- Private schools will notify students of their acceptance in mid-March.
- Elvira Martinez, the Student Information Coordinator, compiles information regarding each student and the schools to which he or she is applying. For detailed information regarding what parents need to do, please see the 8th grade instructions letter. Once you have a Ravenna account, please see the Ravenna instructions. All students have to fill out a Student Biography form and turn it into Elvira Martinez by November 3, 2023. Finally, all parents must fill out a Private School form so that we know which schools you are applying to and turn them into Elvira Martinez by November 3, 2023.
- Please notify Mrs. Pedersen and Elvira Martinez as to which schools your child was accepted, wait-listed, or denied. In addition, please notify Mrs. Pedersen and Elvira as to which school your child will attend.