Dear AVID Parents:
We are so pleased to have you and your child as part of our four AVID classes this year. Out of approximately 1500 incoming freshmen and sophomores, your child is 1 of 107 students that has been accepted into the AVID program at Klein High School. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a program dedicated to helping students achieve their college goals. Your child has already shown his or her potential and desire to be in the program during the initial screening process. The AVID team, which strongly believes in these capable students, will now require each student to meet the program’s high expectations. The AVID class will provide support, academic monitoring and tutoring to help these students meet the rigorous demands of this school year. Writing, collaboration and reading, along with tutorials, and the teaching of study skills and time management skills, will be the core elements of our AVID program.
What can parents and guardians do to support AVID students?
Communication between the AVID teacher and the parent(s) or guardian(s) is essential. My email address is
jspradling@kleinisd.net, and my classroom phone number is 832-484-4196. Please feel free to communicate with me regularly by email and if necessary by phone. As always, your child’s teacher will contact you to share your child’s progress, and the teacher will also be sharing that information with me. Also, I will appreciate any information that you share with me about your child. Every student in the AVID program is required to be in at least one Pre-Advanced Placement course, which is very intensive and rigorous. Your student will have between 1-3 hours of homework every night. At home, parents can see to it that students are doing their homework everyday in a quiet place with few interruptions. By asking your child about his/her day, and inquiring about homework and the events of school, you will bridge what could be a great gap between his/her school life and home life. When the two are connected, successes increase. Your child will have a place in his or her binder to keep a calendar for each class and a place to record grades; this will enable you to continually help monitor his or her progress and successes. In addition, stressing your belief that your child can succeed in pre AP classes and high school and attend college will also motivate him/her to work harder and achieve more.
What is required of an AVID student?
Each AVID student carries a 3” binder in which he or she is required to keep materials from all academic classes. Students keep track of assignments on assignment sheets and are required to take DAILY notes in ALL academic classes. The notebooks are graded weekly for content and organization by the AVID teacher and the college tutors. Led by tutors, students participate in tutorial groups in the AVID classroom that focus on building learning tools and skills needed for higher order, critical level thinking. In addition, students are taught study skills, test preparation skills, time management skills, and the writing process.
Who are AVID tutors and what do they do?
AVID tutors are college students who receive training in methodologies used in AVID writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading. They are in the classroom weekly to serve as models and to help students achieve success in rigorous classes. They are trained NOT to give students answers or solve problems for them but rather to guide them toward answers and strategies for problem solving.
Thank you in advance for your support! I am looking forward to working with you and your student this year!
Sincerely,
Janet Spradling
AVID Elective Teacher
