Vancouver School District's GEAR UP Rocket “College: My dream, My plan!”
“GEAR UP” stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Under-graduate Programming. “Rocket” stands for Ride on to College: Kids’ Education Ticket.
Hudson's Bay students Elmehdi Berrissoul and Shelby Bartlett were selected to spend four weeks at the University of Washington College of Engineering Math Academy this summer. The academy helps high-achieving high school juniors develop the math and problem-solving skills necessary to meet the high standards of college-level math and engineering. The academy also introduces students to a variety of examples of engineering in practice. Shelby and Elmehdi, both juniors are able to attend the academy free of charge as members of the Gear-Up program at Hudson's Bay.
August 2010 The GEAR UP Summer Program is finished, and was a wonderful success. Guests from the college and business communities came to share their insights with students as they go into their Senior and final year of high school. They worked with GEAR UP students on their college essays and their resumes. Students put the finishing touches on their FAFSA applications so they are ready to send on January 1, 2011. They also worked on applications to the colleges of their choice. Members of the business community talked about jobs, what it takes to get a job and how to keep it!
GEAR UP students who signed up to be Math Mentors for the younger students of the District in summer classes, will finish this week. The teachers who have been supervising them have been very impressed with their commitment and most appreciative of the help they offered in the younger classrooms.
The final group of GEAR UP students is in Seattle for their last University of Washington Summer Institute. They'll be back on Thursday, August 5.
Elmehdi Berrisoul and Shelby Bartlett have been working very hard at the UW College of Engineering Math Academy and will also be finished the end of this week. We're looking forward to reporting on their adventure.
The rest of summer is a welcome break after all the wonderful work accomplished in July and this first week of August. Now it's time to rest up for the final stretch in our 6-1/2 year GEAR UP journey to high school graduation and beyond. It's getting so-o-o-o close!
The countdown to Graduation in underway! 11 months (LESS THAN A YEAR!!!)'til Graduation for the Class of 2011. GEAR UP Site Directors are working with students on completing FAFSA4caster in preparation for submitting the FAFSA in January 2011. We have received FAFSA forms for 2010-2011 which we will be using with students and families between now and January 2011. The draft Graduation Timeline is being updated with important Senior information and will be ready for distribution to students in September, and to families at the Mandatory Senior Orientation on October 1. GEAR UP students have been meeting and will continue to meet individually with their Site Director to work on this valuable tool.
FAFSA is upon us! The countdown to Graduation 2011 has begun!
GEAR UP parents and students have begun the FAFSA process by accessing the FAFSA4caster website to begin entering information for January 2011 when the FAFSA will be submitted. Information related to the FAFSA application and timelines is posted on our new link. See the upper right menu of this main GEAR UP window for "School and Training After High School."
August 2-5 University of Washington Summer Institute
September 2010 --
September 13 GEAR UP After-school Program Begins
EVENTS FOR PARENTS
** Parent Meetings **Parent Meetings are usually 6:30-7:30pm. See below for date, location and confirm time.
October --
October 1 -- Mandatory GEAR UP Senior Orientation - Bates Center for Educational Leadership, 6-7pm. Spaghetti dinner at 5:30p in Roosevelt's Cafeteria.
