By Jennifer Osborn
When Helix became a charter school in the 1997-98 school year, the major goal was to provide all students with their choice of post-high school activities, whether that was attending a two- or four-year college or trade school, going into the military, or entering the workforce. To that end, Helix’s mission is to prepare all students for the opportunity to attend college, should they so choose, knowing that a college preparatory education also provides the foundation necessary to pursue each of the other options.
Helix’s college access counselor recently evaluated application and enrollment data for the past 20 years and noted that the work being done at Helix has provided more students the ability to attend college following graduation. Approximately 60 percent of Helix graduates state plans to attend a four-year college or university, while a little more than 30 percent say they will start at a two-year college.
Final chance for 2019-20 enrollment
Saturday, Feb. 23, is the last day to attend an information meeting, which is required for all new students wishing to enroll for 2019-20. The meeting will be held in the Helix Performing Arts Center at 10 a.m. At the meeting, families will receive an access code that will allow them to complete the online enrollment application for the lottery, which is required for all interested students. Enrollment applications are due no later than Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m.
Judges needed for senior boards
Have you ever had a job where your skills were evaluated by filling in bubbles on a sheet, using a No. 2 pencil? Chances are good that the answer to this question is “no.”
With this in mind, Helix has for many years required all students to complete a senior project, which entails creating a product, coordinating an event, planning a performance, or providing an actual service that has been designed by them.
The senior project is an authentic assessment, where students are asked to perform real-world tasks in order to show that they can apply the things they have learned in school. It is a stand-alone graduation requirement — it is not part of a grade in a class. Rather, students must complete the senior project at a passing level in order to meet the requirements of graduation.
The final phase of the senior project is senior defenses and senior boards, which provide an opportunity for our students to shine and to feel a sense of accomplishment as they demonstrate their knowledge and skills to their community. Community members are invited to participate as judges for upcoming senior defenses and senior boards.
Senior defenses will take place on April 10, 11, and 12 from noon-3:30 p.m., and senior boards will take place on Tuesday, May 28, and Wednesday, May 29, from noon-4 p.m. Community members are welcome to participate in any or all dates. Please contact me at [email protected] to confirm your participation.
The senior project is just one example of Helix’s ongoing efforts to provide graduates with the tools necessary to succeed in their future endeavors, whether it is college, full-time employment, trade school, or the military.
Rotary speech contest features Helix students
Helix seniors Jonah Leota, Jasper Monteith, and Sophia Rogers competed in the La Mesa Sunrise Rotary 4-way Test Speech Contest on Feb. 8. Rogers took first place and will move on to the next level of competition coming up in March.
Excellence in Education
If you are interested in finding out more about Helix Charter High School, please attend one of our Excellence in Education tours. Reserve your spot using our website, helixcharter.net.
— Jennifer Osborn writes on behalf of Helix Charter High School.
