Plan Your Year: A Family Guide to Goals and Deadlines

“Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

-John Wooden 

I am not a spreadsheet expert nor a pivot table professional. I am visual and I like paper lists, paper calendars, and Post-its! The point I’m making is that people/students keep track of things differently and that is okay as long as the system works for you.

The picture above is what we had on the refrigerator for 2 years. The purpose was to meet college admissions and scholarship deadlines, SAT or ACT deadlines, and letters of recommendation deadlines. It also shows college acceptances, etc. As the months passed, either my husband or I would cross off the month or our sons would. It was best when they did it because they could see how fast time was going. This really helped all of us know what was pending or completed without having to ask our sons. Of course, we also encouraged them to put these dates and reminders on their phone calendar. 

It’s a new year and some resolutions will be kept. Setting realistic goals and setting deadlines to accomplish those goals are important. Here are a few things to think about and to chat with your students about:

Elementary Parents/Guardians

• Is your child reaching the benchmarks for their grade level?

• Does your child need tutoring?

• Will your child take Standards of Learning (SOL) exams this spring? Refer to www.solpass.org for old practice exams and activities and to Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for further information and guidance.

Middle School Parents/Guardians

• Are you asking your student what they’re interested in? Google Career Cluster Survey. This is a great tool to help with interests and career opportunities. 

• Does your student know their grade point average (gpa)?

• Do you know what high school your student will attend or what specialized programs are available in your school division?

• Plan to attend all events with your student as best you can.

• Look for volunteer and internship opportunities for the summer now. 

High school Parents/Guardians

• Does your student know their grade point average (gpa)?

• Does your student check their school email regularly?

• Do they communicate with their counselor regularly?

• Do they look at their Schoolinks, Naviance, etc? Different school divisions use different platforms.

• For graduating seniors:

• Is the FAFSA completed, if they plan to attend a 2 or 4 year college or trade school?

• Have they taken the ASVAB if they plan to go into the military?

• Are they applying for scholarships and know the deadlines?

• Have they toured colleges in person or virtually?

• Do they have their drivers license? 

• Their primary goal is to keep their grades up and attend all classes. 

• For all levels, to include preschool, building and maintaining a strong relationship with educators, counselors and administrators is extremely important. 

It’s a new year and a new semester. Set goals high and finish the semester strong.