After FCS

That is the question our Head of School has been asked more than once by the heads of leading area independent, parochial, and public magnet high schools. We’ve been told FCS graduates stand out because they:

 

• Communicate verbally with confidence.
• Write well.
• Bring an interdisciplinary approach to learning.
• Work well in groups, as both leaders and collaborators.
• Appreciate difference in perspective and experience.
• Ask insightful questions.
• Bring strategies for organization and self-discipline.
• Manage stress with a healthy perspective.
• Show respect for peers as well as teachers.
• Show emotional maturity.
• Advocate for moral issues in the larger community.

An FCS graduate’s transition to high school begins years before in the supportive environment of FCS middle school. No one high school defines the “best fit” for an FCS grad; the list of schools our students chose include a broad range of competitive public magnet programs, independent schools, and Catholic high schools.

 

Along with being prepared academically, socially, and emotionally for high school, FCS students are prepared to make a good decision about which high school program is best for them. Starting in 7th grade, FCS partners with families to determine the right fit for each student’s skills, interests, needs, budget, location, and growth. Our high school support includes:

 

• One-on-one guidance with the HS Outplacement Coordinator who has conversations about high school options with each family.
• Individual assistance with the submission of teacher recommendations and transcripts.
• 8th Grade Seminar class that focuses on self-reflection and humble self-promotion.
• Resources to guide 8th grade families through the selection, testing, and application process.
• After-school admissions test prep classes.
• Interview skills training.
• Annual forum with recent FCS graduates and their parents discussing high school options and  the transition process.
• Annual visits in the fall by the admissions officers of prospective schools.
• Annual high school fair at FCS co-hosted with Mocha Moms, Inc.