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The Honor Roll School official podcast: home of the school's up-to-date information adding another layer to our school communication --- This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of the content. SEG Inc. expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this podcast or the information presented in this podcast. This podcast and all its content, including but not limited to audio recordings, show notes, artwork, and branding elements, are protected by copyright laws. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without prior written permission from SEG Inc.
Hello. This is Mrs. Quintero, the proud head of school of the Honor Roll School, and welcome back to the pod, the Dolphin Podcast. Today, I'm joined here with Mrs. Humlicek, our upper school principal, and we're gonna be discussing all things high school. But before I turn it over, let's dive right into what's coming up. Parent teacher conference sign ups are out, and you can find these on the link of the THRS app.
Mrs. Quintero:Also, don't forget to sign up for this Susan G. Komen Walk for a Cure. It's on October 4. This is our first year creating an entire THRS school community team. So please join us for this worthy cause.
Mrs. Quintero:And thank you so much to all the people who have already signed up. It's gonna be a lot of fun. We have a big banner. We're gonna be choosing some kids to walk in front with holding the banner. So this is gonna be an awesome opportunity for the honor roll school to get together and work as a team.
Mrs. Quintero:Also coming up is the book fair. Kids love the book fair, and that starts on September 29. So be looking for more communication about the book fair. Now I'm here with miss Humlechuk. Hi, miss Humlechuk.
Mrs. Quintero:Hi, Mrs. Quintero. How's everything going?
Mrs. Humlicek:Well, we're in the season of high school admissions. In fact, our eighth graders are on a bus right now traveling to some high schools to get to experience a day in the life of a high schooler. And I think that's a great opportunity that we provide our students to get out of their world that may have been their world since they were two years old or maybe have been their world for just a year or two and get to experience a day in the life of a high schooler. They come off that bus so excited for the opportunities to come but I know from a parent's point of view it can be overwhelming. So Ms.
Mrs. Humlicek:Montero what are some
Mrs. Quintero:of the tips that you have for parents embarking on this application journey? The most important thing I would have to say is really attending the open houses. It's really important to go to the open house. I think it's really important for your children to go with you. Having that feeling of belonging to a campus as soon as they step foot is just invaluable.
Mrs. Quintero:They're gonna get on that campus if they become a student there and and really enjoy being there because they already felt like they belonged, like, the first day they walked in. Kinda like the first day you parents walked into the honor roll school and you felt that family feeling and you just wanted to just stay here and belong. So I think that's one of the most important things. I think setting up a tour, also a separate tour, where you have time to ask all of your important questions about the school, the school community, you know, how are the kids gonna be able to get involved? I think that's really important.
Mrs. Quintero:You have to look you have to be forward facing and really look at going into a university even though they're just going to high school. So backwards map your child thinking about where you where they're gonna go for college, what things they wanna do in college. And I think that's really important as well to look at what these high schools have as opportunities for these kids moving forward.
Mrs. Humlicek:Yeah I completely agree with what you said and I also love that our graduates go to tons of high schools and that can sometimes be daunting for parents because I know parents come to us and they want to hear this is where your child should go but we don't answer that question and we don't really tell you that because it's not about where your neighbor's child goes or what you heard has a great reputation or has been around the Houston area for years and years. Of course those are factors but it's really about what's best for your child. So if your child is really into theater you're looking for a high school that's going to provide a myriad of theater opportunities because that high school experience is really building that resume and building those soft skills to be able to launch into college. And I get that's overwhelming to think about college they're only in seventh or eighth grade but you said backwards mapping. I like the term to future thinking you know thinking about what goals you have for your child and your family and not necessarily just listening to quote where everybody else goes or what you think in your head is the best school because the best school is the best school for your child, not necessarily the number one ranked school.
Mrs. Quintero:Your child will get out of high school what your child puts in. And I'm gonna say it again. Your child will get out of high school what your child puts in. You can spend $60,000 a year on a high school. You can go to a free high school.
Mrs. Quintero:But if your child isn't putting in the effort, they're not getting involved, they're not building their resume for college, you know, they're not taking those rigorous courses, then it doesn't really matter where they go to school. So I think us here at the Honor Roll School, we start building that in the kids even from kindergarten, but we really start putting the effort in when they come for transitional middle school in fifth grade, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. You know, we always talk about our four pillars, academics, athletics, community service, fine arts. We make sure that we are providing those opportunities for them so that they can take all that confidence and that leadership with them as they head off to whatever high school they get into or whatever high school becomes their choice.
Mrs. Humlicek:Yeah. And I think our parents really appreciate in the end, standing on that stage at graduation and us having that moment with parents. Our graduating parents or seventh and eighth grade parents who recently attended high school night will go, oh my goodness, I didn't realize you did all of this at the honor roll school purposely. We are very intentional and methodical about building experiences for children that they need in this nurturing middle school environment so that they do get to high school and it's not going to come with perfection right there are still going to be those hills and valleys is we're all flashy back to our own high school experiences. But our students are equipped with confidence communication skills.
Mrs. Humlicek:And this is what we're hearing from our high schools. Our high schools love recruiting the honor roll school students because not only do they have great character that honor responsibility and respect but they're unafraid to try out for things. And I think we've created that culture in our middle school world and in our younger grades as well to go out and maybe you don't make your student council representative as a freshman but you tried and you had the confidence and comfortability to be a risk taker. We hear from our families how well equipped our students are for the high school experience. Again, not to say there aren't gonna be pains and gains because that's life but our students are with that well rounded approach academics fine arts and athletics and community service especially well poised to enter into a rigorous high school environment and it doesn't have to be a private school.
Mrs. Humlicek:It can be your local public school and it can be academies. Academies. So think beyond just what you hear or the buzzy high schools because there's really a school out there for every child and you've you've got to find which one it's is for you. But like miss Quintero said it's through those tours and it's through visiting the campus. When you go visit the campus people watch because these are gonna be your children's friends.
Mrs. Humlicek:These are gonna be your friends. These are gonna be the people surrounding your children every day and get a feeling it's that gut feeling that you get whether this feels like home whether I feel included do I feel welcomed or do I just not this doesn't gel for me but it may gel for another student and so I just excited for our students and families to embark on this journey but it's a lot of work. So,
Mrs. Quintero:Miss Humlacek, thank you for joining me today. I think, you know, to put out there one more time that we don't just prepare the middle schoolers for getting into a great high school or, you know, excelling in public high school or at the public academies. We start early. You know, we start at the beginning of when they walk in the door, they hear those words about community service. You know, they are involved in the arts.
Mrs. Quintero:They are involved in athletics. They are involved in rigorous academics. You know, they have all of those things provided to them. They're always practicing every day.
Mrs. Humlicek:Because we know this process is daunting, a lot of families express stress about it. But know that you have a support system. We say support. It's the Dauphin way. You have Ms.
Mrs. Humlicek:Winter you have miss Williams you have me miss how much like you have so much support for your child. It doesn't have to be in seventh and eighth grade it can be in all those younger grades because we're building towards this. And I also think it's really valuable that students have the opportunity to apply and quote start over. Right that ninth grade experience where you're transitioning to a new do we're then then we're navigating friendships that. And making friendships at a new school.
Mrs. Humlicek:But it's why we do counseling sessions with our guidance counselor on forming friendships and keeping friendship. And that's why I think our Grad Walk is such a great new tradition at the Honor Roll School that Mrs. Quintero started was it two years ago, three years ago?
Mrs. Quintero:Started it two years ago. Yep coming up on our third year this year.
Mrs. Humlicek:And what is the Grad Walk?
Mrs. Quintero:And it's really awesome we invite back graduating class of four years ago. So they are now graduating from high school on their way to college. So they come with their college shirts on, as well as our eighth graders who are graduating and moving on to their high school. And this is the grad walk through the campus where the eighth graders get to see all their old teachers. And then even these graduating high schoolers, they come back large, big, giant kids that they are, but they also hugging the teachers that they had and coming back and sharing their experiences, with the eighth graders of what it's like to be in high school and how it was to apply for college.
Mrs. Quintero:So I think keeping that alumni connection and seeing our eighth graders so proud as they're walking the halls. But not just that, it's the early childhood kids are out in the hall cheering for them, you know, kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, fifth grade. They're just there cheering them on and seeing what they're gonna be when they're eighth grade. So I think having them see their future every once in a while is invaluable.
Mrs. Humlicek:I agree. And I've never seen so many teachers cry on that day. Cry and emotions in seeing their eighth graders graduate who they taught in what first grade kindergarten toddler and then really seeing the students off to college. There are major tears and we take lots of pictures because it's a big event and parents come and great new community tradition.
Mrs. Quintero:Yeah, it's amazing. And for me too, like I cry too. Had them do twelve years. Like so when I see them back or I see the eighth graders going and I've seen them grow up right before my eyes, it's just a fulfilling, amazing experience to be able to know that we confidently are sending them off into the world to represent the honor roll school as amazingly as they do. So we're gonna wrap it up, miss Humlechuk.
Mrs. Quintero:Loved our conversation about high school. We love talking about getting our kids prepared for high school. It just doesn't start in middle school. It starts the minute they walk in the door of the honor roll school as a student. And off we go.
Mrs. Quintero:Remember, you can find the podcast, the Dolphin Podcast on the weekly Dolphin Days, the THRS app, and soon to be able to be searched on Apple Podcasts. And we're trying to get an account Spotify so you might find us in a lot of places. Until next time, this is missus Quintero And missus Hummelcheck. Signing off from the tank.
Disclaimer:This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. This podcast and all its content are protected by copyright laws. All rights reserved, no part of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without prior written permission from SEG Inc.