One of the things that has always made the Rose Academies unique is how our commitment to honor the promise of education is molded around each individual student’s goals. Time and time again, we’ve seen how pursuing passions in high school can help students stand out on college applications and in the job market. When students pursue their passions, they develop skills, knowledge, and experience that are valuable to colleges and employers. Here are just a few of the ways that passions can help to mold a student’s future.
First, pursuing passions allows students to demonstrate commitment to their interests and goals. When students engage in activities that they are passionate about, they tend to be more motivated and persistent, putting in the time and effort required to achieve their goals. This has the potential to impress college admissions officers and employers, who value individuals with a strong sense of purpose and direction.
Next, pursuing passions in high school is an excellent way for students to develop skills and knowledge that are relevant to their interests and future career goals. Engaging with their interests can lead to the development of a wide range of skills, from teamwork and leadership to communication and problem-solving. These skills can then be valuable in the student’s chosen college program or career industry in the future.
Finally, high school is a great time of exploration, and one of the best ways for students to find their niche is by testing out their passions. By immersing themselves in activities that they are truly interested in, students can discover their unique talents and strengths, which can help guide their future career choices. When it comes to college and job applications, having a strong record of pursuing passions can make a student stand out from the crowd, demonstrating their commitment, motivation, and dedication to their interests and goals.
Ultimately, pursuing passions in high school is not only a way for students to enjoy their time and explore their interests, but it can also have a significant impact on their future success and happiness. At the Rose Academies, we offer individualized and flexible scheduling options to help students gain the experience that will continue to earn them opportunities after graduation. To learn more about the Rose Academies alternative high school education, we invite you to continue exploring our website.
While “Home Economics” classes may be a thing of the past, high school teaches many important life skills to help students function and excel in the real world beyond graduation.
Here, we outline the many benefits of teaching life skills for high school students. From effective time management to social and emotional learning and common sense, high school equips young people with essential attributes, ensuring a seamless transition into employment or higher education.
Rose Academies charter schools offer flexible learning options, equipping students for future success while accommodating diverse schedules. Visit our website to learn more about how our basic life skills curriculum can prepare your child for a bright future.
Time Management
By encouraging students to prioritize assignments and make decisions based on the importance of each task, high school teaches crucial time management skills. Learning to prioritize tasks, manage distractions, and take breaks when needed can help students to manage their time better and become healthier, more efficient workers in the future.
Communication
High school teaches invaluable communication skills through everyday activities and interactions. Classroom learning encourages students to voice their opinions and collaborate with peers, while emailing teachers and fellow students bolsters written communication skills.
In-person interactions within the classroom also equip students to listen attentively, express themselves, and resolve conflicts, all of which prepare them for post-graduation success.
Collaboration & Teamwork
Through high school group projects and team-based extracurriculars, students learn how to effectively communicate, delegate tasks, and support their peers. This environment allows them to develop respect for different perspectives and teaches them to compromise.
These skills are essential for success in future workplaces, preparing students to become cooperative, productive members of society.
The Ability to Learn
By encouraging students to explore their interests and develop critical thinking skills, high schools teach the most valuable lesson of all: How to learn. Unlike committing study materials to short-term memory, teaching students how to properly learn allows them to retain information over extended periods of time.
High schools allow students to develop their abilities by actively engaging with the world around them, instilling a lifelong love of learning.
Social & Emotional Learning
By engaging in classroom discussions, school activities, and community service, students learn to understand and regulate their feelings. This aspect of education equips students with resilience and empathy, allowing them to manage their emotions and establish positive relationships with others.
Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
High school challenges students with complex problems that require critical thinking and innovative solutions. In subjects like math, science, and technology, students are taught to analyze information and make informed decisions. Critical thinking techniques equip students to approach problems methodically and think independently, preparing them for higher education and professional careers.
Other Life Skills High School Should Teach Students
In order to ensure future success for young adults, high schools should equip students with practical life skills. From money management to community engagement, teaching life skills prepares students to become functional adults after graduation.
Financial Literacy & Money Management
Teaching financial literacy in high school equips students to effectively budget, save money, and understand credit. By familiarizing students with scenarios like managing a checking account or planning for college expenses, they can make informed decisions about real-world spending and investing.
Household & Automotive Skills
By teaching students basic household and automotive maintenance skills, high schools empower them to address everyday problems, preventing costly issues down the line. Learning to perform simple household repairs or routine car maintenance equips students to be proactive problem-solvers.
Employment & Career Skills
Integrating employment and career skills into the high school curriculum prepares students for the workforce. By teaching resume writing, interview preparation, and professional communication skills, high schools give students a head start in their job searches and ensure future success.
Self-Care, Medical, & Wellness Skills
By covering topics like nutrition, exercise, mental health, and first aid, high schools should teach students about self-care and basic medical knowledge. Equipping students with these skills promotes a lifelong commitment to well-being, encouraging them to lead healthier lives.
Self-Assessment & Reflection
High school is an opportunity to teach students how to assess their own strengths and weaknesses and reflect on their personal growth. These skills help young adults set realistic goals and understand the steps needed to achieve them, encouraging self-awareness and continuous improvement.
Digital Literacy
As technology continues to advance, high schools should teach students how to safely and effectively use technology, from conducting research online to understanding digital etiquette and security. Digital literacy skills allow students to seamlessly transition into employment or higher education after high school.
Civic Engagement
Teaching students the value of civic engagement encourages responsibility and community involvement. High school curricula teach students about governmental processes, the importance of voting, and how to participate in community service. With this knowledge, students are encouraged to remain involved and make a lasting impact on their communities.
Environmental Awareness
Lessons on recycling, conservation practices, and climate change can inspire students to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. With environmental education, high schools can encourage students to consider environmental impacts in their future decisions, contributing to a greener future.
Why Life Skills Courses Are Essential in High Schools
Life skills courses in high schools prepare students for the real-world challenges they will face after graduation. These courses teach practical skills such as financial management, interpersonal communication, and critical thinking, which are crucial for personal and professional success.
Beyond academics, life skills equip students to handle social pressures and make informed decisions, fostering independence and self-confidence. With life skills courses, high schools encourage students to excel academically and thrive as self-reliant adults.
How to Teach Life Skills to High School Students
In order to create a more engaging learning experience, teachers should demonstrate life skills in the classroom. Incorporating external resources and inviting guest speakers to contribute to curricula allows students to more effectively understand abstract life skills.
Modeling Life Skills
Teachers should model critical skills within the classroom in order to set a positive example for students. Educators should demonstrate problem-solving, conflict resolution, and teamwork, providing students with applicable examples of life skills in everyday situations. This direct demonstration provides practical applications of abstract concepts, encouraging students to adopt positive behaviors.
Using Outside Curriculum & Experts
Incorporating external resources and inviting experts to contribute to curricula can make life skills courses more impactful for students. Guest speakers, interactive workshops, and specialized online courses provide students with diverse perspectives and experiences. External resources can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application for a more engaging learning experience.
Conclusion
By teaching students essential life skills, high schools prepare them for the complexities of adult life. With effective collaboration, problem-solving, and social skills, students are equipped to succeed in their future career paths.
Many high schoolers are concerned with bolstering their collegiate applications with impressive GPAs and a roster of extracurricular activities. Outside of school athletics, activities, and clubs, one often overlooked aspect that can set an applicant apart is volunteering. In this blog, we’re looking at why high school students should consider getting involved with volunteer opportunities and a few ways to get started.
Explore Careers and Interests
Choosing a career or even a college major is a big decision. Going into a field you’re committed to and know you will save you time and money, but it can be tough to know that ahead of time. Volunteering is a great way to get involved in more exclusive areas you’re interested in that might otherwise be inaccessible, such as political campaigns, hospitals, and veterinary offices. In other words, volunteering is an excellent opportunity to “try before you buy”, allowing you to try out a career field and see what it’s like firsthand before buying a whole college education.
Networking
Networking is the process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. Volunteer work that takes place outside of school is a great way to meet people you wouldn’t have otherwise and gives the volunteer an edge over peers who have kept their community involvement limited to their current school. These relationships can help immensely when needing connections for internships or jobs in the future.
Earn Scholarships
Scholarships are competitive. Unlike strictly academic-based scholarships, volunteer-based scholarships get a fewer number of applicants and are accessible to everyone willing to volunteer. So, if you’re worried about your options for standing out on college admissions or qualifying for scholarships, volunteering is a great place to start.
How to get Involved
A quick google search will produce myriad ways to get involved and start volunteering in your community. Our best tips for choosing the right volunteer opportunity are to consider your location, schedule, and interest. Finding a way to get involved that’s close to where you live or in a future desired area (such as near your future college campus), can be completed after school or on weekends, and falls in line with a career interest or passion of yours are great places to start.
Here at the Rose Academies, you can earn credit for your volunteer work through our Service Learning class. We are dedicated to helping students achieve the future they envision for themselves with an alternative to traditional high school education. We invite you to learn more with a visit to our website.
October is Emotional Wellness Month! Taking time out of a busy school season to recognize emotional wellness means spending time disconnecting and giving the brain some TLC. Maintaining a healthy emotional balance helps high schoolers to make healthy choices, have good relationships, avoid burnout, and achieve their goals.
Emotional health is one aspect of mental health. It reflects one’s ability to cope with positive and negative emotions and become more aware of how feelings affect you. Poor emotional health can lead to various mental and physical ailments that may interfere with students’ day-to-day lives. Below are a few tips to bolster the emotional wellness of high school students.
1. Get Sleep
It’s no secret that high school students like staying up late. For years there has been literature about early class start times for high schoolers having detrimental effects on their sleep patterns. One solution is to go to bed earlier, but for many, that piece of advice is either ignored or simply impractical. If a student works a job in the evenings, for example, they may not be able to observe an earlier bedtime.
The Rose Academies is among the very few high schools that prioritize student sleep. By offering three session times throughout the day, students can pick the start time that works best for them. Getting adequate sleep certainly helps to improve performance in school and overall mood, making it a key component of maintaining emotional wellness.
2. Be Mindful
Being “present” helps to regulate emotions, helping students to process what they’re feeling without becoming overwhelmed. Time spent in high school is often very future-focused, with goals of graduation, college, and career at the forefront of students’ minds.
While setting goals is integral to a Rose Academy curriculum, our staff is committed to meeting students right where they are and designing a graduation plan that fits the student’s timeline. This helps students to focus on what’s right in front of them with less worry about the future (which can lead to overwhelm and burnout). Keeping high school students confidently engaged while working towards a larger goal is one way a Rose education fosters emotional wellness.
3. Allow Space to Grieve
Grief is a universal emotion that everyone experiences. We often associate grief with losing a loved one, but grief can result from any struggle with loss. This may include loss of identity, the loss of a future you had imagined for yourself, or the loss of a relationship. Grief takes many forms and can come up even in the circumstances deemed “not that bad” by others.
Grief is a complex emotion experienced by many high schoolers. The temptation to mute those feelings and carry on with school as usual could be detrimental in the long run, resulting in both acute and chronic health issues.
At the Rose Academies, students are more than just another name on a roster. With smaller class sizes and student bodies, every staff member knows each student by name and their story, support needs, and goals. At Rose, we take a more whole-person approach than traditional high schools, recognizing that students have lives outside of school. Achieving emotional wellness is an ongoing process, and at Rose, we aim to maintain the flexibility and support needed for each student to thrive.
To learn more about what makes a Rose Academy education different, we invite you to continue exploring our website.
Some parents wonder; “does school prepare you for the real world?” The concern being that high schools aren’t actually equipping students for life after graduation. As young adults step out into a world that demands versatility and adaptability, many find that their high school experience has left them underprepared for the challenges ahead.
This blog will discuss the core of traditional high school education and explore its potential gaps in preparing students for the realities of adult life. We’ll also examine how schools are meeting, or failing to meet, the needs of students as they transition to higher education or step into their first jobs. The focus will be on the important skills that are often overlooked but are crucial for success outside the classroom.
Amidst these discussions, it’s important to highlight an innovative educational approach that promises a more well-rounded and effective preparation for the real world. At The Rose Academies, our curriculum fosters academic success and essential real-life skills, bridging the gap between school achievements and real-world challenges.
Contact us at The Rose Academies today to learn more about how our high school prepares students for the real world.
The Gap in High School & “Real World” Preparation
Traditional high schools often prioritize academic achievements and standardized testing, which does not build the practical skills needed in everyday life and the workforce. This creates a significant gap as students leave high school without mastering essential life skills such as financial literacy, effective communication, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.
These competencies are needed to help navigate the challenges of adulthood, yet they are frequently overlooked in a traditional high school curriculum.
Traditional High Schools & “Real World” Education
Traditional high schools typically focus on a curriculum around standardized tests and college admissions. This approach often neglects the broader skills needed in the real world, potentially leaving students unprepared for both higher education and career success.
Schools Aren’t Helping Students Prepare for College
Many high schools focus on memorization and test-taking strategies, which do not necessarily translate into the skills needed for college success, such as research, analytical thinking, and self-directed learning. This disconnect can leave students struggling academically and emotionally when they encounter the more independent and challenging environment of college.
Schools Aren’t Preparing Students Reach Their Careers
Similarly, the traditional high school curriculum often fails to equip students with the practical skills required in the modern workplace, such as teamwork, digital literacy, and creative problem-solving skills. As the labor market continues to evolve rapidly, students need more exposure to real-world applications of their studies and opportunities to explore diverse career paths.
Why High Schools Need to Better Prepare Students for After Graduation
Given the evolving demands of the workforce and higher education, it’s critical that high schools adapt to better prepare students for life after graduation. Integrating real-life skills into the high school curriculum is essential to ensure students are truly ready to face the challenges of the real world, especially those who are not attending college.
How High School Should Be Helping Students
High schools should extend their focus beyond traditional academic subjects to encompass a broader spectrum of education, including critical life skills and real-world applications. This involves embedding the learning process with opportunities that promote soft skills such as leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence.
Schools need to foster environments where students can engage in collaborative projects, community service, and internships that provide a taste of the workforce and civic engagement.
Real Life Skill Preparation
High schools should provide more opportunities for students to acquire real-life skills that are essential for personal and professional success. These include financial management, health and wellness, interpersonal skills, and adaptability to different situations and job types.
Integrating these skills into the curriculum can help students become more well-rounded and prepared for the unpredictability of life post-graduation.
How Rose Prepares Students for After High School
Ideally, students should leave high school feeling confident to move on to the next step of their lives, college or the workforce. However, upon graduation, many students that have attended traditional high schools may lament that they don’t feel prepared at all. Even those students with respectable GPAs and solid test scores sometimes struggle to apply what they have learned to live after high school. We are set on changing that at the Rose Academies charter schools by offering an alternative.
We accomplish this in a variety of ways, including:
Learning how to learn, provoking thought
Instilling self-motivation
Opportunity to practice work/life balance
Learning How to Learn
The Rose Academies stand out in their approach to preparing students for life after high school. We focus on critical learning methodologies and real-world skills rather than traditional academic rote learning. Our educational philosophy is centered around “learning how to learn,” which encourages students to think critically and adaptively.
With learning how to learn, the Rose Academies are dedicated to expanding students’ minds, not fitting them neatly into a box. Memorizing and regurgitating information may produce a nice standardized test score, but it rarely translates to real-world understanding or success. Many students come to Rose because they are looking for an alternative to the monotonous structure of traditional schools. By teaching students how to think critically and learn endlessly, they can face any challenge with a level of confidence in their abilities.
This approach goes beyond just absorbing information to developing a mindset that values continuous learning and problem-solving, both of which are crucial critical thinking skills in higher education and the workplace.
Instilling Self-Motivation
Furthermore, The Rose Academies instills self-motivation and offers students practical opportunities to manage work/life balance – skills that are often underemphasized in traditional settings. By allowing students to design their own learning paths and schedules, The Rose Academies promote self-directed learning and personal responsibility. This flexibility helps students learn to balance their academic responsibilities with personal interests and obligations, mirroring the kind of scheduling autonomy they might experience in college or their future careers.
Self-motivation is a natural byproduct of being a student at the Rose Academies. With a highly individualized curriculum, students can work at their own pace and often independently, though teachers are always present to answer questions or provide guidance. Each new student to the Rose Academies sits down with an academic coach to map out their goals for the year, helping to ensure students know what is expected and make their plan for success.
Practicing Work/Life Balance
Practicing work/life balance is a skill many adults struggle to cultivate, perhaps because they’ve never been allowed to practice. One of the most obvious differences between the Rose Academies and traditional high schools is the option for students to design their schedules. Sessions are offered in five-hour blocks, three times a day, allowing students to hold a job, tend to other responsibilities, or more deeply explore outside interests while pursuing their diploma. Many students go onto college or a career having never before practiced prioritizing or time management. At the Rose Academies, the educational experience is designed around training students in the fundamental skills needed to graduate high school and transition into the world beyond.Through these innovative educational practices, Rose Academies prepares students academically and equips them with the essential life skills needed to handle the complexities of the real world. Contact us at The Rose Academies today to see how our high school can help prepare your child for adulthood.
For many students, working a job provides spending money for a social life. For others, working is necessary to help the family make ends meet or to save for college. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, more high school students than ever before stepped up to help contribute to their family’s household income and may not be willing, or able to relinquish that financial support.
Having a job in high school can not only be a great experience in and of itself, but it can also set you up to get better jobs in college and beyond. However, even part-time employment can drastically cut into study time and other academic responsibilities. Researchers have learned that students who work more than 20 hours a week suffer from reduced academic performance, but that holding a job with proper work-school balance can actually improve student grades and time management skills, making students less likely to drop out of school, and giving them a leg up on both college applications and future employment.
Balancing a job with studies requires students to learn how to schedule their day. A typical seven-hour school day plus five hours at work doesn’t leave much time for homework, studying, sleep, or relaxation; all things necessary to a high school student’s success.
That’s why, at the Rose Academies charter schools, we offer flexible scheduling that cuts down drastically on unnecessary and unhelpful time at school. Our school days are typically just five hours, and are offered in three different session times throughout the day from 7 am-12 pm, 12 pm-5 pm, and 5 pm-10 pm, giving students the space they need to better achieve that ideal work-school and work-life balance.
The Best Way to Study Depends on Your Learning Style
You’ve heard it all by now. Don’t procrastinate, plan ahead, organize your study space, take good notes, and get enough sleep, but what’s really the best way to study? At the Rose Academies, we want to give you all the tools to find your unique study strategy and implement the pieces that work best for you. Below are three study tips that you may not have seen on those other lists!
To know the best way to study, discover your learning style
You may have heard that we all learn differently, but did you know there are actually four main learning styles that most of us identify with? Visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic describe the common leading ways we learn. Typically, we use all four in combination, but it’s likely that one style is more helpful to you than the rest.
Here are examples of what each looks like:
Visual: Visual learners learn best by seeing. They respond well to diagrams, color-coding, video, and patterns.
Auditory: Auditory learners learn best by listening. They respond well to audio cues like speech, music, rhymes, and other sounds.
Reading/Writing: Reading / Writing learners learn best by reading and writing the material they need to study.
Kinesthetic: Kinesthetic learners retain information best by doing. They enjoy role-playing, building models, drawing diagrams, and making flashcards. They need to put concepts into practice in the real world.
Once you better understand your learning style, you can apply it to how you study for the best results.
Create a musical connection
In the current state of the world, your study spaces may be looking a bit different these days. One way to help ensure some consistency across study sessions is to pick a style of music or ambient noise to accompany your homework and study time. Classical, instrumental, soundtracks or otherwise non-vocal music is a good place to start to avoid distractions. Then, make sure to never leave home without your headphones! Creating an association between background music and study time means you can experience a studious sanctuary no matter where you are.
Take a tip from Pomodoro for the best way to study
The Pomodoro Technique refers to using a timer to get the most productivity out of your tasks. The classic technique breaks up time into 30-minute sections, with 25 minutes spent focused on the task, and the last five spent taking a break. Supercharge your breaks by taking the time to get up and stretch or walk around and then be ready to get back to work for the next 25. A four-hour study session becomes much more doable when broken up according to Pomodoro!
The best way to study may look different for each of us, but having a full repertoire of helpful tips is a good place to start to find the ones that work for you. At the Rose Academies, we offer flexible scheduling options and support whether at home or in person – for an alternative high school experience as unique as you are. Learn more by continuing to explore our website at Go2Rose.
Contact Rose Academies today at 520-797-4884 or visit their enrollment page to get more information about how to enroll your student in high school at the best charter schools in Tucson!
