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Generals, CAREtakers, and Community LEADERs,

Congratulations on being a part of a historical year! As we celebrate our senior class of 2017 and welcome the class of 2020 we expect each of you to contribute your remarkable gifts to our community in the year ahead. In the past year our graduating class of 2016 set the bar high with nearly 100% of students graduating college and/or career ready. We intend to continue building off of this success in our fifth year dreaming even bigger for our community. We expect all students at Thomas Nelson will graduate college and career ready, acting as informed and active citizens in our community.

Thomas Nelson High School is founded upon the assumption that you deserve to live a happy life characterized by ample opportunity. To this end, a rigorous and relevant high school education is the most important element to give you the skills that will prepare you to be a community LEADER in whatever college or career path you choose.

Pursuing your future story is hard work. As citizens of the Nelson County community we have a responsibility to lead by example and give our best to support each other. You should know that your effort laying the foundation at Thomas Nelson High School will help strengthen the future of our Nelson County community and the generations that will come after you. You are responsible for the legacy of Thomas Nelson High School

This leader CAREBOOK is an important part of what will make up your experiences at Thomas Nelson High School for you. As you read through it and begin planning for your year remember the importance of our CARE Values. Every day we expect you to take CARE of yourself, take CARE of each other, and TAKE CARE of this place. In the end, these values will be the most important indicator of our collective success. Remember, we always have your back and will support you, but you are the LEADER of your story and must have the daily DISCIPLINE and COURAGE to pursue it completely.

Sincerely,

Mr. Wes Bradley

Fall 2016

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The Mission of Thomas Nelson High School is to prepare all Generals for college and career success, serving as informed and active citizens within their local, national, and global communities.

Vision Statement

We achieve our mission through sustained CONNECTion and CARE with each student partnering with them to CREATE their future story.

Our Core Values = Foundational Behaviors for Success

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COVER LETTER

MESSAGE

FROM GENERAL PARENT LEADERS

“I’m sure you’ve heard that when your child gets to high school…

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TERMS I NEED TO KNOW

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PARENT CAREBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONNECT: BECOMING A PARENT PARTNER
PARENT PARTNERSHIP	GIFT MINDSET	COMMUNITY HOUSES

CARE: SHARING YOUR GIFTS AND TIME
THE GENERAL HAND	HOUSE PARENTS	ANNUAL EVENTS

CREATE: SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S FUTURE STORY
WHY PARTNER?	FIXED MINDSET VS. GROWTH MINDSET	HOW TO STAY INFORMED
THE FUSION YOUTH SERVICE CENTER	COURSE SCHEDULING	GRADING & ASSESSMENT
EXTRACURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT	Year-by-Year PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

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WHY PARTNER?

“A community’s well being simply had to do with the quality of relationships, the cohesion that exists among its citizens.”

Peter Block

A well informed parent creates a stronger educational experience for their child! Parent partnership supports academic achievement.

2. An involved parent is more likely to build

positive relationship with teachers and the

school. In turn, our community strengthens.

3. By partnering with our school community your

voice and ideas are more likely to transform our

school for the better. Knowledge is power.

“I value the connections that my mother has with my teachers. I know that she entrusts them and feels comfortable reaching out to them for any type of support that I might need. Since my mom is confident and involved in our community, I am more confident and involved.”

Nada Kassieh - Class of 17’

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WHAT IS PARENT PARTNERSHIP?

A COMMITMENT TO CONNECTING WITH OTHERS, CARING FOR ALL STUDENTS, AND CREATING THE FUTURE THAT YOU WANT FOR OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

INSERT VIDEO FROM PARENTS- NOT THIS ONE.

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GIFT MINDSET

THREE COMMUNITY GIFTS

CONNECTOR

CAREtaker

CREATOR

Initiator of contact with community.
Connects with parents and students.
Celebrates and honors other parents.

LEADs hospitality & event planning.
Provides physical service and support.

Wants to teach other parents about Parent Partnerships.
Desires to take on challenges and work with teachers, students, and parents to help solve them.

GIFT = A STRENGTH THAT WE POSSESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR COMMUNITY.

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GIFT MINDSET

ANNUAL GIFT COLLECTION

FRONT

BACK

DURING AUGUST OF EACH YEAR OUR HOUSE PARENT CONNECTION TEAM ENSURES THAT YOUR GIFTS ARE COLLECTED AND SHARED WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO ENSURE WE KNOW HOW YOU CAN BEST ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

PLEASE RETURN THIS CARD TO YOUR CHILD’S LEADER PREP TEACHER.

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COMMUNITY HOUSES

The House System at Thomas Nelson High School is central to our shared CARE values. As an extension of our school mission statement, the house system helps each student reach his or her full potential intellectually, academically and emotionally.

At the core of this mission our House structure is the development of a community of shared ownership between our LEADERs, students and parents. That community is built upon the three core pillars of our house system: providing opportunities for all members of our community to CONNECT, serving as a place in which we CARE for one another, and opening opportunities to CREATE together.

At Thomas Nelson we are dedicated to a world-changing mission. Our House System is not superficial, it's about diving deep, recognizing, understanding, and living into the powerful impact that we have on ourselves, each other, and the world.

CONNECT - Through intentional planning we lay a foundation for deep relationships to develop between members of our community. Through these partnerships we experience academic and social success.

CARE - We believe in choosing the common good over what benefits one. Our House Structure provides a sense of stability, structure, and a deep seated belonging for all students, LEADERs, and Parents at Thomas Nelson High School.

CREATE - By asking the question “What do we want to create together” we redefine the traditional model of school culture, creating new opportunities for shared ownership, LEADERship, and service.

“A gift-minded community is one that says we start with what we have…”

Peter Block

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THE GENERAL HAND

THE MISSION OF THE GENERAL HAND IS TO LEVERAGE THE DIVERSITY OF OUR HOUSE GIFTS BY CONNECTING WITH PARENTS, CARING FOR STUDENTS, AND CREATING THE FUTURE THAT WE WANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

CARE

CONNECT

CREATE

PARENT ORGANIZATION

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HOUSE PARENTS

HOUSE PARENT ROLE	RESPONSIBILITY	PRIMARY EVENTS
CONNECTORS 4 IN EACH HOUSE	COLLECT AND SORT PARENT GIFT DATA FOR YOUR HOUSE. CELEBRATE ALL PARENTS WITH 5 HOURS OR MORE OF SERVICE. COMMUNICATE UPCOMING PARENT PARTNER EVENTS TO OTHER PARENTS IN YOUR HOUSE	B2SB Operation Exploration Operation Preparation Parent Prom House Parent meetings.
CAREtakers 4 IN EACH HOUSE	LEAD PARENT EVENT PLANNING PROVIDE SERVICE AND SUPPORT AT ANNUAL EVENTS.	Parent Prom B2SB Graduation House parent meetings.
CREATORS 4 IN EACH HOUSE	REVISE PARENT CAREBOOK ANNUALLY. TEACH OTHER PARENTS ABOUT HOW THEY CAN PARTNER WITH OUR COMMUNITY. WORK CLOSELY WITH HOUSE LEADERS TO PROBLEM SOLVE FOR THE FUTURE.	B2SB Dean’s List Breakfast House parent meetings.

EACH HOUSE HAS 12 COMMITTED HOUSE PARENTS THAT ARE THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATION AND SERVICE ORGANIZERS FOR THE PARENT COMMUNITY.

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ANNUAL EVENTS

Time of Year	EVENT(S)	PURPOSE
End of July	Back to School Bash	Connecting with all parents and teachers.
August	House Initiation & Goal Setting	Students and parents join with their house family. Goals are Initiated
September	Gift Card Collection	Gift data is organized and shared with our community.
October	Operation Preparation & Exploration	Connecting students to professional opportunities.
November	Feast of Thanks	Connecting with house students and teachers.
December	House Angel Tree Culture Surveys 5 Days of Bucket Filling	Offering service and care to all students and teachers.
January	House Goal Setting Review	Evaluate Action Plans
February	Parent Prom	Connecting and celebrating with other parents.
March	Operation Exploration	Connect seniors with professional opportunities.
April	LEADER Appreciation Week	Celebrate and honor our TNHS teachers and House teams.
May	Lift-Off Week Rituals	Celebrate our growth and honor graduates.

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ROWTH MINDSET

PARENT PARTNERSHIPS

FIXED MINDSET PARENTS

GROWTH MINDSET PARENTS

VIEW STUDENT INTELLIGENCE

As a natural gift, not learned.
As a problem or a deficit.
“You are are smart or not.”

VIEW STUDENT INTELLIGENCE

As gained through hard work.
As a continuous growth process.
“You can achieve what you want”

ENCOURAGE STUDENT CHALLENGES

View as a healthy part of growth.
By creating time to improve.
To increase student self-esteem.

DISCOURAGE STUDENT CHALLENGES

Out of fear of their child failing.
As a threat to their self-esteem.
By limiting opportunities.

SEEK AND EMBRACE FEEDBACK

In order to grow.
As a learning tool to support their future success.

REJECT FEEDBACK

As an attack on their own ability.
As something to ignore.
As a personal affront to them or their child.

CELEBRATE OTHER STUDENT’S SUCCESS

To gain inspiration.
By seeing other’s efforts as an important part of success.

THREATENED BY OTHER STUDENT’S SUCCESS

Downplays effort and sees as a part of natural ability or luck.
Remain critical of the system.

ASK QUESTIONS LIKE...

How will this allow you to grow?
How can you improve next time?
What can we learn from others? Who can we find out from?

ASK QUESTIONS LIKE...

What’s in it for you?
Why bother? Will you win?
What is wrong with the system?

“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning.”

Carol Dweck Mindsets

CREATING SUCCESS TOGETHER

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@THEGENERALSLEAD

STAY INFORMED

PARENT COMMUNICATION HUB

Learn about how our Generals are changing the world by signing up for the monthly video at our communication hub: generalslead.blogspot.com

TNHS FACEBOOK PAGE

Celebrate with our community and honor student success by becominga a fan on Facbook at: facebook.com/TheGeneralsLead

TNHS SCHOOL WEBPAGE

Find more details about our school and a digital copy of this carebookat tnhs.nelson.kyschools.us/

Click on “Parents”

SIGN-UP FOR THE DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you want daily details about happenings at TNHS you should sign-up for our daily announcements by clicking on the following link - Daily Announcements

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FUTURE STORY CONTROL CENTERS

Work

FUTURE STORY GOALS

You can see your child’s goals for college, career, and citizenship, as well as the steps they are taking and benchmarks they have met along the way.

CITIZENSHIP READINESS

Look to see how your child is involved in community service, help them find opportunities to serve, and support them in becoming Citizenship Ready when they graduate.

COLLEGE & CAREER RESUME

Beginning in their Freshman year, each student will have a digital resume they are developing in alignment with our mission of College, Career, & Citizenship Readiness.

Every student at Thomas Nelson has a digital portfolio called a “Future Story Control Center” As a parent it is important that you evaluate their portfolio. Below you will find what the portfolio will include in order to support their future story.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

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ACADEMIC SUCCESS

YEAR-BY-YEAR

YEAR	College & Career Planning Priorities	GROWTH MINDSET Questions to Ask
9th	Create a college/career access Google Folder to organize academic achievements, co-curricular involvement, LEADERship and community service. Identify your future story career pathway. Develop your Future Story Blog with your Resume.	How am I challenging myself with high school coursework? What summer enrichment programs are available in my area(s) of interest?
10th	Sign-up for courses in your identified Career pathway(s). Apply for LEADERship opportunities: Young Leaders Institute (Bardstown Chamber of Commerce) HOBY Visit at least one college campus College Bound? Sign-up for AP Courses Take the ACT at least one time.	How am I challenging myself with high school coursework? What impression would someone have of me after reviewing my transcript? What summer enrichment programs are available in my area(s) of interest?
11th	Take the ACT once before March. Pursue LEADERship opportunities: Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Lincoln Trail Youth Salute. Visit Two college campuses to zero in on the type of school you prefer. Sign-up for Advance Placement Courses	What What impression would someone have of me after reviewing my resume?
12th	Take the ACT once before March. Pursue LEADERship opportunities: Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Lincoln Trail Youth Salute. Visit Two college campuses to zero in on the type of school you prefer. Sign-up for Advance Placement Courses

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COURSE SCHEDULING

ATTENTION PARENTS

CLICK HERE FOR A DETAILED LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY OFFERINGS

(COURSES)

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GPA & ACT

WHY DOES GPA MATTER?

LEARN ABOUT THE ACT HERE!

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Youth Service Center Supports	Activities and Resources
Referrals to Health and Social Sciences	Feed America Backpack Program Health and Dental Screenings Referrals to Social Services TCOY Hubs and Health Events Emergency basic needs support
Career Exploration and Development	Operation Exploration and Preparation College and Career Readiness Workshops Annual College Fair College Visits for Seniors
Summer and Part-time Job Development	Job Postings in YSC Babysitting Certification Training CPR Student Training
Substance Abuse Education and Counseling	Straight Edge Ambassadors Club Red Ribbon Week Activities Seven Challenges Substance Abuse Counseling
Family Crisis and Mental Health Counseling	Suicide Prevention Leader Prep Lessons Green Dot Anti-Violence Program Safe Schools Week Activities

FRYSC FUSION

YOUTH SERVICE CENTER

Family Resource and Youth Service Centers (FRYSC) were created as an integral part to support student success in school. FRYSC focuses on the need to increase parental involvement and engage community resources to assist schools in providing an atmosphere that allows all children to learn.

FRYSC LINK

FRYSC Coordinator

Marissa Walker

Ph: 502-349-4650 ext. 4631

Cell: 859-325-5081

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