North Little Rock High School hosted our inaugural FAAB Camp from July 22-25, 2019. The Freshman Advanced Academic Boot Camp introduced our incoming freshmen to the note taking, time management, critical thinking and synthesis skills required for success in pre-AP and AP courses. As these scholars transition from middle school, their participation at FAAB Camp quickens their preparation for the increased rigor of advanced academic coursework and bolsters their ability to balance academics and extracurriculars NLRHS offers. Another bonus emerged from their exposure to NLRHS teachers and facilities before the stressful, yet exciting start of the freshman year!
Feedback has been completely positive from all attendees. We have even heard from parents, “I just wanted to say that this was a great experience for [my scholar]! She was not super excited about having to go, but has admitted she enjoyed it! Lol. More importantly, she feels better prepared for the upcoming year. Thanks to all of you who worked off contract to make this a success!!” Another parent wrote, “Thank you for such a great week!! [My scholar] thought the information was very beneficial and I definitely think it will help with the transition to high school. I know a lot of time went into planning for the week and we really appreciate it.” A third parent shared, “Thank you all so much for offering this camp to our kids and for the time you invested in them. [My scholar] really enjoyed her time up there, and I know it made her more comfortable as she got to know other kids and walk around campus a little. I just want you each to know how much we appreciate you. We're looking forward to all NLR has to offer her academically!” Feedback from our parents and scholars is invaluable as we plan to make next year’s FAAB camp even bigger and better for our deserving NLR scholars!
During the camp, FAAB scholars rotated through sessions led by Mrs. Bacon, Mrs. Fulton, Dr. Purtle, Ms. Rozell, and Mrs. Thomas. Various sessions included critical/active reading, independent note taking, listening/discussion skills with academic conversations (along with a little fun), full access in the Media Center, scholarly vocabulary, entering into the conversation with sources (how sources interact with one another and what can they tell us), healthy habits of both positive intrapersonal and interpersonal communication, time management (managing distractions/FOMO), and teamwork/problem solving. Each morning, scholars attended opening sessions which included a Wildcat Walkabout to familiarize themselves with our building, as well as visits from NLRHS Principal Scott Jennings, NLRHS senior-scholars (Adrienne Henry, Kami Curtis, Kabrion Ervin, and Mason Carlan) sharing survival tips on balancing the diverse demands of high school, Dr. Purtle, Dr. Barton, Mrs. Bacon, and Mrs. Thomas sharing book talks prior to our book swap, and Mr. Leverette, ninth grade guidance counselor, emphasizing the importance of 'beginning with the end in mind!'\t
Although our FAAB scholars enjoyed their time with us, we enjoyed our time with them even more! Go NLRHS Wildcat Class of 2023!
