On Sept. 18, Miami Palmetto Senior High held its very own Senior Parent Night. Led by a cabinet of MPSH staff including Activities Director Elizabeth Valero, MPSH College Assistance Program advisor Linda Dwyer and a collection of counselors, this recurring event aims to inform parents about the upcoming year’s significant events and requirements.
“Senior year is a lot,” Dwyer said. “There’s so much that happens and I think that seniors are really stressed, and so if the parents can get accurate information to help their seniors keep up with deadlines and all the expectations of senior year, it will make it more fun.”
The event provides parents with up-to-date information about what their child will be facing over the course of the year.
“Ms.Valero goes over activity stuff, the counselors go over graduation requirements, and I go over college and vocational things and financial aid,” Dwyer said.
Keith Markowitz, parent of 2023 MPSH senior Jordis Markowitz and freshman Marley Markowitz, stressed the importance of the event in terms of college applications.
“It was very helpful in telling us the process and the expectations of the schools,” Markowitz said.
For most parents, college applications are a totally new experience, making it difficult for them to help their child while they are going through the process.
“Well, I can tell you that I was very lucky that my child was pretty proactive about knowing what she should be doing or when she should be doing it, but most kids and most parents that I knew didn’t have a clue,” Markowitz said. “It was definitely helpful to… get some guidance and some reassurance on the process, and another part of it was understanding, as a parent, how overwhelming the process can be for the students, because it’s kind of a big deal.”
The event also highlights the importance of communication between students and their parents as they begin to approach their last year of high school. Senior year is a wildly different experience than any other year that it is more important than ever for parents to get involved and stay up-to-date.
“Things are very, very different from when they were seniors so I think information, knowledge is power,” Dwyer said.
