Odds and Ends

Today the schedule change madness continued and lots of you had a second (or third or fourth...) schedule. Hopefully all of your classes are going well. I wanted to remind you that tomorrow (FRIDAY!) is the LAST day to add a year long or first semester class. We can adjust 2nd semester classes up until 3 days into 2nd semester. So please, if you are at all considering adding a class, come and see me tomorrow! If you have more than the required minimum number of class (6 for Sophomores or Juniors and 5 for Seniors) then it is possible to drop a class without penalty at any point in the 1st 6 weeks of school. After that time, the class will be reflected on your transcript with an "F" if you drop it. If you do not have enough credits to drop a class and still have the minimum number required, then you will not be able to drop a class at any time. I hope that makes sense, but if you have any questions, please come and see me.

After school tonight I had the chance to go out and watch the Varsity Field Hockey team in their victory over Dublin Scioto. I also watched the JV soccer game as they played a tough game against St. Charles. Gotta love that the fields are right next to each other! I was reminded again that it is really valuable for me to get a roster BEFORE I go to try to watch games as it is not very easy to figure out who is who and if any of the participants are my students. I will be correcting that mistake tomorrow and requesting rosters for all of the sports! :-)

I did have the opportunity to spend some time after school talking to the woman from the "Thank You Foundation" who is working with the US Military and WKHS and DSHS as a part of the Military Tribute game on September 14th. She is anxious to have students help say "Thank you" to our nation's troops and is hopefully that you might have some creative ideas in how to do this. One project that they are working on is getting people to sign thank you cards. They have cards that they are providing and asking people to sign them. They will have cards at the game, but will also be providing cards to both schools ahead of time for people to sign. They like to send care packages to those currently deployed and could use help with contributions of items for the care packages or with boxing up the items that are donated. These are community service projects that you can champion! Come and see me ASAP to talk about ways you can get involved if you are interested in one of these projects. Remember, this is a short term commitment - essentially you'd be done with the entire service project in 2 weeks and there are lots of different components that you could highlight from your outreach. If there are a group of you who want to do this, I am happy to help you coordinate and so is the woman from the Thank You Foundation. One of the ideas that I thought would be really neat to see would be to use some of the incredible talents within our school - for example, we have a great school news/ video production team - perhaps you could create video messages to send in care packages, etc. I will continue to keep my eyes and ears open for other short term "easy" service projects that you can do, but remember, if you have an idea - Go for it and make it your own!

Those of you who have done a lot of community service - I saw today that we received information about a scholarship through the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. They are awarding $1,000 to a student who has made a difference by volunteering in your community over the past year. Don't forget that you will see this as well as many other scholarships listed on PrepHQ.

First Day of School

You all survived your first day back at school. I hope it went well and that you liked your classes. My guess is that if you didn't like your classes you made your way to my office to see if you could change it. :-) Seems like I saw some of you after every class.

I was so glad to have you all back in the building - you bring such energy and enthusiasm to the school and Kilbourne was definitely filled with life today. It was great to see so many of you again after the summer and I *loved* that some people stopped by just to say hi. I also had the chance to meet quite a few Sophomores who are new students to me this year and the day ended with a few of my past graduates stopping by to see me again before they head off for college - all in all a great day!

So, for those of you who didn't stop by my office today - I think it is worth reminding you that I have candy and toys in my office and you are always welcome to come by and say hello! I want to get to know you and I'd enjoy having the chance to hear about your summer break.

As I briefly talked to people as they came in and out of my office today I learned that some of you have done some great service outreach and others of you are still looking for volunteer activities to build your community service resumes. The September 14th (WKHS vs Dublin Scioto) football game will include a military tribute and Mr. Weary has been working really hard to plan some very impressive activities for the game. Today I heard from a representative of the "Thank You Foundation" and it looks like there will be some opportunities for you to help volunteer leading up to the game. I wanted to give you a heads up on this now as I know there are lots of students looking for projects and I will pass along details as soon as I know more - hopefully tomorrow.

Well, I hope you don't have too much homework. Just think, 2 more days and then you have a long weekend! :-) That doesn't sound too bad does it?

Welcome Back!

I hope you enjoyed your last day of summer vacation and are getting excited about coming back to school tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again!

The freshmen students had their first day in the building today and they seemed to enjoy finding their way around. I'm sure that it was a bit scary for them, but tomorrow will probably be even more intimidating. Little do they know that all of you are, in fact, quite nice and helpful. (At least you have always been nice and helpful to me so I am confident it will be the same to the poor freshmen who are lost around the building.)

Speaking of the freshmen - the Guidance Department has a new staff member who will be working with the freshmen students. Her name is Miss Schwartz and her office is located next to mine. She is new to Columbus and WKHS, so the next time you are at my office stop by and welcome her too. I'm sure she would appreciate it.

Today the computers were up and down - and part of the day some of our computers worked while others wouldn't so it was a continuing frustration. My request is that tomorrow you try to remember to bring your schedule with you. It never fails that there will be a line of people showing up to ask for a print out of their schedule because they forgot it at home and the computer won't be working. (Trust me, lots of freshman had that happen today!)

Have a good night and I will see you all tomorrow!

College Admissions Tests

Our computers were down ALL DAY today at school which was frustrating to say the least! So, for those of you who are still hoping for schedule changes – be patient and keep your fingers crossed that the computer will be up and working tomorrow so that I can get into the system.

And while the computer may frustrate me at times, this is really about a topic that often frustrates many of you - TESTS… we don’t like thinking about them – ESPECIALLY before school has even started, but the fall registration deadlines are quickly approaching for the next SAT and ACT tests so I figured this would be a good time to highlight some basic information about them.

There are two main college admissions tests – the SAT and the ACT – that enable colleges to compare students from different schools and backgrounds. Most colleges will accept scores from either test, but it is important to double check with the college admissions office to be sure they will accept the test you plan to take. One test is not better than another - take the test that is best for both you and the school to which you are applying. And yes, you may take both tests.


The Scholastic Aptitude Test I (SAT I)

When people are talking about the “SAT” they are generally speaking about the SAT I test or the SAT Reasoning Test. No matter what you choose to call it, this is a 3 hour and 45 minute long test. There is a critical reading, math, and writing component to the test. Scores for each section range on a scale of 200 – 800.

SAT Subject Tests

The SAT Subject Tests are sometimes also referred to as the SAT II Achievement Tests. They are one-hour tests in specific subjects such as English, history, mathematics, or foreign languages. Some of the more competitive schools require two or three tests for first-year placement. Be sure to check to see if these tests are required before you sign up to take them!

The ACT Tests

The ACT tests assess specific academic abilities in English, math, reading, and science reasoning. Scores range from 1 (low) to 36 (high) for each of the four tests and for the composite. The composite is the average of the four test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.

Submitting Your Test Scores
When you register to take your test they will ask you which schools you would like to have notified of your scores. You automatically have 4 “free” choices of colleges to be notified of your scores. It is to your benefit to take advantage of this because the colleges will consider your highest score (and disregard your lower scores) and it will cost money to send the scores to the schools after you receive your results. Nearly all schools want the ACT/ SAT directly from the testing provider rather than from WKHS.

When should I take the test?
Students usually take it in the spring of their junior year, early in their senior year or both.

When is the next test offered?
The next Ohio testing date for the SAT is October 6th. The registration deadline is September 10th. The next Ohio testing date for the ACT is October 27th. The registration deadline is September 21st.

Do I need to take the writing test?
Yes. For the SAT it is now a standard portion of the test. With the ACT you will need to pick if you will be taking the test with or without the writing portion. At least one of the test score reports to your college should include the writing test.

How do I register, figure out costs, and find more information?
Visit the SAT and ACT websites. (I also have a link to the websites on the right side of the page.)

And, last but certainly not least, do I *HAVE* to take the test again when I did OK the first time I took it?
Unfortunately this isn’t an easy answer. No, you don’t *have* to do anything. If you are confident in your score then relax and be done with the testing. If you are confident in your score, but know that you could do better… well, then I’d say relax (there is no testing pressure because you are confident in your score) and take the test again. Some of you are sitting there wishing you hadn’t read that last line… but the reality is that if you take the test and improve your score it can only help you. You can benefit in the eyes of the college if you ended up on the bubble for their admissions decision and you can benefit financially if you are applying for any scholarships that consider your test scores. If you are not confident in your scores or if you know that you can do better – then the answer is simply, yes, take it again and see if you can improve your score.

Wow, that was a lot of information – hopefully you are not too overloaded. As always, drop by my office if you have any questions. Enjoy your final day of freedom – I can’t wait to see you all back at school on Wednesday!

OLD!

The reality that I am getting “old” is setting in…

As high school students you read that and think, “Duh, Miss Abbott of course you are old.” And that’s OK because I remember being in high school and even when I started my first job out of college and thinking that people in their 30’s were *old*.

Today is my “little” sister’s 30th birthday! (Happy Birthday Macy – I love you!) It wasn’t that bad to turn 30 myself, but it is weird that my sister is now 30 too. (By coincidence it is also my grandparents 57th Wedding Anniversary which is pretty awesome.)

And the realization that I am getting old isn’t just because of the number of candles on a birthday cake… At the end of the summer I went back to my college alma mater to visit the campus and see what had changed since I was there and was blown away by all of the new additions. I wondered how it was possible that so much had changed in such a short time until I realized that it was 10 years ago that I was starting my Senior year of college. Wow! That is scary! It feels like yesterday. (Do you know where I went to college? I am curious, so I have put a poll on this page – hopefully it works. It's on the top right of the page so let me know your guess on where I completed my undergraduate degree.)

So, for what it is worth, my recommendation to each of you is to make the most of each moment because you only have it once. Learn as much as you can and balance work and play. OK, enough lecturing from an “old” lady.

Hope you have had a great weekend.

Oh, The Places You'll Go

One of my "projects" for this year is that I will be putting up a display of my students on their college visits. Many of the Juniors and Seniors (and yes, even some of the Sophomores) will be heading out to make visits to different colleges in order to narrow down their search. I would greatly appreciate it if you would take a picture during your campus visit that includes you on the campus. Perhaps it will be a photo of you in front of the building which will house your major, in front of a sign for the college, a pretty place on campus, or some other area that sparks your interest. Then, when you return from your visit, please provide me with a copy of your picture to display. Several Seniors have already provided a picture and I am anxious to get more. I am going to put the display up during September, but will add to it as you bring me your picture. The display will be on the wall just outside of my office - so don't forget to stop by and see it sometime. And, for those of you who have a picture, please stop by and drop it off to me. I really appreciate it!

Welcome Home

In order for this picture and story to make sense I need to give you some background so I hope you will bear with me…

About a year and a half ago I was invited to go on an Educator’s Conference to Parris Island which is a location of Marine Corps Boot Camp. Knowing NOTHING about the military I figured it would be a good learning experience. I must admit that I was a little nervous about the trip, but since we didn’t actually have to DO anything while there except for watch and learn, I figured it would be OK. As it turns out, I loved the experience! It was wonderful to meet the recruits (they are called recruits throughout boot camp because they must earn the title Marine) and to see what transpires during the 13 weeks as these young men and women go from Civilian to Recruit to Marine. The Dispatch sent a reporter and photographer on the trip and ran a story on the front page. One of the front page photos was of me shooting an M16. (First time I had EVER held a “gun” or more appropriately “weapon” in my life let alone fired one!) So, needless to say it was a memorable trip and I have lots of pictures in my office if you are ever curious.

I gave you this background because I want to tell you about one of the recruits that I met while at Parris Island. During the trip, they allowed us to eat lunch with the recruits on two different days and it was great to meet these young men. The first day was eating an MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) and that is where I met Alfonso (pictured above). Alfonso helped me and another counselor by preparing our food. (I couldn’t even open the MRE!) We talked the entire lunch break and because I was asking questions he wasn’t able to eat – I didn’t figure out that rule until later and felt awful about him not being able to eat much of his own lunch, but when I informed the Drill Instructor about it, he told me that I just told him about someone who was going to be a great Marine because he put others before himself. Well, Alfonso graduated from boot camp, went on for further military training at the School of Infantry and earlier this year was deployed to Iraq.

Last year when I was meeting with the Juniors and their parents we often discussed community service projects and one of the students mentioned coordinating drives for care packages to send to those serving in Iraq. At that point I didn’t realize that Alfonso was in Iraq, but thought it would be a great volunteer project for me to take on as a way to demonstrate my gratitude for those who serve in our nation’s military (I am far too much of a chicken and a wimp to ever be able to do that!) and also as a way to honor those individuals who I had met at Parris Island. So, I worked with my family and friends to put together care packages and off they went to Iraq. (I received responses from several individuals and will share those with you some other time because they are fascinating.) The week after I mailed a dozen care packages I heard from Alfonso’s dad and learned that he was also in Iraq. Needless to say, another care package was quickly in the mail! Alfonso and I e-mailed routinely during his deployment which was great. (It’s really hard waiting on snail mail back and forth between Iraq!) I knew he would be returning home soon, but wasn’t sure when exactly. I found out today that he has arrived back to North Carolina safe and sound!

Welcome Home Alfonso!

PS – During boot camp they make the recruits wear these really thick glasses that won’t be easily damaged… I’m sure Alfonso would want me to tell you that. LOL!

And finally, a response to the question of when the data in PrepHQ was going to be updated… it should be updated next week. They were waiting to make sure that we have all of the new students that will be coming to Kilbourne before they do the data upload. You can look for that info soon. (Great question by the way!)

College Resources

Unlike “Little Tommy,” blogging is new for me so I tried (unsuccessfully) to find other counselors who have blogs to see what they included on their site. In my search I did find a College Admissions Counseling blog that has a ton of great information. I have really enjoyed reading it and I think it will be useful to you as well.

Don’t forget that we also have PrepHQ as a resource for you to be able to organize your college search, compare colleges, and track your applications. If you have not yet registered for PrepHQ it is time to do that NOW! Please register – it just takes a few minutes – when you go to the PrepHQ site, click on the area in the grey box that says “Click here to register” and you need to provide your last name and student ID number (which is on your schedule and student identification card.)

Forgive me in Advance

Believe it or not I just got home from school so tonight's blog will be short.

I just wanted to remind all of you that I am *REALLY* bad at remembering names so even though I will likely remember you, chances are good that I am going to need a friendly reminder of your first and last name. I am sorry and I promise that I am trying, but hopefully you will help me out. Sometimes I wish everyone had to wear a great big name tag that said "Hello My Name Is" so that I'd never forget a name... somehow I don't think that is going to happen! LOL!

Wolves vs. Greyhounds

Friday night, August 24th, the Wolves kick off their football season with an away game at Grove City High School. Pre-sale tickets will be available for purchase during schedule pick up and cost $3.00 for students/ $6.00 for adults.

As many of you are probably aware, before starting at WKHS I had worked at Grove City High School, so I am really looking forward to this game, but I hope the weather is a ton better than we had today! I enjoy watching people I know compete in sporting events and this is the best of both worlds as I will know some of the people on BOTH of the teams. :-) Today I even received a surprise message from one of the parents of a former student letting me know that I was welcome to sit with them at the game. It was very sweet and made my day! (I know, you are all rolling your eyes…)

That’s all for tonight – have a good night. Sophomore and Seniors – I will see you tomorrow!

Making a Difference

When I was in high school my mom encouraged us to volunteer at a local hospital. We’d go every week and put in the hours and it was a fine experience – something I was glad to do – and to be able to list on my applications, but there wasn’t anything particularly unique or memorable about the experience. For example, my main memory from my days of volunteering was the job of refilling the water jugs in patient rooms… and how my sister would skip the rooms of anyone moaning… who’d have thought she’d end up becoming a nurse?! (I am going to be in *SO* much trouble for telling this story!) But that was it – no great epiphany or story beyond the fact that I had volunteered.

As you begin applying to college and for scholarships there are many times that questions come up about what community service experiences you have had. And, even if not asked directly, if you had memorable experiences they can often be used to support your essay responses.

No need to panic! Your volunteer work doesn’t have to be a huge project or consist of thousands of hours of time – what is important is to get involved! In the spring I talked with the juniors (Now Seniors!) about the importance of trying to get involved in some volunteer activities and I am anxious to hear about what you have done. For my sophomores and juniors – now is a great time to start working on volunteering – the experiences will help you in the long run.

Community service opportunities are as different as each individual who decides they want to help make a difference in the world around them. The sky is the limit and I encourage you to find something that inspires you.

Some volunteer ideas that could help get you started could include – community beautification projects (cleaning up parks or areas of the city), helping elderly neighbors, visiting nursing homes to perform music or talk with residents, homeless outreach, packing groceries for a food bank, assisting at the humane society or other animal shelters, wrapping and handing out gifts to those less fortunate, organizing and attending holiday parties for kids or the poor that would usually have nothing to celebrate, serving in a project for those who are disabled or ill (such as Make a Wish, Adventures for Wish Kids, or the Special Olympics), fundraising or recruitment events, becoming the champion for a cause and helping with awareness (Diabetes, Cancer, Organ Donation), and the list literally goes on and on. Also, don’t forget that there are several co-curricular groups at WKHS that focus on community service such as Key Club and Wolves for Cubs and you are encouraged to look into those opportunities as well.

Last spring and over the summer I coordinated with family and friends to collect items to send to some of the men and women currently serving in Iraq. I have received some wonderful feedback from a few of the young men who have received these packages and I have to admit, I definitely received more benefit from the letters of response I received than the work it required to organize, put together and ship the packages. So that is my current community service story – I am anxious to hear yours!

Earlier And Later...

Perhaps you have heard this already, but I wanted to be certain that you knew that this coming year WKHS will be functioning on a new schedule. There will no longer be blocks and "A/B" days. Classes will meet on a daily basis for a single period. The other big change with regard to the schedule is the time of the school day. We will now start earlier and end later. (By 5 minutes in each direction.) Below is a breakdown of the bell schedule.

1st Period: 7:45 - 8:35

2nd Period: 8:40 - 9:30

3rd Period: 9:35 - 10:25

Announcements: 10:25 - 10:29

4th Period: 10:35 - 11:25

5th Period: 11:30 - 12:20

6th Period: 12:25 - 1:15

7th Period: 1:20 - 2:10

8th Period: 2:15 - 3:05

Lunches will still be during 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th periods.

Believe me, I love sleep as much as you do and hit the snooze button daily, but this will allow more time in each class which helps balance those classes that might need the extra time and still gets us out of school at a reasonable time for everyone participating in co-curricular activities.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Submitting College Applications

I have had a lot of questions lately about the process for submitting college applications. Hopefully all of the Seniors have been searching for colleges that are good fits for you and have started working on your applications.

When applying, it is preferred to apply online. (You can submit by paper too.) After submitting your application online most colleges will have a form that you will need to download for me to complete for you. You will need to bring these forms with any other supportive materials that the college requests to the Counseling and Career Center. (Supportive materials might be teacher recommendation letters, sample writings, etc.)

There are yellow Transcript Release forms on the filing cabinets right inside of the Counseling and Career Center that you must complete before any of your transcripts can be sent. You will need to complete the transcript release form and provide all of the materials plus a $3.00 fee to Mrs. Hoyt (Registrar). She then runs your transcript and provides it in a professional folder to me and I will work on completing the form and we then send the entire packet of materials to your college. You will be able to track this entire process on PrepHQ so you will know exactly when your application has been mailed. (If you are completing a paper application you will need to submit the entire application, application fee, essays, recommendation, and counselor forms with your transcript release form to Mrs. Hoyt.)

It is ESSENTIAL to watch your deadlines carefully! You need to provide plenty of time for the application to be processed. The best “rule of thumb” for your getting your application to the guidance office is 30 days before the due date. (Don’t forget that many colleges have earlier due dates than those publicized to be considered for scholarships so you need to read carefully.) If your application requires a recommendation letter from me, you definitely need to provide me with the 30 days of time because I write all recommendation letters on a first come first written basis and I do not want to have your application submitted after the due date because it wasn’t given to me with a reasonable amount of time. If the form does not require a recommendation letter (or if I already have a letter written for you) then my goal is to turn your application around in 1 to 2 school days. Please remember though that there is additional time required to actually get the materials to me and then also get them mailed out.

We’ll talk about recommendation letters more in depth in another entry. :-) I think this one is plenty long. As always, please remember that I am here to help you and will help guide you through the process as we go. Feel free to ask questions and drop in to see me as you work on your applications.

Let the Fun Begin...

Well, I survived my first day! :-) I'm sure you were worried. I made it through all of the Senior and Junior course verification sheets to double check that everyone (especially all of the seniors) have the courses needed for graduation. I have a stack sitting next to me of 175 pages of paper which are all of my sophomore sheets that I will get through tonight so that I can make those changes tomorrow. Believe it or not they will be printing your schedules THIS week for you to pick up next week. :-) See, it won't be long and you will all be joining me at school! I can't wait for that since you are the ones who make my job worthwhile.

In case you were not aware, schedule pick up days are next week.

Sophomores - Tuesday, August 21: 8:30 - 11:30

Seniors - Tuesday, August 21: 12:30 - 3:30 (See they are already spoiling you by letting you sleep in late!)

Juniors - Wednesday, August 22: 8:30 - 11:30

(In case you have Freshmen siblings or neighbors they pick up their schedules on Monday.)

Being back at school I was definitely hearing of things that some of you will want to know... the most important being the fact that the Senior Class of 2008's Graduation date had to be changed. You will now graduate on Sunday, June 8th instead of the 1st. I know, it stinks, but evidently there was a state rule that changed and said Seniors can be exempted from no more than 3 days of the school year and if you were to graduate on the 1st you'd miss 5 days which can't work SO... let the complaining begin just don't shoot the messenger. :-)

I have lots more that I am excited to talk to you about, but it will have to wait for another day since I am buried under all this paperwork...

PS - Larwin, Thanks - You win the prize for being the first one to leave me a comment - Come see me next Tuesday when you pick up your schedule! :-)

AND - I need any of my "Technology Savvy" students to HELP ME!!! This blog is a new concept for me and I cannot figure out how to put the picture in a particular place - it always ends up at the top of the post instead of where I want it. If you have suggestions I am all ears! Thanks!

Summer's Over... for me at least

Today is my *LAST* day of summer vacation. Tomorrow it is back to the real world of work. All of you still have a few more days of summer to enjoy and I hope that you are making the most of it. I can't wait to hear about the fun things you did this summer! The highlight of my summer was spending time with my niece and nephew, Carly and Cole. If you have ever stepped foot in my office you know that I adore them (since their pictures cover just about every surface possible) so I love that the summer provides me with more freedom to be able to spend time with them.

Starting a New Journey

Last year's seniors are now getting ready to head off to college. In the last week I have received e-mails from several of the students as they prepare for their new journey at the college of their choice. I am so excited for each of them, but I will certainly miss them too. Here's to hoping that they are members of the class of 2011 and not on the "7-year plan!" :-)

A Start...

Hello! I hope you have had a great summer. Not sure if you are looking forward to the start of the 2007-2008 school year or not, but, if you are like me you wouldn't mind having a few more weeks of summer. :-) Oh well, it will be great to get back to WKHS and see all of you and hear about the great things you did this summer! (That is what I am looking forward to - so don't forget to stop by and give me a quick update!)

Yesterday I went to a conference for school counselors. There were 2 sessions - the morning session dealt with internet safety and it was a presentation by a detective who specializes in internet crimes. Scary Stuff! So, I would like to make a request of each of you - if you have a site on MySpace or Facebook or any other social network, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE mark it private and be very cautious giving access to people you do not know. And, of course, be careful with the content you share online.

The afternoon session dealt with using technology to more effectively communicate with students and after sitting there thinking about how I could interact with you about current happenings I figured I would start a blog. This is my first adventure into anything like this (I know... I'm old and clueless) so you will have to help me out and be patient as I learn. I hope you will comment and stop in and give me suggestions when you see me at school. (Of course, as you know, this is a blog so you won't be able to access it on school computers and I won't be able to update it at school.)

Looking forward to seeing you soon!