Merry Christmas

I wanted to hop on here to wish you all a very merry Christmas!  I hope you and your families had a wonderful and memorable holiday.  This has been a great break for me so far.  I am cherishing my time with my niece and nephews as well as the rest of my family.  And, in fact, until just now, I haven't even been on a computer since Friday!  :-)  Hopefully you are also giving yourself a break from the daily grind and finding lots of reasons to smile!

We Made It!

Hooray! We reached winter break! I don't know about you, but it seems like the last few weeks have been a major sprint - especially with exams being held before break.  You made it through and now I hope you will be able to relax and enjoy the upcoming days off.

I wish you the best during the holidays and hope that you enjoy the time with your family.  If you will be travelling, please stay safe. Also, I wanted to let you know that I will not be blogging much over break as this is a vacation for me too. :-)

I'll be looking forward to hearing all about your holiday fun after we get back to school. Again, have a great break!

Financial Aid

Last week I attended a financial aid conference that is presented to counselors each year by the Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. It was a long meeting and, at times, financial aid can kind of make your head hurt, but it is so important and I learn more about it each year. I am going to try to give you some of the basic information that I think is most important for you to know about at this point. (If you make it all the way to the end you will also see that we have 2 opportunities coming up for you - 1 will give you a ton more information about financial aid and the other is a chance to actually get free help filling out your FAFSA form... so hang in there and try to read through the whole post - or at least make sure your parents see this one.) :-)

Most students will need to fill out the FAFSA form (FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and it is essential to meet the deadlines established by your colleges of choice to determine what amount of aid they can offer. (Many deadlines will be as early as February 15th.) So this is definitely something that you can not put off once we hit the first of the year. Completing the FAFSA form is different than the process for filling out the college applications in that you are literally completing this one form and then you list all of the colleges where you have applied on the form and when you hit submit the information is transmitted to the financial aid offices of all of the schools. So, when you are looking at the financial aid deadlines for your schools, please keep in mind that whatever the earliest deadline is for any of the colleges, this is really your deadline for your FAFSA to be completed for all of your schools.

There are some people who will automatically assume that they do not qualify for financial aid and it is important not to make assumptions and to read the fine print from the colleges carefully as there are some colleges that won't offer any financial packages (including merit scholarships) without having a FAFSA on file. Specific questions about each college's requirements and deadlines should be addressed to the financial aid offices at each respective college.

The way financial need is determined is taking the “Cost of Attendance” (which includes tuition, fees, room, board, books, and other miscellaneous expenses) and then subtracting from that the “Expected Family Contribution” and the remaining difference is what is known as your “Financial Need.”

The financial aid administrators reminded us that it is very common that people do not agree with their Estimated Family Contribution, but it is calculated based upon a specific formula that is the same for everyone, so it is fair across the board.

For what it is worth, it is also important to know that it depends upon each school as to whether they guarantee to meet your entire financial need with a financial aid offer. You can usually find this information on the college financial aid website.

When you are completing the FAFSA application, please remember that this is a FREE application – do not pay to have someone help you fill it out as there are plenty of opportunities to get free assistance to complete it if you need it. You will also want to make sure that you are using the correct website – http://www.fafsa.gov/ – (do not use .com as that is a site that has a fee.)

Although this often makes it more complex - there are also some colleges which will require students complete and submit a CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA.  You will want to double check with your individual colleges or you can check on the CSS/ Financial Aid Profile website at https://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile.

You can request your PIN number now, but please make sure you save it and keep it in a safe place for future use as this will be your permanent PIN number. Parents, you will also need your own PIN number unless you have one that you have utilized with older students as it is the same PIN number for all of your children.

When you are filling out the FAFSA form please pay attention to who they are asking for information about – the beginning of the form is all about the student and later it is about the parents. This can be confusing if your parents are helping you fill out the form because it says “you and your” so sometimes parents will accidentally put their information in rather than putting in the student information.

If your parents are divorced, you will use the parent with whom you live with the majority of the time. You fill out the form based upon your “household” so anyone living in that household and under that roof are included in your FAFSA. So, for example, if your parents are divorced and you live with your mom who is remarried then your FAFSA application will include the information from your mom and your step-dad.

Please remember that you cannot fill out your FAFSA forms until after January 1st. You will need your tax information as well as the tax information from your parents. If you cannot get the tax information completed early enough to meet the deadlines from the colleges, then be sure to use estimated numbers because you must meet the deadlines established for each college and then go back and revise the information once you have the actual data.

To help you with the college financial aid process we will have a Financial Aid Meeting for students and parents at 7:00pm at WKHS on Tuesday, January 6th.

There is also an event known as “College Goal Sunday” which is Sunday, February 8th at 2:00pm where financial aid administrators will provide free expert help in completing the FAFSA forms. To find locations and to register you can visit http://www.ohiocollegegoalsunday.org/.

Managing Test Anxiety

How did the first day of exams go? Were you feeling anxious? Test Anxiety can be common for students - especially with exams since they have such a significant influence on your semester grades. The best strategy to prevent test anxiety is being prepared. It is much more likely that you will be anxious and struggle with feeling overwhelmed if you have not adequately studied and prepared for the test. Unfortunately, for some students, you can be well-prepared, but still struggle with anxiety.

There are a wide range of strategies you can use to help deal with anxiety:

- Research has indicated that spending several minutes before a test to write about your feelings will help decrease test anxiety and improve test scores. The University of Chicago researchers “believe worrying competes for computing power in the brain’s ‘working,’ or short-term memory.”

- Practice putting yourself in testing situations when studying. The more you get used to the experience and feelings of testing the less anxious you will feel when in the actual test.

- Just before the test, avoid talking about the test material with your friends. Chances are fixating on the test material and talking about it with your friends right before the test will only make you more anxious.

- Approach the test with a positive attitude. Don’t go into the test expecting the worst to happen. You can remind yourself that you have studied and know the material.

- Avoid distractions so that you can focus on the test and not on what other students are doing. Do not compare yourself with others and how they are doing on the test.

- Take a deep breath, relax, and do the best you can.

I should also mention that smart testing strategies like getting a good night of sleep, eating breakfast, having all of your required materials (pen, pencil, calculator, scratch paper, etc), getting regular exercise, and giving yourself plenty of time to get to your test on time will also benefit you as a whole and in testing situations.

Good luck in the next two days of exams!

Good luck on exams

Just wanted to wish all of you good luck on your exams tomorrow (and the rest of the week.) For tonight, stop studying, get a good night's sleep and then tomorrow, relax, eat a good breakfast, take a deep breath and do the best you can on your exams!

As always, I will be anxious to hear how things go for you on your tests - so stop in and say hi to share an update (and, of course, you can pick up a piece of candy too.)  :-)

Tomorrow's schedule

We have a VERY different schedule than normal tomorrow.  It is a late start day so you get to sleep in a little more.  Classes will start at 9:10.  And then because of exams, the annual holiday assembly will be held tomorrow instead of the last day before break.  It should be a great way to kick off the last school week of 2014.

Here is the breakdown for the day:

Period 1 - 9:10 - 9:40

Period 2 - 9:45 - 10:15

Period 3 - 10:20 - 12:10  (Students will be divided to spend 1/2 of the time in class and 1/2 in the assembly)

Period 4 - 12:15 - 12:45

Period 5 - 12:50 - 1:20

Period 6 - 1:25 - 1:55

Period 7 - 2:00 - 2:30

Period 8 - 2:35 - 3:05

I hope you have been studying this weekend and are feeling confident for your upcoming exams.

Submitting Test Scores

The college admissions tests (ACT and SAT) are one of the basic components that most colleges consider when evaluating an application. While any scores that we have appear on your transcript, the vast majority of the colleges want to receive the score results directly from the testing agency. You receive the option to send your scores to 4 colleges for free and there is an additional charge for any extra schools you want to send your results to after those initial four.

You can log in to the ACT and SAT websites to review the locations where you selected to send your scores to make sure that every college you are considering has received a copy of your scores. This is an important step as you are completing the application process. So, in addition to making sure that you have completed your application form, written your essay, secured your recommendation letters, and submitted your transcript release form, please make sure that you have sent your official test scores to each of the colleges where you are applying.

Don't forget, not every college will require these tests so it is not the end of the world if you are not a strong test taker. Visit http://www.fairtest.org/ for a list of the over 800 colleges that do not require admissions tests as a component to evaluate the applicant.

Deadline Reminder

I know there are a lot of you who are still working on your college applications.  I wanted to remind you to please, watch your deadlines!  Please, do not procrastinate on your applications! 

Also, if you are looking at a January 1st, or 5th deadline you need to make sure that you have made arrangements with your teachers who will be writing your recommendation letters and provided them with all of the forms so that they can write your letter before your deadline. Remember, your teachers will be off enjoying their holiday break too so they won't be around to write a last-minute recommendation letter for you if you just "forgot."  And, in all sincerity, there is no such thing as a last-minute recommendation letter!  Your teachers put in a lot of time, energy and effort to write a strong letter on your behalf.  It is important to give them an adequate amount of time to successfully advocate for you as a student.  (Your goal should be to give them at least 30 days which has already passed for January deadlines...)  

And last but not least, don't forget that you need to complete a transcript release card so that we can submit your transcript before we leave for break so that everything is submitted by the January 1st deadline.  Like you and your teachers, I will not be here during winter break to send a transcript for you so you must plan ahead.  If you have any questions about your upcoming deadlines or where you stand in your application process, please stop by to see me.

ACT Prep Class

Attention Juniors: this spring there will be a ZAPS ACT Prep Class offered on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, March 16, 17 and 18th from 7:45 - 9:30am.  These are late start mornings due to OGT's so you will not need to miss classes in order to participate in the class.  (This is the most common question I have been receiving over the last week.)

You might be wondering why we are talking about the test prep class 3 months in advance, but they are offering any students who register for the seminar before December 15th and prepay by credit card a free online ACT practice test that can be taken timed or un-timed and includes full answer explanations (value of $9.99).

If you would like to register, the cost for the ACT Test Prep class is $79.99.  Sign up at http://register.doorwaytocollege.com

Stop by and see me if you have any questions.

Studying for Exams

Studying for exams can be daunting - especially because sometimes you don't know *how*to study. And, while, the week before exams isn't the ideal time to figure out what study strategies tend to work best for you, it is better late than never. The one lesson that I have learned (from both experience and from other students) is that just reading your notes is NOT studying. You really need to be doing something in order to effectively study for exams. And yes, I am aware that for some of you and for some classes reading through your notes is sufficient, but in general as you sit there reading your notes it is common for your mind to wander. Then, as you are taking the test, you realize that all of the information you thought you knew was actually just familiar.

So, perhaps in addition to reading through your notes you could try some other ideas. Here are some examples, but again, it is about finding a strategy that will work for you. Remember, this will be different for each student and, typically, it also varies by different subject areas.

• Re-write or type your notes instead of just reading them.

• Make flashcards and review the content.

• Have someone else question you from your notes, study guide, or text book.

• Another great strategy is to go through and review your old tests - paying particular attention to questions that you answered incorrectly.

• Make your own practice tests. You can use homework questions, sample problems from your classroom notes, or questions from your book or tests and put them together into one test just like your teacher would do. Give yourself a day or two away from looking at it (or at least a few hours of working on a different subject) and then go back and put yourself into a similar test environment and take the test. Practice going straight through the whole test without a break, without distractions, and without stopping to look at your notes or book just as you will have to do in the actual exam. When you have completed the test, check your answers and see how you did. You can then identify areas where you need more practice and review. It may also help you identify concepts that you need to seek help from your teachers or academic assistants on to help make sure you better understand the material.

• Spending time reviewing old homework assignments and worksheets and working through the study guides your teachers provided (if they gave you one) is also an effective strategy.

• It can be very helpful to enhance your notes by adding supplemental information such as what you have learned in the textbook or on other assignment sheets.

• Create a concept map to help illustrate how all the points are connected and what areas are different or unique.

• Another helpful strategy is to teach someone else. Sometimes this involves teaching a fellow student who is struggling to grasp the concepts, but it can just as easily be your parents, siblings, or a grandparent. By having to explain the information you know, you are reinforcing the concepts in your own mind and seeking useful ways to help someone else to understand the information and why it matters.

• Try to recall as much information from memory as possible. So, think back on the class and try to remember all of the key points and pieces of information that you think you are going to have to know for the test and write them all down. Then compare that list to what you actually are responsible for knowing. What information did you forget about completely? What areas were you unable to recall enough information details? Briefly review that information and then move on to studying for another subject and then later come back and try to recall everything that you will need to know again. Were you able to do better this time? This strategy is effective because it forces you to figure out what you can recall at a certain time - just as you will have to do on your exams.

• And last, but certainly not least, take advantage of the opportunity to seek extra help from your teachers. Some teachers offer review sessions, others will meet with students individually or in small groups to answer questions. And other teachers are willing to respond to e-mails to help clarify questions you might have. Remember, they know what is on the test (they created it!) and so they are your best resources for help, yet the work must be done by you to make certain that you truly know the concepts being covered in class.

Good luck and Happy Studying!

PSAT Results

Your scores have arrived! Any students who took the PSAT test in October can pick up your score reports from the Counseling Center beginning tomorrow. You can pick up your score sheets from either of the secretaries at the front of the counseling center. If you have questions about your scores, feel free to come and see me and we can take a look together, but I will say that the score sheets have a lot of useful information and tips as well as information that we have available on the counselor website - http://www.wkhscounselors.com/. 

Also, there is a section that you can look at with regards to your scores that will help guide you on selecting courses for your future.  For example, the AP Potential section will give you an idea of which AP tests you can expect to be able to earn a 3 or higher (and therefore be able to earn college credit for the class).

Don't forget, these are just practice tests so they are giving you a general indication of where you might expect to score if you were taking the SAT with no additional preparation or review.

December Students of the Month

On Friday morning we recognized students who had been selected to serve as Students of the Month for December.  Students can only receive the honor of being a Student of the Month once during their high school career.  The majority of the students this month happened to be "my" students.

A huge congratulations to (L to R): Iric Bernal, Alex Coddington, Danielle Barker, Jake Eyen, Katie DiMauro, CeCe Bryant, Kayla Boudreault, and Christo Boudreault.  I am proud of all of you and thankful for the positive difference you make at WKHS every day!

Graduation Requirements

Do you know what is required in order to graduate from high school?  In all honesty, for freshmen students the answer is probably "no."  The graduation requirements have been a work in process for those students who are in the Class of 2018, but last month the state provided the information we needed to know that spells out what current freshmen must successfully do in order to graduate with a high school diploma.  I will be honest, perhaps it is just because it is a change, but it isn't necessary easy to understand at first glance, but my goal is to help make sure that you know and understand what you will need to do to graduate.  And, please, rest assured that I will be doing progress checks at least twice per year to make sure you will be staying on track to graduate.

So, before I jump into the freshman graduation requirements, I am going to start off with the Course Requirements because those have not changed at all so the course requirements are the classes that are required for ALL STUDENTS in grades 9 - 12.  These course requirements include:
- 4 credits of English
- 4 credits of Math (including equivalent of Algebra 2 - for us that is CCSS Math 3)
- 3 credits of Science
- 3 credits of Social Studies (including US History and Government)
- 1/2 a credit of Health
- 1/2 a credit of Physical Education (if you utilize the PE Waiver for athletic/ band participation, you must replace this requirement with 1/2 a credit of any elective)
- 5 credits of Elective (electives can also include additional credits in the core subjects above - so, for example, if you take 4 credits of Science, the 4th credit would be an elective credit.)
- 1/2 a credit of Financial Literacy (can be met with Personal Financial Management, Economics & Financial Literacy, Financial Algebra, or the IB Social Studies classes)
- 2 semesters worth of Fine Arts successfully completed between grades 7 - 12

In addition to the classes mentioned above, 10th - 12th graders must also pass all sections of the Ohio Graduation Test in order to graduate.

Now, take a deep breath and we will talk about the additional requirements that freshmen have.  The good news is that you do not have to take or pass the Ohio Graduation Tests.  However, you do have some Assessment requirements.

All students in the Class of 2018 will be required to take 7 End of Course Exams.  These tests will be in:
- English 1
- English 2
- Math 1
- Math 2
- Physical Science
- American History
- American Government

Depending on how you do on those End of Course Exams you will earn a certain number of points.  If you are Advanced you will earn 5 points, Accelerated = 4 points, Proficient = 3 points, Limited = 2 points, and Basic = 1 point.

Those points become important for the 3rd component the requirement for freshmen to earn their high school diploma which is Demonstration of Readiness.

In the Demonstration of Readiness area students must meet one of the following 3:
  1.  Earn at least 18 points cumulative score on the 7 end of course exams.  At least 4 of those points must come from English, 4 points must come from Math and 6 points must come from Science and Social Studies.  The remaining 4 points can come from any subject area.
  2.  Earn a "Remediation Free" score on the ACT or SAT.  The state of Ohio will pay for students in the Class of 2018 to take one of these tests when you are in 11th grade.  We anticipate the state announcing which test they will use this coming spring, but if students take the tests multiple times they can use their highest verifiable score to meet the requirement.
  3.  Earn a State Board of Education approved, industry-recognized credential or a state issued license for practice in a career and achieve a score that demonstrates workforce readiness and employability on a job skills assessment.  The state is still working on determining what these tests will be and that information will come in the next few months.  All credentials will need to be tied to jobs that are in demand either statewide or locally and the state will update the list of jobs that will qualify regularly.  The job must be on the list during the student's junior or senior year in order to qualify.

In short, for students in the class of 2018, if you successfully complete the Course Requirements + the Assessment Requirements + the Demonstration of Readiness then it will = a High School Diploma.

The tests will probably lead to a lot of questions down the line, but I promise we will help you through this whole process.  All we ask of you is to focus on your current classes and do the best you can on each of the assessments that you will have to take this year and in the following years.

When you reach the end of your high school career (no matter if it is in a few months or a few years) I promise you that this will be worth it and you will be both excited and proud to be walking across the stage in your cap and gown!

Senior Schedule Changes

Every year we have seniors come in asking to drop 2^nd semester classes from their schedules.  And every year when a senior approaches me with that request I encourage the student to stay in the class and if they really feel strongly that they want to make the change that they need to contact all of the colleges where they have applied to see if it will impact their admissions decision.  Students will frequently roll their eyes and think I am crazy for making that suggestion, but we consistently hear that message from colleges because it is so important.  Today I received an email from a college where many of our students apply and I am copying it for you just so you will realize that making changes at the semester – especially if you are looking to drop a class – is NOT a decision you should take lightly.

Because strength of curriculum is an important factor in our decision, we require students to notify us if they plan to change their senior year course schedule. Please ask them to include the following information in the email: (1) their current spring 2015 schedule as it appears on their original application, (2) the change they would like to make, and (3) the reason(s) for the change. We will review and respond to all requests as promptly as possible. If the student has been offered admission, the Admissions Committee may choose to reconsider that offer based on the change of schedule. If a student is notified that his or her decision is being deferred, any course changes will be considered when the final admission decision is made.

If you are struggling with your academic load and NEED to make a change, please come see me so we can talk about the options, but again, I strongly encourage you to maintain a rigorous schedule throughout your entire senior year.

Exam Schedule

So over the last few days I have been talking about exams and I realized that I haven't actually passed along the exam schedule.  In case you haven't figured it out yet, exams are a big deal.  You don't need to panic about exams, but you do need to prepare for them! Exams play a significant role in your final grade for the semester of each course (and remember, because we grant credits based on the semester this is really important to you!) Most of your classes will follow the structure that your 1st quarter grades are worth 40% of your final semester grade, the 2nd quarter grade that you are currently wrapping up now will make up another 40% and then your exam grade is worth 20% of your final semester grade.

20% is a really big deal...Think about it, if you had a 57% the first quarter and end up with a 60% this quarter then you can still pass the class as long as you earn a 66% or higher on the exam. On the other side, if you are trying to make sure that you earn an A in a course and you had a 95% first quarter and an 88% this quarter than you need to earn an 85% or higher on the exam to reach your goal.

Clearly, exams are an important part of your grade, but more importantly, they provide you the opportunity to practice a more realistic glimpse of what testing will be like in college and helps you to showcase your semester's worth of knowledge.

Below is the schedule for the semester exams:

Day One - Wednesday, December 17th:

7:45 - 9:45: 2nd period exam
10:00 - 12:00: 5th period exam
12:00 - 1:00: Lunch
1:05 - 3:05: 8th period exam

Day Two - Thursday, December 18th:
7:45 - 9:45: 1st period exam

10:00 - 12:00: 6th period exam

12:00 - 1:00: Lunch

1:05 - 3:05: 7th period exam

Day Three - Friday, December 19th:
7:45 - 9:45: 3rd period exam

10:00 - 12:00: 4th period exam

12:00 - 1:00: NO Lunch Provided!

1:05 - 3:05: Make-Up Exams

A couple of questions that tend to come up at exam time...

Yes, you are REQUIRED and EXPECTED to be in all of your classes during an exam. (Even if you don't have an actual exam, the teachers are going to be working with you on projects, papers, or other learning related to their course.)

No, you do NOT need to be in school during your scheduled lunch period or during your Options or Prep periods. (Which means, for example, that if you have 3rd period prep and 4th period lunch that you do not have to come to school at all on the 20th.)

Hope that helps clarify and happy studying! :-)

Cram & Cocoa

Over the next 3 days all freshman students will be invited to participate in "Cram and Cocoa" sessions during your lunch periods.  This study strategy session is being provided by the Link Leaders and will be a great opportunity for students to get a jump start on effectively preparing for exams. 

As I mentioned yesterday, you have just 11 days of classes to not only learn and master everything you are currently covering in class, but also to go back and study to refresh the material you have covered since August when we returned to school.

These "Cram and Cocoa" sessions were a new outreach effort that the Link leaders implemented last year to help every student feel successful heading into exams.  The feedback I heard from all of my students who participated was that it was incredibly helpful.  I sincerely hope you will take advantage of their willingness to help you prepare!