Olympics

I love the Olympics.  And now, for the first time ever, I can say that I actually KNOW an Olympian!  I am so excited to watch the Olympics this year where I will be cheering not only for the USA, but also for Maggie Barrie, a WKHS alumni.  (Maggie's younger sister, Julie, is currently a student at WKHS.)  Maggie will be competing as a representative of Sierra Leone.  They march in 79th tonight and for those of you who didn't watch it this morning when it was happening live, Maggie does get a shout out when they are marching in even though you don't get to see her.

I love sports so perhaps that is part of why I love the Olympics so much, but to me, it is bigger than just the sporting events.  It is the accomplishment of working for years to simply have the opportunity to represent your country.  It is the uniting together as a country and as a world to celebrate the dedication and drive of never giving up on your dream.  While of course all 11,000 athletes would love to earn a medal, most are focused less on that recognition and more on being a part of an experience that is bigger than them.  The Olympic Creed says, "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.  The essential thing is not to have have conquered, but to have fought well."  What a powerful statement that carries over from the Olympics to life.

Throughout the Olympics there will be inspiring stories of triumph, heart-breaking stories of defeat, and many incredibly exciting moments to watch.  And as I think about the time, energy, effort, hard work, perseverance, and passion that each athlete must demonstrate to reach this one goal of qualifying for the Olympics. Although most of us will never be an Olympian (and yet Maggie is a reminder that perhaps you will be), you will face moments in your life where you are looking forward to a goal and will have a choice of how to respond.  I hope the Olympians help inspire you to find the strength and courage within yourself to believe in your dreams and to chase them with unwavering focus.

Test Scores Released

IB Test scores were released a week and a half ago and, as of this morning, scores for those students who took one (or more) of the Advanced Placement Tests in May should now be available online. 

To access your scores log in using your College Board account information.  

A lot of times students are curious about the policy various colleges have on how they grant credit based upon the AP scores. CollegeBoard maintains a list giving an overview of the college's policies.

Many WKHS students who took AP Lang were hoping to be able to use their scores to move directly to English 2367 (Composition 2) with CSCC next school year.  Please make sure you have scored a 3 or higher on the AP Lang test in order for this to be an option.  If I need to adjust your schedule to add you into Composition 1 because you didn't get the 3 as you had anticipated, or if you put Comp 1 into your schedule "just in case" and earned the 3, please let me know so that I can adjust your schedule and remove the class you no longer need.  (Also, don't forget that you will need to send your test results to the CSCC CC+ office so that they know you have met the prerequisites to jump directly to Composition 2.)

No matter which tests you took, I hope you are happy with your scores!

Meet Mia

My summer has been off to a whirlwind of a start... in large part because I adopted a new puppy.  This is Mia.  Just like Lexi, she is a miniature goldendoodle and although she was just about 6 pounds when I got her she will grow to be about 25 pounds when she is full grown.  (Same size as Lexi)

Mia is a precious snuggler who sleeps great, but unlike Lexi, Mia is FEARLESS!  She has too much bravery if anything and doesn't mind taking on stairs, climbing on, around and through furniture, and playing with dogs that are 150 pounds.  Lexi wasn't sure what to make of Mia for a while.  Actually, early on, she desperately wanted to send her away.  But she has adjusted and they play together and get along well for the most part.  (Lexi definitely doesn't want to share her bones and Mia doesn't mind testing that idea multiple times a day to see if she has possibly changed her mind.)  Lexi still can't figure out why Mia climbs through the coffee table or under the end-tables, and she will often bark at her to tell her to stop or come to alert me so that I know Mia isn't doing the "right" things.  :-)  So I am just being thankful that Lexi hasn't decided she should take on those same adventures alongside Mia.

Mia's full name is Amelia and she definitely hears that when she is in trouble.  I tend to frequently call her Miadora because evidently I should have named her Dora the Explorer because she is curious about all things at all times and has never met a stranger - dog, person, toy, cicada, bird, squirrel, or leaf - she wants to see it all!  

I'm sure I will share lots more Mia pictures and updates over the coming years and you can always come by my office where I will gladly tell you more stories about Mia's great adventures.