National Decision Day

Tomorrow is May 1st and it is national college decision day!  The colleges have all united in the fact that they will not require you to make decisions about where you will attend prior to May 1st, but this is one of the deadlines that is firm.  As you are aware, through the college application process each college has their own timeline and often have different application deadlines, financial aid deadlines, and announce their admission decisions at different times, but May 1st is a universal deadline among all colleges requiring students to declare their decision.  Please remember that this not only means that you have informed the college of your choice that you intend to attend their college, but it also typically includes submitting a deposit.  And, no, you absolutely should NOT double deposit!  Congratulations, in a matter of hours you will know for sure where you are heading for college.

Admissions Snapshot

College admissions and who gets in and who doesn't get accepted can feel so frustrating and confusing to students and families.  It often feels impossible to understand the decisions of the admissions committees, but it is important to recognize that each admissions office has specific goals and objectives that they are trying to achieve.

I thought it might be helpful to see the exact data from a few colleges (OSU and Notre Dame) just to give you a glimpse of how some of those college goals have played out.

The first point that has become very obvious is that with test optional being a choice, many more students are applying to colleges and, as a result, more students are being denied which makes admission to many colleges more competitive than ever.

For example, OSU shared that they received a record 71,320 applications this year.  In 2019, they received 52,018 applications.  That is an increase of 37%.  (Insane).

Test optional data can be complicated.  54% of OSU's admitted students submitted test scores compared with 46% of their admitted students who applied test optional.  At Notre Dame, 67% of their admitted students submitted their test scores while 33% of those accepted did not use their test scores.

Obviously, with test scores being optional, even more consideration and emphasis is being placed on the rigor of the courses students are taking and how well they are doing in those classes.  For example, 98% of OSU's admitted students are in the top 25% of their graduating classes and 72% are in the top 10% of their class.  If you think about Kilbourne's current graduating class, the top 10% are all over 4.0's and the top 25% is a 3.9 or higher.

Diversity is a huge goal of many colleges.  OSU shared that 38% of those admitted from the US are students of color, 19% are international students, 21% are first generation students, and they have accepted students from all 50 states.  Notre Dame shared that 41% of their admitted students are students of color, 18.7% are international students, 14% are first generation students, and they have also accepted students from 100 50 states.

Colleges are inviting large numbers of students to join their wait lists.  OSU currently has 3,235 students on their wait list.  At Notre Dame, their waiting list option was offered to 3,049 students which is a huge number when you realize that they accepted 3,412 students total.  (Which goes back to my reminder from last week about the fact that if you are on the wait list you can't count on being accepted and so it is important to get your brain wrapped around the fact that you like and will attend one of your other colleges and then if you get accepted you can be pleasantly surprised.)

Johns Hopkins also recently sent us a short video clip that explains holistic admissions and so I'm sharing that too just to give you an idea of how colleges are evaluating applicants.

So why am I telling you all of this?  Well, honestly, I think it is interesting and I thought it might be interesting to you as well.  But, it also is a reminder that students determining where they want to apply to college should be realistic in their personal self assessment of their potential competitiveness for admissions.  It is hard to receive a rejection from a college... but remember, it is a business for the colleges and they are doing their best job to meet the goals of their institution and build the best class that they can.  It does NOT mean that you wouldn't be successful at their college, but it does mean that they can't accept everyone. So try not to take a rejection personally (easier said than done) and know that you WILL be successful at whichever college ends up being lucky enough to have you as their student in the future.

Common App Essays

A reminder to all juniors who are planning to apply to 4 year colleges next year... tomorrow morning at 10am the counselors will be hosting a Workshop on Brainstorming Your College Essay Topic.  I hope you will be joining us in the library tomorrow to get a jump start on your application!  

Additionally, the Common Application has announced that their essay question prompts for next year.  In case you don't know, Common Application is an application website that many colleges use allowing students to fill out one application that can then be submitted to various colleges and is one of the primary methods that students will utilize when applying to college. 

Juniors, you can take a look at these prompts and start brainstorming what your answers might be for each question.  After you list your thoughts for each question, look at which response best allows you to tell the story of who you are and will be the best introduction of you to the admissions committee.  Then it is time to start drafting and editing and drafting some more.  :-)  

Students who utilize the common app will be asked to select and answer one question in 250-650 words.  (Please don't worry about word count on your first draft - it is always MUCH easier to cut words than it is to try to add more in later.)

Below are the common app essay questions to help you get started: 

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure.  How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that made you happy or thankful in a surprising way.  How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

 
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and new understanding of yourself or others.

6.  Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time.  Why does it captivate you?  What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7.  Share an essay on any topic of your choice.  It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Negative Self Talk

We all talk to ourselves.  The question is what are the words like that you are saying to yourself?  Are you being honest and reasonable in your self talk?  Or are you tending to beat yourself up or criticize yourself unfairly?  

Sadly, for too many of us, the negative self talk which permeates our days is so common that it goes unchecked which is not accurate or fair.  

Addressing negative self talk in your life requires a daily adjustment. The first step is to acknowledge and recognize that the words you're saying to yourself are negative.  Once you have realized it then you can work on how to address it.  I liked the information that is provided in this website on how to address negative self talk.  It points out great strategies like reality checking, considering alternate stories, shifting perspectives, and focusing on your goals are all important and valuable steps to shift your negative self talk.

Remember, if you find yourself struggling with negative self talk, I am here and would love to be able to talk to you about it so that together we can work on strategies that can work well for you.

Teacher Recommendation Letters

Juniors, remember when we talked in our junior meetings about the fact that I'd remind you when it was time to start asking teachers about possibly writing a recommendation letter on your behalf?  Now is the time.  :-)

Recommendation letters are a time consuming process requiring a great deal of thought and time. Juniors, as you finalize the list of schools where you will be applying next fall, it is important to determine if you are going to need a recommendation letter from a teacher (or two). Many of the Ohio schools - Ohio State University, OU, BGSU, Kent State, etc. do not require teacher recommendations.  Because rec letters are a time consuming process, if the colleges where you are applying do not require recommendations, then do not waste your teacher's time by requesting letters that won't be needed or used!

If you are applying to schools that need teacher recommendation letters, it is very helpful and beneficial to the teachers if you can give them as much time as possible to write your recommendation letters. That means, if you know now that you are going to be applying to a school which needs a teacher rec letter, then I would like for you to ask the teachers this spring allowing them to have the entire summer to write your letter. (These next few weeks are a great time to ask!)  After you ask your teacher(s), you will want to provide them with information that can help them as they write your letter. We have several handouts in the Counseling Center and on the WKHS Counselor website that you can use for this purpose. 

And yes juniors, this is also a reminder that you need to be working now toward finalizing a list of where you plan on applying to college because, as the seniors can definitely tell you - it goes by fast!

The Week Ahead

It's the last week of April and there are a lot of notes to keep in mind so you know what to expect...

End of Course Tests:

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week we will have late starts for the rest of the End of Course tests.  We will be on the same bell schedule as with the previous late-start days where you have classes from 12:30-3:05.  On Wednesday and Friday you will go to your 1st through 4th period classes.  On Thursday you will go to 5th through 8th period classes.

On Wednesday, all students will take both sections of the Math 1 or the Math 2 End of Course tests.

On Thursday, students will take the Biology End of Course test.

On Friday, students will take the US History or the US Government End of Course tests.

My Limited Availability:

Due to some commitments that I have this week, I will have very limited availability this week.  I am out of the building all day on Monday and Friday.  On Tuesday and Wednesday I am out in the afternoons.

CC+ Forms:

Most of my students have submitted all of your required CC+ forms already, but if you are among the students who have received emails from me or Mrs. Mann that you still owe us forms, please be sure that you get those submitted this week as May 1st is Sunday.

Essay Workshop:

On Thursday, we will be hosting the essay brainstorming workshop from 10-11:30am in the library for juniors who are planning to apply to a 4-year college in the future.  Please be sure to sign up if you plan to attend.  The link has been included on the email that was sent to you or it is on the Counselor Website and you can sign up there - www.wkhscounselors.com

Tomorrow's Schedule

Just a few reminders for you...

1. Don't forget that you have through tomorrow to decide if you want to add any of the new course electives to your schedule for next year.  Please be sure to fill out the form to request any changes so that I can get them made for you asap.  As a reminder, the form was emailed to you, but it is also available on the Counselor Website.

2. We are on a modified bell schedule tomorrow in order to facilitate a Diversity Panel Conversation.  The WKHS Diversity Club has been working hard all year to plan this event and it sounds like it should be insightful and interesting.  Be sure to plan ahead on your timing so that you aren't late for any of your classes... the bell schedule is below:

1st period: 7:45- 8:30

2nd period: 8:35- 9:20

3rd period: 9:35- 10:56  (The Assembly will be within this period and you'll come with your 3rd period class.  If you don't have a 3rd period class, you can go to the 1st assembly at the beginning of the period.)

4th period: 11:01- 11:46

5th period: 11:51- 12:36

6th period: 12:41- 1:26

7th period: 1:31- 2:16

8th period: 2:21- 3:05

Making the College Decision

Seniors have a week and a half left to decide what college they will be attending next year.  Remember, there is no right or wrong choice – it is all about what school is the best fit for you and your individual wants and needs in a college. Try to take a deep breath and relax as we head into the final countdown. Trust yourself and know that you will be successful in the future – no matter where you end up!

In talking with some of my students who are stressed about trying to pick which college they will attend, it has become obvious that part of the struggle is even in determining how to compare and contrast them.  As you are starting to think about your different schools, it is essential that you determine what you really want in a school and what is most important to you in a college. If you are still struggling with your choice, then chances are pretty good that the schools that you have narrowed your decision down to are probably relatively similar.

Take the time to go back and look at the same factors you considered when picking which schools you wanted to apply to and try to get really picky about the different factors that played into your choice. Perhaps creating a chart can help you clarify how important each factor is to you and how each school compares in that category. For example, think about the location of the school. How important is that issue to you in picking a college? The schools are likely within your comfort zone of a location from home, but when looking at two colleges consider how far or close they are from your family. What does it mean to you if the school is 10 minutes away, 4 hours away, or a flight away? How important is it to you to be able to come home for an evening, a weekend, or a holiday? You can also look at the size of the school. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different sizes of schools. For example, the larger school might provide additional choices and the smaller school may provide better teacher/ student ratios. What is more important to you? And if both are important to you then you will need to consider what you will do to adapt to make sure that the school will meet your needs. Consider the social life and activities on and around the campus. Is it what you picture for your college years? Most importantly, you need to figure out what categories and issues are critical to you and compare the schools on those aspects.

If your school comparison charts are similar and you still can’t decide – try to go visit the schools again. Sit in on the classes and, if possible, arrange for an overnight visit (yes, you are running out of time for overnight visits). People watch and consider your interactions with the students on campus. Are the students friendlier at one school over the other? What about the professors that you talk to? Are they engaging and whose classes are you most interested in attending? How was school safety? What strategies are in place to help keep students safe? Which campus support staff (admissions, financial aid, etc.) is friendlier and more helpful? (While this is not necessarily a key factor it can give you an image of the school and a glimpse at their culture and values as an academic institution.)

How do the schools compare regarding the costs?  What will the difference in costs mean to you over the long haul?  Ask yourself if the school will meet your academic needs, if you will have the social life you desire, and if you and your family can make the investment. As you are progressing through your decision making process, remember not to be shy about asking questions and getting them answered because you are entitled to feel confident in your decision. This is your choice. You are not a victim in this process – you are the key active participant. 

Remember that if you want to stop in and talk about your college decision I am always here for you, but know that I can’t make this decision for you – just like your family and friends can’t make this choice for you. The good news – the stress is almost over and you will be relieved to be able to finally answer the question that everyone asks endlessly of “Where are you going to college?”

Essay Brainstorming Workshop

For most students, writing your college essay is one of the most stressful aspects of the college application process.  In order to try to help better prepare juniors the counselors will be hosting a workshop about selecting a topic for writing your college essay.

The Essay Brainstorming Workshop Session will take place on Thursday, April 28th from 10:00am - 11:30am in the WKHS Library.

We are really excited to be able to offer this workshop during the late-start time when younger students will be taking their End of Course exams.  This workshop is just for junior students (and not parents) as it is the student's essay and your voice is what admissions officers want to hear!  This session is optional and is ideal for those students who will be applying to a 4-year college.  (Those who will be starting at a 2 year program like Columbus State will not have to write an essay so you will not need the information covered in this session.)

So that we can plan for how many students to expect, we ask that you please RSVP using this link: 
https://forms.gle/77g3QhZzkxVPevXL9

Believe me, the essays are such a critical part of the application process that this won't be the only time I talk about them on my blog, but it is also a fun and creative opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions officers and so it is worth the time you will put into making it a great essay.  I hope you will give up a little bit of your sleeping in time and join us for the workshop!

Senior Information Questionnaire

Today, all seniors will receive an information link for the Senior Information Questionnaire that we need for you to complete and submit prior to May 3rd.

Every year, the graduating high school seniors have the option of picking a teacher, coach, administrator, counselor, secretary, or other Worthington staff member who has played a significant role in their lives to give them their diploma.  This is one of my favorite traditions at Kilbourne!  It is a way to make the graduation ceremony much more personal and memorable.  You will select your 1st choice and 2nd choice diploma presenters on the form.

The form also allows you to request where you want us to send your final transcript.  When you head off to college or enlist in the military, they will all want a copy of your final transcript to confirm that you did officially graduate.  The information you submit on the form is what will enable us to make sure we send your transcript to the appropriate location.

We are busy working on preparing for the senior recognition and commencement ceremonies and we need additional information from you in order to put together the programs!  As you complete the senior questionnaire you will be asked to list what scholarships you received and are accepting and how much they were worth.

And finally, the form also allows for you to share some thoughts about your reflections related to high school because we value the insight and perspectives that our seniors share each year.

These forms are due back ASAP, but no later than May 3rd.  

If you have updates/ changes after you have submitted your form - such as you received an additional scholarship, please email that new scholarship information to Mrs. Focht at afocht@wscloud.org.  We will try our best to include your updated scholarships in the program, but it is possible that information received after May 3rd may not be able to be included if the program has already been printed.

If you can't locate the email, please visit the Counselor website for a link to the questionnaire.

Here we go...

I hope you all had a great spring break!  I am looking forward to hearing about what you did to fill your week.  The interesting part for me is that it felt much longer than 1 week away... so I am really excited to see all of you again and Lexi is even more anxious to reconnect with all of you tomorrow.

A few things to note as we return to school.

1. Computer Services used spring break as a time to make updates to Infinite Campus.  There is a new website address to be able to access it from your computer for you to use.  https://worthingtonoh.infinitecampus.org/campus/worthington.jsp  They are also suggesting that everyone who uses the mobile app to delete the app and reinstall it so that it will make a connection to the updated Infinite Campus.  In case you would need it again when you reinstall, our District ID for Infinite Campus is YCWTRL.  

2. While you are going to the updated Infinite Campus site, it is a great time to check out where you stand with your grades.  Seniors have just 23 days of school left and everyone else has 28 days left.  Time is flying!  That is one benefit of a late spring break - the end of the year will be here before you know it... but if your grades aren't where you want them to be, you need to kick things into gear quickly.

I hope to see you tomorrow... or at least some time this week.  Please swing by to say hi and let me know about your spring break!

Volunteering

Finding opportunities to be of service to others is great for many reasons.  I love watching high school students take on leadership roles.  Being able to share of yourself and your insight and talents makes a positive difference.  Plus, it is never a bad thing for your college applications...

There are 2 great volunteering opportunities that have been promoted at school recently and I want to make sure you realize that these are great chances that you can help contribute by volunteering your time to help others.

1. Link Leaders: every fall, when the freshmen students are coming to WKHS for the first time, it is the responsibility of the Link Leaders to help make that transition easier.  Their tasks often include phone calls of support before the first day, help with tours of the building on freshman schedule pick up day, and tons of fun activities on the freshmen class first day of high school.  If you are interested in signing up, use the QR code on the posters around the school to fill out an application.

2. i Can Bike: The Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio hosts this camp each year at WKHS and it is a huge hit for the students who learn to ride a bike and for the high school volunteers who help to make such an impact on the lives of others.  This year the camp will be June 20-24th.  Students must be 15 years old in order to participate.  Here is a link to the page where you can learn more about the camp and sign up to Volunteer.

There are plenty of other volunteer opportunities in the community.  Anywhere that someone is needing support and you have the skills to help, you can make a difference!  I hope you will seek out meaningful opportunities to contribute.

Spring Break!

Hooray! After all the jealousy when surrounding districts have been on spring break, we made it and can now officially enjoy our Spring Break! 

I hope that you have a wonderful and relaxing break. Good luck to all of the individuals, groups, and teams that will travel this week.  Don't forget, if you end up on a college campus, please take a picture for the "Oh the Places You'll Go" display. 

I will also be pausing on blogging over break so I wanted to say please have a great week and stay safe!

Summer School

Did you fail a class during 1st semester?  Are you wanting to try to get ahead in one of your course requirements?  If you answered yes to either of these questions then I strongly encourage you to register NOW for summer school.

Worthington offers summer school opportunities each year with a wide range of opportunities to try to meet your academic goals.  If you failed a class and will be taking it for credit recovery your summer school class will even be free of charge.  This year, summer school will be housed at WKHS and transportation will be available for students who need it.  Most classes will run from June 6th - June 30th.  There are a limited number of get-ahead courses that are also offered through Worthington summer school and information about those classes and the costs associated with those courses are on the website.  For all Worthington Summer School Credit Recovery related information and to register online, please visit the district website at:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M5cxiNWGmV3o8ZU189bfXbHUyhDrQqXifnNmF0ZLpjg/edit 

We always get questions about taking online courses or classes in other districts and as long as it is an accredited school this is completely fine.  So, for example, if your parents are divorced and you go to spend the summer with a parent who lives in another state you can take your summer school class at the school near your other parent and then transfer the credit back to us.  Or for those students who plan on traveling a great deal over the summer, taking an online course might be more in line with your needs.  Again, in Worthington we try to be very flexible in helping all students to meet their academic goals so as long as the school you are taking classes from is an accredited school, we will transfer those credits to Worthington.

Students and parents often ask me which online schools they can use and again, if it is accredited it is fine.  I would say that the school we have probably had the most students utilize in the past has been TRECA due to the cost effectiveness of their credits.  But again, that can change from year to year and so I encourage you to search for the schools and programs that will best meet your individual needs.  I do know that as of today TRECA summer school registration has opened so if you were planning to take a TRECA summer school class, please be sure to get signed up for that soon too.  Their website is: https://treca.org/programs/summer-school 

Please, especially if you have failed a class during the 1st semester, get signed up for summer school so that you can stay on track for graduation with your class!

Wait List

Before I talk about being put on a college wait list - I want to remind everyone that tomorrow is another Career Club meeting date.  The guest presenter will be sharing information about her career as a Realtor.  Hope to see you in the auditorium during 5th or 6th periods tomorrow!

OK, so now about college and managing when you have been put in the limbo land of being wait listed...  Being placed by a college on their wait list often brings a lot of anxiety and uncertainty because the school on your list didn't fully accept or reject you.  I have had several students stop in to talk about their feelings about this life in limbo and I understand how difficult it can be as I'm not always the most patient person either.

I need to be brutally honest (even though I know you don't really want to hear this...) and say that there is not a lot that you can do to improve the chance of coming off the wait list and being accepted to the college. You need to make plans and start getting your mind set on attending one of the other schools who accepted you. If, in time, you find out that you have the opportunity to attend the school that had previously put you on their wait list, then you can re-evaluate and decide if you still want to attend. The reality is that very few students actually end up being selected off the wait list for acceptance. (Once again, this is why it is so important to tell colleges as soon as possible when you know that you will not be attending in the future so that they can make plans to potentially accept other students off their wait list.)

In the mean time, if you decide that you want to remain on a college's waiting list, be sure to follow their directions (usually filling out a form online or mailing back a form indicating your desire) and then you can also consider sending them a letter updating them about any new achievements, awards, or other information that you have accomplished since your application to their college so that might be able to take that into consideration when making their waiting list decisions.

If you are feeling stressed about your college decision and what to do about being placed on a school's wait list, please stop by to see me and we can look at some of the data on the college and their past wait list movement to help you know what to expect moving forward.

New Elective Classes

Ready for some exciting, breaking news?!  I have it for you here first...

When you were in middle school, you thought there were so many different types of classes available at WKHS (which is true), but then when you're actually selecting your schedule, finding electives that appeal to you can be challenging at times.  The administration has heard you and your requests for new and different elective classes that meet the practical skills and knowledge you are using in your daily life.  Even though the course selection time has long passed, you will now have the opportunity to look at your elective course selections and decide if you want to make any changes to add in one of the new classes.  There are 5 new classes being offered to students starting next fall.

1. Career Mentorship: learn about different career opportunities for your future.  This course will also help students to earn a seal towards graduation.

2. Global Cuisines: this will be a class where you will learn to cook and have plenty of chances to both cook and eat during the semester.

3. Child Development: this is a class where you learn about the needs of infants and young children and how childcare providers (parents and others) can help meet those needs.

4. Beginning Woodworking: ready to learn how to build things?  This hands-on class will allow you to do just that.

5. Social Media and Marketing: this is a new course being offered in the business department.  Social media is a growing part of daily life for students and adults and this is a chance to learn more about how it is used in marketing of self and products.

Pretty awesome list of classes, don't you think?!  So, what do you do if you want to take one of these new courses next fall?  Well, first you have to wait until the classes are officially announced and the notification email is sent out.  But once that happens, you start by figuring out what you no longer want to take next year.  Maybe it's the academic prep or options period or a different elective class that you picked, but weren't really all that excited about (or at least not as excited as you are about some of these new options.)  Once you have figured out what class(es) you want to add and which ones you want to have moved to alternates, then you will fill out the Google Form that will be sent to your email (and will also be linked on the Counselor website).  Once you fill out that Google form and submit it then I will make the changes to your requests so that hopefully you'll be able to get the new classes you want to take.

I'm not sure exactly when this information is going to be shared with students... it could be as early as tomorrow or as late as right after spring break, but it will be coming soon!

April Students of the Month

Last Friday morning the ceremony to honor April's Students of the Month was held. Students are nominated as students of the month by Kilbourne faculty and staff for their academic achievement, good citizenship, and/or contributions to the school or community. Students can only earn this recognition once in their high school career. 

A special congratulations to "my" students who were among those recognized.  Brooklyn Allen, Nick Baughman, Leah Beyke, Graham Brown, JJ Calip, Ava Casper-Welty and Sam Darby.  I am proud of you!

The Week Ahead

There are lots of details to be aware of as we head into the next school week... our last before spring break!

- Monday and Tuesday we will be on a late-start bell schedule to allow Sophomore students to complete parts 1 and 2 of the English End of Course assessments.  Buses will run at normal time for those who will be testing and 3 hours later for anyone else.  Testing will finish at 11:30am and then all students will be have lunch from 11:30-12:15.  Classes will start at 12:20 and you will only have 4 periods.  (On Monday  you will have 1-4th periods and on Tuesday you will go to 5th - 8th periods.)  Here is a link to the bell schedule for your reference.

- This week students will be focusing on highlighting the inclusiveness of our school and community by celebrating Pride week.  On Monday, in the Commons you will find an Affirmations wall.  On Tuesday, students are invited to bring an article of clothing and participate in a tie-dye event.  On Wednesday, students are invited to wear their colors day where they can wear the item tie-dyed on Tuesday or other color themed items.  Thursday will feature guest speakers on student rights.  This will be held in the Calm Cafe (which is just past the Co-Curricular/ Athletics office before you get to the art hallway.  And Friday, students are invited to Room 223 to watch the movie "The Prom" and celebrate the end of the week.

- Friday, April 8th is a key deadline for seniors... Senior pictures are due to Mr. Cecutti for the yearbook and your senior quote and superlative votes are also due by Friday.  Please be sure to get this taken care of before spring break!

- Hopefully all seniors picked up their caps and gowns last week.  If for some reason you didn't get yours, please be sure to stop by the Counseling Center this week to pick yours up.  And then, I will also remind you to please take it out of the bag and hang it up... those wrinkles will take a lot of ironing to get out and having it out of the bag will only make that process easier.

- Keep working on finishing up your local scholarship applications.  Some were due last week, but others are still due in the coming days ahead of spring break.  You don't want to miss out on the chance to apply for free money to help with college.