Another Snow Day

Enjoy! :-)

2 Hour Delay

I am sure that you heard - we have a 2 hour delay tomorrow. It will actually make for a very interesting and very short class period schedule because it is also homeroom day to distribute all of your registration materials for picking next year's classes. Before today's snow day you were supposed to receive your report cards on Thursday, but I am not sure if they got them printed or not so perhaps in homeroom you will get those too... if not, there will be a walk through homeroom on Friday for you to receive your report cards. Anticipating that this could happen, they created a special schedule for tomorrow... and in case you are curious, here it is:

1st Period: 9:45 - 10:15

2nd Period: 10:20 - 10:50

Homeroom: 10:55 - 11:40

3rd Period: 11:45 - 12:15

4th Period: 12:20 - 12:50

5th Period: 12:55 - 1:25

6th Period: 1:30 - 2:00

7th Period: 2:05 - 2:35

8th Period: 2:40 - 3:05

Obviously, this means that you will have 30 minute class periods, except for 8th period which is only 25 minutes long. With the short periods, I would strongly recommend that seniors with open lunch give very serious thought to staying at school... not to mention the roads aren't likely going to be great either... so plan on sticking around at school - you can always come by and say hi as I would love to see you.

Snow Day!

Hooray! I just got the news that we have a snow day tomorrow! Enjoy sleeping in and having this special mid-week day off. I know that I am definitely looking forward to it! :-)

With Heartfelt Gratitude

I have mentioned on many different occassions just how impressed I am by all of "my" students. You are incredibly talented, kind-hearted, and willing to help those around you - including me. I have said it before, and I am sure I will say it again, but I never cease to be amazed by all that you do!

Right now, aside from the two million (actually feels like more than that) schedule changes that I have been busy trying to process, we are also getting ready for the registration homeroom when all of the freshman, sophomore, and junior students will receive the packets of information to register for next year's classes. Each year since I have been at WKHS we have had students assigned to help us create a video to be shown during homeroom to explain the steps of the registration process. Now, let's be honest, the video certainly isn't exciting or adventerous, but it is meant to be informative... and hopefully it accomplishes that goal.

The reason that I am mentioning all of this is to tell you about the depth of my gratitude and my absolute awe for the work that Sam Johnson did to put together the video this year! Sam agreed to help us even though he was not getting credit for a class, it didn't count as an assignment, and, quite honestly, there was no real benefit to him spending his well-deserved free time to help create a well put-together video for us. And yet, he quickly said yes and was patient and understanding as he tried to help us (counselors who know little to nothing about technology) figure out how to make the video work effectively.

Sam, thank you so much for your time, dedication, and effort! I appreciate it far more than you can possibly know.

And, while I don't have a picture of them, I would also like to acknowledge the students who came in during their off periods this morning to help me put together the registration packets that will be distributed in the homerooms. Included in the early morning wake-up and help group were Haley Blanton, Alyssa Boudinot, Will Campbell, Brooke Dahn, and Clay Hedges. Thank you also to John Barry and Thomas Kramer who Haley and I were able to convince to come in and help us finish counting during their 2nd period Options time. And, if any of the homerooms are short on materials, well, I guess we will all know that talking and counting are far more difficult than one might suspect. ;-) In all sincerity, thank you for helping this morning! I cannot even begin to imagine how late I would have needed to stay tonight if I would have needed to do that all on my own!

Changes

The second semester will bring some changes to WKHS - and more than just your schedule changes!

Starting this week, all students and parents will have access to e-Sembler which is the online gradebook that teachers have been learning and piloting during the 1st semester. You (and your parents) will be able to log into the portal using your username and password to see your e-Sembler grades. Instructions are being mailed home this week. I think this will be very helpful as it will provide a simple way for you to monitor your grades. Remember, it will be important to be reasonable and patient as you wait for teachers to enter grades as it is not an instantaneous process.

The other new feature that begins this week is that all students will be required to enter a Pin number when buying food in the cafeteria. You will still be able to pay cash, but it will also give families the option of having use a pre-paid debit system for food purchases. Your pin number will be the same number that you had in elementary or middle school (if you still remember it), but since I doubt most of you still know your pin numbers they are also going to be giving them to you during homeroom on Wednesday - which is when this new aspect will take effect.

And finally, back to schedule changes... you only have 3 days in which to add a class so if you are thinking of picking up a class you need to do it by Wednesday. If I have a line (as seems to be the case whenever lots of people are looking to make schedule changes) then leave a pass telling me exactly what you want to do and then I can try to make it work for you... even if you are not there and then I can get the updated schedule back to you. I have a large stack of updated schedules sitting on my desk right now... which means that if you have already requested a change it would be a good idea to come in and pick up your new schedule before heading to class tomorrow. For everyone else, thanks for being patient if you were trying to get in to see me and I have a long line...

Start 2nd Semester Off Right

Monday begins the second semester of the school year. I continue to be amazed by how quickly the year is going and cannot believe we are already at the half way point. Hopefully you are enjoying the weekend. Your teachers are required to submit grades on Tuesday and then you will receive your report cards on Thursday.

As we head into the 2nd semester I would like to remind you that this is an ideal time to get organized! Last year, part way through the 2nd semester, one of the (at the time) seniors, came in and I caught a glimpse of his *very* messy bookbag. Actually, messy doesn't even come close to describing it and I see LOTS of disasterous backpacks. We spent several class periods going through his papers to figure out what was and what was not needed. I was SHOCKED to see that he had papers from 1st semester of his JUNIOR year! Clearly he really needed a major organization overhaul and the main place that most of the papers ended up was the trash.

The start of the 2nd semester allows you the perfect opportunity to reorganize your materials. When you are looking at your old school work there are several things to keep in mind - saving the information is useful if you have it organized so that you can access it to find and use it again in the future. I strongly encourage you to save all materials for year-long classes and for any classes that have potential relevance to your future - this includes anything that was particuarly interesting or helpful to you from your classes.

After you have figured out if you will be saving the items or not you need to determine if you have to continue carrying it on a daily basis to and from school each day or if saving it at home is sufficient. If you are able to leave it at home, keep it organized and leave it in a spot where you will know where to be able to find it quickly in the future.

Besides clearing out the information that you don't need to carry to and from school, it is also important to think about whether or not your organization system is working for you. Some classes require you to stay organized in a particular format like maintaining a binder, but most of the time teachers will let you find a system that works best for you. So, if you tend to have lots of random sheets of loose leaf notebook paper that you constantly have to sort through that never make it into your binder, then perhaps it is time to consider a spiral notebook. If you have used a spiral notebook and tend to have random pages of notes for different subjects mixed together, then this system is clearly not working so perhaps it is time to try a folder with the three ring clips filled with blank notebook paper for taking notes. There are countless ways to get organized and I am happy to help you with ideas, but the important point is to try something and keep up with it. The more natural your organization system is to your personal style the easier it will be for you to maintain it in the future.

There is an organization principle called, "OHIO," which stands for Only Handle It Once and it is a great philosphy. When you are dealing with papers or notes you don't want to have to constantly flip through tons of stacks of papers - it is much better to only handle it once and put it in it's proper place so that you will be able to find it again quickly if needed.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy organizing!

Top Ten List for Parents NOT to do during college visits

One of the counselors on the National Association of College Admissions Counselors listserve compiled the following great list of things parents SHOULD NOT do while on college visits or interviews. I hope you enjoy it, but the reality is, I also hope that you and/ or your parents do NOT do any of these things!

1. Don’t use the royal “we.”

Off the top of my head, my personal favorite no-no is when parents say “We want to attend your university next year” or other similar comments. (I’m particularly fond of this one when the parent is accompanied by a student whose body language indicates that s/he has zero interest in attending my university the next year.) Unless the parent is also submitting an application for himself/herself, all pronouns should indicate that the individual student is the one applying and hoping to attend. Ideally, I really believe the student should be the one asking the questions and initiating the conversations as well, although I do understand that more introverted students often find this to be challenging. But that “we” pronoun is a pretty clear indicator that the student isn’t really the one running the search!

Dead giveaways:
“We are very excited about your school”
“We don’t know what kind of major we are interested in yet”
“We would like to know…”

The one item I recommend for parents to avoid is using the phrase “WE got admitted,” WE took the SAT’s,” WE have a 3.5 GPA, etc. There are appropriate times when the student is solely responsible and appropriate times when the family is included.

2. Don’t take calls or use your Blackberries, IPODs, etc.

Don’t take a phone call during an information session and/or campus tour.

Turn off the cell phones! For one hour, disconnect.

Don’t sit in an information session and do business on your Blackberry.

DO NOT answer your cell and proceed to have a discussion while ON the tour, during an Open House presentation by the college president, or IN AN ADMISSIONS OFFICERS OFFICE during the interview!!!

3. Don’t speak for your student.

Do not sign in for your student in the Admissions Office. The student should do it.

Parents should let their kids be themselves – I remember one parent that I met with in my office who spent most of the time telling her child to sit-up, speak up, “Tell Mr. XXXXX about your science project.” “Give Mr. XXXXX your transcript.” Parents should remember that, while they do need to gather some information, ownership of the process should belong to their children…therefore the impetus for asking questions and the responsibility for being themselves should fall on the students.

Do not speak entirely for the student (at registration tables, reception desks, Q/Amoments, etc.) while the child stands mutely aside.

Decide for the student what things to see/do/inquire about—the student should be determining all activities

I’ve heard a parent in an information session ask if his son could double major in electrical engineering and neurobiology. (Give me a break, the kid was 17!)

4. Don’t embarrass your child publicly

It’s also annoying to have a parent preface her question with the advanced curriculum choices her child has already completed at a prestigious prep school. Parents playing up the privileges they have bought for their children sound the most obnoxious and lacking in self-awareness in my opinion.

“Don’t ask about mental health facilities for kids with emotional difficulties during the college tour.” I have a parent who did this in front of their clinically depressed kid on the tour.

Consistently the parental question that brings the greatest cringe from the child and the most mush-mouthing from the tour guide has to do with coed bathrooms. What no one has the courage to say directly to Mom (never Dad, also consistently) is, Get over it! Somehow it all works out and life goes on.

Do not dominate an information session with a slew of questions; most admissions officers would be happy to answer very specific questions from a family outside of the session time. Plus, it tends to embarrass the kid.

Do NOT tell the admission counselor how much brighter/higher achieving/moretalented/etc. the student’s older siblings were! I continue to be amazed at how many parents do this. It is awful to sit and watch a student shrink in his/her chair right before my eyes!

Don’t go on and on about the student’s (real or imagined) strengths and accomplishments.

Don't launch into a diatribe that includes listing every achievement the student has made in his/her life history (not only does this take up time unnecessarily, but it usually mortifies the student)

DO NOT come to the visit or even schedule a visit with a list of demands. It’s okay to request to see a coach, faculty member, etc…most schools will do their best to accommodate, but please understand that faculty and coaches are typically busy- teaching and coaching and may not be available (or even allowed-NCAA regulations) when you are on campus.

Do NOT burst into tears and moan `Oh where did my baby go?’ during the tour.

5. Don’t monopolize the conversation/tour/discussion session

I would encourage parents to not monopolize the tour guide with specific questions only pertinent to their child’s situation. Being interested in and asking a few questions is great, but if they take over a group tour with questions that are specific to only their child, the whole tour will take forever. Those kinds of questions should be asked of a counselor at a later date.

Don't dominate discussions by waxing reminiscent about their good-old college days…and go on-and-on despite dirty looks from other parents/prospective students/their own children.

Do not do all the talking. Although we know that parents are invested in the child’s future…it’s their child’s future.

Do NOT tell stories of how you went streaking if you have gained lots of weight; it brings forth lots of unfortunate word pictures.

6. Don’t ruin the interview.

Do not go into the interview with your student to the Admissions Counselor/ Officer.

Do not go into an interview with the coach, unless you are invited in, or unless you just plan to listen. This is your student’s time to find out about the program, by asking appropriate questions, not yours. Some coaches now think that if they have an overbearing parent during the process, they are thinking “Maybe I don’t want this parent around for the next four years,” even if they were initially interested in recruiting the student.

Do not assume that they’ll be part of an on-campus interview. Every school is different.

Don’t break out the scrapbook of everything junior has done since birth (yes, we see these when working in admissions).

Parents should not sit in on the interview and discuss another sibling who is at an “overlap” college.

7. Don’t whine, complain or be negative in public.

“Whine” is the operative word…concern about cost is perfectly appropriate and (understandably) common.

Do not ask if new campus construction will significantly improve the aesthetic value of the campus landscape because you cannot stand to drive onto the campus for the next four years as it currently stands.

Don’t say anything negative during the Tour or the Info Session. Wait until you’re in the car. Personally, I don’t think parents should say much of anything about a college visit. I think they should keep their opinions to themselves and let the student form an opinion. If they speak negatively about a school, a student might dig their heels and in say they are interested in the college, even if they initially were not interested.

Don’t complain publicly. A parent at a recent event complained about many things in public forums—most of them either unfounded rumor or things our institution has absolutely no control over—and it not only made the entire event more negative, but it made us start to develop a very negative impression of her daughter!

Do not complain about the lack of 5 star hotels in the region.

Do not challenge the admissions representative about the number of students going to medical school and law school by calling him a liar and clearly misinformed.

8. Don’t broker your student.

If the student is a legacy or has a family member (however distant) that has donated lots of money to the college, please do not harp on this to any university official. Parents who mention such things make it sound like, “you’d better admit my kid” kind of thing. The student can mention his/her legacy status only in the course of a conversation, or if asked outright, but not as an opener. Just know that the college will certainly know their legacy status once he/she applies.

9. Don’t allow your child to embarrass him/herself

Remind your child about appropriate behavior and dress when on campus. Remember that the tour and discussion session are important pieces of the process and ones where behaviors can distinguish oneself, positively and negatively.

Don’t allow your progeny to curl up in mom or dad’s lap and fall asleep smack-dab in the middle of an information session. No matter how boring the speaker may be, this is a definite no-no. (Yes, this happened to me).

Remind him/her to take off your sunglasses when inside talking with AdmissionOfficers, students, faculty, etc.

I’ve had one young lady answer her cell (keep in mind she was interviewing as a last ditch effort to be admitted) and proceed to talk to her boyfriend- her mom- who was also in the office with us just continued the conversation with me as though nothing was wrong!

10. Don’t plan to do the application process for your child. Don’t tell the Admissions Office that you are doing the application process for your child.

I had one mother talk about how great the essay she wrote was!

Fill out the application for their son or daughter on the spot.

Don’t turn in your own letter of recommendation