"Say Cheese!"

With spring break nearly here, I wanted to remind everyone that if you are going to be out on college campuses - for formal tours, to visit friends or simply on vacation - please Take A Picture! The picture can be of you anywhere on campus... a pretty area, a building where you might spend a lot of time in the future, or (as most of the pictures on my "Oh the Places You'll Go" wall show) in front of a college sign. Enjoy your visit, make a few notes about what you think of each school, and when we are back in school I will look forward to seeing your picture and hearing about your visits!

Countdown to Spring Break

Just 2 more days of school before Spring Break begins! Have you been counting down? I know that it has seemed like some students have been counting down since we returned from winter break. :-) It is almost here. Of course, that also means that the end of the 3rd quarter is also upon us. This has been a tough quarter for a large number of you and so I encourage you to enjoy your break and refocus for the 4th quarter. While we still have 2 days left, I wanted to give you a heads up that I will not be accessible for nearly all of the day on Thursday. I will be in the building, but attending a district meeting that runs from 8am - 2pm. If you need anything before break, please try to find time to stop in and see me tomorrow. And, I also wanted to make sure you remember that tomorrow you have a late-start day with school beginning at 9:10am. (Enjoy sleeping in, but remember that this is a 9:10 start time like most of the late start days, but different than the OGT late-start time from a few weeks ago!)

Waiting for April 1st

The stress and agony of waiting for April 1st and the final release of college decisions is brutal. Many of my students are breathing a sigh of relief and others are more nervous than ever as each decision is released. In a strange way, it makes me happy to know that this is a common pattern taking place all over the country. Perhaps the knowledge that you are not alone in your wait will help make the wait feel a little less lonely. Below are the latest student posts from The Choice, a New York Times blog.

Math puts a Decision from M.I.T. in Context

Courted in California, but Dreaming of New York

Without Warning, Ambivalence Takes Hold

Willy Wonka and the Admissions Process

A Letter from UNC and the Agonozing Wait to Open It

Go State!

I hope you had a nice weekend. Did you spend any time watching basketball? It has certainly been a crazy tournament with a lot of very close and exciting games. As many of you know, I am a huge sports fan, but particularly love watching sports where I know someone competing. (That is part of the reason I enjoy watching all of you compete in various sports at WKHS!) My dad retired from coaching basketball at Canton McKinley after they won back-to-back state championship titles in Division 1. Several of his players continued their athletic careers playing basketball at the collegiate level and they are now college seniors. One of these young men is Raymar Morgan who is a starter at Michigan State and will be making his second straight appearance in a Final Four Tournament. I couldn't be happier or more excited for Raymar! As one of the only seniors, it has to be such a thrill to know that he is ending his collegiate career in such an impressive way. Raymar's strong play in today's game included the game-winning free throw. He also earned 10th place in MSU history for career high scoring. And he is one of just five players in MSU history to have over 1,500 points and over 700 rebounds. It has been quite a ride and I have enjoyed watching him play. In case you couldn't figure it out, I will be cheering for MSU next weekend! :-)

PSEO Reminder

Just a quick reminder about the PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options) program... The PSEO program allows students the opportunity to take college classes for free while still in high school. If you are interested in participating in the PSEO program next year, all of your completed forms must be submitted to the WKHS Counseling center by Tuesday, March 30th. There are two forms that I must have by Tuesday - one is the checklist form and the other is the form where you make your best guess about courses that you hope to take in college next year.

Life Goes On

These final weeks as students anxiously await April 1st to learn if they have or have not been accepted to the college(s) of their dreams are extremely stressful. It is rewarding and a weight off when the news is good and you find that the school you were hoping to be able to attend also wants you as a student at their college. But when the news isn't what you had hoped and you find out that you were rejected, it can be disappointing and frustrating. Unfortunately, the reality is that everyone will not be accepted to every single school. You may have been a great candidate and have so much to offer to the college, but it is all a part of the process.

I acknowledge that it is sad when you are rejected and find out that your "dream school" is no longer an option and I am here to listen. I would also like to remind you that life does go on and there are plenty of other great schools that will be thrilled to have you as a member of their incoming class. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal features an article that highlights some famous people who all have in common the fact that they were rejected by their "dream" school. After allowing themselves time to process through their disappointment, they refocused on making the most of the opportunities available to them at their other college choices and, as a result, today they are all successful. I don't have any magical answers for why one student gets accepted and another seemingly comparable student does not, but I do know that you can and will be successful in the future. Believe in yourself and know that the college where you complete your undergraduate degree will be lucky to have you as a member of the class of 2014!

"Senior Survivors"

Last night was the Junior Student and Parent College Information Night. A highlight of the evening was a panel presentation by senior students who have survived their senior year and are nearing the end of their high school career and a parent panel of senior parents to talk about their experiences in navigating the adventures of senior year. I was INCREDIBLY impressed with both the student and parent panels. The participants did an outstanding job giving honest viewpoints about the upcoming year for the juniors and their parents.

A very special thank you to (left to right) Taylor Luke, Christine miller, Thomas Green, Tim Gebert, and Roy Greim for their participation on the "Senior Survivor" panel. These students represented a variety of different college choices - different sizes of schools in different areas of the country. More importantly though, they represented WKHS in a poised and helpful manner. In addition to the student panel were the parent panel participants - Jay Ellis (dad of Emma), Cheryl Sparks (mom of Nathan) and Juli Bogatay (mom of Haley). The parents had drastically different experiences with regards to how their children handled the college application process and therefore had a lot of insight that they were able to share during the panel. Thank you to the parents for sharing your knowledge and insight!

I was also excited to see so many of "my" juniors in the audience along with your parents. Remember that I am always here to help you in any way that I can.

One last final thanks to Roy, Mrs. Bogatay, and Mr. Ellis. I appreciate your help more than you will ever really know!