Senior College Night

The Senior College Information Night will be held two weeks from today, on Monday, August 26th, at 7:00pm at WKHS. This is one of the most valuable meetings for senior students and parents to attend because there are so many college related questions that we will be able to answer.

We will be reviewing the college application process, the procedures for submitting your items to WKHS and to the colleges, and other information you need to know. I really hope you will make every effort to attend.

I know that it is not always possible for every student and family to attend, but I hope you will try. Remember, I have approximately 100 seniors, so it becomes very challenging to try to repeat the same basic information and make sure everyone understands unless we all start with the same foundation of information. This evening will answer a lot of your basic questions and then we’ll figure out the rest together as the year continues. I’m looking forward to seeing you on August 26th!

Sleep

Sleep... it's one of my favorite topics to talk about because it is SO important and yet it is so often overlooked as a part of taking care of yourself.  And, believe me, I know that this is me often messing it up too as I am not particularly great about getting a good night's sleep in spite of knowing how much of a difference it can make on your physical, mental and emotional well being.

So, here is the thing... you don't have to believe me that sleep is important.  Because I have LOTS of articles that can help tell you that too.  I am going to share them with you - not for you to roll your eyes and think "yeah, yeah, I need to get more sleep" but to really pause and reflect for yourself on how your current sleep patterns are (or are not) impacting you.  As we transition back to school, the early morning wake up times are going to be a shock for many people... and for those of you who have already been doing early mornings such as for sports, my guess is that your mid-days often included a nap and that won't be possible once we are back at school, so this will still probably be a tough transition.

5 sleep apps to help you sleep better

Teens and Sleep: Cost of Sleep Deprivation

How to help teens get more sleep

Encouraging good sleep habits

ADHD and Sleep Disorders

Think Sleep Doesn’t Matter – Seattle Seahawks players go to bed before 10pm

Lack of sleep can impact your students mental health

Why late nights lead to crankier, more emotional teens

 Just a few days left of summer break so I guess enjoy gaining as much sleep as you can in these days, but also please try to make sure that you are still getting an adequate amount of sleep once we start school again too!  (Also, if you can't read the comic - click on it so you can see it bigger... it made me laugh - and wonder if that is anyone else's approach!?!)

Junior Testing Timeline

Yesterday, I talked about seniors and their college admissions testing timeline and today it is time to chat about the juniors.

Juniors, you have lots of testing ahead of you if you are going to follow my recommendations...

1. In October, take the PSAT.  This will be during the school day on Wednesday, October 16th.  It is the practice test for the SAT, but it is also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarships.

2.  In November, take the Pre-ACT.  This will be during the school day on Thursday, November 14th.  It is the practice test for the ACT and it is a great, inexpensive way to practice for the ACT.

3.  In December, consider strongly taking the ACT or SAT.  You don't have to take the test in December, but it's a good chance to take one of the college admissions tests.  If you are planning on focusing on the ACT, another great reason of taking the ACT in December is that you can also order your score questions and answers with the test which would allow you to review how you answered and what the right score is which can help better prepare you for the future tests.

4.  In February, take the ACT.  This will be during the school day on Tuesday, February 25th and is the FREE test opportunity that all juniors will get to take.

After that, depending on how you have scored you can determine the rest of your testing plan.  There will be more opportunities to test in the spring and summer as well as the early part of the fall during your senior year.

If you have any questions about these testing opportunities or why I am making these recommendations, please don't hesitate to stop and talk to me about it!

Senior Testing Timeline Thoughts

Seniors, I loved talking to you during schedule pick up day and hearing where you are with the college process.  I got a lot of questions about testing timing. (In all honesty - I got questions from juniors and seniors - so today I will talk about seniors and tomorrow I will address juniors so that it doesn't get confusing.)

If you are not feeling confident about your ACT or SAT tests, then you still have some options...

August SAT: If you haven't already signed up for the test on the 24th, you'd have to pay a late registration fee, but it is still a viable option that you could take

September ACT: This is probably going to be the most popular test date for seniors

October SAT: This test date is the last one that will allow students to get results in time for most college's early action deadline

After those tests the rest will be after any early action deadlines.  Sometimes this will be really stressful to students and the reality is that sometimes it should be, but many times it is pressure you don't need to add to your plate.  Allow me to explain...

Taking the October or December ACT or the November or December SAT are all testing dates that will be after the early action deadline, but before the regular decision deadlines.  So, if you are in need of the those additional testing opportunities to achieve a score that you want and will help you to be admitted, then I would suggest that you don't discount the option of applying at the regular deadline.

There are several reasons why students want to apply early - the two primary reasons are to get an answer back earlier and to meet the scholarship application deadline (which is often the same as the early application deadlines).  Wanting an answer back earlier make sense, but if you could wait and have a better chance of being accepted and that answer being a "yes" instead of a "no" then allowing yourself the freedom and less pressure to be able to test on one of the later test dates could be worth considering.  And regarding scholarships, here is the thing... getting scholarships are very competitive (especially if we are talking about public colleges) and if your grades and test scores are borderline then you are not likely to be able to get money.  And, if we take it a step further, if your scores are not strong enough to for sure get accepted, well, then you're not going to get any money from them so focus instead on making sure you have the scores you need to be accepted.

Now, I have to stop those of you who are my master procrastinators... this is NOT permission to put off taking the test and applying as soon as you are ready and able.  So, I am asking you to please, do what you need to do to work on your applications and to take the next upcoming admissions tests and then, if you need to have more options to retest we can figure that out as we go.

Schedule Changes

I have no idea how many schedule changes have been requested - definitely too many to count! The reality is that while some were possible, many were not. Remember, we cannot make teacher changes. If you have a schedule change, you can pick up your new schedule from the red trays in the front of the counseling center. Each of the trays are identified with a counselor's name. You will see my name on the top tray and just look through the schedules in that tray to find your schedule if you still need to pick it up. This way you don't have to miss out on getting the new copy of your schedule just because I am in a meeting or trying to help another student.  Schedules will also be opened on the 14th so that you could download the updated schedule off of Infinite Campus.  

One key reminder though is that you need to save your original schedule because the updated copy will not include your locker or computer information.

Forgive Me In Advance

I just wanted to remind all of you that I am *REALLY* bad at remembering names so even though I will likely remember you, chances are good that I am going to need a friendly reminder of your first and last name. I am sorry and I promise that I am trying, but hopefully you will help me out. Sometimes I wish everyone had to wear a great big name tag that said "Hello My Name Is" so that I'd never forget a name... somehow I don't think that is going to happen! LOL!

Schedule Pick Up Day Reminders

Tomorrow is the first schedule pick up day and, if past years are any indication, it will be a hectic and fast-paced day in the counseling center.  I am excited to see all of you and hear about your summers.  Granted, I wish you all would think that your schedules were perfect because of how much time and effort we have put into getting them set.

Don't forget, schedule pick up day is packed with lots of activities including finding your locker, picking up your books, and getting your school pictures taken - so remember to dress appropriately for your photos.  

Your emergency medical information needs to be updated online prior to coming through the schedule pick up lines.

If something is wrong on your schedule, you will have to fill out a schedule change request form.  You do NOT have to wait to see me - if I am able to make the adjustment, I will make it and you can pick up your revised schedule anytime between now and the first day of school or print it off of Infinite Campus.  (IC will be live just before the first day of school.)

Remember, as in the past, if you need to change to a core class, you will need your parent's signature indicating that they authorize the change.  I have to be honest with you, classes are tight with VERY few seats remaining so you need to be prepared for the fact that it may not be possible to make many changes.  Also, as you know, we cannot make any teacher changes. 

If you make a schedule change, don't forget to save your original schedule though because the new schedule will not have your locker or computer access information.

See you tomorrow (or Wednesday)!