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Showing posts from March, 2017

Test Prep Reminders

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Next week is a key week at the Junior High. We will kick-off our AIR testing on Wednesday and Thursday, March 22nd and 23rd. This will be a normal school day, we will not have a different schedule. Testing will take place during periods 1-3, and students will return to their regular classes 4-7th. Don’t stress!  Yes, there is a lot of focus on testing, but your test results are simply one snapshot of your abilities and do not define you.  Try to remember that it is not the end of the world if your results aren’t where you would want them to be and so simply go into the testing experience with a positive outlook and do the best that you can without stressing yourself out over it. Get a good night’s sleep in the days leading up to the test!   So many of you function in an exhausted state of being and that can be particularly challenging when you are trying to focus so intently for an extended period of time. This will not be news to you, but being tired makes it difficult to conc

Procrastination

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Procrastination is one of the more common problem areas that students battle. Every year I meet some students who are "master procrastinators." The reality is that some people don't mind putting everything off until the last possible second and then working like crazy to get everything accomplished before the deadline, but this can result in a lot of unnecessary stress. Procrastination certainly doesn’t mean that you are lazy or incapable, but it is often a sign that something is getting in your way of completing your tasks and responsibilities. If you are interested in learning strategies for gaining control over your tendencies to procrastinate, it is important to remember that there are no quick fixes. As with most things in life, what works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else so it is important to find a strategy that will work effectively for you. I doubt that any of these suggestions will be ideas that you have never heard of before, but it c

Earning Credit in High School

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Yesterday in 8th Grade Science classes, the High School Counselors and I spent some time trying to explain to students how you earn credits in high school.  It is a valuable reminder for everyone. High school is different than elementary and junior high.  In junior high, you take classes and each year you move on to the next grade and take all the classes for that grade.  In high school, you must earn credits for specified classes and you earn credit each time you pass a class. So, for example, all students must earn 4 credits of English to graduate.  When you pass English 9 during your freshman year, you move on to English 10 during your sophomore year.  If, unfortunately, you failed English 9 then you are going to have to make that up before you can progress on to English 10.  Students who fail a class will be able to make up the course either by repeating the class over the summer or by retaking it during your sophomore year.  The bottom line is that you must REPEAT the class in