Coordinator Notes. IB Reflections. Page 6 INSIDE THIS ISSUE. Registration Update

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1 Page 6 November 2010 Volum e 14, Issue 3 IB REFLECTIONS Warwick High School 51 Copeland Lane Newport News, VA Dr. Rory Stapleton, Principal Patty Chaney, IB Director Coordinator Notes By Patty Chaney Registration Update The official IB registration update is completed. At this time, we have 100 registered students taking 363 tests. IB Calendars Calendar dates which you should have in your planners: November 5 th -end of marking period November 8 th -no school for students November 17 th -report cards issued November 24 th 26 th -no school Student Advisory Board (SAB) Members As a result of the October meeting we discussed plans for: - We will need volunteers to be tutors. (Juniors and seniors can receive CAS hours.) Sign up through your history class. -Backpack Project for the Food Bank- bring canned goods starting November 9 th -Movie Night- take some time to relax and watch a movie with your classmates- coming in December - Next meeting- November 11 th at 2:20 in the senior campus Your representatives should have contacted you in your history class concerning the above proposals. If you have any concerns or good news which we can publish, please contact your representatives before November 11 th. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Coordinator Notes 1 Are You Getting Ready? 1 Interested in the IB Program? 2 IB Stress 3 Celebrations 3 From the Desk of Mr. Corrigan 4 From the Desk of Ms. Slagle 4 Are You Getting Ready? As college-bound students there are several steps which you must take in the four-year period of your high school career to get ready for your academic goal. We expect that you will be successful in the magnet program and in college. However, you must remember that you are the chief determiner of the degree of success that you can achieve. We expect that you will take charge and make sure that you complete the following tasks: 1. Prepare yourself for the standardized tests by participating in workshops, using practice guides, mastering the skills taught you in math and English, and making use of the software available in the computer lab. 2. Take the PSAT in grades 9, 10 and, most importantly, in grade 11. Begin to take the SAT and/or ACT no later than grade 11. Take the SAT and/or ACT in your senior year to strengthen your score. 3. Take advantage of the expertise offered through your guidance counselor and the resources in the career lab and IB Resource Center. 4. Take college preparatory courses all four years and stay on the honor roll.

2 Page 2 5. Make sure that you follow the educational plan prescribed to complete basic graduation requirements as well as magnet/ib requirements. 6. Seek assistance immediately if you need Ask your subject teacher or see Ms. Chaney in the senior campus main office. 7. Maintain a good working relationship with your teachers. 8. Keep documentation of your awards, activities, report cards, community service, etc. by starting to develop a resume. 9. Update (Start) your resume and personal statement. 10. Attend college fairs and participate in college tutoring. 11. Get involved with extra-curricular and community service activities. 12. By the end of your junior year, make sure that you have narrowed down your college choices to at least five, requested applications, visited the campuses, taken the SAT and/or ACT, completed your resume and personal statement, and solicited recommendations. 13. By the beginning of your senior year, send your applications to the colleges of your choice early and investigate financial aid and scholarships. 14. Listen to the announcements! There are often important opportunities through guidance, the student government or other organizations which affect you directly. Interested in the IB Program? Enrollment in the International Baccalaureate program is open each year after the first semester to students who are seeking a more rigorous curriculum governed by international rules. Students in good academic standing who complete the application process and are accepted are enrolled in the fall in college-level courses which lead to examinations in May of the junior and senior years. It is particularly important for students out of zone to renew their transfer application as well. January and February are the months when you are asked to reflect on your Important Information For Juniors and Seniors enrollment, your goals, and your progress in making the decision of whether continuing in the program will best benefit you. Information about the program is available in the resource center and the main office as well as on the Warwick home-page and For more information contact: Patty Chaney, IB Director Warwick High School patty.chaney@nn.k12.va.us Juniors and seniors who will be completing the course work of their IB courses are expected to sit for examinations in May. Students who do not complete the course criteria will be either withdrawn from the course and/or expected to reimburse NNPS.

3 Page 3 IB Stress The deadlines are coming one after another and the end of the quarter is on the 5 th of November and the pages to be read are increasing. If you think you feel the stress of those IB blues, then it's time for the stress test. Do you want to shout, cry, laugh, hit someone, withdraw from IB or school? If the answer is yes to any of the above, then you may be suffering from the IB Blues. We find that the "blues" come down on you generally the first quarter of the junior year. After that we are able to give you the right medicine to get better or you may recover on your own. In many cases, the remedy lies in how you manage your time. Seniors with good advice are asked to adopt a junior in need. Juniors who are feeling the stress and can t seem to get over it are encouraged to bring your blues to Ms. Chaney or Ms. Slagle. Speak with your Student Advisory Board representatives to find out about fun activities planned for this year. Celebrations Interim Reports Ms. Slagle and I have spoken with everyone who had unfavorable interim reports. If we did not speak with you or your parents and you need help, please see me immediately. It is our intention to give you as much support as possible toward succeeding in the program. Luckily, most of you were aware of the problems in your class and had plans on how to fix them. In most cases, I can expect that the grade will go up by at least one grade by the report card deadline. The majority of the poor grades were due to missing assignments. Let's get those assignments in! Remember that in PreDip classes, we encourage a minimum 3.2 GPA. Students who do not have the minimum GPA at the end of first semester will be placed on probation. Those students who remain below at the end of the year will be removed from the program. Students with poor grades and/or lack of motivation will not receive a recommendation to continue with the program next year. Reflect for a moment on your academic goals. Are you meeting them? Do you have the right plan in mind? November Birthdays Cory Mass John Tartala Shelby Bradford Patrick Devereux Cameron Blount Susan Roenne Heather Costine Cameron Blandford Debra Caldwell Nekaybaw Brooks Cynthia Menendez Rachel Ferguson Wade Hodson Andrew Rose Jessica Taylor William Blount Alina Sanchez-Cuellar Chelsea Parker Benjamin Burnett Nathan Koester Bryan McKiver Abigayle Canname

4 Page 4 From the desk of Mr. Corrigan CAS Seniors: Some of you have done an excellent job with your CAS requirement and have turned in your documentation. For many of you I must ask, Where are your CAS/AEF forms? I know from discussions many of you have been working on your commitments, but you have not completed your documentation with the CAS/AEF form. Remember, when the March deadline arrives, there are no extensions. Let s get that paper work in! Turn in your CAS/AEF forms to Mrs. Cuffe in the office. Juniors received an explanation of CAS at the end of September and should have a tentative plan ready to discuss with Ms. Chaney. Ms. Chaney is meeting with juniors now to talk about and approve each student s plan. Extended Essay Seniors: Your final paper is past due. There are still several who have not turned in their final essay. See Mr. Corrigan if this is you. To all who have finished: Congratulations! You should feel confident that you will be able to write quality essays when you get to college. You ll be way ahead of most college freshman with this skill. A finished paper includes the following: One copy to your mentor One copy to your TOK teacher (or directly to Mr. Corrigan) Once electronic copy to Mr. Corrigan: jeffrey.corrigan@nn.k12.va.us Juniors: In November, the juniors will be embarking on the extended essay journey. Mr. Corrigan will be explaining the process to juniors in the coming days. PreDip students are invited to participate in service hours also. (No, they don't meet the IB graduation requirement, but we know you'll love the experience). From Ms. Slagle s desk louisa.slagle@nn.k12.va.us x67409 Room 409A COMMUNICATION!!!! Parents and students, please me your e- mail address. If a student, please state your name and tell me what grade you are in. If a parent, please tell me the name of your student and what grade they are in. I have student distribution lists by grade, and parent distribution lists by grade. PROFESSIONAL ADDRESSES!!!!!!! Students: Whether you are in 9 th grade or getting ready to graduate, it is time for you to have a professional address. beachbaby@... Is not the way you want to get noticed!

5 Page 5 Sophomores and Juniors: Information and applications are now available for the 2011 Summer Residential Governor s School (SRGS). You have been notified in class when the applications are due to me, as well as the application procedures and other important deadlines. SRGS academic, visual and performing arts, mentorship programs and foreign language academies are a month-long and housed on various college campuses throughout Virginia. The academic programs are in Agriculture; Life Sciences and Medicine; Humanities; and Math, Science and Technology. The Mentorship Programs are in Engineering and Marine Science. For students who are interested, there is an application process which includes teacher recommendations. If you apply for visual arts, there is also a portfolio review. If you apply to music, dance or drama, you will be asked to perform. A student can attend only one of these programs. The application process is competitive but we highly suggest that if you have not only an interest in one of the areas but have experience, please apply! The Commonwealth of Virginia and the Newport News Public School System provides funding so the program is free. SUMMER RESIDENTIAL GOVERNOR S SCHOOL Program Dates Location Student Capacity (total for VA) Agriculture 6/26-7/23 VA Tech 100 Humanities 6/26-7/23 Radford 200 Life Sciences & Medicine 7/3-7/29 VCU/MCV 30 Math, Science, Tech 7/3-7/30 Lynchburg College 160 Engineering NASA 6/26-7/23 CNU 12 Marine Science VIMS 6/26-7/23 CNU 6 Visual & performing Arts 6/26-7/23 Radford 200 If you are interested in the Academic, Visual and Performing Arts or the Mentorship Programs, or would like more information, please let me know. Visual and Performing Arts IMPORTANT DATES 11/15/10: Completed Page 1 of the application due to Ms. Slagle, room 409A Mid December: Adjudication schedules distributed (your audition) 1/08/11: Adjudication at Christopher Newport University (audition) 1/21/11: ALL applications due to Ms. Slagle for screening and review April 2011: Nominees receive letters from VDOE 6/26 7/23/11 Summer Residential Governor s School for the Arts, Radford University Foreign Language Academies: More Information to come! A good candidate for Visual and Performing Arts will posses experience in the area (this is not for novices), able to perform or present an art portfolio professionally, be in good standing and a strong student academically, and able to write a clear and concise essay. NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE GRANTED

6 Page 6 IMPORTANT DATES SAT: Register on-line at collegeboard.com Test Dates Deadlines for Registration Late 12/4/10 11/5/10 11/19/10 1/22/10 12/23/10 1/5/11 3/12/11 2/11/11 2/25/11 5/7/11 4/8/11 4/22/11 6/4/11 5/6/11 5/20/11 ACT: Register on-line at act.org Test Dates Deadlines for Registration Late 12/11/10 11/5/10 11/19/10 2/12/11 1/7/11 1/21/11 4/9/11 3/4/11 3/18/11 6/11/11 5/6/11 5/20/11 SENIORS IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES APPLYING TO COLLEGE Application Date Deadline for Turning in Applications, etc. to Ms. Slagle 11/1/10 10/15/10 11/15/10 10/29/10 12/1/10 11/12/10 12/15/10 11/30/10 12/31-1/04/11 12/03/10 1/05/11 12/06/10 1/10/11 12/15/10 1/15/11 (Sat) 12/15/10 2/01/11 1/18/11 2/15/11 2/01/11 3/01/11 2/15/11 MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF TURN ALL APPLICATIONS ON THE SAME DAY! Please be kind and considerate by submitting to me your application check list, applications, transcripts, etc. by the above deadlines! If you turn in your packages late, I cannot guarantee that it will arrive to the colleges on time!!!! If you miss a deadline, please come see me at once!!!!!!!!!!

7 Page 7 I am already finding that a few of you are not adhering to the above dates for turning in your application materials to me. These dates are not just arbitrarily thrown together without thought or reason: I have deadlines because it is the only way that I can get all of the volume of applications out prior to the college s deadline. AND it is the only way that I can have the time to review the materials to make sure that everything is sent out properly and done well. It is highly recommended that you apply on-line! The above dates are for my materials for your college application (see your packet, college application procedures). Please be kind and considerate by submitting to me your applications checklist with appropriate materials by the above deadlines! Any questions? Please see me! If you turn your paperwork in late, I may not be able to mail it by the college s deadline so don t delay! Also I will only accept materials that are completed and attached to the application checklist. Don t forget the money! The first transcript is free, but after that it is $2 per transcript (scholarship transcripts are free). RESUMES: Seniors! Believe it or not, there are still some of you who have not turned your updated resume to me. The resume is a vital piece to the college application this could make or break your acceptance to college. All resumes are part of the transcript package. Also I require the resume as well as the form, Interview with College Bound Senior in order to write a recommendation for you. Almost every college requires a Counselor recommendation, so don t delay! SAT IIs Seniors - make sure that you know the SAT II requirements for the colleges of your choice, if any at all. You don t want to spend the time and energy and money on an exam that you don t need, so double check. If the school says recommend and not required I suggest that you take them. Financial Aid: And don t forget that you need to not only think about college but about paying for college. Talk to your family about college funds and discuss different ways of financing. You need to contact each financial aid office of every college to find out what they require. Every school requires different information to be submitted and they all have their own deadlines (some of these deadlines are in the fall). All schools require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This cannot be completed until the first of the year because it is based on 2010 taxes. As the year progresses, you will receive more financial aid information (your college packets which you received in September had financial aid fliers, so please share this important information with your parents). Warwick will also sponsor Super Saturday, a Financial Aid Workshop for students and parents January 15 (time to follow). Financial Aid professionals will be there to educate you and your family on the financial aid process and will also be there to answer questions. Computer labs will be open so that you can apply for FAFSA that day so please make sure that you get pin numbers from FAFSA (one for student, one for family) prior to Super Saturday.

8 Page 8 JUNIORS Start gearing up to take the SAT and the ACT. It is recommended that you take the SAT two times and the ATC once during your Junior year. DON T wait until your senior year to test. For more information, go on-line to: and Look for upcoming dates in the Spring. I will be working closely with you beginning second semester on the application process, resume writing, and gearing up for the next level: College! Juniors may want to start visiting colleges. Many colleges and universities have Open Houses (most of these events are on a Saturday). Go to the specific web site for the college, and you should be able to find the dates for these very important visits. Also you may want to start thinking about visiting colleges during Spring break! SOPHOMORES I will be visiting your classes soon, as well as taking you into a computer lab to complete some on-line career assessments. Think about applying to one of the Summer Residential Governor s School Program (see above). If you have any questions, please stop by my office or me. FRESHMAN I will be visiting your classes soon, as well as taking you into a computer lab to complete some on-line career assessments. GET INVOLVED Don t wait until your senior year to get involved in activities at WHS as well as in the community. You will prepare a resume your senior year which is an integral part of the college application package. With many of the colleges, your resume is more important that your college entrance exams. Plus statistics show, students who are involved in their school, most often perform better on tests, have higher GPAs, and are overall happier and more productive individuals. CAREER CENTER The Career Center is located in room 101. Please stop by to see our new Center and peruse all of the college and career information at Warwick. Ms. Johnson is our College and Career Counselor. The Center is usually open from 10am 2 pm. For other times, please make an appointment with Ms. Johnson. You can her: olive.johnson@nn.k12.va.us COLLEGES VISIT WARWICK HIGH SCHOOL Many college representatives visit Warwick High School. Please listen to the announcements for dates as well as read the fliers around school. If you are interested

9 Page 9 in attending one of these visits, you can sign up in the binder in the resource room (409) in the Senior Center or in room 101. GUIDANCE ADVICE Go on-line to Warwick s website, IB section, to Guidance Advice for time management skills and techniques, test taking strategies, and more! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR FALL ATHLETES! Varsity Football Volleyball-Girls Cheerleading-Varsity Tremayne Clark Shanesha Brooks Sydney Jones John Griggs Charmayne Clark Tyla Morris Bryan McKiver Taylor Mickel Lauren Spiller David Smith Shamia Moore Mary Topp Cheerleading- JV Football- JV Karla Williams Brittany Buchanan Evan Badgett Jasmine Jacobs Corey Garrison Volleyball-Boys Janay Stennett Dashaun Green Evan Leung Khadijah Vasser Lee Shrader Golf Field Hockey-Varsity Cross-County- Girls Adam Chappell Alexandria Atwater Olivia Abbott Patrick Devereux Cecily Brady Laura Curran Alex Hojnicki Kelly Carson Sarah Ho Kevin Lu Caroline Cirillo Eliza Lavery Tyler Spielberger Catherine Goggins Justice Monroe Caitlyn Hogge Caitlin White Field Hockey- JV Elizabeth Hubbard Amanda Seiken Madison Brady Elizabeth Knipp Emily Jackson Annemarie Lindemann Cross-Country- Boys Margaret Jackson Robin Roston Dallas Bevins Lillian Jones Torrie Shepard Conor Davidson Charlotte Knipp Jessica Taylor Desmond Green Treishae Swan Kenton Hancock Wade Hodson John Tartala Luke Whitesides Darius Williams Joseph Wolfley Samuel Yoseph