It's Time!

The Common Application is officially open and ready to use for the Class of 2019! Senior year is a very busy time with taking standardized tests, getting teacher recommendations, visiting colleges, and finalizing the college list. Since school does not start until the Thursday after Labor Day, use the month of August to complete all the information in the Common Application besides the essay.  You can start rough drafts of the essay and have it ready for review by an English teacher and guidance counselor when you return.  Although it can be easy to postpone these tasks, you will feel so much better if you complete them now!

Parents, every September the guidance department hosts a senior parent coffee with counselors.
The date for the coffee with counselors is Friday, September 14th at 7:45 am.  We hope to see you there!

The Testing Season

I like to call this time of year the testing season.  We have students at Canton High School taking MCAS exams, AP exams, SAT exams, SAT Subject Exams, ACT exams, and finals.  As we are closing down the school year, the weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and the testing season is in full gear. Although this can be a stressful time for students, it also builds their resiliency.  When students complete an exam, cross a test off their to-do-list, and make a deadline, the resulting feeling of accomplishment and the subsequent self-confidence boost should not be overlooked.

As adults, we know that our lives are comprised of a series of tests.  We may not call them "tests" but everyday we are challenged in unexpected ways that push us beyond our level of comfort. We have to make deadlines at work, manage the household, take care of the children, take care of ourselves, and the list goes on and on. Daily life tests our patience, our persistence, our ability to get back up and do again, even when we just need a break. These hurdles that students face that create stress.....It's practice.  It's practice in the safety of adults, it's practice for them to see they will rise up to the challenge, it's practice for them to know that they are more independent and self-reliant than they think they are. It's practice for when they are adults and have to everything that we do everyday. 

One of our wellness teachers comes into the AP exams before they start and does some brain gym type exercises.  At the end of sequence of activities, all of the students repeat a saying "I will do my best, and that is always enough." He talks about the power of self-talk and how what you believe is what becomes.  It's a good reminder for us all.  We can do it. And we will.

Destination...Rhode Island....Connecticut......Western Massachusetts

Our third annual bus trips are happening April 11th. We could not be more excited about taking our students to colleges and universities during the academic year.  Now students will have a better idea of what these institutions are like when classes are in session. We just need the snow to melt and the temperatures to warm up!

We will be chaperoning three buses:

Bus #1: UMASS Amherst
Bus #2: UCONN
Bus #3: URI and Providence College

Cost of the trip is 15 dollars per student. Students can bring their own lunches or bring money to buy lunch in the cafeteria.  Registration opened to juniors on Friday, March 16th.  Registration opens to sophomores on Friday, March 23rd.  Registration closes on Thursday, March 29th.

Register by bringing in a 15 dollar check made out to the Town of Canton, or register online at myschoolbucks.com. If your student is on free or reduced lunch and would like to go on one of the buses, please see Dr. Chamberland in guidance and the fee will be waived.

Detoxing from Judgment

Every year my mother asks for experiences for gifts. She is at that point in her life where she no longer wants to accumulate actual possessions and strongly desires to fill her memory bank with meaningful, impacting experiences.  I find the challenge of trying to find unique and mind provoking happenings in the Boston area highly entertaining.  The added bonus is that it makes me feel more connected to the cultural happenings of the city I love.

This year I stumbled upon a book tour for an author.  Her latest book focuses on our need to look at how we judge others and how we judge ourselves.  This was the perfect gift for my mother and I to do together. Her two hour talk focused on the steps she outlined that helped her let go of the judgment in her own life. It immediately caused me to think about the life of high school students and the natural tendencies of children in this stage of development.  They are most focused on their relationships with their peers and how others view who they are. How freeing it would be if they could all just live in a judgment free zone.

Think about the experiences of judging in your life. In your child's life? What if, instead of judging, everyone could respectfully acknowledge each other's viewpoint and perspective? What if, instead of beating ourselves up for things in the past, we framed them as stepping stones toward growth? What if, we just let go, stopped judging ourselves for the things we haven't done or shouldn't have done? What if we focused on acceptance instead: accepting ourselves, accepting our children, accepting each other?  After all, we are all works in progress.

Curse of November First

As if Halloween isn't scary enough, the date of November 1st seems to be cursed. Since I started in this profession thirteen years ago, the weather patterns around the common early action deadline are mind blowing.  From Halloween being canceled several years ago due to an ice storm, to hurricanes up the coast, to crazy tropical storm like conditions early this week, it seems like the world finds a way to add major stress to stressed out seniors. Without power, many students lost important days to work on their Common Application. In the last two days, my email account has been flooded with colleges and universities extending their early application deadlines to November 6th or later. If you are finding yourself in a pinch, and rushing to get everything in, double check the schools that you are applying to in order to see if their deadlines have been extended.

Please be mindful of the upcoming opportunities for your students....

Saturday, November 4th. Medical School Career Fair
https://students-residents.aamc.org/event/2017-aamc-minority-student-medical-career-fair/

Thursday, November 2nd. December 2 SAT Registration Deadline
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines

It's Here: Post Secondary Planning Night is Tomorrow!

We are so looking forward to tomorrow night (October 3rd).  Everything you need to know about post secondary planning. All Canton High families are welcome.  Parents of seniors and juniors are strongly encouraged to attend.  Parents of sophomores, please come and get ahead of the game. Parents of freshmen - see what is in your future!

Post Secondary Planning Night

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

6:00-8:30 pm

Canton High School

6:00 pm: MEFA   Cafeteria

The Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority will teach parents everything they need to know about financial aid in higher education.

6:30 pm: Post-Secondary Alternatives      Main Hallway

This mini-fair will consist of other options for students who may be interested in other plans besides four year universities: Ben Franklin Institute, Massasoit Community College, Universal Technical Institute, Rockland Trust Bank (work and attend college for free!), AFS Mass Bay- Metro West, Air National Guard, US Army, US Navy, and the US Marines.

7:00 pm: UMASS Amherst Admissions Auditorium

Jon Westover, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at UMASS Amherst, will detail the requirements for admissions to not only UMASS Amherst, but to all of the universities in the state system. Jon will explain the application process and what minimum requirements students must meet to be considered for admission.

     College Admissions Overview       Library

The Dean of Admissions from Stonehill College, Joe Dacy, will share the ins and outs of what to look for when selecting colleges. Joe will provide insight on what to look for on college visits, what the most salient parts of the application are, and how to find the best fit.

              

              Healthy College Transition           DLL

Stephanie Shapiro and Chris Buss, counselors at Canton High School, share healthy tips to help students transition to college. They will talk about how to support your student emotionally and mentally as they begin their lives at college and beyond.

7:30 pm: UMASS Amherst Admissions Auditorium

Jon Westover, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at UMASS Amherst, will detail the requirements for admissions to not only UMASS Amherst, but to all of the universities in the state system. Jon will explain the application process and what minimum requirements students must meet to be considered for admission.

     College Admissions Overview       Library

The Dean of Admissions from Stonehill College, Joe Dacy, will share the ins and outs of what to look for when selecting colleges. Joe will provide insight on what to look for on college visits, what the most salient parts of the application are, and how to find the best fit.

     Smart Track College Funding           DLL

Demystifying the Financial Aid Process, will include an overview of the financial aid landscape, strategies for improving financial aid awards and instructions on how to access and best use the Smart Track tools.

8:00 pm: College Application Procedures and Policies           DLL

Drew Carty, a counselor at Canton High School, will share everything you need to know about the policies and procedures of submitting applications for college admissions.  This seminar is a repeat of our senior parent coffee held in September, but all parents are welcome.

     Common Application: Dos and Don’ts                Library

Meredith Chamberland, Guidance Director for the Canton Public Schools, will provide a visual tutorial on everything Common Application.  Seeing what the Common Application is like and how to utilize it most effectively will provide you the overview you need so you feel confident navigating the Common Application with your student.

              

A Sprint or a Marathon

Preparation for life after high school can feel many different ways.  For those who prepare slowly over time, starting as early as sophomore year, it can feel manageable, much like a marathon for a runner who completed a well thought out training program. Conversely, it can feel like an insurmountable task, where one is always playing catch up, much like an ill prepared runner who feels like they are going to pass out after the first mile.   Let CHS Guidance make this a record breaking, easy marathon of post-secondary planning; but, we are going to need your family's participation along the way.  

While we have been busy getting to know our freshmen students, addressing all of our seniors' college questions, and helping all students with schedules, we have also been planning some amazing things for the month of October. 

Tuesday, October 3rd: Post-Secondary Planning Night. 6 pm at Canton High School. We are having one HUGE night event with everything college related. While parents are attending a variety of workshops, students have the option to take a bus for $15.00 with guidance counselors to the TEC College Fair in Waltham.  Bus leaves at 5:30 and returns at 8:15ish. Register at myschoolbucks.com. Here is a link to all of the colleges which will be at the fair thus far.  More colleges are added daily.

http://www.tec-coop.org/internships-college-fairs/college-fairs/college-fair-exhibitors

Wednesday, October 11th: Juniors take the PSAT while sophomores take the Pre-ACT. Cost is $20. Pay at myschoolbucks.com or bring a check to Anne Murray in guidance.  Once you register, you can also pick-up a review guide for the PSAT in guidance.