Balance

Course selection for the 2019-2020 school year is upon us.  We started off the process at the end of January, presenting the 2019-2020 Program of Studies to School Committee. Then we progressed into our Grade Level Meetings (grades 9-11) with CHS Guidance Counselors and Course Selection Night Events for Parents.  For those who could not make it in the evening, we offered a Coffee with Counselors.

To take care of our rising ninth graders, the Canton High School Guidance Staff visited the Galvin Middle School for a day and helped all of the eighth grade students understand how the process works. This week and next week at Canton High School, students are meeting with their counselors individually to talk about their courses and graduation requirements.

The course selection process is one that requires balance and reflection. Every single student in our schools is unique.  Every single student has a special set of gifts, areas of growths, and passions and interests.  The courses and levels selected should reflect the very unique attributes of that student. Reflecting on outside commitments, stress levels, and intellectual interests is of utmost importance.

So before you sit down with your child, take a moment and reflect on the day to day life of your child. The schedule should be challenging and rigorous but not over zealous.  The schedule should be exciting and interesting, not daunting and intimidating.  The schedule should be something the child cannot wait to start in September, not one that is hoped will go by quickly.  Growing up and balancing all these different responsibilities and commitments is exactly what  they should be learning how to do right now.  Please do not hesitate to let us help you and your child achieve exactly that.

Togetherness

The hallways are empty. The students are gone.  The few of us left in the building are wrapping things up, sweeping hallways, completing final tasks we want off our desks before we leave for the holiday.  The quiet building is both a blessing and a curse.  The speed at which work can get done is much faster, but the energy and light of the students are gone.

Recently, my sons asked me if for two hours every night I could unplug.  They told me no laptop, no work email, no cell phone web surfing.  I said sure, no problem, won't be hard at all.  So, my oldest took my work bag, and my phone, plugged them in so they would charge in my bedroom while we played games, reviewed homework, and made dinner together in the kitchen.

The thing is, it was hard.  It took me several days to adjust.  There were times I literally felt a little twitchy.  But this simple request taught me so much.  It illustrated the fact that so much of my time my children were sharing me with the world outside.  I realized they had to complete with my devices all the time.  

So, my simple message is this. Unplug.  Physically put your devices in another room.  See your children, your friends.  Notice the little things that would have slipped by had you been partially distracted.  Take an extra minute to ask one more question.  Don't take no for an answer when your children say they do not want to play that board game or watch a holiday movie.  Just be together. Be together with anyone that matters to you.  

Times of Transition

As December approaches, we prepare for the biggest month of transition. 

-Eighth graders will come explore the high school in the new year.
-Juniors will get their PSAT scores in the middle of the month and start thinking about life after high school.
-Seniors will put the final touches on their regular decision college applications while simultaneously finding out admissions decisions on their early applications.
-Past graduates will return to tell our seniors what life at college is really like. So, even though we are in the depth of winter, students at all ages are transitioning. 

As adults, we often decide to stay in our comfort zones, in the familiar, in the constant.  However, our children do not have that same luxury.  The transition through the stages of development and life whether they want to or not. Let's all try to remember when we were there, repeatedly having to do things for the first time, and give our students that extra encouragement, that big smile, that reassurance that they can.  Because we all need that once in awhile.

On December 13th, please join the guidance department for a Coffee with Counselors that will focus on understanding the PSAT and Pre-ACT scores. We will meet in the library at 7:45 am. We hope to see you there.

Breathe

It is October 29th.  In three days, the common November 1st early action deadline will pass.
November 2nd will come.  A new day will start. And it all be okay.  Know that everything you have done over the past four years, every late night, every last detail and edit, every group study session led you to here.  You made it. Your experiences, your successes, your falls, all translated into learning.

You will hit send.  You will finish your applications. You will get through this, just like you have gotten through everything else every day of your life.

If you decide that you are not ready, that November first came too quick, then guess what? You wait.  You wait and you apply regular decision because that is what feels right, and is right for you.  This is a very individualized process and you must always come back to the idea that you come first.  Hit send when it works for you.  It truly does not matter what anyone else is doing.  What matters is what you are doing.

A couple of tips:

-The servers for the Common App are busiest later in the night. So if you are sending, try earlier in the evening.
-If you think of a question, email it to us; this way it won't be gone in the morning.
-Know that  colleges have a lag time for processing all of the information.  Be patient. Everything is there.
-Take a moment and celebrate what you have finished so far.  You deserve it!

The Future Is Now

The next 10 days are critical events for post-secondary planning.  Tuesday, October 2nd, the guidance department is hosting their 2nd annual post-secondary planning night.  The event kicks off with a presentation from MEFA at 6 pm. From 7:15-8:55 you will have workshops to select from covering aspect of college admissions process. This event is open to parents and students. Then on Wednesday, October 10th, seniors have the ability to take the SAT, juniors the PSAT, and sophomores the Pre-ACT. The cost for the Pre-ACT and PSAT is twenty dollars. Please register your child now at myschoolsbucks.com. It is incredibly beneficial for students to take practice standardized tests. It not only helps them become familiar with the material and questions, but it also helps them adjust to the feel of high stakes tests for college admissions.  

The Canton High School Guidance Department is looking forward to seeing you all on October 2nd. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's guidance counselor.

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.