Cleveland Clinic Internship opportunity

Are you planning on a career in science, nursing, or medicine? The Cleveland Clinic has a 9-week summer, paid internship program. The criteria for applications is:

* 3.5 or better GPA on a 4.0 scale
* you must be 16 years old before June 1, 2009
* You must be in 10th or 11th grade

Apply online at clevelandclinic.org/CivicEducation. The application deadline is 4:30 PM, February 6, 2009.

Scholarship opportunity

After disease, humanity’s deadliest scourge has always been hate… hate has killed hundreds of millions. It knows no season and no limit. It is irrational and it is deadly. It is in us all. And it will live forever – unless we choose to stop it. The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage challenges students in grades 6-12 to combat acts of hatred, discrimination, and intolerance by participating in the Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out essay contest. The grand prize is a $100,000 college scholarship. Please see your Guidance Counselor for more details. The deadline is January 2, 2009.

"College May Become Unaffordable for Most in U.S."

Interesting NY Times article. Click here to read the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/education/03college.html?_r=2&hp

PLAN is approaching

All sophomores will take the PLAN test on Tuesday, November 25, 2008. There is no cost nor need to register for this test.

Auburn Career Center Visitations

Auburn Career Center will be visiting on November 12 and 13 to give a presentation to all sophomores. Students will be called down to the media center alphabetically.

At this presentation, we will distribute permission slips to attend the December 11 visit day at Auburn, where students are able to observe two programs.

New Website

The Perry Local School District has updated their web site. Check it out:

www.perry-lake.k12.oh.us.

Second grading period interims

Interims are approaching. The interim date of the second grading period is October 28th.

OGT - 11th and 12th grade

If you are a junior or senior and have not passed a portion of the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), this is another reminder that testing is the week of October 27-31, 2008. The test dates according to subject area are:

Monday (27th) = Reading
Tuesday (28th) = Mathematics
Wednesday (29th) = Writing
Thursday (30th) = Science
Friday (31st) = Social Studies

Please refer to the reminder you will receive the day prior to testing for your testing location. If you have any questions, please see your counselor.

End of Grading Period

The end of the first grading period is this Friday, Oct. 3, 2008. Report cards will be issued the following Friday, Oct. 10, 2008.

College Panel Calls for Less Focus on SATs

September 22, 2008

By SARA RIMER

A commission convened by some of the country’s most influential college admissions officials is recommending that colleges and universities move away from their reliance on SAT and ACT scores and shift toward admissions exams more closely tied to the high school curriculum and achievement.

The commission’s report, the culmination of a yearlong study led by William R. Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard, comes amid growing concerns that the frenzy over standardized college admissions tests is misshaping secondary education and feeding a billion-dollar test-prep industry that encourages students to try to game the tests.

A growing number of colleges and universities, like Bates College in Maine, Lawrence University in Wisconsin, Wake Forest University in North Carolina and Smith College in Massachusetts, have made the SAT and ACT optional. And the report concludes that more institutions could make admissions decisions without requiring the SAT and ACT.

It encourages institutions to consider dropping admission test requirements unless they can prove that the benefits of such tests outweigh the negatives.

“It would be much better for the country,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said in an interview, “to have students focusing on high school courses that, based on evidence, will prepare them well for college and also prepare them well for the real world beyond college, instead of their spending enormous amounts of time trying to game the SAT.”

Mr. Fitzsimmons’s group, which was convened by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, also expresses concerns “that test scores appear to calcify differences based on class, race/ethnicity and parental educational attainment.” The report calls on admissions officials to be aware of such differences and to ensure that differences not related to a student’s ability to succeed academically be “mitigated in the admission process.”

“Society likes to think that the SAT measures people’s ability or merit,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said. “But no one in college admissions who visits the range of secondary schools we visit, and goes to the communities we visit — where you see the contrast between opportunities and fancy suburbs and some of the high schools that aren’t so fancy — can come away thinking that standardized tests can be a measure of someone’s true worth or ability.”

Mr. Fitzsimmons said that at Harvard high school grades and the College Board’s individual subject tests are considered better predictors of college success than the SAT, also administered by the College Board, or ACT, and that the university is studying the use of standardized tests in its admissions. He added that it was possible that the university might eventually make such tests optional.

The admission counseling association gave the report to The New York Times in advance of its official release at its annual meeting in Seattle this week. The report emphasizes academic research that suggests that test preparation and coaching results in an increase of 20 to 30 points on the SAT, which it calls “a modest gain (on the old 1600 scale)” that “is considerably less than the 100 point or more gains that are often accepted as conventional wisdom.” Even so, the report acknowledges that test preparation can raise scores, however modestly, and that students without the financial resources to get such help may be “penalized for lower test scores” in some admission and scholarship cases.

The report calls for an end to the practice of using minimum-admissions-test scores to determine students’ eligibility for merit aid. And it specifically urges the National Merit Scholarship Corporation to stop using PSAT scores as the initial screen for eligibility for recognition or scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship competition “contributes to the misperception of test scores as sole measures of ‘merit’ in a pervasive and highly visible manner,” the report says.

More than 280 four-year colleges do not require standardized test scores for admission, according to the study. The report says that the College Board’s Advanced Placement exams and Subject Tests and the International Baccalaureate exams are more closely linked to the high school curriculum than the SAT and ACT, and have little expensive test preparation associated with them.

The report suggests that what is needed is a new achievement test, pitched to a broad group of students, that would predict college grades as well as or better than available tests.

Using such an achievement test in admissions would “encourage high schools to broaden and improve curricula,” according to the report, and would also send a message to students to focus on their high school course material instead of on test preparation courses.

David Hawkins, the director of public policy and research for the association, pulled together the commission’s findings into the report. He said its value was “in the nearly explicit sentiment that the current admission tests are not optimal tools for admission in 2008.”

Robert Schaeffer, public education director for The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a group critical of standardized admissions testing, called the report “a strong condemnation of the overreliance on test scores,” and said he expected it to carry much weight with association members, who include thousands of college admissions officials and high school guidance counselors.

One commission member, Steve Syverson, is vice president for enrollment at Lawrence University, which made the SAT and ACT optional several years ago. Mr. Syverson said he hoped the report would encourage more college admissions officials to question their use of standardized admissions tests.

“We’re all just making assumptions about these tests,” Mr. Syverson said, referring to the SAT and the ACT. “We’ve all grown up with it. It’s embedded in the culture. If you really ask around the country, how many admissions officers can tell you at their institution what the predictive validity of the test is? What does it add to our understanding? What do tests help you predict? You’d find a lot of them equate these tests with intelligence. It’s not an intelligence test.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/education/22admissions.htm?_r=1&oref=slogin

College Applicants, Beware: Your Facebook Page Is Showing

By JOHN HECHINGER

High-school seniors already fretting about grades and test scores now have another worry: Will their Facebook or MySpace pages count against them in college admissions?

A new survey of 500 top colleges found that 10% of admissions officers acknowledged looking at social-networking sites to evaluate applicants. Of those colleges making use of the online information, 38% said that what they saw "negatively affected" their views of the applicant. Only a quarter of the schools checking the sites said their views were improved, according to the survey by education company Kaplan, a unit of Washington Post Co.

Some admissions officers said they had rejected students because of material on the sites. Jeff Olson, who heads research for Kaplan's test-preparation division, says one university did so after the student gushed about the school while visiting the campus, then trashed it online. Kaplan promised anonymity to the colleges, of which 320 responded. The company surveyed schools with the most selective admissions.

Getty Images

Admissions officers have acknowledged looking at social-networking sites like Facebook to evaluate applicants.

The vast majority of the colleges surveyed had no policy about when it was appropriate for school officials to look at prospective students' social-networking sites. "We're in the early stage of a new technology," Mr. Olson says. "It's the Wild, Wild West. There are no clear boundaries or limits."

The lack of rules is already provoking debate among admissions officers. Some maintain that applicants' online data are public information that schools should vet to help protect the integrity of the institutions. Others say they are uncomfortable flipping through teenage Facebook pages.

Colleges' recent interest in social-networking sites is leading many aspiring students to take a hard look at their online habits and in some cases to remove or change postings. With a high-school graduating class nationwide of 3.3 million students, colleges are expected to be sifting through a record number of applications this year.

Nicholas Santangelo, a senior at Seton Hall Prep, a private school in West Orange, N.J., says he expects colleges might look at his Facebook site but hopes admissions officers realize the postings reflect only a partial view of any student. "There are some things I might think about getting rid of," says Nicholas, 17, who is considering such competitive schools as Amherst College and Wesleyan University.

Sites like Facebook and MySpace let users set up online profiles -- including pictures, videos and other personal information -- then solicit others to join their network of online "friends." Users can exchange messages, often publicly, and sometimes offer detailed descriptions of their activities, dreams and fears.

The sites have inspired many a national conversation over privacy and exhibitionism. Some job applicants have already discovered the hard way that employers often examine the sites to weed out candidates. Representatives of the sites say users can establish online privacy settings that let their pages be viewed only by invited "friends." MySpace is part of News Corp., which owns The Wall Street Journal. Facebook is closely held.

But Kaplan and many high-school guidance counselors say students often don't restrict public access on social-networking sites and, in any case, damaging information can find a way to leak out. David Hawkins, director of public policy and research for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a professional organization, says schools don't have time to scour the Internet systematically to check out thousands of applicants. But he says admissions officers at times receive anonymous tips, which may be from rival applicants, about embarrassing Facebook or MySpace material, such as a picture of a student drunk at an underage party.

In another recent study, Nora Ganim Barnes, director of the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, found that 21% of colleges used social-networking sites for recruiting prospects and gathering information about applicants. It's especially common when universities are awarding scholarships because it isn't hard to go online for a handful of finalists. "No one wants to be on the front page of the newspaper for giving a scholarship to a murderer," she says. "Everybody is trying to protect their brands."

Thomas Griffin, director of undergraduate admissions at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, says the school will do an Internet search, including Facebook and other sites, if an application raises "red flags," such as a suspension from school. Mr. Griffin says several applicants a year have been rejected in part because of information on social-networking sites. In a recent case, the university researched a student who disclosed on his application that he had been disciplined for fighting. The school found a Facebook page with a picture of the applicant holding a gun. "We have to use this information to make the best decision for the university," Mr. Griffin says.

Janet Lavin Rapelye, dean of admission at Princeton University, says the school hasn't rejected any applicant because of information posted on the Internet. Princeton doesn't have time to look at all applicants' online information, but if an offensive Facebook post came to the college's attention, the school would examine it, Ms. Rapelye says. "All of us would consider anything that would cause us to doubt a student's character," she says.

Greg Roberts, senior associate dean of admission at the University of Virginia, says his staff is free to check out anonymous tips about social-networking sites or make use of the information if the admissions committee is evaluating a "tight" decision.

Sandra Starke, vice provost for enrollment management at the State University of New York at Binghamton, says she instructs her staff to ignore Facebook and other sites because she considers postings to be casual conversations, the online equivalent of street-corner banter. "At this age, the students are still experimenting," she says. "It's a time for them to learn. It's important for them to grow. We need to be careful how we might use Facebook."

Marc Prablek, a senior at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in suburban St. Louis, considers Facebook information "out in the public" and fair game for colleges. The 17-year-old, with some 550 "friends," says, "I don't have anything bad on Facebook," but he may tweak his profile to be "more sophisticated."

Marc, who plans to apply early to Stanford University, says he won't mention that he loves to read X-Men comic books. His Facebook literary picks currently include "Crime and Punishment" and "Pride and Prejudice."

High-school guidance counselors advise applicants, even if they restrict public access on their sites, to refrain from including anything that could hurt them in college admissions. They especially caution against foul or offensive language, nudity, or photos of drinking and drug use.

"Students need to be accountable for their actions," says Scott Anderson, director of college guidance at St. George's Independent School, a private school near Memphis, Tenn. When writing on Facebook or MySpace, he says, they should be thinking, "Is this something you want your grandmother to see?"

Write to John Hechinger at john.hechinger@wsj.com

Parents: When to back off, when to step in

• "Helicopter parents" may result from generational changes in work, values
  
• When safety becomes an issue, it's OK for parents to step in
  
• Generally, parents should not intervene with bad roommates, grades in college
  
• Experts say parents can pay the rent once, but don't make it a habit
  

By Elizabeth Landau
CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Do you speed over to your child's school, or even college, whenever something goes wrong?

Many parents today insert themselves into even the most minute activities in their children's lives, a phenomenon that's known as "helicopter parenting."

But two child experts told CNN that parents should aim to empower their children to do things on their own.

"Parenting should be increasingly in the background as the child gets older," said Vivian Friedman, child-adolescent psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "If you do for your child for too long, they never learn to do for themselves."

Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and author of the book "A Parent's Guide to Building Resilience in Children and Teens," said it's important to show children you believe they are capable of handling situations themselves, but always put safety first.

The "helicopter parent" trend may have arisen because the focus of marriage has shifted from the spouse to the child, Friedman said. An increase in divorce and a greater prevalence of two working spouses also contribute to parents' habits of spoiling their children.

"When [the kids] have little failures, they feel like our own failures," Ginsburg said. "What we need to understand is that our job as parents is not to finish our kids or produce perfect kids. It's to start our kids."

Here's what Friedman and Ginsburg recommended for various situations that may arise in your child's life:

1. The elementary school is putting on "Peter Pan" tomorrow. While you prepare a presentation for an important business meeting, your daughter calls and tells you she forgot her Tinkerbell costume for the dress rehearsal. "I'm the only one who's not dressed up," she tells you.

Friedman and Ginsburg agreed that it's OK to take care of it the first time she forgets the costume, but not if it becomes a habit.

"The first time: Find a housekeeper or neighbor to bring it over," Friedman said. "But if she does this routinely, she needs to suffer consequences to learn from the experience."

"One time, two-time mistake -- it's wonderful to pick up the pieces," Ginsburg said. "If, in fact, you always end up picking up pieces, you can't expect a kid to learn the valuable lesson that they can do it themselves. Learn from failure -- failure's a great thing when you learn how to recover yourself."

2. You're at the playground reading a newspaper and suddenly your daughter runs up to you crying. "They won't let me make sand castles with them," she whines.

Friedman said this one depends on age. For a 3- or 4-year-old, it's appropriate for the parent to go over to the group as a neutral adult and help the children learn that they need to include everybody.

But for a 7-year-old, it's borderline. "You could say, 'What seems to be the problem? Do you think there's a way we could all play together?' rather than 'You can't exclude my child,' " she said.

Ginsburg, on the other hand, said you can suggest to your child what to say, or recommend that she find someone else to play with, but you shouldn't communicate that your child isn't capable of handling the situation.

"Learning how to play nice with other people in the sandbox is a great metaphor for life," he said.

3. Kids in the seventh-grade class just won't leave your son alone, not even online. Besides shoving him against the lockers once in awhile, they've also set up a MySpace page making fun of his appearance and name.

Experts agree that you should step in here and notify the school. Friedman would also notify the parents of the children involved -- "Most rational, reasonable parents would not support their child doing that," she said.

Ginsburg emphasized that safety always comes first. "You don't allow your daughter to put her hand in the oven to learn it's hot," he said. "You don't allow a kid to be bullied when there should be systems in place to prevent bullying. "

4. Your son started college a month ago, and every time you call him he has a new story about his messy, party-loving roommate who distracts him from studying and interrupts his sleep. "I wouldn't mind as much if it were my own vomit on the floor," your son tells you. He says he'll just stick it out for the rest of the year.

Friedman and Ginsburg said they would not approach the college housing department and ask to have the young man moved, except in extreme or difficult circumstances -- such as if the child is in a special needs program and can't help himself, Friedman said.

"There's nothing wrong with asking open-ended questions to help your son figure it out," Ginsburg said. "It's OK to say 'Who can you talk to at the university to change your living situation?' What's not OK is to call the dean and say 'Move my son.' "

5. Always a technical genius, your daughter majors in electrical engineering and will surely become a pioneer of great innovations. But this semester, the last of her junior year, she failed her 18th-century literature class, which she took to fulfill the subject-area distribution requirements. This is going to look pretty bad on graduate school applications.

While the daughter can speak to the professor on her own, Friedman and Ginsburg said they would not intervene in this situation.

Special circumstances would be if the grade was truly unfair and there was real foul play involved, or if the professor was drunk -- but otherwise, Friedman said, "It's her F, it's not your F. I would do absolutely nothing."

6. Your daughter has been in the real world for a year, but she says she's not ready to keep herself afloat financially. For the third time this summer she asks for help paying the rent -- "phone bill would be extra nice," she adds. You also notice that she's got a new pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps, and an iPhone is sticking out of her purse.

Friedman said she would not allow this to come up a third time -- she would have made the daughter set up an automatic debit system early on so her child's rent comes out of the account when her paycheck is deposited. "By the third month, I would let her sink, but I'm not a helicopter parent," she said.

Ginsburg emphasized again the safety component: He would never want his daughter to become homeless. He would pay the first month's rent with clear expectations: She needs to learn how to make a budget, she can't spend money on other things until things like rent and food are taken care of, and she needs to know that this is a loan. "Seven months in a row: she needs to find a roommate," he said.

Finally, note that there are no villains here, Ginsburg said.

"The parents who we think do too much are still doing their very best," he said. "Real success involves resilience: the capacity to learn to bounce back on your own."

All AboutEducation • Parenting

Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/09/17/helicopter.parents/index.html

Tip of the Day - Time Management

Break it down!

Do you have an extensive assignment approaching, like your English research paper? Something so large can seem daunting, and you end up putting it off until the last minute. Break it down!

Outline the major due dates - topic, rough draft, bibliography, etc. Set dates for yourself on each part.

Is the required length 10 pages? Write a page a day for 10 days.

Little bits of success are motivating. Big disasters can ruin everything. Need help? Stop by!

Can Your Favorite Color Determine Your Perfect Job?

By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

Do you ever wish finding the perfect job could be as easy as one, two, three? According to new research, it might be as easy as red, yellow or blue.

That's right; by determining which primary, secondary and achromatic colors you prefer most and least, you can figure out a successful career path based on how you approach work, the types of workplaces where you work best and how you handle work tasks.

The Color Career Counselor (on CareerPath.com), powered by The Dewey Color System -- the world's only validated, non-language color-based career testing instrument -- uses color preferences to determine successful career paths. Dewey Sadka, author of "The Dewey Color System," says using colors instead of a questionnaire eliminates the chasm between self-perception and self-truth and reveals your core motivations.

"What if you misinterpret a [career assessment] question or the choices don't reflect your personality?" Sadka asks. "Color preference indicates your personality's best career fit. Preferred colors indicate passionate career pursuits; non-preferred choices establish workplace skills you least enjoy."

How it works

The Color Career Counselor is simple. First, you click your preferred primary color (red, yellow or blue). From there, you choose your preferred secondary (green, purple or orange) and achromatic (black, white or brown) colors.

"Your preferred colors determine how you attack each task. They indicate your talents -- what you prioritize first in order to be successful. They also highlight what you overdo, especially when you feel great," Sadka says.

For example, if you're partial to yellow, you're information-driven; blue preference people are idea-driven and people who prefer red are results-driven. If you favor green as your secondary color, you realistically evaluate situations; purple indicates you like fact-finding possibilities and orange signals that you scrutinize feasibility. Finally, if black is your choice from the achromatic colors, you consider value above all else; white shows that you like having options and brown confirms that you like implementation and accomplishing tasks.

On the other hand, your least preferred colors determine tasks and issues that you tend to forget.

For example, if your least favorite color is orange, sometimes you overcommit yourself by trying to do too much at once. If you dislike the color green, you try to fix everything for your colleagues rather than making them do it themselves. Or, if your least favorite is teal, you feel a deep need to prove you are competent.

In managing these areas head-on, Sadka says you won't miss the incidentals that could impede your success.

Put to the test

To see for myself if this "scientific" test was for real, I took the test three different times and got the same results each time, affirming that I am, in fact, in the right career.

I'm a "creator," says the Color Career Counselor. I'm "nonconforming, impulsive, expressive, romantic, intuitive, sensitive and emotional." It says I enjoy working independently, being creative, using my imagination and constantly learning something new.

For my suggested "creator occupations," I was given an extensive list of careers that included jobs I've considered (architect, interior decorator, English teacher), jobs people told me I should pursue (author, creative director, public relations) and jobs that I currently hold or aspire to in the future (reporter and editor).

What about you?

So are you a researcher, creator, social manager, persuader, doer or organizer? To find out what career path you should be following based on your preferred colors, here are a few examples of what certain choices say about you, and the careers and skills that complement them.

If you prefer yellow, purple and white: You're the communicator

You create profitable perspectives -- how to break into new accounts or be heard by other employees. By simply identifying a client's point of view, you develop strategies that open doors, even if they had already been shut. Your excellent communication skills can create problem-solving forums. Careers in corporate communications, marketing or religious occupations work best.

If you prefer red, green and black: You're the investor

You know the value of money and resources, as well as the intrinsic worth of each co-worker's contributions. Your supportive, yet analytical personality works best in finance, accounting, banking, manufacturing, property management, production analysis, investment, money management, consulting, product sales or teaching.

If you prefer blue, orange and brown: You're the activist

Your strong community beliefs and no-nonsense approach improve services for those around you. Occupations where you can improve existing specifications or impact social values work best for you. Consider careers in engineering, building, or developing new programs, companies or products. Also consider law enforcement, firefighting, social or government work.

These are only a few of hundreds of different color profiles. For your own free career evaluation, please visit: http://www.careerpath.com/

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Copyright 2008 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved.
The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

Story Filed Tuesday, September 16, 2008 - 9:57 AM

College students: Don't limit dreams with debt

Huge school loans can hinder future growth. Think about potential income before signing the dotted line.

By Kathleen Connell

from the September 15, 2008 edition

A college education has long been viewed as a ticket to a better quality of life. It is probably the most important decision a student will make and it may have the highest rate of return in achieving life goals. Unfortunately, some students do not think clearly about this decision, buying the "hot" college brand and assuming large amounts of debt. By overinvesting, they destroy their chances for a brighter future.

"Excessive student debt, often made without an explicit decision on its impact on future life choices, not only restricts traditional career choices but the basic ability of young people to take risks – requiring them to defer their dreams," says Robert Shireman, executive director for the nonprofit Project on Student Debt.

Carmen Berkeley, a 23-year-old who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh last year, assumed a huge financial burden to attend a public university as an out-of-state student.

"My life is definitely impacted by my $80,000 college debt from the University of Pittsburgh," she says. "I really want to go to law school, but can't unless I get a scholarship. Though I believe my college education was a good investment, I doubt I will ever own a car or a house."

The nonprofit US Student Association, where she serves as president, contributes a $200 monthly stipend to assist in retiring her loans. Once she completes 10 years of public service, Ms. Berkeley will also qualify for loan forgiveness under the 2007 Higher Education Act for a portion of her outstanding federal loans. Even with the stipend and loan forgiveness, it will take her more than 20 years to repay her debt.

Berkeley did not consider future income before assuming her loans, although she anticipated always working in the nonprofit or public sector. Her choices confirm a recent survey by student-loan provider Sallie Mae that post-graduate income was not a factor for 70 percent of students and parents in determining how much to borrow to finance a college degree.

So after the glossy college brochures arrive in the mail and the visits to leafy college campuses are over, students need to ask themselves: Can I afford this school without excessive borrowing? How long will it take to pay off that wonderful four-year experience at the campus of my dreams?

Students, remember: You will be deferring other dreams for a cool car, well-furnished pad, weekend ski trips, summer beach vacations, and the latest tech toys.

According to the Project on Student Debt, the average 2006 graduate carried $21,100 in loans. But student debt has a disproportionate effect on middle-class families. Families with incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 will borrow nearly $5,000 a year to pay for college. Those that make less than $50,000 will borrow on average $3,900, and families that earn over $100,000 will borrow $3,710.

To begin paying off those loans, graduates of the class of 2008 will receive an average salary of $36,400 according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Sounds great, until those graduates have to pay taxes, bringing net income to $27,500 or approximately, $2,300 a month. According to federal tables, they can expect to spend $1,800 to $2,000 a month for rent, utilities, out-of-pocket healthcare, car payments, gasoline, insurance and, entertainment. The remaining $300 to $500 a month may seem comfortable enough for the $230 a month needed to repay a $20,000 student loan at 6.8 percent over a 10-year period.

But repaying college tuition is only one part of the debt equation.

"Social debt is another concern as students face the pressure of keeping up with other students, hanging with the right crowd," says Sharon Fries-Britt, an English professor at the University of Maryland. "Credit cards are being overextended, and students are indebting their future, limiting their life choices."

For students who don't want to have daunting repayment obligations, consider these ideas:

•Know the average amount of debt that students carry at each of your potential colleges. Check economicdiversity.org for more information.

•Use the 2009 US News college ranking table that values schools based on debt load (usnews.com/sections/rankings/index.html).

•Remember, you may not qualify for a grant based on need if your family's income exceeds $100,000, so don't assume a grant unless you are certain you qualify.

•If short on funds, choose a cheaper route. Live at home for two years, attend a community college, and transfer to a state university.

•Check out your likely starting salary at naceweb.org – don't plan to borrow more than your first year's income.

• Dr. Kathleen Connell is a professor at Haas Graduate Business School, University of California, Berkeley.

Find this article at:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0915/p14s01-wmgn.html

Tip of the Day - Self-care/Wellness

Are you getting enough physical activity? Exercise not alone keeps your body functioning at the top of its potential, but assists with stress reduction and can help you sleep. Thirty minutes a day, every day is what is recommended. What are your current levels?

Check out the following resources for more information:

Kids Health
Fitness for Youth

Tip of the Day - College/Career Prep

Peterson's MyStudentEdge is coming!

This FREE resource will be rolled out to all Perry High School students this fall. It includes:

• FREE ACT and SAT practice tests and test preparation classes
• College searches
• Career searches
• College application help
• Resume building
  
• And much more!

A flyer will be mailed home soon. Watch for it!

One in five bosses screens applicants' Web lives

Top concern: Candidates posting information about drinking or using drugs

Reuters

updated 11:34 a.m. ET, Thurs., Sept. 11, 2008

NEW YORK - Written references could become old hat for hiring managers with one in five saying they use social networking sites to research job candidates — and a third of them dismissing the candidate after what they discover.

A survey by online job site CareerBuilder.com of 3,169 hiring managers found 22 percent of them screened potential staff via social networking profiles, up from 11 percent in 2006.

An additional nine percent said they don't currently use social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace to screen potential employees but they do plan to start.

The survey found that 34 percent of the managers who do screen candidates on the Internet found content that made them drop the candidate from any short list.

The top area for concern among the hiring managers with 41 percent citing this as a downfall were candidates posting information about drinking or using drugs.

The second area with 40 percent of concern were candidates posting provocative or inappropriate photographs or information.

Other areas of concern to arise from social network sites were poor communication skills, lying about qualifications, candidates using discriminatory remarks related to race, gender or religion, and an unprofessional screen name.

But the survey found hiring managers scouring social network pages was not all bad with 24 percent of these managers saying they found content to help them solidify their decision to hire that candidate.

Top factors that influenced their hiring decision included candidate's backgrounds supporting their qualifications for the job, proving they had good communications skills, and having a site that conveyed a professional image with a wide range of interests.

"Hiring managers are using the Internet to get a more well-rounded view of job candidates in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit within the company," said CareerBuilder.com spokeswoman Rosemary Haefner in a statement.

"As a result, more job seekers are taking action to make their social networking profiles employer-friendly. Sixteen percent of workers who have social networking pages said they modified the content on their profile to convey a more professional image to potential employers."

Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26658850/

Tip of the Day - Study Skills

Flash Cards. Do they work for you? If so, USE THEM! But don't rely only on memorizing a vocabulary word or date. Learn the information in context. For example:

Learning Vocabulary - now you know the definition... learn the word completely by:

• using it in a sentence at least once a day
• find the word in context and define it on the spot
• use the new word in a writing assignment

Learning "Data" (dates, periodic table elements, etc.) - So you can recite what is on the card, but can you:

• Explain why the data is important?
• Identify the information backwards?
  
• Translate it to the larger concept (I know the periodic number of Gold... but what does that mean in relation to silver?)?

Flash cards are simply for learning arithmetic problems. Think of new uses.

Tip of the Day - balancing friends and schoolwork

The grading period interim is here. Are your grades where they should be? where you want them to be? where your parents expect them to be? Many times the first grading period takes some adjusting. New year. New classes. New friends.

Are your friends getting in the way of your academics? Take a step back and see. Am I spending enough time studying? How long am I on My Space or Facebook every night? What are my goals for the future? Do I need to slow down on my social life?

Just because you aren't focusing on being social doesn't mean you can't be social. Form a study group - you get to spend time with friends, but you are also hitting the books.

A Study Group lets you:

• be social
• learn with -and sometimes from - others
• have time to clarify your questions from people who speak your language
• have fun while learning

Need help forming a group? Talk to your teacher or come down to the office and talk to me.

Agendas

So, you're in class, and you really need to use the restroom. Your teacher asks for your agenda, and you've lost it. Remember - agendas are the only way you are allowed to move about the school - you have 4 pages of passes!

If you need a new agenda, you can purchase one for $6 from the main office.

Tip of the Day - Time Management

So now you have several days of data on how you spend every minute of your 24 hours. Now it's time to analyze this time.

Make a second list for each day, this time grouping together like activities. For example, all of your classes should be lumped together - but NOT lunch. Are you in clubs or sports? Those activities should be together.

After you've divided up all of your time into these categories, rank them in order of importance. How do you determine importance? It will be different for everyone. However, be REAL! Do not put "Video Games" before attending school. Ask an adult to help you if you get stuck.

Once your activities are ranked, you should see time that is wasted in your day. Again, ask someone to review this list, because sleeping and eating times are not "wasted" - they are necessary for survival, and I would argue they are the most important items in your day. But if you spend 12 hours sleeping and 4 hours eating, that's another story.

Underclass Student Pictures

Picture Day for all underclass students is Wednesday, September 10, 2008. Order forms will be distributed in sixth block classes.

Tip of the Day - Self-care/Wellness

Are you worried about eating correctly? Check out the new government guidelines to ensure you are consuming a balanced diet. You can personalize the site since every person has different nutritional needs based on size, age, and sex. Check it out at www.mypyramid.gov.

Tip of the Day - College/Career Prep

It's application time!

Seniors should be preparing for their Senior Counselor meeting (schedules will be posted on Monday). We will discuss: college/career plans, testing (ACT, SAT), applications, scholarships, etc. Be prepared for many questions - we want to make sure we're helping you as much as possible.

Sign up for a time ASAP! Schedules will be posted in the Senior Lounge.

Tip of the Day - Study Skills

How do you prepare for a test? Do you wait until the night before and try to cram in all of the information? I admit, I once operated like this. Did I do well on the test? Yes, because I memorized everything. But did I learn the material and completely understand everything? No. I didn't. And it came back to haunt me when I had to apply the knowledge in a new situation. It wasn't until I was in high school that I learned new ways to study that helped me learn rather than memorize. My personal favorite is the note-rewrite.

Every night, read through your notes from class. When I would do this, I would notice that sometimes my thoughts in class were jumbled, and I would write them out again in a more concise fashion. I continued this every night, adding on the the clearer set of notes, and reading that from the beginning every night. When it came to preparing for a test, I found that I was so familiar with the information, and organized in class to ask clarifying questions, that I no longer needed to cram the night before and the material remained with me after the test.

If you think this might help you, stop by and I will show you what to do. At first it added about 5 minutes to my nightly homework session, but soon made things work faster.

Senior Meetings

The Guidance Department in conjunction with Mrs. Meinen, our LEAF Advisor, visited senior English classes yesterday to begin the college application process. We will continue to meet with students who do not have an English class at Perry this semester (Auburn, PSEO, or 2nd semester English).

In addition to this classroom meeting, we will be scheduling appointments with every senior to go over their plans for the year. And if you do not have a plan, we'll help you develop one! Look for sign up sheets in the senior lounge and listen out for the morning announcements for more information.

Tip of the Day - Helping a Friend

Are you concerned about one of your friends? Would you like help sitting down with them to make sure they are okay? Please remember that your counselor is available to help you with not only your problems, but with concerns you have about the health and safety of your friends. We have helped mediate through rough spots, developed scripts and helped prepared a student confront a friend, and, when necessary, jumped in and taken over a risky situation. If you are unsure of how to help, come see us. We have many resources that we can recommend.

ACT and SAT Registration

The ACT and SAT testing schedules have begun for 2008-09. All seniors who are planning to apply to college need at least one test prior to submitting their applications.

** If you are a senior and have not yet take the ACT or SAT, take the Fall (October or November) test.**

Basic registration information:

ACT:

• Go to www.actstudent.org to register, or pick up a packet in the Guidance Office.
• Cost = $31; $46 with writing
• Take the writing test at least once
• 4 parts: English, Reading, Science, and Mathematics
• closest test date = October 25

SAT:

• Go to www.collegeboard.com to register
• Cost = $45
• 3 parts: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing
• closet test date = October 4
  

Tip of the Day - Time Management

Are you using your planner and still not getting everything done? still forgetting items? For three days, keep a list of everything you do. Yes, everything! From eating to going to class to riding in the car to sleeping, keep track of how long every item in 72 hours takes you to complete. After you have this three-day record, take some time to look it over and see if you have pockets of time that are not being used wisely. If you need help, stop by and I will gladly look at a day in your life and make some suggestions for increasing your productivity.

Tip of the Day - Self-care/Wellness

Are you getting enough sleep? So many students are yawning as they enter the building in the morning. Sleep is very important for many reasons: concentration, health, healing, etc. Your goal should be 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.

Tips for sleeping well:

Develop a routine for your end-of-the-day tasks.
Go to bed at the same time every night.
Turn off the computer, cell phone, I-Pod, etc.
Wake up at the same time every morning.
Sleep in a dark, quiet room.

Perry High School Welcomes LEAF

The Lake/Geauga Educational Assistance Foundation (LEAF) will be working with all Perry High School students to assist with post-secondary education and financial aid planning. Their mission is to link students to resources that open doors to higher education. LEAF fulfills their mission by encouraging all individuals to meet their highest potential through education through one-on-one counseling regarding post-secondary opportunities.

LEAF was founded in 1989 by a group of Lake County leaders who discovered that many students were not continuing their education because they believed they could not afford the cost of college. These founding members provided education on college access and financial aid, and continue to work with every public high school in Lake and Geauga counties to ensure that all students who wish to pursue post-secondary education have that opportunity. Since LEAF began counseling students, an average of 70% of all seniors has received counseling with an advisor, and there has been an 11% increase in the number of seniors reporting that they will continue their education after high school.

All students and parents are encouraged utilize the services provided by LEAF. Barb Meinen, Perry High School’s advisor, will be available for one-on-one appointments on Tuesdays from 8:00 AM until 2:30 PM to discuss four-year universities, community colleges, and vocational and technical programs, and how to finance these opportunities. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to receive specific financial aid information and assistance in completing financial aid forms (FAFSA, CSS Profile, etc.). Parents and students need to set up an appointment with the LEAF advisor by contacting the High School Guidance Office at 259-9306.

If you are unable to meet with the LEAF advisor during the school day, you may contact the LEAF Resource Center at 358-8045 to arrange for an evening or Saturday appointment. The Resource Center is located in the Technology Learning Center at 8221 Auburn Road in Concord, Ohio.

Tip of the Day - College/Career Prep

Do you need some help figuring out a career or college path? See your counselor to learn more about the Ohio Career Information System (OCIS). OCIS is FREE and is open to all students. You can search for careers, college majors, colleges, scholarships, and more!

Log on to: ocis.ode.state.oh.us

User name: PerryL
Password: ohiocis03

After you log in, set up your own account so that you can save and build on your information. Need help? See your counselor or Mrs. Meinen from LEAF.

Tip of the Day - Study Skills

Look at your surroundings when you are studying. Is it loud or quiet? Do you have bright light, or are you squinting in the dark? Do you have all of your supplies? Here are some study environment suggestions:

1. Turn off the TV, radio, computer (unless you're using it to write a report), cell phone, I-Pod, etc. A quiet environment provides fewer distractions.
2. Turn on a light. Go into a room with good overhead lighting (like the kitchen). Proper lighting will make it easier for your to read and prevent eye strain.
3. Collect all of your supplies before you begin. Running around the house every minute or two to find something you need will take away precious time.
4. Don't multi-task! Yes, this is a skill we all need, but if you are studying for a U.S. History test, it won't help you to talk on the phone and watch TV at the same time. Concentrate on learning one thing.
   

Online Health

Online Health registration is currently open in the Guidance Office. All students must take 0.5 credits of Health to obtain their diploma. If you have any questions, please contact your counselor.

Tip of the Day - Meeting New People

The beginning of the school year is a great time to try something new. Join a club or sport that seems interesting, and you'll get more than just volunteer experience or exercise... you'll meet lots of new people and develop new friendships. Common interests join people, and by exploring your own interests outside of the classroom, you may meet people that you never expected to find. If you need some help finding a new club, see your counselor. We'd be happy to help you explore your options.

Here are some links to get you started:

Perry High School Clubs and Organizations
Perry High School Athletics
Perritech

Standards-Based Grading

I have had several calls regarding our new Standards-Based Grading policy. For more information, please see the FAQ section on the district web page. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or Mrs. Reigert, Mr. Mueller, or Mr. Eisler.

Tip of the Day - Time Management

You know that nifty little red agenda we gave you on the first day of school? Use it! After scrolling through all of the Student Handbook information, there are several different calendars. The first is by month. The second, by week.

Use your monthly calendar to:

• Keep track of evening events, like club meetings, presentations, or sporting events
• List birthdays or anniversaries
• Note days off of school
• List due of dates of large assignments - final exams, research papers, presentations, etc.
  

Use your weekly calendar to:

• Keep track of homework assignments
• Plan out big projects - i.e. write pages 1-3 of English research paper on Monday, pages 4-6 on Tuesday, etc.
• Make a "to do" list for the "others" in life - buy a birthday card, call your grandma, bring in lunch money, etc.

Once you get used to writing things down, you will develop a habit. Keep the lists going on paper so that you do not have to remember them in your head.

College Information Night

College Information Night
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
7:00 PM
PHS Cafeteria

Presented by Becky Hoyt and Lori Reigert, Guidance Counselors

Please join us to learn more about:

• The college search
• Financial aid basics
• Scholarships
• College applications
• The college matriculation process

The presentation is open to parents and students in all grades.
Seniors and juniors are especially encouraged to attend.

Please contact the guidance office at (440) 259-9306 with any questions.

Tip of the Day - Stress relief

The biggest concern I hear from students and parents is the level of stress our students experience. I do not see this as a Perry-only occurrence, but instead a phenomena that is growing. To compete in our current world, we have to do so much more than in the past, and many people struggle with the balance that is required.

When stress is taking control of your body, here is a tip that helps many people... BREATHE! When your body experiences stress, many things happen, including increased heart-rate and reduced breathing. Take a moment, close your eyes, and concentrate on breathing. The increased oxygen will help you focus and regain control.

Extra-curricular eligibility

Eligibility for ALL extra-curricular activities - including athletics - requires a 2.0 GPA from the most recent report card with no failing (F) or incomplete (I) grades. Students must also be enrolled in 5 credits for the school year. Because of our block scheduling, students must have 2.5 credits in the semester of eligibility at minimum.

Please review your schedule and confirm that you are, indeed, eligible.

Tip of the Day

Beginning Monday, I will introduce a daily entry - Tip of the Day. I will rotate topic areas:

Monday - wellness and self-care
Tuesday - Time management
Wednesday - Relationships
Thursday - Study skills
Friday - College and career prep

First Day of School

Congratulations on a great first day back to Perry High School! It was nice to see so many smiling faces and students eager to learn. I look forward to a great year!

Freshman/New Student Orientation

Freshman and New Student Orientation is Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 6:30 PM in Goodwin Theatre. We will have new student schedules. You can tour the building, find your locker, and talk to staff and students about the transition to high school. See you then!

Schedule Changes

If you need to make a correction to your schedule, you must call the office at 259-3511 to make an appointment. The only changes we are making are due to conflicts. You may not change what you requested this spring.

The approaching school year

A few items in preparation for the 2008-2009 school year:

1. Schedules are being mailed today. The only changes that will be made are those where classes do not fit. Otherwise, you must take the courses you requested in the spring.

2. If you need to make a change, you must make an appointment. Contact the high school at 259-3511 to make an appointment.

3. Freshmen and New Student Orientation is August 14. Students will have an opportunity to walk through their schedule, find and open their locker, and discuss expectations with students (and parents).

More to follow as we near the first day of school (August 21). See you then!

Answering parents' MySpace questions

Experts advise readers on cyberspying, older 'friends' and banning site
By Jasmin Aline Persch

While some parents are creating their own MySpace pages to keep up with their kids, many don't understand the social-networking site and its allure for adolescents.

Stories such as today's "Mom indicted in MySpace suicide case" and others that tie the site to sexual predators, cyberbullying and teen suicide can make this unfamiliar youth hangout all the more frightening for parents. Fortunately, psychologists say, most children don’t encounter trouble on social-networking sites. Many kids, they say, have beneficial experiences on MySpace, which can actually help children through the awkward stage that is adolescence.

That’s what I reported in a recent story, “MySpace can help bring shy kids out of their shells.” Being socially challenged can make an adolescent feel even more alien, but finding accepting pals can come easier online. Virtual relationships, in turn, can boost kids’ confidence and social lives, making life a little bit better in the real world.

The story generated about 70 e-mails from readers, ranging from parents who don’t sweat MySpace to those who swear it off. But I mainly heard from parents who are unsure about how to handle MySpace with their kids. Should they cybersnoop on their children? Should they forbid older “friends”? Should they ban MySpace altogether?

I took their questions to three experts for parental guidance. Larry D. Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, recently authored a parenting book, "Me, MySpace and I," on the topic. Laurence Steinberg, a psychology professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, wrote "You and Your Adolescent." C.J. Pascoe, a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley, researches how new media has become central to teen life.

The key, they say, to successfully parenting a MySpacer seems to involve striking a balance. Parents should talk to their children about safety, and also check their children's profile while sitting with them at the computer. But they should also grant young adults the freedom needed to develop into individuals.

Experts warn that taking MySpace away just makes the site all the more seductive for today's tech-savvy kids, who will find a workaround. Also, cyberspying driven by fear of MySpace, rather than a child's bad behavior, can break the trust between a parent and child and create a rift in their relationship.

Here's what the experts said to some of the questions that were submitted:

Forbid older ‘friends’?
“My older teens, I allowed them to go online and use their real photographs because back then it seemed like not that many people were online, so it didn’t matter. With my younger teens, I set up new rules. They could go online, but no real names ever, no photos, no older 'friends,' etc. I don't check and I hope it's OK, but my little one already met an older friend age 23; she's 13 and we are dealing with that. So obviously, it's not working.” — Susan, Fla.

Rosen: At this point, it’s time for a family meeting. I bet one of the things this mother hasn’t done is told the kid: "I have complete access to what you're doing. I can walk by the computer and ask what you're doing. If I discover you are showing me only part of what you are doing, here are the consequences." Consequences should start out small and build. They should be spelled out. The way you set consequences is by what’s really important to this person. Obviously the important thing to this person is being online: Lose half an hour, lose two hours. Also, where is the computer? It’s not a right to have a computer in the kid's room; it’s a privilege.

Pascoe: I would say, "I need to meet this person before you meet them offline." Unless you’ve seen a problem arise already, setting a rule of you can’t talk to a person of X age won't help if the child hasn't done anything wrong yet. Nothing bad might come of a virtual relationship. I see kids on role-playing sites or Harry Potter sites having inter-generational, productive friendships.

How to keep real-life friends?
"What if your child likes his MySpace, or in my kid's case, YouTube, persona so much better that he lets go of past friends at school? He has shrunk his life down to just YouTube because it's easier. How can this be healthy?" — Susin C., Framingham, MA

Rosen: Adolescent development requires real-life contact.That’s tough if the kid has given up all his offline friends. It seems like his behavior has reached the stage of an addiction. That’s really important for the parent to understand, why is my kid doing this? When MySpace use becomes addictive, you have to apply different rules. You can’t make somebody go cold turkey just like you can’t take cigarettes away from a nicotine addict. Addicts want to be rewarded with what they’re addicted to. Practicing the addiction in a public place tends to reduce the behavior. Much of addictive behaviors are done behind closed doors. It’s addictive because it’s done privately and exciting. And in public, it loses its allure.

Steinberg: It’s not as healthy for your social network to be an electronic one than a real one. But for a kid who doesn’t have any friends at all, YouTube offers some social contact rather than none. If your child doesn’t have any friends in the world other than those he met on the Internet, I would try to figure out why that is. Research says is that it's important for kids to have at least one good friend. If your child has one good friend in the real world and spends a lot of time on the Internet, I wouldn’t be concerned. One close friend is more important than being popular for mental health.

Cybersnoop on children?
"I am on [my daughter's] friends' list so I can read her bulletins, I also monitor who she's talking to and find out what is happening in her world. Sometimes this is the only way of knowing about what's going on with her because she is more likely to share with her friends and publish to the world than share with her parents. Is this normal? I just don't want to rely on MySpace to learn about what she is doing and problems she is facing. When should I step in and get her to talk to me instead — or should I?" — Anonymous

Steinberg: During early adolescence, it is perfectly normal for kids to want privacy as part of the process of growing up. That’s why they start closing their bedroom doors. Privacy is important because your child is struggling to develop an identity that is separate from you. Parents who don’t allow privacy, their kids are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. So a parent needs to find the right balance of being involved and being intrusive.

Pascoe: Kids do need their privacy, but they have to earn it. Spying on them without their knowledge is not the way to do it. It’s in general a bad idea. It’s not going to bring you closer. The trust and conversations have to start offline. You have to actually listen to your child.

Grant kids some privacy?
"I have a 12-year-old daughter who logs on daily. I asked her for her password, and she said she didn't want to give it to me. She is basically a very trustworthy, good girl, so I decided to respect her privacy. I told her she needed to be prepared for random audits, where I would have her log in, and I would check her comments, messages, and some of her friends' profiles. So far I have performed three or four audits. She has been very willing to log in whenever I ask, and I've never found anything questionable. Should I be concerned that she doesn't want to give me her password, or this just a normal desire for some privacy?" — Anonymous

Rosen: Developmentally, younger kids are not ready to handle a variety of issues they could encounter on MySpace. The brain of a kid is different than that of an older adolescent. The part of the brain that is primarily for making decisions and multitasking doesn’t completely develop until the late teens or early 20s. Being on MySpace, kids are always making decisions. A small amount of MySpacers are approached sexually or experience cyberbullying. All the research shows, when faced with somebody coming onto them, 95 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds do handle it well. But when something does happen, the younger the kid, the less adept they are at handling it. You have to do more monitoring and pro-active parenting than with older kids.

Pascoe: The password thing is such a hard one. Different rules may be appropriate for different ages. It might be more appropriate to watch a 12-year-old. If she proves herself responsible, she doesn’t have to share her password anymore. You can’t get their password and just go on without their knowledge. You have to have a conversation as a family. You have to promise not to rat out their friends to their friends' parents. Your child can’t get in trouble for what their friends say. That’s really humiliating for a child to be the kid whose parents ratted out everybody.

Friends with bad online behavior?
"My daughter has friends on her MySpace that have some inappropriate stuff on their own pages. I did request her to remove one of them. Just about all of her friend's pages are fine. Should I tell her to remove the ones I don't approve of, or should I just talk to her about what is inappropriate?" — Erin Sweet, R.I.

Pascoe: The mom shouldn’t have her daughter remove her friend. That can cause a huge amount of embarrassment for someone. You can’t hold your child responsible for what their friends do. Talk to them about why that content might be inappropriate, why she might be doing that and why your daughter is making good decisions for not doing that.

Rosen: If you tell your kid to remove a friend, they’ll find a way to get that friend back. Talk to your kid about what worries you. You might find out that your kid is just as appalled. Maybe your kid is getting something positive from that kid. I applaud this mother for considering the option of talking to her child. Ninety-nine percent of parents would just consider the first choice. If parents remove friends from their kid's MySpace, kids will add them on Facebook. You can’t stop kids technologically, but you can parentally.

Balance school and MySpace?
"My son has been failing in school and I think it's because he's been spending too much time on MySpace. I've tried taking away his computer, but he still manages to get online! How can I prevent him from being distracted from his schoolwork?" — Julie, New York City

Rosen: Using the computer should be contingent on his homework being done. If he completes an hour of homework, he gets X amount of time on the computer. If he’s getting on the computer anyway, it’s incumbent on the parent that he can only get on through the parent’s access code. This is a tough one, because kids sneak around. You need to make sure he understands if you find out he gets on, he’s going to lose some of that time. Kids are trying to tell us something, MySpace is really important to me. Parents who just yank stuff away, kids are going to hate them. Time on the computer has to be monitored and with a clock. The computer has to be shut down; if not, here are consequences. Don’t make the consequences yourself. Negotiate. Let them win a little.

Steinberg: Put time limits on it. The same way you would respond to TV, video games or butterfly collecting. School is the most important thing for kids at that age. Parents are not powerless to how kids spend their time. It’s more effective to agree to a certain hours a day. You have to get your homework done first;. you have to maintain good grades.

Ban MySpace?
“My son has not once, but on two different occasions, not only met his girlfriend online but has also traveled to see them. The first one was OK. About three months ago, he met this girl that stood for everything he had been taught to stand against. He is 18 so I was limited in what I could do. He bought a bus ticket and traveled to Florida to meet her. Bottom line, he almost went to jail three times in one day because of her. He is now about to come home and my first instinct is to cut all ties to MySpace completely. Do I just take it away from the 18-year-old? I'm not convinced he has learned a lesson from this just yet, so I don't think I can trust him.” — Anonymous, Baton Rouge, La.

Rosen: First of all, do not take Internet access away. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t matter if they’re 18 or 14. He’ll find a way to get on at a friend's house, a public place, an Internet café. The appropriate thing to do with an 18-year-old who could do whatever he wants is tell him: “You are living in my home, you are living by my rules.” There are different consequences for an 18-year-old than a 14-year-old. It depends on what kind of control you have. If the 18 year old is paying rent, the consequences have to do with money. “I’m going to charge you $500 to stay here, if I see you're doing X, Y and Z, I’ll raise or lower it $100.” Rewarding them for the kind of behavior you want is more likely to work. Couple that with punishment; the two work better than the parts. Create a behavioral contract in writing, a list of how behaviors are rewarded and punished.

Pascoe: The son's problems are pre-existing. Parents can’t fix problems by blaming the Internet. I don’t think forbidding kids from using the technology will, either. She can forbid him from using MySpace, but that’s not going to stop him from seeking out trouble. The son has poor decision-making skills. MySpace allows another arena from which to make poor decisions. They need to get at the heart of the problem.

© 2008 MSNBC Interactive
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24507454/
MSN Privacy . Legal© 2008 MSNBC.com

Moms key to daughters' healthy body image

• Story Highlights
• Advocacy group: As many as 10 million Americans have eating disorders
  
• 90 percent of anorexia nervosa and bulimia are female
  
• Expert: Moms' negative talk about own bodies can hurt daughters' body image
  

By Judy Fortin
CNN Medical Correspondent

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Maggie O'Connor minces garlic for a Mexican lasagna while across the kitchen Melissa Thornton chops basil for a turkey wrap.

These aren't professional chefs. They're 10- and 11-year-old girls getting a lesson in cooking and healthy eating. They're also learning how to have a positive image of their bodies.

"I think you need to balance things," said Thornton, a fourth-grader from Atlanta, Georgia.

Not only is her mother peeking over Melissa's shoulder as she works, but so is clinical psychologist Dina Zeckhausen, founder of the Eating Disorders Information Network.

She gathered eight moms and their daughters on a recent Sunday afternoon at The Cook's Warehouse in Atlanta.

Zeckhausen's goal is to help the mothers be effective role models, especially when it comes to eating.

"These are just ordinary moms," Zeckhausen said. "A lot of ordinary moms these days have struggled with their own body image. They want to raise healthy daughters. They don't want to pass their own anxieties down to their girls."

The National Eating Disorders Association notes there has been unprecedented growth of eating disorders in the past two decades.

The group estimates up to 10 million Americans suffer from the condition. Ninety percent of those who battle anorexia and bulimia are female.

Zeckhausen urged the moms gathered in the kitchen to eliminate what she called "negative body talk." Health Minute: More on moms and body image »

"It's important that you don't put yourself down in front of your daughter," explained Zeckhausen. "She has an adult woman's body in her future and she's looking to you in terms of how to feel about that body. She's taking notes whether you know it or not."

Vicki Bratton knows that firsthand. She attended the class with her 8-year-old. "I realized so many things come out of my mouth that I don't expect. Everything we say, their ears are hearing and they are processing it."

Bratton said she was surprised she needed to start worrying about her daughter being at risk for eating disorders at such a young age.

"I hear stories of first-graders who are already afraid of eating cookies because they think they are bad," Zeckhausen said. "I heard of a 5-year-old who wouldn't put on her winter coat because she was afraid it made her look fat."

Zeckhausen put part of the blame on the media and pop culture. "Our daughters are comparing their bodies on the outside to what the girls look like on the Disney Channel and in the magazines. We want to help our daughters base their body image more on what their bodies do for them and how they feel, rather than how they look."

Zeckhausen urged the girls to resist peer pressure, particularly in the lunchroom where she noted some kids push away healthy food in favor of crackers and ice chips.

"If your stomach is hungry and the girl next to you is not eating, what should you listen to?" asked Zeckhausen. "We want to teach the girls to listen to their own bodies."

Kelly O'Connor stood behind Maggie as she chopped the rest of the garlic. As the mother of 8- and 10-year-old girls, she conceded, "I'm already trying to teach them about the dangers of being afraid to eat and making sure when they're hungry it's OK to eat and when they're not hungry just say 'no thank you.' "

That's just what Zeckhausen wants to hear.

"One cooking class may not make a difference, but if we are teaching moms a way of thinking about food and bodies which will help them negotiate what their daughters are going through ... then we are doing something really important."

All AboutEating Disorders

Senioritis: An Open Letter

Dear Parents and Seniors,

Yes, the end of the year is near. Very near. In fact, I only have the opportunity to see you in our hallowed halls for 19 more days. While this fact makes me quite sad, I am certain that you do not feel the same. Indeed, seniors, you are excited and anxious and counting down the days (I see the signs posted in our halls). Parents, you are excited and anxious and counting down the days. While I see similar emotions and actions from both of you, I do not think they are being caused for the same reasons. Thus, I wish to address this open letter to you about "senioritis."

I have addressed this topic in the past. I hear about it daily from students and parents and faculty and staff. Do I feel it is important? Yes. Do I think it is real? Well, that depends.

Yes, seniors, you have spent almost 13 years working diligently towards the completion of your guaranteed education. I applaud you for your tenacity and dedication, and am so proud f all of you. But is this really the end of your education? Does a magical switch move to the off position on May 23?

Parents, I know you have worked very, very hard to get to this point, as well. The support and time and love and nurturing you provide is more important that anything I can do for your students. You have built the foundation for their futures; I have only had the pleasure to help decorate or mend a fence here and there. And I am grateful that you have granted me the permission to help you in this process.

This is just the beginning of your learning. I know you hear this over and over again, but I feel the need to say it again - this was the easy part. In school, you have the wonderful support of so many people and access to so many resources. In the "real world," this is not always the case. Many of you will continue your formal education and not see a change in this pattern. Some of you will see a difference when you enter another educational facility. And others who choose to directly enter the workforce may experience both scenarios.

What I wish for all of you is that you learned how to learn. This is the constant in all of our futures. Many times it will not seem as concrete and forward and directed as what you have experienced at Perry. Learning takes so many forms - you may not even know it is occurring. Once you leave our halls, the responsibility for learning shifts completely to you, students.

Thus, senioritis. Yes, the "end" of your education at Perry is near. But it is not over. And many, many seniors are acting as if it is. I implore all of you to consider your thought process. Your final grades and final exams will figure into your credits and grade point averages and, in many case, will impact whether or not you earn your diploma. And the reasoning I hear daily is, "Oh, I have senioritis."

To return to an earlier question, do I think senioritis is real? Well, that depends. It is very real to those of you who are experiencing a sudden decline in your performance, and who will use the word to support your action (or inaction, as it may be). Is it a diagnosis that can be given by a medical or mental health professional? No. Is it something that I will mention in conversations? Yes. Is it an excuse that I will, well, excuse? No.

Parents and seniors, please do not fall into this habit. As your many signs attest, we only share 19 more days of academics. Do not let your habits risk your diploma.

If you need assistance, please see your counselor. We can help. Or talk to a teacher or administrator. We have all witnessed how the end of the senior year seems to change our students' motivation. We have resources that can help. I do not want this process to become a habit that will be difficult to break in the future.

Again, I am so proud of all of you, and I am excited to shake your hand as you walk across the stage on June 1.

Wishing you the very best,
Mrs. Hoyt

Web resources:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1191831,00.html
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/02/03/loc_senioritis_can_cheat.html
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/the-application/8626.html

TIME CHANGE - Academic Awards

The Academic Awards Night on May 27, 2008 has been changed... to an Academic Awards Breakfast! Due to very poor attendance for the evening event, we have moved the time to during the school day. Breakfast will be served to all award recipients at 8:00 AM. The Awards presentation will begin at 8:45AM. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend. A notification letter will be mailed home regarding your qualification for this event.

Report Cards

Report Cards for the fifth grading period will be distributed Tuesday, April 29, 2008. Please contact the Guidance Office with any questions.

National Honor Society Induction

The National Honor Society Induction ceremony is tomorrow, April 9. Good luck to all applicants, and congratulations to all inductees!

21st-birthday booze ritual gains popularity

Survey: Drinking 21 shots is more common than previously thought

By Tara Parker-Pope

The New York Times

updated 8:49 a.m. ET, Tues., April. 8, 2008

The ritual of drinking 21 or more alcoholic beverages to celebrate the 21st birthday appears to be far more common than expected, according to new research.

Jesse Drews died in March on his 21st birthday after a drinking binge. It's estimated that more than four out of every five American 21-year-olds drink alcohol to celebrate the birthday milestone, which is the the legal drinking age in the United States. But a new study from University of Missouri researchers of 2,518 students shows that many young adults aren't just drinking to celebrate — they are drinking to extremes.

Among those students who drank alcohol to celebrate their 21st birthdays, 34 percent of the men and 24 percent of the women reported consuming 21 or more drinks, according to the research to be published in The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The report is believed to be the largest study of the drinking ritual, which often involves shots of alcohol. The students in the study were followed for four years and asked a variety of questions about their drinking behavior over the course of their time in college. Although the findings likely can't be applied to the general population, the data likely do reflect the drinking culture at large, public universities, say researchers.

Based on the data, researchers estimated that half of the men and more than a third of the women who drank on their birthdays experienced blood alcohol levels of 0.26 or higher, the level at which a person is severely impaired and at risk for choking on vomit or suffering serious injury. While researchers say it's possible some students overstated how much they actually drank, the consistency of the answers suggests that students are consuming large quantities of alcohol when they celebrate a 21st birthday.

"I think a lot of people view this as a feel-good rite of passage and don't calibrate what a big risk it is,'' said Kenneth Sher, professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the study's lead author.

Alcohol researchers have been searching for ways to curb the extreme drinking common on the 21st birthday. One concern is that interest in the ritual appears to be spreading because drinkers who attempt or succeed at downing 21 drinks post videos and photos of the drinking binges on YouTube or Flickr or social networking sites like MySpace.

One of the biggest worries about the ritual is alcohol poisoning. The body's ability to metabolize alcohol depends on several factors, including gender, weight, the type of alcohol, whether the person vomits during the binge and the time period during which the alcohol is consumed. But in some cases, as few as 10 drinks can push blood alcohol levels to 0.30, the point at which the respiratory system slows enough that death is possible.

That appears to be what happened to Jesse Drews, a 21-year-old Fox Lake, Wis., resident who died on March 24, his 21st birthday. Although the death is still under investigation, it's believed he may have attempted to drink 21 shots to celebrate at a Waupun, Wis., tavern. A friend who brought him home said he had "10 or 12 shots,'' although his parents have since been told different stories about how much alcohol was consumed.

What is known is that his family found him unresponsive at 4 a.m., and a hospital test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.38, according to his family and the Dodge County Sheriff's Office. Waupun police chief Dale Heeringa said he couldn't comment on the details of the investigation until the medical examiner's report is finished. He said Mr. Drews did not finish 21 shots, although he did consume "a significant amount of alcohol.''

Jesse's mother, Jody Drews, said her son had been reluctant to go out that night but relented after friends persuaded him. He returned home around 1:15 a.m. and went to bed, and Mrs. Drews checked on him throughout the night, including around 3:30 a.m., when she heard him snoring and returned to bed.

"I never in a million years thought we would be in this situation,'' Mrs. Drews said. "Kids have to know about this risk. I hope anybody who goes into a bar and sees this happening will say something.''

Clayton Neighbors, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors in Seattle, is studying Internet-based interventions he hopes will convince more young people to moderate their drinking on their 21st birthdays. In one study of 316 students, to be presented at the American Psychological Association conference this year, those who were given Web-based information about drinking prior to their 21st birthday drank less than students who didn't receive the information.

Students in the intervention group were asked how much they planned to drink on their 21st birthday and how common they believed extreme drinking really is. The interactive tool then showed them that only a minority of students drink 21 or more drinks. It also calculated a student's blood alcohol level based on the amount he or she planned to drink. Giving students extra information about drinking appeared to result in blood alcohol levels that were about 25 percent lower than the group that wasn't given the information, he said.

"One of the problems is a lot of these kids don't realize that 21 drinks in an hour can kill you,'' Dr. Neighbors said.

One group, Be Responsible About Drinking (B.R.A.D.), was started by family and friends of Michigan State University student Bradley McCue, who died from extreme drinking on his 21st birthday. The group sends out birthday cards prior to the 21st birthday warning people about the dangers of alcohol poisoning. The site also includes numerous charts showing how various numbers of drinks affect blood alcohol levels. For a more detailed look at the 21st birthday drinking binge, see an earlier story by my colleague Kate Zernike.

Tara Parker-Pope writes about health for the New York Times "Well" blog.

Copyright © 2008 The New York Times

URL: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24004376/

PSEO Meeting Rescheduled Again

Due to yet another snow day... the PSEO Information meeting has been rescheduled for WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2008 at 6:30 PM in the PHS Cafeteria.

What Stresses Out Pre-teens?

Totally Stressed Out

Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer

Parents sometimes view stress as the sole domain of grown-ups, because we associate it with money worries, balancing families and work, and the ups and downs of married life. We might wonder, what do kids have to be stressed about? The truth is, a lot. Childhood stress is very common, especially today.

Your tween's world is full of demands and expectations that can trigger stress. There are the competitive pressures to do well in school; the societal pressures to have the "right" possessions; the peer pressure to fit in and perhaps take uncomfortable risks; and the social pressure to be part of a gang, to avoid being bullied, to look good, and to act older, in terms of independence or sexual awareness, than he may truly feel.

An apparently small thing in any of these areas can easily tip a child from coping into despair. Because children of this age are still learning to give words to feelings, they still tend to communicate distress initially through their behavior. Here are some signs to watch for. Notice whether your child:

• wants to see friends less and spend more time alone
• becomes more dependent or clingy
• loses his appetite or snubs favorite foods
• gets down on himself, especially about his looks or ability
• tries to avoid going to school, using odd excuses or claiming strange pains
• becomes more attention-seeking

How to Help
Children suffering from stress need lots of support. These actions will help you comfort your tween and help her deal:

Understand your child's feelings and be tolerant of tears. Children have child-size problems and exaggerated fears. It's unfair to dismiss a reaction as an overreaction just because you know the "crisis" will soon blow over.

Be reassuring about the future. "I can see how hard this is for you, but I'll bet Rob has forgotten about it already." "I know you and your friends will sort this out."

Keep familiar routines going to provide stability. For example, keep up school attendance, but ask the teacher to be sensitive to any untoward behavior.

Encourage talk, but don't force anything. Always give permission to refuse. "I wondered if you might be ready to talk about this. Is now a good time?" is a gentle opener to gain trust and attention. Recounting your childhood problems could encourage a wary child to open up. Boys may prefer to talk while busy with something else, rather than face to face.

Take the pressure off elsewhere. If there are problems at home, forget the grades or big friendship upsets, and sideline tidiness.

From Parent & Child magazine