Thursday Round Up for
​14 January 

Want to know what's happening?
​It's in the Round Up!
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News from the Homefront:

BEGINNING ON TUESDAY 19 JANUARY WE WILL BE RETURNING TO STAGE 1. ALL CLASSES WILL BE VIRTUAL UNTIL 1 FEBRUARY. ON 27 JANUARY, WE WILL REASSESS THE SITUATION AND WILL BE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON UPDATED HEALTH INFORMATION ON A WEEK TO WEEK BASIS. 

Independent Study is on for 2nd Semester!
Are you interested in creating your own course of study? Do you want to explore a talent, an interest, a skill, or a question? Did you learn something in class and have more questions, but not enough time? Do you want to work on your instrument, art, coding, sport, or cooking? Do you want to learn about horticulture, green design, engineering, history or literature? Would you like to learn another language, create your own clothing, follow politics, understand human behavior, develop black and white film? Do you want to learn about sports nutrition, anatomy of horses, animation, gaming, or body positive fashion? All of these things are possible with an Independent Study. ISP is taking applications for 2nd semester between now and the 1 February. Want to know more? Check out the ISP page on this website!

Moving to Hybrid Learning Needs Your Input!
The Stage 4 planning committees are looking for students of all kinds to provide a student experience and voice to help us plan for when we go hybrid. If you are interested in being that voice, please let Mr. Gillespie, our new associate principal know. Fair warning, these meetings begin at 8:00 am.

Starting to Think About That College Search, Juniors?
Schedule an appointment with me and we can talk about right fit schools for you! There are more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the US and that means there isn't just one perfect school for you but many! Drop me a note with a time that works well for you and we can connect and help you find a great list to research!

Are You Interested in Nursing?
UVA nursing student organizers Takara Washington and Nyasia Harris, who head up the Diversity in Nursing for a Better Community student group, invite prospective nursing students from across the commonwealth to their annual "Dare to Dream" event for 2021 on both Saturday Jan. 16 and 23, from 9-10:30 AM. The completely virtual event will include a broad overview of the nursing profession, a virtual tour of UVA's nursing school, discussions with advisors and admissions staff, advice from current nursing students - even a lively nursing skills workshop. Know a student who might be interested? Have them reach out to Nyasia with questions or RSVP

Believe It or Not, It's Time to Think About Summer!
It's hard to know what summer 2021 will bring but it's time to start thinking about it and we can plan out something cool for you! There are lots of things you can do with summer and it isn't always a fancy program or anything you pay for. We can plan out something that is personalized and unique to you and your interests. Don't let the uncertain nature of the world make you nervous about making plans. We can come up with lots of ideas and contingencies. Just let me know what you want to do and we can create it for you!  Drop me a note

Entrepreneurship Is Selling Swag!
Love your WAHS swag? Miss getting it this year? Miss it no more, my friends! You have your choice this year for fabulous swag and it's still winter so these items are perfect! Choose between the beanie,  hoodie, or mask! See the images below!
Upcoming Events:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
  • 18 January – MLK Holiday
  • 21 January – Reading SOL (Juniors)
  • 25 January – Math SOL 1st period
  • 26 January – PSAT exam for Juniors 2nd period
  • 27 January – Social Studies SOL 3rd period
  • 28 January – Science SOL 4th period
  • 29 January – End of 1st Term​​ – All work must be turned in by this date!
  • 1 February – Second Semester begins
  • 5 February – Last day for course change
  • 15 February – Grades must be complete (after this is when grades will be sent out to colleges, seniors!)

WAHS Library

WAHS Reading Challenge Is Here!!!

Looking for fun and excitement in 2021? Look no further my friends! The WAHS Reading Challenge is it! Number your board any way you want and hit a bingo for a small prize. The person who completes the most on the bingo board gets a super grand prize!

Oh and I am playing so good luck beating me! I've already read 3 books this year kids and I am about a 1/3 of the way into Circe by Madeline Miller. Wondering what else I've read? Check out last week's rec. The Stars and the Blackness Between Them, which my daughter gave me, and this week's reviews below!
The Color of Water
​by James McBride
​Recommended by Kathryn Steenbugh

"What's money if your mind is empty?" asks Ruth McBride Jordan, a white woman with a mysterious past and mother of 12 Black children. This story, part memoir, part homage, and part exploration focuses on the author's search for identity as the Black son of a Baptist minister and a formerly Orthodox Jew growing up in the Red Hook Housing Projects of Brooklyn in the 60s and 70s. He is raised by his mother and step-father to put God first and to get an education, both of which he and his siblings do (despite their lack of resources, they all go to college and on to graduate school). This story is truly a story of love and perseverance over time. Ruth is declared dead by her family for marrying a Black man. She is abandoned by all whom she loved, and she creates a new family built on love, tolerance, and faith. Despite her crusty nature and her lack of resources, she provides for her family in ways that matter. The story of her life, of race, of identity, and of forgiveness, this one is not to be missed.
A Woman is No Man
by, Etaf Rum ​

This first novel by Etaf Rum is semi-autobiographical and looks at the often hidden issues of Palestinian and Arab women in the United States. It follows the story of three generations of women, Fareeda, Isra, and Deya. Fareeda travels to Palestine from Brooklyn to find a wife for her beloved first son, Adam. Fareeda and her husband Khaled left Palestine when Adam was 16, abandoning the refugee camps to make a better life in America. But she is desperate to hold onto her traditional culture, and wants Adam to have a traditional Palestinian wife like Isra, born and raised in Palestine. Isra is swept off to Brooklyn, almost no knowledge of English, with little education, and no family or friends. She becomes the mother of Deya, and then quickly has three more girls. But Fareeda is angry with her. Girls are a balwa, a curse, a burden. Isra is alone even with a whole family living together and all the books she can read. And her life is very, very small. And violent. Will her girls live the life she lives? Should they? What is the price one pays for the preservation of one's culture? What is the role of a woman in the culture of a group? Are women people of value? of valor? And how do we ensure that a culture sees women for who they should be?

Use Your Brain for Fun!

Looking for a way to extend your learning? Look no further!
Humanities
​Hey seniors in Journalism! How about applying to be the Journalist of the Year and earning a $3,000 scholarship at the same time? 1 February

It's time for the National Young Arts Scholarships! If you are a singer, an actor, a visual artist, or a writer, apply! These are legit, important scholarships! Due 1 February!

Are you a trailblazer? Can you write about overcoming a challenge? Try the Trailheads Scholarship! Due 15 January

Do you plan to serve your country in a political role in the future? The Washington Crossing Foundation would like to help you do that. By giving you $5,000. Check them out! Due 15 January!

The Elie Wiesel Writing Competition is open to students in 6-12 and is taking submissions until 19 January.

The Scientist for a Day essay contest is taking submissions!

Profiles in Courage is a scholarship opportunity for students in grades 9-12. It's an essay contest and it is due in January.

Hey podcasters or wannabe podcasters! It's the annual NPR Student Podcast contest! And it's starting right now!

Writers, check out the Reedsy Blog for various writing contests.
STEM
BLAST is a program for freshmen that is part of the Virginia Space Grant Consortium. This STEM program is a great introduction to the other VSGC programs!

The yearly Engineer Girl Essay is open to all genders in grades 3-12 and is due on 1 February. Like all things, there is a COVID-19 twist!

American Women in Mathematics is sponsoring their yearly essay contest where they invite you to discuss mathematics with a woman mathematician. Due 1 February

Lucy Mission in Space Contest invites you to explore the Trojan Asteroids. Public health conditions permitting, winners will see it launch from Cape Canaveral!

The Texas Space Grant Consortium is offering their opportunity for sophomores and juniors up to folks outside of Texas this year! They are taking applications for their SEES program right now! Applications are due in February, but the sooner the better!

The MIT Think Program is a chance at a scholarship, a budget for a science project, and a trip to MIT. Applications are due 1 January!

Hey ESA, check out the President's Environmental Youth Award, open to students in grades K-12!

And check out the Stockholm Junior Water Prize as well. They have lots of information and webinars for you too!
Art and Design
It's time for the National Young Arts Scholarships! If you are a singer, an actor, a visual artist, or a writer, apply! These are legit, important scholarships! Due 1 February!

Artists! If you are planning to attend art school and have a love of western style of art, there is a $5,000 scholarship from the National Cowboy Museum! Due 1 February

Nature artists, the Junior Duck Stamp competition is on and it's due 1 February. $1,000.

The C-SPAN Student Cam Documentary Competition is open to people in grades 6-12. It's due 20 January

The Elie Wiesel Visual Arts Competition is open to students in 6-12 and is taking submissions until 19 January.

Are you a photographer? Do you love photography? If you can talk about it and make a video about it, there's a scholarship for you!

Science without Borders is an
international environmentalist competition that invites artists to submit their art in response to a theme. This year's theme is on the importance of mangroves to the world's ecosystems. ESA
Self Care
Are you worried?

My mom is a psychiatric social worker. She's practiced for close to 50 years now. She's also anxious. Yesterday we had dinner with her. She's part of our Pod and we have dinners on Sunday night. She is also in a book group and they are reading some book on anxiety. She told me she gets out of it by telling them she has a client at 10, which she does. She says she can't stand listening to them and how anxious they are. It makes her crazy.

And then she turned to me about 2 minutes later and asked me if I was worried about the SARS CoV-19 vaccine? Because she was.

So of course I started laughing at her. 

In fairness, my mom is actually allergic to the flu vaccine (which is nothing like this one), so her worry comes naturally.  But the real reason I laughed at her (and OK, made fun of her too) was because when other people worry, it's annoying, but when we worry, it's real. And we want other people to believe what we worry about should be taken seriously, and should be listened to. Right? Right? Right?

In point of fact, I am not worried about a vaccine. I am also not worried about my mom, who is in good health. And I am also not worried about her anxiety (which she has always had). I'm also not worried about getting hit by a bus, trees falling on me, or even ill health, and although I am careful, I'm not even particularly worried about SARS CoV-19. The reason for this is because I try my darndest not to spend too much time thinking about things that have not happened.

This is not easy to do and I am not going to lie and tell you it is. You can't flip a switch and say, Fiddle dee dee, I'll think about that tomorrow. It takes practice and mindfulness. But mindfulness you can do today. It's like a muscle you build up. And when you do that, anxiety doesn't have as much of a chance to haunt you. Anxiety is really a case of living in a place where you are not: either worried about the past and how you can't fix it, or frightened of things that haven't happened but might. Mindfulness keeps you on the ground, where your feet are. Start small, just a quick scan of how you physically feel and then pay attention to those feelings. And then go bigger. It can have a really good pay off in the end.

Try some of these:
UVA's Center for Contemplative Sciences
Calm App (great for beginners!)
Insight Timer (I use this one)
Mindful.org (great catchall)
Greater Good (like mindful.org)
​Scholarships
Start Here: 
JLV College Counseling​​
Or
Scholarship Database 
​
The Jackie Robinson Scholarship is open to students of color who have shown leadership skills and a commitment to success in school. It's worth up to $30,000 and due on 1 February.

It's time for the National Young Arts Scholarships! If you are a singer, an actor, a visual artist, or a writer, apply! These are legit, important scholarships! Due 1 February!

Have you participated in FIRST Robotics? Are you going to a school where you can major in bio-medical engineering, pre-med, or will have access to medical courses? How does $10,000 sound? Due 1 February

Planning on a career related to a field in NOAA? Does almost $10,000 in scholarship money work for you? The Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship is due 1 February

​Planning on attending an all women's college? The Sunflower Initiative is offering $10,000 for you to attend. Due 1 February

Taco Bell supports the Live Más Scholarship for students who want to make a better future for themselves and others. $25,000. Due 20 January

The APIA Scholarship is for students of Asian or Pacific Island origin who are planning to attend college next year. Special consideration is given to students at or below the poverty line or who are first in their family to attend college. $20,000.

The Diller Teen Tikkum Olam awards Jewish teens between the ages of 13 and 19 who have shown impressive leadership and service to their community that demonstrates the principle of tikkum olam (repair of the world).  Up to $36,000
Do Good Things for People:
Crozet Trails Crew has a work day coming up this weekend! Get outside and help them as they work to get the community ready for spring!

MLK Day is the only National Day of Service we have. In response to that, there are multiple opportunities to help out. Check out the list of options and register quickly because there are limitations due to the pandemic.

It's still pretty difficult for folks to get enough to eat. Please remember that food insecurity affects a lot of families in our area. Much of the food prepared in homes that have food insecurity is done by young people ages 8 and up. Please donate foods they can prepare or work at the food banks! UVA is supporting a Community MLK Subcommittee on Food Insecurity for Monday 18 January

Summer's Coming!

Try some of these ideas:

  1. Are you a woman in STEM? Check out this program for Latinas interested in science this summer. Pathways to Science will be taking applications until 2 April.
  2. George Mason is running programming in film scoring, filmmaking, and screen writing this summer. They are taking applications now and will refund money if they cannot run their programs due to COVID.
  3. ​Project Write is a week long writing workshop series for students. It will be held online this summer for students who really want to hone their writing. 
  4. VCU's Summer Arts Program will be virtual this summer and is taking applications. This is an excellent program and a great opportunity for students to explore their areas of interest!
  5. The 4Star Camps at UVA are run by a former WAHS family and offer a variety of programming. Study everything from Business, STEM, or Journalism to SAT prep, creative or academic writing, photography or design. 
  6. iD Tech Camps are a good introduction to all things tech whether it is gaming, coding, robotics, or engineering. Camps are offered in person and online to suit your needs. All sessions are run by professionals in the field
  7. The Youth Conservation Corps is a program that puts teens to work in our National Forests and Parks. There is no cost to this program. Instead you will receive a small stipend in exchange for your work. Last summer it was canceled but they will begin taking applications on 25 January. Fair warning! You will be doing actual conservation work: repairing trails, restoring habitats, water testing, removing invasive species, landscaping, surveying, mapping, etc. It's hard work. But you will learn a lot and everyone who I know who has done it has loved the experience.

​Looking for more? Check out the Summer Opportunities Page

"The Best School" and "The Best School for You" should be one and the same. You're not buying a pair of shoes. You're going to school for four years. Just because it's a good brand name, doesn't mean it fits you or that you're comfortable there. 

College Corner

Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee

Reducing Yourself to Numbers

So here's a thing I get asked a lot: Does it matter if I got a B in...?
I also get asked: Can I get into ________ if I got a B in _______?
And this version: What if my child had a B in ___________, will it ruin her chance to get into a good school?

Listen folks, people get Bs. And they get them in all kinds of classes. Calc, English, APUSH, AP Bio, Spanish, Honors Chem, even PE or Health! Pretend for a minute that a B is a solid grade (which it actually is) and then remember that you are not your grades. You are not a GPA. You are not weighted or unweighted. You are actually a complete and whole human being. There is more to you than numbers. 

There are some serious problems when we reduce ourselves to numbers. First of all, we start to think only in grades and not in learning. I hate to break it to you, but the actual purpose of school is not to get a grade and then go somewhere else to get grades and then go on to another place and make money. The actual purpose of school is to learn the things. That's why you are in French. To learn French. Students in Geometry are there to learn Geometry. We offer AP Econ so students will learn economics. This seems obvious, but it needs restating sometimes. I know there are ways to get around learning and just get the grade, but that's not the purpose and you are robbing yourself of a chance to actually take advantage of what is offered to you. Deep down, most people are pretty curious. They like knowing things. And most of you can't resist a little interesting tidbit here or there (North Korea and Cuba are the only places in the world you cannot buy Coca Cola for example, only three countries in the whole world do not use the Metric System and the US is one of them, and armadillo shells are bullet proof). 

We also do damage to our self esteem, and parents we do damage to our relationships with our kids when everything comes down to grades. If you are your numbers or your grades and you do not get those As, then every time you become a disappointment. You are constantly measured and found wanting? Why? For absolutely no good reason. Maybe you misunderstood the assignment. Maybe you were out sick. Maybe you took bad notes. Maybe, you are still learning. We learn all the time. It never stops. Why should you be perfect at 15 or 16 or 18. I'll be 50. Dudes, I am not perfect. I am still learning. Michelangelo was too.

It is true that your test scores may also be a factor and that is another number we sometimes reduce ourselves to, agonizing over whether or not we are "high enough." But this year, most schools have gone test optional or even test blind. And what they have learned is that the tests are not necessary at all. So all of that anxiety about getting that 1500 or higher that you want or the 33 or better isn't really necessary. It costs a pile to do it over and over again and every time you drain a little more self esteem out of the pool.

But also, when it comes to those questions in particular, the answer is that colleges almost always read holistically. And this is what it means. No one factor is going to sink a kid. One B, or two, or three Bs is not going to be a deal killer. Colleges look at your grades and they are looking at all kinds of things like:
  • What classes did you take?
  • How many classes did you take?
  • Did you take classes that showed a passion for a subject? (like arts or CTE)
  • Did you take challenging classes?
  • Did you take sequential classes? (Latin 1-4 or Web Design through PVCC, or something like that)
And that's not all they will look at. Admissions folks know that students in high school are learning. They expect you will have harder classes and better grades as you continue through high school. Did you get your Bs in freshman year? Or in a subject you are not strong in? I got Cs and Bs in math and science, but never in English or history. I am a humanities person. But JJ McCarthy, my bio teacher was the Ms. Bendick grader of my high school and I worked for that C+ my freshman year. Of course, Ms. Zucker was also the Ms. Bendick of my high school and I worked for my A in my essay course my junior year too. UVA and other colleges who read regionally know this. They know how Ms. Lovaglio and Mr. Bledsoe grade. They get what Ms. Lohr's AP Calc BC class is like. And they know what you have to do to work for an A with Ms. Karpovich. Not only that they know how well you know chemistry coming from her and Ms. Stutzman.

Plus, grades are only a tiny part of what goes into a college admissions evaluation. Colleges also consider what makes you you. What do you do outside of the classroom? Are you an athlete? A performer? An artist? A writer? A public speaker? Do you do community service? Do you help out in your family? Are you active in your community of faith? Do you work? This is actually a super important part of your application and one to take even more seriously than your grades or your test scores. Colleges are looking for people, not machines. They want to bring in a mix of talents and abilities. They need swimmers and they need saxophonists. They need people who work with preschoolers and people who can engineer a robot. They want to be sure that the person they recruited for their theater program has a person to room with who also loves to cook but maybe doesn't go to the same church. A student who has worked for Ben & Jerry's has different skills than the person who has not played sports or done after school activities because he has been home every afternoon taking care of his grandmother as she ages in place in his house.

All of these people make a community of learners. Every person in this community brings different perspectives and experiences and it is the responsibility of the admissions committee to craft a student body that will challenge one another, support one another, commit to one another, and engage one another. If all they looked at were grades and test scores, the community would be basically all the same people: mostly white, mostly wealthy, and mostly Judeo-Christian. This is why admissions committees do not do this. They work hard to look at every application as a package, holistically. So this kid got a B in AP Environmental Science and Honors Algebra 2. She's been in Yearbook for 4 years, rows crew, worked at Chiles Orchard for two summers, babysits, and plays guitar. That kid is awesome! She's the total package!

Diversity in education promotes critical thinking as people with divergent ideas and experiences engage in material together. It can help people become more creative as new ideas and concepts are encountered for the first time. And, it also helps prepare you for citizenship by engaging with and becoming peers to people who are not like you, something you will do in the workplace, in society, and in your lives after college.

But if you only think in terms of numbers you forget to do the things that actually will get you into college like Journalism, working on the Tiny House, film studies, Independent Study, Ceramics, Architectural Drawing, Digital Imaging, or Engineering. Yes, your GPA will be higher if you don't do these classes. But you are a human. Not a number. Colleges accept humans.

On the Town

Photo by Jared Sluyter on Unsplash
Welcome to 2021. Looks an awful like 2020. But it's ok. We're used to it.