Wrapping things up....Off you go!

I need you to fill out this Google Form so that I know where to send your transcripts, how to contact you with any questions/issues over the summer, and get an alternate email if  you'd like to stay in touch with NRMECHS Alumni news.

Also, if you are not in class today, I have a Mudcats voucher (good for July 14 and August 23rd only) if you would like to come by and pick it up from my office.

Graduation INFO:

ECHS Graduation:

-May 26, Thursday

ECHS Graduation Practice: Wednesday, May 25 10:30 am (Mandatory in order to participate)

ECHS Graduation: Thursday, May 26, 6 pm

Attire:

Males: Button-up Dress Shirt with a collar and necktie and/or dress slacks/khaki pants.

Females: Blouse or Dress that has a V-neck or Round neck

NO Flip-flops or Sneakers.

Students will receive 8 tickets to the ECHS graduation. No additional tickets will be available. These will be handed out at graduation practice if all fees have been paid. Student must be present at practice to receive graduation tickets.

Door will be closed 5 mins before 6pm on graduation night to allow our graduation processional to take place. No other guests will be permitted once the doors are clothes. Please be on time.

Additional Questions:

Mrs. Hunter/Mrs. Dean (ECHS) 252-451-2890   rcdean@nrms.k12.nc.us

Mrs. Battle (NCC) 252-451-8485   kbattle@ncc.edu

Early College Graduates and Families

Tis the Season...To GRADUATE

I know you are all very excited about graduation that is QUICKLY approaching.

Here's a list of all the last minute things to be informed about:

Graduation dinner and awards is Monday, May 16. (Free food for Graduates, $10 for guests) I have to have your RSVP/money by Monday, May 9 (We'll have a signup sheet in class on Friday, May 6.)

Graduation information is HERE. Don't forget to pay any fees so that you can get your tickets for graduation at graduation practice.

NCC laptops HAVE to be turned in by Wednesday, May 11, so get those turned in. You don't want to have to come to campus just to turn it in, so do it TODAY!

Make sure your cap and gown are ready in advance of graduation. Don't leave it balled up in a corner until the day before. Get it out this weekend, hang it in the bathroom while you shower to get the wrinkles out.

Remember the Stole is for high school graduation. Make sure to get it out and ready, again get those wrinkles out!

Tell your family NOW that they need to be ON TIME! We would hate for them to miss graduation because the doors were closed when they arrived. Doors will close 5 minutes before 6 pm.

We WILL meet for class on Friday, May 6. We have a few loose ends to tie up. If you have not brought in scholarship and acceptance letters, please do so!

Photo Assignment for AVID IV- Due BEFORE Class on April 22 (Unless you take your picture during class on the April 22).

"The day that you declare where you are going to college, this day should be as glamorous as those athletic signing days. This day should be on TV with fireworks, and celebrities and folks just sitting around just dying to know where you are going to college." -Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States of America

College Signing Day is April 26, 2016. May 2 is the deadline for students across the nation to send their commitment to the college or university that they will attend the following academic year. This year the First Lady will be hosting a signing day rally on April 26 to kick off the nationwide celebrations. A lot of media attention goes to promising athletes when they select the college of their choice. We want every student to receive as much attention and have that same feeling of importance so that they too can feel special about this big day.

Early College would like to recognize our Super Seniors on College Signing Day by creating a video collage of where you are headed to post on social media and our website. Below, you will see the how to participate. THIS WILL BE A GRADE FOR AVID IV STUDENTS. If you are not college bound in the fall, the alternate assignment is also below.

College Bound Photo Assignment:

Option 1: Take a picture of yourself in your college attire (shirt, hat, etc.), holding a pennant, or holding a sign with your college choice (WHERE YOU ARE GOING, not where you were accepted). Email the photo to Mrs. Dean.

Option 2: Bring/Wear your attire or pennant to class on Friday, April 15 or to the picnic on April 22 and we will take the pic in class.

Picture can include multiple graduating, college bound Seniors. Think creative when choosing a background: the pond, our school sign, etc.

Photo Assignment is due by end of class/picnic on April 22, so if you aren't taking in class. I need it emailed BEFORE class on Friday, April 22.

If you are not college bound this fall, complete this assignment:

Option 1: Take a picture of your plans for Fall 2016. This might be a picture similar to the 4 year college bound that says: Nash Community College or some other trade school. It might be a picture with you holding a sign that says workforce and what type of job you are hoping to get. It might be a picture of you holding a sign that says "Applying to a 4 year college for January 2017" It would be neat if you could wear the attire, find a background or design, etc.

Option 2: We can take your picture in class on Friday, April 15 or at the picnic on April 22 as well. Bring your attire/props for your pic.

Picture MUST be turned in before the end of class/picnic on April 22.

April 8- In Class Assignments

Information from Mrs. Battle- Questions

SERVE Center Survey- uhttp://tinyurl.com/NashRMEC 

Shirt Design- uhttps://drive.google.com/open?id=1m8I8YizfcfNqoRAo3x3z9erB3DmBzaaVJf3FFQ7peHI

Kahoot.it : Discussion about College.

Part-time Jobs in College Discussion:

uGroup 1uhttps://www.regions.com/Insights/Personal/Personal-Finances/budgeting-and-saving/Should-Students-Get-Jobs-During-College

uGroup 2uhttps://www.universityparent.com/topics/career-planning/should-your-student-work-part-time-during-college-2/#gsc.tab=0

uGroup 3uhttp://www.debate.org/opinions/should-college-students-work

uSomeone in your group. Write something you learned/the perspective of the article in all boxes that apply on this google doc. 

Couch Oil Cares (COC) Scholarship

Couch Oil Cares (COC) Scholarship

Representatives from Couch Oil Company, the Durham Bulls Baseball Club, former scholarship recipients and other community leaders shall serve on the Couch Oil Cares (COC) Scholarship Selection Committee.

Eligibility
-Current High School Seniors from Wake, Durham, Orange, Johnston, Nash, Wilson, Alamance, Chatham, Franklin, Granville, Person, and Caswell Counties.
-Applicant must have been accepted to and registered at either a four-year or community college for the fall of 2016.

Deadline
Applications must be postmarked by July 15, 2016. Click here for application.

Granting Scholarships
Couch Oil Company will award four (4) scholarships of $1,000 each, for one year only. The scholarships will be paid directly to the school in one installment after proof of acceptance and registration is received.

Required Documents
-application (including essay), transcript, letter of recommendation, college acceptance letter, other supportive documents that enhance the applications, resume of significant honors, achievements

Interview
If deemed a finalist, the applicant must be available for an interview with the Scholarship Committee in July 2016.

NCWC Presentation

What a great presentation from NCWC! I appreciate very much that you came and participated in the presentation. As a follow up, I would like you to complete this assignment. Note that you need to only answer 1 of the 2 questions.

Next week, we will have a guest speaker from Wells Fargo. See you Friday!
Check your Early College Email...We need a design team for our Super Senior T-Shirts.

Junior Guild of Rocky Mount Scholarship

Junior Guild of Rocky Mount Scholarship, Inc.

Scholarship Opportunity

Eligibility
-Must be FEMALE
-Remain a full-time student in good standing academically.
-Maintain a 2.0 or above for each semester to receive the scholarship award.
-Maintain high standards of citizenship and conduct
-Must use the scholarship during consecutive undergraduate years unless the Junior Guild Board of Directors grants an exception.
-A  certified copy of grades must be submitted each semester and renewal request submitted each year to continue to receive the scholarship.

How to apply
-Click HERE for the application and submit the following: 
1. Most recent high school transcript
2. SAT/ACT Scores
3. Photograph of Applicant
4. Three letters of reference (at least one form a teacher, principal, or counselor, and one from outside the student's school experience)
5. An original, typed essay of at least 350 words describing where the applicant would like to be and what the applicant would like to be doing ten years form now.
6. One (or all) of the following: (a) Financial Aid Form (b) Family Financial Statement (c) Last year's Federal Tax Records.

DEADLINE MARCH 26 (Postmarked)

Cap and Gown Countdown

The Olive A. Stokes Scholarship Trust

The Olive A. Stokes Scholarship Trust
(Scholarship for students attending ANY post-secondary schools)

Eligibility
-Must be residents of Nash or Edgecombe Counties and a US citizen
-Must demonstrate need, qualities of leadership, good citizenship, force of character and community spirit, and scholarship (C+ average or better).
-NOT restricted by race, color, creed, or sex.
-Students previously receiving scholarship grants from the Fund may reapply, subject to continued compliance with the above guidelines.

How to apply
The application may be found by clicking HERE.
Application deadline JULY 1, 2016.

The Helen Lancaster Minton Educational Fund (Scholarship for those attending NC Wesleyan)

The Helen Lancaster Minton Educational Fund 
(Scholarship for those attending NC Wesleyan)

-Established by Helen Lancaster Minton to provide funds for worthy individuals attending North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, NC. Qualified students receive financial assistance in the form of scholarship grants. 

Eligibility
-Must attend NCWC
-Must be a resident of Nash or Edgecombe Counties and a citizen of the US
-Must demonstrate need, qualities of leadership, good citizenship, force of character and community spirit, and scholarship (C+ average or better).
-NOT restricted by race, color, creed, or sex.
-Students previously receiving scholarship grants from the Fund may reapply, subject to continued compliance with the above guidelines.

How to apply
The application may be found by clicking HERE.
Application deadline JULY 1, 2016.

AVID IV Assignment for 2/26-- Please complete by 12 pm on Friday, 2/26

Please read and think....Assignment is at the bottom.

25 Strategies and Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year

1. Go to all orientations. Do you really need to go on yet another campus tour? Yes. The faster you learn your way around campus — and around all the red tape — the more at ease you’ll feel and the better prepared you’ll be when issues arise.
2. Get to know your roommate and others in your residence hall. The people you live with, most of whom are going through similar experiences and emotions, are your main safety net — not only this year, but for all your years. You may change roommates after the first semester or you may stay roommates for all four years — just take the time to get to know your fellow first-year students.
3. Get Organized. In high school, the teachers tended to lead you through all the homework and due dates. In college, the professors post the assignments — often for the entire semester — and expect you to be prepared. Buy an organizer, use an app, or get a big wall calendar — whatever it takes for you to know when assignments are due.
4. Find the ideal place for you to study. It may be your dorm room or a cozy corner of the library, but find a place that works best for you to get your work done — while avoiding as many distractions as possible.
5. Go to class. Obvious, right? Maybe, but sleeping in and skipping that 8 am class will be tempting at times. Avoid the temptation. Besides learning the material by attending classes, you’ll also receive vital information from the professors about what to expect on tests, changes in due dates, etc.
6. Become an expert on course requirements and due dates. Professors spend hours and hours preparing course syllabi and calendars so that you will know exactly what is expected of you — and when. One of the lamest excuses a student can give a professor: “I didn’t know it was due today.”
7. Meet with your professors. Speaking as a professor, I can assure you there are only upsides to getting to know your professors, especially if later in the semester you run into some snags. Professors schedule office hours for the sole purpose of meeting with students — take advantage of that time.
8. Get to know your academic adviser. This is the person who will help you with course conflicts, adding or dropping courses, scheduling of classes for future semesters, deciding on majors and minors. This person is a key resource for you — and should be the person you turn to with any academic issues or conflicts. And don’t be afraid of requesting another adviser if you don’t click with the one first assigned to you.
9. Seek a balance. College life is a mixture of social and academic happenings. Don’t tip the balance too far in either direction. One of my favorite former students always used to say her motto was to “study hard so she could play hard.”
10. Get involved on campus. A big problem for a lot of new students is a combination of homesickness and a feeling of not quite belonging. A solution? Consider joining a select group — and be careful not to go overboard — of student organizations, clubs, sororities or fraternities, or sports teams. You’ll make new friends, learn new skills, and feel more connected to your school.
11. Strive for good grades. Another obvious one here, right? Remember the words of the opening paragraph; while good grades could have come naturally to you in high school, you will have to earn them in college — and that means setting some goals for yourself and then making sure you work as hard as you can to achieve them.
12. Take advantage of the study resources on campus. Just about all colleges have learning labs and tutors available. If you’re having some troubles, these resources are another tool available to you. Another idea: form study groups.
13. Make time for you. Be sure you set aside some time and activities that help you relax and take the stress out of your day or week. Whether it’s enlisting yoga techniques, watching your favorite television shows, or writing in a journal, be good to yourself.
14. Don’t feel pressured to make a hasty decision about a career or a major. It doesn’t matter if it seems as though everyone else seems to know what they’re doing with their lives — believe me, they don’t — college is the time for you to really discover who you are, what you enjoy doing, what you’re good at, and what you want to be. It’s not a race; take your time and enjoy exploring your options.
15. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Don’t look to place the blame on others for your mistakes; own up to them and move on. Being an adult means taking responsibility for everything that happens to you.
16. Make connections with students in your classes. One of my best students said his technique in the first week of classes was to meet at least one new person in each of his classes. It expanded his network of friends — and was a crucial resource at times when he had to miss a class.
17. Find the Career Services Office. Regardless of whether you are entering college as undeclared or have your entire future mapped out, seek out the wonderful professionals in your college’s career services office and get started on planning, preparing, and acting on your future.
18. Don’t procrastinate; prioritize your life. It may have been easy in high school to wait until the last minute to complete an assignment and still get a good grade, but that kind of stuff will not work for you in college. Give yourself deadlines — and stick to them.
19. Stay healthy/Eat Right. A lot of problems first-year students face can be traced back to an illness that kept them away from classes for an extended period of time that led to a downward spiraling effect. Get enough sleep, take your vitamins, and eat right. If you haven’t heard the jokes about college food, you soon will. And without mom or dad there to serve you a balanced meal, you may be tempted to go for those extra fries or cookies. Stay healthy and avoid the dreaded extra “Freshman 15” pounds by sticking to a balanced diet.
20. Learn to cope with homesickness. It’s only natural that there will be times when you miss your family, even if you were one of those kids who couldn’t wait to get away. Find a way to deal with those feelings, such as making a phone call or sending some email home.
21. Stay on campus as much as possible. Whether it’s homesickness, a job, or a boyfriend or girlfriend from home, try not to leave campus too soon or too often. The more time you spend on getting to know the campus and your new friends, the more you’ll feel at home at school. And why not take advantage of all the cultural and social events that happen on campus?
22. Seek professional help when you need it. Most colleges have health and counseling centers. If you’re sick or feeling isolated or depressed, please take advantage of the many services these offices provide students. You don’t have to face these issues by yourself.
23. Keep track of your money. If you’ve never had to create a budget, now is the time to do so. Find ways to stretch your money – and as best you can, avoid all those credit card solicitations you’ll soon be receiving. The average credit card debt of college grads is staggering.
24. Don’t cut corners. College is all about learning. If you procrastinate and cram, you may still do well on tests, but you’ll learn very little. Even worse, don’t cheat on term papers or tests.
25. Be prepared to feel overwhelmed. There’s a lot going in your life right now. Expect to have moments where it seems a bit too much. As one student says, be prepared to feel completely unprepared. The trick is knowing that you’re not the only one feeling that way.

Ok, so you are already past your Freshman Year...Choose FIVE that MOST apply to you RIGHT now and tell me WHY...Choose the ONE you think will continue to apply the MOST as you venture into your future plans for next year and tell me WHY. 

Answer on the google form HERE-->Strategies and Tips

Source: http://www.quintcareers.com/first-year-success/ 

AVID IV Assignment--Complete by Friday, 2/19, 12 pm

College Selection...Wait list? Rejected? What next?

This week we're going to be talking about those letters that will be arriving soon, if they haven't started coming in already.

Before class on Friday, Fill out this QUICK---> College Selection Survey

In class, we are going to talk about these articles. Feel free to peruse them at your convenience. 


What to do when you make the Wait List?

Moving past the college rejection letter

Accepted! 5 Steps to Take Now


See you on Friday! Don't forget to smile for you Cap and Gown Pic on Friday morning!

Golden LEAF Scholarship

Golden LEAF Scholars Program
to attend NC 4-year colleges or universities
Since establishing the scholarship program, Golden LEAF has provided over 4,100 scholarships to help North Carolinians attend participating UNC System universities and private colleges and universities in N.C.

Participating NC colleges and universitiesParticipating institutions include UNC system universities and NC's private, nonprofit institutions. Click here for the list of participating colleges and universities.

Eligibility
High school seniors or community college transfer students planning to attend any of the participating colleges or universities who reside in aqualifying county and demonstrate financial need. Recipients are selected based upon multiple factors including grade point average, financial need, length of residence in the county and the ability to communicate a commitment to returning to a rural county that is economically distressed.

Award AmountFor students awarded scholarships:

• High school seniors are eligible for a four-year scholarship totaling $12,000 ($3,000 a year over four years).
• Community college transfer students are eligible for $3,000 a year for up to 3 years.
• Years of scholarship support are subject to the number of credits transferred and the degree sought, among other eligiblity factors.
• Approximately 215 scholarships will be awarded each year.

How to apply
Visit CFNC.org/goldenleaf to fill out the application form or call 866-866-CFNC for assistance. Your FAFSA, application, and transcripts are all processes through CFNC.org. Please do not send your information to the Golden LEAF Foundation.

Deadline
March 1, 2016 to submit your application, FAFSA, and transcripts

AVID IV Assignment 2/5/2016- Pay For College

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid

Pick ONE article from the above link and list 3 bits of information to share (name the article).  Posts due by 2/12/2016.