Hi there Senior Parents. The end is getting nearer all the time. I have included as much Senior information and dates that I know of as of today. There is a lot of information, so please read carefully.
On March 25th your student will attend a mandatory Senior Meeting (this will take place in the morning during the elections assembly. Seniors will go to the outside gym. Seniors will be voting on things related to graduation including: Junior students to serve as laurel guards, the "ABC" Awards that appear in the last issue of the Knightlife and athletic awards.. Jostens will be here to hand out announcements and other items ordered by your student. If your student will miss this day of school, have them see Mrs. Caufield in the office on Monday when they return. She will give them everything that was handed out as well as give them a chance to vote.
Caps and Gowns will be distributed in June
Grad Knight Information
Musicians & Artists Needed
Field of Champions - Dine out for Grad Knight
Senior Prom & other Senior Dates
Graduation Ticket Info
Community Service Hours-Knight Valor
Counseling Center News - What to do when a college says NO
Upcoming Opportunities
Student Recognition
Newport Shores Holiday Brunch - Pick up your Dishes!
Julie Rooney
PTSA Class of 2011 Liaison
http://newport-ptsa-2011.blogspot.com/
www.newportptsa.org/Class2011
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Grad Knight
Don't forget to get your Grad Knight ticket for $130 before the price goes up to $150 on April 1st. Visit our website to register and pay for your ticket. The permission form is located on the website for you to download! http://www.newportptsa.org/NHSContent.asp?KEY=CLASS2011 If you prefer, you can pick up a permission form in hard copy in the Newport's main office - they are in the Grad Knight box on the right corner of the front desk. You may also drop your check and paperwork in this location.
Grad Knight parents will be at school during lunches on Thursday, March 24th and March 31st to assist your student with registration and getting permission slips signed. If your student is in need of a scholarship (full or partial), have them see their counselor ASAP. If you know at this point that you will NOT be attending the event or have any questions, please let me know.
Bus sign-ups will begin mid-May for students that have completed all registration steps.
Musicians and Artists
Senior music auditions for 2011 Graduation, Senior Awards and a PTSA sponsored event will be held Tuesday, April 12th. If you student is interested in performing at any of these events please pick up an information packet in the Main Office. The completed application is due back to the Main Office on Thursday, March 31 at 3:00. When your student turns in their application they will sign up for an audition time. Auditions will take place the morning of April 12th during HSPE testing. Mrs. Caufield is accepting original artwork for the cover of the 2011 Graduation Program, Senior Awards Program and a PTSA sponsored event. Please see Mrs. Caufield in the Main Office if you would like to submit artwork.
Dine Out for Grad Knight
Join families & friends for an evening of great food and fun at the Field of Champions Bar & Grill in Issaquah on
Thursday, April 28th 6:00-9:00 p.m. Identify yourself as Newport Class of 2011 and 20% of your bill will be donated back to Grad Knight! 385 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah www.fieldofchampionssbg.com
Senior Prom & Other Senior Dates*
The Senior Class Officers have been working hard this year to put together their Senior Prom scheduled for Saturday, June 4th. The location will be announced late April-early May, yet we wanted everyone to get this on their calendars and started planning for this important rite of passage, More information to follow.
March 25th - Mandatory Senior Meeting
April 15th - Mr. Newport
April 29th - Mandatory Senior Meeting
May 31st - Senior Awards Night (invitation only)
June 4th - Senior Prom
June 8th - Senior Finals
June 9th - Senior Finals
June 10th - Senior Lunch and Moving Up Assembly
June 12th - PTSA Sponsored Event (Baccalaureate) 2:00-4:00 p.m.
June 13th - Graduation @ Hec Ed (University of Washington)
* More information to follow on all of these...
Graduation Ticket Information
Administrators are meeting with the UW Hec Ed folks this week. I will have more information to share about number of tickets and the process to get additional tickets very soon. More information to follow!
Community Service Hours-Knight Valor
According to the counselors and the registrar, 110 seniors have NOT met the community service graduation requirement. Is your student one of them? Verify student hours at www.newportptsa.org (& click the Community Service Tab). Counselors have sent reminder notices to all 110 seniors, so please help them remember to turn their completed community service forms in as soon as possible. Additional community service opportunities are listed in the daily school bulletin. There will also be a community service table set up during lunch on March 22, 29 and April 19. Students can drop forms off then, as well as ask questions.
The Knight Valor deadline is April 22nd. This year we will NOT be having an assembly; students will, however receive a recognition certificate and Knight Valor pin.
Carla B. Vendeland Scholarship Application & Deadline is April 15
In memory of Carla Vendeland’s dedication to our community, the Newport PTSA Community Service Committee annually presents a cash award in recognition of two Newport High School students with the most positive impact on our community (not the most number of hours). The application can be found at www.newportptsa.org (& click the Community Service Tab); applications will only be accepted at vendelandscholarship@gmail.com
Counseling Center News
This is a timely article to read especially with UW sending acceptance letters this week!
3/14/2011 What to do when a college says ‘no’
By Valerie Strauss
My guest is Patrick O’Connor, director of college counseling at Roeper School in Birmingham, Michigan, and the author of “College is Yours in 600 Words or Less.”
By Patrick O’Connor
The real March Madness has already begun, as some of the most selective colleges release their admissions decisions. For parents and school counselors looking for ways to support students who may receive an unexpected rejection, here are some important facts to share:
* Most selective colleges are reporting a huge increase in the number of applications.
* Since this also happened last year, many colleges enrolled too many students last fall. They’ll have to make up for that, so many colleges will be admitting fewer students this year....
* ....and wait-listing more students. This increase means fewer students will be admitted from the wait list come May—and if they are admitted, financial aid will be scarce.
Then again, if none of that does any good, just say this:
* 850.
No, this is not the high score on some new version of the SAT. 850 is the number of valedictorians rejected last year from one of America’s most prestigious colleges. These students represented the best in their high schools; they did everything they were “supposed” to do—and yet, they didn’t even get to the wait list.
When students hear this, they usually think one of two things:
1. “Wow, they put in all of that work for nothing.”
2. “Geez, if they can’t get in, I don’t stand a chance.”
It certainly had to be hard for those students to be turned down by a school they loved—but did all of that preparation really lead to nothing? Given everything these students had learned, the many ways they had grown, and how they overcame adversity and embraced creativity in making Plans B, C, and Q, did they really get nothing out of it?
If so, they have every right to be unhappy, but not with the college. They should be unhappy for letting the sun rise and set 1307 times from the first day of 9th grade to the day the college said no, never once appreciating all that each of those days had to offer in and of themselves.
They should hang their heads a little to realize, just now, the difference they’ve made to their classmates, their teammates, and the people they served in the soup kitchen.
And if they look back with a little regret on the many times they blew off a compliment from a parent or a teacher, that’s more than OK. They now know it was at that moment that the goal of fully living each day was conquered with a flourish. Understanding that will make each day all the richer at the wonderful college that admitted them.
This leads to point 2, about the student you’re talking to, and their application. Colleges are looking for great students who have done wonderful things with their lives, and will work nicely with the other students that are coming to campus. That blend goes beyond test scores and class rank—it goes to who the student is, what they care about, and how they see the world.
The thing to focus on then is not who told them no, but who told them yes. If a college wants them but runs out of room, that’s the college’s fault; if the college doesn’t see the student for who they really are, well, maybe that’s not the place for them after all. Either way, the student’s contributions will be greatly admired, and badly needed, by the college that has the good sense to tell them yes—which means any no, from any college, simply cannot touch them.
Alicia Williams, M.A
School Counselor
Newport High School
Upcoming Events:
· Choir Concert March 16th at 7:00
· Band Concert March 17th at 7:30
· Robotics will be at the Qwest Convention Center on March 18th and 19th
· Drill…feel like a trip to Yakima? Drill will be making one on March 26th
· JaZZZZZZZZZ Band concert!!!!!! April 4th at 7:30
Pick up your plates, bowls & dishes!
Such a mom thing to say! There are still dishes left at Newport High School from the Newport Shores Holiday Brunch. Please come by the office and pick your plate, bowls or dishes. These are in the teacher lunch room. If you do not pick these up soon they may be donated! Barb Webb received a call from Bianca Piette and she is looking for a large chrome salad bowl that may have been picked up inadvertently by someone else. If you have a bowl in your possession that you can't identify, please email me and I will get in touch with Bianca.