Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition

This competition is a great opportunity for budding scientists and research oriented students to earn some major scholarship money. Each year, up to 120 students will share as much as $456,000 in college scholarships, with the top two national winners each receiving a $50,000 college scholarship. Scholarships can be used for educational expenses at accredited colleges or universities in the United States. Get your thinking caps on! Deadlines for submissions have traditionally been in early February of the competition award year.

The Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition for original student research is designed to inspire talented students to investigate behavioral, biological, environmental and social factors that affect health and to identify ways to improve the health of the public. YES awards up to 120 college scholarships each year to high school juniors and seniors who conduct outstanding research projects that apply epidemiological methods of analysis to a health-related issue. If you care deeply about the environment, world policy, or the world’s emerging health issues here is your opportunity to save lives.

YES will select up to 120 semifinalists; up to 60 will receive scholarship awards of $1000, completing their participation in the competition. The other 60 —up to 10 from each of six regions —will advance to the Regional Finals. The students advancing to the Regional Finals will receive an expense-paid trip to the YES National Event in Washington, D.C., April 2008, to compete with other students in their region. Regional Finalists will be judged on the basis of their written research reports, as well as an oral presentation and question-and-answer session. Forty-eight of the Regional Finalists will receive scholarship awards of $2,000, completing their participation in the competition. Twelve Regional Finalists—two from each of the six regions—will go on to compete at the National Finals.

The 12 students advancing to the National Finals will be judged by a national panel of judges on the basis of their written Research Project Reports, oral presentations and question-and-answer sessions.
YES college scholarship awards to the 12 National Finalists:
Six will receive scholarship awards of $15,000 each.
Two will receive scholarship awards of $20,000 each.
Two will receive scholarship awards of $35,000 each.
The top two national winners will receive scholarship awards of $50,000 each.
For more information about the YES Competition visit www.collegeboard.com/yes/.
~Tami

Web 2.0

Tonight at New Bethlehem Area Free Public Library

What to do with your ipod...

Have an iPod? Listen to music? What else do you use it for? Well, take a few minutes and check out this link I have attached. What a great resource, 100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better! WOW!

Let me know what you think, or if you have others to add to the list!

Gliffy.com

Ever need to make a flowchart? Need to draw a plan? Try www.gliffy.com. This web based program allows you to select from many pre-designed shapes to create the chart that you need. The blog provides entries to help you better use the program. Check it out for help - even how to move the flowchart to your Word document!

2008 SAT Dates

Had a request for SAT dates, so I wanted to send out a reminder:

SAT dates remaining for Spring 2008 include - March 1, May 3, and June 7. Get registered!

Visit http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/reg.html to register. Remember there are limited fee waivers available. In most cases if you qualify for free and reduced lunches, you qualify for a College Board waiver. However, you must visit your high school guidance counselor to access this service. If you have any questions or problems, contact your ETS counselor!

Stay warm!

Read the '08 Caldecott Winner

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of reading Brian Selznick's book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. It was the winner of the 2008 Caldecott Award. The Caldecott Award is presented annually "to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children", according to ALA. (Check out http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.htm for more information and past award winners.)

Well, this book isn't a traditional picture book. It incorporates text, photos, drawings, and movies. In fact it has over 300 pages of pictures. Need something interesting to read; need something to grab your interest; need something new and different? Then check it out; I don't think you'll be disappointed!

This website gives you more details, historical information, and a preview. I'm excited to hear what you think! (http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_hugo_intro.htm)

ALA 2008 Printz Winner Announced

ALA has announced the 2008 award winners for young adult literature:

Winner: The White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean

Honor Books:

Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet, by Elizabeth Knox

One Whole and Perfect Day, by Judith Clarke

Repossessed, by A.M. Jenkins

Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath, by Stephanie Hemphill

As always, I am excited to hear what you think of these books. Let me know or bring your opinions to the Book Brunch on April 26th. It should be a lot of fun, especially since I'm cooking!

Admission Terms

Just a few terms for those of you planning on heading to college-

AP - Advanced Placement - credit for passing certain courses and exams can be then used for college credit.

Common Application - form used to apply to more and more colleges, http://www.commonapp.org/.

Conditional Acceptance - acceptance as long as specific requirements are met by the student.

Matriculate - move from high school to college.

Open Admission - accepts all applicants that meet basic requirements.

Wait List - not accepted or rejected, waiting on an opening.

FAFSA Means FREE

Please remember:

The URL for the official FAFSA site is www.fafsa.ed.gov . There are many for-profit FAFSA filing web sites - they will charge you! These sites are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education. Students should file at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

FAFSAs should be filed online. If you have specific circumstances prohibiting this and are an ETS participant, please contact me ASAP as I have a few paper forms for your use.

PHEAA will be holding free workshops throughout the state on Saturday, February 9. One will be held from 10-1 at Brother Bean Coffee Shop, Rte 257, Cranberry (Venango County). Another will be held from 10-1 at Clarion Free Library (Community Room), Main Street, Clarion.

Clarion County Youth - BUSTED!

BUSTED! Youth Reorganization Meeting
Compliance Recruitment/Training and PIZZA Party!
Kids Age 14– 18 needed

Clarion County Drug and Alcohol would like to invite you to take part in Tobacco Free Advocacy Activities: Compliance Checks, Prevention/Awareness Activities, Educating Legislators, and Fun Recruitment Activities.

Come learn more about Clarion County BUSTED! Youth
February 13, 2008 from 4:30-6:00 PM
Clarion County Drug and Alcohol Office
214 South 7th Avenue, Clarion PA

For more information call Vicky Hilborn at 226-5888 Ext. 522 by February 11, 2008.

In Their Shoes

Let’s face it; we have all done it. We’ve tried on mom or dad’s shoes; just to see how it feels. Mom’s high heels may have given your confidence a boost, or those polished wing tips may have made you feel so important. It’s not a bad idea to walk in someone else’s shoes for a day. The Internet is amazing and has opened up the world, but it can’t replace experiencing the real thing. Job shadowing is a great way to actively learn about or explore careers. You can actually walk in someone’s shoes for the day, witnessing first hand the work environment, equipment, and people and technical skills needed to be successful at their job. You have an expert at your fingertips to ask all those burning questions like, how long did you have to go to school? Where did you go to school? What salary can I expect? Are there lots of job opportunities in this field?

Job shadowing can provide high school students an opportunity to explore a broad range of jobs and increase career awareness. Senior high students can narrow interests and test out job suitability. You can even participate in hands-on activities to test the your compatibility to the job. Shadowing can show you how to apply textbook information to the real world. It is a valuable way to make contacts and could lead to a job offer. Even if you decide the job doesn’t fit, look at the experience as an opportunity to meet new people.

Junior Achievement has turned Ground Hog Day into National Job Shadow Day. So why not plan to join the big event by arranging to shadow someone on Friday, February 1, 2008. If you plan to follow in mom or dad’s footsteps, Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day is Thursday, April 24, 2008.

Tips for a Positive Job Shadowing Experience:

Get the appropriate permission from parents, school, and mentor.
Dress neat and accordingly for the job site. (Maybe polish your shoes!)
Be on time.
Be courteous and respectful at all times.
Go prepared with interview questions.
Write a thank you note to your host and key staff.

Good Luck!
-Tami

Changes in PA High School Diploma for Class of 2014

Earning a high school diploma in PA, just became more complicated. Starting with the class of 2014 (this year's sixth grade), students will have to pass a series of tests - the Graduation Competency Assessments. The state is to create ten tests in math, science, English, and social studies. Students will be required to pass six in order to receive their diploma.

E-mail as communication

This week I have been working on an assignment for my graduate class. The topic of the assignment was based on communication, specifically email communication. Thinking that I am rather competent in my email communication, I was surprised by much of the information that I found. Below are three of the sites I accessed. Check them out, you'll be surprised what you can gain in insight, time, and organization!

Psychology of cyberspace: Email relationships - http://users.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/emailrel.html

Email etiquette - http://careerplanning.about.com/od/communication/a/email_etiquette.htm

Effective email: How to communicate powerfully by email
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htm

K'nex

The workshop Saturday was amazing. We managed to build a roller coaster and ferris wheel in the short time we had. I'll try to post some photos... In the meantime - check out the youtube video of this loop...http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WieHyCfGNrA OK, so our's wasn't quite that big, but it was fast.

Interested in some more information? Check out these sites-

http://www.knex.com/Thrill_Rides/
http://homepage.mac.com/cbakken/pga/links.html
http://techbridgegirls.org/documents/simple_machines2_000.pdf (Resources page)
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/app/nau_links.htm
http://www.sscoasters.net/forum/other_theme_park-f56.html?s=40ea0291e0fef56355e971bf378d6003&amp (photos)

YALSA 2007 Teens' Top Ten

Last week I mentioned Teens Read Week and the survey for the top ten of 2007. Here are the results!

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006).
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Viking Children’s Books, 2006)
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles (Flux, 2006).
Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson (Hachette Book Group USA/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006).
Firegirl by Tony Abbott (Hachette Book Group USA/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006).
All Hallows Eve (13 Stories) by Vivian Vande Velde (Harcourt, 2006).
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Harcourt, 2006).
River Secrets by Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury, 2006).
Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe (HarperCollins, 2006).
Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks (Chicken House, 2006).

Sudoku

The first US Sudoku championship was help in Philly last weekend. It was hosted by the famous puzzlemaker, Will Shontz. About 800 people competed in the competition according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's website. (They are the sponsor.) Participants competed in three categories and then later in 12 age groups. This was the largest live puzzle tournament ever held in the U.S.

Sudoku is a logic game where you fill 81 squares with numbers from 1 to 9. Number can not be repeated in a vertical or horizontal row, nor may they be repeated in the nine square blocks. Although invented by American Howard Garns in 1979, these puzzles were called Numbers Place. The Japanese popularized the puzzles under the name Sudoku, meaning "only single digits allowed", or something close to this depending on what site you consult.

Free games abound on the Internet. Try: http://www.websudoku.com/, www.krazydad.com/sudoku, http://www.sudoku-puzzles.net/!

Bullying Information

I was recently asked by a parent for some quality websites addressing bullying. Since our program scheduled for this evening, was postponed...I'm including a number of the links here. Remember it is estimated that half of school age children are bullied sometime during their school years, so the chances are pretty good that bullying will affect members of your home.

http://www.bullying.org/
http://www.cyberbullying.org/
http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/bullies.html
http://www.tolerance.org/
http://www.stopbullyingnow.com/
www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/Health/Emotional_health_and_wellbeing/bullying
parentingteens.about.com/od/bullying

Awesome Percussion Program

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this information...

Recycled Percussion to perform-
The musical group Recycled Percussion will be performing at Clarion University on Monday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Gemmell Multi-Purpose Room as part of its Man Vs. Machine Tour. The University Activities Board sponsored concert is free and open to the public.

The New Hampshire based band uses anything and everything to create “junk rock” music. The band plays with plastic buckets, metal tanks, chainsaws, jackhammers and more to create a dynamic mix of hip-hop and rock music.

Founded by former member Justin Spencer, Recycled Percussion started playing throughout New Hampshire at schools and local clubs around the Manchester area. "Our appeal speaks to anyone who loves music and wants to see an insanely rocking show.”

Though Spencer is no longer with the group, the other three members still tour. Ethan Holmes and Greg Kassapis play drums while Jerami Bellafatto (DJ Dirty Soul) mixes hip hop and rock music. The band is now traveling in its third major tour throughout the U.S. and also has released a hit self-titled DVD.

The group has won awards such as “Best Major Performance Group,” which is selected by college students. The group has been featured on the “Today Show” on NBC and often plays during NBA playoff games.

-adapted from Clarion University's press release

Free event!

New Bethlehem Area Free Public Library will host
Storyteller - Alan Irvine, Scary Ghost Stories
Appropriate for third grade and up
Friday, October 26, 2007 from 7PM -8PM
Free
http://www.alanirvine.com/

Clarion Free Library has scheduled a number of YA events also...I'll get them up this week!

Clarion U - Night of Haunts

Students, faculty, staff, and community are invited to a night of haunts as the History Club sponsors the fourth annual Clarion University Ghost Experience on Tuesday, October 30th, and Wednesday, October 31st, beginning at 8 p.m. each evening in the Hart Chapel Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. This year's event takes on new form, with all stories being told inside the chapel, complete with photos. In addition, professional paranormal investigators will be present to reveal their findings from a previous investigation of the chapel. Come hear the traditional tales of the hauntings in the chapel, Founders Hall, Becht Hall, Wilkinson Hall and others, as well as a few new stories. A frightening night is guaranteed for all! Please note: seating is limited in Hart Chapel; and there are no reservations or tickets. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis; once the auditorium is full, people will be turned away. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.