Principle Principal

As I read your goals this year, one specific goal keeps "popping" to the forefront.

So, I am sending out this reminder that,“The principal is your pal.” So, you want to be on the principal's list, not the principle's list. Principal is a noun and/or adjective referring to someone or something with rank or importance. (You also earn interest on the principal -the important part.) Here's an on-line definition from Webster's: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/principal

Principle is a noun, dealing with law or doctrine. In fact, here's the definitionfor it too: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/principle

Brick Walls

Each year we have a quote at the top of the letter that goes home with the goals that you have set for the year. This year's quote is by Randy Paush, late professor at Carnegie Mellon.

"Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something."

I'd like to share with you his "Last Lecture." (Please be advised that there is some mild profanity.) I'm sure many, many of you have already watched it or seen parts of it. His lecture is available at http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/. There are also abbreviated versions on YouTube. His lecture is all about having dreams and achieving them!

Register NOW for Fall SAT

The first SAT of the fall will be given on OCtober 4, 2008. The regular registration deadline is September 9, 2008. Go online to check it out here.

Don't forget if you need financial assistance, your guidance office has available fee waivers. If you need assistance give us a call.

Cliff Notes - FREE!

Cliff Notes are now available on-line - free! Now, reading the book is still very, very important. However, Cliff can certainly help you to understand content and find answers to your questions. Here is the link http://www.cliffsnotes.com, just click on the literature tab. The site offers other useful information also.
-Rhonda

Back to School

Can you believe it? I can't. This summer seemed even faster than usual, but for many of us it is back to school this week. OK, I know, some of you don't have to report until after Labor Day - but WOW! Time does fly.

Here's a back to school website for you...http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/. It has a number of good articles to get you started thinking about school, the future, and college! Let me know which article you think is the most helpful!

-Rhonda

PA TRAC

In July 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) began implementing a seamless statewide transfer and articulation system required by legislation. Pennsylvania's 14 community colleges and the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education adopted mandatory equivalency standards for the purpose of creating at least 30 hours of foundation courses that can be easily transferred to any of the participating institutions and to establish an electronic portal for providing public access to transfer information. As of Spring 2008, Lincoln University, Lackawanna College, Seton Hill University and St. Francis College have joined PA TRAC as participating institutions bringing the total to 32.

The Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Center (PA TRAC) was created as a one-stop shop for transfer students, administrators and advisors/faculty. The web address for PA TRAC is www.patrac.org.

The site contains the following information:

• Information about the 30 hours of foundation courses (referred to as the 30 credit transfer framework);
• Transfer course equivalencies;
• College profiles for the participating institutions;
• Searchable databases such as Search by Institution and Search by Course; and
• Planning for Transfer Guidance.

Transfer Credit Framework

Students who successfully complete courses from the approved transfer credit framework will have their credits transferred and counted towards graduation at any of the participating colleges and universities. The transfer credit framework goes into effect for students matriculating Fall 2008.

(Information released by the Registrar, Clarion University)

Harrisburg - Here we come!

Thanks so much to Venango County Community Foundation Youth Philanthropy Board for funding our incentive trip this year. Unfortunately due to the crazy transportation costs we've made our trip a little closer to home. Fortunately, we have a great state capitol to visit! On August 8th we are heading to Harrisburg. Check out the website for more information. The bus is filling fast!
-Rhonda

Need for healthcare workers

Are you interested int he healthcare field? Here is an article from the LA Times that you may want to check out.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-shortage27-2008jul27,0,7015815.story

-Rhonda

trivia

Went to the movie... guess what I learned?

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

No, I didn't try it, but it's pretty cool!

-Rhonda

Communication changes

Hello! Hope you are enjoying your summer.

I just wanted to share some information - the clarionets and venangoets listservs for ETS participants in grades 9-12 will be discontinued this summer. Please check here at the blog for all reminders and updates!

Additionally, over the next couple of months, Clarion will be rolling out a new website. This may result in some changes and delays in use of the site. If there is information or anything that isn't working, please let us know! You should be able to continue to access us at www.clarion.edu/ets. The changes won't take place for a while, but I thought you'd want to know!

Thanks. - Rhonda

Web2.0 application

Here is another one...Evernote.

"Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere."

Sounds great. I haven't tried it yet, but you may want to check it out too at http://www.evernote.com/

Let me know if you do.
-Rhonda

Just for fun

Here is a new Web2.0 application that my friend Donna sent to me. It is called Wordle and it allows you to take a passage and create a graphic from the words. I chose to do it with my del.icio.us bookmarks and the result said a lot about me! What could you do with this - use it for a report cover? What else? Send me your ideas...

www.wordle.net

-Rhonda

Matching majors with schools

Today I found an amazing wiki - it has every major I could think of and then lists of schools that offer that major. It also has links to websites where you can do a free college search - this provides a customized result list based upon the answers to questions personalized for you!

http://collegelists.pbwiki.com/

Also, if you are not familiar with wikis (quick in Hawaiian), then click on the bottom right on the above website for a link explaining about wikis. It will link you to a great short video entitled "Wikis in Plain English." If that doesn't answer your questions, leave me a comment below or email me and I'll try my best to help you out!

-Rhonda

Cricket Chirps

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting the Weather Capital of the World - Punxsutawney, PA. I also got to see Phil and visit Gobbler's Knob. Good thing for me that it wasn't Groundhog Day, as 25, 000 people is way more than fits my comfort zone. One of the neatest things that I did learn is that there is truth to the tale that the number of cricket chirps in a minute is a predictor of temperature. Here is a cricket chirp temperature calculator - check it out!!

http://www.csgnetwork.com/crickettempcalc.html


-Rhonda

Internet Public Library

Writing a paper? Getting ready for finals? Need some homework help? Have some poetry to share? Check out the Internet Public Library's Teen Spaces at http://www.ipl.org/div/teen/.

Book List

The list of student recommended books has now been posted on the Book Brunch wiki. Just go to the site below and the select the book recommendations page. Feel free to add books and insert authors where I did not know them.

-Rhonda

Book Brunch

We had an awesome Saturday morning discussing books and completing some projects... If you tried to get on the wiki though, you may not have been able to. It seems I neglected to change the setting to public. OOPS! Well, it is now accessible at http://bookbrunchets.pbwiki.com/

I'll be adding a page with the books we all recommended. Now you have a summer reading list!

-Rhonda

Happy Administrative Professional's Day

Let me tell you something...and it isn't a secret. Things would not run they way they do around here without our amazing assistant. So, if you talk to Joni on the phone, tell her thanks for the great job!

Happy day, Joni!

--ETS

Activites that promote fitness

I am participating in Shape Up PA - through Clarion U. We get a weekly newsletter with some interesting tidbits and since today is such a beautiful spring day, I wanted to pass along a few!

• Are you engaged in activities that promote fitness, but not into walking? Check out this convertion table at http://moonwalk.palmpeoria.org/logMiles/conversions.asp.

• Also, 2500 steps = 1 mile (dependent on stride length.)

If I find more interesting facts, I'll send them your way!

-Rhonda

Earth Day

Here are some websites in celebration of Earth Day 2008. check them out at your leisure!

-Government related sites http://www.earthday.gov/kids.htm
-Crafts and more http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/
-Check out the photos from across the nation http://earthday.envirolink.org/

Plant a tree, conserve our resources, recycle and more. Have a neat project you did? Leave it as a comment, so that we can all share in your knowledge or experience!

-Rhonda