Free Book Download

Here's a free book download from Maureen Johnson - noted YA author. (Get it before January 15, 2010.) Enjoy!

http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com/bulletins.html

-Rhonda

Raindrops

http://www.lullatone.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/raindrop.swf

Enjoy on another rainy day...

-Rhonda

FAFSA4caster

http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov

FAFSA4caster will help you get an early start on the financial aid process by:

• Providing you with an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.
• Giving you an experience similar to FAFSA on the Web
• Allowing you to transfer all of your FAFSA4caster data to FAFSA on the Web once you are ready to apply for aid.
• Providing you the option to apply for your Federal Student Aid PIN.
• Increasing your knowledge of the financial aid process, and providing information about other sources of aid.

So, not a senior or not ready to apply, but need an idea of what your aid will look like? Try this site!

We are on Facebook!

Become a fan of Clarion University Educational Talent Search by joining us on Facebook at
Clarion University - Educational Talent Search. (If you can't seem to find us, make sure to include the dash...it seems we have confused the search engine.) Use this forum to pose questions concerning programs, study skills, financial aid, careers and more. You can also send us email at this site or chat with your counselor.

Look forward to seeing you there!
-Rhonda

October 7 - Campus Visit

Tomorrow is the first ETS campus visit of the year, and we will visit Mercyhurst and Penn State University - Behrend. If you are (or aren't) visiting you may want to check below in order to find out more about these colleges and the opportunities they offer.

Penn State - Behrend: a public university that offers six associate degrees, 34 bachelor degrees, and two graduate degrees. The campus is located on 725 acres in Erie, PA and currently serves approximately 4,600 students. The college offers 110 clubs/organizations and twenty-one NCAA Division III sports program.

Mercyhurst: a four-year private Catholic college that offers 50 undergraduate programs and 67 concentrations, as well as many unique adult programs and six graduate programs. Mercyhurst is location on 74 acres in Erie, PA and currently enrolls over 3,200 students.

Juniors and Seniors - October Checklist

Juniors and Seniors - check this out and find out exactly what's up for the month of October and your college plans.

http://www.collegeandcareerpress.com/images/October_09-Planning_Guide.pdf

(There are a limited number of other free career resources available by going to the homepage and selecting the free resources tab.)

Read Banned Books!

Check out this banned books map of books that have been challenged and banned since 2007.
This article gives an overview of books banned in 2008-09, http://tinyurl.com/lkj46f and here is the banned books website, http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/ for Banned Books week - September 26 - October 3. What have you read?

Facebook and the SAT?

I just came across an interesting application in FB for studying for the SAT. Yep, so while you are chatting with your friends and visiting their pages, you can also be reviewing your SAT vocabulary. Click on applications, and in the search box enter SAT Flashcards. Lo and behold, before your very eyes, appears a flashcard application. Select easy, medium, or hard, and click on show definition to gain more information. Let me know if you give it a try!

Vocabsushi

Interested in building your vocabulary for the SAT? Check out vocabsushi which uses vocab words in real life context and even provides the source of the statement. Registration is free and one of the exercises is on the homepage and can be completed without registration.
-Rhonda

Goals 2009-2010

Goals are important. And now a word from our President...

"That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it."

Start thinking about your goals for the year - we'll be checking in in the next week or two to set them in writing! See you then.

Savings Account Plan - Grants AVAILABLE for ETS Students

In cooperation with the United Way, we are offering opportunities to participate in a Family Savings Account program. The program entitles participants to receive a dollar for dollar match up to $2000 over a two year period. The monies must be used for postsecondary purposes.

In order to be eligible, participants must reside in Clarion, Forest, Venango, or Jefferson Counties. If you live in Armstrong or another county, but attend a Clario, Jefferson, or Venango County school you should still be eligible. You also must meet the following family income guidelines:

$34,450 family of 2
$38,750 family of 3
$4,100 family of 4
$51,580 family of 5
$59,060 family of 6

Participants are required to save a minimum or $10 a week with a maximum of $1000 a year in order to receive the matching monies.

If you are interested, PLEASE email me at rmcmillen@clarion.edu. Spots are filling quickly!!

-Rhonda

Helpful site for speeches

Need to know who said what in a speech? Need a speech by a certain person? Looking for an image or video or text of a speech? You have to check this site out! I am sure that at some point in school it will be VERY helpful!

www.americanrhetoric.com

-Rhonda

On our way to Washington

Information on the annual trip to DC is in the mail if you met the minimum qualification of attending two or more ETS programs or events. The turn around time is quick, so call and get registered today!

Just for fun

Have you seen this? Cardboard tube fighting - looks like fun!

http://cakeheadlovesevil.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/cardboard-tube-fighting-league/

Selling the Most Important Product...You!

July 4th is now over, you have 8 weeks until school starts again. Why not spend a day with some friends, have some fun, and get something out of it. ETS is sponsoring a day of activities for you. In the morning you will learn how to sell yourself and write a resume. The afternoon will include activities about who you are, what your interests are, discovering your talents and then what to do with all of this.

The activities will be on Monday, July 13 on the CUP campus. Call 393-2071 (1-888-533-6487) to sign up! You can sign up for either session or both sessions and get lunch provided.

New option for students

Hi! My name is Butch Campbell, I work as a Career Counselor for Venango Training & Development Center. My job is to help young people get to where they want to be or if you really don't have any idea about what to do after high school I can help you. I work in 5 Clarion County High Schools during the school year.

On July 13th I will be at the University helping students learn more about resumes and writing them. In the afternoon we will be working on Career Assessment (learning how to combine your interest and talents into a career).

Watch for more updates. These programs will be fun and educational. What a combination.

Website...

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/

Here's the PBS site for more information. Try out the games too!

Hey History Detectives!

Reminder to all that participated in Monday's workshop: History Detectives, PBS, 9PM, TONIGHT!!! Can't wait to hear what you think about my favorite tv program!
~Rhonda

From the Digital Photography Workshop...

Do you wish you were a better photographer?
Follow these tips:
-Look your subject in the eye.
-Use a plain background.
-Use flash outdoors.
-Move in close.
-Don't center everything.
-Lock the focus.
-Know the range of your flash.
-Take some vertical pictures.

Visit kodak.com for more tips - select the project center and click on "Learn."

Also visit: steves-digicams.com to find a review of your camera and try out some free software like Gimp or Picasa.

April is Poetry Month!

Try these sites...
-http://www.poetryfoundation.org/
-http://www.teenink.com/Poetry/

If you'd like, share your poem in the comments section...