College fair

Keep an eye out for information on the upcoming college fair at McKee in mid-October this year!

I am making outreach to several colleges that have been recommended by your teachers. Do you have any colleges in the NY or NJ area that you'd like to find out more about? Let me know what colleges you are interested in and I will do my best to get them to come to our college fair or set up a college information visit at McKee. Leave a comment here, email me, call me (maybe), stop in my office - just let me know!! Parents, this applies to you, too. You'll also be invited to the fall college fair at McKee so keep an eye on your snail mail and email from us on the date and more information.

-Ms. Miller

Today's positive affirmation:

WHEN I BELIEVE IN MYSELF, SO DO OTHERS

Not sure what to do with this positive affirmation? Read this post explaining the importance and benefits of using positive affirmations in your daily life. And remember, always: POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE!

-Ms. Miller

Positive Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements that describe a desired situation, and which are repeated many times, in order to impress the subconscious mind and trigger it into positive action. This means you repeat it over and over to yourself in order to convince your brain into thinking and processing it as the truth. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the affirmations, they have to be repeated with attention, conviction, interest and desire.

The best positive affirmations to repeat are short and easy to remember. Repeat them every time your mind is not engaged in something important, like when you're taking the bus or train to school, but do not affirm while crossing a street, or while sitting in class or while taking a test!

Relax any physical, emotional or mental tension when you start repeating it to yourself (also known as "affirming"). The stronger the concentration, the more faith you have in what you are doing, the more feelings you put into the act, the stronger and faster will be the results.

Choose only positive words, describing what you really want. If you desire to lose weight, do not tell yourself "I am not fat" or "I am losing weight." These are negative statements, bringing into the mind mental images of what you do not want. Say instead, "I am getting slim" or "I have reached my right weight". Such words evoke positive images in the mind.

Always affirm in the present tense, not the future tense. Saying, "I will be rich", means that you intend to be rich one day, in the indefinite future, but not now. It's more effective to say, and also feel, "I am rich now", and the subconscious mind will work at overtime to make this happen now, in the present.

The power of affirmations can help you to transform your life. By stating what you want to be true in your life, you mentally and emotionally see and feel it as true, no matter what your current circumstances are, and thereby attract it into your life.

Today's positive affirmation for you repeat to yourself as often as you can is this:

I AM SUCCESSFUL IN WHATEVER I DO

Positive Mental Attitude! PMA!!!

-Ms. Miller

End of summer

WHOA!

Summer is almost over! It's been a busy one for me so I apologize for the COMPLETE lack of posts on here over the past 2 months. But school is starting back up so soon and I'm really excited for the 2012-13 school year at McKee. We're going to have some new activities going on during and after school, you're going to be seeing me in your classroom more often doing class lessons, and everything is going be awesome and exciting.

To all McKee students who have been attending summer school at Curtis, congratulations! Today is the final day, and you have a nice 2 weeks off until school starts up again. I hope you never have to take summer school again! But I'm sure you're just glad it's over right now. For those that attended everyday and worked hard to get their credit, good for you! You deserve these 2 weeks of relaxation before you start working hard again.

I hope you're as excited for the new school year as I am, and if you're not, then GET EXCITED! We all have to work together to start off this school year (and every school year, and everything we do!) thinking positively and optimistically. POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE!

• Positive mental attitude (PMA) is the philosophy that having an optimistic disposition in every situation in one's life attracts positive changes and increases achievement. It employs a state of mind that continues to seek, find and execute ways to win, or find a desirable outcome, regardless of the circumstances. It opposes negativity, defeatism and hopelessness. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_mental_attitude)

I just got an idea. At least once a week, I will post a positive affirmation for you to think about and repeat to yourself throughout the day to get your brain on a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE kick! PMA!

Well, here's to the end of summer being better than the rest of the summer. Enjoy yourselves and be safe!

-Ms. Miller

Seniors!

McKee's class of 2012 is set to graduate in just about 2 weeks and I couldn't be more excited for all of you!! Last night (June 7th) was the McKee 2012 Prom and all of the seniors looked incredible! The party was at The Vanderbilt on Staten Island. The DJ was great!! Everyone was dancing all night; students and teachers. I know I had a great time dancing all night at prom. I might have been more excited to celebrate with my seniors last night than I was at my own prom! Here are some pictures to show you what a great time everyone had and how AMAZING everyone looked.

They definitely danced a lot all night!

 
The lovely prom King and Queen: Izzy Alcivar and Nathalie Ubaldegaray! 

 
Ms. Miller (that's me!) with students Anu McPherson and Aaron Oquendo, with Ms. Starkey - who put the whole prom together. Great job, Ms. Starkey!!

I hope everyone had a great time! It definitely looked like everyone did. Also, I hope everyone was SAFE after prom!

I'd also just like to throw in a quick note here. 

I've only been your Guidance Counselor at McKee for about 8 months, but it has truly been MY privilege to be your Counselor. As your Guidance Counselor and as a member of the McKee community, I've learned what it means to truly LOVE your job and feel fulfilled by the work that you do everyday. To the 2012 Senior class: thank you for being some of the most amazing, coolest, funniest, smartest kids I've ever met. I wish I could have gone through your four years of high school with you but I hope to hear about your upcoming years of college/work/whatever you do! I wish you all the best of luck and I know you'll do great things - I'll try my best to take some credit when you get famous ;). 

To my underclassmen, I'm excited to keep working with you and see you through high school and work together to make it the best few years of your life! 

This doesn't mean the school year is over (sorry to be a bummer). Check the schedule for Regents and make sure you go to tutoring!! Some of you seniors still need to pass Regents in order to graduate - this means if you do not pass the required Regents, you will unfortunately NOT be able to take part in the graduation ceremony. Parents, please be aware of this and contact either me or Ms. Ippolito to find out if your child falls in this situation. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Fingers crossed for no rain!!

-Ms. Miller

Still deciding on a college?

Seniors! Hello!

Most colleges ask for your definitive response to their acceptance by May 1st. If you haven't yet picked a school and sent in your response, you're in luck! Every year around this time, the National Association for College Admission Counseling posts a list of colleges and universities that still have space available for freshmen and transfer student admissions. You can search the list easily here - www.nacacnet.org/space.  As of the most recent update, this is the availability found:

• 362 colleges/universities have space for freshmen
• 374 colleges/universities have space for transfer students
• 373 schools still have institutional financial aid available (grants, scholarships, work-study)
• 354 schools still having housing available
• 70 percent of colleges reporting space availability for Fall 2012 are private, and 30 percent are public.

There are many colleges and universities in New York with availability as of right now!  This list is comprised of NACAC schools that have responded to the Space Availability Survey; these schools base their availability on the number of acceptance responses they have received by May 1st. The survey consists mostly of four-year institutions; however some two-year institutions may appear on the survey results. Please note that if an institution of any level does not appear on the survey results, it does not necessarily mean there is no space available at that institution.

If you see a school on this that you are interested in but have not yet applied, you must contact the institution directly for application information. Listing on the survey implies only space available. Admission is contingent upon each institution’s review of application information.

Why Four-Year College?

FOUR YEAR COLLEGE
A four-year college education, or bachelor's degree, can open doors and prepare students for a wide variety of rewarding careers.
While all four-year colleges hope to attract bright, well-prepared students, colleges vary greatly in their size, admission requirements, costs, and in the majors they offer.
At most four-year colleges, students take about half of their courses in their major (the subject they have chosen to study in depth). The rest of their courses are required general education courses (English, science, history, math, etc.) and electives (courses they want to take).

COLLEGE PREPARATION
Colleges recommend that students follow a college prep program in high school, and that they get the highest possible grades. 

College Prep Courses
Most colleges recommend that students take the following college prep courses in high school:
4 years of English
3-4 years of math (including Algebra I, Geometry and Trigonometry/Algebra II)
3 years of social studies
3 years of science
2-3 years of the same foreign language*
1 year of fine or performing arts*

*The NYC DOE Public High School requirement for foreign language recently changed to 2 credits, which is equal to 1 year. McKee offers 1 year of Spanish to our students to meet graduation requirements. We also offer one year of General Art class to meet the 2 credits of Art/Music requirement.

Competitive schools and programs consider the above to be the minimum requirements. They commend that students take advanced courses when possible. Students who haven't taken several of the above recommended college prep courses may want to start at a community college or at a college's branch campus. The requirements for admission are less competitive, the classes are smaller, and there's less pressure.

Activities and Interests
Colleges are looking for students who are active and involved. Develop your interests, skills, and talents, and get involved in activities in your high school and your community.

CHOOSING A COLLEGE
There are many things to consider when you choose a college.

Size
Do you want to go to a large school with lots of majors and activities, or to a small school with fewer students and smaller classes?

Academic Programs
If you have a specific subject you want to study, you need to find the colleges that offer that major. If you don't know what subject you want to study, look for a college with a variety of majors.

Location
Where do you want to go to college? Staying in Staten Island? Living at home but commuting to NYC? In another state completely? In an urban or rural area?

Admission Requirements
Look for colleges that accept students with grades and test scores similar to yours.

Cost
If cost is a concern, keep the following in mind:

• public colleges (in-state) are generally less expensive than private colleges
• you can save money by living at home and commuting, or by starting at a community college
• there is a great deal of financial aid available!!

Here is a very, very general and broad college outline. As I continue this blog, I will be adding more about month-by-month steps for each grade level.

9th grade
Get off to a good start academically. Look for ways to develop your interests and talents.

10th grade
Consider taking the PSAT.

11th grade
-Take the PSAT in October.
-Begin to seriously research your college options.
-Start thinking of your interests and abilities in terms of possible college majors.
-Talk to your counselor about your college plans.
-Take the ACT and/or SAT in the spring.
-Make college visits. 

12th grade
-Retake the ACT and/or SAT, if necessary
-Fill out applications. Be aware of deadlines.
-Meet with your counselor to discuss your college plans, possible majors, financial aid, etc.
-If you are applying for financial aid, apply for your PIN and submit your FAFSA as after January 1 as possible.

Finally, the internet knows a lot more than me about all of this. Here are some extremely helpful websites:
www.collegeboard.com
www.educationplanner.org
www.finaid.org
www.actstudent.org
studentaid.ed.gov
www.collegesavings.org

-Ms. Miller

REGENTS

18 DAYS UNTIL FINALS BEGIN (12 FOR SENIORS!)

26 DAYS UNTIL REGENTS BEGIN!! Please see the Regents schedule for June 2012!! Please be on the lookout for Regents prep and tutoring after school!

40 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR (that's actually only 27 SCHOOL DAYS left!)

The end of the year is fast approaching!! That doesn't mean it's any time to slack off, though - keep working hard to bring up whatever grades may have dropped in the second marking period, or just keep working to get your great grades even higher and greater!! (Can you tell I'm excited for summer and am a fan of exclamation points?)

As it gets closer to finals week, I will be posting the schedule for all students and parents to be aware. If you have any questions leading up to them, please get in touch!

-Ms. Miller

Show Me app

Have you heard about this cool new iPad app called Show Me? Our students in the AVID program have been utilizing this very cool app as a classroom tool to teach and learn lessons. Students are able to create and share lessons that they make with each other and with the world on the Show Me website. Check out some of the lessons our AVID students have made here: http://www.showme.com/mckeehighschool

ALSO! Congratulations to some of our seniors, Caleb King, Epifanio Ortiz, Corey Newell-Hopkins, Jonathan Cortes and Patrick Fleming on their exit interview from the Construction Skills Program.  
The Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills provides pre-apprenticeship training that prepares graduating New York City public high school seniors for entry into unionized building and construction trades apprenticeship programs.
The pre-apprenticeship program is designed to prepare New York City public high school students for the rigors of the construction industry.  Through the provision of classroom and hands-on training, students complete the program armed with the skills necessary to be successful in the unionized construction industry.
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates of Construction Skills are referred to union apprenticeship programs through a “direct entry” track.  In other words, Construction Skills graduates earn access to union building and construction trades apprenticeship opportunities without going through the public recruitment process.

This is a great motivator for sophomores and juniors in the Construction shop to keep in mind! Successful students will be referred to the program by Mr. O'Connell, the Construction teacher, and will be able to receive even more support from outside the building through this program. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to work in the construction field right after high school?? If construction is your field, make sure you talk to Mr. O'Connell about this opportunity!

-Ms. Miller

Summer Youth Employment

It's that time again to apply for the NYC Summer Youth Employment Program! There are only a few days left to apply so get on it RIGHT NOW!! Go to the SYEP application page ASAP and send in your info! https://application.nycsyep.com/

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides New York City youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with summer employment and educational opportunities. In 2011, the Dept of Youth and Community Development employed 30,628 participants and placed them at 5,732 worksites.  Participants work in a variety of entry-level jobs at government agencies, hospitals, summer camps, nonprofits, small businesses, law firms, museums, sports enterprises, and retail organizations.

The Summer Youth Employment Program is designed to:

• Emphasize real-world labor expectations
• Increase awareness of services offered by local community-based organizations
• Provide opportunities for career instruction, financial literacy training, academic improvement, and social growth

If you didn't know about Summer Youth before, you do now! And you must get your application in immediately! This is a great opportunity for all students in NYC and I've heard great reviews from the several NYC public schools I've worked in, from both students, school staff, and businesses involved. Good luck!!

-Ms. Miller

CUNY Ladies!

If you're a female senior and planning on going to a CUNY school in the fall, here is a great opportunity for you! It's called the Grace Outreach Darlene Jeris Scholarship. It's a pretty great program which pays YOU to get math and writing prep during the summer, and continuing help from a college counselor through your first year of college!

About the Grace Outreach D.Jeris Scholarship

The scholarship offers you three things:

• Payments of $400 as you complete the requirements for a summer prep program and join first semester activities at a CUNY college. 
• Grace Outreach college counselor will help you do well in your first year at a CUNY college, and you will receive membership into a great peer program.
•  Training this summer (prep program) to improve Math and Writing to master the CUNY Skills ACT/COMPASS Placement Tests at college.

Eligibility

·         You must be a high school graduate by June 2012

·         You must be a female within the age range of 16- 24 and a resident of New York State

·         You must apply to a CUNY College

Entry Requirements

·         Fill out a GO scholarship application

·         Attend an interview

·         Participate in the GO Summer Program and a fall college support/study group

(The deadline for the application is May 29, 2012; pick up an application form from Ms. Miller or Ms. Marsigliano.)

Award of your Scholarship

Grace Outreach is awarding a total of $850 in cash to 18 students

·         20 hours a week of college prep with a total payment of $400 by the end of the summer

·         Additional payments when you meet your first semester college goals

·         A monthly Metro card for the summer program

 This could be really helpful so please come see me about it!!

-Ms. Miller