The craziest thing just happened – one of my 3rd graders from 34 YEARS AGO just called out of the blue to thank me for something I’d almost forgotten.  

You see, a long, long time ago (in a school not very far away), I gave a 9-year old girl named Annabelle her first diary.  I wrote a little note inside the cover saying that I’d started writing a diary when I was 9 as well.  

That 9-year old little girl is now 45, and was going through some old boxes when she found that diary – and all the others she’d kept after that very first one.  A brief moment of my time so long ago led to a wonderful chance to reconnect after all these years.  

These are the moments that educators treasure!

The California UC and CSU applications are now available for high school seniors who are applying as freshmen or community college students applying as transfer students. Both deadlines are Nov 30th – no exceptions!

California State University (CSU) Applications
www.csumentor.edu

Applications are easy to complete — takes about 3 hours.  Just request an unofficial transcript from our high school guidance counselor so you can enter in all of your classes and grades from 10th and 11th grades.  Once you complete the application, you just need to complete the first page of each CSU campus you plan to apply to.  It’s that easy. You can even submit your ACT scores to just one campus and they’ll be available to all of the CSU colleges.

University of California (UC) Applications:

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu

The UC applications are also pretty simple to complete. Like the CSU applications, refer to your transcript to make sure you’re entering the course and grade information correctly.  There are no letters of recommendation (Berkeley may request one from you). You’ll need to write 2 essays that total 1000 words.  As long as they are at least 500 words each, you’re good to go.

Start these essays now so you’ll have plenty of time to edit them. Here are the prompts:

Prompt #1: Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Prompt #2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Avoid last-minute crises by submitting your applications at least a week  early.  The majority of applicants submit their applications on Nov 29th to the 30th when the online systems run slower and often crash. THIS IS BAD NEWS IF YOU’VE PROCRASTINATED.  I’ve had many students knocking on my door at midnight — in tears — because they couldn’t hit the “Submit” button for whatever reason. NO FUN. Besides, if you submit them BEFORE Thanksgiving, you’ll be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and the 4-day weekend!  And also avoid crying. 

If you’re applying to the arts or music programs, you’ll need to prepare portfolios for the specific departments. 

Don’t rely on the college application form to get the details about each college’s requirements because they’re tricky to navigate. Instead, go directly to the college website and do the research. 

Once you get to the actual department that you’re planning to apply to, check out the requirements for their applications.  If you can’t find the information, call the department to be sure that you don’t need to put together a portfolio.  You don’t want any surprises the night the application is due!

The art portfolio usually consists of 10-20 pieces  that you submit via a slideshow on their online application form. Never submit original work. Take photographs using a high-resolution camera.

Theater and dance portfolios usually require video footage of specific monologues or dance movements. You can upload the videos or send DVDs. Check with each college directly to be sure that you completely understand their requirements.

These portfolios are submitted to the individual departments.  Some will also require interviews or auditions. All of the above is in ADDITION to the regular college applications.  You’ll still need to submit the application, write the personal statements and essays, get the letters of recommendation, and submit your transcripts and SAT/ACT scores. 

Start early. Regular admission deadlines start as early as November 30th! Get organized so you don’t get stressed out!

After the Industrial Revolution, the nuclear family became prevalent as couples left their extended families to follow their work or their dreams.  Moving away from their families allowed them to get a fresh start on life, but it also removed a support system stretching back several generations. With travel getting easier as time goes by, the entire concept of the “nuclear family” is fracturing, and something more temporary has taken its place.

These disconnected families are finding it difficult to manage all of the responsibilities associated with raising children and caring for their parents. With financial woes and the uncertain world economy, the extended family or multi-generational family structure is beginning to make a lot of sense again. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to have your parents help you take care of the children? If you hire help, they can help your children and your parents, too.  And, your kids could benefit from growing up with your parents — something that many families today really miss out on.  

The “Sandwich Generation” (those who are taking care of parents AND children at the same time) are facing big decisions today as they consider their financial future. The first priority is funds to raise the children, then pay for college.  If that alone isn’t scary, add on the cost of eldercare and assisted living for parents and the bill could EASILY exceed earned income. Yikes!

If what I’ve just described sounds like you,  that means that you’ll probably have to work for the rest of your life, because how else are you going to support everyone? Forget your retirement!

So what are your REAL options?

#1: Student Loans
Yup.  Do the math. If you can’t afford to retire and your parents don’t have pensions or trust funds, you’ve got some pretty big bills coming your way. You’ve got to get your head out of the sand (or clouds) and start making smart choices.  Maybe you can split the college tuition with your kids. Lots of parents are doing just that. It’s really not a bad idea because when the kids are footing the bill or even just contributing towards it, I’ll bet they’ll take their college experiences more seriously and possibly graduate sooner (hence, reducing the overall cost).

#2: Live at Home While Going to College
I know this isn’t a popular idea, especially with the kids who want the “college experience” and if you really need a break from the teen years. But having your kids live at home could save you $50,000 over 4 years for each child. Yes, you’ll still have to yell at them to clean up their room, but $50k can buy a lot of nice things.  Like wine.  Or trips to Bermuda.  Just saying…

#3: Parents Move in With You
This is a perilous proposition on a lot of fronts.  What if you don’t like your in-laws or your parents?  What if they don’t like you?  Ok, that’d never happen, because YOU ARE AWESOME, but still – hypothetically, it could happen.  Having them move in with you could be a really bad idea, and I get that. But, what if they build a “Granny unit” on your property (aka Accessory Dwelling Unit) so they have their privacy — and you have yours! — so you’re not forking out $75,000 per year, per person! That’s even more than college tuition. When they’re gone, your college-aged kids could live there or you can rent it out for some extra cash. 

#4: Everyone Moves into a Larger Place
If your current home is too small to include college kids and/or grandparents, consider upgrading to a larger home. Whether you rent or own, this could work for you.  Find just what you need and everyone contributes towards the rent or mortgage. It will still be considerably less expensive than paying for dorms, assisted care, AND your current rent or mortgage.

Progress reports will be coming out in the next few weeks and many parents are anticipating what their gut has been telling them: My kid is not working to their potential.

If your child is struggling with concepts, completing homework and turning it in, and/or failing quizzes and tests, you need to help them now.

If you can afford it, hire a professional tutor.  They’ll know just what to do to get your kid back on board, and they’ll be in touch with the teachers to make sure that there are no surprises down the road.

If you can’t afford a tutor, don’t give up!  Check your local college or high school to get students to work with your child.  They’re not as reliable and you’ll need to organize the schedule to set up consistent sessions.  Get a list of all missing work and difficult concepts from the teacher and discuss everything you would like them to cover during each session. 

Don’t wait for progress reports to come out.  I know it is a great excuse not to know what’s really happening in the classroom but every day that your kid is failing only makes it that much harder for them to catch up.  And that’s not good for anyone!

Right when all of the SAT prep programs finally have the system down and have tons of materials and tips for improving SAT scores, the College Board announces that the last old SAT will be administered in January 2016.  Insert comical sad trombone sound here.

While the new SAT is supposed to be easier than the old SAT because there is no essay and the vocabulary isn’t as ridiculously difficult (you know, they won’t include 15-letter words that nobody uses today), I still recommend that juniors take the OLD SAT in January.

Here are the pros, cons, and the ACT option:

Benefits of Taking the OLD SAT

1. Nobody knows how to prep for the new SATs
   Every time the College Board, or any testing institution, introduces a new test format, chaos inevitably ensues. They don’t have millions of students — their guinea pigs —  to test questions/problems before subjecting students to problem sets for the real SATs. Then test prep companies don’t fully understand how to prepare students to ace the new test and there aren’t enough practice tests available during the first year. 
2. Colleges will accept both the old and the new SATs, so why not take both?
   If the old test is better for you because you can take advantage of the volumes of test-prep workbooks and programs out there, you can have the advantage of taking the last old SAT. If you don’t do well, gear up for the new SAT and take them in May, June, October, November, or December.

Benefits of Taking the New SAT

• Better for those who like to take risks
  If you’re the type to just wing the SAT and not prepare for it, then take the new SAT.  You won’t notice that there are relatively fewer workbooks because you wouldn’t use them anyway. Right?
• Level Playing Field
  The students who study their vocab and prepare to take the SAT for years, won’t have their usual advantage over you.  They’ll be just as unfamiliar with the test as you are, which actually levels the playing field!

What About the ACT?

Check to see if the ACT is a better test for you to take.  If you’re lucky, the ACT will be the better test for you and you won’t be subject to stress (see above) when it comes to preparing for the new SAT.

No matter what you decide to take, you really need to make that decision now.  Weigh the pros and cons, and then pull out your planner and start prepping!

Having lived most of my life in Malibu and Santa Cruz, I’ve never felt like I actually needed air conditioning. Until now, that is.

You would think that beach communities wouldn’t need AC but as our climate is changing, so are what we used to consider “normal” weather patterns. I wasn’t planning on using this as a CLIMATE CHANGE platform, but here we are; it’s hotter here than it’s ever been, and I need a cooling solution!

I’m researching geothermal heating and cooling systems because it makes so much sense.  For example, did you know that the earth always stays at a constant 50-55 degrees both during the summer AND the winter? By running tubing under your house or yard with geothermal heat pumps, you can provide pollution-free heat and air conditioning year round:

Experts claim that you can save up to 80% on your heat and AC bills. So why isn’t everyone doing this? I’ll keep you posted as I explore this option for my home. 

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With all of the online programs and handy dandy college planning manuals, you would think that someone would have found a good way to organize all of the college applications that seniors need to manage each year. But, nooooo! When there is more than one place to keep all of your records, you’re bound to lose things and not have what you need when you need them most!

So here’s how I organize my students’ applications. I create a manila file folder for each college. Yup, back to basics. Bonus: manila folders are super cheap!  On the cover, I staple an information sheet that includes the contact info, deadlines, requirements, essays, letters of recommendation, and portfolio or audition info. That way, I can see at a glance what’s been done and what’s missing.  Then, inside the folder, I keep copies of everything. That’s right. I keep all of their drafts for their essays, cover letters for recommendations, and pertinent information about the college. 

When the students get emails or letters from the college, I also place them in the folder so we have EVERYTHING in one place.  That’s the key… everything is there so we can make decisions based on all of the facts.  Students get lost when they have some info buried in their emails, on their computers, in a drawer in their desk at home, and somewhere in their brains.

Simplify the process by streamlining it back to a good manila file. An organized system makes the college application process less stressful. And all seniors could use a little less stress. 

Did you know that the beehive design has been the same since, well, forever?

We installed 2 beehives earlier this year and they’re doing really well. 

The honeycombs are filled with honey and the bees are happy, but they’re the “old school” design.

Our cutting-edge friend Julie just ordered 2 of these new beehives with a brilliant design – you can separate the honeycombs mechanically so the honey just pours down and out to a spout! 

Imagine that – it’s like getting maple syrup but with a hive instead of a tree! 

We’re expecting our shipment in 2 months; can’t wait!

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Our kids have been in school for just about a month now, and things are just peachy. Right? The teachers haven’t burned out yet, and our kids are happily doing “review” work in all of their classes. Yup.

So if you’re like most parents, you’re ASSUMING that your kid is doing all of his work, turning everything in, and doing well. Right?

WRONG!

This is where parents miss the mark. Most parents wait until their kids’ receive their first progress reports to assess how they’re really doing in school.  Even those lucky parents who have online homework programs like School Loop or  Infinite Campus often don’t check to see how their kids are doing until they get some sort of notification that things aren’t going well. Waiting until you get your 6-week progress report is too late.  Here’s why:

Teachers gather homework, quiz and test scores, projects, and participation points at the end of 6 weeks. Then they take a few days to calculate each student’s grade.  Next, the registrar takes that information and enters it in computer and generates paper progress reports that then need to be mailed to each family. This process adds another week or two, so we’re really looking at 7 or 8 weeks of oblivion or denial on everyone’s part.  If your child has a D or F in a class at 8 weeks, it’s almost impossible to raise that to an A by the end of the semester. The sooner you know your child needs help, the better chance he has to regaining confidence in the subject area and catching up.

When you approach your kid about his grades, you’ll inevitably hear excuses that leave you confused about the grades you see on the progress report. Every child will tell you that the teacher hasn’t entered in the grades for his make-up assignment or test, and that’s why his grades look so terrible. Even if you are checking School Loop online and find missing assignments, you’ll hear the same excuses.

So what’s a parent to do?

Review your child’s status on homework, quizzes and tests, and projects once a week. That’s right. Understand what is going on in each class so you can discuss how your kid is doing on individual assignments and studying for tests. Don’t ask how school is because you’ll get the canned response: “Fine.” Instead, ask questions like these:

English:

1. What book are you reading for English? 
2. Tell me about it?
3. Will you have to write a response paper or summary?
4. When will that be due?
5. What vocabulary do you need memorize?
6. Have you made flashcards yet?
7. When will the vocab test be?

Math:

1. What new concepts did your teach introduce today?
2. What homework is due tomorrow (or the day after)?
3. When is the test on this chapter?
4. How do you plan to prepare for this?

History:

1. What did you learn today?
2. Did you watch any videos?  Which ones?
3. What homework is due tomorrow (or the day after)?
4. When will your next test be and what will it cover?
5. How are you going to study for it?

Science:

1. What concepts did you learn today?
2. Did you do a lab? Tell me about it.
3. What homework is due tomorrow (or the day after)?
4. When will your next test be and what will it cover?
5. How are you going to study for it?

Language:

1. What concepts did you learn today?
2. What vocabulary and verb conjugations do you need memorize?
3. Have you made flashcards yet?
4. When will the vocab and grammar test be?
5. What homework is due tomorrow (or the day after)?
6. When will your next test be and what will it cover?
7. How are you going to study for it?

By asking these types of questions, you’ll engage with your child and learn more about what they need to do each day. They’ll also be more inclined to get work turned in and study more.  Make your child accountable for doing well in all of their classes by paying attention, NOW!