AVID @ The Super Bowl

AVID Center tweeted this last night from their Twitter page:

AVID at the Super Bowl! Cody Glenn was an AVID student in Rusk ISD and now he plays for the Colts!

Here is a link to his profile page on the Colts website:
http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=bio&player_id=590

QuestBridge Scholarships for Juniors

QuestBridge Scholarships

QuestBridge is a scholarship program that seeks to award college scholarships to high school juniors who have a strong academic record and an annual household income of less than $60,000. Many past award recipients have also been part of the first generation in their family to attend college. Scholarships are open to all qualified students, regardless of race or ethnicity.” The application deadline is March 29, 2010.

As this scholarship opportunity would be perfect for our AVID students.  The link to their website with more information is www.questbridge.org .  We strongly encourage junior-year AVID students to apply.

Agenda: Monday, January 25th 2010

Quote of the Day:  "You must do the thing you think you cannot do."  - Elanor Roosevelt

Agenda:
1)  Write the "goal of the week."  2 sentences.  One that states the goal and one that explains how  you will go about achieving it.  Also write a paragraph that explains how your goal went last week.
2)  We will watch 20/20's "Real Story of the Blind Side" parts 1 and 2.  We will write a summary after each break. 

Read more about Michael Oher in the exceprt of the book in NY Times Magazine here.
Listen to the interview with the author of the book in this NPR story here.

Roadtrip Nation Teacher of the Month

I was very honored to be awarded the very first ever Roadtrip Nation Teacher of the Month award.  Read all about it here:

Roadtrip Nation Blog

College Applications Rise, But Budget Cuts Cap Enrollment

College Applications Rise, But Budget Cuts Cap Enrollment
USATODAY, By Terence Chea, The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — College applicants are facing one of the toughest years ever to gain admission to the nation's public colleges and universities as schools grapple with deep budget cuts and record numbers of applications.

As cash-poor state governments slash budgets, colleges are capping or cutting enrollment despite a surge in applications from high school seniors, community college students and unemployed workers returning to school.

BEST VALUE COLLEGES: Top 100 for 2010

HIGHER ED: Can getting a degree be affordable?

AID: New FAFSA easier to use

The increased competition means more students will be turned away, forced to attend pricier private institutions or shut out of college altogether.

Wilson Liang, a senior at San Francisco's Galileo Academy of Science and Technology, said he worries that enrollment cuts at the University of California will freeze him out of its flagship Berkeley campus.

"I know the competition is very high," said the 17-year-old Liang, who would be the first person in his family to attend college. "There are a lot of smart people out there."

Colleges that previously accepted all qualified students are becoming selective, while selective schools are becoming more so. Most community colleges have open-access policies, but demand for classes is so intense that many students can't get the courses they need.

"We're hearing a lot of panic," said Gerna Benz, a partner at California San Francisco Bay Area College Planning Specialists. Benz said business at his Oakland-based college counseling firm has tripled over the past year.

Benz is encouraging more families to consider private colleges, which may be more expensive but offer less crowded classes and the chance to graduate in four years, which is becoming a rarity at many public colleges.

Applications to private colleges are holding steady, while public universities around the country are seeing record demand as cost-conscious families look for good value, said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Low-income, minority students could face the roughest road to admission because they often can't afford private colleges and don't have the resources or academic credentials to compete with students from wealthier families and better high schools, he said.

The enrollment caps could also threaten President Barack Obama's goal of making the U.S. the leader in college attainment by 2020 and undermine the nation's economic competitiveness, college officials say.

"We're reducing enrollment when we should be increasing it," said Scott Lay, president of the Community College League of California. Experts say states should increase access to college during a recession so that unemployed workers can train for new jobs.

The University of Florida, which has about 35,000 undergraduates, is seeking to reduce enrollment by 4,000 students by 2012, said spokeswoman Janine Sikes.

The chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, which has 114,000 students, recently told its Board of Trustees it must consider capping enrollment for the first time.

"If you enroll someone and don't give that individual a reasonable path to a degree or certificate in a reasonable amount of time, what kind of access is that?" said Chancellor Dan Klaich.

Competition is particularly intense in California, where public universities are dealing with huge cuts in state support that have led to sharp tuition increases, faculty furloughs, course cutbacks and student protests. The state's 110 community colleges are struggling to accommodate a record 2.9 million students.

---

San Jose State University, which had 33,000 students in fall 2008, reduced enrollment by 3,000 last year and expects to cut an additional 2,500 students this year. The campus had to turn away 8,700 qualified applicants last year and expects to reject even more this year, said spokeswoman Pat Lopes Harris.

After five semesters of community college, Formekia Chinn had planned to transfer from Mission College in Santa Clara to San Jose State this month, but the CSU campus closed spring admissions. Her financial aid has run out, so she must find a job until she can start classes this fall — if she's accepted.

"It's very discouraging," said the 30-year-old single mom. "Who knows what's going to come up? I'm worried something else is going to go wrong."

Agenda: Friday, January 15, 2010

Quote of the Day:  "In 36 hours donations made by mobile phones topped $7 million (Over $5 Million to the Red Cross)."  - Mobile Giving Foundation

You can give a $10 donation to the Red Cross by Texting 90999 with the text "HAITI"

Agenda:
Timed Writing ~ College Essay
Also continue our work with Road Trip Nation. 

Service Hours at Project Grad Fashion Show

I received this from an AHS parent who is organizing this show.  If you are interested, please let me know and I will pass along her contact information:

Project grad and we are doing 2010 Prom Fashion Show at The Humble Civic Center, Janauary 24th 2-4pm ,but we would need them there at 12:30 to help with raffles,selling tickets,concessions,etc..also it would go towards Eagle bucks for project grad and also towards volunteer hours for college as well.


please let me know if anyone if any junior or senior of with NHS or AVID

Great opportunity to help out and to also get those much needed service hours.

Agenda for the week of January 5-12, 2009

On Wed/Thurs January 6th and 7th, AVID students had tutoring groups for 1/2 the period.  The rest of the period was spent getting binders prepared for the semester and we watched a Road Trip Nation episode.

On Friday, January 8th, Mr. Duez was not in school and the substitute led the students through taking the AVID Student Survey and also reading and taking notes on two Student Success Stories.  (You can find those at http://www.mycollegesuccessstory.com/success-stories/  )

On Monday, January 11th, students in AVID worked on their weekly goals and also on their college admissions essays.  They are due on Friday, writing about the person of influence in their lives.

On Tuesday, January 12th, students in AVID worked in their tutoring groups.  We organized into new tutor groups for the new six week's period.

Agenda: Tuesday, January 5th, 2009

Welcome back for a new semester.  Very excited to get started.  

Quote of the Day:  Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.  ~Benjamin Franklin

Agenda:

1.  What is your New Year's Resolution?  What was the best gift you received this year?

2.  Hand out new binders with a few minutes to organize.

3.  Read and take notes on the graphic.  Decide whether "College is Worth the Money?"

4.  Philosophical Chairs topic:  Using the graphic given on the sheet of paper, is college worth the money?  If we don't have a pretty equal distribution of students, we'll divide the class and argue a side.

Graphic (click on graphic to make larger):

  

Have a Great Holiday

Information on Lonestar Kingwood College Classes @ AHS this spring

[COMPASS and ACCUPLACER are the two computerized college placement tests offered at LSC-Kingwood. Both tests cost $29.00 for the full battery and $10.00 per section.]

HOUSTON (Dec. 14, 2009) – High school students and community members interested in taking evening college credit courses in the spring at Atascocita High School will have an opportunity to register in early 2010.
Lone Star College-Kingwood, which began offering dual credit classes in 2006 and evening college credit courses in spring 2008 at Atascocita High School, will station its Mobile Go Van and its advisors at the school to help students and adults register for courses available in spring 2010. The van will be on campus Jan. 4 -7 from 3 to 7 p.m. All spring classes begin on Jan. 19th.
“We began offering courses at Atascocita High School because it is always a good idea to bring education closer to where people are. We will build a center that is going to open in September 2011, so this is just a start to a long commitment to the Atascocita area,” Professor Honora Diaz, chairman of Behavioral Sciences at LSC-Kingwood, said. “Our goal in offering courses at the high school is to continue our ability to make education accessible to the community because we are a community college. We are financially accessible and physically, we are accessible.”
To register for classes at the Mobile Go Van, new students must take a placement test at LSC-Kingwood to decide if they are college ready and which classes are appropriate for them. In addition to taking or having test results on file, people must also bring documents, for example a utility bill, that state whether they live in or out of the Lone Star College system. Diaz said that it is good idea for people to bring paper copies of their records such as their transcripts and diplomas.
Courses available for the spring semester at Atascocita High School are Composition and Rhetoric I, American Government II, General Psychology, U.S. History Since 1877, College Algebra and Public Speaking. In addition to those courses, the college will offer two new classes: Introduction to Criminal Justice and Introduction to the Teaching Profession.

Criminal Justice, taught by Lt. Albert Johnson with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, will give students an introductory glance into what the broad topic is all about. According to Johnson, they will learn about the causes of crime, social aspects in regards to which environments cause it, what careers they can explore, and much more.

“I want to show them what law enforcement/Criminal Justice is all about. A lot of people believe that what they see on television is what really goes on but, that is not true. That is only a small portion of what goes on. The other part deals with things such as budgeting, communication, writing grants and other things students will also learn about,” Johnson said.

Road Trip Nation article about AHS in the Atascocita Tribune

Very nice article about our field trip to Deer Park for Road Trip Nation.  Very cool.

 

The article is written by Kim Melchor.  She is a great supporter of AVID (Her son is a senior in our AVID program).

 

http://www.ourtribune.com/article.php?id=8796

Define your own road in life 
Monday, December 07, 2009
Kim Melchor

Humble students explore careers with Road Trip Nation

 Photo: Roadtrip Nation co-founder Mike Marriner, Humble ISD instructor David Duez and Humble ISD AVID program sophomores explore the big green RV. Photo courtesy of David Duez
Define your own road in life. 

 

In 2001, four college friends took off on a four-month road trip in order to look for inspiration in their career paths. Equipped with a camera and an old, lime green RV, the group traveled the country in pursuit of people who do what they love for a living.  On  Nov. 2, more than 300 students from Humble ISD, Deer Park, Fort Bend and Pasadena had an opportunity to hear about the experiences of co-founder Mike Marriner at a special appearance of the Roadtrip Nation Experience. The program has evolved into a PBS reality show, several books, an online community, and sends students out on the road in order to talk with individuals who “chose to define their own road in life.”

Humble ISD sophomores in the AVID program were specifically chosen to attend the event. Last year, Roadtrip Nation created  a partnership with the national preparatory AVID program  in order to provide a classroom materials and instruction to disadvantaged and underachieving students. Atascocita High School Avid instructor David Duez called the program, “exactly what our sophomore students need.” He said that students who might otherwise get worn down are inspired by the program. “They are really connected to it.”

Students who attended the event at Deer Parks High School’s south campus had a chance explore the big green RV, as well as watch an live interview with a local businessman.  State rep. Wayne Smith was also in attendance.

Based on funding from PBS and AT&T, the Roadtrip Nation Experience provides workbooks and DVDs with supplemental videos and interviews based on certain themes. The program is described as an “interactive, multi-lesson curriculum designed to facilitate self-discovery and give students direction in exploring different passions in their lives.” Duez said that students explore topics such as risk, success, and failure, and what it has meant to successful people. He explained that many students had previously, “never looked at the idea that failure is not a bad thing to learn from. Some are so worried about mistakes that they don’t try things.”

Duez said that the program teaches students that there are many roads to success. “For those who don’t make it to college, there are other ways to succeed.”

Road Trip Nation in broadcast on Sundays at 12:30 a.m. KUHT-TV Channel 8. Interviews are available on the program’s Web site at http://www.roadtripnation.com.

© 2008 Ourtribune.com

 

Agenda: Monday, Dec. 14, 2009

Quote of the Day:  "Work is love made visible."  - Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese Poet

Agenda:
1.  Finish College video presentations
2.  Time to review for final exams in tutor groups.

Agenda: Friday, Dec. 11, 2009

Quote of the Day: "When you quit something it starts a habit. Don't ever quit." - Anon.

We will present College Video projects in the junior class and then have time to study for finals with classmates.

The sophomores will present their people/questions that they are targeting for the Road Trip Nation interviews that they will do this spring.

We also watched this video. A reminder that we should not quit until this semester is over!

Final Exam Schedule

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16, 2009
7:25 - 8:50 1st period exam
9:00 - 10:25 3rd period exam
10:35 -12:00 5th period exams

THURSDAY, DEC. 17, 2009
7:25 – 8:50 2nd period exam
9:00 – 10:25 6th period exam

FRIDAY, DEC. 18, 2009
7:25 – 8:50 4th period exam
9:00 – 10:25 7th period exam

Agenda: Tuesday, Wed,, and Thur, December 7, 8, and 9, 2009

Quote of the Day:  “Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be” - George Sheehan quotes

Tuesday - TUTORING

Wednesday (Sophomores) - Tutoring 1st half of the period. 
2nd half of the period, discuss possible Essay questions for the final.  Possible questions:

1)  College Application Essay (About the person in your life who has influenced you the most)
2)  Road Trip Nation (A lesson, interview, or the field trip that has influenced you)
3)  College Field Trip Reflection
4)  AVID Summer Institute Speech

Essay Prompts for the Students

Think about your experiences with the AVID program and how working with AVID students, tutors and peers may have helped you change and define your life. Answer at least two or three of the bulleted questions listed below.

• How is being an AVID teacher different from being a content-area teacher?
• How has AVID opened your eyes or empowered you?
• How have your students changed your belief systems and the way you view your role as a teacher?
• As an AVID teacher, what obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
• What is the most rewarding part of being an AVID teacher?
• How has participating in the AVID program enriched your life, whether because of your students, tutors or peers?

5)  Letter to a person at AHS that has influenced you thanking them for 3 specific things they have done to help you.

Students also worked in groups of 3 to prepare for their presentation to the class about Road Trip Nation.  They will describe the 3 people they are targeting for their interviews and what 3 general questions they would ask each of them.  We will present them on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Juniors on Thursday:
Tutoring
and then we will present their College Projects (Videos and Power points about the college of their choice)
We will also discuss Final Essay questions for AVID.