How did it become February so quickly? The year is cruising along very rapidly. In the life cycle of our campus, we have entered a very interesting stretch of time. Two major things are happening with our students: 1. Seniors are becoming aware of college and university selections, and 2. Juniors, sophomores, and freshmen are all involved with course selection. Below are some pictures from our Elective Fair this week to showcase different opportunities for WHS students as they consider courses for next year: This time period can cause a general angst, elation, anger, concern, joy, sadness, and exhilaration, depending on what year you are in at WHS and what is happening in the world of decision making.
Our seniors are beginning to decide where they may spend their next four years, while our other students are deciding on how best to put themselves in the best position to make this decision when they are seniors. Tough stuff. Then you throw in all the information about college - there are always a ton of articles about the importance or non importance about college selection and its impact on success . This is also the time period when I get asked the same question repeatedly, especially after visiting Hill Country, West Ridge and our own PTO, with our College Admission presentation: how do I help make sure my kid (son or daughter) makes the correct choice on classes or college admission? After having these conversations over the years, I always advise parents to ask these questions to their child: 1. How can I help you make these decisions? 2. How can I assist you in finding your path at WHS? 3. How can I help you select the right college for you? Research still shows that parents have the second greatest influence on their kids outside of their friends. I recently read a study where the numbers were 51% friends, while parents were at 49% - that's a pretty close race for influence. I believe the key word is influence. As our kids grow into adults, we become more of influencers than autocratic decision makers for them. We hope you can find the time to talk to your students about all these decisions. Listen. Advise. Listen. Counsel. Listen. Recommend. Listen. Suggest. You have raised some magnificent children: trust yourself as you listen to their thoughts. Some of yall may have recognized the title of these thoughts from the Smashing Pumpkins. For those of us who were growing up as well during this time, remember the power of two lines from this group: what I choose is my choice, what I choose is my voice. As always, we are here to support y'all during these days. We hope you have a wonderful weekend.
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Steve Ramsey: WHS Principal BlogPrincipal's Weekly Reflections Archives
May 2019
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