This is a photo Mr. Liem took today of some of the teachers with their Christmas gifts from Largo IB parents. They received a box of treats $100 Amazon card $20 Dunkin’ Donuts card and a Christmas greeting Thanks to donations from parents.
Get a free 7-day meal package over winter break on Monday, Dec. 28 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at select school locations! The last Thursday meal distribution for 2020 will take place as scheduled on Dec 17. Distributions will resume on Jan. 7, 2021. More: pcsb.org/food.
A tumultuous 2020 is winding down, bringing the end to a year marked by a deadly pandemic and a contentious presidential election. But before you bask in the New Year's cheer, make sure your teen has his or her college application finalized so 2021 doesn't start on a sour note.
The regular decision deadline typically falls on Jan. 1. But deadlines vary by college, meaning some will stretch later into January or even February. It's important to be aware of where the deadline falls for each college to which your student is applying. And if your teen needs some guidance, here are six tips for him or her to stay on track and submit college applications on time.
This edition of the newsletter was written by Josh Moody. The U.S. News Education newsletter team is Josh (@byJoshMoody) and Emma (@emmarkerr).
1. Don't waste time applying to schools you probably won't go to: "If it's not realistic that you would end up at that school, you shouldn't spend your entire New Year's trying to cram in all of those applications," says Kat Pickhardt, now a 19-year-old sophomore at Ithaca College in New York. She spent New Year's a couple years ago finishing college applications.
Applying to college shouldn't be a random exercise, says Jodi Rosenshein Atkin, an independent college admissions counselor based in Rochester, New York. It can be a waste of effort and money to do that, she says, and give students options they don't want.
2. Make a list of everything you have left to do – and complete each task one at a time: Kids who defer getting it done are overwhelmed, says Atkin. She recommends students divide the big tasks they have left to do into manageable pieces.
"You are going to be more likely to complete them," she says, "Rather than trying to crash it all in, in two hours, with your mother screaming at you on New Year's Eve, when everyone wants to be somewhere else."
Shondra Carpenter, a counselor at Cherokee Trail High School in Colorado, says applicants should proofread their application and double, even triple, check everything – including that the applicant's name and email address are consistent, along with correct school names – before they hit submit.
3. Crank out an essay: "The first thing is to just vomit 500 words onto a page," says Atkin. "Tell a story about yourself that you want to tell. Don't worry about what the prompt is."
Students should edit the essay, then tweak what they have written to fit one of the essay prompts available on the application, she says.
Once students are finished they should have one adult – students don't want too many hands on the essay – look it over for grammar and clarity.
But that adult shouldn't be a parent, Atkin says, since parents tend to want to rewrite essays. Students could consider a parent they babysit for, neighbor or uncle if they're in a bind on New Year's Eve.
William Ridley, now a 19-year-old freshman at Furman University in South Carolina, says he had to write three essays over the holiday last year for Wake Forest University's application, which was due on Jan. 1. "I didn't spend as much time as I should on them, which is probably why I didn't get accepted."
4. Avoid submitting applications right at the deadline: With thousands of other students online submitting college applications at the same time, websites can crash and servers can go down, says Carpenter, the Colorado counselor, who also runs Steele Street College Consulting.
While students usually have until 11:59 p.m. in their time zone to submit college applications with Jan. 1 deadlines, Carpenter recommends students try to get applications submitted earlier to avoid technical glitches.
5. See if deadlines have wiggle room: Students will probably have to wait until after winter break to send out anything that requires the help of school officials – like transcripts and letters of recommendation – if they don't already have these documents, says Atkin.
But students can submit the application; fill out their Naviance profile, which schools use to manage paperwork electronically; and send emails to teachers asking for a letter of recommendation, she says.
Some schools, particularly highly competitive schools, will probably not accept admissions materials late, she says, but others are more flexible. Students can go to each school's website to see how rigid they are with deadlines, she says.
Schools that evaluate applicants more holistically, for instance, may give applicants more wiggle room, she says. But Atkin's experience has been that large flagship state universities are not flexible.
6. Remember there are many colleges with admissions deadlines after Jan. 1: If students can't make the New Year's deadline, their life is not over, Atkin says. "There are many, many schools that are on what's called rolling admission and they will accept applications as late as May."
Ridley doesn't recommend students wait until the night before an application is due to finish it.
"You'll end up rushing through it and sacrificing the quality it needs to appropriately express your potential," he says. "But if you do find yourself in a bind, focus on just the application, take your time, be honest and be yourself."
PSAT scores are now available to view! In January, Mrs. Wolfe will be visiting IB classes to help the scholars better understand their scores. She will also help them link their CollegeBoard accounts to Khan Academy for more personalized, prescriptive support. Scholars may check their CollegeBoard accounts (www.collegeboard.org) to view their scores. Here are a few key pieces to take a look at once they are logged in.
Freshmen and Juniors! We need your input. Mr. Liem sent out a survey on ManageBac to allow you the opportunity to provide input about the Candle Lighting Ceremony for freshmen and the Pinning Ceremony for Juniors. Please log into ManageBac to complete the survey by the end of this week!
Pinellas County Schools seniors and parents,
UF Application Update
The last day to purchase the IB Cookbook is on December 1st
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Hi IB Parents,
This is just a friendly reminder for those who donated money in excess of $50. We have given everyone a merchandise "gift" for donating above the recommended amount and this is our way of thanking you. We have 22 families who have not picked up their items and they are waiting to be retrieved from Ms. Laggner's office. If you have already picked up your items, please disregard this message.
Dear Pinellas County Schools students,
families, and staff,
We know this year has been unique, and
everyone is ready to enjoy their Thanksgiving break with family and friends.
Pinellas County residents had been doing a
great job slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our community, and our positivity
rate had been under 5% for much of the summer and early fall. However,
over the last few weeks, we have seen case counts and positivity rates rise
both locally and around the country.
We know that COVID fatigue is real, but we
ask you to continue to take steps to keep your family and community healthy
throughout the Thanksgiving break.
As a
reminder, COVID-19 symptoms include fever, new or persistent cough, loss of taste
or smell, headache, sore throat, fatigue or stomach issues.
We sincerely appreciate your continued
diligence when it comes to the health of our students and staff. What
happens in our community, happens in our schools, and we need everyone to do
their part so we can keep our schools open and operating.
If we all take the proper precautions, we
will have a healthy holiday season and continue to have a successful school
year.
Thank you.
Sara O'Toole, R.N.
Managing Officer, School Health Services
Pinellas County Schools
Thankful Thursday!
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| National Educational Professionals Day! On this day we show appreciation to all the school support staff, plant operations workers, and food service staff. |
 |
| November Teacher's Gift We are very thankful for our teachers. |
The IB Cookbook would make a nice Christmas gift for friends and family. Consider helping Suwannee out with her CAS project by purchasing a cookbook.
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Good afternoon Largo High Family. This is assistant principal Jonathan
Marina. Welcome to another installment of the weekend update.
PSAT make up day will be on January 26th, 2021. please RSVP using the
following link: https://forms.gle/81ANYkRNcdPpQut98
Parents and guardians, please do not send sick scholars to school.
That’s never been ok, but it is especially troublesome during a pandemic.
If your child is sick, keep them home. Please and thank you.
Our Student Government Association presents a virtual scavenger hunt this
week. Scholars, online and face-2-face, have equal footing for this
adventure. Stay tuned for daily clues in Canvas and the morning
announcements.
Pre-purchase of the 20.21 LHS Yearbook for only $85, for a limited time. To
purchase with cash or check, visit room 2-200 before or after school. To
purchase with a credit or debit card, visit www.ybpay.com
and use the code 13268421.
The Largo High School Instrumental Music Program’s Annual Wreath Sale runs
until this Thursday. We partner with Santa’s Wreath Company to provide quality
fresh wreaths direct from the north woods of Wisconsin. Please visit www.LHSBandofGold.org for more details
and to order. Wreaths will be delivered to us the 2nd week of December.
On Wednesday, we have girls’ basketball starting at 6:15 home against
Seminole. Tuesday and Thursday nights are boys basketball tournament play with
games at 6 and 8 pm. We also have soccer at home on Thursday and an away
playoff game for Football.
As always, thank you for taking the time to listen. We are on a mission. The
mission is graduation. Don’t forget the mission.
The sale is ending soon so if you are planning to order please make sure you do it by Sunday evening.
Please share with parents:
The PSAT Make-up date is January 26, 2021. If they took the PSAT in October, they are not eligible to test on the make-up day. However, scholars in the following categories are eligible:
Here is the link to register for the make up test: https://forms.gle/
For questions regarding the PSAT Make up please contact Morgan Poff (PSAT coordinator) at poffmo@pcsb.org.
Thursday, Nov. 12
11:30 a.m.
Good morning Pinellas County Schools families and staff,
We hope everyone remained safe while Tropical Storm Eta's winds and rain
crossed over Pinellas County. This morning, Pinellas County Schools plant
operations staff conducted a full assessment of our schools and confirmed that
we are ready to welcome students back tomorrow. Pinellas County reports no road
closures, so buses can run normally.
Schools and district
offices WILL be open and fully operational Friday, November 13.
We look forward to welcoming you back.
IMPORTANT STORM UPDATE
Wednesday, Nov. 11
8:30 a.m.
Overnight, Tropical Storm Eta shifted east, strengthened and also significantly increased speed. The storm is now expected to bring tropical-storm-force conditions to Pinellas County later this afternoon, overnight and into tomorrow morning. In an abundance of caution, ALL Pinellas County Schools will have
early
dismissal today, Wednesday, November 11 and will be closed tomorrow,
Thursday, November 12.
Today’s dismissal times are as follows:
High Schools: 10:00 a.m.
Elementary Schools: 11:00 a.m.
Middle Schools: 12 noon
Our transportation department will monitor weather and wind speeds to ensure
safe bus operations.
All extracurricular events and activities for today and tomorrow are
cancelled.
After school care for today and tomorrow is cancelled.
Meal distribution for Thursday, November 12 has been cancelled.
We continue to work closely with Pinellas County Emergency Management and
will provide updates as needed. Please follow Pinellas County Schools
communications for the latest information.
Thank you.
Hi IB Parents,
Now that it is getting cooler outside you might wanna check out the IB Hoodies.
Link to the IB Hoodie Order Form: IB Hoodies!
Good afternoon Largo High Family. This is assistant principal Jonathan
Marina. Welcome to another installment of the weekend update.
PSAT make up day will be on January 26th, 2021. please RSVP using the
following link: https://forms.gle/81ANYkRNcdPpQut98
Picture day is Tuesday November 10th in the auditorium! My PCS Scholars
should plan to have their pictures taken after school on November 10th from
2:30 pm – 5:30 pm. pm.
Pre-purchase of the 20.21 LHS Yearbook at its LOWEST PRICE IN YEARS, only
$85, for a limited time. To purchase with cash or check, visit room 2-200
before or after school. To purchase with a credit or debit card, visit www.ybpay.com and use the code 13268421.
Please join our award-winning PTSA. There are two ways to join: online at https://largohigh.new.memberhub.store/store
or fill out the attached form and send it in to the front office or mail it in.
All enrolled LHS scholars can get their flu shot at NO COST! The email
version of this message has consent forms in it. If you choose to not send your
child to school for more than two days because he or she is sick, please notify
the Largo High School Clinic to make them aware of your child’s absences.
The Largo High School Instrumental Music Program’s Annual Wreath Sale is now
going on! We partner with Santa’s Wreath Company to provide quality fresh
wreaths direct from the north woods of Wisconsin. Please visit www.LHSBandofGold.org for more details
and to order; orders will be taken through Thursday, November 19 and wreaths
will be delivered to us the 2nd week of December.
We finally received a reimbursement check from Disney and now can proceed
with refunding our families that paid for the ExCEL Disney Trip that had to be
canceled last school year. The email version has a form attached and it
is also posted on the school website.
On Tuesday girls’ varsity soccer plays at home against Osceola at 6:30 pm.
Boys’ Soccer is on Thursday night at home against Pinellas Park. The
Friday night lights shine again as Varsity Football travels to Hollins High.
As always, thank you for taking the time to listen. We are on a mission. The
mission is graduation. Don’t forget the mission.
Leadership/paid internship opportunity for current Juniors – this is a VERY competitive program and if a student qualifies it would be an amazing resume booster!
