Climate Change Presentation at TMS

A representative from the Alliance for Climate Education visited The Marin School today to discuss climate change. He challenged students to take action and to create a group within the school to lead the way.

College Planning for the Week of 10/26

IMPORTANT INFO FOR JUNIORS

College Night for Juniors and Parents - Choose the date you want to attend - either Wednesday November 4th at 7:00 or Thursday November 5th at 7:00 in the Hawk's Nest. The agenda will include all the must-know information for juniors launching the college planning process. We'll talk about testing, characteristics of colleges, types of colleges, how to search for colleges and when to visit colleges. Juniors are expected to attend one of the evenings.

FOR EVERYONE

Colleges Visiting TMS: A full list of the colleges currently scheduled to visit as well as a list of a few Open House events and local information sessions are posted on the Family Connection site. Here are the colleges scheduled to visit us in the next two weeks. Please add your name to the sign up sheet on my door and get the permission of your teacher to attend.

* Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising - Monday 10/26 at 11:45
* Goucher College - Wednesday 10/28 at 10:15
* Chapman University - Thursday 10/29 at 12:00
* McDaniel College - Monday 11/2 at 8:30
* University of Oregon - Wednesday 11/4 at 10:15

College of the Week - One of the few College That Change Lives colleges located in a metropolitan area, Goucher College (pronounced "Gowcher") has made its mark with an emphasis on foreign study and the strength of its internship program, both of which are required. Faculty is focused on teaching undergraduates rather than on research and Goucher students rave about their professors. Located in Baltimore, Maryland (and not far from Washington D.C.), this small liberal arts college with 2362 students is a real gem!

Do you know? - There is no shortage of traditions on college campuses and Halloween brings out the best in them. UC San Diego is no exception. UCSD is divided into smaller residential colleges and Muir College's oldest tradition is a smash hit. Students drop a 300- to 400-pound pumpkin (named and stuffed with candy) from the top of 11-story Tioga residence hall. A Halloween carnival is coordinated around the event.

My Schedule this Week - I'll be on campus Monday 9-4:30, Wednesday 9-4 and Thursday 9-4:00.

FOR SENIORS

"Senior year grades don't count" - Think that's true? Guess again! Many colleges ask to see your grades for the fall semester of senior year and use this information in making their admission decision. In addition, after you graduate in June, we send your final transcript to the college where you have enrolled. If your senior year grades have taken a dive, the college may withdraw their offer of admission. Each year UC campuses rescind offers to hundreds of students who thought that "senior year grades don't count".

Transcripts and Recommendations - The bright blue form is due this week (Nick, Alex C, Jordan, Kevin, Ryan H, Dustin, Ryan K, Noah, Tali, Kaya, Katie, Ashley and Mara are on my mind...). If you don't have one, see me ASAP. If you need recommendations from teachers ...

1. you should speak to the teacher(s) you'd like to write for you ASAP. Then.......
2. complete the "Request for Teacher Recommendation" form for each teacher and give the completed form to the teacher. The form is available in the document library on Family Connection.
3. The next step is to complete the bright blue " Request for Application Components", which is due to me three weeks before your first deadline but in all cases by 11/1.

Confused? See me and we'll work it through!

UC and CSU Application Deadlines are 11/30 - Just a reminder to keep slugging through these applications. You should submit your applications as soon as you are finished with them.

Application Help on Wednesday 2:35-4:00 - I'll bring some food, you bring your college stuff and we'll work on whatever is your top priority. Don't know what to do first? No problem - we'll figure it out.

SAT/ACT Registration Deadlines - If you need to take or retake the SAT, SAT Subject Tests or ACT this fall, the registration deadlines are approaching. The regular registration deadline for the December 5th SAT or SAT Subject Tests is October 30th. To register go to wwwcollegeboard.com. The regular registration deadline for the December 12th ACT is 11/6 and you can register at www.actstudent.org.

Applying for Financial Aid? The first step in the financial aid process is for the student and parents to apply for a PIN (that's personal identification number). You can do this now at http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp. For more information about financial aid, visit How Stuff Works or the federal student aid site.

Susan
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Susan Gotshall-Maxon
College Counselor

College Planning for the Week of 10/19

Colleges Visiting TMS: A full list of the colleges currently scheduled to visit as well as a list of a few Open House events and local information sessions are posted on the Family Connection site. Here are the colleges scheduled to visit us in the next two weeks. Please add your name to the sign up sheet on my door and get the permission of your teacher to attend.

* University of Washington - Tuesday 10/20 at 12:00
* University of the Puget Sound - Thursday 10/22 at 10:15
* Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising - Monday 10/26 at 11:45
* Goucher College - Wednesday 10/28 at 10:15
* Chapman University - Thursday 10/29 at 12:00

College of the Week - Located In Tacoma, Washington, the University of Puget Sound campus is on a bluff overlooking the water. While a traditional liberal arts curriculum is at its core, UPS also offers business, which is its most popular major. Asian Studies are a big drawing card and every three years, the university offers a 9 month school sponsored mobile classroom through Japan, Thailand, Korea, India, China and Nepal.

Do you know? - What do the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Virginia and Dickinson College have in common? They were all founded by signers of the the Declaration of Independence - Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Rush.

My Schedule this Week - I'll be on campus Tuesday 9-3:30, Wednesday 9-4 and Thursday 9-4:30.

FOR SENIORS

Beware, "You are special" applications - Have you gotten a "special" application from a college, indicating that they want you to apply now, they'll waive the application fee and eliminate an essay? Such applications are essentially a marketing gimmick, encouraging lots of students to apply and thereby making a college appear more selective. It's fine to use such applications if you were planning to apply anyway but don't apply just because you get a "special" application. The truth is that you probably have the same chance of admission whether or not you received a "special" application.

Transcripts and Recommendations - If you need recommendations from teachers ...

1. you should speak to the teacher(s) you'd like to write for you ASAP. Then.......
2. complete the "Request for Teacher Recommendation" form for each teacher and give the completed form to the teacher. The form is available in the document library on Family Connection.
3. The next step is to complete the bright blue " Request for Application Components", which is due to me three weeks before your first deadline but in all cases by 11/1.

Confused? See me and we'll work it through!

Going to the Humboldt Admission Day on 10/24? See me for your transcript prior to 10/23. Print your test scores from the College Board or ACT websites (Humboldt will accept them this way but wants you to follow up later by sending official scores too). Submit your Humboldt application by 10/16 and pay the associated fee. Register to attend the event. Easy!.

Application Help on Wednesday 2:35-4:00 - I'll bring some food, you bring your college stuff and we'll work on whatever is your top priority. Don't know what to do first? No problem - we'll figure it out.

SAT/ACT Registration Deadlines - If you need to take or retake the SAT, SAT Subject Tests or ACT this fall, the registration deadlines are approaching. The regular registration deadline for the December 5th SAT or SAT Subject Tests is October 30th. To register go to wwwcollegeboard.com. The regular registration deadline for the December 12th ACT is 11/6 and you can register at www.actstudent.org.

FOR JUNIORS

PSAT is PAST! Well done, juniors! I'll let you know when your scores arrive in early December. In the meantime, keep working hard in your classes.

College Night for Juniors and Parents - Choose the date you want to attend - either Wednesday November 4th at 6:30 or Thursday November 5th at 7:00 in the Hawk's Nest. The agenda will include all the must-know information for juniors launching the college planning process. We'll talk about testing, characteristics of colleges, types of colleges, how to search for colleges and when to visit colleges. Juniors are expected to attend one of the evenings.

Susan
--
Susan Gotshall-Maxon
College Counselor

Juniors & Seniors Attend Mill Valley Film Festival Screening

TMS juniors and seniors went to the Rafael Theater today for a screening of Soundtrack for a Revolution. After the film the students participated in a Q&A with the director. Here is some of the program notes about the film from the Mill Valley Film Festival website:

A young black man sits politely at the "whites only" counter in a diner as white men berate him, throw food at him, and eventually beat him. But when he hits the floor, another man takes his place at the counter. Watching this ghastly footage, captured during the bitter days of segregation, it seems impossible to imagine anyone willing to endure such senseless brutality. But pair images like this with soul-stirring folk songs like "I'm Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table," "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," and "We Shall Overcome," and suddenly anything seems possible. Soundtrack for a Revolution tells the story of the American civil rights movement through the music that fortified protestors as they struggled for equality.

Just another day in the science department

The freshman biology class at Muir Beach checking the sand crab population (as part of the LiMPETS program run by the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association), then back to the lab where the zoology class looked at hydras. Check out Zohar and Kevin using a video microscope.

Tree Falls on TMS Student's Car

Yesterday's storm caused a tree to fall on TMS student Hannah Aubry's car while she was in class. Luckily the students were inside the school when the tree fell in front of building four.

Candidate Speeches

Here are the speeches from the four candidates for TMS Student Council President:

Meredith Sacks

Hello I know most of you know me, but for those that don’t, my name is Meredith sacks and this is my fourth year here. Since freshman year I have been involved in as many school groups as possible. However I didn’t do for college acceptance and because I had lots of free time. I did it because I wanted to be involved in the school and make it the best it can be, not that Barbara and Steve haven’t done a great job so far. If you vote for me for student council president, you will be voting for someone who will use her power to listen to every voice no matter now small. You have seen me at all of the meetings, in the school and out. You’ve seen me bringing you bake sales and Halloween contests and almost everything else you have asked for.

I have acted as vice president for two years and even president for a short while. I have learned over the course of those years how to properly run the council and also make sure I hear everyone’s voice, whether they are in the council or not. I also want to create a better connection between the administration and the students. I want to bring you new school gear, so we can feel proud of our teeny little nighthawk. I also want more ideas from everyone on how to make the school a better environment for learning and a reasonable amount of fun. So I’m digging that suggestion box out of the dust and putting it back on Mary-Beth’s desk. So if you want to have someone in office that can make things happen and really listen, then vote for me for student council president. I know I can take you and this school to great places.

Ashley Vidal

Good morning everyone I appreciate your attention as it is a monday morning, my name is Ashley and I am running for student council president. I have been privileged to have been your vice president last year and your acting president this year. And that is not to say that the other three candidates aren’t qualified, because they are but I do have an advantage over the other candidates that I have been able to act as the president for the last couple weeks. I am grateful for it though because I have had the opportunity to feel what the responsibility is like as president, and that know that I am up to it. On that note, I don’t want you to vote for me if it is just for the simple reason that I have been the person standing up here the last couple weeks, it should be about whether you think I will do a good job in office and take the job seriously. I cannot absolutely guarantee that I will run my job flawlessly but I can guarantee that I will take the job seriously and work the hardest I can to do the job well. This is my third year of being an acting member of the Student Council and I am telling you this because I know the ropes, I understand how the process works, I am the kind of leader that rolls up her sleeves to pitch in and get stuff done. And being apart of this system I know all too well how important it is for the leader to keep people on task, so that the work can be distributed evenly. I’ve helped work on projects like Candy Grams, and selling food at the theatre events, but we can do much more by setting clear goals and staying focused on those goals.

All the people on Student Council have great ideas, and you students who aren’t necessarily even members of the council have great ideas, and I just want to be the one to organize things for all of you, mediate and take all your ideas and work as a collective unit, which is how I think we can be most successful. I am not coming into office promising that these certain events will happen, I am coming in to just facilitate the conversation. I have ideas of good things that the council could do, but at the end of the day all of us candidates are standing up here giving speeches, maybe a bit nervous, but it’s for all of you guys. I think the beautiful thing this year, about having 3 very qualified candidates standing behind me is that you the students really get to be apart of the process. We get to have an election not just of a winner, winning due to no opposition and what that means for freshman or those of you who are new to the school is that in past years only one person has run for each office so in essence they got the job simply because no one ran against them. If you have any ideas for the Council were always there during lunch on tuesdays and whoever is president I know will be more than willing to hear your ideas. It would be great for you guys to continue to be apart of the process that is our school. I think this could be the beginning of a great year of student involvement not only in the Student Council specifically but in the school. Because without you guys there really is no reason for all four us to stand up here, and talk about what we want to do because you guys are why we do it and I really appreciate what all of you bring to the school.

And I will just end with, it’s been an honor being your acting president, and if I am elected I would be grateful to continue to lead you guys, and if not I’ve really enjoyed standing up here and running the meetings as well as running the meetings during lunch with the council. I hope its been as enjoyable for you guys as it was for me.

Hannah Aubry

I know that if I am elected president, you are all going to have to listen to me run the morning meeting on Mondays. So before I talk to you about what a good president I’d be, I’m going to let you hear my “Good Morning Marin School”. Good morning Marin School! I could even switch it up and do accents. Good Morning Marin School! We’ll see what happens. Now some of you may know me and some may not, but to clear things up, my name is Hannah Aubry, and today I’m going to tell you why you should elect me as your student body president.

First, a vote for me is a vote for justice. We all feel sometimes, that things are working against us, rather than for us. Maybe the snack machine ate your money, or there are no cups and plates in the IC. Or maybe it just smells awful in there. I pledge to work with you to fix what isn’t working. Believe that you can come to me with problems, and I will try my best to fix those issues, so that you can feel relaxed and happy when you are here. Barring classes of course, I can’t make algebra more exciting. No offense, Iain and Keith.

Second, a vote for me is a vote for liberty and fun, because I believe that we students should have the freedom to enjoy ourselves, even while we’re at school. Since announcing my candidacy, I’ve talked to students about what they want to see happen in this school. Nadav wants Otter Pop Fridays. Jake and Joey want a trip to In and Out. I want the hot water machine back because I go nuts for peppermint tea. All these things could be possible, and many more things, too. All you have to do is ask me and whether you elect me as your president or not, I will try to make it happen.

So remember, my fellow students, that casting a vote for me is like voting for yourself, because I will be your mouthpiece on Student Council. I will work hard for what you Marin Schoolians want, and I will deliver. So tomorrow, when you’re looking at the ballot, ask yourself: “Do I love justice, liberty, fun, and myself?” If your answer is yes, then remember what I have said today, and vote for Hannah Aubry as your Student Council president!

Noah Levenson

For those of you who I haven’t yet, met I am Noah Levenson AKA Nobamah and I’m a go getter. As anyone who truly knows me will tell you I’m obsessed with accomplishing my goals, in this case my goal is to make sure your ideas and suggestions get turned into realities. I have heard your complaints about the 10 minute break and this is the first issue I am tackling. I have already talked to Steve multiple times about getting the break removed so that we can get out 5 minutes earlier. Instead of just having 5 minutes of downtime. I know my posters are mostly humorous but I assure you I am serious about trying to make your views heard. My whole policy is this, I may suggest a few ideas but my main goal is to help you all get what you want whether it’s more student council barbeques or new policies. But most of all I merely want to be the middleman that fights for your ideas to be heard and implemented by student council and the administration. I don’t feel the need to be the brainchild behind every idea because I already know all of you have great ideas that just haven’t been expressed yet. To sum this up, my main goal as your president is to give strength to the student voice, which is often overlooked. In conclusion I would like to tell you all something on a personal note…I have a dream, that one day my kids Jebediah and Quantias will look at me with their little shining eyes and say papa did you ever accomplish anything, to which I will reply yes, yes I did, at 17 years old I became president………. Of The Marin School. Thank you all NOBAMAH OUT!