Scholarship Opportunity for Public Relations Majors

Received the following information recently for students interested in Public Relations or Communications as a major (In state colleges).  

ALABAMA SCHOOL Public Relations Association SCHOLARSHIP

2014 Scholarship Eligibility Requirements

The Alabama School Public Relations Association is a statewide coalition of professional school communicators. ALSPRA offers financial support to students who plan to enroll in an Alabama college or university after high school graduation and who plan to seek a degree in communication, public relations or a related field. Student members who are eligible may apply for the education scholarship program offered at the beginning of each calendar year and awarded at the annual ALSPRA Conference in mid-Spring.

CANDIDATES

The candidate must be interested in pursuing a public relations major, communication major or emphasis track at a university or college within the state of Alabama. The candidate must be a high school junior or senior at an Alabama public school with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

An official transcript from your high school must be submitted with your application. Applicants who participate in a school organization related to journalism, public relations, communication, student media or marketing or who are members of a local, state or national public relations organization are preferred.

APPLICATION

Please type or fill out the student scholarship application in black or blue ink (print legibly). The application must be accompanied by your transcript, résumé and response to an essay question related to the public relations field.

Select one of the two questions presented below for your essay. Choose the question that best suits your interests in public relations. The essay must be original, typed, double-spaced and no longer than two pages, approximately 800 words.

1.     What do you think is the most important issue or trend affecting PR today and why? Give real-world examples.

2.     Over the last 10 years, how has the PR profession changed and where do you see the profession going in the next 10 years and why?

SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION PROCESS

The scholarship winner will be selected by an ALSPRA committee and notified by mid-February. ALSPRA will award one $500 scholarship and present the winner with a certificate in recognition of his or her achievement. The winner will be honored during the Annual ALSPRA Conference luncheon in mid-Spring. In addition, the winning essay may be published on ALSPRA’s website.

DEADLINE & SUBMISSION DETAILS

The deadline for the 2014 ALSPRA Student Scholarship is January 31. Mail your application to: ALSPRA, P.O. Box 2093, Montgomery, AL 36102-2093 or email it to alabamaschoolpr@gmail.com .  Once received by ALSPRA, your essay and application materials become property of the Association and will not be returned.

State Department Financial Aid Website; Kuder

The State Department has terms and financial aid posted as this link.  Great information!


This link is also on the Kuder Career Planning System Website (www.al.kuder.com).  You do not need to login to get to this information.  Kuder is a online tool that is being implemented in the 8th and 9th grade curriculum, but I will also be visiting the 10-12 classrooms to get them started.  Each student will have access to this program after graduation.  More information to follow!

Don't Forget! Smith Foundation Scholarship

Please check out this scholarship!  It is a local application and the foundation sent letters out at the beginning of the year saying that not many students had taken advantage of it previously.  There is no ACT minimum, but you have to take the ACT before an award can be made.  The only qualifications are a minimum of a C+ GPA, plan to attend a 4 year public college in Alabama and you must demonstrate a significant contribution to family or community.
Students who have exhibited a dedication and sense of integrity through their volunteer, community service work or assistance to their family are encouraged to apply.  They are seeking students who have struggled against the odds (financial, home life or disabilities) and proved they are willing to help those around them.

Go to www.smithscholarhips.com to apply!

The Kindness Cure - Great Video

If you have a minute - please check out this Corner on Character blog post from Barbara Gruner.  You will find a great video embedded from people and companies practicing Random Acts of Kindness...

Corner on Character

ScholarshipZone Giveaway $10,000

I believe that I have posted this one before...just saw another link on my personal email so I thought I would share it again with you!  :)
http://scholarshipzone.com/scholarship-application

Check Out This Link: Visual Chart for the Financial Aid Process

http://www.privatestudentloans.com/financial-aid-roadmap/

College Financial Aid Tips

Found this blog - great tips!
http://12most.com/2011/10/06/12-helpful-college-financial-aid-tips/

AXA Scholarship

AXA Achievementsm
$1.3 million available! Let your students know!

Attention high school seniors:
* Are you active in your community?
* Have you led a project that benefits others?
* Have you overcome personal challenges?

AXA Achievementsm Scholarship in association with U.S. News & World Report
* A winner in every state, Washington, DC & Puerto Rico
* Scholarships of $10,000 and $25,000
* Apply by: December 15, 2013
* Only the first 10,000 applications will be accepted. APPLY EARLY!

AXA Achievementsm Community Scholarship
* Up to 375 winners nationwide
* Scholarships of $2,000
* Apply by: February 1, 2014
* Only the first 10,000 applications will be accepted. APPLY EARLY!

Visit www.axa-achievement.com 
to learn more and apply online.

AXA Achievementsm is funded by the AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA
Equitable.





AXA Achievementsm is a service mark of the AXA Foundation. The AXA Achievementsm
Scholarship program is not associated with the National Merit Scholarship
Corporation's Achievement Scholarship program.

AXA Foundation
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104

Coca Cola Scholarship! Due Oct 31

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship for High School Seniors

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship
awarded to graduating high school seniors each year. Students are recognized for
their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant
impact on their schools and communities. It is our privilege to award over $3
million annually in scholarships to these young leaders.

Current high school seniors with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA may apply using the
following link through October 31:

http://weblaunch.blifax.com/listener3/redirect?l=de62d981-b6fa-4f91-b0cc-0e7e22d9443c&id=dc8c781d-823a-e311-bd25-000c29ac9535&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org%2fapplicants


For additional information about this scholarship and profiles of past recipients,
please visit our website at
http://weblaunch.blifax.com/listener3/redirect?l=bff5c3a3-d4e9-46ab-99c0-dad463262bb7&id=dc8c781d-823a-e311-bd25-000c29ac9535&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org.

OCD Awareness Week - Check out this blog post from Free Spirit Publishing!

Post       : Guest Post: I Didn’t Know I Had OCD: Helping Kids Spot It
URL        :
http://freespiritpublishingblog.com/2013/10/16/guest-post-i-didnt-know-i-had-ocd-helping-kids-spot-it/
Posted     : October 16, 2013 at 6:06 am
Author     : fspguestblogger
Tags       : FSP author, mental health, obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, OCD
Awareness Week, teens
Categories : Social & Emotional Learning

By Alison Dotson, author of Being Me with OCD 
http://www.freespirit.com/student-mental-health/being-me-with-ocd-alison-dotson/ )

http://freespiritpublishingblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/ali-dotson-fsp-copyeditor.jpg
When I was in high school I was the very definition of a goody two-shoes. I didn’t
drink or smoke or go to parties. Instead, I spent most of my time with my
theater-geek best friend, holing up in her parents’ basement to watch movies, eat
Doritos, talk about boys, and make video parodies of The Real World. I was obedient
beyond understanding; my parents didn’t even bother giving me a curfew.

While my behavior was near pristine, unwanted thoughts would torment me for days,
weeks, months at a time. Acting happy was often a chore. At my lowest points, I
would immediately feel guilty when I laughed and had fun: Who did I think I was,
being carefree when I was a terrible person who had arguably the strangest, most
immoral thoughts ever? Punishing myself felt better than feeling happy, because I
couldn’t forgive myself. And I couldn’t expect anyone else to, either.

http://freespiritpublishingblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/teen-girl-worried-wikimedia-commons1.jpg
I didn’t know there were people I could talk to who would understand—my parents, a
therapist, maybe a school counselor. How could I open up to someone who might not
understand, though? Of course it’s hard, especially for school personnel who have so
much on their plate, to be intimately familiar with every mental disorder, not to
mention all of the different ways one disorder can manifest itself.

One frustration people with OCD tend to have in common is other people’s perceptions
of what having OCD means. Most people think it has everything to do with germs and
excessive hand washing, repeatedly turning the oven on and off, and having to do
things a certain number of times. But there can be more to it than that. Sometimes
people with OCD have none of those symptoms.


http://freespiritpublishingblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/distressed-girl-wikimedia-commons-chiggen-nilly.jpg
These were religious obsessions. I’d blow perfectly normal doubts out of proportion,
berating myself until I burst into tears of frustration. I’d basically believed I was going
to hell, and it’s pretty hard to be happy when you think your fate’s already been
sealed—a devastating fate, no less. And then there were the obsessions about
diseases and accidents. If I read a book about cancer, I thought I had it; if I saw
a movie about someone being caught in a fire or in a car accident I’d assume I’d end
up in a house fire or car accident, too.

Even as I’d double over in laughter with friends, tears streaming down my face, the
obsessions were there, even if only in the farthest corner of my mind. They were
like a stain on my character, immovable, a nuisance. Light moments were
overshadowed.

I still carried on, of course. I still laughed. I still smiled. Through it all, I
seemed normal to others. When I was really down it often came across to my mom as
typical teenage angst, hormones gone awry, making her sweet daughter undeniably
crabby and rude. But the truth was that I was often miserable and overwhelmed by the
obsessions. It was easier to lash out in anger than show weakness by crying. What if
she asked what was wrong? I’d have to lie. How do you explain that you’re sad
because you’re a bad person? How do you confess that you’re plagued with blasphemous
thoughts or weird sexual obsessions?

The more adults who are armed with the knowledge to help kids with OCD, the better.
http://freespiritpublishingblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/ocd-awareness-week.jpg&h=80
 OCD Awareness Week ( http://ocfoundation.org/ocdweek/ )  is October 14–20, making
now a great time to increase your own awareness. A good place to start is this
fairly long list of common obsessions (
http://www.ocfoundation.org/O_C.aspx#Common_Obsessions ) , obsessions that seemingly
“normal” and happy students may be dealing with in silence.

It’s important to understand that OCD is not a laughing matter, that many of us live
with a tremendous amount of guilt and shame. No one should have to suffer through
this alone. That’s where caring, informed adults can come in. I’ve benefited from an
amazing community of OCD sufferers and survivors as well as mental health
professionals who have dedicated much of their careers to helping people like me—and
there’s always room for more open minds and shoulders to lean on.

http://freespiritpublishingblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/beingmewithocd-from-fsp1.jpg&h=96
Alison Dotson ( http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/author_detail.cfm?AUTHOR_ID=378 ) 
is the author of Being Me with OCD: How I Learned to Obsess Less and Live My Life (
http://www.freespirit.com/student-mental-health/being-me-with-ocd-alison-dotson/ ) ,
new this month on the Free Spirit Website.

Online Scholarship Application - Scholarship Zone

Happened upon another scholarship - $10,000 - must be completed by Oct 15th.

Scholarship Zone

Abundance of College Search, Scholarship and Financial Aid Links!

Here are more links for you to check out at your convenience! 

For college searches go to: www.collegeanswer.com, www.collgenet.com, www.anycollege.com, www.DiscoverColleges.com, and www.AlabamaMentor.org. Please visit your universities website (for example - www.montevallo.edu). 

For scholarship searches go to: www.fastweb.com, www.schoalrships.com, www.schoolsoup.com, and www.ache.state.al.us/StudentAsst/Programs.htm. 

For financial aid searches go to: www.salliemae.com, www.fafsa.ed.gov, www.studentaid.ed.gov, www.finaid.com, and www.alstudentaid.com.

CollegeXpress Scholarship and Directory

CollegeXpress has a $10,000 scholarship on their website - which is basically a college directory.  The only catch is that you will have to attend one of the schools listed on their website (over 700 to choose from, including UAB, UGA and University of Mobile).
Click here for their FAQ page which includes a link to the online scholarship entry.

Flyer for Junior/Senior Financial Aid Night

Junior/Senior

Financial Aid Night

October 24, 2013

VHS Auditorium

6:00 PM

Speaker, Stephanie Miller

Jacksonville State University

Door Prizes and Snacks will be served!

Reserve your spot today! 

----------------------------

Student Name___________________________

Parent Name____________________________

# attending:_______

Turn in to the office by Friday, Oct. 19^th.

ELKS Scholarships

ELKS NATIONAL FOUNDATION “MOST VALUABLE STUDENT” SCHOLARSHIP                  500 four-year awards available at the local, state, and national level to graduating seniors who will be judged based on leadership, financial need, service, and  scholarship.  Applications and complete guidelines are available online at www.elks.org/enf/scholars.  Deadline December 5, 2012.

ELKS NATIONAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ELKS FAMILIES                                250 $4,000 awards to the children and grandchildren of dues-paying Elks members.  Applicants must be graduating seniors, who are going on to college, and who exhibit knowledge, charity, community, and integrity.  Applications and guidelines available online at www.elks.org/enf/scholars. Deadline to Elks National Foundation, Inc.:  February 1, 2013.

Extend the Dream Student Scholarships

In 2011, Southern Association of College Admission Counseling initiated Extend the Dream Scholarships to recognize and reward deserving students. These scholarships are awarded based on financial need, academic achievement, and community service.   Awards are in the amount of $1,000 and are not renewable.  Applications are due in late May each year.
Scholarship Criteria:

• Applicant must be a current high school senior graduating from a public, private, parochial high school or home school located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee or the Caribbean 
• Applicant must be accepted by and plan to attend an accredited, non-proprietary, technical, community or four-year college in the fall following his/her graduation
• Applicant must have at least a 2.75 grade point average for grades 9-12.
• Applicant must have financial need
• Applicant must demonstrate a commitment to community service, social justice issues, and/or leadership qualities
• Applicant must submit ACT and/or SAT scores

Federal Scholarship Info

Check out this page with more information about searching for scholarships and SCAMS.  Be careful about what information you share during this time!  Please call the office if you are wary of anyone who is asking you for personal information and I'll walk through it with you.
205-280-2822

Gates Millennium Scholars - Scholarship Opportunity

The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program selects 1,000 talented students each year to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. This program provides Gates Millennium Scholars with personal and professional development through our leadership programs along with academic support throughout their college career. 
Students will receive this renewable, need-based, merit scholarship to be given throughout the scholar’s undergraduate career.  For those who choose to study in one of seven graduate disciplines:  computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health, or science, the scholarship can continue through the pursuit of a doctoral degree.  Students are also provided mentorship, peer connections, etc., to enhance development of their leadership skills and to assure them every opportunity to attain their degree.  Criteria includes:  African American, native American/Alaska native, Asian American, or Hispanic American; US citizenship, national, or legal permanent resident of the US; minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA or GED recipient; first-time college enrollee in Fall 2011 as a full-time degree seeking student; leadership capabilities and participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities; and meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria.  Online guidelines and application available at www.gmsp.org .   

8th Grade to visit the LCTC - Oct 9th

The 8th Grade Class will visit the LeCroy Career Technical Center on Oct 9th in the afternoon (time TBD).  Students will be able to see all of the programs they offer - including the new Robotics and Physics classes.  We are looking forward to this visit!  Visit their website here.

Fastweb - Scholarship Search Service

Make sure that you sign up for Fastweb!  This is a free scholarship search service.  Check it out here:
http://www.fastweb.com/

Senior/Junior Financial Aid Night Scheduled - Oct 24th

Seniors and Juniors!  Mark your calendars for Financial Aid Night with Stephanie Miller from Jacksonville State University!  She knows the ends and outs of financial aid and will help with any questions you may have.  We will have light snacks (sponsored by the Beta Club) as well as door prizes.  More information about this event will be posted soon.

Save the Date - Financial Aid Night
Date:  October 24, 2013
Verbena High School
Place:  TBD
Time:  6:00 PM

Online Saftey Tips

This information was recently shared from the ALSDE.

 Good things to remember...

ONLINE SAFETY TIPS FOR STUDENTS

HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL

School supply lists include plenty of items that will help set students up for success. Pencils, papers, notebooks, and calculators are important, but some of the most useful back to school supplies do not go in a backpack. Going back to school means many students will access the Internet both at school and at home. Teachers, parents, and other adults can provide students the following online safety tips, from Stop.Think.Connect.’s parent and teacher resources:

Do not share personal information. Keep personal information about yourself private. This includes information about your family members, your school, your telephone number, and your address.

Be careful what you write or upload. Think twice before you post or say anything online. Once it is out in cyberspace, it is there forever. Do not post anything that you would not want your family, other students, teachers, or current and future employers to see!

Connect with care. Do not click on links or open emails from people you do not know. Cyber criminals use emails and links that look okay to lure people into clicking. If you think an offer is too good to be true, it probably is.

Use strong passwords. Try not to use the same password for multiple sites. Make passwords strong and change them often.

Keep your belongings safe. Lock your computer and mobile phone.

Be a good online citizen. Understand that what you do online is the same as what you do in person. Be careful what you post or say about others.

Speak up! If you see something bad or inappropriate online, are contacted by someone you do not know or do not want to talk to, or see cyber-bullying take place, do not try to retaliate or get involved. Talk to a trusted adult and work together on how to solve the problem.

Many Stop.Think.Connect. National Network and Cyber Coalition Partners have additional online and computer safety resources for children and students, including Netsmartz Workshop, Connect Safely, iKeepSafe, and Savvy Cyber Kids.

Eating for your brain!

Check out this post from Free Spirit Publishing from Jonathan Chesner, author of ADHD in HD: Brains Gone Wild.  Besides being a great resource for ADHD materials, this post is great information for all of us!

http://freespiritpublishingblog.com/2013/09/09/guest-post-eating-better-feeling-better-even-at-school/

SAT Question of the Day!

The College Board offers an SAT Question of the Day.  Get that brain going with this awesome tool!

View the question here!


Did you get this one correct?

Chilton County Career Fair - Seniors

Seniors and their parents are invited to the Chilton County Career Fair on Thursday, September 11 at Jefferson State Community College in Clanton.  Students will be transported by bus at 7:45, so please be on time.  Parents please meet us at the career fair.  Our designated start time is 8:15.  We will have a brief meeting in the auditorium before we can begin to visit the booths.  After the career fair, we will stop by Peach Park for lunch (and ice cream)!  Students need to bring money for whatever they want to eat.  We will return in time for the trade school students to make the bus.
This year, each student will be assigned an ipad to use for our Career Fair Scavenger Hunt.  From all of the students who complete all of the items, one student's name will be drawn for free ice cream at Peach Park!

Information about UA Early College - Information Meeting September 9th

Verbena High School students can now earn dual credit from the University of
Alabama!  High school credit and UA college credit is as close as your computer
through UA Early College.<http://uaearlycollege.ua.edu/students.html>

You and your parents are invited...

UA Early College Information Reception
Monday, September 9
6:00 p.m.
Chilton County High School
1214 7th Street South
Clanton, AL 35045

We'll share how you can

*         Take freshman college courses online 24/7 around your schedule

*         Earn up to a full year of college credit, still enter UA as a freshman
           eligible for scholarships and Honors College

*         Transfer the credit to colleges and universities across the nation

*         Reduce your tuition cost with a partial tuition scholarship

*         Work with Peer Coaches who mentor and guide you

*         Have the option to live on campus during the summer and earn credit


Visit uaearlycollege.ua.edu<http://www.uaearlycollege.ua.edu/students.html> to see
if you are up to the challenge of a university in the top 6% in the nation. Watch
videos of students and Peer Coaches. Hear what parents and faculty are saying.

Please let us know if you can attend by September 9th, 2013.  Call (877)823-8759 or
send an email to earlycollege@ccs.ua.edu<mailto:earlycollege@ccs.ua.edu>.  Bring a
friend - sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school with a 3.0 or higher
cumulative GPA.

Start of School Information!

Welcome back to a new year at Verbena High School!!!!

We will hold new student registration on Thursday, August 1^st and Friday, August 2^nd from 8-11 and 1-3 at the main office.

Verbena High School Open House Schedule:

Kindergarten:  August 8^th at 6:00 PM

1^st Grade:  August 13^th at 6:00 PM

2^nd Grade:  August 15^th at 6:00 PM

Grades 3-12:  August 16^th from 12:00-3:00 PM

Grades 7-12 Schedules will be available during the Open House

Homerooms for Grades K-6 will be posted at the Annex and High School on Monday, August 5^th at 3:00 PM

Please call the school at 280-2820 with any questions!

TESTING!

Testing this year will be May 7th-May 13th.  Don't forget these important dates!  
 
This month, Grades 4-6 have been reviewing testing strategies for the ARMT+.  The 6th Grade in particular made posters with different testing strategies for the 3rd Graders, who have not tested before.  These posters will be posted in the 6th Grade hall after their lesson!  They have done a great job!

Here are some important things to remember about testing:
Please have your child at school ON TIME.  If they are late, they are not allowed to enter the testing room and will have to wait.  This means that they will have to take a makeup exam in the afternoon.
With that being said...please have them at school!  :)  If your child has to be out, they will take a makeup exam when they return.

Have a healthy breakfast!  Testing can sometimes take a long time...a healthy breakfast helps you to think clearly and do your best.

SLEEP!  Please make sure your child goes to bed at a reasonable time.  Our brains work best when we have plenty of sleep to repair and replenish for the day. 

Encourage them to do their best...
Testing can be stressful.  If they learn now how to relax and do their best, it will help them keep calm in the future!

Verbena Kindergarten Registration 2013-2014

Verbena Kindergarten Registration

(for students who will be 5 years old on or before September 2, 2013)

April 22^nd -26^th

8:30-10:30 am and 12:00-2:00 pm

Verbena Annex Office

The following paperwork is required to enroll your child: 

Certified Birth Certificate

Original unexpired Alabama Certificate of Immunization

Social Security Card 

Proof of Residence

(Utility bill or lease agreement showing name and address) 

A parent or legal guardian with proper documentation

must enroll a student. 

The school will need a copy of custody or guardianship papers if applicable. 

.  Parents may bring their children with them, but it is not required. 

Kindergarten Meet and Greet at the Annex

(for students that have completed paperwork)

May 22^nd at 11:00 am

Meet the teachers, tour the school,

                                           and have a special snack!

Recycle Cards for St. Jude

Do you have any old Christmas cards laying around the house?  What about a random birthday or thank you card?  St. Jude will be glad to take those off your hands and put them to good use!
St. Jude will take any used cards, tear off the front and recycle it for new cards to sell, benefiting the hospital.  If you have any cards that you would like to donate, please bring them by the High School or Annex.  We will take the cards any time...and send them in for you!

Happy New Year Bucketfillers!

Happy New Year!  We ended our 2012 with a great holiday program from the annex students and staff.  If you missed out on all the fun...singing, dancing and silly songs...you also missed filling a bucket!  This year we have incorporated a wonderful book, "Have You Filled a Bucket Today" by Carol McCloud into our daily annex routine.  The students first learned about the book during our library/counseling time and worked on a surprise program for their teachers.  At the program, each staff member received a bucket and learned about how to be a Bucketfiller.  
Basically it boils down to 3 things:  
1.  Be a Bucketfiller.  (kind to others, follows directions)
2.  Don't Dip. (Don't mistreat/bully others)
3.  Protect your bucket, use a lid. (Don't let others hurt your feelings.  Protect yourself!)

We then introduced this to everyone at the holiday program.  Each adult had the opportunity to fill out a slip of paper for their child or someone at the annex.  The notes will be separated tomorrow and put in the buckets for each classroom.  We have a bucket FULL of notes to pass out!  If you didn't get the chance to fill out a note, come by the office and pick one up!  We will have them available by the sign out binder.  Just give them to a staff member and we will get it to the correct person.  If you would like to read more about bucket fillers check out www.bucketfillers101.com.  Feel free to talk to us about it at any time.  The kids love it and enjoy sending little surprises to their teachers too!  We even had one staff member give each teacher a fresh tomato in their bucket...yum!

I have to fill Mrs. Gilliland and all of the annex teachers bucket...they have taken this idea and run with it...THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!  :)

Happy New Year!  I hope that it is your best yet!