community.counseling: apPARENTly

apPARENTly

March 9, 2010
Community Parent & Student News You Can Use

In this issue
http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/community.counseling/apparently

*Added Since Last Edition of apPARENTly

CHS Dates and Events
CHS News
PTSO News
Counseling News
Eye on the PI Rat Rap
Area Happenings
Ann Arbor Public School Happenings

826Michigan
Neutral Zone
Join Together
Creative Puns for Educated Minds
Contact Us

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CHS Dates and Events

3/9-11 MME/ACT/PLAN Modified Schedule

3/12 Thursday Schedule

3/12 Poetry Slam @ CHS

3/15 Conference Call-Ins 6-8 PM

3/17 SIT 3:30 PM

3/24 Early Release

3/23-25 MME Make Ups

3/25 Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30

3/26-27 CET FundRaiser

4/2-9 Spring Break- go to the beach, please

4/12 School resumes

4/14 9th grade vision screening

4/14 College and career Fair at PHS 6PM

4/15 NACAC College Fair in Livonia

4/15 Arts, Letters and Science Night @ CHS

4/16 End of 3rd Marking Period

4/20 NHS Induction

4/23 Coffee with the Dean 8AM

4/28 Early release

4/29 Senior Meeting 2:30

5/7 Enbd of Interim

5/14 Prom at EMU (8-12 Midnight)

5/21 Forum Day

5/25 Senior Meeting: Grad. Tickets Distributed 2:30

5/27 Senior Celebration 2:15

5/28 Field Day

5/31 Memorial Day: No School

6/1 Graduation Rehearsal 2:00-4:00

6/1 Graduation: Rackham Auditorium 7PM

6/14 Exam Week

6/18 End of 2nd Semester

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CHS News and Happenings

Click http://www.a2community.org/community.home/forum_bulletin to access the bi-weekly Forum Bulletin on line!

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*SPRING FORWARD FOR SPRING Spring forward for spring: Change clocks and move forward 1 hour before you go to bed on Saturday MARCH 13th. Sunday March 14th you will now be enjoying an extra hour of daylight.

March is reading Month, and CHS is celebrating. Barnes and Noble will offer a donation to CHS for purchases on March 18-19th. Listen to CHS performers on 3/18: 7:00 Jazz, 7:30 Poetry, 7:45 Skit from Pygmalion and 8:00 Neutral Zone Short Stories. Use code 10142099 for your purchases.

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Modified Schedules for rest of students:

Wednesday, March 10

11:55-12:45 Block 1

12:50-1:40 Block 3

1:45-2:35 Block 5

2:40-3:30 Block 7

Thursday, March 11

10:30-11:30 Block 2

11:30-12:20 Lunch

12;20-1;20 Block 4

1:25-2:25 Block 6

2:30-3:30 Forum

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Have you been thinking about the PERFECT way to congratulate your GRADUATING SENIOR for a remarkable four years of exceptional character, academic excellence, outstanding musicianship, artistic pursuits or athleticism? This is a great chance for parents to recognize their students for a job well done!!! Parents may design their own senior ad celebrating their student in the CHS 2010 YEARBOOK! It is fun and simple to do!!!

Go to: www.jostens.com/yearbook/index.asp

Prices: 1/8 page $50.00, 1/4 page ad $80.00, 1/2 page $150.00, Full Page: $300.00

EXTENDED DEADLINE: Friday, MARCH 19, 2010Support your student and CHS by purchasing a "Senior Ad"!!

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The Communicator, Community High School's print and online newspaper, has launched a new website! Support CHS students by visiting the-communicator.org to see school news, happenings, art, creative writing, music and more.

Come join the Community Queer-Straight Alliance! We invite all gay, straight, lesbian, transgender, queer, and questioning students to come to our weekly Friday meetings. We meet during lunch in Cheryl's room (312). Everyone is welcome to share in our yummy conversation & informative food.

Are you in need of a snack and do not have time to go across the street... stop by the CR office, room 215, and see what the Simmer's Forum "Store" has to offer! We are selling all sorts of snacks including various chips, candies, Easy Mac, Maruchian, granola bars, and much more, ALL FOR UNDER A $1!"

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Support your local Forum – Use SCRIP for your grocery purchases and up to 5% helps support Forum Activities.
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Important CHS Dates on line:
http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/community.counseling/apparently

The latest scholarship update is available at:
http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/community.counseling/Resources/scholarship-update

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CHS Counseling News

All Students

1. Minority High School Students are invited to apply for a 1 week summer residential camp, all expenses paid, to learn about accounting and business career opportunities. Sponsored by the national Association of Black Accountants at Wayne State University. Applications available in counseling office and are due April 1, 2010.

*2. Connections, a group for adopted teens, is starting on March 17 and running Wednesdays until May 19. For more info., email Kristine Freeark Ph.D. at kfreeark@gmail.com.

*3. The Teen Yellow Pages has lots of information that can be beneficial to students. It has volunteer opportunities at: www.youthempowerment.com

4. Visiting colleges or want to? Amtrak features 50% coupons for student and parents/guardians. To get your coupon, go to: http://www.campusvisit.com/amtrak.htm

5. Greyhound offers 15% discount for students with their “Student Advantage Card.” Also gives up to 50% discount on stuff. 3ttp://www.studentadvantage.com/nextstep

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Seniors

*1. WCC SCHOLARSHIPS: College scholarships to 6 deserving in-district students from the Washtenaw County public high school. The April 30 deadline is approaching: CHS students may be eligible to apply for a full scholarship for their first year of college at Washtenaw Community College (WCC). Scholarships may be renewed for the 2nd year if the student maintains a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. at WCC and completes at least 24 credit hours. Applicants must have in-district residency status in Washtenaw County and must be attending a Washtenaw County public high school. Go to www.wccnet.edu/residency to find the definition of in-district residency. The scholarship poster and application are attached. The application is also available here: á www.wccnet.edu/financialaid á Click Aid Types on the left á Next click Scholarships á Scroll down to High School Scholarship Information Students may mail or drop off their applications directly to the College Financial Aid Office, 2nd floor Student Center Building, by April 30, 2010. Lori Trapp Financial Aid Director Washtenaw Community College 4800 East Huron River Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105-4800 (734) 677-5281 Fax (734) 973-3523 Phone www.wccnet.edu

2. WCC or Cleary Bound? Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation announces the Morse Barker Scholarship! You must demonstrate financial need, be a senior, declare a program of study, make academic progress and be a non-smoker! For instructions, see posters around school or at http://scholarships.egrant.net. Deadline to apply: 3/26/10

3. UM Bound? The Center for SE Asian students features $1000 awards to support first year studies in Filipano, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese. US Detpt' of Education scholarships for partial tuition will be announced later in the year. Info and to access application: www.ii.umich.edu/cseas Deadline to apply: March 30, 2010.

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Juniors

*1. Thinking of Smith College in Northhampton, MA? See John B. about their book award and free application!

2. Kettering University presents its LITE Program, a 2-week residential summer program (7/18-30) for women considering engineering. Deadline to apply: 4/13/10 www.kettering.edu/lite

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Juniors and Sophomores

*1. Rotary Youth Leadership Award is back! This Canadian weekend Leqadership retreat seeks two CHS students for an all-expense paid fun experience May 14-16 in Ridgetown, Ontario. One comment from a last year participant' s mom told us, "Just wanted to thank you for giving him the opportunity to represent Community at the RYLA weekend. He summed it up in one word, "awesome". Quite impressive considering he missed a big game to go! Looking forward to watching him continue to develop his leadership skills and share with his peers. Thanks again." See John B. in counseling for details. Deadline to apply: March 26, 2010.

2. Applications for the AAPS Homebuilding Program are available from the CHS counseling office and are due in April. Learn all the skills required to build a house in this award winning program. See John or Diane for more information.

Sophomores

1. Kravis Leadersip Institute at Claremont McKenna College (CA), 6/19-24. Must be nominated by 4/1/10. $695 + transportation See John B. for details www.claremontmckenna.edu/kli/programs/stepup.php

2. Applications for the AAPS Cosmetology Program are available in the Counseling Office and are due around May 1. This 2-year certification program allows CHAS grads to have practicing license in the field, and at no cost! See John or Diane for more information!

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John Boshoven was the recent sponsored guest of three distinctive colleges in Colorado. Here are some observations:

Johnson & Wales University, Denver, Colorado

This isn’t your mother’s culinary arts school! This is a cooking school on caffeine! 1500 focused and flour-covered students inhabit this lovely 26 acre suburban campus, formerly home to the Colorado Women’s College and DU’s College of Law. Students learn culinary arts, hospitality and business from profesionals who teach. The spunky President declares the students to be her “children,” and she enforces a substance-free campus while hosting regular receptions in her office such as, “Pizza with the President.” Students enjoy the career focus of this place, with job promises all over the country and world for those eager students willing to work hard. Students take subjects in their major right away, study abroad and even play sports. The freshman fifteen takes on new significance with sauces and samples galore. Less residential campuses of J&W also exist in Charlotte, Miami and Providence, RI.  This is a place for those focused students who want to work!   www.jwu.edu

Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado

Founded as the graduate Naropa Institute, the university grew out of a philosophy of contempletive Buddhist education dating back to the 6th century. Psychology and religious studies form the core of majors in education, environmental studies, interArts studies, traditional Eastern Arts, visual arts, writing and literature. Naropa boasts three cozy campuses around Boulder. The Nalinda Campus houses Performance and Visual Arts, whereas the graduate psychologists inhabit their own separate campus at Paramita. Arapahoe is the “main”campus with housing nearbye and a smattering of cozy, worn buildings, the Allen Ginsberg Library, the modern administrative building and some houses. Students meditate, congitate, vegitarian-ate as well as volunteer, study abroad, and enjoy the beauty and climate of this great western college town.   http://www.naropa.edu

Regis University, Denver, Colorado

   Like many sister Jesuit schools, Regis is the Rocky Mountain’s version. Students like Regis for the mountains and the mission, now in its 133rd year. ‘Unselfish in service of our students,' their motto is lived out with a strong Freshman Commitment Program providing great support for the students who struggle. 1600 students enjoy a modern yet historic campus, great views and close relationships with each other and a caring faculty. New programs in nursing and pharmacy along with a number of pre-professional programs have further put Regis on the map, with business being the largest major for years. Regis does not pretend to be a school for LD students like neighbor DU, but promisies strong and personal support for all. If students don’t graduate in 4 years, they promise to pay for the 5th! An above agerage place for the average to above average student, Regis is worth a look if mountains are your destination! www.regis.edu

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College Programs

Lawrence Technological University's "Exploration Day," Friday, 3/19, 8:30-1PM. www.ltu.edu/futurestudents/upcoming_events.asp

*Aquinas College Fine Arts Day, 3/19/10, 9:15-3:00 PM www.aquinas.edu (800) 678-9593

Henry Ford Community College presents it's Pre Education Conference, 3/27/10, 8-1:30 PM. If you're considering a career as a teacher, you will leanr about programs, university transfer program, Michigan's teacher certification process, job interviewing and more. $10 (313) 845-6430 www.hfcc.edu

University of Michigan-Dearborn's Engineering/Computer Science Experience, 3/27/10, 8;30-3PM, www.engin.umd.umich.edu/contest

University of St. Francis (IN) Spring Campus Visit Day, 3/27/10 9 AM www.sf.edu

*Michigan State University's VetaVisit Program, Veterinary Open House 3/27/10, 9-4 cvm.msu.edu/alumni-friends/vetavisit

*Michigan State University's James Madison College Junior Visit Programs, 3/30, 4/7,8, 9:30-2:30 PM www.jmc.msu.edu

Purdue University's Juniors Exploring Engineering Program, 4/12/10, sponsored by the Women in Engineering Program 8-4 www.purdue.edu/wiep

Ann Arbor College & Career Fair: Wednesday, April 14, 6-8 PM, Pioneer High. Over 100 Colleges will be in attendance.

*NACAC Metro Detroit College Fair: Thursday, April 15, 6-8 PM, Pioneer High. Over 100 Colleges will be in attendance. www.nacacnet.org/ncfvideo

*Lawrence Technological University's "Civil Engineering Discovery Day," Friday, 4/16, 8:00-1PM. www.ltu.edu/futurestudents/upcoming_events.asp

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News & Views From the College Counseling World

Cost of College Is a Big Worry of Freshmen in National Survey
Chronicle of Higher Education

Financial concerns, from paying for college to job prospects, dominated the new-student experience in 2009, according to an annual survey on freshman attitudes.

About two-thirds of freshmen said they were either somewhat or very worried about their ability to finance their college educations. Those citing "some" concerns about money increased about two percentage points, to 55.4 percent, while students citing "major" concerns remained at 11.3 percent, about the same as in 2008.

The survey, The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2009, is conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles. This was the 44th year of the report, which provides institutions with information about the demographic profile, perceptions, and mind-set of their incoming freshmen classes.

The institute's Cooperative Institutional Research Program, which includes the survey, collected data from about 220,000 first-time, full-time freshmen at 297 four-year colleges and universities. The students were surveyed at the beginning of their first semester, a point that ranged from summer to late September.

John H. Pryor, director of the survey, said the effects of the economic downturn were spread across the college experience, whether the issue was how to pay for college or what majors and eventual careers to pursue.

Some of the students' concerns were driven by family finances. About 78 percent said they planned to pay for their first year of college at least in part from family resources.

At the same time, though, more students reported that their parents were out of work. A record-high 4.5 percent of freshmen said their fathers were unemployed. (That rate had long fluctuated between 2 and 3 percent.) The proportion of students saying their mothers were unemployed, which has risen steadily from 5.4 percent in 2006, reached 7.9 percent in 2009. As the proportion of unemployed parents grew, the percentage of students who said they planned to take out loans to help pay for their educations rose to about 53 percent, from 49 percent in 2008.

Another possible effect of the economic downturn was the change in the number of students who reported that they would pursue either majors or careers in business. The proportion of students planning to major in business dropped in 2009 to a 35-year low of 14.4 percent, and those with "business career aspirations" fell two percentage points from 2008.

"I would speculate that the reason why we see fewer students who are interested in business both as a major and a career is that they have seen a pretty spectacular fail in those areas over the last year," Mr. Pryor said.

Though fewer of those surveyed said they planned to pursue business majors and careers, 78 percent of the freshmen said being financially well-off was an important objective, making that the most prevalent goal among incoming freshmen for the second year in a row. In second place was raising a family, which about 75 percent of the students said was very important to them.

When it comes to their studies, about 39 percent of freshmen said they would need tutoring while in college. "Looking across all categories, approximately one in five students ... entering a four-year college as a first-year student today has had special tutoring or remedial work in high school," the report says. "Almost twice as many ... believe that they will need special tutoring or remedial work in college."

Military veterans may have an acute need for tutoring. Of the 595 freshmen who identified themselves as veterans, about 36 percent said they believed they would need tutoring in mathematics, compared with about 24 percent of all freshmen. Military veterans were tracked by the survey for the first time since 1992, because of the "renewed influx of veterans to college."

In extracurricular activities, students' commitment to volunteering seems to remain strong. About 41 percent of freshmen said there was "some chance" they would volunteer or perform community service while in college, and a record-high 31 percent said there was a "very good chance" that they would do so.

The community-service question was first asked in 1990, when only about 17 percent of students cited a "very good chance" that they would participate.

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2009-10 Testing Dates and Deadlines

ACT
The ACT Assessment Test assesses a high school student’s general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay. The ACT is generally taken by 11th Graders in the spring/summer of their Junior year of high school and by seniors retaking them to improve their scores. The ACT is also included as part of the Michigan Merit Examination (MME) and will be administered in school on March 10, 2009.

2009-10 National Test Dates

Test Date

April 10, 2010

June 12, 2010

http://www.actstudent.org
http://www.actstudent.org/regist/nextdates.html

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SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a measure of the critical thinking skills students need for academic success in college. The SAT is usually taken by 11th Graders in the spring of their Junior year in high school and retake by seniors to improve their scores. Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800, with two writing subscores for multiple-choice and the essay.

2009-10 National Test Dates

Test Date (Registration Deadline)

March 13, 2010 (February 4, 2010)

May 1, 2010 (March 25, 2010)

June 5, 2010 (April 29, 2010)

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News from PI High (Pioneer High, that is)

The latest PTSO newsletter is available at

http://http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/pioneer.parents/ptso#newsletter

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The Rat Rap (Huron High, that is!)

*Huron Women Soccer tryouts begin March 15 in 6:30 p.m. in the gyms.

Plan to appear 30 minutes early in the athletic lobby to stretch and warm up.

Be sure your physical is on file in the Huron athletic office.

Check the Huron Women's Soccer website for updates,

http://www.a2huron.org/huron.w_soccer_team/team_site_home

Visit the Huron web site at http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/huron.calendar/ calendar to view or subscribe (Google or iCal) to the new calendar. Copies of announcements are available in the General Office on the counter. To subscribe to the daily announcements email: AAHuronAnnounce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

“Official Site”: http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/huron.home “Huron PTSO”: http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/huron.ptso “Athletics”: http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/huron.ath_dept http://www.a2huron.org

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Ann Arbor Rec. and Ed. Happenings!

ACT Preparation Workshop: Grades 10-12. Enrolling in the ACT Preparation Workshop helps you prepare to successfully take the ACT test. This workshop is for students taking the ACT during the remainder of the calendar year. The best method for scoring well on the ACT and replacing anxiety with confidence is to be knowledgeable and well prepared. Information and strategies for each section of the test are included. Bring a CALCULATOR and a WATCH WITH A SECOND HAND. A manual is provided for each participant as part of the fee. Scholarship recipients pay $20. Instructor: Great Lakes Educational Group staff. 1 class. ID# 1329.201

3/27 Saturday FEE: $79 ($95) 9:00 PM - 12:00 PM Tappan, Media Center

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SAT/ACT Essay Workshop: Grades 10-12. Learn how to organize and write a persuasive essay within the allotted time. The scorer’s rubric will be analyzed so you will understand exactly what is expected within your essay. You will practice writing an essay and receive instructor feedback about ways to improve your writing for the test. Scholarship recipients pay $20. Instructor: Great Lakes Educational Group staff. 1 class.

ID# 1335.202 3/20 Saturday FEE: $75 ($90) 9:00 AM – 12 Noon Tappan, Media Center

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ACT Practice Exam and Parenting Meeting: Grades 10-12. This ACT Practice Exam will help students prepare for the real thing. Learn proven, effective strategies for acing the ACT. Achievement on the ACT exam impacts choice in colleges and the ability to secure valuable scholarships. ACT practice test will prepare students for the ACT exam and help them reach their potential. Provider: Great Lakes Educational Group. The minimal $25 fee includes the cost of the practice exam on April 21and parents meeting on May 13.

PARENT MEETING: Parents will be provided with information about the state's ACT requirements along with their free custom analysis of their child's test score Register with ID#1329.311 Pre-Registrations for Practice Exam and Parent Meeting are required.

ID# 1329.300 4/21 Wednesday FEE: $25 ($30) 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM Pioneer, E107

ID# 1329.311 5/13 Thursday FREE 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM Pioneer, E107

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Paying for the College that Fits: Parents & Students (Grades 9-12) together. Find out where money for college comes from and how to get your fair share. Families will learn about sources of aid, the FAFSA, the College Scholarship Search Profile (CSS), and scholarship searches. Instructor provides resources to help find financial assistance for college. Instructor: John B. Boshoven, M.A., M.S.W. 1 class.

ID# 1341.201 3/16/10 Tuesday FEE: $29 ($35) 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Community, Room 213

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Community-Wide Events

*NO DANCE 3/13 BENEFIT TO FIGHT POVERTY IN AFRICA/RESCHEDULED. The Fight Poverty in Africa Projects benefit dance is being rescheduled. No dance Saturday 3-13 at the Michigan Union. New date to be announced.

Packaging Girlhood, a presentation by author Dr. Lyn Mikel Brown exposes the ways media marketers dictate what girls should look like, enjoy, become and consume. Thursday, March 18 - Dr. Brown, author of the book “Packaging Girlhood” and co-creator of the Hardy Girls Healthy Women program in Maine, will talk about her research findings and what parents and girls can do to counteract the constant barrage of media messages that encourage accessorizing over academics, sex appeal over sports, and fashion over friends. Sponsored by The Junior League of Ann Arbor, Strong Moms Strong Girls, and Neutral Zone’s Northstar program. 7:00- 8:30 p.m. at Neutral Zone, 310 E. Washington Street, Ann Arbor. Admission free and open to mothers/guardians and girls in grades 8-12. For more information, go to www.strongmomsstronggirls.org or call (734) 214-9995.

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Dawn Farm’s free education series! We have three exciting programs coming up in March 2010, including:

"Trauma, Chemical Use and Addiction" will be presented on March 16, 2010; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm; by Dr. Tana Bridge, Ph.D., LMSW; Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Eastern Michigan University. The latest research highlights the relationship between chemical use, addition and trauma. This presentation will review events involved with trauma exposure, trauma specific symptomology, the impact trauma has on the brain and on coping and subsequent substance use, and how to aid individuals struggling with trauma and addiction.

"Intervention!" will be presented on March 23, 2010; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm; by Jeff and Debra Jay, internationally-acclaimed Intervention specialists and best-selling authors of “Love First: A New Approach to Intervention for Alcoholism and Drug Addiction” and several other books. This program will describe how the “Love First” process of Intervention can help chemically dependent people find recovery. It will bring PRACTICAL INFORMATION, HELP and HOPE to anyone who cares about a chemically dependent person, and to anyone who wants to learn more about the intervention process.

"A History of Alcoholics Anonymous" will be presented on March 30, 2010; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm; by James Balmer; President, Dawn Farm. This program will present a fascinating overview and slide show of the history and development of the Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) program, including its founding and growth. The discussion will include a brief overview of the Twelve Steps of A.A.

All FREE Education Series programs are presented in the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center auditorium at 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti. No registration is required. http://www.dawnfarm.org/edseries.html.

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*The "Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" two-part workshop series will be presented on March 9 (part two, "What To Do.") Part 1 repeats every first Tuesday and part 2 repeats every second Tuesday of each month from October through June. This free, ongoing series is presented by our friend Ron Harrison, and is co-sponsored by Dawn Farm, the Livingston/Washtenaw Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Consortium, and St. Joe's Mission Services. For information about the "Teens Using Drugs" series, please see http://www.teensusingdrugs.org, or call 734/973-7892, or contactteensusingdrugs@gmail.com.

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1/2 Price Tickets for University Musical Society concerts are available to high school students. A limited number of tickets are available for events 90 minutes before the concert time at the performance auditorium if the concert is NOT sold out. Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis. Students must have a valid student I.D. and seating is assigned. Call 764-2538 to check ticket availability. http://www.ums.org/secondary/education/pub_prog_teens.htm

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Ann Arbor Civic Theater offers special student rates. All student tickets to all performances are only $10-12! Tickets are available in advance or at the door. Schedule is at http://www.a2ct.org.

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Selective Service Information: For 17 and 18 year old men, federal law requires that you register with Selective Service within 30 days of your 18th birthday. When register, you stay eligible for federal student loans, federal job training and jobs. You may register at http://www.sss.gov or at the post office.

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826 Michigan

TUTORING Drop-in tutoring does not need to be registered for, you just drop-in. Students must show up to drop-in tutoring with homework or other assignments in hand. Drop-in tutoring encourages smiling, feeling good about oneself, grades going up, enthusiasm toward learning, and positivity. The intention of drop-in tutoring is to mentor, listen to, and help students with their homework needs.

Intern at 826michigan! If you have 15-20 hours a week, we can fill them up with tasks from the highly creative to the incredibly mundane! Will it look good on your resume? Absolutely, and we write spectacular letters of recommendation (we are writers, after all)! Email Amanda@826michigan.org if you’d like to intern!

Contact Information
email: amy@826michigan.org
phone: 734.761.3463
http://www.826michigan.org

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The Neutral Zone

310 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734.214.9995 Events Hotline: 734.214.9966
Drop-In: Monday-Thursday, 2:30-8pm; Fri. 2:30-6pm; Saturday events, 8pm- 12am
http://www.neutral-zone.org

1. Hi, everybody - hope you're well. It is, once again, Slam Season in Ann

Arbor and the nationally recognized Ann Arbor Youth Poetry Slam kicks off
this week with slams @ Huron High School and Community High School. Next
week, we'll have slams @ Pioneer and Skyline and the finals will be the
following week @ the Neutral Zone. That makes five nights where Ann Arbor
young folks will be lighting up the stratosphere with their imagination,
passion and skill. All the preliminary slams are free and open to the
public so encourage students to check them out or come on down yourself.
The finals at the Neutral Zone cost $5 for students and $7 for members of
the general public. All shows start @ 7pm. We hope to have close to 90
poets competing this year for the coveted six slots on the Ann Arbor Youth
Poetry Slam team that will represent our city at the Brave New Voices
National Youth Poetry Slam Festival in Los Angeles in July. Here are the
dates and particulars -

Thursday, March 11th - Huron Poetry Slam in the Huron Little Theater 7pm
Friday, March 12th - Community Poetry Slam in the Craft Theater @
Community 7pm
Thursday, March 18th - Pioneer Poetry Slam in the Pioneer Little Theater 7pm
Friday, March 19th - first ever Skyline Poetry Slam in the Skyline Little
Theater 7pm

Thursday, march 25th - 2010 Ann Arbor Youth Poetry Slam Finals @ the
Neutral Zone, 310 E. Washington St. 7pm. Thanks - Jeff Kass

2. Hi, everyone – hope you’re well. Wanted to let you know about a couple fun
opportunities for you to spend some time working on your writing on
Saturday, March 20th. Scott Beal, terrific local poet and teacher, and I
will be both volunteering to teach writing workshops in support of the
local publisher Dzanc Books.

Dzanc is doing great work in the community, including supporting
Writers-in-Residence programs @ many Ann Arbor Public Schools. On March
20th, writers around the country will be teaching workshops in order to
raise money to continue funding these programs.

I’ll teach a workshop called “Archaelogical Writing,” which will encourage
folks to observe both the worlds around them and the worlds within them as
writers. We will engage in numerous writing exercises designed to explore
the landscapes of memory, imagination, language, current events and the
physical world. We will look at several pieces of writing as models and
participants should feel free to use (or adapt) these models and exercises
in their own classrooms as well. Writers of all experience levels are
welcome.

The workshop will run from 10am-2pm and will include a 45-minute lunch
break. It will take place @ the Neutral Zone (310 E. Washington St.) and
cost is $50 for the entire day, 100% of which goes directly to Dzanc’s
non-profit educational programs. To register you can go to:
http://www.dzancbooks.org/dzancday/ or just show up @ 10 am on the 20th
with a check made out to Dzanc Books. Bring something to write on and
write with and either a sack lunch or money to grab something downtown
during our break. Feel free to write me back if you have any questions. A
description of Scott’s workshop is below. Thanks – Jeff Kass

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This is Scott Beal. When I tell people about the
creative writing workshops I teach for kids, they often tell me they wish
there was a version for adults. Well, this is your chance. I'm teaching
a writing workshop for grown-ups on Saturday, March 20, from 9am to 1pm,
at Sweetwaters Cafe in downtown Ann Arbor. I would love it if you would
consider signing up, or if you would pass this email along to anyone you
can think of who might be interested. You can sign up here:
http://www.dzancbooks.org/dzancday/

The workshop is part of an event called Dzanc Day; many fabulous writers
around the country are leading workshops this day in order to raise money
for Dzanc Books, which is the locally based nonprofit publisher that pays
for (among many other noble things) me to go into the Ann Arbor schools
and teach ongoing writing workshops for what will be close to 100 kids
this year.

My workshop is called "Unleash Your Outlandishness: Poems of Audacity and
Weirdness." It will be full of fun writing exercises designed to get
people thinking and writing in unusual ways, to create surprising and
wonderful poems. There may be tarot cards involved, and/or food coloring,
and/or finger puppets. And more! No experience necessary. I hope and
believe that the workshop will be equally fun and productive for people
who have never written a poem and for people who write poems regularly.

And though the workshop title says "poems", really that means you can
write in whatever form or style you want (my definition of "poem" is
pretty broad).

I know there's a part of you that thinks this sounds cool to do, even if
you don't consider yourself a "poet" or even a "writer." You should just
do it. It's not a commitment, it's just one Saturday morning.

The cost of the workshop is $50, which is not bad at all for a 4 hour
session, AND it includes the cost of a delectable snack and drink from
Sweetwaters Cafe, AND all proceeds go to support independent publishing
and arts education for kids -- so on top of everything else, you get good
karma!

So please -- sign up here, and/or think of someone else you know who would
be interested, and ask them to sign up here:
http://www.dzancbooks.org/dzancday/

Thanks for listening! Hope to see you on March 20!

The Neutral Zone is a diverse, youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artistic expression, community leadership and the exchange of ideas. Why would 3500 teens visit Neutral Zone in a month? Programs, programs, programs (and sometimes pizza – you just can’t go wrong with pizza!)

NZ Program Areas include:

Music & Technology
NZ holds weekend concerts and events for teens most Saturday nights. Teens also create, record and promote their own musical projects using NZ’s equipment and expertise.

Education
Neutral Zone works hard to level the playing field for all teens through free drop-in tutoring, one-on-one mentoring, and a college prep program featuring college visits, ACT/SAT preparation, coaching on applications, essay writing, and financial aid, and opportunities for scholarships.

Literary & Visual Arts
Creative writers turn up the volume by writing original poetry and short stories, while photographers and videographers discover and explore their talents using state-of-the-art equipment in digital art classes.

Leadership
The Teen Advisory Council runs the show at Neutral Zone, while several different discussion groups offer young people an open, positive space to explore sensitive issues and just plain have fun together.

Drop-in
Teens come to NZ daily to shoot pool, play ping pong, use the internet, do homework, grab something to eat,or just hang out with friends in a safe, supervised space. For General Questions Contact, Lori Roddy, lori@neutral-zone.org, 734-214-9995

+++++++++

News from Join Together: Communities and Families Working Together
http://www.jointogether.org

*New Survey Again Raises Alarm About Teen Drug Use, AttitudesBy Bob Curley

A new report finds that more kids say they are using alcohol and other drugs, but many parents are unable or unwilling to deal with the issue -- a bad combination when declining support for prevention and cultural apathy about the issue leave parents as the last and sometimes only line of defense against adolescent drug use.

The 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), released March 2 by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) and MetLife Foundation, reported rather dramatic year-over-year spikes in past-month alcohol use (up 11 percent) and past-year use of marijuana (up 19 percent) and ecstasy (up 67 percent) among U.S. students in grades 9-12.

PDFA chairman and CEO Steve Pasierb noted that all three are "social drugs," and the survey of more than 3,200 students, conducted by Roper Public Affairs, found "a growing belief in the benefits and acceptability of drug use and drinking." For example, the percentage of teens agreeing that "being high feels good" increased from 45 percent in 2008 to 51 percent in 2009, and those who said "friends usually get high at parties" increased from 69 percent to 75 percent. Thirty percent of students surveyed strongly agreed that they "don't want to hang around drug users," down from 35 percent in 2008.

"The resurgence in teen drug and alcohol use comes at a time when pro-drug cues in popular culture – in film, television and online – abound, and when funding for federal prevention programs has been declining for several years," according to a PDFA press release on the survey.

The reported spike in alcohol and other drug use and attitudinal shifts are startling enough to warrant skepticism about the validity of the findings. However, Pasierb notes that the PATS survey has been conducted using the same methodology for the past 21 years. The most recent Monitoring the Future survey, released in December, also found that use of illicit drugs has leveled off or increased after years of steady declines, and that youth attitudes about drug use appear to be softening. The 2009 PRIDE Survey of 6th- to 9th-graders reported small increases in current drug use, as well.

The PATS survey found that kids are almost as likely to get information on drugs from the Internet and websites like Youtube as from their parents, school, or media ads. "The preponderance of information that kids get online about drugs is pro-use, and to teens it's more credible," Pasierb told Join Together.

Perhaps the most surprising survey result is the reported increase in use of ecstasy -- a drug that, unlike alcohol and marijuana, has seemed to largely disappear from public consciousness since the mid-2000s. If the survey results are to be believed, more teens are now using ecstasy on a monthly (6 percent) or annual (10 percent) basis than at any point since 2004, and reported lifetime use is higher than ever reported since 1998.

Pasierb said that federal data shows that availability of ecstasy has not declined since 2001-02, and that prices for the drug have fallen. "There was just more news coverage then," he said.

"I don't buy the argument that drug use is cyclical," said Pasierb. "I think it's generational, and based on what we talk to our kids about." Drug-use trends among youth are "very malleable," he added, and what is considered cool or popular can change rapidly from the time a kid enters high school to when they graduate.

Parents Waging a Lonely Battle -- Or Not

About 20 percent of the parents surveyed by PATS believed that their children had gone beyond the experimental phase in use of alcohol or other drugs. However, almost half of these parents either did not take any action (25 percent) or waited for between a month and a year to address the perceived problem (22 percent).

Parents of children engaging in non-experimental drug use were less confident in their ability to influence their kids' drug-use decisions, according to the survey, and were more likely to believe that all teens will experiment with drugs and that occasional use of alcohol or marijuana is tolerable.

"Parents with drug-using kids have never been served by our field," said Pasierb. "They're the outliers, and they should be the focus." PDFA has developed a program called Time to Act that is designed to improve parental knowledge about teen alcohol and other drug use, set rules and boundaries, intervene when necessary, and seek outside help when needed.

"Government prevention programs have all been defunded, and society is not on our side. It's all on the parents now," said Pasierb. "Parents are convinced that their kids are getting all this (drug prevention) in school, and it's just not true. The doctor, school, or football coach is not going to step in."

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Creative Puns for Educated Minds

"She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still."

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Submissions
Please submit your articles, news, or announcements by TUESDAY noon to boshoven@aaps.k12.mi.us. John B. Boshoven, Editor.