IHS IB Notes
November 2020
Happy Thankgiving Break
Only a few days left...
Please visit our shop now! It will be a long time before there's another chance to purchase these items again.
Hungry?
You'll also notice a new donation button on our website in case you don't need any clothes or tamales but you'd just like to help! For questions about tamales or donations, please contact the IB Committee President, Sonia Mercado.
Have some books to spare?
News
Applications for Scholars/IB have opened for 2021/22, and they're due by January 31. Please help spread the word to friends and family. They continue to be online, with the same process as you used to apply.
Freshmen should be feeling like they're getting the hang of (virtual) high school. Please reach out to a teacher, your counselor or me if you need some help.
Any sophomores who haven’t started already with taking action on their Personal Projects students should do so next week so they’ll have all December and January to complete the product/outcome. They will have time in February to finish writing the reports, and those are due in early March. In case you'd like more information, please check the Personal Project website.
Juniors, everything you've heard about this being a highly important year for college applications is true, so if there's something you need to improve on, now is the time to work on it. On the other hand, that doesn't mean everything needs to be perfect! Everyone knows this is not normal times and that you're dealing with far more than usual. For those doing CAS, keep making progress. For those who will be doing the Extended Essay, plan on getting started when we are back to school in December.
Seniors, most of your college applications are due soon! In case you need some help over break, the admissions counselors at UC Santa Barbara offer some great online resources. They will assist you in applying to UCs in general, not just UCSB. Check them out! UCSB also has step-by-step UC application tutorial videos. And if you haven't gotten started on your FAFSA yet, please do so soon.
Our very own NUSD Parent University has some upcoming workshops on understanding the college process, paying for college, and finding the best-fit college. Whatever age your children are, these workshops are a great place to get some information. You need to pre-register, but there's no cost to participate.
Volunteer Opportunities
Here are some opportunities to volunteer from home that I found through California Volunteers
- Join the American Red Cross Recognition Team
- Write Spanish Notes of Joy and Encouragement
- Sew/Quilt Blankets for People with Dementia
If you'd like to get outdoors and help locally, don't forget about YAC!
Here's another selection of online volunteer activities.
We have some students brainstorming IB-related art ideas for campus. If you'd like to join them, either with an idea of your own or to participate as part of a team, contact me for more information.
Even if none of these ideas seems like an option for you, they may inspire you to think of other things you could do. I know volunteering seems like just more work to do. However, it's good for your mental health to realize what you can do to help others, and service can be a way to practice gratitude.
Everyone Needs Help Sometimes
Joey's Food Locker, located at Natomas High School, is distributing food on Friday, 11/20, from 3-5. Call 530-312-9799 if you need more information.
Have you seen our Virtual Calming Center? All you need to do is click, and while it lists activities by grade level, adults are welcome to check them out, too. (They are activities to be done on your own.) More extensive resources are available through our Virtual Tutoring and Wellness Center. And finally, here's our Social-Emotional Support Referral form which any of you can use if concerned about a student (including yourself).