pinnacle post - december '09

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Links Library - 2 Important Dates - 2 Staff Spotlight - 2 Keeping Up With The Pace - 3 Time Management Tips For Students - 3-4 Tracking Sheets - 4 Win A Free Netbook! - 5 Fresh Start: Tips To Be A Successful Pinnacle Student - 5 Parent Corner - 6 Tips Of The Month - 6 Write For The ’Pinnacle Periodical’ - 6 Pinnacle Scholarships - 7 December Graduation - 7 Beating The Holiday Blues - 7-8 December 2009 1 5 In this issue... Pinnacle Unveils New Counselor’s Corner Website! The Student Services staff is proud to introduce the Pinnacle Counselor’s Corner website. Creation of this website has been a long-standing goal of the Student Services department. They have looked forward to providing information and guidance through a unique website while also offering students a new way to receive assistance in an online setting. So after much deliberation, collaboration, and development, the long-awaited and highly-anticipated site is here. The Counselor’s Corner website is now live, and can be accessed from the Pinnacle Education website! The Counselor’s Corner link can be found on the left side menu under Programs, as well as in the Student Portal. The Counselor’s Corner is targeting full-time virtual students; however, all the information on this site is relevant to all Pin- nacle students and parents. Here are some great features that you can find on the Counselor’s Corner: A Blog from Student Services Information for college-bound students Current and previous issues of the Pinnacle Post Calendar of events Counseling and Guidance Links And More! Please visit the website often. As we continue to develop content, this site will become a valuable resource!

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The fall semester is almost over! And as winter break approaches, we are excited to introduce our fifth edition of the Pinnacle Post! We would like to encourage all of our students, and parents alike, to take the time to explore this great resource! What You'll Find: - The New Counselor's Corner Website - Write for the Pinnacle Periodical - Beating the Holiday Blues

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Pinnacle Post - December '09

Links Library - 2

Important Dates - 2

Staff Spotlight - 2

Keeping Up With The Pace - 3

Time Management Tips For Students - 3-4

Tracking Sheets - 4

Win A Free Netbook! - 5

Fresh Start: Tips To Be A Successful Pinnacle Student - 5

Parent Corner - 6

Tips Of The Month - 6

Write For The ’Pinnacle Periodical’ - 6

Pinnacle Scholarships - 7

December Graduation - 7

Beating The Holiday Blues - 7-8

December 2009

1 5

In this issue...

Pinnacle Unveils New Counselor’s Corner Website!

The Student Services staff is proud to introduce the Pinnacle Counselor’s Corner website. Creation of this website has been a long-standing goal of the Student Services department. They have looked forward to providing information and guidance through a unique website while also offering students a new way to receive assistance in an online setting. So after much deliberation, collaboration, and development, the long-awaited and highly-anticipated site is here.

The Counselor’s Corner website is now live, and can be accessed from the Pinnacle Education website! The Counselor’s Corner link can be found on the left side menu under Programs, as well as in the Student Portal. The Counselor’s Corner is targeting full-time virtual students; however, all the information on this site is relevant to all Pin-nacle students and parents.

Here are some great features that you can find on the Counselor’s Corner:

A Blog from Student Services

Information for college-bound students

Current and previous issues of the Pinnacle Post

Calendar of events

Counseling and Guidance Links

And More!

Please visit the website often. As we continue to develop content, this site will become a valuable resource!

Page 2: Pinnacle Post - December '09

| December Financial Aid | December Scholarships | January of Senior Year | 2010 College Goal Sunday |

| Websites for College Bound | SAT/ACT Bulletin | Federal Grant A | Borrowing C | Loans B |

Links Library L i n k s t o h e l p f u l d o c u m e n t s

P A G E 2 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 5

December 12 - Phoenix National

Portfolio Day

Hosted by: Cornish College of the

Arts

Mesa Community College 12pm -

4pm

December 16th – Winter Graduation!

December 21st – January 1st Winter

Break

January 14, 2010 - Paying for College

www.collegeweeklive.com - Paying for College is

a single-day education fair featuring colleges and uni-

versities worldwide with a focus on financial aid. Live

video presentations with admission and financial aid

experts discussing ways that students can afford their

college education. Topics include financial aid forms,

scholarships, student loans, and other sources of finan-

cial aid.

CONTACT YOUR VGC FOR MORE

INFO ON ANY OF THESE EVENTS!

Staff Spotlight

Bryant Murphy - Guidance Counselor

I began working in social ser-

vices as a volunteer group

home staff in Washington,

D.C.. Later I was offered a

full time position working

with at-risk youth as a job

coordinator. I began studying criminal justice and earned

a B.S. in Criminal Justice. Back then, I had the desire to

work in adult probation. I then began working with previ-

ously incarcerated adults at a community corrections cen-

ter in Florence, AZ. I then discovered that the best way

to help others was to become involved in education. It

was then I began studying to earn a M.A.Ed. while pre-

paring students for their G.E.D. as an Academic Instruc-

tor in Florence and Eloy, AZ medium and maximum secu-

rity prisons.

My return to working with youth at Pinnacle has

been a positive shift in my career. I have enjoyed the

opportunity to work with students because I have been

able to mentor, motivate, and mediate by using examples

of real life situations. This way, my audience can truly

appreciate and relate to me, rather than someone who

has no clue what this population faces daily. I am cur-

rently pursuing a certification in Advanced Graduate

Studies in Education Intervention to develop a program

for at-risk youth and diverse learners in education.

Bryant Murphy

Ma

rk

Yo

ur

C

al

en

da

r

Page 3: Pinnacle Post - December '09

P A G E 3

Keeping up with the pace of an online course

What is pace? Pace is a measure of where you should be at in a

course, compared to when you started and are scheduled to end. For exam-

ple, in Pinnacle’s twelve week courses, you should be at the midterm by

week six, and the final by weeks twelve. However, keeping ahead of pace is

a great idea so that you can ensure all of your courses get done in a timely manner. Pace is a very

important part of your success at Pinnacle, and will affect both your attendance time and your

grades. Talk with you Virtual Guidance Counselor (VGC) for more details on pace and how you can

stay caught up!

The pace of an online course is different from a traditional high school course, and in order to complete assignments and move to another lesson, online students will have to develop Time Management Skills. It is very easy to skip a day of studying when not in a classroom setting. But there are ways students can establish a routine and follow it in order to complete a class.

Students should designate a study time each day that they can devote energy to without the fear of interruption. The time should be the same each day. If this is not possible, the student will need to set aside an amount of time each day that they will study.

Students should complete one lesson at a time in order to stay organized and maintain a constant pace. Skipping ahead to see what is coming next is a waste of time.

Read one or two pages more each day than originally planned. This will keep the pace going and keep a student slightly ahead of where they want to be. This will help in case there are times when studying cannot be done.

Keeping a steady pace does not mean that a student has to work through the lessons quickly. A steady pace is a comfortable speed where students are learning information and do not feel stressed about completing assignments. Online classes are designed to be completed slowly rather than quickly. Taking the time to learn the lessons will pay off in the end.

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 5

Time Management tips for students

It is important to treat an online program just as seriously as a traditional classroom

program. Putting time aside each day to work on assignments is essential to getting them completed so that more

can be learned. On this page and the next are tips for time management and organizing a student's workspace so that

one can enjoy what he/she is learning without having to rush through it.

1. Work at the same time each day to develop a routine. This will keep a student focused on what they need to learn. Try to

put aside at least two hours each day for class work. Even though students will not have to attend classes, they will still have to

complete assignments and study.

Page 4: Pinnacle Post - December '09

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 4

2. Download weekly or daily lectures at one time and print them out in-

stead of reading from the computer. Too often, people miss important in-

formation when reading on the computer. They will have to go back and

reread the information, which proves to be a big time waster. Print off lec-

tures and assignments so that they will be available any time you want to

look at them.

3. Find a workspace and keep the computer and other equipment in this

space. Keep papers and assignments in this space so that they do not get

lost. Losing paperwork can also be a waste of time. Having a workspace

will also enable a person to focus on their schoolwork.

4. Create a weekly schedule to follow when completing assignments.

Even though assignments are completed at the student's pace, it is impor-

tant to stay on task and be productive. Following a schedule that is similar to a syllabus given to students in traditional college

programs will help the online student stay productive as well.

5. When studying, take frequent breaks to eat and stay hydrated. This will help process information faster and will save time in

the long run. When people spend long hours studying, they will often have to reread sections of the text. By taking breaks, stu-

dents are keeping their minds alert and focused.

6. Each student has 12 weeks to complete their course, and Pinnacle takes attendance! You must log a minimum of 30

hours (online and offline time per class) before the midterm will be unlocked and 60 hours before the final will be unlocked.

This is attendance for the virtual classroom! The midterm is only halfway through the course, around Week 5. There are more

lessons before the final. Finding time to study can be difficult, but with a little practice anyone can become a great

online student.

Source: http://oedb.org/library/online-class-assignments/keeping-up-with-the-pace-of-an-online-course

Tracking sheets . . . Use this great feature to stay on pace with each of your classes! Did you know for each course there is a

tracking sheet to help you keep up the

pace in your courses? These tracking sheets

allow you to see how far along you need to be each week

to help you meet your goals of finishing the class early or

on time.

Here’s where they are located:

-Click on your course in Angel

-Click on your “Lessons” tab

-Click on the “Tracking Sheets” folder link

-Click on the course link (it will be the name of your course)

-Click once more on the course link (again the name of your course, and underlined)

Time Management Tips for Students, continued . . . .

Page 5: Pinnacle Post - December '09

P A G E 5

E-mailing your Instructor

Remember to e-mail your instructor, through the course,

and ask for the midterm and final exams to be unlocked.

The instructor has up to 24 school hours to review your

progress and unlock the exam.

Be sure and leave yourself plenty of time for this process

to take place, which means you should be staying ahead

of pace for your end date.

Sending mail to All Course Faculty

• Click into your course

• Click on the Communicate tab on the top of the page

• Click on Quick Message

• Click the To: button

• On new screen under User, check All course faculty.

• Then, click the “To” button, then OK.

• Type a subject and message and click Send.

Remember: Instructors LOVE to talk to you as well!

Instructors are available to talk with by phone from

early in the morning to late in the evening. Think of

calling your instructor like raising your hand in class.

See below for all the department contact information.

Call Pinnacle at 480-755-8222 or 1-888-567-1844 Then press #1 for extension then enter in the depart-

ment’s direct extension four digit number.

English x2734

Math x2748

Science x2729

Social Studies x2720

Electives x2745

Fresh Tips to be

a successful pinnacle student

CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR,

THEY WANT TO TALK TO YOU!

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 5

Say Thank You To Our Troops . . . Something cool that Xerox® is doing….just click the link below and select

the card you want to send. If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox® will

print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but

it will go to some member of the armed services.

Page 6: Pinnacle Post - December '09

P A G E 6 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 5

Students who have a class with a start date of 9/28/09 or later will be given an automatic two week extension in

order to account for the Winter Break.

Always try to keep ahead of pace in your courses so that you have plenty of time to complete them. Your VGC can give you specific details about where you stand with your pace, but also try keeping your own calendar and try to stay ahead be taking the midterm in week five, and the final in week eleven. Courses are all twelve weeks long. See the front page article for more informa-tion on Pace.

Attention Parents: WE NEED YOU! Believe it or not you play a large role in your student’s suc-cess. Please make sure your student’s Virtual Guidance Coun-selor (VGC) knows how to get a hold of you and the best time of day to reach you. Good phone num-bers and an e-mail from you are wonderful resources so we can re-

cruit your help when necessary.

Tips to stay involved:

Help your student set up a cal-endar and plan out what they need to have done, and by when, in each class.

Ask your student how their classes are going.

Have your student show you their progress in each class.

Help your student study for quizzes and exams.

Contact your students VGC if you have questions or concerns.

Wondering how to check your student’s grades? Run a grade report! Here’s how:

-Click into the academic course you are interested in looking at.

-Click Report tab on top of screen.

-Under Category use the drop down menu and select Grades.

-The screen will automatically refresh: under Grades it should say Student Grades and User should be your stu-dent’s name.

-Click Run on the bottom right of screen.

-The Reports Console will then come up.

No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will

eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking

about the kids. ~Bill Cosby, Fatherhood, 1986

Page 7: Pinnacle Post - December '09

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 5

A Future So Bright A Pinnacle Scholarship will help

you on your path to a brighter future. Congratulations to each and every one of you for putting forth the ef-

fort necessary to earn your high school diploma!

Pinnacle Education recognizes the remarkable talents and achieve-

ments of our students. In an effort to encourage lifelong learning, Pin-

nacle has created the Pinnacle Excellence Scholarship and the

Pinnacle Challenge Scholarship. These scholarships will help our

graduates in pursuit of their educational goals beyond high school.

Every Pinnacle High School graduate is eligible to apply.

If you would like to learn more about how you can take ad-

vantage of this great financial opportunity, please contact

your Virtual Guidance Counselor or campus principal.

December graduation: is rapidly approaching Graduation and we would like to remind you of some important

dates:

Beating the holiday blues Feelings of sadness and depression are common during the holidays, but not inevitable. University of Maryland experts offer a variety of practical tips to help you keep the blues away. Article Source: http://www.umm.edu/features/holiday_blues.htm#

Once again the holidays are upon us, which means it's

time for festive partying with friends and family, sharing

gifts and laughter -- and getting depressed. That's right.

For many people, the holidays bring on feelings of sad-

ness and anxiety that can be hard to shake.

According to the National Mental Health Association, rea-

sons for feeling blue around the holidays are numerous.

They range from fatigue -- a result of all of the increased

Courses must be completed by December 2, 2009

Contact your Virtual Guidance Counselor as soon as possible to let them know if you plan to

participate in our ceremony

Graduation will be December 16, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Mesa Convention Center, 201 North Center Street

Mesa, AZ 85201

We hope to see you all on December 16!!!!!!!

Page 8: Pinnacle Post - December '09

P A G E 8 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 5

Beating the holiday blues, continued . . .

holiday activity -- to financial limitations and family ten-

sions. Experts say one of the fastest routes to holiday

depression is unrealistic expectations.

"Set realistic goals," said Dubin, who is also a psychia-

trist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "If your

holiday plans require you to run around shopping and

going to parties until you are exhausted, and staying up

all night to wrap presents, your plans aren't very realistic.

You need to pace yourself and get enough rest so that

you won't be grouchy and testy."

Other factors that can contribute to feelings of sadness

around the holidays are memories of deceased loved

ones and strained family dynamics.

Creating family traditions is one way to bring family

members closer together, said Dubin. These traditions

don't have to be formal or elaborate. For instance, she

recommends visiting a nursing home to help serve

holiday meals to some of the residents, or videotap-

ing holiday celebrations and making an annual event

of watching the previous year's celebration.

One of the best antidotes for the holiday blues is do-

ing something for someone else.

"Volunteer your time this holiday season to help others

who have less than you do," said Dubin. "Taking the fo-

cus off of yourself and putting it on others can really

make you feel much better. Not only can you help other

people, but doing so will add a lot more meaning to your

holiday season."

Dubin offers these additional tips to help you banish the

holiday blues:

Delegate. Don't try to do it all by yourself. People often

want to help and to be involved. By breaking down tasks

and doling them out to friends and family, everything be-

comes more manageable.

Spend Some Time Alone. Some people love the energy

and exuberance of big holiday parties and activities. For

others, all of it is very taxing. If you find yourself getting a

little anxious, take a breather. Find a quiet spot to relax

and recharge your batteries. Other people will be so

caught up in what is going on that they probably won't

even miss you.

Let Go of the Past. Don't be disappointed if your holi-

days aren't like they used to be. Life brings changes. Em-

brace the future, and don't dwell on the fact that the

"good old days" are gone.

Give Yourself a Break. Don't think in absolute terms.

You aren't the best cook in the world, or the worst. You

aren't super mom, or the most horrible mother in the

world.

If despite your best efforts to remain upbeat this holiday

season, you find yourself feeling down for a sustained

period of time, get help. Don't try to "tough it out" alone.

There are treatment options available to you that could

make a significant difference in your outlook.

Office: (480)755-8222 Long Distance: 1-888-567-1844

English Department: Extension 2734

Math Department: Extension 2748

Science Department: Extension 2729

Social Studies Department: Extension 2720

Electives Department: Extension 2745

Student Services (Guidance Counselors): Extension 2965

Pinnacle Online High School Phone Contacts

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Published by Pinnacle Education Inc. © 2009

*Disclaimer: You are receiving this newsletter because you are a registered student or student parent at Pinnacle Online High School.

Pinnacle Online High School - College Board Code: 030666 You will need this code for some testing registrations (i.e. PSAT/SAT, ACT) as well as certain scholarship applications.