Student Edition

Skate to Where the Puck is Going to Be

By Guest Blogger on January 8th, 2014

After seeing promotions for the fast-approaching 2014 Winter Olympics, I was reminded of when I was watching a sea of icy blue and white at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. I was just in awe of the talent, determination, and tenacity all under one roof. If you really allow yourself a moment to take it all in, it is an overwhelming feeling that almost takes your breath away. As the famous Canadians carried the Olympic flag through the stadium, I wondered if they had ever dreamed they would be honored with that special task in this international tradition that seems to unite the world for a moment in time.

Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was among the eight Olympic flag carriers and would go on to light the flame in downtown Vancouver to complete the tradition. I couldn’t help but think about the quote he was so famous for which turned out to be the first quote on my FLVS tagline… Continue reading

Get Ready for College!

By Guest Blogger on January 6th, 2014

Now that you’ve survived the New Year and enjoyed some time off from work or school, it’s time to hit the ground running and tackle the world!

While you are in a motivated mindset, let’s make sure you or your student(s) have everything needed to be college-ready.

The Federal Student Aid Office has many resources to help students prepare for college. One of those resources is a handy checklist.

Start by downloading the College Prep Checklist.pdf (other accessible versions and resources are available here) and check out the Your “To Do” List organized by grade. Continue reading

The Real Win is in Losing!

By Amy LaGrasta on November 19th, 2013

Losing is part of life. In fact, it is one of the most valuable lessons one can learn.

We don’t get everything we want all of the time. We can’t win every race. Tasting defeat only allows us to savor victory and try harder the next time. Learning how to lose teaches us how to win.

If a child knows they will automatically get a reward for showing up, what motivation is there to try? If our students’ walls are adorned with ribbons and trophies for participation, we have done them a disservice. We are teaching them that a promotion will be handed over on a silver platter, not earned. Grades will be given based on attendance, not effort. Continue reading

What Five-Year-Olds and Teenagers Have in Common

By Guest Blogger on November 7th, 2013

Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen…

Every morning, my son Sawyer reminds the whole family how many days are left before he turns five. Yesterday, on day 15, Sawyer flashed his best 1,000 Kilowatt smile and announced what he wanted for his birthday: one Lightning McQueen race car, four other race cars from the Cars franchise, and one tank.

Sawyer couldn’t know it, but his request was actually pretty modest; I could buy all those toys for under $30. But I looked around the living room and saw the hundreds of toys that Sawyer already had – toys he never played with. So I made a reasonable request: we would buy him his birthday toys, but we had to give away some of his old toys. Continue reading

FLVS Student Wins the US Open Boys’ Doubles

By Guest Blogger on November 5th, 2013

FLVS Full Time student Martin Redlicki practiced tirelessly to win the US Open boys’ doubles on Saturday, September 7th.

As if that wasn’t enough, he also is taking senior level courses, with two of those courses being Honors, here at FLVS.

Martin certainly had a unique experience at the tournament. Continue reading

Multitasking: Technically Impossible

By Guest Blogger on November 1st, 2013

These days it seems like everyone is always trying to multitask.

It’s certainly possible to fold laundry while talking on the phone, or ride a bike while listening to music, but it just doesn’t work well to attempt two tasks that involve brain power at once.

Why? Our brains can hold only five to nine things in their short-term memories, so when someone’s trying to accomplish two dissimilar tasks that both require some level of thought and attention, that’s where the “multitasking” ends and the switching from one task to another begins. And when information doesn’t make it into the short-term memory, it can’t make it into long-term memory to be recalled later. Continue reading

Red Ribbon Week 2013

By Amy LaGrasta on October 25th, 2013

Although many of us know that Red Ribbon Week is recognized annually during the last week of October to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, you may not know the history behind it. It all started with one man, Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Kiki joined the Marine Corps after high school. After his discharge, he worked as a fireman, police officer, and narcotics investigator. Kiki’s devotion to keeping drugs off the streets and out of schools led him to join the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Kiki was assigned to the DEA office in Mexico and his mission was to stop the drug trade from crossing the borders into the US. Continue reading

Take Action to Stop Bullying

By Amy LaGrasta on October 8th, 2013

As the following statistics show, bullying is widespread and touches someone we all know. It is increasingly important that parents and educators talk to their students about bullying.

Be aware of the signs of bullying, pay attention to your students, and check in frequently to ensure their safety. One of the best ways to prevent and reduce bullying is to talk about it. Continue reading

AIME, AMC, USAMO, Oh My!

By Guest Blogger on September 25th, 2013

The science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field is rapidly growing. There are many programs and contests young students can become involved with to learn more about the different careers in STEM.

Many of these contests, however, are commonly recognized by their acronyms: AIME, AMC, USAMO. Few people outside the field know what these letters actually stand for. Each contest is part of the American Mathematic Competition Association (AMC). This group is devoted to growing mathematic understanding in the nation’s youth. Of the many contests, AIME, AMC, and USAMO are the most popular. Here are the contests behind the acronyms. Continue reading