11.24.2019 Principal Dana King's Weekly Message
Interim Distribution
Interims were distributed to students in their 4A classes on Friday, November 22nd.
Student Services Messages
Senior Parents
As of November 8th, 221 seniors have completed the FAFSA. The priority filing deadlines for some colleges are fast approaching (NC A&T and UNCG have a priority deadline of Dec 1st). While it is still possible to get federal aid from schools after their priority deadlines, often they only give state and institutional funds to those who meet the priority deadline. For that reason completing now could result in a greater amount of assistance. Thanksgiving break could be the perfect time to sit down with your student and get this done. Please reach out to your counselor if you need help. Complete it now at fafsa.ed.gov
9th Grade Parents
Counselors will be going into your students' English courses during the first two weeks of December to work on their 4 year plans. This exercise is meant to help them understand graduation requirements and map a tentative plan for which classes they will take during the rest of their high school career. We will help them link career and college plans with opportunities available to them here. We want to give you a heads up about this because it is NOT the same thing as course registration which will happen in March. These plans are just outlines and do not mean that a student has to take those courses.
ACT WorkKeys Testing
ACT WorkKeys testing will begin for all CTE Concentrators December 2nd. Taking the ACT WorkKeys gives students the opportunity to add a Nationally Recognized Certification that will prove their Work Readiness. Students who earn the certification are encouraged to add them to their resumes and digital portfolios, as well as promote their achievement when applying and interviewing for various educational and vocational opportunities. For more information click HERE.
Community Service Opportunity
Looking for a community service opportunity to meet IB MYP requirements, NHS requirements, or for your college applications? See below!
It takes GREAT volunteers to put on a GREAT event! The Raleigh Turkey Trot @ Ridgewood shopping center needs YOUR HELP this Thanksgiving morning!
Volunteer to support thousands of runners & earn a T-SHIRT! ...and volunteer credit!
Volunteer roles include:
- course water stations
- start/finish refreshments
- parking support (16+)
Grab a friend and sign up here to volunteer: SignUp Genius!
Jostens on Campus - December 10
Jostens will be on campus Tuesday, December 10 during all lunches in the Main Lobby. They will be delivering class rings, and this is a make-up order day for Seniors to order Cap & Gowns and other graduation products.
PTSA Messages
We are pleased to announce that Friends and Family Night made a net profit of $5371! Funds raised will be used primarily to introduce a new program that focuses on mental health.
Millbrook will host its first ever holiday Book Fair in partnership with Quail Ridge Books December 4 - 11. Come buy your holiday gifts during this busy time of school events and concerts! The fair will kick off Wednesday, December 4 at 5:30PM and will be open daily in the Media Center during school hours and before evening events until Thursday, December 11 at noon.
The next Parent Series, “Contemplating Life after High School” with Casie Hall, is Wednesday, December 4 6-7:30PM in the Media Center. Casie is a Licensed Professional Counselor, CRC, LPC, LCASA with Three Oaks Behavioral Health and Wellness, PLLC in Raleigh. If you haven’t attended one of Casie’s talks before, they are amazing! Click Here for more information and to Rsvp (Rsvp is not required).
Food donations are needed for the Friday, December 6 PAWS Breakfast Celebration and for the Staff Holiday Luncheon on Thursday, December 19. Please click on the links to sign up to donate.
The next PTSA General Meeting will be held on Monday, December 2 at 7PM in the Media Center. Parents are encouraged to attend! Attending PTSA meetings is an excellent way to stay on top of what’s going on at your child’s school and connect with staff another parents.
MHS Book Fair - Media Center & PTSA Collaboration
Our Media Center, in collaboration with PTSA and Quail Ridge books, will be hosting an MHS Book Fair from December 4 - December 11. It will be open during all lunches, and before all winter concerts and our NAS inductions. For more information, please view THIS flyer.
With a continued focus on literacy and providing relevant and engaging choice reading options to our students, PTSA has pulled this event together with our Media Center specialists and English teachers to keep kids reading! We have suggested titles and recommendations from all grade levels, along with Quail Ridge’s expertise on what kids are buying currently - and it will all be set up in the Media Center starting Dec 4!!
Quail Ridge will give us 21% profit on every book sold, and our hope is to use that earned money as credit to buy books for our media center. (We have a desperate need for relevant choice reading and foreign language novels).
If you’re looking for gift ideas, please stop by before any of the evening events scheduled at MHS Dec 4-11.
Would you like to help or be involved? We need volunteers for daytime hours. To Sign Up Click this Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090445abae2c7-millbrook2
The Truth About IB!
This week we are tackling the below myth about the IB Diploma Programme. Check back next week as we address another myth.
Myths:
The IB Diploma Programme is not for STEM students. It is really intended for students of the liberal arts.
In Fact:
The Diploma Programme is intended to be a college-prep programme for all students, NOT a career-prep student for a certain select set of interests. The Diploma Programme demands that all students study demanding content across the programme, in subjects that include Language and Literature, History, Math, Science and more. We welcome future doctors and nurses, researchers and engineers, as well as future teachers, lawyers, artists and philosophers.
In Fact:
At the end of each senior year we survey our students to find out where they will study next and what discipline they intend to pursue. Over the past five years, our graduates have chosen a wide variety of academic pathways following the Diploma Programme, including communications, business, liberal, visual and performing arts. The most commonly chosen, however, are biomedical sciences, the health professions, and engineering. In fact, over these past five years, just over 50% of our graduates have indicated they pursue a STEM course of study post-Millbrook. And they have done so and continue to do so at some of the most competitive engineering schools in the area, including Georgia Tech, NC State, and Virginia Tech. One former DP graduate just finished with NC State Engineering and is moving on to a full time position with SpaceX!
(REPEAT) IB Diploma Programme Small Group Info Sessions
Sophomore parents and students! Are you considering joining the MHS IB Diploma Programme? Join a Small Group Info Session to learn about the value and demands of the Diploma Programme and about the courses and scheduling during this two year programme.
The Diploma Programme is a demanding and rewarding academic programme that will prepare students for college and future challenges. It is designed for motivated students who enjoy the learning process and want to challenge themselves and grow personally, academically and intellectually.
One recent graduate described his experience in the Diploma Programme as “the highlight of my high school experience!” Another graduate described it as “a community, an experience, and nothing short of life-changing.”
Go to http://bit.ly/DPSmallGroupMeetings to join a mandatory Small Group Interest Meeting. The student and at least one parent are required to attend. Contact Mr. Baron, Millbrook’s DP coordinator, if you have questions.
Upcoming Events
You can view the full student calendar HERE.