Samantha's Preparation For The Future
Autumn Williamson, Mackenzie Tinker, Taylor Patton, Alexis Katz | April 2022
Samantha is an average grade B junior, but she wants to know what to do to be better. She wants to prepare for her college and future tests coming up, but she doesn’t know where to start.
She talks to one of her friends and they told her that she should try talking to her counselor because her counselor would have the best tips for her future. Her friend said, “If you ever want to go to anyone for academic help, your counselor is the one that you should go to.”
She goes to her counselor, Mrs. Janet to ask some questions and she responded with, “The classes taken in high school are very important for you. At the end of each year, you get a chance to choose what classes you prefer for the next year. Focusing on Honors and AP classes can be beneficial in the long run. If you feel that you can keep up in a higher class, then you should. Sign up, when you get the chance, for honors and AP classes near the end of the year!” Samantha kept this in mind and when she talked to her counselor, months later, she gave her the option of doing college course classes in her math class, senior year.
She learned that after you take Integrated Math 3, you are offered the opportunity to enroll in a dual enrollment class. If this class is passed, students will gain college credits while attending high school. Mrs. Janet gave her a packet and explained that she needed to sign up to take the ACT. She gave her a list of places to do the test and she chose MTSU, so she went home and signed up for it on a computer, with her parents, and returned to the counselor the next day. Ms. Janet told Samantha the date that she would be taking the test and that if she got a 19 or higher on the math portion, then she would attend the class. There are certain expenses to this, but she knows that if she gets into this class, then when she goes to college, she will be ahead.
She studied for the ACT weeks in advance and felt prepared. She went into MTSU with the recommended items: proof of ID, a snack, a printed sheet of proof that she would be taking the test, and two pencils. (Number 2) She went through the test in the required amount of time and left confident about the results. They told her she would get her grade in 2-8 weeks.
But she knew that she had more to worry about. Her EOC’s were coming up and she had only two weeks to prepare. She noticed that in all her classes, her teachers have been doing a review of everything she learned for the year. She paid attention during all her classes and took notes. She went home and studied every day, until her EOC came around. She was more than ready for this test.
She knew that her grades weren’t the only thing that she had to keep track of. She also had to have a good behavioral record, but she was confident that her behavior had been outstanding and that she shouldn’t have anything to worry about. She feels that being a good student is simple, but that’s not the case for some of her classmates.
Her older sister was very similar to Samantha, but a girl in her class blamed her for doing something that she didn’t do, and she lost her scholarship. Luckily, Samantha has been saving up college money in case something like that happens.
Over a year later Samantha was ready for college. She took all the steps needed to have the highest chance of getting a scholarship. She took the extracurricular opportunities to be the most involved, she got the best grades in her class, and she made sure to be on her best behavior, because she knows that colleges look for the most involved students that can maintain a good grade and reputation.
She talks to one of her friends and they told her that she should try talking to her counselor because her counselor would have the best tips for her future. Her friend said, “If you ever want to go to anyone for academic help, your counselor is the one that you should go to.”
She goes to her counselor, Mrs. Janet to ask some questions and she responded with, “The classes taken in high school are very important for you. At the end of each year, you get a chance to choose what classes you prefer for the next year. Focusing on Honors and AP classes can be beneficial in the long run. If you feel that you can keep up in a higher class, then you should. Sign up, when you get the chance, for honors and AP classes near the end of the year!” Samantha kept this in mind and when she talked to her counselor, months later, she gave her the option of doing college course classes in her math class, senior year.
She learned that after you take Integrated Math 3, you are offered the opportunity to enroll in a dual enrollment class. If this class is passed, students will gain college credits while attending high school. Mrs. Janet gave her a packet and explained that she needed to sign up to take the ACT. She gave her a list of places to do the test and she chose MTSU, so she went home and signed up for it on a computer, with her parents, and returned to the counselor the next day. Ms. Janet told Samantha the date that she would be taking the test and that if she got a 19 or higher on the math portion, then she would attend the class. There are certain expenses to this, but she knows that if she gets into this class, then when she goes to college, she will be ahead.
She studied for the ACT weeks in advance and felt prepared. She went into MTSU with the recommended items: proof of ID, a snack, a printed sheet of proof that she would be taking the test, and two pencils. (Number 2) She went through the test in the required amount of time and left confident about the results. They told her she would get her grade in 2-8 weeks.
But she knew that she had more to worry about. Her EOC’s were coming up and she had only two weeks to prepare. She noticed that in all her classes, her teachers have been doing a review of everything she learned for the year. She paid attention during all her classes and took notes. She went home and studied every day, until her EOC came around. She was more than ready for this test.
She knew that her grades weren’t the only thing that she had to keep track of. She also had to have a good behavioral record, but she was confident that her behavior had been outstanding and that she shouldn’t have anything to worry about. She feels that being a good student is simple, but that’s not the case for some of her classmates.
Her older sister was very similar to Samantha, but a girl in her class blamed her for doing something that she didn’t do, and she lost her scholarship. Luckily, Samantha has been saving up college money in case something like that happens.
Over a year later Samantha was ready for college. She took all the steps needed to have the highest chance of getting a scholarship. She took the extracurricular opportunities to be the most involved, she got the best grades in her class, and she made sure to be on her best behavior, because she knows that colleges look for the most involved students that can maintain a good grade and reputation.
Meet Ms. Stephanie
Alexis Katz | March 2022
So many staff members are underappreciated by students here at Rockvale. Employees such as custodians, lunch staff, and administrative assistants are all undervalued due to the chaos of the school day. These staff members dedicate so much of their time and effort into the smooth running of Rockvale and deserve so much appreciation, so today we decided to highlight just one: Ms. Stephanie.
Ms. Stephanie, who has been working as an administrative assistant for 14 years, is a strong and dedicated woman. She originally wanted to be in the school system to be closer to her youngest child, so she became an Elementary School administrative assistant.
At said school, she worked with Principal Luker. Later, she worked with Mr. Luker at a middle school. Eventually, when Mr. Luker asked her to work with him at Rockvale, she agreed. In all, she has worked with Principal Luker for 14 years.
“It’s a little bit harder,” She admitted, “High school has more challenges.” Despite these challenges Ms. Stephanie has remained dedicated to Rockvale. Even throughout the most difficult challenge anyone could ever go through: cancer.
Unbeknownst to most students at Rockvale, Ms. Stephanie was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2020. In December of the same year, she underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tissue, and since then the cancer has not returned.
Ms. Stephanie has been a staple staff member since the beginning of Rockvale high school, even throughout the difficulties of the pandemic. Daily she oversees vital processes such as attendance and substitute teachers to maintain the school's success.
When asked how she likes working with older kids, she lamented about being able to form deeper relationships and being able to give valuable advice.
Overall, Ms. Stephanie is an inspiring woman. She went through so much in the past 3 years yet remains positive. So, we urge you- the next time you're in the main office- to sincerely thank her for everything she does daily and to consider just how amazing of a person she is.