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Ongoing Groups Meeting in November
Knitting Club – NEW DAY!
Join the Needlers a knitting group at the Swampscott Public Library. This group meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 10:30a.m. The November meeting will be Wednesday, November 25th. Crocheters are welcome to join our group. We make our own projects or items to be donated to charity. Members can be beginners or experts.
History Buffs – NEW DAY!
The local history group led by Lou Gallo will meeting on the first Friday of every month. The November meeting will be Friday, November 6th at 10:00am. Anyone interested in the history of the town is welcome to attend.
Dinner Detectives
The Dinner Detectives, the library’s mystery book group, will meet at 6:00pm on Tuesday, November 3rd to discuss Kidnapping and Mysteries. New members are always welcome.
Book Group
The November book will be Skeletons at the Feast: a novel by Chris Bohjalian. The group will meet on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00pm.
Monday at the Movies
– NEW GROUP!
The Swampscott Public Library is presenting a series of free movies, followed by a discussion of the film. Everyone is invited to attend and bring along a friend. Refreshments will be served during the presentation. The first meeting will be Monday, November 9th at 1:00pm, and the film will be Secret Life of Bees.
SCHOOL DAZE: NAVIGATING THE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXPERIENCE
Thank you to our 4 speakers: John Solazzo, Joanna Ganci, Migdalia Gomez, and Thomas Gately, for making our program such a success. It was standing room only and the audience came away with excellent information.
List of recent college guides at Swampscott Public Library
And here is Ms. Ganci’s presentation:
Joanna Ganci, English Teacher
Swampscott High School
I Was A Teenage Application Zombie !
Waking from the College Application Nightmare
Most colleges will require that you get three references. Most schools desire that one or two of those three recommendations are written by an “academic” teacher. Academic, in this case, means one of your core subjects: English, math, science, or history. If you are interested in studying engineering in college, it would make sense that you ask a math or science teacher to write you a letter. You may also ask teachers from any other subjects, guidance counselors, coaches, principals, and assistant principals to write additional recommendations. You should ask teachers with whom you have a good relationship. Your grades are not the only area that a teacher will address; in fact, your grades are often of less importance than your character, effort, and potential. If your teacher does not feel she can write you a detailed, favorable recommendation, ask someone else. Don’t give up.
You want to ask those writing you the recommendations as early as possible. Be courteous and give that person as much time as you can so she can write you a good letter. The beginning of your senior year is a good time to begin asking. When you have your final list of schools, give the following materials, neatly placed in school-specific folders, to the recommender(s):
Copies of application forms that need to be completed including teacher evaluation form
stamped/addressed envelopes
resume
copy of your transcript
due date for materials
any additional information you feel is necessary for the writer
A thank you note is a great way to show your appreciation to the person who wrote you the recommendation.
Great Tips for Writing Your College Admissions Essay
Write as you speak. The purpose of the essay is to show the admissions committee the real you, why you think and act the way you do, and what motivates you. So don’t write as if you are someone else, use stilted language, or gloss over how you really feel. Be authentic, not superficial. Use a relaxed, conversational style.
Be original. Too many essays use the same tired themes. For example, instead of showing yourself as a victim, focus on how you overcame the situation. You’re not running for Miss America, so avoid presenting your solutions to world peace and hunger. Remember that what bores you pretty much bores others.
Show genuine enthusiasm. Nothing draws a reader more than invigorating writing. Pick topics that excite you. Your enthusiasm will show.
Create some mystery. Begin with an introduction that surprises your readers and makes them want to read past the first paragraph.
Focus. Rather than describing everything you’ve done with your life, give a full description of one or two items or events. The magic is in the details.
Use active verbs. Action verbs make your essay more engaging than passive voice, which comes across as cold and detached.
Use short sentences and simple words. According to a recent study at Stanford University, individuals who use complicated language are viewed as less intelligent than individuals who use simpler, more concise language. You want your readers to understand your essay.
Courtesy of Gregory Lloyd www.back2college.com/admissionessay
WILL THE 2009-10 COMMON APPLICATION ESSAY TOPICS BE THE SAME?
Yes; the essay prompts will be the same. Check to see if your school uses the common application.
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
The Horror! : You Don’t Need to Hire a Tutor
Writing your college admissions essay should not require that you hire a tutor. The reason that college admissions is asking you to write an essay in the first place is to see if you can write independently at the college level. Because there is the perception that students won’t get into college without an advantage, many parents are paying tutors to assist in the process. This is not necessary and may even be detrimental since it may be a false representation of a student’s abilities.
All writing benefits from revision; the college admissions essay is no exception. Do not wait until the day before your materials are due to begin the process. Know how many different essays you will have to write, and then spend at least a week on each one. This week should include the writing of a rough draft and any revisions that are necessary to make it a representation of your best work. Do not try to accomplish this task in one day. You need time to reflect and revise. You may also want to share your essay with a parent, a peer, or even a teacher who has the time to read your essay and give you constructive feedback. Your final draft should be free of grammatical and spelling errors, should be interesting and engaging, should reflect your writing style, and should fulfill the parameters of the question.
My BFF is, Like, Awesome: Comments on Style
Many critics argue that the advent of technologies like email and texting have caused the deterioration of more sophisticated elements of the writing process such as personal style. While many of you can consciously define your style when it comes to clothing, music, or even art, you cannot begin to define your writing style.
In your essay, your style will be reflected in the way you use language. Your grammar, sentence structure, and word choice will create this style as well as your level of formality or informality. Do not use the thesaurus function on your computer too often. If “use” is more natural and authentic to you than “utilize”, use (wink) “use.” If you don’t understand a word (and therefore may use it in the wrong context), don’t put it in your essay. At the same time, don’t be afraid to show off your understanding and appropriate use of all that vocabulary that you’ve learned in the last four years.
In addition, don’t be too informal. You are not writing an essay for a friend. These technologies have helped us be more efficient, but by using them we often sacrifice clarity and style. If you’re writing an essay about your best friend Julie, don’t refer to her as your “bff” unless it is used in dialogue to give the reader a sense of character.
Summer Reading continues
Don’t forget to continue your reading through the end of August. You have until August 30 to complete the goal of 800 minutes in order to receive your award from the Topsfield Fair! The easiest way is to keep track on line, where you can also print out all of your reading and reviews. Just log on to Reads in Ma
Also, if you were unable to attend the reward party you may pick up your certificate in the Children’s Room.