August Edition 2023
Williams Educational Consultants shares five educational topics that offer wisdom, guidance, and fun for the entire family on the fourth Friday of every month.
I can not believe that we are almost in September! My senior has been accepted into two universities and almost completed all his college applications. As a mom to a senior in high school, I can't believe how fast August has flown by. I would love for the year to slow down, but it will only go faster if I try to stop it.
Some words of advice to all my clients, friends, and family members of seniors:
Spend time laughing together.
Create moments of joy.
Focus on the positive.
Embrace the season.
September is almost here; before we know it, the holidays will pass us by, and 2024 will be at our doorstep!
5 Wise Words From Wendy:
1. Prepare. The first day of fall is September 23rd! With students being back in school for almost a month, it is time to check in with your students to learn about their learning objectives and study tactics. Help your student prepare for the semester and stay present in the classroom.
2. Plan. Many juniors and seniors need to plan for their standardized testing this fall. It is essential to determine the best schedule for the testing dates for your student, but before registering your student, be sure to take many practice tests, understand the best type of tutoring, and promote a supportive, positive environment for learning.
3. Relax. Staying mindful is a great way to refresh. How do you endure during the dog days of summer? At the bottom of this newsletter, you will find Mindfulness Moment#14: "Endurance" by Angela Cominos Koehler.
4. Support. Senior parents, it is essential to support your high school senior during September as they may be filling out applications, writing personal statements and supplemental essays, requesting recommendation letters, meeting with counselors and teachers, and trying to maintain a social life that embraces academic success! Support your seniors by checking in daily and asking if they need anything. Research also suggests writing down long-term goals (i.e., scholarships, college acceptance, etc.) can help you reach your goal! It's only September, so you have plenty of time to help your student write their goal down and post it somewhere where it is seen daily!
5. Love. September is a great time to begin new traditions that your student loves. One of my favorite traditions is Friday Night Lights. Being a band mom, I love listening and watching the marching band march onto the field and energize the student section at the football game. If you can attend a Friday night game with your student, do it! As a parent, seeing your child with friends brings you joy and fills your heart with excitement. One of the best ways to end Friday nights is to order from your local pizza store and eat together, discussing the game and the joy of Friday Night Lights.
4 Current Conversations:
Here are topics that can create great conversations:
1. College Fairs are coming this fall!
2. Direct Admissions for high school seniors.
3. Legacy in Admissions
4. Trends in College Admissions
3 School Snippets:
Colleges often give great information on their sites:
1. UGA's advice on the admissions process.
2. AI and College Essays Ga Tech
3. California's Insight Questions
2 K-12 School Plugs:
A section to focus on news in metro-Atlanta:
1.QB Friday Night Lights Shine On the Field
2.Atlanta Classical Academy - great private school option
1 Recipe Randomness: Zucchini Quiche with Hashbrown Crust
Cheesy Hashbrown Crust Ingredients:
10 oz hashbrowns, I use the Simply Potatoes brand, it is sold in the refrigerated section near the eggs
1/4 cup fat free cheddar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
Quiche Filling
2 cups shredded zucchini, drained of all excess water
1 small onion, chopped
4 eggs, I use Egglands Best
3/4 cup liquid egg whites
1 cup fat free cheddar
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
Instructions Preheat the oven to 425F.
Combine the hashbrowns with 1/4 cup of the fat free cheddar in a mixing bowl.
Spray a pie dish (I use a 9" round dish) or baking dish with cooking spray.
Pour the hashbrown mixture into the dish and press firmly to the bottom.
Make sure there are no holes or gaps in the hashbrown layer, this will ensure it becomes a crust that holds the egg mixture in.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
Quiche
Lower oven temperature to 375F.
Squeeze all excess water from the shredded zucchini (zucchini holds a lot of moisture) - to do this, place the shredded zucchini in a paper towel or kitchen towel and ring it over the sink.
Saute the chopped onion in a small frying pan with olive oil spray until it starts to brown and get tender, just about 5 minutes. Add the cooked onion to a mixing bowl with the drained zucchini.
Add 1 cup of the fat free cheddar to the bowl with the zucchini and onion. Season with the salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the eggs and egg whites, and whisk. Add the egg mixture to the zucchini mixture, stir to combine thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into the par-cooked crust. Make sure it is spread evenly on top of the crust. Bake for 40 minutes or until firm and set.
Mindfulness Moment #14: Endurance
“What is to give light must endure the burning.”
-Victor Frankl
Endurance takes strength, resilience, and tenacity to withstand challenging elements. August is a time of heat and humidity to test our ability to persevere through forces of nature that are intense. It is a time to discover what you are made of at your core and that you are stronger than you think you are. It is a time of transition from the sultry summer’s carefree joys to the return of routine and becoming more disciplined. Enjoy these dog days of summer. Take it all in.
How do you increase your endurance?