NOCTILUCA February 2017

NEWS Appleton, Wisconsin February 2017 Volume XXII

Issue IV Page 2

from Within teaches its two major lessons, the science of achievement and the art of ful- fillment. “We want to give kids the knowledge and skills to flour- ish mentally,” said Jadin. “They grow closer to the pur- pose that they want to achieve and help people in the commu- nity to do the same.” Participants in Inspire from Within include a sophomore, junior, and senior from each sport offered at North who are nominated by their coaches. They meet twice a month be- fore school to do activities and learn mental skills that are per- tinent not only to their sports but to all aspects of their lives. “The things I have learned have really helped me to be- come more aware of what I do, say, and why I do or say it, which has in turn lead me to an- Jazz Band. Life Skills presented a song and dance. Their goal was to educate regular educa- tion students on what their abili- ties are, and teach students to understand that they are more alike than different from other students, according to Madame Klein. Other clubs and indi- viduals that presented were La- tino Club, Girl Up, and Officer Enriquez. These presentations were held on Jan. 30 and 31. Plzak, Global week, from page 1 Price, Inspire from Within, from page 1

goal of his presentation, saying ] Nicaragua—Juan Altamirano Orchestra Trip: Wales, Ireland tion on what the organization does, where these products are sent, and how exactly mem- bers can run their own chapter of this organization. Many volunteers have al- ready started selling cookies, brownies, doughnuts, and oth- er baked goods in order to raise money. Blue Moon Emporium has also donated 100 dollars to help facilitate this organiza- tion’s goals. Plzak said that they ultimately want to raise $500, and right now they have raised almost half. At the end of the year, the members want to have created 50 kits to send to different countries. Eventu- ally they want this activity to continue year long for as long as possible. For more information on how to help, visit www.days forgirls.org or talk to Sophie Plzak about donating to the or- ganization. Meetings are held weekly at Copper Rock. Ali, Days for Girls, from page 1

alyze if my actions are benefit- ing me and other people,” said Inspire from Within participant and Appleton North senior Jo- siah Vandenberg. “Through this new knowledge, it has changed me for the better and enhanced my character as I strive not just for success for myself but also for the success of others.” Next year, Inspire fromWith- in will be transforming from a before-school program to a credit course offered at Apple- ton North. The course, which is known as Mindset Mastery, will allow students to gain more depth into the subjects being touched on this year. “Mindset Mastery will help student athletes to clear their mind from any outside fac- tors and focus on their mental state,” said Beecher, who will be taking the class next year. The class will be a full credit but will only meet once every two weeks, with the rest being online coursework to be com- pleted between meetings. This will allow kids to fit the course into their schedules more eas- ily, but real-life activities will still help make the experience meaningful. On Feb. 1 through Feb. 3, North’s foreign language class- es viewed a foreign film in the quad, titled “The Nightin- gale,” a story about a man and his granddaughter who walk through the forest with a caged bird. This film was produced by French and Chinese filmmak- ers and is spoken in Chinese. In 2013 it was selected as the Chi- nese entry for best foreign film at the Academy Awards. Mme. Klein explained that she and the group of teachers in charge of Global Week’s or-

choose what they really want to spend their time on.” Both the current program and the future class focus on helping students improve their mental health and leadership, working to strengthen skills that are important not just in sports but in all aspects of life. “The material makes you think differently about who you are, what you do, and why you do it,” said Vandenberg. “It applies to all of life as you go in depth into what makes suc- cess, positivity, prosperity, and overall abundant happiness and contentment.” Above, Josiah Vandenberg swims the butterfly, and on left, Kylie Beecher goes for the shot. Photo above by Ron Page and on left by J.D. Sieg Spain Summer Exchange—Will Scheffler Girl Up Philippines—Ainie Tabua Bahamas—Genevieve Frank India—Hersh Pareek California to Wisconsin—Nacho Enriquez with North students on issues

Hopefully you’ve been able to meet some of the short-term goals that you’ve set for the year! Remember to keep up with your long-term goals in extracurriculars and aca- demics as meeting them will help you the most in the future. If you took the practice PSAT in Octo- ber, the results are now in! Although you won’t be using these scores directly in your college application, how you scored can tell you what your strengths and weaknesses are early, helping you prepare for future tests like the ACT Aspire this spring and beyond. “Through the class, students will have a chance to men- tor kids with special needs, learn from mentors in their own lives, and explore men- tal health in their own lives,” said Jadin. “Opportunities are fairly open-ended, so they can ganization reached out to com- munity members and foreign exchange students to share their experiences with North students, and educate students on cultures they may not hear about otherwise, such as Rose- laar’s experience. “So much of what I talk about is applicable to all major reli- gions, philosophies, and cul- tures,” said Roselaar. His mes- sage to students was much more than a recap of a vacation — he shared valuable lessons and thought provoking questions

Global Week Presentation

Machu Picchu—Collin Squier, Paula Meyer Israel—Saul Roselaar Disabilities Awareness— Janeal Lee Hmong Club Life Skills Latino Club

Jazz Band Indian Club

relevant to all parts of life. Roselaar elaborated on the

“I wanted people to come out of this respecting nuance.”

9 10 11 12 Now that you’ve College preparation advice for your second semester By Erik Bakken

In February and March, you will be taking the ACT with writing and the ACT Work Keys tests, which are important deci- sion factors for colleges and workplaces across the country. Starting to study for these tests now is recommended, and if you’ve already begun studying, try to increase the studying that you’re doing up to full section tests to pinpoint your strengths and weakness- es. And, now that the PSAT results are back, using these preliminary scores can help you fo- cus your studies for both the SAT and ACT.

Most, if not all, of your col- lege applications are likely completed by now, so you’ve cleared one of the biggest hurdles of your search pro- cess. If you still have applica- tions left, try to submit them as soon as possible so that you have more time during second semester for other items such as searching for scholarships. Once you’ve been accepted, one of your primary deciding factors will be the financial aid that you receive from the school and outside sources. Now is the best time to apply for other scholarships, so make sure to pick up the updated schol- arship list in the guidance office.

chosen courses for next year, continue to investigate your opportunities at North both through extracur- riculars and classes. You have another semester ahead to learn more about your interests, so make sure that you are ac- tively involved as soon as possible. Although your college applica- tions seem a long way off, demonstrating consistent involvement and interest since your freshman year will be a major asset in your résumé.

Each month, the Noctiluca will provide college advice for each grade level at Apple- ton North in the “Noctiluca University”. Advice will be specifically tailored to each month in order to provide the most timely help. Juniors and seniors: pick up a copy of college readiness timeline in the guidance office for more in-depth information regard- ing the college application process.