So I’m hearing that your kids are opting out of foreign languages and the tougher math classes. Well, guess what? I’m also hearing that some colleges, when figuring the GPA (grade point average) for admission, are ONLY looking at the grades of college prep courses!  What that means is that the art class that your son aced will not be counted for college admission at some schools, nor will phys ed.

Taking classes to prepare for college is different from taking classes to meet state requirements for high school graduation. Don’t be fooled! Help your child pick courses (and stick with them unless they are really, truly struggling) that prepare them for more options after high school. Picking classes and beginning the work that will make up a GPA starts in grade 9. Come up with a four-year plan of coursework right off the bat! Waiting until junior year may be too late to get on track when your student decides that maybe college or training after high school is something he or she wants after all. Here’s my motto: “Make a plan – plan for a life.” OK, it’s not as powerful as “Just do it.” But it makes sense for planning high school courses and for post-high school opportunities!

I’m Cathy, a native Vermonter raised in the Burlington area and a graduate of Colchester High School, Johnson State College, and Virginia Tech. As a first-generation college student, I knew I wanted to work in the field of education. How to get there was less certain! Armed with a degree in special education, I taught for one year at Champlain Valley Union in Hinesburg. I left that to be a disc-jockey in Anchorage, Alaska, where I began to find out who I was and what I really wanted my path to be: talking with others about their experiences and traveling.

OK — time to get serious. I returned to Vermont to work as an admissions counselor for at Johnson. College had been so positive for me that I made it my mission to talk to high school students and parents about this wonderful little school I had attended. I had no idea that a whole professional field existed to assist students in adjusting to college, activities and living experiences, plus transitioning from college to the world of work. I loved it! So, next on the path came graduate school. I wanted to learn more about how college students develop — and about other colleges than mine.

So, off I went to graduate school at Virginia Tech. Fabulous! I had to prove to myself that I could do work at this level in a place far from home. Virginia Tech, with its friendly people and familiar mountain setting, quickly became a second home and another adventure. I was getting ready for my life while living it!

A whole world had opened up, and I spent 15 years in college admissions, alumni relations, student activities, and residential life, as well as dean of students. The experiences and the people made the work fun and exciting. I also spent several years working for a family center in Vermont, where my contact with families, state and federal agencies, and schools provided enjoyment and lots of learning about family systems.

OK, so where does the parenting stuff come into play? Well, I am a married mother of two delightful children. When I became a parent, my world changed yet again with so much to think about and be responsible for! But, you try to take it one day at a time. When you think about it, everything you do that makes you feel like a good parent, and makes your children feel loved, is the right thing to do.

I’ll be posting some thoughts here from time to time based on my conversations with parents and experiences with my own children, niece (about to graduate from college), and nephews (in various stages of life, college, work, and high school). Come back and visit and send your thoughts my way! We’ll see what we can come up with together.

Cathy Printon
Parent Program Coordinator
Vermont State GEAR UP
VSAC

All right, parents. It’s time for a little pat on the back, a thank-you from your kids. So sit back and breathe — you’re doing fine!

Okay. You’re halfway through the school year. Does your day sometimes feel like a sitcom or evening drama? It’s time to take a minute to think about what you do every day that supports your children. VSAC and Start Where You Are want you to know that we appreciate all you do to get from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Parenting is not always easy, and it takes finesse and patience.

We want to say thank you. Thank you from your children — for the morning toast, for doing the laundry, for making dinner, for getting them to school, for reminding them to pack their homework, for having that conversation when your favorite show is on, and for letting them know that you’re always there for them. Thank you for being you.