Tag Archive for: boarding schools Midwest rocketry

Ten Tips to Prepare for College

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It’s not to early to be thinking about…
  1. Utilize AP courses to your advantage but don’t let AP pursuits come at a cost to your grand point average (GPA).
  2. Look for mentors in a field that you can see yourself doing, it helps you start making learning how to network while getting more comfortable at approaching adults that you admire.
  3. Volunteer in your area of passion or something that isn’t related to academia. This shows how well rounded you are and colleges will be looking for that type of individual who stands out in their hours clocked after school.
  4. GPA needs to stay up, in 12th grade there’s often this feeling of “coasting” or “senior-itis” but the truth is that if you let your grades slip during the last few years, your GPA will suffer in the end.
  5. Participate in clubs and school activities. This could mean joining the student council or asking your student council members about how you can get more involved.
  6. Do community service related projects or unique assignments that your teachers offer. If you don’t know where to begin always ask your teachers and they can guide you appropriately.
  7. Internships that are offered over summer break can be give you a huge advantage on your college applications as well as gaining useful skills for life.
  8. Develop strong relationships with at least one of your teachers, they will be the ones who write a recommendation letter for you to get into college so it’s good to have at least one teacher that you can feel closely aligned with.
  9. Start thinking about all of this in 9th grade. It’s not too soon to be considering these tips. Be sure you’re working with your college counselor who will keep you on track!
  10. Look below to find more specifics tips from our college counselor.

 

 

Freshmen preparing for college should plan to:

  •     Take challenging classes in core academic courses.
  •     Work with their school counselors to create a yearly schedule to meet graduation and college admissions requirements.
  •     Talk to an advisor or school counselor about taking Advanced Placement®* and honors courses.
  •     Identify interests and potential career fields through online resources, like this interest profiler, and by attending career fairs and other events.
  •     Get involved with community-based and leadership-oriented activities that best reflect their interests.
  •     Browse the College Scorecard to see what types of schools interest them.
  •     As they find and review them, bookmark resources for college planning.
  •     Start a running list of accomplishments, awards, and recognition’s to use when completing college applications and writing resumes.

Sophomores preparing for college should:

  •     Consider taking a practice test to prepare for the PSAT.
  •     Attend college and career information events.
  •     Start learning about funding for college, including scholarships, grants, loans, work-study jobs, etc.
  •     Consider the types of careers that fit their interests and what college majors they require.
  •     Reach out to school counselors and/or mentors to discuss occupational interests and college requirements.

In the Fall semester, Juniors should:

  •     Take the PSAT if they have not already. Students should generally take the test no later than fall semester of the eleventh grade to qualify for National Merit scholarships and programs.
  •     Attend in-person or online college fairs.
  •     Explore careers and their earning potentials in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

In the Spring semester, Juniors need to:

  •     Register for college admission exams—SAT, the SAT Subject Tests, and the ACT—and take practice tests. College admissions professionals recommend students have at least one standardized score before the end of their junior year.
  •     Research how to pay for college and what federal student aid may be available to you.
  •     Identify scholarship opportunities to pursue; note deadlines on calendar.
  •     Contact colleges to request information and applications.

During the Summer, rising Seniors should:

  •     Plan college visits.
  •     Narrow down the colleges under consideration.
  •     Make decisions required by colleges’ early-decision or early-action programs.
  •     Complete the Federal Student Aid Estimator.

In the Fall semester, Seniors will need to:

  •     Register for and take (or retake) the SAT and/or ACT, if not already done.
  •     Complete and submit college applications prior to deadlines.
  •     Request transcripts and letters of recommendation at least 30 days before they are due.
  •     Work with parents to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA® form). Before each year of college, you’ll need to apply for federal grants, work-study, and loans with the FAFSA.
  •     Complete and submit scholarship applications prior to deadlines.
  •     Meet with a counselor to verify that they’ll meet graduation requirements on schedule.

During the Winter months, Seniors should:

  •     Review and make any necessary changes/corrections to their Student Aid Report.
  •     Finish submitting scholarship applications.

In the Spring semester, Seniors will need to:

  •     Visit colleges on their “short list.”
  •     Consider college acceptances; compare financial aid packages offered.
  •     Call college financial aid representatives with questions.
  •     Decide on the college to attend (typically by May 1) and contact its offices.
  •     Make informed decisions about student loans.

While some seniors think they’ve “made it” and can coast in their last year of high school, students preparing for college should recognize that college admissions officers will expect to see they’ve worked hard to keep grades up and stayed involved in school and community activities. Parents may reassure aspiring college students that they can still enjoy life and time with friends while remaining focused on larger goals.

 

Ready to apply? Click here.

Want to know more about our college counseling services? Click here.

Learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Poetry Unit: Poems by Our Second Graders

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Our Second Grade students, in Mrs. Walmsley’s class, have been working hard in their poetry unit. They have been practicing many different forms of poetry. I had the honor hearing them read their original works. Now, the students are ready to share their writing with the world!Second Grade Poetry

Blue by Kaleb

Blue like a diamond in the sky –

And the water down below

and the winter sky –

Like a cold cube of coldness

Floating around the world.

 

My Older Brother by Eva (who doesn’t have an older bother)

My older brother is madder than a very mad raccoon.

He is never as happy like a sunshine.

He is only mad and very, very stern.

Me, on the other hand, is happy.

Happy as can be.

I always do what my parents want me to when I am very happy.

 

The Moment by Aden

Have you ever had a moment?

Have you ever felt the silver strings of ideas it sends to your mind?

Fast as lightening,

They streak through your mind –

Down, down

To the black pit that grows with vines. poetry reading

 

A Blow by Shea

A blow ho no.

A cold wind today

No book today

Hot, hot chocolate on the stove!!!

Brown blanket around me.

It is cold like the north pole.

 

Rose by Wansu

Oh rose, you make me blossom.

Oh rose, you make my heart pump like a thousand butterflies.

Oh rose, you’re like a pretty, pink diamond,

Like a pink bird soaring through the sky,

Like a tree with pink cherry blossoms.

Oh rose, you make me blossom.

 

The Pencil by Oliver

A pencil can be a yellow stick.

A pencil can hurt you if you touch the tip.

A pencil can be a sword.

A pencil can write words that change your life. poetry reading

 

Yesterday I Saw a Bird by Angelica

Yesterday I saw a bird,

laying on a tree.

It was all red and the mouth was green.

Little, little bird

I wish I can put you in my pocket.

But I can’t!

It reminds me when I was at Maker Space

I saw a sweater.

It was red and green.

Just like you!!

 

Pizza by Evie

Pizza you are sleeping

But you wake up just like the sun in the morning.

When you’re sleeping,

You’re like the full moon.

Pizza, pizza

What do you see?

I see a pizza in my tummy.

 

 

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556

Phishing Emails – Taught by Shristi

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Phishing Emails

Phishing Emails are becoming more and more popular as a way scammers can gain access to you. The goals of phishing scams vary widely and include hacking a system, stealing personal information, or convincing you to send money. Phishing emails are something to be aware of! To familiarize yourself with the concept, read how one student taught our staff about how easy it is for phishing scammers to reach us.

Maharishi School and Phishing Emails

One of our students, Shristi, taught our staff about how easy to is to mistake a phishing scam as a real email coming from a real person. Shristi demonstrated this by sending a series of phishing emails to our staff and other businesses within our community. Many of our staff fell into the trap. Shristi then explained the emails to our staff. Here is what she had to say:

Dear All,

Recently, you received two emails titled “Additional Benefits!” and “URGENT: Employee Contract Update” that seemed to be coming from Celeste Siemsen, but were, in fact, coming from me, Shristi. I am a 9th grader at Maharishi School and was sending these emails out to you as part of a science fair experiment. If you opened these emails, and clicked on the link, you saw an alert pop up that said that the emails you received were fake and were part of a phishing campaign for a science experiment. Had those emails been a part of a real attack, your information could have been used to compromise Maharishi School. I would like to thank you all for your cooperation and participation in this experiment and would also like to share some information with you to raise awareness about phishing.

What is Phishing?
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack which utilizes email as a way to obtain login credentials, gather information, or send malware to a user’s computer. These messages often entice targets to click a link to visit a malicious website or download a malicious file through a variety of ways including:
Appearing to come from a legitimate email address (These emails looked like they were coming from Celeste Siemsen)
Playing on emotions causing the target to act irrationally (showing sense of urgency, or luring you with a promise of benefits)
Legitimate looking websites and/or emails ( The website looked like a Google login page)
How many Maharishi School Employees Took the Bait?

71% of employees opened the additional benefits email and clicked on the link while 19% opened the contract update email and clicked the link.

Maharishi School is not alone. Every single day, 80,000 people take the bait! That is why 76% of the world’s companies and organizations reported falling victim to a phishing attack last year.

Why Should I Care?
Believe it or not, you are a target both at work and at home. You and your devices are critical entry points into any organization, and being able to identify and react to phishing emails appropriately will stop these attacks dead in the water. If you feel that you have received a phishing email, it is never a bad idea to confirm that the email came from the right source by contacting the person through another means of communication(calling, texting, etc). If you receive a phishing email on your school account contact Ms. Celeste or another administrator immediately and follow the appropriate policies and procedures.

Phishing Indicators
Check the email address. If the sender is from an unusual domain it’s probably a phish.
Be suspicious of emails with generic salutations. They could be an indicator that a seemingly personal email went to a lot of people.
Be suspicious of emails which ask for an immediate action to be taken. That means that an attacker is expecting you to take action without thinking.
Be careful with links. Hover over the link first and check that the destination matches the link.
Don’t open attachments unless you’re expecting one from that specific person or you’ve verified the attachment is safe via some other means besides email.
Be mindful of emails containing offers that are ‘too good to be true’. More often than not, they are.

Red Flags in the Emails you Received

Phishing Email Red Flags

Shristi got the following awards for her project “Phishing: Don’t Take the Bait, Protect Your Sensitive Information” in the Senior high-school category.

State Science and Technology Fair, 2018
1) Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Trip Award, Student Observer
2) 1st Place in the Computer Science category
3) Intel Excellence in Computer Science and $200 cash award

She also received the following award at Eastern Iowa Science and Engineering Fair

EISEF, 2018
1) EISEF: Honorable Mention, Senior
2) Inspiring Excellence: Alan B. Adams Meritorious Achievement

 

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556

Ayurveda and Your Dosha

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Ayurveda and Maharishi School

At Maharishi School, we teach a system of wellness, Maharishi Ayurveda, that we believe will benefit our students for the rest of their lives. Ayurveda is an ancient, Eastern system of wellness that aims to keep the body in balance to prevent illness and disruptions to the quality of life. Ayurveda looks at a person holistically – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually – to find the source of any imbalance that may arise. Each individual is unique, but everyone tends to fit into a combination of the three doshas, or constitutions. These doshas define both the individual’s most balanced and natural state (prakriti) and their current imbalance (vikriti). Understanding these two areas of a person helps identify the ways to return a person back to their individual balanced state from their out of balance state.

The Doshas

According to Maharishi Ayurveda, there are three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Vata governs movement. Vata constitutions tend to have a thin build, tend to not gain weight easily, tend to learn quickly then forget easily, tend to be enthusiastic, and vivacious, and to easily become cold. Pitta governs all heat, metabolism, digestion, and transformation in the mind and body. Pitta constitutions tend to have a medium build and balanced weight, a sharp intellect, to be goal-oriented, and to easily become hot. Kapha dosha governs the structure and fluid balance in the body. Kapha constitutions tend to have a larger build, have a tendency for weight gain, are slow to learn but slow to forget, tend to be sweet and even-tempered, and dislike cold and damp weather.

Each person is their own specific blend of all three doshas, but most people have more of two doshas. If you want to find your dosha or imbalance, visit Maharishi Ayurveda Products International’s website (MAPI.com). Take the Dosha Quiz and learn more about your constitution and Ayurveda.

Our Students

We provide our students with an in-depth understanding of their dosha and imbalance. In addition, we help give them tools to bring themselves back to balance. Ayurveda is a powerful modality in that it empowers an individual to assess their own imbalance and decide how to address that balance. We want to encourage our students to focus on their whole-body health all of their lives. We believe Ayurveda provides them with tools to do just that.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556

What is a Yagya?

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Yagya is a process of bringing the individual into harmony with the
stream of evolution, which enjoys the favor of all the forces of nature
engaged in the advancement of life, individual and cosmic.” —Maharishi

 

What is a Yagya?

Yagyas are performed through the recitation of sound to reach a certain result. Yagyas are based on the ancient knowledge of saints of the vedic tradition.  Yagyas are performed to creative a positive effect and to best support nature positively. Specifically trained pandits (pundits) perform the yagyas. The goal of yagyas is to promote harmony in order for a person or group of people to see the positive effects of life.

Maharishi School and Yagyas

Each year, Maharishi School uses yagyas to fund-raise to provide for the school’s needs and so that the school may benefit from the strength of yagyas. Participate by donating $100 or more to Maharishi School and contribute to the glorious benefits of Maharishi Yagya® performances. The five Maharishi Yagya performances are based on the incorporation date of Maharishi University of Management. All donations are tax-deductible. At least fifteen percent of your gift goes directly to the performances and the balance contributes to the Maharishi School Annual Fund.

Donate $108: $100 will apply to your share and $8 will go to those who would like to join but are unable to purchase a full share.

To donate, click here.

To learn more about Maharishi Yagyas, click here.

Thank you!

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556

Why We Promote Creative Problem-Solving

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Why We Promote Creative Problem-Solving

At Maharishi School, we want to promote creative problem-solving in our students because it is a valuable lifelong skill. We accept that our students will come across many problems throughout life. These problems with need solving, as problems tend to need. We want to give students a taste of this reality by providing a safe and constructive space to try, fail, and succeed. One way we provide this space is through Destination ImagiNation.

Destination ImagiNation

Destination ImagiNation (DI) is the world’s largest creativity and problem-solving competition and inspires participants in its programs to think on their feet, work together and devise original solutions to solve the mind-bending challenges. The students must come up with solutions to the challenges on their own, without adult interference.

Below is one DI performance our students produced. It is incredibly insightful, nuanced, and intelligent.

To read more about DI at Maharishi School, click here.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556

Why We Manage Stress

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Why We Manage Stress

Life is full of stressful events. Just when we think we have conquered one, another stressful situation pops up. As adults, we know our stress transitions from deadlines on homework to deadlines at work, on taxes, on bills. However, we know that those stressors as kids and teenagers were real and pressing.

According to the American Psychological Association, 30% percent of teens feel overwhelmed and depressed as a result of stress overload. Growing up is tough. Teens today are under immense pressure and sometimes it can feel as if they are out in the ocean being tossed and turned by turbulent waves. But that turbulence is only on the surface of the water, as you go to deeper and deeper levels of the ocean, there is more and more calm. Transcendental Meditation® is the technique to effortlessly let go of that surface tension and sink into that depth of calm.

Utilizing Our Full Potential

With goal-setting, it’s important to have perseverance and push upwards, but what if we could make that process easier? By accessing our own inherent intelligence via the Transcendental Meditation® technique we utilize our full potential and are able to move towards goals with less turmoil. Regular practice of TM erodes the effects of stress and creates skillful action allowing us to do more, with less energy expended.

When stress begins to melt away, that’s when the real self begins to emerge. At Maharishi School, we believe change begins within and we give you the tools needed to beat stress. We teach you how to transcend turbulence and to access that rich reservoir that is at the deepest level within.

To read more about our stress management, click here.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556

Why We Use the Science of Creative Intelligence

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Why We Use the Science of Creative Intelligence

The world is a lovely, complex, and connected thing. We see things that are true and observable across all of nature. At Maharishi School, we want to define these observations to make them easier to see. We call this the Science of Creative Intelligence.

Our students have a unique interdisciplinary course focusing on the Science of Creative Intelligence where they see underlying, universal principles that are common to the structure and functioning of life—their academic subjects, in nature, and in themselves. For example, we see how life is structured in layers: whether in the earth’s crust, our government, the analysis of literature, a math theorem, or one’s family and personality.

This is one way Maharishi School cultivates vertical thinking: making connections between all the details on the surface of life with the big ideas at their basis.

SCI Classes

In SCI classes, students learn that the laws of real-world science are the same laws that guide human growth. For example, one of the principles is: Every action has a reaction. In science, we see this in literally everything. If temperatures rise on our planet, that means drastic changes for many species. A small change in one part of the world can lead to a ripple effect globally as in the butterfly effect.

In the same way, every action has a reaction in our lives. The words we use, the actions we take, and the education we embrace all have an affect. By understanding this principle in depth, students see the power they carry and are able to better understand the mechanics of not only the physical world but also the mechanics of their behavior and life. They learn these simple but powerful truths starting in Kindergarten.

To learn more about The Science of Creative Intelligence, click here.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556

Why We Practice Yoga Asanas

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Why We Practice Yoga Asanas

The Origins of Yoga

You may have noticed yoga studios and classes appearing just about everywhere in the United States. We love the health trend! However, yoga originated in India and is part of the larger system of health called Ayurveda. Ayurveda is an Eastern modality of wellness that views good digestion as the beginning of wellness. Ayurveda suggests using yoga asanas, specific yoga poses that promote whole body wellness and support digestion, to balance the body. Because of this understanding, we teach our students how to do these poses.

Daily Routine

At Maharishi School the underlying message in all we do for and with our students is this: everything you need to succeed is already inside of you. Teaching children to do yoga and meditate is an integral part of this curriculum; these tools will serve them for a lifetime.

Twice a day, every day, Maharishi School students practice their yoga asanas, then settle down to meditate for ten-fifteen minutes before heading back into the activities of the day. In addition to physical stretching and toning, asanas are an excellent way for kids to relieve stress. Yoga helps students to be more mindful of their breath, and how breathing in different ways can enliven or relax the physiology. It improves balance, coordination, and posture. Yoga brings awareness and energy to every part of the body and teaches kids how to relax and recharge by tuning in to themselves.

Students leave yoga and meditation settled and focused. Maharishi School teachers and staff also do asanas and meditate, which prepares them to give their best to their students each day.

To learn more about yoga asanas, click here.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556

Why We Incorporate Project-based Learning

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Why We Incorporate Project-based Learning

The Love of Learning

At Maharishi School, we want to instill the love of learning in each of our students. We recognize that no one, not even the most developed and mature adult, wants to spend years and years of their life doing something he or she doesn’t want to do. In reality, learning is something we must do our entire life, whether in a job or in relationships or as we travel to new cultures. With that understanding, we believe it is important to promote the love of learning at a young age to teach our students to find subjects they are passionate about and innovative ways to learn about their passions. This is why we structure in project-based learning time.

Daily Routine

Every day students are given 70 minutes to work on a passion project. They problem-solve, experiment, falter and keep striving. Through the process, they learn real-world skills that will serve them when they are adults working on projects at their workplaces. Some of the Learning Goals for project learning are creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, a growth mindset, societal impact and service, interdisciplinary integration, development of student portfolios.

Each project is either designed by a teacher or proposed by the student at the conception stage and addresses an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. The students work either independently or in small teams and exercise real-life skills in their areas of interest while being fully supported by teachers, community experts, and leaders brought in to match the students’ interests. At the end of each quarter, all the students’ projects are showcased as part of a community-wide event.

College Preparation

We are seeing a shift in college preparation. Instead of judging students by their SAT or ACT scores, colleges are taking a more holistic approach. They take into consideration SAT or ACT score, but they also look at the student for their entire high school experience. This is displayed in a portfolio. In our project time, students are able to develop diverse portfolios.

Read more about Project-Based Learning here.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hannah Nichols
Marketing and PR
Maharishi School
hnichols@msae.edu
Fairfield, IA 52556