April 7: General Meeting Notes

Thank you all for squeezing into the small meeting room last night at the Youth Center.  It was a cozy fit to be sure!  We will be a lot more comfortable in the Preschool Room beginning from next time.

Next Steps

Here are the next steps to prepare for our next meeting on April 21...

See the Document & Links page of this blog for the complete presentation.  You will find the link to Kids Web Japan there, too (toward the bottom).

Forms

The editable Student Profile and Student/Family Information forms are now available on the same Document & Links page.

Visas

If you have an international passport, visit this page on the Embassy of Japan's website.  If your country is NOT listed, you will need a visa.  Do not worry, we will help you get one.  Let me know.

Open House Bake Sale

Regarding the Open House Bake Sale Fundraiser, information will be posted here this week about the specifics once determined.  For now, plan to provide 2 or 3 dozen baked goods of your choosing that we can sell at the Open House.

The students will be meeting to make a large banner (time/day to be determined).  We will also need two or three folding tables, some kind of table cloth (butcher paper works best as we can write prices directly on it).  Drinks such as hot coffee, hot chocolate, and or water might be a good idea, too (but then we would also need an extension cord...).  Will also need paper napkins, small paper plates, paper cups, and so on.  I will provide a cash box with a "starter" bank of cash.  More details to follow.

Contact me with any questions!

First Up!

Our first meeting will be Tuesday, April 7, 6:30-8:00pm at the Monterey Youth Center.  Please come excited and ready to learn!

After a brief reintroduction to the program, our tasks at the first meeting will be:

• Self-introductions
• Logistics of the program
• Passports
• Timeline
• Costs/Fundraisers
• Calendar
• Photos
• Next Steps

We will also need to begin collecting information from you, including a self/family profile that will be used to help match you with a partner in Nanao.  We will also be asking for your T-shirt size, your height (in centimeters), birthday, and general family information.

We will end each meeting with a simple and entertaining homework assignment for you to research before the next meeting.

What do you need to bring?  Please prepare a 1" three-ring binder with about 25 sheets of notebook paper and a pocket or two.  You will be given handouts that you will need to keep and you will need to take notes.  While smartphones are great and can be very useful, pencil and paper are still the best way to capture information quickly.  Bring your notebook and pen/pencil to every meeting!

Last, our first fundraiser opportunity, the Colton Open House, is in the second or third week of April.  We will be selling baked goods as dessert to the pizza being sold by the Colton PTA.  Details will be discussed at the meeting, but please prepare some kind of baked good, such as cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and so on that we can sell during the Open House.

Contact Dana with any questions at 831-601-1592

This is going to be an exciting program year and I am looking forward to spending it with you.  See you all on Tuesday, April 7!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the fourteen successful applicants selected for the 2015 Junior Wings Program.  Competition is always very tough and this year was no exception.  Thank you to all of the applicants for your interest in the program.

For those applicants that were not selected, please understand that the logistics of the program when traveling to Japan, as well as the number of applicants selected by the Nanao Junior Wings Program, are what limits the number of applicants that can be selected.  We truly regret that we are unable to accept everyone.

Applicant Notification Letters Mailed

Thank you all for your patience.  Application notification letters were mailed as of Tuesday, March 31.  You should be receiving your letter in a day or two.  If your letter does not reach you by Saturday, April 4, please contact rushwind24@gmail.com as your application may have been one of the two that were missing a complete mailing address.

Application period ended/Student Interviews

Thank you to everyone who submitted an application on Friday, March 6.  We received a record number of 37 applications, thus making the selection process very difficult. 

The written application is only half of the process.  The next step is to sign up for a 10-minute interview with the Selection Committee.  Sign up in Ms. H's classroom.  Interviews will be held on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17, from 5:00-9:00PM at the Monterey Youth Center (777 Pearl St in Monterey, next to Dennis the Menace Park).

Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the interview so as to talk one-on-one with the Junior Wings greeter (a former Junior Wing parent).  This is your chance to learn more about the program and to ask any and all questions you might have.

Students, please know that interviews will be conducted on time.  DO NOT BE LATE!  If an extenuating circumstance comes up, call us!  831-601-1592.

Best of luck to you all.

Student Application Now Available!

The student application and evaluation rubric for Junior Wings Program 2015 are now available!

• Student Application
• Evaluation Rubric

These documents are also on the Documents & Links page.

Applications are due to Ms. Hochstaedter by 4:00PM FRIDAY, MARCH 6.

To maintain fairness for all applicants, no late submissions will be accepted.

Junior Wings 2015 Begins!

The Junior Wings Program for 2015 begins February 24 with a general orientation to the program for interested students and their families.  This orientation will be held at the Monterey Youth Center, Tuesday, February 24, 6:30-7:30 pm.  Student applications are here.  The evaluation rubric is here.  These documents are also on the Documents & Links page.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE: 4:00PM FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Initial Calendar

• February 24:  Student/Family Orientation Meeting, 6:30-7:30pm, Monterey Youth Center.  Student applications available at the meeting.
• March 6:  Student applications due by 4:00pm, Colton Middle School Office.  Sign up for an interview time slot.   No late applications accepted.
• March 16-17:  Student interviews,  5:00-9:00pm, Monterey Youth Center
• March 23:  Notification letters mailed over Spring Break

• April 7:  First meeting!!