Dear Michelle…

How does SchooLinks work?  How do I log my hours?

Great Question! SchooLinks is the application the school uses to log your community service hours. In addition, you can access other valuable information like community/scholarship opportunities, scores and performances (GPA/PSAT/SAT/AP), and your transcript.

In order to log your hours, click School →Experience Tracking →Add Entry →Volunteer hours (unless otherwise specified). Then, fill out the entry and submit. At this point, your advisor just needs to approve your entry and it’s inputted into the system! If you’re interested in more information regarding SchooLinks, make sure to talk with your guidance counselor.

As a reminder, you’re required to have 20 hours of community service throughout your four years. *I strongly suggest that you upload your hours as you complete them; it’s difficult to keep track otherwise, especially down the road when you’re a senior and applying to colleges/scholarships/etc. that ask you about your community service.* It’s fairly easy to upload your hours so stay on top of it. Finally, don’t stop once you hit your 20 hour requirement, continue doing more!

How do you make good cookies?

Thank you for the question! There are many techniques that go into making delicious cookies: in particular, browning the butter (cooking the butter on the stove-top until it starts to turn brown), microwaving, or creaming it, measuring your ingredients correctly (especially the flour), and refrigerating the dough (to enhance flavor and prevent overspreading). Remember, baking is a science. In comparison to cooking, baking is less forgiving for incorrect ratios of ingredients. But my advice is to follow the recipe and have fun. Enjoy the process, try new recipes and continue to explore the various possibilities of baking. Baking can be for anyone so pick up a recipe and start mixing! P.S. I recommend “Sally’s Baking Addiction” for good recipes 🙂

How can we get NJROTC more noticed in Bears Facts and The Morning Brew?

Thank you for your question. NJROTC is a great program and we’d love to hear more about it! Go to a Bear Facts meeting or email Mr. LoAlbo/Ms. Pastore to express your interest. You can write a story about NJROTC or see if you can get a friend/newspaper contributor to! Regarding the Morning Brew, you can follow their Instagram and send questions about ROTC/get in contact with them! It’s all about connections and who you know.

Advice for staying active/working out during the fall and winter?

Awesome question! This is something that affects many students and I’d love to try and help you. First off, I totally understand. It can be difficult figuring out what to do, especially if you want to stay in shape during pre-season.

With that being said, one option is joining another sport, for example, running. This is an incredibly versatile activity: you can start anytime, practically anywhere, and all you really need are some running shoes. Joining a sport allows you to stay active all season long. That being said, some school sports are cross country (in the fall) and winter track (in the winter). These sports welcome everyone and they’re great for staying active. You can sign up for sports through FamilyID.

Another suggestion I have is going to the gym because working out is a great way to stay active during the colder months. Two other options are going on walks in your neighborhood or exercising/doing core at home with exercise videos. (Many don’t even require equipment!)

With the workload of school, life, and colder temperatures that make you want to stay bundled up at home, it can be difficult and stressful to stay active during the colder seasons. It’s important to try and get in some form of exercise each week, even when it’s most difficult. You will start to feel better (those endorphins!) and there are also ways to make it more enjoyable: like getting your friends involved, setting goals, or listening to music along the way! I wish you the best this upcoming season!!

Do you think finding THE college is difficult?

Thank you for the question! I think this is a difficult stage for everyone right now, so don’t feel like you’re alone.  What is THE college one might ask? It can be a college that stands out because they have programs you really like, a community you’d love to be involved in, everything that makes you want to be at that school. Many may have that college but others may not. For me, I’m a part of the latter group. Either way, that’s normal. We’re not expected to have it all figured out. I think finding that college is difficult because I don’t really know what I want but I’m trying to be open to new avenues. I think if you take advantage of the opportunities at the college and make the most of your experience, it will end up good in the end, despite the college you attend. However, since all of us are going in with this sense of unknown in one aspect or another, I’d suggest applying to a variety of schools that interest you and you might find a gem!

“Michelle’s Take” is an advice column by Michelle Di Carlo to advise people on how to deal with their concerns and issues in the most positive way possible. I try my best to ensure that they will make decisions that will help them move forward on the right path. I hope you will write to me, in confidence, seeking my guidance. Just a reminder: I will not disclose any information sent to me. What you write will always remain anonymous. I encourage you to be creative with your usernames and send feedback so that this column will be successful in helping those who seek advice. You can email me at [email protected] or drop a note in our standing metal mailbox outside of the Art rooms. I look forward to reading your letters.

“La opinión de Michelle” es una columna de consejos de Michelle Di Carlo para asesorar a las personas sobre cómo tratar mejor sus preocupaciones y problemas.​ Yo hago mi mejor esfuerzo para asegurarme que tu tomes la decicion correcta, ayudarte a avanzar de manera positiva. Yo espero que tu me escribas con confidencia, pidiendo mi ayuda. Un recordatorio, yo no voy a revelar ninguna información que me envies. Lo que tu escribas siempre va a ser anónimo. Te animo a que seas creativo con tus nombres de usuario y envíes comentarios para que esta columna sea exitosa para ayudar a quienes buscan consejos. Correo electrónico a [email protected]. Espero sus cartas.