Sammi Carr's The Jaguars’ Spot column for Wed., Apr. 23, 2008

Every student's favorite time of the year!

It's the most wonderful time of year! No, it’s not Christmas. And it’s not your birthday. For the next month or so we're going to be in testing mode. Along with California Standardized Testing (CST) we're also going to be in the middle of AP Tests. Some students will even be taking their SATs on May 3. So with all these tests coming up I just wanted to give you a couple pointers that have helped many students in the past.

1. Cram in some ... sleep. You're going to get a higher score on just about ANY test if you get a good night’s sleep. Many studies have shown that information learned through cramming is not retained. Sleep instead.

2. Stay healthy and hydrated. I know sometimes we kids get so involved in studying that we forget to fuel ourselves. Not just food, water too.

3. Bring something comfy to wear and a pillow to sit on, because I guarantee your butt’s gonna get sore!

4. Don't psych yourself out! It is possible to study so hard that you lose sight of the test as a whole. Senior Torey McMurdo shared some of her wisdom last week with my English class: "Even if you bombed the multiple choice section, if you’re good at essays, don't lose hope. You can still pass with one section that's really strong."

In closing, just keep your wits about you and you'll probably do fine. Unless, of course, you blow it, in which case, I am not legally responsible for information given in this column!

FUNdraiser:

This weekend at the Community Center, the VC Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a FUNdraiser for scholarships for this year’s graduating seniors and to help the candidacy of our very own Principal, Ron McCowan, who is the Chamber’s candidate for the Honorary Mayor’s race.

The fundraiser will be this Saturday from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. Contact Chamber ambassador Melody Hawthorne at 749-8888 or via email at mehawth@pacbell.net for more information.

In addition to her Chamber duties, Melody is also the VC Women's Club treasurer. "The Women's Club is running Phyllis Kamps for the Mayor’s Race as well as giving $1,000 scholarships to one graduating female and one female returning to college," she said.

Yearbooks:

The yearbook staff has just finished this year’s edition. Now it's off to get printed and bound. You can still order one at the cashier's window for $65, but the price is going up $5 on April 30th, so make sure you get one soon. Promise not to tell, OK? but I snuck a couple of peeks in Robert Conrad's photography classroom and it looks amazing!

Here's something I betcha didn't know:

Speaking of testing, have any of you AP students been frustrated by disruptions as you’re taking your tests in the Media Center? That's because, understandably, it’s impossible to shut down the library for the two weeks of testing. Still, many teachers feel the disruptions interfere with the testing environment and are actively looking for alternate locations. The winner so far is the Maxine Theater lobby.

Now, at first that might sound a little strange, but last week all of us in my English class, all of us went down there for a trial run and came to the conclusion that the great natural sunlight, efficient air conditioning and quiet environment were very beneficial. So don’t be surprised if you end up there yourself.

Know something I don't know? Catch me on campus or send me an e-mail at sammi@carrfamily.com. See ya. Sam.