Clinton Township Newsletter

2 6 J U N E 2 0 2 1 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M J U N E 2 0 2 1 y o g A A T T h e g A r d e n ! Join us at the Clinton Township Organic Community Garden for a medium-paced, all levels, yoga class! This class incorporates elements of Vinyasa, Hatha, and Yin with modifications offered for Yogis at every level, while being surrounded by nature and growth. We will breathe, flow, stretch, and release! Must pre-register 2 hours in advance to reserve a spot. It's another beautiful place to practice yoga! Starts June 2. Wednesdays 7:30pm and Saturdays 8:30am. Suggested Donations are: $10, $12 and $15. If within the 2 hours, please call to see if there is a spot for you. You may try to drop-in without calling ahead, but class only runs with a minimum of one person pre-registered. Due to Covid 19: Practice social distancing at all times. Bring ALL of your own equipment (mats, blocks, blankets, etc.) Find out more at: www.earthandskyyoga.net/garden. This month, Clinton Three Q caught up with Nicole Smith, owner of local business, Next Step Advising. Clinton Three Q: June is Graduation Month! So many local seniors are being celebrated this month, as they graduate after such a strange school year. As someone who works in college and career advising who helps prepare grads, what sort of major changes or trends did you see this past year? Nicole Smith: So last year's graduating class was hit over the top of their heads with the beginning of Covid, but this current class, they've had a very diff erent experience. This graduating class was not able to visit schools in-person before selecting the ones they were applying to, they had hybrid learning environments, and many faced challenges in academics from these diff erent learning environments. We knew this year that many colleges were not requiring standardized test scores or penalizing students for their test scores, and without the scores, their academic grades were more important this year, with GPA and classwork rigor being major indicators for colleges. Many schools were going test-optional before the pandemic, but it seemed to accelerate the shift away from standardized testing. CT3Q: Are there other major changes or challenges for students that you've seen lately? NS: With academics being more heavily focused on, another thing colleges looked at was extracurriculars, and not necessarily school-related. Obviously this past year presented a lot of challenges for students trying to participate in in-person extracurricular activities, but colleges don't want to see that students have sat around and done nothing, (even during a pandemic!) and they look for participation in online volunteer advocacies; like volunteering online for Amnesty International, or actively learning a new language or hobby; for example, building an online photography portfolio. The graduating seniors had to demonstrate things in unique ways that we've never had to do before. Another challenge is that the top 50 schools have gotten the most qualifi ed, diverse applicants, ever. For example, schools like Columbia released data about their applicant pool, and they went from 5% to 3% acceptance rate. One thing I advocate for my students is that you don't only have to look at the top 100 schools. There are so many great ones out there, which is why I got into this fi eld in the fi rst place. Many of my clients took classes last year within the state or at community college; with such unknowns, they stayed closer to home. Another diff erence is that I helped some students navigate the transfer process this year, when they were dissatisfi ed with how their current colleges were handling Covid, and wanted to change schools. Lastly, colleges last year gave students until mid-July to decide, whereas this year, schools returned to their usual May 1 deadline. CT3Q: What is some of your most important advice, both to students still in high school, and to the graduating seniors? NS: I feel like some households are in a post-Covid trance and not awake to the usual college timeline yet, and that is going to make navigating the process more diffi cult. I like to set clear, timely goals, so that students and parents don't get stressed out; so that they are confi dent and sure of their decisions, and sure of what they want out of a school. Parents need to center themselves and ask what they honestly hope for their student to get out of this learning experience. We all want diff erent things, and it's important to go into this process with honesty, a lack of baggage, and clear expectations. The question of 'What do parents and students prioritize?' has shifted a lot during Covid, and it's diff erent for everyone. Top tier schools are not the end-all focus; there are so many good deals and great places for students to go out there. But there needs to be a game plan. 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,' is my favorite quote to live by. I like to keep all the doors open possible before shutting any, and that especially applies to the college and career process. Graduates have to learn to start trusting themselves and following their own passion in life, and it's not going to look like anybody else's, and they have to start taking responsibility for that. One last bit of advice is that it's important for the grads to tap into the resources available at their new college, such as career services, especially if there is not a clear course "track." For college, less than 70% of students graduate in less than 6 years... just because you get into the school doesn't mean that the work stops there! One great thing is that, as a small business boutique and not a franchise, I've grown up myself and graduated in this area. I love working with the students here, because I feel that I know the community...the students and their families. When students return at Thanksgiving, we're in a small town, so I can run into my former clients, and I can hear all about their successes and experiences in the wider world. Good luck, Class of 2021! Congratulations on a major achievement! We're all rooting for you! Welcome to with Rachel Sprague "I like to set clear, timely goals, so that students and parents don't get stressed out; so that they are confi dent and sure of their decisions, and sure of what they want out of a school." – Nicole Smith, Next Step Advising Rachel Sprague, a resident of Clinton Township, has a degree in journalism from Rutgers. With her husband Russell, Rachel is raising two young children in the Clinton Township School District. She thinks that Clinton Township is a delightful place to live. T h e H U N T E R S H E L P I N G T H E H U N G R Y p r o g r A M In 1997 the New Jersey State Senate and General Assembly passed a series of laws that the governor approved. These laws establishing a venison donation program process, along with the Food Bank Good Samaritan act, helped pave the way for the Hunters Helping the Hungry Program. The United Bow Hunters of New Jersey (UBNJ) provided much needed support for the above measures. A year later a few hunters organized Hunters Helping the Hungry, Inc. HHH is a non-profi t 501(c)3 organization with the help of the State Federation of Sportsmen Clubs, and support from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. HHH raises funds and coordinates efforts by butchers, hunters and food banks throughout NJ. We're always looking for ideas, partnerships and volunteers to help in many ways. Funds from HHH only pay for venison donated by hunters. HHH does not pay for any municipal depredation hunts or farmer depredation hunts. Many farmers and corporations do support HHH through generous donations or allowing hunters to hunt their property or requiring hunters who hunt their property to donate deer through this program. To fi nd out how you can help, visit: www.HuntersHelpingTheHungry.org.

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