Deck the Halls with... POINSETTIAS 

Horticulture Club Poinsettia Sales

Friday, December 2 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM

Saturday, December 3 from 9:00 to 11:00 AM

Monday, December 5 from 12:00 to 2:00 PM

VWCC Greenhouse

Colors available: Marble, Pink, Red, White

 Sizes and Prices: 

  4"  $4.50 each                  6" singles   $7.00 each                     7 "& 7 1/2" $12.00 each   

           4 1/2" Hip Hop Euphorbia $2.50      White flowering plant that will make a great addition to your poinsettia display.   

Poinsettia prices include foil wrap and bow

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Orchids and Boston Fern also available:

Assorted Orchid varieties $15.00 each, 10" Boston Fern baskets $10.00 each     

Visit us  in the greenhouse this week where you will find beautiful poinsettias for Christmas decorating and gift giving. Thank you for supporting the VWCC Horticulture Club and the Community Arboretum. Hope to see you at the sales!

Post submitted by Clark BeCraft

Psi Beta Information Session - Psychology Honors Society 

Tuesday, November 29^th at 3:30 in D106

 Fall Application Deadline: Monday, December 5, 2011

Applications can be picked up at the sessions and from Lora Vasiliauskas in D112a or email her at lvasiliauskas@virginiawestern.edu

“HOT TOPIC” SESSION 

 STUDY TO THE TEST QUESTIONS

When:            Wednesday, November 30; 1:00 p.m.
Where:           Business Science Building, Room 320

Facilitator:     Ms. Edna Whittier

This session encourages students to become “test confident.” Confident test takers are prepared because they study “to the test questions.” Techniques include: creating and following a study schedule for effective recall, dealing with test distractions, time limits and test anxiety, preparing study notes that match your learning style, finding a clearer understanding of what to expect on an exam, recognizing course material as either background or test material. The session includes a handout of test taking tips for different kinds of tests.

Ms. Desiree Frye
Retention Services
Virginia Western Community College
(540) 857-7583

As part of the deficit-reduction efforts, Congress is attempting to cut Pell funding in their 2012 budget.  In light of this, there is a nationwide push to help save Federal Pell Grant funding from being slashed by Congress.  NAICU and the Student Aid Alliance are asking people to visit this website and “sign off” on their support of the Pell Grant program.  Here is the website:  http://action.studentaidalliance.org/5371/save-student-aid-statement-support/

The House wants to maintain the maximum grant of $5,550.  In order to do so under the current budgetary constraints, it wants to make changes to the Pell Grant eligibility rules. These changes include:

• A reduction in the maximum number of semesters that students can receive the Pell Grant from 18 to 12,
• An elimination of Pell Grant eligibility for students that are attending school less than half-time,
• A reduction in the amount of a student’s personal earnings that can be excluded from a Pell Grant award calculation,
• A cut to the maximum family income that would automatically qualify a student for the maximum grant from $30,000 to $15,000
• The proposal would also end Pell Grant eligibility for students who qualify for less than 10 percent of the maximum grant.

The Senate wants to maintain the maximum grant by adding supplemental funding to the program. The supplemental funding that the Senate proposes would be paid for by the provision in its proposal that ends the interest-free benefit on the Subsidized Stafford loans during an undergraduate borrower’s six-month grace period after leaving school.  This would mean that students with subsidized Stafford loans would start to accrue interest six months earlier and their loans would cost more in the loan run.

Neither of these proposals has become law yet and both are still in the negotiating stage.  However, your voice can make a difference!  Please take two minutes to click on the website listed above and also spread the word to your family and friends.

Reminders from the Financial Aid Office

• The tuition due date for the spring 2012 semester is January 5, 2012.
• Students receiving financial aid may begin charging textbooks and supplies in the bookstore on January 3, 2012.  This date is different than the date in many award letters.  Please make a note of this change.
• The next deadline to appeal for reinstatement of financial aid is January 3, 2012 at 5:00pm.

The library has nine small hand-held GPS Devices available for check-out by current students, faculty, and staff.

These Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS units each come with a fabric case and attached strap, a Quick Start Guide, a more detailed Owner’s Manual, a Tips Sheet, and a USB cable for connecting the GPS device to a computer.

NOTE:  We will soon have information about free software that can be downloaded to a computer from the internet to enable that computer to recognize and connect to the proprietary Garmin software on these GPS devices. Routes located and maps created by the units can then be imported into Google Earth and saved on a computer. As soon as we have it, we will make that information available with each GPS unit at time of check-out.

Check-Out Terms: 

• The check-out period for Students = 1 week; Faculty & Staff = 2 weeks.
• Each GPS unit requires 2 AA batteries to operate; the user (student/faculty/staff) must provide the batteries.
• Each GPS unit must be returned in person at the end of the check-out term.  If there is no waiting list, it may be possible to check the unit out again. Renewals are not available by phone or email.
• If a unit is lost, destroyed, or returned significantly impaired, the replacement cost is $200.  Replacement costs for individual accessories will be assessed as well. These GPS devices are for use outdoors, while camping, fishing or hiking, or during any kind of field work, and for scouting, tracking and recording routes to off-road destinations. But they are not indestructible.

For more information, contact the Circulation Desk at 540-857-6941 or 540-857-6332.

Join the Virginia Western Media Geeks for the weekly Ted Talks. 12:15 p.m.-1:00 p.m. in M228, Business Science Building

Roger McNamee: Six ways to save the internet

The next big shift is now, and it’s not what you think: Facebook is the new Windows; Google must be sacrificed. At TEDxSantaCruz, tech investor Roger McNamee presents 6 bold ways to prepare for the next internet.

 “HOT TOPIC” SESSION 

 STUDY TO THE TEST QUESTIONS

When:            Wednesday, November 30; 1:00 p.m.
Where:           Business Science Building, Room 320

Facilitator:     Ms. Edna Whittier

This session encourages students to become “test confident.” Confident test takers are prepared because they study “to the test questions.” Techniques include: creating and following a study schedule for effective recall, dealing with test distractions, time limits and test anxiety, preparing study notes that match your learning style, finding a clearer understanding of what to expect on an exam, recognizing course material as either background or test material. The session includes a handout of test taking tips for different kinds of tests.

Ms. Desiree Frye
Retention Services
Virginia Western Community College
(540) 857-7583

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