Early College registration for Spring 2025 Semester opens Friday!
Here’s all you need to know (and then some) about setting up an Early College account and applying for classes. Pop in to Counseling if you have questions.
Niche Direct Admissions: Yes It’s A Real Thing!
Admittedly, it might feel like you’re online dating with colleges (set up a profile, put yourself out there, see who responds…), but it’s such a departure from how college admissions used to work that it won a TIME Magazine Innovation Award for 2024. CHILLS seniors are starting to get admitted via this platform and in some ways it seems too good to be true. But it is a real thing, and definitely something to check out!
Spotlight on… Public Speaking!
Admit it… did you shiver a little at the thought, or maybe feel a sudden rush of nausea or anxiety?
It’s not just you…
Fear of Public Speaking (glossophobia) is so common 75% (3 out of 4 people) of the population report some degree of fear speaking in front of others. For some, it’s just butterflies that a few deep breaths can settle; for others, it’s a completely debilitating, panic inducing prospect so bad that it contributes to diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder. And so many variations in between.
Eminem famously captured the experience of many in “Lose Yourself”
“His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready
to drops bombs, but he keeps on forgetting
what he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth but the words won't come out.”
Although public speaking anxiety is nearly a universal human experience, you are not likely to be able to forge a career or life path that will not at some point require you to get up in front of other people to speak. This is why public speaking is a Graduation Standard. You may not like it, but you have to do it.
But how (you manage to squeak out because your mouth has gone completely dry with anxiety)? How on earth can you build the skills necessary to feel confident about what you have to say and how you say it?
Practice! You don’t get better at left-handed lay-ups by shooting right-handed lay-ups—you have to do what’s hard for you in order to get better. Reverse stick drives in field hockey seem impossible when you first pick up a stick, but with relentless repetition you get better at it. Sight reading a new piece of music? Impossible… until you build the skills to do it!
The key is recognizing what you are not good at and doing it ad infinitum until you are.
We have a couple of options for you next semester to build your capacity as a public speaker.
First, the “Home” option
Our very own Speech and Debate class will be taught by Ms. Munson W2 S2. At present, there is plenty of room for you to join in if you are a junior/senior. Like other jr/sr classes, there is a CP section and an Honors section combined so that everyone’s classroom experience is the same. Here’s the course description:
Speech & Debate Grades 11 and 12: Semester Course (.5 English credit)
Course Description: This is a performance-based course in which students will develop interpersonal communication skills with the goal of developing their own unique presentational style. Class time will be spent practicing interviewing techniques, preparing and delivering pre-written or impromptu speeches, listening to and providing feedback on peer presentations, learning the debate process, researching controversial issues, and participating in reasoned and civil debates. Students must be willing to speak on various topics in front of the class on a regular, ongoing basis. Evaluations will be by the instructor, the listening audience (peers), and by self-evaluation (digital recordings). This is the perfect course for students to build their public speaking skills in a safe, comfortable environment.
We haven’t had sufficient interest for several years to run this course, so we’re psyched in the resurgence this year.
Then there is the “Away” option.
There is also an Early College option, a LIVE class at URock taught by the undisputed master of public speaking Mr. Steve Moro. If your parents went to Camden-Rockport High School or attended CHILLS in the early days, they may have very well taken Speech and Debate with him. Class is only once a week (Monday nights 6-7:20 PM) and you can earn three college credits and one high school credit. Many Early College Pathways include Public Speaking as an elective that can count toward fulfillment of the requirements. UMaine will accept one course from another institution toward its Pathways, so the course can be more broadly applied than just UMA.
Still skeptical? Don’t take my word for it, here are some testimonials from CHILLS students who successfully completed COM 101 last year.
“My favorite aspect of the class was the atmosphere he built in the classroom. Throughout the semester, I was never embarrassed to give my speech to the class, knowing that no one there is going to judge. I also enjoyed the individual creativity the class gave, allowing the students to write about what they want in their speech. Lastly, I learned many skills in the class, like eye contact, less movement, and the important of appearing confident in what you’re speaking about. I highly recommend this class if you would like to gain the ability to give one heck of a speech!”
-Seren L CHRHS 2027
“Besides giving you the skills to be an excellent public speaker and master the basics such as pauses and eye contact, it also gave me much more confidence in speaking in front of groups. And helps you realize everyone has their flaws while speaking but these flaws make you unique and should not hold you back.”
-Toby V CHRHS 2025
“Coming into this class, I HATED public speaking. The idea of getting in front of an audience and reading something I wrote made my my palms sweat and my face get flushed. Mr. Moro's public speaking class totally changed that for me. After taking his class, I feel so much more comfortable and confident speaking in public settings. I am forever grateful for Mr. Moro's class!!”
-Maggie M CHRHS 2025
“I really enjoyed this class and it helped me feel more confident in speaking. Not just in class settings, but in all aspects of life. The professor was really kind and encouraging. Also the snacks on the way into class were an awesome treat.”
-Korsen L CHRHS 2025
Class of 2029 Early Decision and Early Action Notification Dates
From High School to Career:
Equipping Students with Job Skills for the Future
Wednesday, November 13 • 3pm EST
Are your students ready for the jobs of tomorrow?
Join us for a panel discussion on how to prepare high school students for success in a rapidly changing job market. In this free webinar, you’ll learn:
Job trends and common career goals for Gen Z
Essential skills for internships and careers of the future
How dual enrollment can create career pathways
Strategies to help students earn industry-recognized credentials and build job-ready skills
Plus, you’ll gain access to a free College Success course to teach your students the hidden curriculum of college.
You don’t want to miss this important conversation. Save your spot today!
Consider the ASVAB!
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test is a great
career assessment tool that can help you identify which career areas best suit
you. Because this is an aptitude test, it doesn’t just tell you what you are
currently good at. It also will tell you what you may be good at learning. You
may know nothing about electronics, but your scores may say you have the
ability to learn electronics.
The ASVAB test is NOT about military aptitude and recruitment. The main
purpose of the ASVAB is to help students understand their strengths and
weaknesses in many fields of study such as math, science, reading/writing,
problem solving, and technology in order to figure out potential careers/job
opportunities to focus on.
