News/Announcements from the GHS Counseling Department

• Gilmer High School will host an information night for rising seniors (students who will be seniors during the 2017-18 school year) and their parents on Thursday, April 20^th, at 6:00 p.m. in the GHS theater. Information will be shared that is critical for families to know before their student’s senior year of high school, so please do your best to attend!
• Dalton State College Gilmer County Center will hold an open house on Thursday, April 13, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for students and parents to tour the facility, get information about MOWR, admissions, majors, and financial aid.  Light refreshments will be served.
• Attention seniors: Need help with the FAFSA?  Rebecca Hammond of the Educational Opportunity Center is accepting appointments at GHS to assist students and their parents in completing the application on Wednesdays beginning February 8th. Appointments with Mrs. Hammond can be made in the Attendance Office with Mrs. May.  Please see your counselor for more details.
• The final 2016-17 school year Move On When Ready information session will be held at GHS from 11:30-1:00 on Friday, April 28^th. This will fill up fast, so call your counselor if you want to attend!

The following are some scholarships with April deadlines: 

• Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contests (multiple contests) – Open to grades 9-12. Application Deadlines vary between 03/29/2017 – 04/28/2017
• QuestBridge College Prep Scholars (for JUNIORS) – No application deadline
• Links to all of these scholarships and more are on the GHS scholarship page at https://sites.google.com/a/gilmerschools.com/ghs-scholarship-page/home. Please check this site on a weekly basis throughout the spring semester, and fill out those applications!

 

This Week’s Feature:  End of Year Push for Students and Parents!

 

This is the time of year when the flowers bloom, pollen abounds, and students return from spring break with only a few weeks of school left.  For students who are academically behind or failing, this can be a stressful time for both them and their parents, so following are a few tips to help.

First, there is no more time to waste.  The great weather can make it tempting to skip a class or even a whole school day or to go fishing instead of getting that homework completed.  However, if you are behind, you have probably already done those things and need to prioritize your school work for now.  Remember, if you want to have a summer that you do not spend in summer classes, taking care of things now can make that happen.  Parents, if you know your child is not doing well academically, allowing him or her to have all privileges as usual may not be the best course.  Consider what you can use as leverage to get your child motivated for academics.

Second, communication is important.  If you are a student, talk with your teachers one on one to get a better idea of what you need to do in order to get back on track academically.  If you are a parent, it is your job to keep on top of how your child is doing in classes, regardless of whether your student is in elementary, middle, or high school.  Do not make the mistake of believing your child has “no homework” or has “everything covered.”  Students should be studying and reading at least a little on a regular basis.  If you are not seeing work come home, you need to make further inquiries.  You can call your child’s teachers, counselor, or administrator to discuss progress, and remember that you can log into the Infinite Campus system to check grades also.  If you need to know how to do that, contact your child’s school.

Third, do not forget about standardized tests.  During high school, End of Course exams count for twenty percent of a student’s average in a class.  This means that a student who is barely passing a course cannot afford to fail the End of Course exam.  Students need to have an average that is well above passing so that if they do not test well, they still have a chance of passing a course.  Parents, make sure you know in which courses students have End of Course tests.  Remember, students must take and pass required courses during high school to graduate on time.

By following these suggestions, students and parents can make the most of the spring school months.  Remember that school personnel want students to succeed, so do not hesitate to ask for help!