Course Verification Process

The new year may have already come and gone, but next school year is right around the corner!  Let's talk logistics.  Let's plan for what's to come!!!  Everyone has received a copy of their course verifications for the upcoming school year.  It seems there are many questions about the process to take certain classes, so here are the basics!

Your next verification will go home on March 3.  They are due back with corrections by March 9.  Final course requests will go home on March 15.  

• We've said this before, and we're saying it again - if you are not on the "Class of..." Edmodo pages, you should be.  We post a lot of information for students there.  If you are a parent, you must have your student send you the link to add you.  If you are a student and have not joined your Class page, you need to stop by the counseling office and get the most up to date Edmodo code.  Once you join, you will receive information through your senior year.  It's one and done!
• If you had more than 6 credits listed on your verification it is because teachers gave you multiple choices for courses.  For example you may have been recommended for 2 sciences or 2 social studies courses.  You must scratch out the classes you do not wish to take, keeping in mind you must have the required courses for graduation and a total of 6 need to be listed.  You are welcome to write "alternate" down for any extra classes in the event something does not work out logistically. Gotta make some tough choices or the scheduling team will do it for you. 😊
• If you wrote any course on your verification form that requires an application such as: 
• Teacher Aid, Office Aid, or Work Based Learning - You must complete the interest survey & then if deemed eligible by Ms. Crockett you will receive a formal more lengthy application to complete.  Until all of those steps are complete, it will not be added to your course requests.  Here is a link to the WBL interest survey: Interest Survey for WBL (TA, Office Aid, Off Campus Employment) 
• There are 2 Advanced Placement courses that required an application no later than February 21st.  AP Capstone and AP Computer Science Principles.  You cannot write these on your verification form, you must complete the online application AND be accepted into the class before it will be added.  Advanced Placement Applications and Information
• Any other Advanced Placement course or Honors course that you were NOT recommended for and did not appear on your verification but you want to take, you can scratch out a course on your verification and ADD the AP or Honors course you wish to take.  Your parent and you must sign the bottom of the verification form.  The course will only be added IF you meet the district placement guidelines.  You can check out the placement criteria for individual courses in the Course Directory.  Hooch Course Catalog for 17-18 school year
• Classes such as Internship, Musical Theater, Yearbook, Newspaper, Directed Study etc will not show up on your verification form until the scheduling team receives approval that you can take that course.  We will typically receive one list from the teacher in charge of that area and move all students at one time. Here is the Directed Study application that needs to be submitted to Ms. Pair:  Directed Study Application

• If you want to take an online course during the school year (fall or spring semester), you cannot write that on your verification form.  You will need to follow the online course registration process which will be available in the counseling office on March 1st.  It will be first come, first serve and spots are limited.  Deadline to submit contracts is March 9.
• If you want to take a class over the summer in order to make room for something else in your schedule.  The required course will not be deleted from your verification until we receive proof that you completed and passed the course over the summer.  Your courses will not change until then.  You can sign up for summer classes starting on March 1st through Fulton Virtual School or Georgia Virtual School.  Counselors will still have to approve those, but no contract is required to turn in.
  Link for Fulton Virtual School: Fulton Virtual School
  Link for Georgia Virtual School: Georgia Virtual School
• College courses will not be added until the student has been accepted to the college AND has registered for courses at the college.  You leave on your current recommendation and then once you are registered/accepted at the college, the counselor will make the change.  If you have any questions about the MOWR process there is an AWESOME website that details the steps and answers all frequently asked questions. MOWR Information Website
• If you did not indicate alternatives to your application driven courses, or if you did not select classes adding up to 6.0 credits, the scheduling team may select high school courses for you. You can update your corrections during the second round of verifications.
• Keep in mind BALANCE is key.  It does you no good to take a ton of rigorous courses and then get below average grades.  It will only hurt your GPA and impact college admission chances.  Be smart!  Take what is appropriate for YOU and what you can realistically handle.  Best fit for you may be different than someone else.  That is OK.  It is best to take less rigor and get A's then take a lot of rigor and get C's.  Choose wisely!
• Counselor SUPPORT DAYS!!!  Got a question??  Students can drop in to get their questions answered on March 6 & 8th in G125 during all lunch periods. Note: even if you meet with your counselor during those dates, they cannot add an "application" course to your schedule.  We have to wait for you to be approved before adding anything, so make sure you select alternate, non-application/audition based electives for your verification. 

Common Application Essay Prompts for 17-18 School Year

You are in luck!  The Common Application Essay prompts for the upcoming school year have been released for viewing.  Check out the 17-18 Essay Prompts

Please take a look at this site if you are applying to any school that utilizes this process.  Almost 700 colleges and universities use Common Application - check out the list of schools here: Click here to explore colleges who use Common Application

There are many helpful videos that Common Application also showcases on their website - take a look here:  Common Application Helpful Videos

Financial Aid Information

Each year the Counseling Office hosts a Financial Aid Information night.

The biggest thing to know is to get started early and don't miss deadlines!  Deadlines for admission may be different than deadlines for financial aid.  

Both presentations are on the Chattahoochee High School website.  Here they are as well:

Financial Aid Information Part 1: GSFC Presentation click here
Financial Aid Information Part 2:  CHS Presentation click here 

There is some overlap in the presentation, but all good information.

On the CHS counseling page, there are scholarships that are posted.  The nominated scholarships are very specific and competitive.  Any student interested must complete the information by the deadline.  Here is the link for nominated scholarships:  Nominated Scholarships Link

Here is the list of all scholarships that are sent to us in Alphabetical order: Hooch Scholarship List

We highly recommend joining the Hooch Twitter, Facebook, and Edmodo pages.  All information is posted on social media as soon as it becomes available.  If a student has not joined the "class of..." Edmodo page which is structured through the counseling office, they should do so.  The codes are located in the counseling office right in front of Mrs. Cochran's desk.  They change every two weeks.  Edmodo codes cannot be sent via email.  Once a student joins a group, they will remain a member through graduation.  They do not have to rejoin each year.  If a parent would like to be part of their child's Edmodo group, the student must send the link to their parents for them to join as well.  A lot of information is sent through Edmodo.

Other helpful information (image below).  When thinking about "financial aid", it is not just loans.  Any money given to a student to assist in paying for college is considered financial aid such as loans, grants, institutional aid, HOPE, Zell Miller, other scholarships, etc.  This is also an excellent resource for scholarship information:  College Scholarships Link

Please reach out to your child's counselor if you have questions.  Some things we can answer, some things you really need to talk directly to the college financial aid office or directly to Georgia Student Finance Commission.

Junior Advisement Meetings

Junior Advisement Meetings will start this week and go through December.  Parents were mailed a letter at the beginning of October with a specific appointment time for you and your student to come meet with your child's counselor.  These are quick 20-30 minute meetings.  Many of us schedule meetings back to back, so please be on time.  Passes will be sent to the student directly allowing them to leave class to come to their meeting.

We are including a link to view the Class of 2018 Power Point with voice-over which may answer many questions.  Junior year is a big year with a lot of "to-do's" for students.  Hopefully, the meeting helps set the stage for a very positive senior year.  Yes, senior year is right around the corner!!

Here are all the handouts and links for information pertaining to Junior Advisement Meetings:

• Class of 2018 Power Point Link
• Checklist for all items typically discussed at Junior Advisement Meeting (JAM session).
• Bridge Bill Completion Instructions
• Move on When Ready Processes - Updated
• Move on When Ready Information from Georgia Student Finance Commission
• SAT Deadlines for this school year.
• ACT Deadlines for this school year.
• HOPE Scholarship, Zell Miller Scholarship, and HOPE/Zell Grant Information
• Frequently Asked Questions about HOPE Scholarship Program from GSFC
• GPA - How to Calculate

As I said, Junior year is a big year - with LOTS of information.  Sorry to overwhelm you, but wanted you to have access to everything in one place.  

Then when you have wrapped everything up, you can say...

Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month (The Other A.C.T)

September is known as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.  We want to make sure to give resources to students and families surrounding this really difficult topic.  One thing that we do each year is present the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program to the 9th grade class.  We want students to know how to be a compassionate friend to others who may need help and to give them the skills and tools they need so they don't feel like they have to shoulder all of the concerns.  The purpose is NOT to diagnose anyone! Often when students are confronted by another student who shares these thoughts with them, they don't know what to do.  This program is designed to assist and get students in touch with warning signs in an effort to prevent a tragedy from occurring.  

The acronym that is used throughout the SOS program is A.C.T..  We are not referring to the college admissions test.  We are talking about ACKNOWLEDGING their own feelings or their friend's feelings and listening to what they have to share.  We talk about CARING responses and how to show compassion to others in a difficult moment.  And, finally, we talk about how to TELL a responsible adult the concerns so that they or the friend can get the help they need.

We never want to ignore a warning sign from a student in crisis. As a community, we need to have each other’s backs and be on the lookout for students in need.  We should be fostering a support system for all students.  In an ideal world, every student would have a friend to sit with at lunch, be involved in an activity, have mentors, feel successful in academics, have an environment at home that was loving and supportive, and would feel happy and healthy throughout adolescence.  Unfortunately, that is not always the case. We cannot control every factor, but we can do our best to be a light in their world!  Some students struggle every day to persist in their everyday activities - and there are days that it just seems unbearable.  Hopefully, we can be a community that has positive influence on each other, be the community that opens its arms to those who need it, and be the community that can step up and show love and compassion rather than doubt and judgment.  Let's do this!

Here are just a few of the warning signs that a student in crisis might show:

• Threats or comments about killing themselves, also known as suicidal ideation, can begin with seemingly harmless thoughts like “I wish I wasn’t here” but can become more overt and dangerous
• Increased alcohol and drug use
• Aggressive behavior
• Social withdrawal from friends, family and the community
• Dramatic mood swings
• Talking, writing or thinking about death
• Impulsive or reckless behavior
• Giving away items that are important to them

Let's chat about ways a student can get help!  Students in crisis can get help from an adult immediately.  At school, a student may share information with a teacher, coach, or counselor and all of us have been trained on suicide prevention protocol.  Outside of school, there are also many people who can help – trusted adults may include a parent, minister/pastor, coach, aunt/uncle, grandparent, etc.   The first step is to ask for help which can be really scary and overwhelming at first.  

There are also crisis hotlines to assist.  

• Fulton County Department of Mental Health Hotline - 404-730-1600
• Georgia Crisis & Access Line - 1-800-715-4225
• National Crisis Line - 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433).

The National Alliance on Mental Illness states: Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background.  Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among young people and is often the result of mental health conditions that effect people when are most vulnerable.  The good news is, there is HOPE!!  There are so many resources to support students through this difficult time in their life.  

It is difficult to do so when every day is a battle.  So, if someone is feeling hopeless and wants to hurt themselves - please use the ACT protocol of Acknowledge their concerns and listen to their struggles.  Care about them!  Let them know you want to help.  The last step, again, is to Tell a trusted adult so that they can get the help that is needed.  Do not promise to keep secrets.  

Our hope is that if a student or other person feels this way, they will reach out for support.  Our goal is for students to live happy, healthy, productive lives.

Meet Your Counseling Team!

Welcome to the 2016-2017 School Year!  We thought you might want to know the team that is in place this year.  We are here to serve you so get to know us.  We are fortunate to have 5 school counselors, 1 graduation coach, 1 school social worker, 2 bilingual community liaisons, a records coordinator, a professional assistant, a clinic assistant and a cluster nurse.  We are a big team dedicated to assisting you.  

Curtisa Johnson - New Head Counselor
Serving Last Names DAS - I

Mrs. Johnson is from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  She received her Bachelor's degree in English from Carleton College; Master's in School Counseling from University of Georgia; Leadership add-on from Kennesaw and a Specialist in Leadership from University of North Georgia. She started her journey in school counseling 19 years ago at Centennial High School. She then worked at Chattahoochee HS from 05-09, then worked at Alpharetta HS and Milton HS. She's now back at her favorite school as head counselor. Her favorite treats include milk chocolate covered raisins, chocolate covered cherries and strawberries - you get the point :)

Elizabeth Chilson - School Counselor
Serving Last Names A - DAP

Mrs. Chilson is a native Georgian, growing up in Stone Mountain. She received her Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University.  Her Master's of Education is from University of Montevallo in Alabama.  Her Specialist in School Counseling is from the University of Georgia.  Go Dawgs! She worked in higher education for 9 years prior to becoming a school counselor.  This is her 10th year as a counselor.  Her first year at Chattahoochee was last school year.  It was an awesome year and feels the love at the Hooch! Her favorite treats include iced coffee, peanut M&Ms, and anything chocolate related.

Allison Shuler - School Counselor
Serving Last Names J - MI

Ms. Shuler is our world traveler! She hails from Gainesville, Georgia, but has traveled to 16 countries and will be going to 2 more before the end of 2016.  Wow.  She studied Psychology at the University of Georgia and then received her Master's degree in School Counseling at UGA as well.  Her internship was at Milton High School and once she graduated she took at position here at Chattahoochee.  She loves the families and students she gets to help here at the Hooch. She will also be getting married in November!  It's an exciting year for Ms. Shuler.  Her favorite treats are wildberry skittles and lifesaver gummies.

Deborah Blount - School Counselor
Serving Last Names Mo - SEM

Ms. Blount is also a Georgia native from Roswell.  She is a serious animal lover and wanted to be a vet for a long time - until she realized her true passion for school counseling!  She transferred between 3 different schools for her undergraduate degree finishing with a Bachelor's in Psychology from Kennesaw.  She earned her Master's in Education and Specialist in Education from Georgia State (Go Panthers!).  Ms. Blount started school counseling 10 years ago at Chattahoochee and she is the school counselor who has been on staff the longest! She loves building relationships with students and their families.  It's her favorite part of school counseling. Her favorite treats are Cherry Coke, Dr. Pepper, Twizzlers, and Peanut Butter M&Ms.

Tammy Jones - School Counselor
Serving Last Names SEN - Z

Mrs. Jones is originally from New York City - Spanish Harlem!  She received her Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Johnson C. Smith University.  She earned her Master's in School Counseling from Mercer University.  When an opportunity opened up at Chattahoochee she jumped at the chance to work here.  (Who wouldn't, right?)  She has 2 children who are Chattahoochee grads and one currently in school here, so she is a proud Hooch Parent as well as being a school counselor! Her favorite treats are peanut M&Ms and popcorn.  Yum.

Haaris Quraishy - Graduation Coach
Serving all students!

Coach Q, as he is affectionately called, is here to assist all students who may be off track or need assistance graduating on time.  He was at one time a social studies teacher at CHS and joined the counseling office last school year.  What I know for sure (because he did not fill out my survey) is that he loves working at Chattahoochee.  He loves his family and has 2 little girls who are adorable.  He also is the Women's Basketball Coach!  His favorite treats - really anything.  He's not gonna say no.

Alicia McClung - School Social Worker
Serving all students!

She is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana and studied Social Work at Indiana University.  She has been at Chattahoochee since 2012, but also serves one other high school in addition to her Cougar family.  Social workers are here to help students on their road to success.  She loves the diversity of Chattahoochee as well as a staff that loves being around teenagers.  All of the teachers are willing and eager to help students become their best selves. Mrs. McClung has a dog named Valor who is a Bouvier Des Flanders (ever heard of that?  Google it!).  He's a show dog and has won several awards.  Her favorite treat is a twix or apple pie.

Solange Leonardo - Bilingual Community Liaison 
Provide support to parents, staff, and students in schools with large numbers of students who speak a language other than English.
Ms. Leonardo is very proud of her home country the Dominican Republic, which she says is the most beautiful island in the Caribbean.  She graduated with a Doctorate in Law from the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE).  Ms. Leonardo is here to help students and parents who may need translation services.  She is a mom of a Chattahoochee student and has volunteered with the PTSA which is what prompted her to apply for a job at here at CHS. Her favorite treat is a twix!

Wonna Kang - Bilingual Community Liaison 
Provide support to parents, staff, and students in schools with large numbers of students who speak a language other than English.
Mrs. Kang is from Seoul, South Korea.  She is a graduate of King Sejong University with a degree in Korean literature and linguistics.  She has been part of the Chattahoochee family since 2014.  She has loved being here and working towards the common good. Mrs. Kang also has her scuba diving license and loves to swim.  She is an adventurous spirit! Her favorite treat is creme brulee.

Rita Jensen - Records Coordinator
Serving all students!

Mrs. Jensen is your go-to person for all record needs.  She is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and most recently, Highland, Utah.  She graduated from Southern Illinois University in Mass Communications. This is her 6th year at Chattahoochee.  Her kids are graduates of CHS and she served as PTSA President while they were in school.  She loves her Hooch Family!  Her puppy in the picture is Hudson.  He sometimes makes a visit to Chattahoochee for Therapy.  It's amazing to see students' stress levels go down when they encounter Hudson.  He is a lovable friendly addition to our Hooch Family.  Her favorite treat is a Diet Coke w/ splenda.  She doesn't do candy....just caffeine.

Dana Cochran, Professional Assistant
Serving all students!

Mrs. Cochran is the person you see when you walk in the counseling office.  She is here to help and make sure you get your needs met.  She is from Cincinnati, Ohio and most recently lived in Blairsville, Georgia.  As a child she lived in Iceland!  She graduated from The Ohio State University in Communications.  She loves being part of the Hooch Counseling team.  She loves knowing that she can be part of someone's day and make a difference in the life of a student.  Hooch is a special place, unlike any other school and she feels blessed to be part of this great school. Her favorite treat is peach cobbler and chocolate.

Cynthia Butler, Clinic Assistant
Serving all students!

Mrs. Butler is from Atlanta, Georgia.  She graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Recreation.  Coincidentally, she also wants to jump out of a plane when she turns 50.  I guess you could say she likes the outdoors!  She loves being part of the Hooch community and gladly took the position in the clinic when it opened up last school year.  And, we are happy to have her in this role!  Her favorite treat is a twix or butterfinger.

Rosalie (Rose) Moro, Cluster Nurse
Serving all students!

Mrs. Moro is originally from Bristol, Connecticut, but moved to Johns Creek in 1996.  She graduated from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing.  She has been with the school system since 2005!  Being a cluster nurse means working in many different schools and serving a variety of needs.  She loves being part of the Hooch family!  Some fun facts - she has been married for 30 years and has two children, the youngest a Hooch grad!  She also is an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer and RYT 200 Yoga Instructor.  Her favorite snack is anything dark chocolate (Even her snacks are healthy!)  We love Mrs. Moro and all that she contributes to our community.


We hope this gives you some insight into our team.  We welcome you to reach out to us with questions or concerns.  Needs tend to change for each year of high school, but the whole team is here to support and encourage you.  Please check out our website for a wealth of information. 

Chattahoochee High School Counseling Webpage

Starting the Year Off Right.

The beginning of any school year often elicits feelings of excitement, but also sometimes anxiety and fear.  While being excited about a clean slate and a new year can be fun for many students it is often a stressful time.

Here's our best words of wisdom for beginning the year in a positive way!

1.  Be Positive!  There is such a thing as toxic thinking.  If you go into a situation with negative thoughts, that is the outcome that will likely happen.  Keep a positive attitude and you can tackle anything.

2.  Create a study space at home where you will do your work.  It is best not to study where you sleep because your body knows that is your sleeping place, not your study place.  Find a location that you can concentrate and get work completed.

3.  Limit distractions.  Texting, facebook, twitter, snapchat, and other social media outlets are fun - but they can also be hugely distracting.  Cut down on those and you will utilize your time much more efficiently.

4.  Sleep.  Sleep cannot be underestimated.  If you are not working on a full tank of gas (sleep) then your body will not cooperate and be able to sustain the energy necessary to do well week after week.  Make sure to get sleep during the week, not just catch up on sleep on the weekends.  Check out this article on sleep deprivation:  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/sleep-for-teenagers/?&_r=0

5.  Plan ahead.  Make your schedule, get a calendar, add dates, commit to making a to do list and sticking to it.

6.  Set goals for each semester.  Ex: I will turn in all homework.  Or, I will review each subject every night for 15 minutes even if I have not been assigned homework.  Or, I will work hard to get a higher test average this semester.  It can be anything.  Set a goal.  You can do it.  You know your weaknesses.  Are you late to class?  Do you bring work home?  Do you actively take notes during class (this is proven to help, by the way!)?  Do you rewrite your notes?  Do you study vocabulary?  Are you a good group member?  What is your area of weakness and tackle it this semester!

7.  Get involved.  It is so important to connect with the people around you.  Find something that you are interested in and join that group.  Make friends and contributions to the group. You will find that being part of something bigger than yourself is so rewarding and meaningful.

8.  Your teachers are amazing.  They are here to help you not only do well academically, but also serve as a positive support system.  They, too, have offered up their own words of wisdom for getting off to a good start this year.  And, they are right!!  Even just tackling one or two new strategies this year - you will find that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Mrs. McMillan - "Take notes in class and refer to the notes as you complete assignments at home.  For math students, to see model problems worked out is very helpful as well as referring back to your textbook as a resource.  Ask questions in class.  Make up all work in a timely manner if you are absent.  Come in when you do not understand or have been out of class.  Always try your best and never give up!"

Ms. Blount - "Stay balanced - don't overload yourself with too many difficult classes or extracurricular activities. Everything in moderation!"

Mrs. Podber - "Work hard, then play hard!"

Mrs. Boudreaux - "Ask for help when you first need it, not when it's almost too late.  Your teachers are here to help! There's no question we haven't heard or issue we haven't seen."

Mrs. Sidell - "For 9th graders - have one folder with holes and pockets dedicated to each class and label them.  Most freshman struggle with organizational problems because they feel overwhelmed with paperwork the first month.  Have another separate folder just for signature pages for parents."

Coach Crooks - "Spend 5 minutes a night reviewing what you did in class, even if you have no homework.  Great for retention."

Ms. Faris - "Make flashcards on quizlet of key terms."

Mr. Mervich - "People who succeed do the basics well.  It is not the big things in life that cause people to fail, it is failure to do the little things, the easy things.  So, do the easy things regularly and it will lead to success."

Mr. Berry - "Strive for balance.  Seek guidance, help, and assistance.  We all need help in some way."

Here's a video of what a positive mindset looks like!  It's contagious!