Last 10 Days of 30-Day Meditation Challenge

30-Day Meditation Challenge Homestretch!

We're almost done with our 30-Day Meditation Challenge! Thanks to all those who have participated! If you haven't participated, it is still not too late! These last 10 days we are doing 15-minute meditations, but you can always start off with the 5 minute videos from our previous blog posts. Remember to use our calendar to show us you have been participating!

Here are several 15-minute guided meditations for you to choose from:

Meditation Challenge Continued and Resources for Teenagers

30 Day Meditation Challenge

We are heading into day 9 of our 30 Day Meditation Challenge. For all those who have participated - thank you so much and we hope you are slowly starting to see some of the benefits of sitting still for 5 minutes, practicing your breathing and slowing down racing thoughts! If you have not participated - it is not too late to join us! Just look at last week's blog post for 5 minute videos and use this calendar to enter your name for accountability purposes. On Sunday, April 12th, we will start meditating for 10 minutes a day. So use any of the videos below to guide you through a 10 minute meditation. 

Resources for Your Teenager While At Home

Spring Break is just around the corner and your student may be wondering how to keep busy without school work over the next week. Check out this list of 70 Things For Teens To Do While Stuck At Home!

If your student is struggling to cope with the recent changes in these unprecedented times, here are a few resources to help them process their feelings and emotions:

• This Self Care Journal focused specifically on a routine and mental health during the Coronavirus
• This Headspace YouTube Channel
• This Personalized Stress Management Plan
• These Effective Coping Skills to Relieve Stress
• This Breathing Exercise to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

We are wishing everyone a restful and rejuvenating Spring Break! 

30 Day Meditation Challenge

Join Chattahoochee Counseling for a
30-Day Meditation Challenge

Starting on Thursday, March 26th, we invite you to join us for a 30-day Meditation Challenge! Given these uncertain times, Chattahoochee Counseling is trying to find ways to de-stress and increase our happiness, productivity, and mindfulness. We hope you will join us!

The ask: Take this meditation journey with us and encourage your friends and family to do so as well!

The benefit: Improved physical and psychological health!

How: Follow the calendar below. For the first two weeks, you can use any of the videos below the calendar to guide you through your 5 minute meditation. We will post 10 minute guided meditation videos for the following two weeks and then 15 minute guided meditation videos the last two weeks.

Enter your name after each day of meditation on our calendar to let us know that you are participating! 

Hooch Digital Learning Week 1

Week 1 of Digital Learning

Congratulations! We are wrapping up week 1 of Digital Learning and the Chattahoochee Counseling team wants students and parents to know how proud they are of the adjustment that the Chattahoochee community has made in transitioning to online learning! Many of you probably spent the past week looking something like this: 

We know this was not an easy transition, so let us  remind you that we are here for your academic and social/emotional needs. 

We are available to you during our regular office hours from 7:55AM-3:55PM to answer any counseling-related questions.

Elizabeth Chilson Last Names: A-Deo chilsone@fultonschools.org	Curtisa Johnson Last Names: Der-Hei johnsoncl@fultonschools.org	Navina Vemuri Last Names: Hen-McD vemurin1@fultonschools.org
Deborah Blount Last Names: McG-Sa blountd@fultonschools.org	Tammy Jones Last Names: Sc-Z jonestr@fultonschools.org	Cynthia Butler Counseling Professional Assistant Butlerc3@fultonschools.org
Alicia McClung School Social Worker Mcclunga1@fultonschools.org	Dr. Najuana Lee Johnson RTI/Grad Coach leeN@fultonschools.org	Felicia Gialenios 504 Coordinator/Grad Coach gialeniosf@fultonschools.org
Solange Leonardo Registrar Leonardos1@fultonschools.org	Minjeong “MJ” Kang Korean Bilingual Liaison kangm@fultonschools.org	Maria Cabrales-Soriano Spanish Bilingual Liaison cabralessorm@fultonschools.org

• Questions regarding any current classes or online assignments should be directed to your respective teachers.
• Students who want to take a Fulton Virtual or GA Virtual class during the 2020-2021 school year will still have the opportunity to submit their online contracts to the Counseling Office once we return to school. Registration for summer online classes do not require an online contract. Simply register for the class on either Fulton Virtual or Georgia Virtual and your request will be processed.
• Most Dual Enrollment questions can be answered on the respective Google Classroom and the links shared in them as well as on www.chsmowr.weebly.com. Only Students can join the Classrooms, and you must use your FCS email address. Please check these Google Classrooms frequently, as this is where we will regularly post about changes or updates regarding Dual Enrollment. The codes to join the classrooms are:
• GA State University/Perimeter College: 25uus5m
• Gwinnett Technical College: anuma5n
• GA Tech: u36gjmt
• The application for GA Tech Dual Enrollment does not open until May 15th 
• You can also reference this FAQ link  to review possible changes to the Dual Enrollment program, which is pending the Governor's signature
• Any questions regarding the cancellation or rescheduling of the SAT or ACT should be directed to the respective organizations (www.collegeboard.org and www.act.org)

If you are experiencing emotional distress outside of our office hours please seek immediate assistance and/or call 911. 

If you or a friend are in a crisis outside of our regular office hours, please use the following resources: 

Call the GA Crisis Line: 800-715-4225  or use the FCS Tip Line, or Text COUGARS to 1-844-201-9946. 

Mindfulness is coming to Chattahoochee!

The Counseling Department is starting a series of Mindfulness workshops that will be happening once a month for the rest of the school year.

According to mindful.org, mindfulness is “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”

A Harvard Health Article states that the benefits of mindfulness are as follows:

•           Improved overall well-being
•           Improved physical health
•          Improved mental health

We hope to create a platform for students to practice and experience these benefits.

Our first workshop will take place on Tuesday, October 8^th during Chatt Time. We will be making mindfulness glitter jars. When using the mindfulness jar, the swirling glitter represents our thoughts and emotions. As the glitter settles and we sit still, our breath and our thoughts settle as well. 

Please also check out the video below for a quick and informative video on teenagers and mindfulness:

Our next Mindfulness workshop will be in partnership with Chattahoochee High School Yoga Club! Stay tuned for more details. 

Crisis Resources

As part of Suicide Awareness & Prevention Month, we encourage you to seek out resources if you are in need.  Do not wait to get help.  Suicide is preventable!  There are so many excellent community resources to take advantage of if you ever find yourself in the midst of a crisis.  We wanted to make sure you had all the information at your fingertips.  First and foremost, your school counselor and school social worker are available to talk through any major concerns.  However, the counseling office is not available for emergencies after hours.  If you run into any issues before or after school, please make sure you utilize one of the resources below.  We want you to get the help you need at the very moment you need it.

In case of Emergencies:
If you are experiencing an emergency, please seek immediate assistance and/or call 911.

Immediate Mental Health Resources
The following facilities provide 24-hour assistance and have shared with the Fulton County District that they will complete emergency assessments at no cost. If your child already receives support from a mental health provider, you may wish to make contact with that professional first. You may also want to check with your insurance company regarding mental/behavioral health coverage. Please note that the District does not endorse any provider, makes no representations as to the effectiveness of these providers, and makes this information available only as a helpful resource.

North Fulton	South Fulton
Wellstar North Fulton Hospital Emergency Room 3000 Hospital Boulevard Roswell, GA 30076 770-751-2500	Anchor Hospital 5454 Yorktown Drive College Park, GA 30349 http://www.anchorhospital.com 770-991-6044 or 770-991-6045
Peachford Psychiatric Hospital 2151 Peachford Road Atlanta, GA 30338 www.peachfordhospital.com 770-454-2302 or 770-455-3200	Grady Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Clinic 80 Jesse Hill, Jr. Drive Atlanta, GA 30303 404-616-4762
Ridgeview Institute 3995 South Cobb Drive, SE Smyrna, GA 30080 www.ridgeviewinstitute.com 1-844-350-8800 or 770- 434-4567	RiverWoods Behavioral Health 223 Medical Center Drive, Riverdale, GA 30274 http://www.riverwoodsbehavioral.com 770-991-8500
Lakeview Behavioral Health 1 Technology Parkway South Norcross, GA 30092 www.lakeviewbehavioralhealth.com 1-877-659-4522
Suicide Prevention Hotlines Georgia Crisis & Access Line (also available as an app called "My GCAL" on your Apple/Android smartphone).   1-800-715-4225 75 Piedmont Avenue, NE., Ste 256, Atlanta, GA 30303 http://www.behavioralhealthlink.com Chattahoochee High School  Text 4 Help Line Anonymous 24/7 Help LineText COUGARS to 1-844-201-9946 International Association for Suicide Prevention 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-NAMI US Trans LifeLine (10am – 4am Eastern Time) 1-877-565-8860 The Trevor Project: Trevor Lifeline 1-866-488-7386	Fulton County Department of Mental Health Emergency Mental Health Services Hotline 404-730-1600

National Suicide Prevention Week: Warning Signs & Risk Factors

Guest blogger: Katie Beals, The Summit Counseling Center

As September is National Suicide Prevention month, it’s important to take some time to touch on this difficult topic. A big part of this is learning to be intentional about noticing things in your children and feeling comfortable having conversations with them about these things. I know that it often feels difficult or uncomfortable to do this, but talking and creating an open environment really is the most important thing you can do to keep your child safe.

Before we launch into what some of the warning signs of suicide are, it’s crucial to take some time to explain that no one thing leads to someone wanting to take their own life. It is usually many things at once that have added up to make someone consider suicide. I say this to reduce any guilt that might be felt by reading these. It is also true that many are very good at covering up symptoms or emotions and that can also make it very difficult to notice.

Some warning signs to pay attention to are a change in appearance or affect. This means that if your child or someone else usually gets up in the morning and showers and puts makeup on and all of a sudden they stop doing that for a significant period, that would be the time to check in on how they are feeling. In the same vein, if your child usually has a happy/joyful demeanor and lately they have seemed “down,” a conversation should take place. If your child has started to lose interest in something they used to love (ex. a sport, hobby,  etc), it’s time to check in. If your child seems tearful or hopeless or reports feeling “like a burden,” pay attention. If your child is sleeping significantly more or less than normal, ask them about it. Basically we are looking for significant changes in patterns of behavior. The goal here, again, is just to have some conversation starters and to let your child know that you are paying attention and that you care.

The following are some risk factors associated with suicide: a mental health diagnosis, family history of mental health issues, a significant life event (a death of a loved one, parental divorce, a breakup), exposure to suicide by a family member, friend, or someone in the community, bullying, a history of abuse, and access to lethal means. This is another reminder that no one thing leads to suicide. If any of these are involved in your child’s life, it may have had an effect on them and a conversation could be really helpful.

Now that we have helpful information about how to know if your child is at risk for suicidal ideation, we can dive into how to support your child through middle school. First, to stay on message, conversations and open relationships are everything when it comes to this. If you are intentional about checking in, asking open ended questions, and making sure your child knows you are there if they need to talk, you are doing a phenomenal job. I’ll add to that though that teaching your child coping skills is also extremely helpful. Some of these coping skills might include: planning ahead, taking a break, reading a book, taking a bath, listening to music, calling a friend, doing some deep breathing, journaling, etc. The more you can model these healthy coping skills to them, the better they will be at incorporating them in their own lives.

To sum this up,

Notice changes in patterns of behavior

Acknowledge them to your child

Attempt to have a conversation about it

Model/teach coping skills as early as possible

Tell your child that you care about them

Suicide Awareness Month

September is Suicide Awareness & Prevention Month.  

Chattahoochee High School recognizes the importance that mental health plays in lives of our students.  We want students to know that they matter!  During the month of September the Counseling Office is promoting activities that provide students and parents with the skills and resources they need to break the culture of silence and encourage "help-seeking" behaviors.  The awareness generated this month has the potential to have an enormous impact in our school community, even the chance to save a life.

We are doing this through several ways.  A calendar of events is below, which includes fundraising efforts, resource distribution, and educational workshops for students and parents.  We will also be publishing a series of blogs that discuss Suicide Warning Signs and community resources that are designed to assist students in crisis. This is a topic that is often difficult to discuss, but we want to shine a light on ways to prevent suicide in our community. 

Quick Fact: Suicide is one of the leading causes of PREVENTABLE deaths and that FOUR out of FIVE teens who attempt suicide give clear warning signs. This means that 80% of the time, we have the opportunity to intervene and possibly save a young person who is at-risk.

Please follow us on Twitter @HoochCounselors as we will be posting facts and resources regarding suicide prevention.   

Course Verification Information 19-20

Revised & Updated from 2018

It is that time of year again where you have now received your course recommendations for the upcoming school year.  The counseling team fully believes that you should analyze how this year has gone for you and determine how to achieve a better balance in the future.  Now more than ever, you need to consider your options and what you can realistically handle in the coming school year.  It is quite important to take into consideration your responsibilities for each course.  It is equally important to make sure you are maintaining a healthy balance in your life and factoring in down-time as a part of your day.  Academics are just one piece.  

Recently, there was an article published (Children Need Balance Article) advising parents to help their children balance their lives.  They need guidance in this area.  We are seeing far too many students who are stressed, angry, overwhelmed, and feeling anxious.  Students need help making appropriate course choices for the upcoming year.  What is right for one student may not be right for another.  With that said, now is the time to begin discussing what next year might look like.

The counseling office has one document that outlines the process for all courses that might require an application such as Yearbook, Newspaper, Work Based Learning, Peer Leadership, Online Classes, Dual Enrollment, etc.  There are many classes a student can take but they first must be approved.  There is a process for all of them.  You can find that information here:Application Courses & Processes 19-20.  They are each listed alphabetically.  We encourage you to make sure you have followed the steps.

Students interested in online courses must complete all steps of the process no later than March 15th.  Fulton Virtual School and Georgia Virtual's registration portals do not open up for registrations for the 19-20 school year until March 1.  Contracts are are available on March 1st in the counseling office. See flow chart for complete details.  Flowchart 19-20  All students who plan to take an online class must do 3 things: submit an online contract to the counseling office, complete the online Google Form in the counseling office, and register for the course through the proper portal (FVS or GAVS).  If  you do not do these things by the March 15th deadline, you will not be approved for online classes for the next school year.

Dual Enrollment is equally as strict with their processes.  It is lengthy, but worth it.  The deadline is March 30th to apply to the college as well as submit the Fulton County Schools DE Contract.  We have moved to a process on Google Classroom.  All information and power point can be found on the CHS Dual Enrollment Website.  Hey...you want free college??  Gotta jump through a lot of hoops!  You can do it!

Please note that on the course verification sheet, you cannot just scratch out a course and add a course that requires approval (see list of application courses above).  Once the application/process has been approved then the course gets added at a later date.  In the meantime, students should choose an elective from the back of their verification sheet, including some alternates in case a course becomes full or does not work logistically with their schedule.  

Students wishing to take a summer school course to satisfy a graduation requirement: please note that course will not be removed from your verification until we receive your passing Summer course grade.  Counselors are back early enough in the summer to make changes at that time.  What you can do is write notes on your verification form giving us insight as to what you would want to take out of your schedule once you complete the summer course.  Example:  US History (graduation requirement) is being taken over the summer in order to make room for AP European History.  US History will stay on your verification for now, but AP European will be listed as its alternate.  Then when we receive your passing grade for US History in the summer, we will replace it with AP European History.  We will not remove a graduation requirement to accommodate an elective.   We love you, but we want you to graduate on time.  

Summer school registration will begin on March 1st.  No paperwork in the counseling office is required to take summer classes. 

We appreciate the questions. Here are upcoming scheduling help sessions (below).

STUDENT WALK IN DATES: We are available for STUDENTS to drop in for quick advising on the remaining dates:  February 6, March 6, and March 13 in G125 during all lunch periods.  No pass is needed to come to G125 for assistance.  Bring your verification form with you when you come.

PARENT WALK IN DATES:  We are available for PARENTS to drop in for quick advising on these dates:  February 7 and March 13 in the Media Center between 5 - 7pm.  Again, bring your child's verification form with you.

Financial Aid Night!!

We hope you can come to the Financial Aid Night which is hosted by the Counseling Office on Monday, October 1, 2018 at 6:30pm in the Auditorium. A representative from the Georgia Student Finance Commission will be on hand to explain the FAFSA, HOPE, HOPE Grant, and Zell Miller Scholarship.  She will also be able to answer any questions you might have about the process for obtaining aid.

Here is what will be discussed that night:
Georgia Student Finance Commission Presentation - GSFC Presentation

This powerpoint is additional information pertaining to scholarships and the CSS profile:
Dream Big Powerpoint - CHS Financial Aid Night Power Point

We look forward to seeing you then! 

Requesting Counselor Recommendations

It's the time of year again when you are needing to start the process of applying to college.  The counseling team hosted a senior parent night on August 30.  We will host students for an information session on September 6 during the beginning of all lunch periods.  It is important that you attend a session to get the steps for you to work through this process with ease.  In the event you cannot make it on Thursday, here is a link to the presentation: Senior Information Presentation

Also, if you have not yet joined the Counselor Remind App - you should do so.  We send out quick announcements occasionally and we know you want to be in the loop.  Here is the link for that:  Class of 2019 - Join Remind

We have changed the process to request a counselor recommendation.  We have attempted to streamline this process and hopefully make it easy for you to do from home, rather than having to come into our office for each step.  Counselors are using Google Classroom for information purposes.  You must join YOUR counselor's Google Classroom link, not any other counselor or it will be declined.

**  Teacher recommendations are requested directly from the teacher.  The process to obtain a teacher recommendation does not go through the counseling office.

Keep in mind MANY colleges do not need a counselor recommendation.  This process only applies to students who DO need a counselor recommendation or school report completed.  If your college does not ask for one, then you do not need to follow this process.  However, if you do need a counselor recommendation or a school report here are the steps to request one.

Step 1:
Go to your FCS Launchpad account.  FCS Launchpad Site

Step 2: 
Click on the Google Classroom icon.

Step 3:
Click "Join Class" at the top right.

Step 4:
It will ask for your class code.  This is where you make sure you are joining YOUR counselor's "classroom".   You must go through your Launchpad account using your Fulton County email.

Mrs. Chilson - Last Names (A - Deo) - 9ydwhy2
Mrs. Johnson - Last Names (Der - Hei) - tyt7exh
Ms. Vemuri - Last Names (Hen - McD) - bmzt5uo
Ms. Blount - Last Names (McG - Sa) - zewqr6
Mrs. Jones - Last Names (Sc - Z) - nfgdcz4

Step 5:
Once you are logged into your counselor's Google Classroom, it will detail steps to upload a student profile, complete a Google Doc Form for requesting recommendations, and explain the process for requesting a transcript.  If the student profile is not complete, we cannot write your recommendation.  Make sure you follow through on all the steps provided.

Step 6:
Make sure you entered your counselor's email address into the application.  This is how the counselor gets the link to submit your recommendation.  We do not get links from students, it comes from the organization directly.  We fill it out and submit electronically.  Google Classroom describes how to handle the paper copy recommendations.

Lastly, all counselors require 10 school days to submit recommendations.  Please adhere to those deadlines.  Here are some of the important dates, this is not an exhaustive list of college deadlines - only some of the more popular deadlines:

•October 15th deadline – students must submit requests no later than September 27th
•November 1st deadline – students must submit requests no later than October 18th
•December 1st deadline – students must submit requests no later than November 9th
•January 1st deadline – students must submit requests no later than December 7th

Keep positive thoughts as you go through this process.  You have done the hard work, all you can do at this point is follow through on your plan, including having a back up option.

Introducing Ms. Vemuri

The counseling office has added a dynamic new member to our team.  We have fallen in love with her and we know you will too.  I hope you will take a minute to welcome Ms. Navina Vemuri to the Hooch Family!  Just for fun I made her answer some very important questions and several of her responses are eye opening for sure.  Who doesn't like Hershey's chocolate??
Favorite candy: Anything with chocolate, except for Hershey's
Favorite snack: BBQ Chips
Favorite store to Shop: TJ Maxx
Favorite movie: The Namesake
Favorite book or author: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The alphabet breakdown for Counselor assignments has slightly changed, so please note your student's Counselor below based on student last name. 
Mrs. Chilson - A - Deo
Mrs. Johnson - Der - Hei
Ms. Vemuri - Hen - McD
Ms. Blount - McG - Sa
Mrs. Jones - Sc - Z

Letter from Ms. Vemuri:
Hi Cougars!  My name is Navina Vemuri and I am the new school counselor here at Chattahoochee High School! I'm excited to be here and to work with this great community!  I'm originally from Germany, but have lived in the US for more than half of my life. Luckily, I am able to regularly visit my home country, since both my parents and my family still live there. I am also part Indian and am super proud of this part of my identity.  I love the food, the culture and music - right now I'm even learning Bharatnatyam dance! I went to the University of Connecticut for my undergraduate degree, where I majored in International Relations. At one point, I wanted to work for the United Nations, but things have changed since then. Most recently, I received my Masters of Education in School Counseling from Georgia State University. In my free time I like to travel, play soccer, hang out with my friends and go for a run. Stop by my office anytime, I love meeting new people and learning from those around me!

Senior Meeting Details 4/18/18

A senior meeting was held today - April 18th regarding all of the expectations you need to be aware of prior to our graduation ceremony on May 25th.  Make sure you have completed all the tasks below.

• Make sure you are passing all of your coursework this semester!  If you do not pass the required classes necessary for graduation, you will not be permitted to walk in the graduation ceremony or earn your diploma until required credits are successfully completed.

• Class of 2018 Information - This link will detail all of the information regarding graduation practice, the graduation ceremony, honor cords, purchasing extra tickets, purchasing cap and gown, etc.  Please make sure to familiarize yourself with these details.

• Yellow Senior Final Checkout Form - Pick up in the Counseling Office if you did not get one at the meeting.  This is a yellow form that must be completed no later than May 18.  What does it ask you to do?  
• Request your final transcript through www.parchment.com.  The college you plan to attend does not know you have graduated until they receive your final transcript.  Please make sure you submit your final transcript request through Parchment.  When you submit your request, you can indicate "Hold for Grades" so that your transcript is submitted after this semester grades have been added. 
• Complete the Fulton County Exit Survey at this link https://fultonschools.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bHn7VQyW15ZTYB7
• Complete the name pronunciation form at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQ2M5QsYnaJAL4HSX07wHehUwc5b9Q733lWNNxprwqH8HuLQ/viewform.  All students are required to submit a name pronunciation form.  
• Submit all copies of verified scholarships that have been offered (even if you do not plan to accept the offer or attend the college) to Mrs. Jensen in the counseling office.  If you do not turn these in by May 18, they will not be announced at graduation.
• Submit all copies of college admission offers you have received, even if you do not plan to attend the college.  These are due by May 18.  These may be copies of letters, emails or any other official printout from the college/university.  

Summer School 2018

​​​​

**The Bus for Face-to-Face Summer School will depart from the covered bus loop at Chattahoochee at 7:38AM.  Summer school at Northview High School begins at 8:30AM.  Afternoon drop-off at CHS is approximately 12:50PM**​

Summer School for Face-to-Face, Fulton Virtual, and Georgia Virtual Registration is open!  Summer School is an opportunity for high school students to accelerate or recover credits during the summer.  Face-to-face facilitation and at home virtual offerings exist. The summer sessions are condensed versions of content provided during the school year, and students must have their course requests approved by their counselor before being enrolled.  Summer school registration does not require an online contract.  All face-to-face and virtual students who are taking an EOC course must participate in EOC testing which will take place at the Summer School site.  ​​

• Face-to-Face Facilitation:
• Hosted at Northview High School, with transportation provided if needed (see info above). 
• A subject area teacher serves as the facilitator for the course and the content is completed online.  Face-to-face facilitation provides a designated time, location, and the technology needed for students to complete courses.
• All EOC courses (9^th Lit, 11^th Lit, Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology, Physical Science, US History, and Economics) plus Personal Fitness are available for students who have previously failed that specific course(s). 
• For students who want to accelerate, the only courses available to take for the first time in the face-to-face setting are Economics and Personal Fitness.
• ​Students are only ​​allowed to take ONE content area during Face-to-Face Summer School. 
• Students who have previously failed a course (recovery) may take up to two credits at no cost, but for Face-to-Face Summer School it must be in the same content area - or a student could take one content area through Face-to-Face and do a different content area through Fulton Virtual School.  
• Students who are taking a course for the first time (accelerating) will not be able to do so through Face-to-Face Summer School, unless it is Economics or Personal Fitness.  Those are the only options for first-time courses in-person.  The tuition is $225 per 0.5 credit ($180 per 0.5 credit for students approved for free/reduced lunch).
• Course dates are June 11th - July 13th.  Personal Fitness will only meet June 11th – June 29th.  All EOC testing occurs July 12th – 13th.  
• School will be closed July 4th through July 6th for Independence Day. 
• Late Registration:  June 4th - 8th.  Face-to-face students will be able to register in person at Northview HS during this window.  Students will not be able to register for classes that are already full.
• For more information and to register for face-to-face courses, please visit:  https://www.fultonschools.org/SummerSchool.

• Fulton Virtual:
• Available for recovery or acceleration
• All content is completed online at home
• Students who have previously failed that specific course(s) are eligible to take up to two credits at no cost. 
• Students who are taking a course for the first time (accelerating) must pay tuition at the rate of $225 per 0.5 credit ($180 per 0.5 credit for students approved for free/reduced lunch).
• Course dates and times are June 4th – July 13th.  EOC testing occurs July 12th – 13th at Northview High School.  School will be closed July 4th for Independence Day. 
• Deadline is June 1st and Late Registration is June 4th - 8th.  After June 1st, Students will not be able to register for classes that are already full.
• ​There are strict completion benchmarks for online summer courses.  If a student is not making adequate progress they will be dropped from the course with no refund:
• 33% complete by 6/15 at 11:59PM
• 50% complete by 6/22 at 11:59PM
• 67% complete by 6/29 at 11:59PM
• ​​For more information and to register for Fulton Virtual courses, please visit: https://www.fultonschools.org/FultonVirtual

• GA Virtual:
• Available for recovery or acceleration
• All content is completed online at home
• Both students who have previously failed a course(s) and students who are taking a course for the first time (accelerating) must pay tuition at the rate of $250 per 0.5 credit if choosing to go through GA Virtual.
• Course dates for the 6-week session are June 4th – July 12th  and for the 5-week session are June 11th – July 12th.  EOC testing occurs July 12th – 13th at Northview High School.
• For more information and to register for GA Virtual courses, please visit:  http://www.gavirtualschool.org/

** We advise students to only attempt 0.5 or 1.0 credit of summer courses. **

• 1 semester long course (0.5 credit) requires about 3 hours of work a day
• 1 year long course (1.0 credit) requires about 6 hours of work a day
• Expect 6 to 9 hours of work a day if your student enrolls in an accelerated math course​​

​​**Other Important Information**

Please also note that for high school students there are specific promotion requirements which are based on the number of credits a student has earned.  You can check your student's transcript on Home Access Center on the "Grades" tab, then click on "Transcript."  You will need to add up all the credits earned each semester to get the total number of credits earned.  Promotion requirements for each grade level are below.  If your student falls short on credits, then please know they will not be promoted to the next grade level and they will be assigned to the previous grade level homeroom.  

• ​Students must have at least 5 credits by the end of July in order to be promoted to 10th Grade
• Students must have at least 11 credits by the end of July in order to be promoted to 11th Grade
• Students must have at least 17 credits by the end of July in order to be promoted to 12th Grade 

​Promotions are not made in the middle of the school year unless the student is graduating that year (e.g. May 2019).  

Once a student registers for Summer School, it will come to a CHS counselor for approval.  

Join the Hooch Counselors on Remind 101

Have you been feeling out of the loop?  Missing information?  Finding out at the last minute about opportunities?  Now's your chance to be in the know!  The Counseling Office is utilizing the Remind 101 app for announcements to students.  Please sign up to get information from us.  We will not be using this for day to day announcements, only for the most pertinent information and deadlines.  Take advantage of this service.

It is easy-peasy to sign up.  You should sign up based on your grade level.  Once you are registered, you do not need to re-register at any time.  It will follow you through graduation. 

Just text your code to 81010 and Bam!  You are registered for reminders from the Counseling Office. 

Current Juniors – Class of 2019

Text @3g76ak to 81010

Current Sophomores – Class of 2020

Text @74d77k to 81010

Current Freshmen – Class of 2021

Text @6g6493 to 81010

Course Verification Season!

It is that time of year again where you have now received your course recommendations for the upcoming school year.  The counseling team fully believes that you should analyze how this year has gone for you and determine how to achieve a better balance in the future.  Now more than ever, you need to consider your options and what you can realistically handle in the coming school year.  It is quite important to take into consideration your responsibilities for each course.  It is equally important to make sure you are maintaining a healthy balance in your life and factoring in down-time as a part of your day.  Academics are just one piece.  

Recently, there was an article published (Children Need Balance Article) advising parents to help their children balance their lives.  They need guidance in this area.  We are seeing far too many students who are stressed, angry, overwhelmed, and feeling anxious.  Students need help making appropriate course choices for the upcoming year.  What is right for one student may not be right for another.  With that said, now is the time to begin discussing what next year might look like.

This year, the counseling office has one document that outlines the process for all courses that might require an application such as Yearbook, Newspaper, Work Based Learning, Peer Leadership, Online Classes, Dual Enrollment, etc.  There are many classes a student can take but they first must be approved.  There is a process for all of them.  You can find that information here:  Application Courses & Processes 18-19.  They are each listed alphabetically.  We encourage you to make sure you have followed the steps.

Students interested in online courses must complete the process no later than March 13th.  Applying for online classes is a two step process.  Complete the CHS Online Contract AND register for the online class. Applications available on March 1st in the counseling office. See flow chart for complete details.  Flowchart  All students who plan to take an online class must submit an online contract to the counseling office no later than March 13th and complete the online google form in the counseling office (Step 1).  If  you do not submit a contract by the March 13th deadline, you will not be approved for online learning.  Students who plan to take classes through Fulton Virtual School must register for their class between March 1 – 13th (Step 2).  Students who plan to take classes through Georgia Virtual School must register for their class between March 15-30th (Step 2).

Dual Enrollment is equally as strict with their processes.  It is lengthy, but worth it.  The deadline is March 30th.  Students can pick up a step by step packet in our office.  There is also information at this address:  CHS Dual Enrollment Website.  Hey...you want free college??  Gotta jump through a lot of hoops!  You can do it!

Please note that on the course verification sheet, you cannot just scratch out a course an add a course that requires approval (see list of application courses above).  Once the application/process has been approved then the course gets added at a later date.  In the meantime, students should choose an elective from the back of their verification sheet, including some alternates in case a course becomes full or does not work logistically with their schedule.  

Students wishing to take a summer school course, please note that course will not be removed from your verification until we know you have satisfactorily completed the course.  Counselors are back early enough in the summer to make changes at that time.  What you can do is write notes on your verification form giving us insight as to what you would want to take out of your schedule once you complete the summer course.  Example:  US History is being taken over the summer in order to make room for AP European History.    US History is a graduation requirement.  We will not remove a graduation requirement to accommodate an elective.   We love you, but we want you to graduate on time.  

Summer school registration will begin on March 1st.  No paperwork in the counseling office is required to take summer classes. 

We appreciate the questions.  We are available for students to drop in for quick advising on the remaining dates:  February 20th during 4th & 5th period and March 6th during 4th and 5th period.  These are held in the Media Center.  Bring your verification form with you when you come.