CONNECTIONS, the Walton High School e-Newsletter
Sharing Walton Stories to Inspire and Applaud

August 26, 2016

Missed this Week's Announcements?

Archived E-Blast from Sunday, August 21, 2016

Need Help picking the
RIGHT College?
WHS Counseling Department
Provides Opportunities to Explore YOUR Options!
  
The PROBE College Fair: Sponsored by WHS and the PTSA, the PROBE College Fair gives students and their parents a unique opportunity to meet representatives from colleges across the country. Admissions professionals from over 150 colleges and universities will be present to provide information and field questions about their respective schools. This event allows visitors to peruse the informational booths that each college has set up, take packets and brochures, and speak to the college rep who is there to answer questions about admissions, housing, financial aid and more. Many schools represented at PROBE are located great distances from Georgia which could make it difficult to visit the campus in person for a preliminary trip. The PROBE fair allows families to learn about a wide variety of potential schools from all over the country, all in one spot! PROBE also allows schools that aren't as well known to introduce themselves to students who may ultimately decide it is the 'right fit" for them!  Donna Dunham, WHS Counseling Department Head, agrees the Fair offers students and parents a great opportunity to explore their options. "Students attend the fair for different reasons but I do feel that each attendee will walk away armed with information that will aid them in the college application process." 

The PROBE Fair is a popular event so plan to come early to take full advantage of all the information. The Fair will be held on Monday, August 29, from 6pm-9pm at North Point Mall in Alpharetta. Preregister at PROBE REGISTRATION and print a personalized barcode to bring to the mall with you.  Click Probe Fair Flyer for more information, a list of colleges that will be represented and a map of the Fair.

At Walton: The College Corner schedules information sessions with college admission officers representing schools throughout the country. These sessions are held at Walton and are only for juniors and seniors (no parents). The majority of the visits are scheduled in August, September and October although there are a few who visit in the spring.
 
Each week a "green sheet" is updated with the names and dates of college representatives who are visiting Walton and is posted in junior and senior homerooms.  The scheduled visits are also on the morning announcements, posted outside the Guidance Department doors, and can be found on the WHS website by clicking here:  College Corner
 
Students must sign up online through their Naviance account at least one day before the visit.  After registering, the student will receive a reminder email the day before the visit.  (Students should enter their email address in their Naviance profile).  The email must be printed at home and brought to school.   This email will be the student's pass and it must be signed by their teacher before they can be excused from class.   It is always at the discretion of the teacher whether a student is able to leave class and students may not be allowed to miss a test, quiz or lab. The student is responsible for any missed work in class.
 
The Counseling Department also offers parent informational nights for juniors and seniors, bringing in speakers from various colleges for presentations and Q&A sessions.  Power Point presentations from these sessions will be posted on their website for review.  Additionally, the College Corner, located in the Guidance suite,  is open from 8-3:30 daily and offers expert guidance to students through each step of the college application process.
 
On-line: Walton High School is excited to enter our second year with the Naviance program to assist our students and parents in the college application process.  Not only is the program used to send transcripts and teacher/counselor recommendations as e.docs directly to colleges, it also allows students to research over 5000 colleges, sorted by the student's interests and expectations.  Naviance provides scholarship information, allows students to explore career options and build their resume, and to track their volunteer services hours.
 
Senior College Application Process:  The Counseling Department is here to guide Seniors in their College Application Process.  To view the Senior Counseling Presentation for an overview of the process, click here: Senior Tutorial
 
The WHS Counseling Department urges students and families to take advantage of all these opportunities to explore the wide variety of possible post-secondary education options available to find that PERFECT FIT! 
 
Visit the Counseling Department WEB Site for more information: Counseling
DID YOU KNOW.....?
Microsoft 365 is available for all Cobb School District students!      
Please visit the following site for more details: CCSD Office 365
If you have a Walton student and cannot find the email allowing permission, please Kim Gibson in PPO at [email protected]. Email permission can only be sent to the Enrolling Head of Household.  If you are not the enrolling head of household, the email will be resent to the email of record for the enrolling head of household.  If you are the enrolling head of household and the email differs from the one on record, it will be changed.  This will now become the email of record of the enrolling adult.  Please do not submit a student's email address as the district uses this for communication purposes. The enrolling head of household can only be changed by re-enrolling the student in the records room with the permission of the current enrolling head of household. 

Voters Urged to Get The Facts Behind Proposed Constitutional Amendment

Georgia voters will be asked to make a critical decision in November on an amendment to the state constitution which would allow the state to create a state-run school district (the Opportunity School District or "OSD"). This district would be overseen by a superintendent appointed by and reporting to the governor.
 
The language that will appear on the ballot will lead many people to think that this action is needed to allow the state to address an on-going problem in Georgia's schools:
 
"Amendment #1 provides greater flexibility and state accountability to fix failing schools through increasing community involvement.
 
Shall the constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?"
 
Please do not be misled by the false opportunities implied in the language of this constitutional amendment. The state already has the authority to intervene in "chronically failing schools." The proposed OSD structure reduces students and schools to a failing number. Data is inconsistent; for instance, CCRPI, the measurement used to determine OSD eligibility, has changed several times since its implementation. Additionally, the enabling legislation (SB 133 passed in 2015) allows the general assembly to change the definition of "failing." Georgia PTAs delegates passed a resolution opposing OSD at the 2016 summer convention.
 
Read the ABCs of OSD for more information about this bill and stay tuned for more information conveyed via our PTSA weekly E-blast, website and social media.
 
Note: In order to maintain a nonprofit status under federal rules, Georgia PTA (and all local units under its umbrella) is nonpartisan and works to direct its efforts at members of both political parties in order to enact change. When PTA officers or lobbyists participate in legislative activities that educate lawmakers about officially adopted PTA positions, or support a particular piece of legislation that is in agreement with the PTA Legislative Program, it is done on a strictly nonpartisan basis.
 
IN THIS ISSUE
Counseling Department
Microsoft 365
Closer Look Before Vote
Mental Health is a Prority
ReEnroll Kroger Plus Card
WaltonStrong

Mental Health is a Priority

Today's school environment can be very stressful for students - especially when they reach high school and have to deal with a lot of social and academic issues. Students can display signs of stress in many forms. But when do we, as parents, know when the stress has overwhelmed our students? Is it more than a stressful day or incident? Is the child suffering from depression? Is it more than that?
Mental Health America has put together a very helpful resource for parents to help guide them and their families regarding stress and mental health issues. According to Mental Health America, it's time to talk to your child or teen about their mental health when:
 
 *You notice something just doesn't seem right, but aren't sure why
*Your teen's behaviors seem different than others in their peer group
*Your teen is starting to have difficulties at home, school or with friends
*You've noticed some of the following signs and symptoms for more than a few weeks: feeling sad, empty, hopeless, or worthless; sensitivity to sound, sight, smell, or touch; feeling overly worried; not being able to do school work; your child hearing knocking or scratching sounds; loss of interest in things they used to enjoy; withdrawal from others; changes in sleep patterns or energy levels; irritability or restlessness, problems with concentration, memory, or thinking; and loss of appetite or overeating.
 
 
If you have seen some of these signs in your child, please speak to your child or reach out for help (1-800-273-8255). Learn the Do's and Don'ts about how to speak with your child about their mental health. Learn what do to if it is not your child. Visit the GA PTAs Health & Wellness  site for the full resource for parents.
 
Let's all work together in our Walton community to have healthy, happy, strong children so they can be successful at school.
REMEMBER to
RE-ENROLL YOUR KROGER PLUS CARD By August 31st and continue to Support Teacher Grants at Walton
Click Here: KROGER
 
Teacher Grant Program purchased a Document Camera to demonstrate science lab experiments. 

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