GCA Weekly Update
4/16/2021
Hello Spartan Community,
I know this sounds odd, but we have five weeks of school left, and four of them will have some grade(s) disrupted in some way by high-stakes testing. Next week our 7th, 8th, and 10th-grade students take the AZM2 on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Please make sure those students fully charge themselves and their Chromebook batteries, bring earbuds or headphones to plug into their Chromebook, and bring a calculator on Tuesday and Thursday. All other students will follow this bell schedule and be quiet between classes to respect those taking tests. All of our AP tests will be administered the first two weeks of May, and the third week of May will be class final, projects, and presentations. Our next five weeks are going to fly.
Please continue to help us mitigate the spread of COVID. Thank you to those who are diligent with this every day. Numbers are low, but as we found out this week, it is still around. Please check your child’s health before sending them to school. Neglecting to do this could affect several other students.
Latin Tutoring this Saturday - Come to room 124 (Mr. Merrill’s room), any time between 8 and 11 am, Saturday morning. Bring $5 for all the tutoring you need. Make sure you thank them for coming in on a Saturday to help you.
Character Strong
As we wind down our year in our social-emotional learning curriculum, we will do some reflecting and sharing over the last two sessions. We are going to investigate what has changed and what has stayed the same over the previous year. Then we will reflect on what we have learned and how we can apply it going forward. This week’s dare will be to spend 10 minutes to engage with the question of “What has changed this year and what has not?” The final dare will be to come up with a word to focus on for the next school year, define how important it is, and what actions can make it happen. We look forward to the conversations over the next few weeks.
Hosting a Foreign Exchange Student
We are going to have two foreign exchange students attend GCA during the next school year. We have one family all ready house one of the students because they have done it once and had a great experience. If you are interested in hosting a foreign exchange student, please click on this link for more information and the AFS representative to answer any questions.
Teacher Appreciation Week is coming.
If you are interested in helping or want to contribute to this week, please contact Michelle Sorensen ASAP. You can contact her via email or text.” Mnsorensen000204@gmail.com or 480-789-2195
GCA Good Things
Lizzie Beistle and Hayden Nguyen have been chosen to attend the Ceasar Chavez Leadership Institute.
GCA Music News
We are looking forward to some amazing concerts and events in the coming weeks! Please make sure the following dates that apply to you are on your calendar:
Thursday, May 6th- Orchestra Concert, 7 pm @MJHS, two guests per student admitted, live streaming available
Thursday, May 13th- Band Rehearsal @ MJHS. Please see Mr. Rossi's email from earlier this week with the details.
Thursday, May 13th- Guitar Recital, 6:30 pm @GCA Cafeteria
Friday, May 14th- Band Concert, 7 pm @ MJHS. Please see Mr. Rossi's email for more details about guests, live streaming available
Monday, May 17th- Music Awards Celebration, 2:30 pm on GCA Campus. All music students are invited! Awards, snacks, socializing, and games
Wednesday, May 19th- Choir Pops Special Acts Dress Rehearsal, select students, 2 pm @ MJHS
Thursday, May 20th- Choir Pops Full Dress Rehearsal, all choir students, 3 pm @ MJHS
Friday, May 21st- Choir Pops Concert, 7 pm @ MJHS, ticketing information to follow soon
Saturday, May 22nd- Choir Pops Concert, 3 pm @ MJHS, ticketing information to follow soon, live streaming available
Sunday, May 23rd- Baccalaureate, 1 pm @ MJHS, Advanced Vocal students perform
Wednesday, May 26th- Commencement, 6:30 pm @ GHS, select band and orchestra students perform
We are also excited to announce our first ever GCA Music Awards Ceremony, which will occur in the courtyard at GCA on Monday, May 17th, immediately after school. All awards recognitions will be removed from the May concerts to improve performance flow and concert length. Instead, we will have all three music programs present awards in this after-school ceremony, complete with snacks, socializing, and a team competition game following awards. The awards portion will be live-streamed and/or recorded for parents to view from work or home.
As always, please reach out to your child's music teacher if you have any questions!
rebecca.joslin@gilbertschools.net
Applications for New Students next year.
Applications for the 2021-22 School year is now open. We encourage siblings of current students to get their applications in now.
No Food Deliveries to GCA Campus
Due to COVID restrictions we are not allowing food deliveries to campus. Please help us by not ordering or delivering food to campus. Thank you.
Parent volunteers are NEEDED to help with Teacher Appreciation lunches.
GCA PTO Information
The next regular PTO meeting is this Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at 6 pm. The GCA PTO General Meetings are held on the third Tuesday, every month, at 6 pm in room 303. We need your support to make our kids' GCA experience a positive and successful one. If you haven't already, please become a GCA PTO member by clicking HERE. As a GCA PTO member, you will be able to vote on how and what the PTO does and how funds are allocated. Get involved! Our GCA kids need you!
We can't wait to see you there and go over all the wonderful things we have planned for this school year!
***Following Gilbert Public Schools COVID-19 guidelines, all that goes on school property must cover their nose and mouth with a mask. You will not attend the GCA PTO meeting if you are not wearing a mask.
Counseling Updates:
Hello Spartan Families,
Outlined here are areas that you may find helpful on the journey. Please visit links within for NEW weekly updates as we work diligently to update every week to pass resources onto you at home. Check Weekly for updates!!
Weekly Current News and Resources on College Planning, Parenting, and more.
GPS THRIVE:
Starting to plan for post-secondary education is a family event as much as it is an individual one. We suggest that if you have not used the GPS THRIVE program, we encourage you to visit this with your student and begin this process. It is never too early to create a plan and have alternatives. THRIVE is a College & Career Success Guide providing helpful timelines and resources to encourage students (and their families) to get the most out of their high school experiences, along with helping our students plan for their brightest futures. This resource guides all High School students to excel during their high school experience and beyond by assisting students in exploring college and career options with proven pathways to success.
Here is an additional College Planning Guide for 9th/10th Grade to get you started.
GCA Junior Service Learning:
As part of the College Preparatory Program at GCA, we spend a great deal of time in the junior service-learning classroom. This takes place in the second semester. We conclude the lessons with a 1-1 appointment with the students to create a portfolio that helps them start and complete the college application process. Our mission is that each student has the support they need to have the components already done and a working framework to confidently start the application process steps over the summer and the beginning of the senior year. The juniors are now preparing for the ACT exam on April 6th. This week in the classroom, the juniors participated in a Financial and scholarship lesson as the final piece to the portfolio before 1-1 junior conferences. After the last lesson is concluded, we will start scheduling 1-1 counselor meetings with each Junior on the items within the portfolio. College Planning Guide for 11th Grade
Community Information and Referral Services.
Community Information and Referral Services. This link is a search platform for you to find several local organizations. There are many resources available in our community to help in this time of need.
Connect with us on Instagram at Spartansgo2college. Another resource for parents is joining the Counseling google classroom for High School and Junior High.
It is our pleasure to help you and your student, and we look forward to a great rest of the year.
Gratefully, Mrs. Lisa Raunig and Ms. Pier Obrien
Mental Health Counselor
With the testing season underway, it is very common to see an increase in stress and anxiety in students. It is normal to experience some nerves over upcoming exams. However, extreme feelings of anxiety and stress before and during an exam can have unhealthy results. Anxiety can be problematic when it prevents you from taking or doing your best on an exam, causes you to feel anxious all the time, or becomes extreme. Test anxiety is a combination of physical symptoms and emotional reactions that interfere with one’s ability to perform well on tests. Symptoms might look different from student to student, but the following is a list of possible symptoms students might experience.
Physical symptoms: Headache, nausea, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, and feeling faint. Test anxiety can also cause panic attacks, which are the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort in which you may feel like you are unable to breathe or like you are having a heart attack.
Emotional symptoms: Feelings of stress, fear, helplessness, and disappointment, negative thoughts (rumination about past poor performances, consequences of failure, feeling inadequate, helpless), mind going blank, and racing thoughts.
Behavioral/cognitive symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, thinking negatively, comparing yourself to others, and procrastinating.
Causes of test anxiety:
Fear of failure- While the pressure of doing well on an exam can be motivating, it can be detrimental to one’s self-worth if you associate the grade of the test with one’s value.
Lack of preparation- Waiting until the last minute or not studying at all can leave one feeling anxious and overwhelmed.
Poor test history- Not succeeding on the previous exam can cause anxiety for the next exam. It is important to remember to stay in the present moment when taking an exam so focus can be maintained.
High pressure- If a certain grade is needed to pass the class, it could increase test anxiety.
Perfectionism- Perfectionism is having extremely high-performance expectations for oneself. Research studies show that students who have high perfectionism and high self-criticism tend to have high test anxiety and do worse on exams.
How to reduce test anxiety: Before the exam-
Be prepared- Start studying a few weeks in advance so that you have enough time to prepare for your test. Space your studying out into smaller chunks over time.Make a study schedule and remain accountable.
Study effectively- Ideas for active studying include: -Create a study guide by topic. Formulate questions and problems and write complete answers. Create your own quiz. -Become a teacher. Say the information aloud in your own words as if you are the instructor and teaching the concepts to a class. -Derive examples that relate to your own experiences. -Create concept maps or diagrams that explain the material. -Organization and planning will help you to actively study for your courses. When studying for a test, organize your materials first and then begin your active reviewing by topic.
Engage in self-care. Take care of your overall health by eating well, getting enough restful sleep, incorporating exercise or movement into your day, and participating in relaxing and fun activities that you enjoy.
Create a calming worksheet. This is a paper that you can carry with you all the time and especially before your exam. On this paper you can put motivational quotes, why you are likely to succeed, breathing techniques, pictures of your supporters, and anything else that will keep you motivated without making you anxious. Create this several days in advance, when you are not stressed and anxious, so that you can turn to it if you do become anxious.
Immediately before the exam:
-Get a good night’s sleep (7-9 hours) the night before the exam. Your ability to think clearly and to deal with anxiety improves with sleep. -Avoid too much caffeine. -Gather all of the materials you need in advance, including a pencil, eraser, or calculator, so that you are not rushing around before the exam. -Play calming or familiar music to help you relax. -Don’t let the exam define you. Remember that your self-worth and intelligence does not depend on your performance on this one exam. -Give yourself a pep talk to reframe your anxiety as excitement. Telling yourself you’re excited will help you see the exam more positively and experience more positive emotions.
During the exam:
-Calm your body. -Breathe deeply from your belly. -Tighten various muscle groups, and then relax them. -Close your eyes and count to ten. -Sit comfortably: Sitting up, relaxing your shoulders, and being mindful of your posture can help you feel more confident and assertive and can make you feel less stressed and anxious. Research shows that slouching and hunching poses decrease people’s persistence and creativity when trying to solve complex problems and increase negative self-thoughts.
Calm your emotions and thoughts: -Focus on only the present moment to help you stay grounded. -Focus on yourself and what you are doing. Ignore other people around you, and don’t compare yourself to others.
As always, if you are concerned about your child’s mental health or in need of family support, please don’t hesitate to contact me at nicoleta.alfaro@gilbertschools.net.
Have a good weekend,
Mr. Hood