Grand Blanc High School
Newsletter ~ November 2016
Upcoming Events : November & December
November 8th - Election Day (No School)
November 10th- FAFSA Filing Assitance Meeting
November 17th - High School Fall Play Performance
November 18th - High School Fall Play Performance
November 19th - High School Fall Play Performance
November 21st- Recruiting Realities with speaker Jack Renkens
November 23rd - Thanksgiving Break Begins (1/2 Day of School)
December 7th - Late Start (K-12)
December 22nd - Winter Break Starts (No School)
Order those Yearbooks!
Pre-order your 2017 Echo Yearbook before the price increases. Cost is $75 until January 31st. This price includes the 28-page spring supplement, which will be included in the yearbook when it is delivered in May. Visit www.gbyearbook.com for order forms and information.
Parents of seniors, Friday, Dec. 9th is the final deadline for completed senior ads info. Choose your favorite photos and write a message to your senior in honor of their accomplishments and graduation!
$75 for 1/8 page 2 photos max
$115 for 1/4 page 4 photos max
$175 for 1/2 page 10 photos max
$300 for full page 16 photos max
For more information on Senior Ads, visit the link!
Tell us your story!
We want your suggestions for stories of events and students who do awesome things. Please click on this link or visit GBYearbook.com and click on "coverage ideas."
Career & Technical Education
Remind 101
Students and Parents,
Stay Up to Date on Your Grade Level Spring PSAT/SAT-MME testing Information.
Sign up for important text messages concerning the spring PSAT and SAT/MME testing this school year.
- Juniors: TEXT @GB11 to 81010
- Sophomores: TEXT @GB10 to 81010
- Freshman: TEXT @GB09 to 81010
Contact Mrs. Briggs in the counseling office or call (810) 591-6671 if you have any questions.
Attendance Awareness
Parents and families are essential partners in promoting good attendance because they have the bottom-line responsibility for making sure their children get to #SchoolEveryDay. Just as parents should focus on how their children are performing academically, they have a responsibility to set expectations for good attendance and to monitor their child’s absences so that missed days don’t add up to academic trouble. Please let us know if you need assistance getting your child to school; we are happy to partner with you! All Grand Blanc Community Schools are on “the five day plan”– are you?
Credit Recovery
Any students who are behind on credit have an opportunity to catch up through the Credit Recovery program. The class meets in room 635 at West Campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-4:30. Cost is $100/class unless students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Forms are available in the counseling office. All students, especially seniors, should get started as soon as possible so they don’t need to worry about getting caught up before graduation.
College Visits
College reps are visiting us on almost a daily basis! Check the Counseling Office or the GBHS Facebook page for an updated schedule of college visits. We are using the Remind101 system this year for students to reserve a spot with a college rep. Students should check the bulletin board outside the counseling office for instructions on how to sign up. This is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about different colleges and ask questions!
FAFSA and Financial Aid
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is now available! This allows families more time to get their results back and be able to make the best financial decisions for their college student. We will be hosting an open computer lab session for parents and students to come in and work through the process. This session will take place on Thursday, November 10th @ 6 pm in Room 506. Please RSVP to the Counseling Office @ 810-591-6647. In the meantime, go to https://fafsa.ed.gov to find out more about the financial aid process.
(As a reminder, the FAFSA is FREE! Be extremely cautious of any site or organization that asks you to pay a fee!)
College Applications
Applications should be submitted to colleges in the fall. Colleges prefer that students apply online and the application can be accessed through the individual college websites. Transcripts must be requested through www.Parchment.com. Detailed college application information sheets and instructions for requesting transcripts are available in the Counseling Office and on the website under Guidance. Counselors are available to help all seniors and parents with the college application process. Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions!
Will You Be Our Friend?
The GBHS Counseling Office frequently posts updates to the GBHS Facebook and Twitter pages. If you haven’t done so yet, “like” the Grand Blanc High School Facebook page or follow us on Twitter at @GrandBlancPride
Your GBHS Counseling staff includes:
John Hentes CSS 591-6354 jhentes@grandblancschools.org
Paula Douglas 9th grade 591-6649 pdouglas@grandblancschools.org
10th-12th grade-
Phyllis Mol A-Ga 591-6648 pmol@grandblancschools.org
Nikki Kernen Ge-N 591-6651 nkernen@grandblancschools.org
Mary Gardner O-Z 591-6652 mgardner@grandblancschools.org
Kendra Vanover, Administrative Assistant 591-6647
Please feel free to contact any member of the counseling staff if you have questions or concerns!
Work Experience
New this year to Grand Blanc High School is the Work Experience II program. This course connects special education seniors with local community businesses to develop and practice occupational skills and positive work behaviors. Students spend part of the week in class learning how to prepare for post secondary life and the rest of the week learning skills actually used in a job setting. Existing community partners include Walgreens, Prestige Pointe, Four Paws Hotel and Day Resort, Lush Lawn, and 810 CrossFit. Transition Coordinator, Rachael Tait is excited about the new opportunity. "I'm thrilled to be working with the students and our business partners. They have shown a genuine interest in helping our young people. We wouldn't be able to offer a course like this if it was not for these businesses." One of the participating seniors said, "this is the best class that has ever happened to me. I am finding out what working is all about and what kind of jobs I might be interested in for the future." Mrs. Tait wants the to thank her existing community partners and hopes to work with them as well as any other interested local businesses in the future.