GCA Counseling Newsletter
February 2017
C.A.N.D.Y. - February Edition
Virtual College Visits
Face to Face College Visits
College visits are a critical part of the college decision process. It’s also very exciting to be on a college campus this time of year! GCA has a set up several physical (face to face) visits. Please see below the upcoming GCA group visits. Most visits will include a campus tour as well as an informational session.
Georgia Highlands College– Cartersville, - February 7th, 10:00 am
SCAD– Atlanta, 1600 Peachtree St.– February 14th, 1:30 - 4:30p
Chattahoochee Tech North Metro Campus, Acworth– February 15th, 10:00 am
Georgia State University, Atlanta - February 27th, 10:00 am
Graduation Information
For More information about 2017 Graduation Click Here
Graduation is June 3rd
Move on When Ready
Dual Enrollment/MOWR Specialists:
Ginger Reid (A-L)
Kayla Sims (M-Z)
Tim Melvin (MOWR Coordinator)
MOWR Information sessions are held every Friday at 10am. Click Here to attend. For more information on MOWR Click Here.
Scholarship Listing
Click Here for Scholarship Listing. *Note- Although this list contains great opportunities, please be aware that this is not a comprehensive list of all scholarship opportunities available to you. It is up to your to research other scholarship options through a variety of resources, including: scholarship search engines, Colleges and Universities, place of employment, and community organizations.
For additional scholarship information, please visit the GCA website at http://www.gacyber.org/scholarshipsfinancial-aid.html.
Four C Café
Where you can Forsee your Future: A GCA College and Career Counseling Center
A place where students can go to talk to counselors and learn about college/career planning. Some other activities include:
Guidance lessons, College Visits/College Fairs, Entrance Exam Seminars, Study Skills, Career Readiness, Career Profile Assessments, Move On When Ready Guidance , Technical School, Application Assistance, Scholarship and Financial Aid Assistance.
When is the Four C Café? Thursdays @ 10am
Where is the Four C Café? Click Here
What’s coming up in the Four C Café?
February 2nd: MOWR Guest Speaker
February 9th: The Myth of Multitasking
February 16th: College Board Tutorial
February 23rd: SAT/ACT Information Session
What if I missed it? Please click on the links below, if you would like to hear a past session.
Red ribbon Week Guidance: Click Here
10th Grade Guidance: Click Here
SAT/ACT Guidance: Click Here
Interpreting PSAT Scores: Click Here
Interpreting EOC Scores: Click Here
Junior Guidance: Click Here
Junior Transition
Juniors, join the counseling team for the upcoming Junior Transition sessions to get tips on how to successfully transition to your senior year and gather information about post-secondary options.
Feb 21st (3pm)
March 21st (3pm)
April 18th (3pm)
May 16th (3pm)
Classroom Link: http://tinyurl.com/FourC-Cafe
FAFSA
Why should I fill out the FAFSA®? If you don’t fill out the FAFSA, you could be missing out on a lot of financial aid! We’ve heard a number of reasons students think they shouldn’t complete the FAFSA. Here are a few:
- “I (or my parents) make too much money, so I won’t qualify for aid.”
- “Only students with good grades get financial aid.”
- “The FAFSA is too hard to fill out.”
- “I’m too old to qualify for financial aid.”
If you think any of these statements apply to you, then you should read Myths About Financial Aid. The reality is, EVERYONE who's getting ready to go to college or career school should fill out the FAFSA!
When do I fill out the FAFSA? For the 2017–18 year, you can apply between Oct. 1, 2016, and June 30, 2018.
Can I get an early estimate of my aid? You sure can! If you’re not ready to file a FAFSA, you can use FAFSA4caster to estimate your federal student aid.
How do I fill out the FAFSA®? There are several ways to file:
- Online at fafsa.gov is faster and easier than using paper.
- If you need a paper FAFSA, you can
- download a PDF FAFSA or
- order a print-out of the PDF FAFSA by calling 1-877-4-ED-PUBS (1-877-433-7827).
- Ask the financial aid office at your college or career school if you can file it there. Some schools will use special software to submit your FAFSA for you.
Need some tips on filling out the FAFSA? Click here.
What happens after I fill out the FAFSA? Applying isn’t the last step; your FAFSA has to be processed, and then you get an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which your college or career school uses to figure out how much aid you can get. Find out more about what happens after you fill out the FAFSA, including how aid is calculated and when and how your aid will be paid out.
ASVAB TESTING COMING TO GCA!
Did you know?!!
Advice from a Senioritis Ridden Student
As I continue to adjust to falling back into my schedule after winter break, my thoughts have been primarily consumed by college applications. During our break from school, I was able to submit most of my applications, but after that, came the added requests for transcripts or financial aid documents. Even after the green checkmarks appeared on my screen, there were still more requirements which I did not expect, but was luckily able to meet over the past few days. Though tedious and stressful at times, essays for college applications do allow you to truly delve into who you are as a person and what the past few years of your life have really meant. Click Here to read more.
Kindness Challenge
In an effort to create a culture of kindness at GCA, our school will be participating in The Great Kindness Challenge the week of February 13-23, 2017. Your student can be part of a powerful and positive bullying prevention initiative that will lead to more kindness, unity, and respect. Students, parents, learning coaches, and staff are all encouraged to participate!
Share your news with the Counselors
Counselor Spotlight
Mrs. Caulie Hamling - 10th-12th Grade Counselor (A)
My name is Caulie Hamling and I have been a counselor at GCA for 5 years! I Attended the University of Georgia and earned a B.S. in Education and went to Georgia State for my M.Ed. and Ed.S. in School Counseling. My past experience includes working as a middle school teacher, elementary school counselor, and a high school counselor. My husband and I live in Roswell, Georgia, and we have 3 children – Slade (6), Coe (4) and Huddie (1). In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, running, sewing and cooking. I LOVE being a part of GCA J
Email: chamling@gacyber.org
Website: http://www.gacyber.org/hs-counseling.html
Phone: 404-334-4790 629
Mrs. Adamika Brown - 10th-12th Grade Counselor (B-BR)
My name is Adamika Brown, this is my second year at GCA! I am a graduate of Alabama A&M University and The University of West Georgia. I love to travel and read. I have over 7 years of Counseling experience, and it’s a pleasure to be your counselor here at GCAJ.
Email: abrown@gacyber.org
Website: http://www.gacyber.org/hs-counseling.html
Phone: 404-334-4790 2192
Mrs. Ann Garbutt - 10th-12th Grade Counselor (Bs-Db)
I’m a mother of 3, Austin-24, is a Captain and Dive Master in Key West, Hannah-20, is a Junior in college at Valdosta Stave Univ, Adi-17, is a Junior in high school. I enjoy time with my family, yoga, hiking, jogging, soccer, snorkeling, anything on the beach, reading and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. I graduated from Kennesaw State University with a BS in Public and Social Services and earned my MEd in Counseling and Educational Psychology at the University of West Georgia. This is my 12th year as a School Counselor. I love my job with GCA! The students, parents and faculty are amazing to work with!
Email: agarbutt@gacyber.org
Website: http://www.gacyber.org/hs-counseling.html
Phone: 404-334-4790 206
Mrs. Rita Whidbee - 10th-12th Grade Counselor (Db-Gh)
I am born and raised in Atlanta. I graduated from Towers High School and went on to attend South Carolina State College. On a track scholarship. My hobbies include reading, running and working out. I am married to a retired army soldier. I am a mother of 6 children ages 30, 24,19,17,9 & 7 and 2 grand babies. I have been in the education field for 20 years and enjoy watching students grow.
Email: rwhidbee@gacyber.org
Website: http://www.gacyber.org/hs-counseling.html
Phone: 404-334-4790 1063