GCA Weekly Update
2/26/2021
Hello Spartan Community,
Armageddon is coming on Friday!
It will be a shortened one this year. We will have tug-o-war and musical chairs out on the field in the morning. Once those are done, students will participate in dodgeball, an amazing race, an egg drop machine, a puzzle challenge, and events will be streamed into classrooms through WebEx. Thank you to our seniors who are putting this together for our campus. We are looking forward to a great day on Friday.
Change in Latin
It is with a heavy heart that I need to let you know that Mr. Mytnik, our Latin 1 and 2 teacher, has had to leave us. We wish him health and wellness in his future endeavors. GCA Alumni Mr. Tull-Gauger is going to take over his classes for the remainder of the school year. Mr. Tull-Gauger, Ms. Vincent, and Mr. Merrill will work together to supply instructions through videos created by Ms. Vincent last year and other resources. Mr. Tull-Gauger is brushing up on the basics he learned here a decade ago. We are going to do our best to teach our students as much Latin as possible.
GCA Music News
Please remember to mark your calendars for our upcoming concerts. More details to follow:
GCA Orchestra- Thursday, March 18th, 7 pm @ MJHS Auditorium
GCA Choir- Tuesday, March 23rd, 7 pm @ MJHS Auditorium
GCA Orchestra- Thursday, May 6th, 7 pm @ MJHS Auditorium
GCA Band- Friday, May 14th, 7 pm @ MJHS Auditorium
GCA Choir- Friday, May 21st, 7 pm @ MJHS Auditorium
Thank you for your continued support of the GCA Music Department! Though we have all had to be flexible and make changes this year, we are thankful to be making music with the students and are excited to share it with you soon!
Penny Wars
Penny Wars are going to start on Wednesday, February 17th! Bring your coins and bills to your legion: pennies and bills are positive points (pennies are worth double), silver coins are negative points to "sabotage" other legions. Legion jars will be in the cafeteria for contributions and sabotage. First place legions with the most points will win a huge Olive Garden Party, and 2nd and 3rd place legions will win a food party hosted by Senate. All proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Good luck!
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.
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.
Problems with Global Attendance? How to log attendance Outside of BUZZ
If you are receiving those annoying emails telling you that you will be dropped from your Global class, but you know you have been logging in, follow the steps in this link to avoid problems with attendance.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xMhwvVlVakyH1OfTIsPgHiMjIJKiJSti5dtQOvTH2Tw/edit#slide=id.p
Parent volunteers are NEEDED to help with Teacher Appreciation lunches.
GCA PTO Information
GCA PTO meeting coming THIS Tuesday, 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 be able to 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 useful on the journey.
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.
Volunteer Turors Bridge Academic Gaps
Academic learning gaps are another symptom of COVID-19, with online volunteer tutors seen as one remedy. How bad is the problem? A recent December study shows that students have nine to twelve months of learning loss. Academic success is critical to the future of all students and all communities. That’s why one-on-one tutoring is needed more than ever. Dedicated student volunteers have the right talents to help teachers close the learning gaps. Plus, high school and college students can go beyond assisting students to meet learning targets. They can assure young learners by relating to their feelings of isolation and frustration. The GCA Tutoring Program is looking for Volunteer Tutors to earn service hours while also serving the community. Tutors: If you are interested in Tutoring, please fill out this form. Tutees: If you need a tutor, please fill out this form. The matching process will take place next week, and the students will work together for the semester. We suggest any student who wants to tutor or needs tutoring join the GCA Tutoring Google Classroom. code r6xwo3x If you have questions, email Lisa Raunig
GPS THRIVE:
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. We have now completed the academic resumes and BigFuture College Search and created spreadsheets of colleges they consider applying too soon. Our next couple of weeks will include writing essays, both personal and supplemental. Parents can view the Portfolio development, as a guardian, in the Google Classrooms. Please have your student invite you to the classroom if you are not already in it. This week the juniors received their ASVAB scores and were led through a lesson on using the database with their results to do further career exploration. College Planning Guide for 11th Grade If you are a full-time Global student only: Follow the registration process for choosing next year's classes HERE. 2021 Updated Student Internship, Enrichment Programs- Check Weekly for updates!! Time Article: DEAR STRUGGLING PARENTS, IT’S NOT JUST YOU. THIS IS HARD Interested in Engineering? Fulton Ambassadors whose mission is to support outreach and recruitment efforts on behalf of the engineering college through personal attention and information to prospective students. One of GCA Alum, Kathleen Maro, works with our campus to connect current students to this program. Students will virtually meet with a Fulton Ambassador to learn more about their engineering/technology major. It is really valuable for prospective students to “see” themselves in engineering, and Fulton Ambassadors love sharing their experience! This “Meet an Ambassador” program is open to any high school student, grades 9-12, and can register for a visit. 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 Raunigand Ms. Pier Obrien
Mental Health Counselor
Some Thoughts of the Power of Being Vulnerable as a Parent:
The discomfort of vulnerability is often rooted in fear of rejection or abandonment. Negative past experiences can lead us to believe that if we allow others to get to know us genuinely, or as so many have said, “find out who we really are,” they will reject us. While we may try to appear perfect, strong, or intelligent to connect with others, in reality, pretense often has the opposite effect.
As parents, we often believe that we need to shield our children from negative or uncomfortable emotions – especially our own. We may wipe away tears, for example, and claim we just had something in our eye. This is often rooted in the idea that if our children see us as weak, they might not respect us or feel safe with us. So, we hide away our pain and attempt to be fortresses of stoicism for them. Not only is this unhealthy for us, but this also does a disservice to our children by teaching them that the uncomfortable feelings experienced in life are unacceptable and therefore should be suppressed. We all remember Elsa in Disney’s Frozen singing, “Conceal, don’t feel...”
Social researcher and professor Dr. Brené Brown has spent most of her work studying vulnerability and challenging the notion that vulnerability is weakness and instead argues that vulnerability is centered on healthy, connected relationships and experiences.
“In our culture, we associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid, such as fear, shame, and uncertainty,” says Dr. Brown. “Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity and love.” -Brene Brown.
Dr. Brown discusses vulnerability at length in her TedTalk, which has become one of the most viewed TedTalks. If you are interested in learning more about the power of vulnerability, I encourage you to take some time to watch it. Working on building healthy, connected relationships is some of the most important work that we can do for our families.
The Power of Vulnerability with Brené Brown
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.
Enjoy your weekend,
Mr. Hood