GKHS Counseling Digest

Staying Connected to Your Support Network

Communication

While we are all learning how to effectively telecommute, we are very reachable via email. We are making great use of Zoom for meetings, which might be available to you depending on the reason. We will be posting our weekly "Counseling Digest" to help "sum-up" information in one place so you are not getting inundated with extra emails. Thank you for your continued patience, grace and understanding during this time. Our hope is that everyone can put a positive spin on this and take away something great!
Your Counseling Team

Your Counseling Team

Your Counseling Team

Danielle Melvin (A-Col), dmelvin@bethelsd.org

Brad Hostak (Com-Gra), bhostak@bethelsd.org

Megan Wardle (Gre-La), mwardle@bethelsd.org

Jennie Colgan (Le-Pam), jcolgan@bethelsd.org

Jodi Greyeyes (Pan-Sol), jgreyeyes@bethelsd.org

Mike Stallman (Som-Z), mstallman@bethelsd.org

Katie Kimball, Social Worker, ckimball@bethelsd.org

Kelly Woyak, Career Specialist, kwoyak@bethelsd.org

Emmalee Kronoff, Career Counselor, ekronoff@bethelsd.org

22100 108th Ave E, Graham, WA, USA counselorname@bethelsd.org 253-800-6100 bethelsd.org/domain/4719

Virtual Appointments

Need to see your counselor, social worker, career counselor, or career center specialist? We are available to meet with students and parents virtually! Schedule a virtual appointment online at the GKHS Counseling Center website. We can meet with you using Facetime, Google Hangouts, or Zoom. Additionally, important numbers include Pierce County Crisis Line (1-800-576-7764) or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 (1-800-273-8255).

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

Students, please make sure you are doing the following each day:

  • · Checking email throughout the day
  • · Checking Canvas regularly
  • · Keep your apps and iPads updated
  • · Follow all directions provided to you by your teachers
  • · Get into a daily routine
  • · Email your teacher, counselors or administration with any questions you may have
  • · Fully engage with your online learning experiences so you can make progress on essential standards!
  • · Be flexible as we are all learning this new system
  • · Be SAFE, RESPONSIBLE and RESPECTFUL!!

Spring Break March 30-April 3

We are honoring Spring Break. Teachers will not be available during this time. Enjoy!
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Click on the link for information about Free Meals!

https://www.bethelsd.org/meals?fbclid=IwAR3-ZkwVR4vzQqkG6mrENaoVTfcTgfZd0jbnhHu1YLJ2cHBBjZ5NUHS2OaE

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ZOOM

As we go, we will provide some videos and step by step directions for the various platforms that students and teachers will be using. Below are the student directions for how to begin using Zoom. PLEASE NOTE: Teachers may be interacting with students using Zoom, and if they schedule this they will provide a link via email or a calendar invite for students to use. Until students receive this specific information from their teacher, they do not need to login to Zoom.

ZOOM DIRECTIONS FOR STUDENTS

AP Update

In this season of remote learning, College Board has made changes to Advanced Placement exams for May 2020. All Advanced Placement exams will be a shortened online exam. All portfolios (Art and Computer Science Principles are now due May 26th. Please click here for more information or talk to your AP teacher.
SENIORS! FAFSA Help!

SENIORS! FAFSA Help!

An excellent resource for getting specific help on your FAFSA is their online CHAT feature. Here is how you can get there.

  1. Go to www.fafsa.gov

  2. Click on Help Center at the top right corner.

  3. Scroll down to “Contact Us”

  4. Scroll all the way down under Parents to Live Chat

  5. You’ll put in your name and then be able to ask questions.

They usually respond within a couple of minutes. Of course, we are always willing to help as well. Please email Mrs. Woyak or Mrs. Kronoff!

SENIORS! FAFSA Help!
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SENIORS! Financial Aid Texting Service

WSAC is offering Otterbot, a free texting service designed to help high school seniors navigate financial aid for college and career education. Students can access Otterbot via text message 24 hours a day, seven days a week by texting “Hi Otter” to 360-928-7281.

JUNIORS & SENIORS! SAT & ACT College Tests Cancelled

The May SAT is canceled. The College Board is exploring options to have students take AP exams at home "depending on the situation in May." The organization said that it is working to "provide future additional SAT testing opportunities for students as soon as feasible in place of canceled administrations." The SAT administration set for June 6 has not yet been canceled but the College Board said it would continue to assess the situation. ACT on Monday announced that its test scheduled for April 4 will now take place on June 13 instead. ACT said it was working to notify students who had signed up for the April 4 test and provide them with instructions on how to proceed.

FAQs

Do you know of any good tips to keep up with work while staying at home?

Yes! There are a ton of good tips out there! Reach out to your teachers or click the following link for great resources for the coming weeks. http://neatoday.org/2020/03/16/resources-for-online-learning-during-school-closures/?utm_source=nea_today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200318&utm_content=online_learning

I go back and forth between houses. What do I do if I need extra things?

Please contact us and we can help you out, whether it's with a hotspot for internet or extra books. The library distributes hotspots by appointment only on Wednesdays. Students need to come to GK with a fully charged iPad to get it synced up.

What do I do about school lunches? And what happens if I don't have transportation to pick it up? What about additional food?

Breakfast and lunch is offered everyday at GKHS from 10am - 1pm. Please try to pre-order you food at: https://www.bethelsd.org/meals. We will still have food for your family if you forget to pre-order each day! If you need your student(s) school lunches delivered to you, please contact us as soon as possible so we can get it out to you! We also have Powerpacks available (additional food for families) on Fridays. If this sounds like something your family might need, please email you student's counselor or social worker.

That's it for this week! Please visit our website for up-to-date links to resources, from help with food and clothing to assistance if recent events have led to unemployment. https://www.bethelsd.org/gkhs