Hooch Happenings
October 23, 2020
Todd's Tidbits
Hooch Community,
I want to give a special thanks to all of the student drivers and car pool parents. The quick response to our communication on needing to make changes to our dismissal pick-up due to safety concerns is greatly appreciated.
Please pay attention to the PSAT information below and be reminded that ONLY grades 10-11 will be in attendance F2F on Thursday, Oct. 29 for the PSAT and be released at approximately 1:00 p.m. Students in 9th and 12th grades who typically would be F2F, will participate in asynchronous lessons that day from home.
Lastly, have a concern? Please follow the established communication protocol of sharing concern with the teacher first and then if in need of additional support, contact the department chair, counselor or Assistant Principal (contact list at the end of Smore).
As always, we appreciate your continued patience and understanding during this time.
Dr. Mike Todd
Principal
Changes to Bus Ridership Policy
Due to COVID-19 and our efforts to manage bus ridership, assigned seating, and support case investigations, the practice of allowing students to ride a bus in which they are NOT regularly scheduled to ride is no longer permitted. Buses will ONLY serve the students that are assigned to the bus.
Counseling Corner
The Counseling Department is starting Junior Advisement Meetings on Monday, October 26th, and will be offering them for parents/guardians and their students for several weeks. Your student’s school counselor sent you an email on October 21st with steps for making the appointment for the Junior Advisement Meeting, so make sure you get that scheduled ASAP! Please thoroughly read the email, as there are directions on a number of items that must be done at home in preparation for the meeting. These quick 20-minute meetings will be held virtually to ensure the safety of our students and their families, and students are expected to attend.
Thank you to those of you who attended the Counseling Department’s live Class of 2022 Junior Information meeting the evening of October 21st! If you were not able to attend, it is mandatory for parents/guardians and their students to watch the recording of the meeting before scheduling your student’s Junior Advisement meeting, as there are tasks you must complete at home and topics you need to discuss as a family beforehand. Here is the link to the recording - https://youtu.be/Tu5w7DnFUe4. Note - the first few slides did not record, but they were just sharing the Administration and Counseling staff.
We look forward to working with you and your student through the rest of their high school career!
Dual Enrollment:
The FCS Deadline for participating in Spring 2021 Dual Enrollment is November 1st. Go to http://chsmowr.weebly.com for information on Dual Enrollment process. Please contact your counselor if you have additional questions.
School Picture Day is November 12
- Students will have their portraits taken with their English classes. If they don't have an English class, they'll take themselves to the main gym during their lunch period.
- Virtual students can come after school from 4-6 PM to have their portrait taken on the same day.
- Seniors only need to take their school picture if they want a new school ID. Senior portraits taken at Cady Studios will be used for the yearbook.
- Teachers can have their portrait taken before school, during their planning, or during their lunch.
- Picture retake day is January 13.
- All students will wear masks in line and can remove masks for school picture.
- Parents can go to cady.com/portraits to pre-order school portraits.
PSAT Testing
Our 10th and 11th grade students are scheduled to take the PSAT exam next Thursday, October 29th. 10th and 11th grade students are eligible to take the PSAT at this time even if they have selected Remote Learning for Phase 5. In addition, students in 10th and 11th grade can still take the PSAT even if they did not “OPT IN” on the previous survey. These are the room assignments by 2nd period teacher. PSAT Room Assignments Students that have College Board approved accommodations will be notified of their room assignments by their 2nd period teacher, case manager/IRR Dept, or 504 coordinator.
9th Graders will have the opportunity to take the PSAT on January 26th.
9th and 12th graders, as well as any students choosing not to take the PSAT, will not report to school on October 29th but will have asynchronous learning assignments remotely for their classes.
Students who are taking the PSAT on October 29 should bring the following:
-Photo Identification or a printout of their Infinite Campus home page showing their name, Fulton County Schools ID, and picture
-Two or more sharpened #2 pencils (mechanical pencils are NOT allowed)
-Calculator that is used for math class (extra batteries or a backup calculator is prudent)
-Healthy snack and bottled water for official breaks
Students should get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast the morning of the exam. Students can prepare for the PSAT using free online resources through College Board and Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat/new-sat-tips-planning/new-sat-how-to-prep/a/full-length-psat-nmsqt
Students should report to their assigned testing room by 8:15am and will be seated according to the proctor’s instruction.
Students will need to turn OFF any personal electronic devices and store them with their belongings at a designated space in the testing room. Students should not have any electronic devices at their testing desk for the entirety of the exam including breaks and post-test requirements. Failure to follow these guidelines or proctor directions can result in test cancellation, report to College Board, and other disciplinary consequences. Students are reminded to stay quiet in the hallways and testing rooms at all times to be respectful of other students that may be testing.
Students will be released after the exam, have an opportunity for “Grab and Go” lunch, and are scheduled to depart on busses or other alternative transportation at 1:00pm. Any students with accommodations of extra time should arrange to have transportation home when they are finished with the exam.
Best of luck to all of our Hooch Students taking the PSAT this year!
Any questions, please contact Mr. Berry at berryg@fultonschools.org
AP Exam Registrations
Students that are Not currently enrolled in an AP Class at Chattahoochee but desire to take or retake an AP exam should email Mr. Berry at berryg@fultonschools.org by Oct 31.
COVID Reporting
The following are the categories that we are asking parents/guardians of FCS students to submit a COVID-19 report – if the student:
- has tested positive for COVID-19
- is waiting for the results of a test for COVID-19
- has been in direct contact (within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) with someone diagnosed with COVID-19
The report will be made to the Fulton County Board of Health (FCBOH) through a portal. The following are additional expectations when making the report:
- As of October 12, the portal can be accessed by using this link: https://www.fultonschools.org/ReportCOVID and/or a QR code via a mobile device.
- Once accessed, the parent will be asked to complete questions about the report (i.e. – student’s name, school, grade, testing information, etc.).
- The information will be sent to and received by public health officials who will contact the parent submitting the report directly to follow-up, investigate, and provide guidance.
- The public health team will communicate pertinent recommendations, guidance, and follow-up with the FCS Student Health Services team.
- The Student Health Services team will share information with district leaders/principals as deemed appropriate to ensure the appropriate district response
- Depending on the severity of the reported case after the investigation, the district will respond as noted in FCS COVID-19 Response Plan/Closure Matrix.
Device Update
From 10/26 to 11/13 based on student last names, all F2F students’ county-issued devices must be physically inventoried at the media center during their lunch periods; otherwise, a fine of $280 will be assessed under their accounts. Students who choose remote learning will NOT participate in this physical inventory at this time. Thank you in advance for reporting to the media center with your county-issued devices to complete your inventory based on the schedule below.
Digital Citizenship
Parents and guardians of Chattahoochee High School as well as Alpharetta HS, Webb Bridge MS, Taylor Road MS, and Hopewell MS are invited to attend a digital citizenship learning session on Wednesday, October 28th, from 7:00 – 8:30PM in a Microsoft Teams Live event (link coming soon). Detective Laurie Nicholson from the Alpharetta Police Department has been working crimes against children for approximately 7 years and is on the Speakers Bureau of the GBI Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. She also has 12 years of previous experience in APD in a variety of different positions from Patrol to DUI. In this session, she will address some of the issues our students are encountering on the internet and what parents and guardians can do to help their children in this area. Due to the sensitive content of the information shared, this is an adult-only event, so please note that you may want to plan to participate privately at home. Prior to the session, please consider reading this Common Sense Media article that outlines some concerns related to online privacy and children.
CHS - Pink Out Game
Chattahoochee High School celebrates Cancer Awareness Month by hosting an annual game honoring survivors and those we have lost to this horrible illness. This year, our “PINK OUT” Cancer Awareness game will be on Saturday, October 31st. Memorial and Honor Announcements will be begin at 2:40 pm and Varsity Football will be playing Sequoyah High School at 3:00 pm.
Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions we cannot have a ceremony on the field this year, but it would be our honor to announce the name of your loved ones who have faced this terrible disease prior to our game on 10/31. If you are a survivor, or would like to honor someone who is fighting or has succumbed to this illness, please contact Tara Gould at tara_gould@hoochfootball.net
Administrators and Department Chairs
Jonathan Adel- ELA and Fine Arts
David White; ELA; Whitedp@fultonschools.org
Lori Buonamici; CTAE; BuonamiciL@fultonschools.org
Garin Berry- Math, PE, World Language, and TAG
Teri Engelberth; Math; Engelberth@fultonschools.org
Chris Short; PE; ShortC@fultonschools.org
Nadia Ali; World Language; Aliahmady@fultonschools.org
Amanda Wile; TAG; Wile@fultonschools.org
Gwen Harris- Science and CTAE
Matt Mihordea; Science; Mihordea@fultonschools.org
Kylie Dayton; CTAE; Daytonk@fultonschools.org
Rebbie Lichliter-Social Studies and IRR
Tim Reeder; Social Studies; Reedert@fultonschools.org
Jean Dongieux; IRR; Dongieux@fultonschools.org