The Counseling Corner

6th Grade Parent Night

Come out and meet with teachers, counselors, and staff for the next school year!!!

All rising 6th graders are invited to attend !!!

Griffin Middle School Theater

May  5

7:00 p.m.

See you!!

CPR Classes

WellStar Corporate & Community Health Presents:

American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR in Schools Empowering Students to Save Lives!

It may be the most valuabel lesson a student can learn: how to save the life of a loved one, teacher, or friend by performing the simple steps of CPR.

This credentialed course is specifically designed to teach young adults who are middle and high school age the life saving skill of CPR.  The course covers:  adult, child, and infant CPR; choking rescue for adult, child, and infant; AED (Automated External Defibrillator)use.

Tuesday, May 27, - NW YMCA - 9-12.

Monday, July 21, - Health Place - 6-9.

Saturday, October 18, - Health Place - 9-12.

Call 770-956-STAR to register.  Cost: $50.

Safe Sitter Classes

WellStar Corporate & Community Health Presents:  Safe Sitter

Help your children become prepared to handle a variety of situations!  Safe Sitters learn:  what to do if a child chokes, safety for the sitter, how to call for emergency help, babysitting business skills, basic child care skills (diapering, feeding, etc...), how to entertain children and keep them safe.

WellStar Kennestone Hospital - April 26, 2008;  9-4

WellStar Cobb Hospital - Aprill 26, 2008; 9-4

WellStar Health Place - May 3, 2008; 9-4

WellStar Douglas Hospital - May 31; 9-4

WellStar Health Place - June 4;  9-4

WellStar Health Place - June 28; 9-4

Open to kids that are 11-14 years old.  Call 770-956-STAR to sign up.  Cost: $50

9th Annual Summer Leadership Academy

Since July 2000, West Georgia have been hosting a leadership academy on the campus of the University of West Georgia called the LEARN To LIVE Together, Honors Leadership Academy for Young Women.

Summer Program scheduled from July 6-11, 2008   

Website is   www.learn-to-live.com

Hope to work with bright young women and prepare them for the increasingly diverse and global society in which we live.

For more information, please contact

Medhavi Sethna, Director

LEARN TO LIVE TOGETHER

Honors Leadership Academy for Young Women

email:  director@learn-to-live.com

phone:  678-890-8780

Interested in Space Camp??

SHPE Leaders working with middle schools,

AHETEMS makes available a limited number of scholarships for students grade 6-8 and 9-14 years of age to attend a 3-day Space Camp or 6-day Space Academy!!  If you know of any middle school students, please invite them to consider a scholarship right away so them may  submit their complete applications to the AHETEMS Foundation postmarked by February 15. Selections will be announced on April 1.  Applicants must submit:

1. AHETEMS Space Camp Application (includes Photograph Release and Consent Form, Student Demographics Form, Liability Release, Parent Permission and Emergency Contact Form)
2. 250-word essay on: "Who is your favorite Latino/a Inventor?  What about them inspires you?"
3. Letter of Recommendation from a Teacher

*Camp scholarship will include tuition (tuition includes lodging and meals) and airfare cost to student.  If parent or guardian would like to accompany the student, they may do so but at their own expense.

For more information about the Space Camp, please visit www.spacecamp.com.  The AHETEMS website for this information with links can be found at: http://www.ahetems.org/precollege/spacecampscholarship.html

Thank you for helping to bring SHPE, AHETEMS, and engineering to our future!   

SHPE is the Source for Quality Hispanic Engineers and Technical Talent.

Deconstructing Media Messages

DECONSTRUCTING MEDIA MESSAGES - A Playshop for Middle School Girls & Moms

Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008 - 10 am-noon.  Prodential Georgia Realty, 227 Sandy Springs Place, Atlanta 30327.

This event is middle school students and their moms.  The media are extremely powerful socio-cultural influences in our society.  The more we know about their influence, the more we can resist potentially damaging messages.

Learn to become more media literate through a discussion about media influences followed by the creation of a collage intended to "de-construct" media messages.  The collages will be displayed at other EDIN events, including Merrick's Walk and the Candlelight Vigil at the Capitol.

Supplies will be provided.  But, if you happen to have extra magazines that you don't mind cutting up, please bring them with you.

Event limitied to 16 mother-daughter pairs.  $5 for each mother-daughter pair.  Space is limited so register early! 

Please register by February 13.

FREE Mothers Raising Sons Workshop

Single Parent Connection, Inc. presents a FREE workshop on "Mothers Raising Sons" from Boys to Men!

Parents, don't miss this interactive discussion with a dynamic panel of male experts:

Learn STRATEGIES for:

• Building Strong Male Character
• Managing through expressions of masculinity
• Dealing with the complexities of an absent or inactive Father
• Identifying positive role models and more.

Saturday, February 16, 2008 from 9:30 am to 12:30 am, at the Mansour Center, 995 Roswell St. Marietta, 30060.

This event is open to ALL parents:  mothers, fathers, grandparents, married or single!

And yes you can bring your Kids ages 5-12, for the "Fun Factory", complete with educational fun and games!

Cost is FREE, but Pre-Registration is required!  To Register, just call 770-794-0398 or visit www.SingleParentConnection.net. for more information. 

This event is sponsored by the United Way in Cobb County.

"Magnet Applications"

As we approach the Thanksgiving Holidays,  please remember that magnet application should be returned or postmarked by Friday, December 7, 2007 in order to be considered for admission.

Applications can be downloaded from each schools website.  Visit www.cobbk12.org for more information.   You may also contact me at 678-842-6917 ext 229. 

Delawna Brown Davis, 8th Guidance Counselor

Graduation Coach Greetings!

Hello Griffin Parents!

There is a new position in the middle schools across the state of Georgia called a Graduation Coach.  My job is to help students stay motivated in school through building relationships with them, facilitating grade recovery and meeting with students weekly to go over grades and any missing work, looking at behaviors they may be engaging in that is sabotaging their success in the classroom, as well as looking at attendance and the impact it has on grades.  I also assist with building community partnerships to increase resources for our school, and developing programming or incentives to increase attendance and grades.  If you have a chance to come by the school, stop in and say hello!  I would love to meet you!  Take a moment to look over our student work wall, where our kids proudly display "A" work.  Let us know what you think!

Here is some additional information from the Georgia Department of Education on the Georgia Graduation Rate, AYP, and other resources!

Georgia's Graduation Rate Reaches Record High

MEDIA CONTACT: GaDOE Communications Office: (404) 463-1487: Dana Tofig, dtofig@gadoe.org or Matt Cardoza, mcardoza@gadoe.org (see links at bottom for more information). SEPTEMBER 28, 2007 – Georgia's graduation rate rose to an all-time high of 72.3 percent in 2006-2007, according to data released by State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox and Governor Sonny Perdue on Friday. The Georgia Department of Education updated its annual Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Report today, which included the results of appeals and summer graduates. Governor Perdue announced the new graduation rate during an assembly at Marietta High School this morning. (See the Governor's press release). About 82.2 percent of Georgia's more than 2,000 schools made AYP this past school year. In 2005-2006, 79.3 percent of schools met AYP. "All of our schools are working hard to provide Georgia's students with a great education," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "The results of this year's AYP report demonstrate that the focus and hard work are paying off." Superintendent Cox said she was especially pleased for the 47 schools that shook the Needs Improvement label. "These schools have had to raise expectations and improve faster than anyone else," she said, "and they are getting the job done." Overall, there are 323 schools in Needs Improvement status, meaning these schools have missed AYP for at least two consecutive years and face sanctions. This is the first year that the number of schools in Needs Improvement status has gone up, something that Superintendent Cox said the state will be taking a closer look at in the coming weeks and months. "We need to figure out why this number has gone up and, from a state perspective, what we can do to help," she said. "We will dig into these numbers and see what the data tells us." The superintendent pointed out that the state raised the bar for graduation rate this year to 65 percent and will continue to raise it yearly. She also said that only about 39 percent of the state's Needs Improvement schools met academic goals in Math, while more than 70 percent met the goals in English. "Math is an area where we are putting a lot of focus these days, and the AYP data shows us why," she said. ABOUT AYP and NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND In order to make Adequate Yearly Progress, a school must meet state-set goals in test participation, academic achievement and a "second indicator" statistic (graduation rate for high schools and, usually, attendance rate for elementary and middle schools). To meet the academic achievement goals, a school must have a certain percentage of students pass the state curriculum tests in math and reading/English language arts. All students and any qualifying subgroup of students, must meet those goals. Those percentages will continue to rise until 2014, when No Child Left Behind mandates a 100 percent proficiency rate for all schools. The U.S. Congress is in the process of reauthorizing No Child Left Behind. The superintendent and the State Board of Education have offered suggestions for improving the law. Superintendent Cox pointed out that more than half of the schools that did not make AYP in 2006-2007 missed it because of the performance of one subgroup in one subject. One suggestion for reauthorization is to consider different consequences for schools based on the degree to which they miss AYP. "It is my hope that Congress will embrace the idea of graduated consequences, so that a school that missed AYP in just one area is not treated the same as a school that missed it across the board." GRADUATION RATE Georgia's graduation rate, which serves as the second indicator for all high schools, increased slightly to 72.3 percent in 2006-2007. "Our graduation rate is continuing to climb and is at its highest level," Superintendent Cox said. "But we will not be satisfied until our graduation rate is 100 percent." "As a state, we are focusing on raising our graduation rate like never before, and I know we will see this number go up dramatically in the coming years." The superintendent pointed to several programs that are underway and will help boost Georgia's graduation rate: - Graduation Coaches are already in nearly every high school and will be placed in most Georgia middle schools next school year. The coaches are building relationships and using data to identify students who are at risk for dropping out and helping them stay on track toward graduation. - The state's new curriculum is still being implemented and provides more rigor, focus and relevance in the core areas of math, English, social studies and science. - The changes to Georgia's Career, Technical and Agricultural Education programs will make sure that students are seeing the relevance of what they are learning and can translate that into the work place. - Georgia is continuing to embrace innovation by providing different options for learning, from charter schools to career academies to virtual schools. One-size-fits-all is not an option in the 21st century. OTHER AYP HIGHLIGHTS - The percentage of elementary schools making AYP reached an all-time high of 95.6 percent. This is up more than four points from 2005-2006. - The percentage of secondary schools making AYP is still significantly lower. About 65.3 percent of middle schools and 56.0 percent of high schools made AYP in 2006-2007. - There were 52 systems that had all of their schools make AYP. MORE INFORMATION - 2007 AYP Report (For help, download the "Guide to Using the AYP Report") - GaDOE's AYP Website - http://gadoe.org/ayp2007 - Frequently Asked Questions about AYP - Statement on NCLB Reauthorization from Superintendent Cox and the State Board of Education

Who we are...

As the counselors here at Griffin, we would like to encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or would like us help celebrate your child's successes, or assist your child with their school adjustments, transitions, or issues.  Feel free to say hello when you're in the building!

Cheryl Williams – 6^th Grade

678.842.6917 Extension 228

 

Della Jones – 7^th Grade

678.842.6917 Extension 233

Delawna Brown-Davis – 8^th Grade

678.842.6917 Extension 229