The Counseling Corner

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

Cobb County School District Magnet Programs

The 8^th grade students attended a program explaining the benefits of participating in the High School Magnet Programs. Feel free to click the link below to download a printable version. Feel free to contact Delawna Brown Davis with questions.

Download cobb_county_school_district_magnet_programs.doc

Welcome!

Welcome to the Griffin Middle School Counselors’ blog.  We are excited to help support the needs of our students, staff, families, and community. 

As school counselors, we are here to help remove stumbling blocks that hinder learning.  Such difficulties may appear in the form of learning style struggles, friendship issues, family situations, or any number of various instances.  Please feel free to e-mail us, or leave us a phone message about any situation where you think we could be of help.

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