We hope you are getting your school year off to a great start! Our team is here to support students and families in the Counseling & Wellness Center on the 2nd floor of the main office. Students may visit during break/lunch, or with a pass from their teachers. Caregivers should contact the counselor to schedule an appointment.

The first annual 988 Day is on Sunday 9/8! Your GHS counselors want to remind you that you can call or text 988 anytime 24/7, to be connected to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. Visit the 988 website for more information about how 988 provides judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more.

The teen years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions-difficult for teens, their parents, and educators. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil. However, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age, and the past decade has seen teen suicide rates double. To proactively address this issue (and comply with Assembly Bill No. 2246), Laura Dawson, our Wellness Counselor, will provide suicide prevention curriculum to all 9th and 10th graders this school year.

Our goals for this program are straightforward:

• To help our students understand that many mental illnesses are treatable.

• To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated mental illness.

• To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicidality in a friend

• To impress upon teens that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns

Following each presentation, students will be asked to complete a google form stating whether or not they have questions or concerns regarding the presentation for themselves or for a friend. Those students will be able to speak with a counselor about their concerns. Any questions about this program can be directed to Laura Dawson at ldawson@guhsd.net.

Are you in need of assistance with clothing, shoes, etc? A non profit organization located about 10 to 15 minutes from the school can help. They provide free emergency clothing to those experiencing hardships amongst many other things. Looking for a way to serve your community? They are always looking for volunteers to help out!

Sharia's Closet

6244 El Cajon Blvd

Suite #5

San Diego, Ca 92115

Phone-619-808-4979

All MTS public transit riders must verify their eligibility in order to continue receiving a free or reduced rate. Please follow the instructions on this flyer (click here for English or here for Spanish).

Kami is a resource that provides free downloadable visual learning tools that students can use to organize their ideas. They can also be used to clarify or simplify complex concepts, help with problem solving or decision making, plan research or brainstorm ideas and prepare to write essays.

The Child Development Center is looking for any used strollers, cribs, anything at all that can help support the young parents of GHS. If you have anything you would like to donate please reach out to Kimberly Armstrong at karmstrong@guhsd.net or 619-668-6099.

The city of La Mesa is now accepting applications for its Youth Advisory Commission. There are 8 seats available. The city is looking for students between the ages of 13 and 20 years old who live within the city limits or attend school in the city of La Mesa. Commission meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa. The application deadline is Tuesday, September 17th.

Click here for info on lots of great opportunities to participate in college fairs and workshops, offered in person or virtually! This list is updated throughout the school year, so be sure to check back often on the counseling website. We are also in the process of scheduling fall visits to our campus from college admissions reps. Students are encouraged to listen for announcements in the bulletin and sign up to attend! Click here for an interesting article about how demonstrating interest in a college may help a student's application.

Will your student be taking the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or AP Exams this school year? Students with disabilities may apply for accommodations on these exams but they need to plan ahead! Documentation must be submitted to our SSD Coordinator seven weeks before the registration deadline. Click here for more information.

Welcome to Grossmont! We want you to know where to find support. Our Wellness Counselor will be visiting 9th grade classrooms this week to introduce the services offered in the GWC (Grossmont Wellness Center). Counselors will also be visiting 9th grade classrooms on Sept. 11th and 12th to review graduation requirements, post-secondary planning, and strategies for success. A copy of the presentation will be posted on our counseling website, here. We hope you will make it a habit to check this website often!

The PSAT will be offered at GHS on Oct. 29th, 2024. Registration in the GHS Finance Office will be open from September 30th through October 18th, with no exceptions after this date. Priority will be given to 11th graders. The cost is $18 but limited fee waivers are available in the counseling office for students with financial need. The PSAT is an opportunity to practice for the SAT exam. Eleventh graders who score exceptionally well may also earn honors and scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program. The SAT exam is no longer used for admission purposes by the California State Universities or University of California campuses. However, there are some other universities and major programs that still require the SAT/ACT exam or have a test-optional policy, meaning a high score could add value to a student's application.

Interested in San Diego State University or Point Loma Nazarene University? We will have a College Campus Crawl with campus tours of both colleges on Sept. 16th. The purpose of this field trip is to help students start selecting colleges, get ideas of what to look for in a college, hear first hand from current students about campus life and ultimately see first hand if they can envision themselves at that specific campus. This field trip is only for current seniors as college applications are around the corner. Interested students should stop by the GWC and see Mrs. Otero for an application that will need to be turned in as soon as possible. Seats are first come first served!

The GHS Counseling Department is starting our senior meetings soon! During the week of September 23rd, all 12th grade students will be sent a call slip to meet with their counselors about plans after high school. Our goal is to make sure our seniors have all the information/tools they need to meet their goals. Students, please be sure you are prepared with any questions you may have about your post-high school plans during that time. We will also provide some handouts on things like scholarships, community college and 4 year university application workshops coming up. Parents/guardians – ask your senior to see these handouts after our meeting.

Great news! GUHSD has a new agreement with California State University San Marcos that grants students guaranteed admission to CSUSM (nursing majors excluded) if they have fulfilled specific requirements. Please see the flyer for details.

Calstatepays.org is an interactive website that tracks the earnings and employment of approximately 670,000 students from six L.A.-metro California State University campuses over the last 20 years. The campuses include: CSU Northridge, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Channel Islands, CSU Long Beach, CSU Fullerton and California Polytechnic University Pomona. The purpose of the site is to help applicants and parents understand where different majors lead in terms of earnings and employment and to help campuses understand their impact on students’ careers.

The University of California application must be submitted by November 30th! It's time to start preparing your responses to the Personal Insight Questions! Students, this is your opportunity to let the UC admissions representatives get to know the real you. Think of it like an interview rather than an English essay. You will need to respond in your own voice, with a maximum of 350 words, to each of four out of eight prompts. You should write your responses in a separate document, take time to proofread, revise, ask someone else for feedback, and then paste the final draft into the application. Here are some great resources to help!

UC Website: Personal Insight Questions

University of California PIQ Worksheet

College Essay Guy University of California Resources

Seniors who are applying to private or out-of-state universities may need to take the ACT or SAT exam ASAP. Check the prospective university's website to find out if the college is test-blind or test-optional. Register for the ACT at www.act.org and/or register for the SAT at www.collegeboard.com. Fee waivers are available in the counseling office for students with financial need. CSU schools, UC campuses, and community colleges do not use the SAT or ACT for admissions purposes but they can be used for placement purposes.

Students who need to request a letter of recommendation from their counselor for colleges or scholarships must complete a brag packet. Click here to download a copy and return it to your counselor. Please allow three weeks notice and keep in mind that counselors do not work during holiday breaks. Letters will be sent directly to the college or scholarship committee. To request a letter of recommendation from a teacher, we have a different form that you may find helpful (optional-click here). Please give your teachers plenty of notice, too.