“Gear Up for a Great Year!”

AUGUST- Counseling Services & College Readiness Newsletter

5 Ways to Start the School Year Right

Tips for preparation:

Set Specific Goals for the school year that communicates what they want to celebrate at the end of the school year. Make sure it is reachable.
Deliver genuine praise often for what is accomplished and what is attempted. Encourage them to continue to try. There is no failure. Just a try!
Set up a study area that is distraction-free, meaning no TV, tablets, or gaming devices.
Establish a consistent homework schedule that is part of the family’s daily routine from the very beginning of school until the end of the school year.
Get to know your child’s teachers because it will be one of the most important relationships you will ever have to ensure your child is successful.

PSAT/NMSQT - 11th grade students

Attention all 11th grade students! Did you know that several scholarships use PSAT/NMSQT scores to find eligible juniors. Other partners and programs can help you get funding for college and academic honors as well. The PSAT/NMSQT exam will be given in October on your campus! If you would like to take this exam, please let your Counselor know, so they can have you see the testing coordinator on your campus. There is a fee associated with taking this exam that is due on August 30th.

Skyward Tips

Welcome back Parents! Did you know that you can review your students grades and receive grade notifications all in Skyward? See the links below to set up your notifications and stay on top of your student's grades this school year!

Instructions for Parents to View Grades-English

Instructions for Parents to View Grades-Spanish

Instructions for Parent Grade Notifications-English

Instructions for Parent Grade Notifications-Spanish

Graduating Class of 2024 Highlights

Scholarship Total

7 high schools with a combined total of $46 million dollars in scholarships.

Financial Aid Completion

80 % completed the financial aid application.

College Applications

Overall acceptances 70%

Applied to 2 year college 80%

Applied to 4 year university 60 %

Learn more information about GPISD College & Career Hub Services

Learn more about CCMR College Career Military Readiness Outcomes

Understanding College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR)

College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) is all about ensuring that our students are fully prepared for life after high school. This means equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in higher education, thrive in their chosen careers, or excel in military service. CCMR focuses on providing diverse opportunities for students to explore different pathways, gain valuable certifications, and meet academic standards that set them up for future success. To learn more about how we support our students' readiness and explore various resources available, we invite you to join us at the Parenting-on-the-Go workshop on September 10. We look forward to seeing you there and discussing how we can all work together to ensure the bright futures of our children.

Student Support Services / College, Career, and Military Readiness Goals and Outcomes

When students graduate with industry level certifications, they distinguish themselves among other applicants and increase employment chances. Additionally, students with these certifications are able to move past entry level positions and work higher in their organization. This has positive impacts on lifetime earnings and promotional opportunities.

gpisd.org

Join us Virtually on Tuesday, August 27 @ 6pm

Launching to Success: Essential Tips for the New School Year

Kick off the school year strong with our first 2024-2025 Parenting on the Go session! Hear from several of our GPISD experts on what services we have in place for our families and students. We will cover academic tips, attendance, lunch applications, parent involvement, counseling and basic need supports. Plus, we will leave extra time at the end for questions and answers. Don't miss this opportunity to launch a successful school year for your family!

Tuesday, August 27 6 p.m.

https://www.GPISD.org/ParentingOnTheGo

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Corner

AVID Mission Statement

To close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society.

Why AVID ?

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is an in-school academic support program for students. The purpose of the program is to prepare students for college eligibility, career preparation and success as early as elementary school.

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) has created a program to provide students with tools and strategies for academic and social success in school, higher education and beyond. According to the organization, AVID is more than just a program, rather, "At its heart, AVID is a philosophy: Hold students accountable to the highest standards, provide academic and social support, and they will rise to the challenge.”

What AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) can offer your student!

The implementation of AVID in schools provides students with an opportunity to:

Succeed in rigorous curriculum
Complete a rigorous college and career preparatory path
Teaches content-specific strategies for reading, writing, thinking, and speaking
Increased coping skills
Increased desire and determination to be successful
Provides an exploration of academic interests, college majors, and careers.
Encourages students to be involved: clubs, sports, band, chorus
Provides opportunities to conduct service-learning projects
Guides AVID seniors through the college application and scholarship application process

LIST OF GPISD AVID SCHOOLS

College Readiness Corner

College Application Platforms

Apply TX

Applying to school in Texas? Use the Apply TX platform to complete your college applications!

Common App

Applying to schools outside of Texas? See if Common App has your schools on their platform!

Coalition

Applying to schools outside of Texas? See if Coalition has your schools on their platform!

Scholarship Corner

National Scholarship Opportunities

Golden Door

Deadline: October 1, 2024

Coca-Cola Scholarship

Deadline: September 30, 2024

Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship

Deadline: November 14, 2024

Scholarship Platforms For All Grades

REMINDER- Seniors are encouraged to apply to 5 or more scholarships each month.

Most scholarships are based on MERIT, this means that students should focus on their academic performance and extracurriculars and community service.
Lottery scholarships make sure that everyone who enters has an equal chance of winning.
Community service is a major factor in standing out for scholarships, it also reflects a student's positive attributes and good values
It is often better to start looking for scholarships before your senior year (mid junior year is ideal)
Quality and perspective of an essay is more important than just technicalities
If you do not meet the criteria for a scholarship, it is not recommended that you apply at all (anyone who doesn’t meet the requirements is typically disqualified immediately)
You can apply for scholarships after you’ve already started college
Be sure to look for scholarships outside of those allotted just through a specific school
USE SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE CALENDARS FROM INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS

Local Scholarships Coming Soon

🥎⚾⚽⛳- National Collegiate Athletic Association 🏀🏐🏈🎾

Athletes, who are 8th grade and older, can actually start creating their own NCAA account. Parents, please discuss with your student the importance of starting strong and finishing strong when you have a specific end goal in mind. I want to provide you with the fact sheets for a Division I, a Division II, and a Division III school fact sheets. Please take some time to review the fact sheets with your athlete, while ensuring you put in place the 5 suggestions to start the school year off right. Have a great school year.

Dallas County Promise (DCP)

The Dallas County Promise Program supports students in navigating their best-fit postsecondary options with the ultimate goal for students to be successful in college, career, and life. Promise Scholars can be offered a last-dollar tuition grant to help reduce financial barriers present in accessing a postsecondary education at partner colleges and universities.