Wishing you a happy and healthy new year! It's a new semester too. We hope students enjoyed a restful break and have returned with renewed motivation, starting fresh with the best study habits. We encourage students to ask for help when needed and use all of the resources available to them. Please read below for important updates. 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.

Grossmont’s Wellness Center is fortunate to partner with outside agencies to support our students’ mental health. In an effort to do so, we’ll be offering several discussion based support groups during 2nd semester. Topics include healthy coping skills, relationships, self-care and identity. We also will be offering a grief group for students who have experienced a loss in their lives. If you are interested in these programs, please fill out this short google form and someone will be contacting you soon. See the form for a description of each group!

Please click here for information on how to register new Grossmont students!

Future Foothillers who do not live in our attendance boundaries may apply for School Choice:

• The School Choice Window will be open until February 28, 2025 at 4:00pm.
• Siblings of current students placed at Grossmont through school choice must also complete a School Choice application as an incoming student.
• Once the Online Registration is complete and approved you'll receive an invitation to create an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.
• Submit a School Choice application through Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Will your student be taking the SAT, ACT, or AP Exams this school year? Students with disabilities may be eligible for accommodations, but they need to plan ahead. All required documentation must be submitted to our SSD Coordinator at least seven weeks before the registration deadline for the desired exam. For more information and detailed instructions, click here.

Important Deadline:
For students taking AP Exams in May, the final day to submit a new accommodation request is January 24. If you have any questions please email, Mrs. Porfirio at jporfirio@guhsd.net.

Our district is partnering with the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) to offer students a comprehensive college and career search tool. Counselors will teach students how to use these tools when we visit junior English classes this week and sophomore history classes next week. Watch our next newsletter and the counseling website for copies of our presentations.

The Today’s Military website is produced by the United States Department of Defense as a resource for young adults, parents and educators curious about military service. The goal is to paint an accurate picture of what it’s like to work, live and serve in today’s Military. Interviews with active-duty service members provide genuine insight into the challenges and rewards of service. Interactive tools allow you to explore the range of military career opportunities, estimate military pay and explore the less tangible benefits of service.

The CSU/UC universities are no longer using ACT/SAT test scores for admissions purposes. However, other universities may require one of these exams, or they may have a test-optional policy, which means an excellent score can add value to an application. They may be required by specific programs or scholarships. Please click here for more information and test dates. Use the voucher code WST5 by Jan. 20th for $5 off ACT registration fees at ACT.org.

The GHS Counseling Department will be starting senior meetings during the week of January 21-27. All 12th-grade students will meet with their counselor during their English period to discuss plans for life after high school. Our goal is to ensure every senior has the information and tools they need to achieve their post-high school goals. During these meetings, counselors will also provide handouts with valuable information on scholarships, community college opportunities, and upcoming workshops for 4-year university applications.

Students, please come prepared with any questions about your future plans.

Parents/Guardians: Be sure to ask your senior to share these handouts with you after their meeting.

In just one application, the Common Scholarship Application provides students access to more than 100 scholarship opportunities with awards ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,000. Some scholarships can be renewed for multiple years to help offset the financial burden for a student’s entire undergraduate career. Check out the flyer and website for more information and to apply! Applications are due by March 5th. Additional scholarship opportunities are available on our counseling website here.

Ashley Brookshire, Assistant Director of Admissions, says "If you don’t receive the decision you’re hoping for, don’t interpret that as meaning you aren’t good enough. It means that based on the tiny sliver of a total person that we get to see in the application process, in the context of a pool of tens of thousands incredible individuals, and bearing the enrollment constraints of our campus, we were not able to offer you admission...The idea of clear-cut “cans” and “cannots,” or “admits” and “admit-nots,” doesn’t exist in the holistic, competitive college review process..." Click here to read more from the Georgia Tech Admissions Blog.

Some California State University campuses have extended their deadlines! Click here to look up which campuses and programs are still accepting applications.