Counselors Newsletter
Week of March 10, 2025
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*NO ID - NO TEST*
Examinees must have an official, valid, hard plastic ID or passport booklet; or an official completed SAT-ID form for the SAT or an official completed ACT-ID form for the ACT. School IDs must have the year 2025 printed on it. Paper forms from the DDS are not acceptable. Pictures of an ID on your phone are not acceptable. Your Infinite Campus portal student summary page is not acceptable.
The SAT is Digital only and examinees must bring their CSD Chromebook or their personal laptop. You can not use a personal Chromebook.
Examinees MUST make sure Bluebook is on their device and works BEFORE test day. If you need help with this go to the Learning Commons for assistance.
If you get a screen reader accommodation, you must know how to work your own screen reader. Examinees need to bring and use their own non-electronic headphones. No ear buds or any other headgear with wi-fi or communication capabilities are allowed. Screen readers can not be used without headphones. Examinees are responsible for knowing how to work their own screen reader software on their devices.
March is a free month to apply to college month.
Georgia Gwinnett College - Free Application
As part of the Find Your MATCH in March initiative with Georgia Match, Georgia Gwinnett College is offering free application for the month of March.
There’s no promocode needed – the application fee has been waived for all applications through March 31st.
This is a great opportunity for your students to apply without any cost, and we encourage them to visit www.ggc.edu/apply to take advantage of this limited time offer.
We thank you for all that you do and if you have any questions or need further details, please feel free to reach out.
Georgia Gwinnett College
Admissions Services
P: 678-407-5313
F: 678-407-5747
www.ggc.edu | Follow GGC Admissions on Instagram!
ACT and SAT prep Study Live With TI events for students
Free math test prep events for students
Attend ACT® Event »Saturday, March 22
11 - 12:30 p.m. Central Time
Attend SAT® Event »Saturday, April 26
11 - 12:30 p.m. Central Time
Your students can study LIVE with TI to prepare for the upcoming ACT® or SAT® exam!
During these YouTube live events, high school math teachers will highlight test-taking strategies and TI‑84 Plus CE graphing calculator tips to:
- Answer questions quickly
- Tackle tricky math problems
- Avoid common mistakes
Testing Date - April 3, 2025 @ 0900
Deadline to Sign Up - March 31, 2025
Career Exposure, Scholarships, & Resources for Students Newsletter 3/10/25
Greetings DHS
I hope you all are well. I’m sharing a list of career exposure, youth advocacy, and scholarship opportunities that may benefit your students. These programs provide hands-on experiences, financial support, and pathways to careers for high school students and young adults.
You'll find application deadlines, eligibility details, and links to apply below. I’ve also attached recruitment flyers for some programs with upcoming deadlines.
Please feel free to pass these along to students who may be interested.
FREE Prom Dress Giveaway to students
Greetings,
The Ascent Project, Inc. (TAP) is a chapter with Becca’s Closet. We are now preparing for our 4th Annual Formal Dress Distribution (Friday, March 27th, Saturday, March 28th, & Saturday, April 19th). TAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization striving to ensure that residents in urban centers receive critical support, to strengthen the long-term stability of their families and communities. Becca’s Closet is also a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which coordinates formal dress donations for families who are in need.
TAP would like to formally invite your students who will need formal attire for Prom, Quinceañera, Military Ball, or any formal event (see flyer attached)
Website: https://www.theascentproject.org/
Social Media: https://linktr.ee/theascentproject/
Appointment Form Link: https://forms.gle/fpWy7DLUz21y77G1A
Thank you,
The Ascent Project, Inc
APPLICATIONS OPEN: Cameron Impact Scholarship
amie@bryancameronef.orgCameron Impact Scholarship is impact-driven and open to all applicants who meet the GPA and citizenship requirements, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation or any other background factors. Integrity, intelligence, motivation, work ethic, and willingness to serve others are the strongest indicators of a worthy educational investment.
· 15 scholarships awarded per annum
· Four-year, full tuition scholarship (actual dollar amount varies based upon school selection)
· Freedom in choice of school and area of study
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
· Accepting applications for the Class of 2025;
· have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.7 or higher;
· be a citizen of the United States.
*** WE ARE LIMITED TO ACCEPTING A TOTAL OF 3,000 COMPLETE APPLICATIONS.
EARLY APPLICATION DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2024 - 12:00PM / NOON PT
Free SAT and ACT Test Prep
Test drive the SAT or ACT during Applerouth’s March Testing Weekend. Students will have the opportunity to take full-length practice tests, attend online workshops, and receive highly detailed score feedback, helping to grow their scores – all free of charge. March 15th-16th and March 22nd-23rd. Secure your spot at www.applerouth.com/test-drive-weekend
Thank you!
Jennifer
Applerouth Tutoring
Teen Experience and Leadership Program
Grady’s Teen Experience and Leadership Program (TELP), sponsored by the Office of Health Equity, is open to rising 10th graders to those who’ve just graduated from high school. Teens shadow professionals in the hospital in 4-hour shifts. A minimum of one per 2 weeks is required. Hours count as volunteer hours.
2025 Application Now Live!
Applications for our Teen Experience and Leadership Program are now open until Sunday, March 17, 2025.
https://www.gradyhealth.org/about-us/health-equity/teen-experience-and-leadership-program/
Success Prep SAT Course
6 week SAT Prep course starting Apr 26th, 2025.
Below are the details of the 6 week SAT Prep course starting Apr 26th, 2025.
Call us at 404-351-4955 if you have further questions.
Location: Decatur High School | 310 N McDonough St Decatur GA 30030
Class Option : Apr 26 May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 | 2025 for SAT Test June 7th 2025
Schedule: Saturdays : 9 - 1 pm on each day (6 sessions | 4 hrs each)
Room: Inside New Library @ Decatur High School
Register Online for SAT Prep Class:
https://successprep.com/SAT-prep-atlanta-ga-decatur-high-school
Textbook you need to buy:
The Official Digital SAT Study Guide by The Collegeboard
Don't forget to register for the SAT Test! - http://sat.collegeboard.org/home
*Prep class fee is non-refundable after class starts, we do not offer partial refunds for class sessions a student misses. Any cancellation for refund of a prep class fee must occur 5 days before the start of that prep class, to allow for the seat to be offered to another student.
GAfutures
Don’t leave money on the table!
Calling all Seniors! It's not too late to create an account with GA Futures! Create a GA Futures account today through the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Visit https://www.gafutures.org/, create an account and follow the instructions closely. The Registrar will upload all juniors and seniors twice per year to the Georgia Student Finance Commission. This allows each student to be considered for the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships which are available to all Georgia students and can be applied to any HOPE-eligible college or university. Once an account is created, students can track their HOPE-eligibility and plan for any extra expenses. When creating your GA Futures account, use a personal email. Your CSD email account will be deactivated upon graduation.
Parents, please give us your student's Social Security Number. The Georgia Student Finance Commission identifies students using their SSN. If we don't have it in our student information system, better known as Infinite Campus, they will be unable to match your student to transcripts we upload and be purged out of their system. Please email Mr. Ackley with a good contact number and he will call you to get your child's SSN and enter it into Infinite Campus. Please do not send it via email or voicemail.
This is non-negotiable and not a rule we make at DHS. We must comply with the state and this is how they prefer to identify thousands of Georgia students.
Please contact GAfutures at (770)724-9000 if you have any questions or need help creating your account.
"FOR TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS"
Please remember to create an account at Parchment.com if you haven't already done so. Parchment is a one-stop-shop to request and send your transcript to many colleges and universities in the USA and abroad. When you create your account, please use a personal email account, not your CSD account. Once you graduate you will still be able to access any transcripts uploaded to Parchment if you have a personal email address on file with them. Your CSD email will be deactivated upon graduation. Please be aware that the turnaround time for fulfillment of transcript requests is three days, so get your request in well before any deadlines issued by the schools you are applying to. If you need help, please contact the Registrar's office at michael.ackley@csdecatur.net.
Click the logo for parchment.
Parents/Students: The vast majority of your application processes will NOT need a Parchment transcript request. If you are applying through the Common Application, The Common Black College Application, or a college/University that uses SENDedu or other similar document collection service; you will not need to request a transcript through Parchment because your counselor will automatically upload them for you. If you have questions about if you need to use Parchment or not, just send your counselor an email and ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please click on the appropriate link below to address your concern/need:
Certificate Of Enrollments (complete this form at least 1 week prior going to the DDS. Form expires 30 days after issuance)
Request for Google Password (email)
Work Permit Process (only needed for students ages < 15)
Order A Transcript (If you need a transcript mailed, please email micheal.ackley@csdecatur with student name as it appears in the portal, college/university name, college/university address)
Students when you graduate your DHS email account will be deactivated. Please use your personal email address so you will have access beyond high school.
There is NO Community Service Hour requirement to graduate from Decatur High School. The PTSA does however have a Community Service Recognition program. For information and requirements to get Community Service Recognition at your graduation ceremony, please view the information linked here.
College Admissions Accommodation Form (Consent Forms for College Admission Tests Accommodation Requests - If you have a 504 or IEP with testing accommodations, a consent form must be completed and turned in to your/your student's counselor in order for the school to request accommodations for the College Board (PSAT/AP/SAT) and ACT. Testing agencies take up to 8 weeks to process requests.)
Summer & PreCollege Programs Google Classroom - CLASS CODE: fkrkuep
Scholarships Google Classroom - CLASS CODE: 43xlcav
Previous Newsletters
AA Counseling Department
Email: rjones1@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/dhs
Location: 310 North McDonough Street, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4170