The Pulse Post 2/3-2/7

Today, we proudly announced and celebrated the top two students of the Class of 2025! 🎓✨

🎉 Valedictorian: Ruya S. Jivani
🎉 Salutatorian: Nabila Sayeed

These remarkable students have demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership, and dedication throughout their time at McClure Health Science High School. We couldn’t be more proud of their hard work and achievements. 💙📚

Congratulations, Ruya and Nabila, on this incredible honor! Your future is bright, and we can’t wait to see all that you accomplish. 🏆👏

This week, we proudly celebrate Ms. Ray, our incredible Teacher of the Year, alongside our dedicated principal, Dr. Hernández, at the GCPS Teacher of the Year Banquet! 🎉✨

As a multilingual learner herself, Ms. Ray brings a deep understanding of the challenges and strengths that come with learning in a new language. Her passion for supporting multilingual students and creating inclusive learning experiences has made a lasting impact on our school community. 💙📚

Join us in celebrating Ms. Ray and this well-deserved honor! 🏆👏

This week, our school came alive with the sights, sounds, and flavors of the world at International Night! 🎉✨

Students, families, and staff joined together to celebrate the diversity that makes our community so special. From stunning performances and cultural displays to delicious food from around the globe, the event was a vibrant showcase of unity and pride. 💃🍲📚

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this unforgettable night possible. Our diverse backgrounds make us stronger, and International Night was a beautiful reminder of the power of coming together. 💙🌎

This week, our Internship students put their skills to the test during mock interviews, gaining real-world experience and valuable feedback to sharpen their communication. These interviews, conducted by district leaders, cluster principals, and community business partners, are a crucial step as students prepare for college and scholarship interviews this spring!

👏 A huge shoutout to Mrs. Berry and Mrs. Taylor for organizing this event, and an even bigger THANK YOU to the amazing staff who volunteered their time to support our students:

⭐ Maria Salazar
⭐ Custodial Staff
⭐ Lena Alonso
⭐ Candice Anderson
⭐ Joelle Carreon
⭐ Jennifer Chambers
⭐ Martin Coe
⭐ Abbey Eichler
⭐ Dr. Gypsy Hernandez
⭐ Shirlene Holden
⭐ Kari Malloy
⭐ Dr. Tom Myers
⭐ Alisha Klimp
⭐ Malikah Register
⭐ Laura Sly
⭐ Chris Smith
⭐ Jordyn Tinsley
⭐ Jessie Zaretsky

Your support and guidance helped shape the confidence and skills of our students. Thank you for making a difference!

A huge congratulations to our photography students who placed or received honorable mentions in the highly competitive Shutter Sense and Non-Sense GCPS Photography Competition! 🎉✨

This juried exhibition, judged by experts from SCAD, showcases some of the best student photography across the district. The 1st–3rd place winners will have their work exhibited at the Pinckneyville Community Center in February, with a reception on March 8th, 2-4 PM. All other winners, including honorable mentions, will be featured in a virtual exhibition (details coming soon).

Congratulations to:
📸 Leya Rogers, 10th
📸 Yaretzi Cardona, 10th
📸 Sheyla Argueta, 10th
📸 Camilo Neuto, 11th
📸 Neybi Magana, 12th
📸 Robert Ether, 11th

We are so proud of their creativity and dedication! Check out their amazing work here: View Presentation

Last weekend, eight of our talented band members, nominated by the incredible Mrs. Groves, participated in JanFest, a prestigious three-day event at the University of Georgia! 🎉✨

During this unforgettable experience, our students rehearsed and performed alongside band members from high schools across Georgia. They had the honor of performing at UGA’s Performance Arts Center and got a front-row seat to see the UGA bands in action! 🎺🥁

A special shoutout to Mrs. Groves for her outstanding leadership and care, ensuring our students felt prepared, supported, and excited every step of the way. She even brought games to make downtime fun and memorable! 💙

Congratulations to our amazing students:
🎵 Kaliah Brown
🎵 Barbara Paredes
🎵 Egypt Penn
🎵 Neybi Magana
🎵 Naomi Payne
🎵 Yair Vasquez
🎵 Johan Araujo-Brown
🎵 Yanning Meng

Check out photos from this event and more on our new Fine Arts Instagram page: @mhshs.finearts!

Dr. Shang shares a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made last Friday’s Science Fair an incredible success! 🧪✨

To our amazing judges, thank you for your time, expertise, and thoughtful feedback. Your insights not only inspired our participants but also motivated us all to continue fostering a love for science! 💙

A special shoutout to:
🌟 Mrs. Smith and the custodial staff for preparing the commons area so beautifully.
🌟 Ms. Eichler for her ongoing support for this event.
🌟 Dr. Hernández for serving as a judge and showing incredible support.

Because of all of you, we were able to create a memorable and impactful experience for our young scientists. We look forward to collaborating with you again in the future!

We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our 2025 McClure School Science Fair winners! 🎉 These students showcased incredible innovation, research, and problem-solving skills through their impressive projects.

🥇 1st Place: Bryanna Gonzalez
Project: Artificial Pancreas: A Simplified Feedback System for Glucose Regulation
Section: Biomedical and Health Sciences

🥈 2nd Place: Alvaro Saldarriaga, Grace Maleche, and Mohammad Ahnaf
Project: Engineering a Passive Energy Water Distillation System
Section: Environmental Engineering

🥉 3rd Place: Jason Tran, Cardin Doan, and Hoang Tran
Project: The Detox of Heavy Metals by Plants
Section: Plant Sciences

A huge thank you to all participants, judges, and supporters who made this event a success! Your dedication to scientific exploration and discovery inspires us all. 💙🔬

February is Black History Month, and we are excited to celebrate with a variety of engaging activities, events, and opportunities to honor Black culture, history, and contributions. Check out what’s in store!

📢 Daily Announcements – 17 days of impactful stories and moments in Black history, presented by student representatives.

🌹 Carnation Fundraiser – Feb 3-7
Show appreciation for a friend or teacher! Carnations will be sold for $3 each and distributed Feb 10-12, just before the break.

🎨 MLK Mural in Progress – A powerful mural honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is in the works with Ms. Zamora and student artists.

🔥 Black History Month Cookout – Feb 28
Join us for an afternoon of community, music, and great food!
🍽️ Free Snacks & 4 Food Trucks:

• Chuy’s Tacos
• House of Treats
• Funnel Cake Guys
• Creolicious

📸 Photo Booth & Balloon Arch – Capture the moment with a photo booth and Polaroid camera

🎶 Music – A curated playlist will set the vibe as we celebrate culture and unity.

👕 Spirit Week (2/26 - 2/28):
🤠 Cowboy Carter’s Day – 2/26
🖤 Traditional Attire – 2/27
🎵 Throwback Day – 2/28

📍 Advisement Activities – Engaging discussions and learning moments on Feb 18 & 20 (TBD).

We can’t wait to celebrate Black excellence, culture, and history all month long. Stay tuned for more details, and get ready for an unforgettable Black History Month at MHSHS! 💙✨

This National School Counseling Week, we want to recognize and appreciate our amazing counseling team for their unwavering dedication to supporting our students academically, socially, and emotionally. 💙✨

💡 Ms. Joelle Carreon (9th Grade) – Helping our newest high school students transition smoothly, build confidence, and set the foundation for success.

📚 Ms. Koryn Israel (10th Grade) – Guiding students as they strengthen their academic skills, explore career interests, and navigate their sophomore year.

🚀 Ms. Jordyn Tinsley (11th Grade) – Supporting juniors as they prepare for college, career pathways, and the challenges of their most crucial academic year.

🎓 Ms. Candice Anderson (12th Grade) – Leading seniors through their final year with expert guidance on college applications, scholarships, and future plans.

Our counselors are the heart of student success, and we are so grateful for their commitment, care, and leadership every day! If you see them this week, be sure to say thank you for all they do! 💙

• Students can be dropped off in the back of the building, entrance at Steve Reynolds Blud starting at 6:30 am.
• No student should be dropped off before 6:30 am due to safety and security reasons.
• Follow the orange entrance line from Steve Reynolds Blud on the map and begin to drop off at the red line where the sidewalks begin by the intramural field and building.

• Please exit your car as soon as you see the sidewalk in the back of the building.
• Do not wait to get to the back door as this backs up traffic.
• Please do not drop off in the middle of the parking lot as this is not safe for students or drivers.
• Please do not move the cones as they are placed in the locations for the safety of all staff and students.
• Follow the green line on the map to exit out onto Steve Reynolds Blud.

• Afternoon pick-up begins at 1:52 pm.
• Follow the orange entrance line from Steve Reynolds Blud on the map.
• The blue line is where afternoon pick-up will take place which is on the side of the building.

• Students must be picked up no later than 2:00 pm unless they are staying with a club or teacher for help sessions.
• The latest time to pick up a student from a club or help session is 2:50 pm.

• Student drivers will enter from Steve Reynolds Blud.
• Follow the orange entrance line from Steve Reynolds Blud on the map
• Please pull forward into your parking spot. Do not back in as it causes traffic to back up.
• Student drivers will exit out of Steve Reynolds Blud in the afternoon.
• Follow the green exit line on the map.

Everything you need to know about the new FAFSA® changes

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is the gateway to getting federal student loans, scholarships, grants, and work-study for school, but there can be so much confusion around it.

The FAFSA® used to be a super long application that took a lot of time and effort—that’s now a thing of the past. The FAFSA® for the 2024-2025 academic year is the new and improved version. Check out the link below to see all the changes!

Tips on how to avoid these common FAFSA® mistakes

Every year, families postpone filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Some skip it entirely because they think it’s a waste of time, the application is too long, or it's only a fast track to federal student loans. However, the FAFSA® package can also include college scholarships, work-study, and grants. Not filling it out—the most costly FAFSA® mistake—can result in losing money that could have helped you pay for college. Don’t be that student, and make sure you avoid these common FAFSA® mistakes by checking out the article link below!

GCPS has transitioned from SchoolMessenger to ParentSquare for two-way communication between schools and families, and we encourage all families to download the app and create an account. With its user-friendly interface, ParentSquare offers seamless two-way communication through text, newsletters, posts, emergency alerts, and direct messaging. One of our favorite features is the integrated translation feature, which enables automatic translations for multilingual families.

MHSHS Website | Mission & Vision | Family Resources | Student & Family Handbook

GCPS Portal | GCPS 23-24 School Calendar | GCPS Newsletter | GCPS News |

McClure Health Science High School

3921 Club Drive, Duluth, GA

770-806-7900

MHSHS Website