As college application season ramps up, now is a great time to consider taking or retaking the SAT. Even if all the colleges on your list have test-optional policies, you can leverage your score to showcase your skills, confirm your GPA, and open doors to scholarships. Registration dates and deadlines are below.

​Boost your confidence on test day. Take advantage of free, personalized SAT practice at Khan Academy®. Explore practice problems, video lessons, and full-length practice tests.

If you qualify for a fee waiver, you'll get to take the SAT for free and have access to several other benefits to help you apply for college. If you think you're eligible, talk to your school counselor about getting a fee waiver code.

Click here to access the UCHS Counseling Newsletter for July
​https://www.smore.com/q9s1n

It’s been more than 20 years since the book unveiled…
With more than 3 million copies sold, a 90 percent approval rating from parents and teenagers, thousands of positive reviews and people still today reaping the benefit of Sean Covey’s insightful words of wisdom.

Whether checked out from the library, bought used online, or from a thrift store, this is a great summer read for teenagers.  In world where the focus on getting kids prepared for the real world involves employability and soft skills, what better tool to teach about building meaningful relationships, resisting peer pressure and overcoming life’s obstacles so they can achieve their dreams, it also packs in positive, motivational and inspirational quotes and strategies to help teens live up to their full potential.

These 7 powerful Habits teach teens that they have the ability to choose their behavior but not the consequences. Learning how to set goals, get organized, prioritize, make good decisions, builds good character and can change lives forever.  

First published in 1997 and based on his fathers book titled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Sean Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a great summer read.  I believe in this book to the point that when I am thrifting or go to a used book store I buy whatever copy I can find.  I like to give these to my students on occasion and challenge them with it.

I like to say I challenge them using reverse psychology to not read it and not try to learn something from it but I cant do that because I believe in the simplicity of what the book teaches.  I enjoy helping students find themselves, organize their thoughts, and improve communication styles.  This usually involves a paradigm shift, one in which they begin to view themselves and others differently. The book helps teens find independence in an effective and responsible way, which is what they most want anyway.  

The seven habits are simple but yet so hard to achieve.

1. Be Proactive
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. Put first things first, prioritize and manage your time
4. Think win-win   
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the saw

NOTE:  If you have access to a copy that you would like to pass on, please feel free to drop it off to the high school counseling department.  I will make sure it goes to someone that it will be a benefit to.  Please keep checking out the website to more "7 Habit" based activities and PPTS.

Anxiety is a normal experience for most people, and on occasion, it may be overwhelming. But anxiety is typically transitory, and there are many coping skills that can help you feel more in control.  Think about the concept of fight of flight.  We all get anxious from time to time.  Perhaps a big event like a big game or high stakes test or a public presentation or speech can prompt feelings of anxiousness.  
​
But, an anxiety disorder is different. It’s a serious mental health condition characterized by persistent and excessive anxiety that interferes with daily life.

People with an anxiety disorder may experience intense fear or dread about everyday situations, have difficulty controlling their worry, and may experience physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, or rapid heartbeat. In addition, an anxiety disorder often requires professional therapeutic treatment such as therapy or medication through a counselor or medical doctor.

NGTC will be teaching driver’s education at each of our three campus’ this summer during June and July.
 
The state offers scholarships.  The scholarship website is listed below below, or you can call Carol Jackson at 706-754-7734 or email her at carol.jackson@northgatech.edu for assistance.  All parents are encouraged to apply for the scholarship.  If you qualify, it will save $350.00!
 
Drivers Education Classes for the Month of June 2023.                                   
June 5, 6, 7, 8.  Clarkesville Campus      
June 12, 13, 14, 15, Currahee Campus    
June 19, 20, 21, 22, Blairsville Campus  

Drivers Education Classes for the month of July 2023
July 10, 11, 12, 13 Currahee Campus                              
July 17, 18, 19, 20 Blairsville Campus
July 24, 25, 26, 27 Clarkesville Campus
 
Go to this website to apply for the Drivers Education Scholarship   www.gahighwaysafety.org/scholarships.www.gahighwaysafety.org/gdec-resources/

​All opportunities for participation are first come first served and at the discretion of NGTC.

UCHS SADD club promotes safe driving among teens and adults. We especially want to promote safety on Prom Night! We have taken the AAA PROMise along with thousands of other teens to promise friends, families, and selves to get to our destination safely and not drive impaired or distracted or get in a vehicle with someone under the influence. We want to extend this opportunity to ALL UCH students to take the PROMise and get home safely on Prom night.  SADD club will be at lunch Thursday, April 27th for students to sign the banner and get some free stuff. Parents should also know that if they need to pick up their child, they can call AAA at 1-800-AAA-HELP and they will tow the family vehicle back home with no charge, even if they are not a AAA member! AAA, SADD nation, and our SADD students want everyone to have an enjoyable prom night and drive responsibly to protect their lives and the lives of others.
​

For More information on the UCHS S.A.D.D program.  Please Contact Brittany Anderson at banderson@ucschools.org

Do you remember the old television show called "Kid's say the Darndest Things?"  If not you should look for it on YouTube.  It was a great show and a good laugh was always had.  The idea works on TV but in real life when things are said that we regret we must ask who pays the price?

To be honest, it can be hysterical to hear a child say something they shouldn’t. A child pointing out a pimple may not bother you, but they can be damaging when said between students. So when you start hearing other students say something that hurts someone else’s feelings, it may be time to stand up and explain “think before you speak.”

One of the trickiest nuances of learning to think before you speak is knowing if a statement is helpful. Even adults have trouble recognizing that just because something is kind or neutral, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to say.

There is much more to learning than book learning.  There are many tasks that are developmental in nature. Just like learning to look both ways before crossing a street, adolescents and teenagers must learn to "think before you speak".

“Sometimes we say things without thinking them through, and our words may not be appropriate.  They may hurt someone’s feelings, or it may not be the right time to talk. Learning to think before we speak is important, not only because you are responsible for the things you say but also you’re responsible if those things you say hurt someone else. 

Think about the interactions you have from time to time.  Are there times you recognize that it would be better to just think it rather than say it.

Here are some examples: (How would you categorize these)​

This is a unique experience to tour and learn about schools that interest you in the safety of your own home and at your own schedule.  You can narrow down your choices so that you can focus your in person tours and exploration to those schools that interest you.

It is never to soon to start, whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior or a senior.  Use this resource to help decide your future plans.  

Don't just watch the episodes though; Dive deeper into your search and take a tour of schools within your state.  Find your place.  I encourage you start early and to finish strong.

Is the glass half empty or half full? Is the Mona Lisa smiling? Are roller coasters thrilling or are they terrifying? Your answers to these questions may be very different from someone else, and quite possibly may even be different from how you would have answered them as a child.

Perspective is an almost magical concept because many of us can look at or experience the exact same thing, but somehow see or feel things that are quite the opposite! This is largely because perspective is a personalized concept that is grounded by both where one physically stands as well as where they’ve stood before. 

Research suggests that our past experiences, how we interpret them, and the feelings they create stick with us and can influence our future perspective, feelings, and actions, for better or for worse. For example, someone who grew up near train tracks may find the sound of busy rails relaxing to fall asleep to, while someone else may be kept up by the perceived racket.

Keeping mindful of this, if we practice self-awareness while navigating various situations, we are better able to reflect on why we may feel a certain way about one thing or another and understand when someone else may not share that same feeling. This process is the first step to truly unpacking perspective taking, which plays a vital role in empathetic thinking and communication.

The 4 Parts to Successful Perspective Taking
 
1.     Set aside your thoughts, feelings, motivations & intentions, momentarily
2.     Consider others’ thoughts, feelings, motivations & intentions
3.     Determine whether or not your behavior should change based on that information
4.     Make any necessary changes
 
Students who improve their perspective taking are better able to:

• interpret the needs and wants(motivation) of others
• demonstrate consideration and empathy toward others
• safely navigate around people who may have ill intentions
• adjust their behavior so that others’ feel comfortable
• interpret assignments at school (especially reading and writing assignments) by understanding the perspective of the characters studied or the person who will be reading their writing
• share in the happiness of others even without sharing the same level of interest in the topic, purely because they like the other person
• think critically about social situations and relationships and engage in personal problem solving

Hello UCHS Students,
Each week I will be sending an email that lists one or two careers for you to review.  This website is a great resource to do some research and identify answers to questions like:

What they do on the job?
What is the work environment?
How to become one? Education requirements?
Pay and Salary information
Job outlook over the next 20 years?  Will the career be there when you are ready for it?
Similar Occupations?

This website is created with statistical data from across the United States by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.  It is the most reliable resource for identifying your interest and possible career choices to ensure your future.

Other questions that you have to ask are:

How comfortable do you want to live?  
Do you want a family?
Do you want to own your own house?
Do you want to own a car or more than one?
Do you want to be able to take vacations and travel?

You don't have to decide or answer any of these questions now.  You do however need to start planning for your future and take the right steps at the right time.  Delaying these kinds of decisions can make it harder to achieve your goal.  

Please know that I am rooting for each and every one of you and your continued success whatever that looks like and however you have defined it.

Here are the links for two careers.  They are both in the legal field.  One requires a college degree and one does not.  When reviewing these, focus on the differences and identify your preferences.

Paralegal and Legal Assistants
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm

Lawyer
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/lawyers.htm

I encourage you to have fun with this website.  Help yourself grow your interests and chart your own path to accomplish your goals.  Please feel free to contact me directly by coming to the counseling office, emailing me at nmiller@ucschools.org.  Feel free to reach out to Dr. Sikes Brown too.