It was terrific to see so many families at Report Card Pickup on October 25^th! It was also great to see many students and their families during Michigan’s College Application Week, which was hosted here at C-A during the week of October 29^th. This was an opportunity for our senior students to apply for college and have many of the application fees waived. College admission representatives, Mr. Mattar and our counselors were here to assist with this process during the two evening sessions and all day Friday, November 2^nd. It was quite successful with many students finishing up their applications, submitting them and eating a great meal too!  We are hoping this will be a continuing tradition here at C-A High.

Seniors

• College applications should be completed and submitted by now.  If not, see your counselor soon!
• Begin to apply for scholarships.  Your EDP has a scholarship search tool designed for you to use for this purpose.  Use it!  And APPLY!  Many scholarships are not awarded each year simply because no one applies for them!!
• Families can get ready to file income tax returns as early as possible to be ready to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
• Plan to attend the annual Financial Aid Night here at CAHS in January.

Juniors

• MME/ACT is coming up on March 5-7!  It is not too early to prepare for this important test!  Teachers are completing prep-work with students in the classroom.  In addition, students should use study time to log into free websites for further practice; www.number2.com and www.actstudent.org are both excellent.
• Visit with college representatives, apprenticeship program coordinators, cosmetology schools, military and voc-tech schools as they come to the CAHS Career Center.  Check with Mrs. White or read announcements for a list of colleges that will be visiting.  Develop a list of potential colleges that can be narrowed down later.
• Save a list of your possible plans for the future in your EDP!
• Plan to attend the annual Financial Aid Night here at CAHS in January.

Sophomores

• Work at achieving balance between schoolwork, activities and home life.  Think to the future of what you want to do, and design your activities around that idea.  It is very important to get proper amounts of sleep; research states that teens need at least eight hours per night!  Sleeping with cell phones on is the number one cause of sleep deprivation for teens.  Recent research has also revealed an association between sleep deprivation and poorer grades.  (http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct01/sleepteen.aspx)
• You have just received your report card recently.  Make a list of what you do well, and what you need help accomplishing.  Talking with your counselor about your list can result in a good action plan for the next marking period.

Freshmen

• Ninth graders need to make a plan for high school.  You have adjusted to the change from middle school…it is time!
• Work on keeping your grades up!  YES, colleges do look at your entire high school transcript, so 9^th grade counts!
• Make an appointment to visit with or meet your counselor if you haven’t already done so.  A few questions to help you in getting to know your counselor might be:  What are the requirements for graduation.  What courses should I take for my future career choices?  How should I work my schedule to fit all of the courses I want to take?

As always we counselors would like to remind you to “Pause Before You Post”!  Cyberbullying is on the rise in recent times.  Be kind in your words at all times, even in texts and posts!

Bullying is a serious issue.  We are here to help!