For the Graduating Class of 2015

Programs of Study

The Perks of Having Good Grades

For the Graduating Class of 2015

Hey, Sophomores! You are working towards earning a gen-eral high school diploma. There are no longer College Prep and Career Prep diplomas. You are expected to complete a common set of requirements to earn a regular diploma. You will need a minimum of 23 credits (units) to graduate in May 2015. To earn your diploma, the minimum requirements in-clude 4 credits of English, 4 credits of social studies, 4 credits of science, and 4 credits of math. In addition, you must have 3 credits in fine arts, foreign language, and/or CTAE, 3 credits of electives, and 0.5 credit of Health, and 0.5 credit of Personal Fitness. Students who are planning to attend a two or four-year college must have 2 units of the same foreign language.

*You are required to pass the writing portion of

the GHSGT.

Honor graduates must have an overall GPA of 90.0 or better for 7 semesters. Honor Gradu-ates with Distinction must have a 90.0 GPA and have taken a minimum of two AP or dual

en-rollment courses. GPA is not rounded up.

The HOPE scholarship is available to financially assist Georgia students when they attend Georgia’s technical schools, colleges, or universities. The HOPE Grant is available to all Georgia residents, regardless of GPA or program of study, who attend a technical school. You must meet all graduation requirements in order to qualify for these programs. Please check gacol-lege411.org for the most current information for your graduating class.

Who’s Your Counselor?

Mi-Simp Dr. Cagle Sims-Z Ms. Bridges

Student Service Center Staff Registrar-Mrs. Brown SSC Secretary-Mrs. Curtis Records Secretary-Mrs. Lewis

Georgia Perimeter College also offers three types of dual enrollment programs: Dual Enrollment, Joint Enroll-ment, and Move on When Ready.

Dual Enrollment allows you to earn both high school and college credits. Classes are paid from HOPE funds. Joint Enrollment allows you to earn college credits. You and your family must pay for these courses.

Move on When Ready (MOWR) is a type of dual enrollment where you attend college fulltime. You may still participate in extra-curricular activities at Newton High School. It is paid for with your high school FTE funds. You must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher in your core academic classes.

The following testing requirements must also be met: SAT or 970 with 440 in math and 480 in critical reading OR ACT or 20 with 18 in math and 20 in English

Please visit www.gpc.edu/dualenrollment for more information.

POST SECONDARY AND DUAL ENROLLMENT

OPTIONS

“Giving Direction to the Future”

NCCA is located next to Newton High School. Up to 19 career pathways will be

availa-ble next school year. You will learn skills that will help you to either be workplace ready

or to continue your education at the post-secondary level. You will receive hands-on

training in state-of –the art classroom and laboratory facilities. Dual enrollment classes

through both Georgia Piedmont Technical College and Georgia Perimeter College may

also be offered at NCCA next year. The programs will include Government and Public

Safety, Transportation/ Automotive Services, Healthcare, Cosmetology and Early

Child-hood Education. If you are interested in attending, please pick up an application in the

Student Service C

Please visit www.newtoncareeracademy.org for more detailed information.

Newton College

and Career

PSAT– College bound juniors should take the PSAT in October 2013. Your

scores of the test will help you decide which college entrance exam to take. You

will need to take the PSAT to be considered for the National Merit Scholarship

Program and National Achievement Scholarship Program.

ACT/SAT- If you plan to attend a four-year college after graduation, you will

need to take the ACT or SAT. Spring or Summer 2014 are good dates. Most

colleges will accept either test and it is not necessary to take both tests. Go to

the websites of the colleges you are considering to find the recommended

mini-mum scores. Meet with your school counselor to discuss your options. Most two

year colleges in Georgia do not require the ACT or SAT for admissions. If you

are planning to attend a technical college, the SAT and ACT are not required.

You can register for the ACT at www.actstudent.org. You can register to take

the SAT at collegeboard.com.

Testing Information

EOCT and Graduation Test

The GHSGT is no longer required to earn a high school diploma for students

enter-ing 9th grade for the first time in 2011-2012 school year and beyond. The EOCT

will contribute 20% to the course grade( for those core courses in which an EOCT

is mandated). Students must pass the course with the increased weight of the

EOCT applied to the course grade.

Youth Apprentice ship Program (YAP) and Work-Based Learning

Ms. Brand (room 15) is our Youth Apprenticeship coordinator and is in charge of our Work Based Learning program. If you will have a job in the fall or are possibly interested in work-ing in a field of interest, you may be able to qualify for one of these programs. Students must have good attendance and behavior to qualify for these programs. If you have room in your schedule next year and are interested in this program, please let your counselor know dur-ing your Junior evaluation.

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered to 10th, 11th and 12 graders who meet the cri-teria. These are academically demanding courses, but you may earn college credit. Teacher approval is needed. There are several AP courses to choose from. Some AP courses offered for juniors are AP English and AP American History. Please discuss your options with your teachers and counselor.

How can I make up classes this summer?

You may no longer take classes to get ahead. However, if you have failed a class and need to make it up, there are several places where you can go to make up failed classes. You can recover up to two credits in the summer. You must see your counselor for a registration form. Some classes are offered online (varies by school). Here are three options.

Alpha Omega-This is a private school located in Covington. Weekly fees are about $40. Summer classes are approximately six weeks in length. Call 770-788-7100 for more infor-mation.

Covington Academy is also a private school located in Covington. Prices are based on the number of credits taken-please call for current fees and dates. Call 678-625-9025 for more information.

Faith Academy-This is a private school that has a site in Conyers. Summer school starts in early June and ends in mid-July. Weekly fess are about $40. Call 770-929-9509 for more in-formation.

Did you know?

Did you know you can start looking for scholarships now….

~WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT~

Helpful Web Resources:



www.fastweb.com: Custom scholarship information and e-mail updates

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www.scholarships.com: Allows students to search for scholarship information

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www.collegeboard.com: College Board’s scholarship search

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www.finaid.org: Described as a one-stop shop for financial aid

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www.usg.edu: Information on all of the University System of Georgia schools, including links to

college websites and admissions requirements



Avoiding scholarship scams: www.finaid.org, www.bbb.org (Better Business Bureau),

www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/scholarship/index.shtml (Federal Trade Commission)

HOPE SCHOLARSHIP & HOPE GRANT INFO

HOPE Scholarship

*At a public college or university, covers a percentage of the previous year’s tuition. At a private college or university, covers a percentage of the base HOPE Private Scholarship amount.

*To be eligible as a freshman, you must earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale for all English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language coursework.

*Zell Miller Scholars: 3.7 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale for all core coursework AND score at least a 1200 on the Math and Reading/ Verbal portions of the SAT in one administration or score at least a 26 composite score on the ACT. OR Graduate as the Valedictorian or Salutatorian from an eligible high school (only one per school) and meet the requirements for the HOPE scholarship

*Does NOT cover books, mandatory fees (such as athletic or technology fees), room/board, or meals

HOPE GRANT

*Covers a percentage of the previous year’s tuition at a public technical college or public college or university. * For use with DIPLOMA and CERTIFCATE programs

*Does NOT cover books, mandatory fees (such as athletic or technology fees), room/board, or meals *Students with a baccalaureate degree are not eligible to receive the HOPE grant

• There is no GPA requirement; however, beginning fall 2011, all HOPE grant recipients must have a 3.0 on all HOPE grant coursework (excluding dual enrollment and learning support courses) at the 30 hour and 60 hour checkpoints

~WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT~

www.newtoncountyschools.org

Starting the Countdown to College-10th and 11th grade checklist (month by month planner) 100 Most Commonly Used SAT Words

SAT vs. ACT

ACT and SAT Preparation Resource List

Internet Resources For College and Financial Aid Sample Student Resume

NCAA Clearinghouse (for student athletes)

www.gacollege411.org

• Includes information and applications for HOPE scholarship and grant program • Includes free study guides for GHSGT, ACT, SAT and COMPASS tests

• Includes online applications to the colleges in Georgia

• Includes information about every college and technical school in Georgia