(301) 840-4727
Fax: (301) 840-4738
Hours:  7:30 am - 3:30 pm

Counseling Department Services | Counselor Assignments | Procedures to see your counselor | College/Career Center | College Institute | Honors & AP Classes
Course & Schedule Changes | Graduation Requirements | Registrar | SAT Prep 

UKNOW - FREE SAT PREP CLASS at GHS beginning MARCH 1 from 6:30 until 8:00 pm in Room N3.  This course will be given every Tuesday and Thursday to prepare for the May and June SAT.  This opportunity is at NO COST to students and gives them the opportunity to practice and gain strategies for the SAT!   Questions?  Contact Ms. Sue Belford in the Counseling Office.

ATTENTION:  AP REGISTRATION BEGINS MONDAY, MARCH 5!  Registration will during lunch in Room A8 or BEFORE/AFTER school in Ms. Wilkins-Brown's office in Counseling Services.  Registration will run from March 5 through March 16.

GATEWAY TO COLLEGE PROGRAM IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE SUMMER 2007 TERM.  The Gateway to College© program at Montgomery College serves at-risk youth, 16 to 20 years old, who have stopped attending Montgomery County Public High Schools and for whom high school completion is at risk. The program gives students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma while transitioning to a college campus. Students may simultaneously accumulate high school and college credits, earning their high school diploma while progressing toward an associate degree or certificate.  Visit their website or contact them at 301.610.4052 to sign up for an Information Session or request an application. 
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/mcmcps/gateway/index.htm

2007 AP Exam Schedule Available

MCPS Evening High School Registration Information for Spring 2007

TCCi Family Connection Registration Information

 2006-2007 MCPS Counseling Services Calendar 

ONLINE REGISTRATION for the 2006-2007 SAT is available.  Visit www.collegeboard.com.  Registration dates are also available on the GHS online calendar.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE PSAT.  Looking for ways to start engaging in the college planning process? My College QuickStart™ can help. This is the newest addition to the set of free resources students receive by participating in the PSAT/NMSQT. All high school students who took the 2006 PSAT/NMSQT will receive access to My College QuickStart, without charge. My College QuickStart is a personalized planning kit based on each individual student's test results. Students will have the opportunity to take the next steps toward college with these features: An online score report, including projected SAT® score ranges, state percentiles, and the power to sort answer explanations by difficulty and question type A customized SAT study plan, including a guided review of results, SAT practice questions, personalized skill improvement ideas, and scored sample essays written by actual test takers Personalized and detailed lists of colleges, initially based on the student's preferred major and current location, can be modified through custom search criteria such as distance from home, test scores, and size Personalized and detailed lists of majors and careers, based on the preferences indicated on the PSAT/NMSQT All of the college and career exploration tools available at MyRoad™, the College Board's complete interactive college and career planning website Beginning in mid-December, students will be able to access this exciting new tool by visiting www.collegeboard.com/psatextra, creating an online account, and entering the access code found on their official paper Score Report Plus. LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION WITH PSAT SCORES IN DECEMBER!

Counseling Services Staff
(mail to links provided)

Counseling Services
School counselors help students make appropriate personal, career, and educational decisions.  In either individual or in group sessions, the counselors:

• help students to achieve increased self-awareness and feeling of self-worth
• provide opportunities for students to discuss personal and/or social problems that may affect learning, motivation, and personal development
• assist students in acquiring decision-making skills to make appropriate educational, career, and personal decisions
• provide testing and test interpretation to help students analyze their interests, abilities and values with respect to career awareness.
• meet annually with each student to plan an educational program consistent with his/her needs (Four-Year Plan).
• provide information to students and parents about colleges, careers, and vocational schools
• take an active role in working with the administration to inform students and parents of guidance programs.
• act as student advocates in any reasonable cause.
• collect and interpret information needed for student conferences, e.g., Educational Management Team (EMT) meetings.
• work with teachers and parents to help students achieve their potential in school

Counseling Services Secretary
The Counseling Services Secretary is the receptionist for all counseling services.  He or she makes all the appointments for counseling conferences, contacts teachers for homework when a student is ill, and assists the home instruction teachers.  Students who have changes of address or phone number should notify the Counseling Office.

Counselor Assignments

Procedures To See Your Counselor

• Although the above assignments are made for administrative purposes, an "open door" policy exists.  Students may make an appointment to see a counselor of their preference.  Counselors are available to see students on a drop-in basis before school, during lunch, and after school.

• To make an appointment for another time, the student should come before school, during lunch, or after school and fill out the white REQUEST TO SEE A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR form.  Leave this form with Ms. Ginsberg, the Counseling Department secretary.  As soon as possible, the counselor will send a pass to the student's class.

Parents:  In order to see your child's counselor, please call 01-840-4727 make an appointment.  Counselors are more likely to be able to meet with you by calling ahead.

College Institute

College Institute
The College Institute is an innovative partnership between Montgomery College and Wootton and Gaithersburg high schools.  The institute provides an opportunity for identified high-achieving seniors to earn college credits on a high school campus during a regular school day.  The Montgomery College courses enhance and supplement the high school's current advanced placement courses.  Students in College Institute will gain college success skills by attending weekly seminars dealing with important academic and social issues involved in the transition to college.

Who is eligible to participate?
Any student who by the end of the junior year has:

• Completed primarily all high school graduation requirements;
• Achieved a minimum verbal score of 550 and a minimum math score of 550 on the SAT;
• Earned a minimum weighted grade point average of 3.5; and
• Received the recommendation of the high school counselor.

For additional details on the College Institute Program, click here.

Honors Program / AP Program & AP Exam Schedule

Honors / Advanced Placement Program
The Honors/Advanced Placement (H/AP) program at GHS offers courses in English, foreign language, math, science, social studies, computer science, art and statistics.  All students are encouraged to register for a challenging academic program.  Parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators identify and encourage students to enroll in H/AP.  Students area also encouraged to nominate themselves.  Participation in AP classes gives students a sample of college-level work while they are still in high school.  Students who score high grades on AP exams may receive college credit from the colleges they decide to attend.

Students who receive a grade of B or above in Honors/AP class get an extra quality point when their weighted GPA's are calculated.

2007 AP Exam Schedule
Gaithersburg High School AP Exam Coordinator:  Ms. Wilkins-Brown, Counseling Services

Course & Schedule Changes

Dropping A Course / Schedule Changes
Because staff members spend a great deal of time and energy developing an individual student's schedule during the registration and scheduling processes, they expect students to stay with their assigned schedules.  Students requesting a change from AP or Honors to Regular class, MUST complete the appropriate form.  Forms are obtained in the Counseling Services Department.  Changes will only be made with approval from administration, counselor, teachers, and parents.

SAT Prep Class Opportunities

q       FREE SAT “Crash Course” held during lunch two weeks prior to the SAT test.   There are only 32 slots available.  Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Juniors can sign up in the Counseling Office during lunch.  Free Pizza!  Free Course!  
q      SAT PREPARATION COURSE - IMPORTANT UPDATE!  Effective July 1, 2006 the MCPS SAT Preparation Program administered by the MCPS Adult Education Office will transition to and be administered by the Montgomery College Workforce Development & Continuing Education office. The curriculum and design of the program will continue as before and Montgomery College will maintain current course locations in various MCPS high schools. Preparation courses for the SAT are developed by the Office of Instruction and Program Development in conjunction with the Department of Adult Education. Students take a 32-hour course which meets either after school, in the evening, or on Saturday mornings.  This six-week course (seven weeks on Saturday) is designed to help students achieve a score that better reflects their knowledge and abilities by practicing with REAL SATs, teaching test format, proven test taking strategies, reviewing content, and raising test taking confidence.

The cost of the course is $250 for county residents and $390 for non-county residents. For reduced fees you must contact 301-279-5188. Information on dates, locations and registration are available at: http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce/mcps/satprep.html or pick up a brochure from a MCPS College/Career Information Center or the School Counseling Office. Flyers advertising courses to prepare students for the October, November, December and January SATs are direct mailed at the end of July to all incoming juniors and seniors. A second mailing, advertising classes to prepare for the spring administration of the SAT will occur in late December.

SPRING SAT PREP COURSE SCHEDULES HAVE BEEN POSTED TO THE WEBSITE!

q       SAT Prep Online - Student Online Learning @ Montgomery 
Course Cost:  $345 - visit http://mcps.k12.md.us/departments/onlinelearning 

CLICK BUTTON FOR LINK

CLICK BUTTON FOR LINK
EXPLORE        PLAN        ACHIEVE