Today is the LAST chance to lock in the Early Bird price for your AHS graduation fee. The graduation fee is mandatory if you plan to attend the ceremony in May (date TBD).The Early Bird price is $155 through 11:59pm tonight. Beginning tomorrow, November 1, the price goes up to $165.

Our vendor, 3^rd Ascent, now offers a payment plan for the graduation fee. Afterpay is a buy now, pay later payment option that allows you to pay for your purchases in four interest-free installments. An additional fee of $9.60 will be applied to your order when using Afterpay, the total for your order will be $164.60.

Please see the attachement here https://ahsptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/assets/01550/How_to_Pay_AHS_Grad_Fee.pdf for step by step instructions to pay the fee online through www.3rdascent.com. The PDF also includes an FAQs section

The graduation fee includes(any questions, please contact Kelly Talele at talelek@fultonschools.org):

• Venue (Ameris Amphitheatre – graduation date will not be confirmed until February)
• Tickets (total number/student TBD after date is finalized)
• Cap, gown, & tassel
• Diploma cover
• Class Pin

Senior ads are available for sale at www.jostens.com.  The November pricing ($300 for 1/2 page and $200 for 1/4 page) is available until November 10th or until space runs out. Just a reminder that ad space sold out last year, so please place your ad NOW!  If you have not done so, order your yearbook, too.  We do not order "extras."  Questions, email Mrs. Flowers at flowersr1@fultonschools.org

Link for yearbooks and senior ads: http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01081357.

Our school reserves the right to edit ads per our guidelines. Please make sure all submitted materials are appropriate for school publication.-- Alpharetta Yearbook Staff; YRBK Website:  https://bit.ly/AHSYRBK

Kennesaw State Instant Decision Day November 28, 2023, in the Center of Excellence room 1120  Instant Decision Day is an opportunity for Seniors who meet the admission requirements to KSU to receive college on-site acceptance.  Come out and meet the KSU rep, learn more about the university, and apply on the spot. Complete the form to confirm your request KSU Instant Decision Day Sign Up Form or access the QR code here https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ui=2&ik=c033141bfa&attid=0.4&permmsgid=msg-f:1780937841611011727&th=18b72987f846768f&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ_LOIrxywpO0CT_-p-10RkyFAwrNuJ3PNEgc7e_u7PZ_sSbU-wqF4f-JBUW6tE84nicR_i9K6lDlVjMkjpSbPsAJtu3l_aM93aQzmlbPw_iUoYtr-D6Gxp0thA&disp=emb

Presidential Scholars Program  The 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program nomination window is open from September 1 to November 1. Any high school senior may complete the application, provided they meet all program qualifications outlined by the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The student informational brochure includes information on the application criteria and the two required essays. The application, program criteria, and informational brochure are on the Excellence Recognitions USPS webpage. Applications are due by November 1 at 5:00 p.m.  

• Application: 2024 USPS Application 
• Required Verification Forms: Click Here 
• Student Informational Brochure: Click Here 
• Coordinator’s Guide: Click Here 
• U.S. Presidential Scholars website: Click Here 

College Applications Fulton County Schools is no longer using Naviance for college applications. While Naviance will continue to be used to research and plan for college, for the 2023-2024 school year, students will apply to college using the following platforms:

• Common Application
• Coalition
• GaFutures
• Common Black College Application
• Individual College Application Portal (visit school’s admissions website)

Federal Student Aid 2024–25 FAFSA Roadmap | Knowledge Center For the 2024-25 award year, the FAFSA is getting a facelift that includes a redesign and fewer questions. Plus, formulas determining aid eligibility have been modified with the goal of expanding financial assistance for low-income families. The FAFSA for the 2024-25 school year is projected to be available in December 2023, a few months later than usual. In years past, FAFSA applications opened up each October before the start of the next academic year.

Local College Deadlines

This week counselors will be pushing into all levels of 11^th grade American Lit classes to assist the class of 2025 in completing their 11^th Grade Bridge Bill and Junior Survey.    Beginning Monday, November 6, School Counselors will host 1-on-1 Junior Advisement meetings.  Student attendance is mandatory, and parents are encouraged to attend but not required. During this 30-minute meeting, counselors and students will review graduation requirements, plan senior-year classes, and discuss post-secondary options.

• Prior to the meeting, Juniors must: 
  • Review the Junior Bridge Bill Presentation
  • Complete the Junior Survey and Bridge Bill tasks in Naviance.  This task is mandatory. Directions for completing the Naviance activities can be found at Required Tasks in Naviance
• To schedule your 1-on-1 Junior Meeting with your assigned School Counselor, click the appropriate link below: 
  • A-Coh Mrs. Summers 
  • Coi-Haq Ms. Proksa
  • Har-Lo Mrs. Longstreth 
  • Lu-Pa Mrs. Graham
  • Pe-Se Ms. Taylor
  • Sh-Z Ms. Bolt

Visit our updated counseling website for scholarships https://www.fultonschools.org/Page/27935

Upcoming College Visits. Login to Naviance to register.  

Tutors Alpharetta High School provides this list as a service and does not endorse or recommend any particular tutor.  We recommend that each family carefully consider researching all available tutors. https://www.fultonschools.org/Page/19471

Alpharetta High School’s National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta offer free peer tutoring https://alpharettanhs.weebly.com/need-a-tutor.html or Mu Alpha Theta Peer Tutoring Request Form

As we approach the fall, school begins picking up and the weight of different responsibilities can begin to feel overwhelming. Many of our students deal with high levels of school anxiety and academic stress. They are being asked to juggle college level classes, extracurricular activities, sports, clubs, and full social lives. All these things combined can increase anxiety disorders and depression in middle and high school students.This blog will seek to provide helpful information on warning signs of anxiety and depression in your students and ways to help address academic stress. https://summitcounseling.org/how-to-support-students-facing-academic-pressure-stress/

Students and parents! Alpharetta High School has some amazing teachers and professional employees who are instrumental in creating opportunities for excellence. Each year, we select a Teacher and Professional Employee of the Year, and this year we are expanding the nomination process to include our students and parents.

Visit the AHS website or use the link here<https://forms.office.com/r/9xxfMW93hR> to complete the nomination form. The nomination window will close on November 17, 2023. 

Any students intending to pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma beginning Junior Year (2024-25) must complete the Statement of Intent on or before January 10, 2024. This year’s Statement of Intent will be submitted digitally and can be accessed either via the AHS IB webpage or by clicking the link here https://tinyurl.com/AHSIBIntent2024. Students will need to login with their @fcstu.org accounts to access the application, but a .pdf of the  “worksheet” document can be found here https://tinyurl.com/AHSIBWorksheet2024 for review and preparation.

DATE CHANGE November 29 – IB Community Meeting. The topical focus of the night will be “What is IB?”. Interested families should attend to develop a better understanding of how IB works and what it offers to students.

Students and parents can schedule individual meetings with Mr. Fortunato to discuss IB and create a “road map” of what courses would look like. Visit the AHS IB webpage and select “Schedule a Meeting” from the menu or use the following link to go directly to the booking page<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/AlpharettaHighSchoolIBDiplomaProgramme@fultonschools.org/bookings/>.  More information about the Diploma Programme can be found on the AHS IB webpage<http://www.fultonschools.org/ahsib>. If you have any questions about International Baccalaureate or the 2023-24 Statement of Intent, email Mr. Fortunato: fortunatof@fultonschools.org