Newspaper Page Text
Page 14A—Wednesday, July 27, 2016 The True Citizen
M ort from, B ack-TD-Scho
A MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT RUDOLPH “RUDY” FALANA
Here we are nearing the end of July already and a number of Burke County
Public Schools’ staff members are spending part of it getting ready for the
2016-2017 school year.
I want to welcome employees, parents, students, and community into the
new school year. It is through our team efforts that our students and our school
system are able to excel in various areas. Your spirit of collaboration is both
needed and appreciated, and I look forward to expanding that collaboration.
We have a highly qualified and highly effective staff, dedicated to serving
our students. Among them is a host of new staff, and we’re excited about the
knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise coming with them.
Our vision continues to be one of high standards, outstanding performance,
and excellence in student achievement. We will continue to be transparent as
we build on previous successes as well as address our challenges. We have
made some administrative changes that will prove to be in the best interest
of everyone involved.
In the fall, a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) team
will conduct a five-year Quality Assurance Review of the school system. We
appreciate the participation and support of all stakeholders who have taken
a part in this process over the last couple of years. There are a lot of positive
things going on, and evidence indicates we are headed in the right direction.
We are anticipating a great report followed by a positive accreditation rec
ommendation. As always, we appreciate your feedback, and look forward to
a great year!
Editor's note: Superintendent Falana's welcome was not available before
our Back-to-school section was printed.
l
Rudolph "Rudy" Falana
CORRECTIONS
SGA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
265 Charles Perry Avenue, Sardis
Principal: Joshua Brantley
Enrollment: 313 (approximate)
Grades: Pre-K-5
Open House: 2-4 p.m., Sunday, July 31
First Day: Wednesday, Aug. 3
School Hours: 8:30 a.m.-3:35 p.m.
Student drop off: begins 7:30 a.m
Website: www.burke.k12.ga.us, 478-569-4322
FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
726 Highway 24 South, Waynesboro
Principal: Amy Grubb
Enrollment: 132
Grades: K3-12
Open House: 5-7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 5
First Day: Monday, August 8
School hours: Drop off after 7:40 a.m.
Pick-up by 3:15 p.m.
Website: www.fcawaynesboro.org
Phone: (706) 554-1577
A High School Senior’s Guide
to Choosing the Right College
By: Michaela Carter
Mcarter.truecitizen@gmail.com
The new school year is quick
ly approaching and for some
of you, it will be your last go
‘round! For those of you em
barking upon your senior year,
congratulations; you’re almost
to the finish line. So, what’s
next?
If you are choosing to attend
college, you will soon begin
sending out applications. Later
on, the acceptance letters will
come rolling in! A lot of you
may already have your heart
set on a particular college.
However, do not worry if you
don’t know exactly which one
to choose (or even which ones
to apply to). Here are a few tips
for selecting the best college for
you to attend.
Do your research. First, you
must know what each of your
choices have to offer. Take the
time to search their academic
success rates as well as their
ranking in the state and the
country. You may also want to
learn more about the history of
the colleges that are on your list
to get a better feel for each of
them. Other things to consider
while doing your research are
what extra-curricular activities
are available, what on-campus
jobs they offer, if they allow
freshmen to have cars, etc.
All of this information and
more can be found on the col
leges’ websites.
Decide on a major. While
doing your research on each
college, do some research on
yourself. A lot of times, students
already know what they would
like to major in while in college.
If you don’t, that is okay! Make
a list of about three career paths
that you would be interested in
trying or learning more about.
From there, figure out which of
your choices offer majors that
correlate with those careers.
If you are absolutely unsure,
there is always the option to go
into college with an undeclared
major. However, you should still
choose a college that offers a
wide range of majors so that you
have options when you are ready
to declare a major.
Consider location. A big
deciding factor when selecting
the best college is the location
of the school. You must figure
out if you would like to attend
a school close to home or if you
would like to explore options
that are out of the state. While
deciding how far you’re willing
to go, also consider what type of
campus you be most interested
in. While a lot of colleges offer
traditional campuses, there are
many that are considered to be
urban campuses due to the sur
rounding area. Deciding what
kind of area you would like
to live in (rural, suburban, or
urban) will also help you while
making this decision.
Decide which colleges are
more cost efficient. College
expenses can get out of hand if
you do not take advantage of all
the assistance a college can pro
vide you with. To narrow down
your choices, figure out what
scholarships are available to
you through that school and also
what outside scholarships they
will accept. The cost of tuition
is something to consider when
deciding how far you would like
to be from home. Out-of-state
tuition is higher. Nevertheless,
is important that you are aware
of all of the financial assistance
that your top choices offer
whether they are in the state of
Georgia or not.
Talk to a few admissions
counselors. To get more con
crete information on a school, it
is best to talk to an admissions
counselor at the school. These
counselors are there to help
answer all of your questions and
to direct you to other resources
that will assist you with your
decision.
Take college
visits. What bet
ter way to get to
know more about
a school than
to actually go
there? Plan a vis
it to your choices
of schools so
that you can get
a firsthand look
into their cam
pus life, dorms,
extra-curricular
activities, and
so much more.
Arranging an of
ficial tour would
be most benefi
cial so that you
will have access to tour guides
that can answer any question
that you may have. You may
even want to use this time to
speak with an admissions coun
selor face-to-face.
Make a pros and cons list.
After making all of the above
considerations and doing some
research, list out the pros and
cons of each choice. This is the
best way to visibly see which
college may be the best fit for
you. The college with the most
pros is most likely the college
for you.
Seek help. You do not have
to make this decision alone. You
have family, guidance counsel
ors and so many other resources
that can help you. Utilize every
one that is available to you for
their wisdom and advice. Decid
ing to further your education is
a big step, but it is one that you
do not have to take by yourself.
Just remember, no matter what
school you choose to go to, you
are about to enter into some of
the most unforgettable years of
your life!
ft COWBOVMIKE
ttl*H3TEA3-AHD
SUNDAY*
MORE YOUR ALLY
THAN YOUR AGENT
With AMERICAN NATIONAL, you'll get an agent who has
the know-how and products to help you properly manage
your family's risks. An open appointment book, along with
options for home, auto and life coverage, means you can feel
good that you're getting more an ally than just an agent.
ASHTON BLOUNT III
Agent
615 N LIBERTY ST PO BOX 825
WAYNESBORO, GA 30830-0825
SMART THINKING, REWARDED’
® ablount@american-national.com
© 706.554.7788
AMERICAN
NATIONAL
http://www.anpac.com/agent/ashtonblountiii
Compliance Alert: Disclaimer 'cc(state_specific):pcl' will appear here.
87124.V1.12.2015