What's Happening at GCMS

Cougar Staff:

There has been frost on the pumpkin this week as the cooler weather of fall has arrived.   It’s been a busy week to say the least at dear old GCMS!  With everything from anti-bullying to KMSA to high school band, there has been lots of activity this week.  I have just a few notes to share as we wrap up and head off to the weekend.

Personnel:

We are glad to have Karen Van Metre back to school returning from surgery.  I know that Karen is still not at 100 percent, and we hope that she continues to get feeling better each day.

Please continue to remember Ellen Thomas and her husband Mike.
We wish Kevin Butler a safe and successful journey as he travels with a mission trip to Africa next week.  This is an exciting opportunity and a great work that Kevin is taking part in!  We will have other technicians here at GCMS on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the next two weeks until Kevin returns.

EXPLORE Scores:

We received our EXPLORE scores this week, and our students have made strong progress.  We will be going over the scores in detail very soon, but I wanted to let you know that our 8^th grade composite score has risen 4 tenths of a point to 15.4, and all subject areas saw improvement compared to 2012.  This reflects the hard work of our students and staff to improve in the area of college and career readiness.  This will also help improve the CCR component of our school accountability score.  We have also received our 7^th grade scores back, and intervention plans will be developed and carried out to assure that each of this year’s 7^th graders performs as well as possible on next  fall’s EXPLORE.

EXPLORE 2012-13	EXPLORE 2013-14
Composite 15.0	Composite 15.4
Science 16.5	Science 16.6
Reading 14.2	Reading 14.5
Math 15.0	Math 15.7
English 13.7	English 14.1

Thank You:

I enjoyed visiting our related arts classes for showcase lesson day earlier this week.  I observed highly engaged students and teachers in a variety of settings and learning activities!  Thank you for opening up your classrooms for your colleagues to observe, learn new strategies, and share feedback.   Keep up the great work!

Great Job!

I appreciate the team 4 teachers who shared information about standards based grading with yesterday’s visitors at the KMSA workshop.  I also want to brag on Shane Decker for recently being invited and presenting at two different state conferences!  Word is getting out about the great things going on at GCMS.

I want to thank Mr. Parker and Mr. Duvall for their hard work with our band students.  Our GCMS band does an outstanding job, and to think that about one fourth of our high school band that has advanced to state competition this year is actually comprised of middle school students is awesome!  Virtually all of those high school students in the GCHS band came through the GCMS band program, and I know that Mr. Duvall and Mr. Parker had a great part in their development as musicians and great young people!  

Congratulations to Lea Ann Frank and her CCR class for winning a $700 grant from Warren RECC for an energy conservation project.  The project will involve installing motion sensors for lights in some of our restrooms to save on the energy consumption used in rooms that are empty the vast majority of the time.  Great idea!

PLC Day on Friday, Nov. 1:

We have another busy day planned for next Friday’s PLC day.  Our tentative agenda will include:

·         Continuing our orientation to the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System

·         The Importance of Student Learning Targets

·         Growth Mindset

·         CSI Time

·         Potluck Lunch (please bring your favorite dish)

·         Wrapping up our look at KPREP data

·         Standards Based Grading

·         Team Time

Engagement Walk-throughs:

The district team of principals and central office staff will be continuing our “engagement walks” around the district.  I’m not sure when we will be doing the walks again at GCMS, but it is important to always strive to plan your lessons in a way to allow for high levels of student engagement.  If the students are doing hands on, and more importantly, minds on learning activities, they are going to be learning more than if they are just listening to the teacher or filling in a work sheet.  I am glad to say that I am seeing more and more engaging lessons as the year progresses at GCMS.  I also want to continue to stress the importance of student learning targets.  The learning target for each lesson should always match the standard that it comes from and match the learning activities observed in the lesson.  Just posting the target so Mr. Blain will check it off on a form would be worthless… but when the learning target really drives student learning, that is powerful!

Heating and Cooling:

We are having some issues with our air conditioning at GCMS.  Right now, with the cooler temperatures, we are actually blessed because the air is not needed much this week.  Next week is supposed to warm a little, but remain in the 60’s.  Next Friday, maintenance will be completing some work on our cooling system that will hopefully restore us to full capacity after that.

Computer Network:

If you have not already done so, please read the email from Eric Foster that was sent out yesterday afternoon about a computer virus threat that has been going around.  Eric explains how to open certain applications that you may have trouble opening in the typical way.  As always, please never open any emails or attachments that are from senders that you do not know.  Thanks.

Quote of the Day:

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” ~Aristotle

Coming Right Up:

Oct 28-31……….Red Ribbon Week 

•  Monday….......…Wear Red 
• Tuesday…......…Wear Camo, Jack! 
•  Wednesday..........Wear Orange and Blue 
•  Thursday…....…..Costume Day (no charge/not a fundraiser)

Oct 30……………Picture Retake/Makeup Day

Nov 1…………….PLC Day (no students)

Nov. 11…………..Veterans Day Program, 7:45 am

Nov. 20……….….6th Grade Back to the Future Day

Nov. 25-29.............No School, Thanksgiving Week

This Week at GCMS

Cougar Staff:

It has been a great week at GCMS after returning to school from fall break.  It seemed like most everyone was rested and ready to go, and I saw a lot of great learning taking place this week!  I have just a few notes to share with you as we wrap this week up and head into the weekend.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

Personnel:

Please continue to remember Jeremy Meredith and his family.  Jeremy’s grandmother passed away this week. 

Please continue to remember Karen Van Metre as she recovers from her surgery.  I know that you join me is wishing Karen a speedy recovery.

David Whitmore was back in action this week after his surgery and reports that he is feeling great!

Please continue to remember Ellen Thomas and her family.  They have arranged for Hosparus to start working with Mike.

I know that there are a lot of bugs still going around, so I hope that everyone at GCMS is feeling better soon.

Thank You:

We appreciate Monica Heavrin meeting with our staff at GCMS today.  We all want the very best for all of our students, including those identified with disabilities. All of our students are "our students", and it is up to all of us to make sure that each student gets the very best every day.  It is not just up to our collaborators to take care of identified students.  This is the shared responsibility of all.  We had some good conversations, and I appreciate everyone working together to help lift each student in this sub-population of students.

Anti-Bully Programs:

Nationally known anti-bully speaker Jerry Ackerman will be in Grayson County on Monday, October 21 to speak to students at GCHS and GCMS as well as presenting a parent program on Monday evening.  He will speak to our students Monday afternoon during 6^th period.  We will plan to start calling students to the gym the last few minutes of 5^th period.  The evening program will be in the GCMS auditorium starting at 6:00.  We encourage staff members to continue to work with our students to help stop bullying in our school and in our community.

KMSA Comes to GCMS:

As you already know, there will be a KMSA workshop held at GCMS next Thursday, Oct. 24.  Feel free to stop in the auditorium during your planning period to take in some of the workshop that day.  Also, some of the visitors will be visiting GCMS classrooms that day to see some of the great instructional practices happening here at our school.  I wanted you to know that you might have visitors!

GCHS Band Tour:
The high school band will be touring the county on Thursday, October 24 and plan to play for our student body at GCMS at 2:00 that afternoon.  The band has made great strides this year, and I know that our students will enjoy their performance.

Holiday Meal Survey:

The GCMS Culture Club would like staff input on when you would like to have a staff holiday gathering.  We have traditionally had our gathering sometime the last week or two before Christmas break, but with an extremely “crowded” calendar, it was suggested that maybe in January or February would be better.  Please take about a half minute and respond to the survey monkey survey.  Thanks.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CSM85S8

Board Agenda Items:

We have been instructed that any item that is sent for school board approval should go through the school principal.  Nothing inappropriate has been requested, but to keep everyone on the same page, please always submit items for board approval to Mr. Blain, and then Mr. Blain or Mrs. House will submit them to Karen Colyer to add to the board agenda.

Quote of the Day:

“Life is like a game of tennis; the player who serves well seldom loses.” ~anonymous

Coming Attractions:

Oct. 21……………Anti-Bullying Assembly, 6^th period (call students to gym around 1:30)

Oct. 23……………Related Arts Showcase Lesson Day

Oct. 24………..…..KMSA Workshop at GCMS

                               GCHS Band Performance for the whole school, 2:00

Oct 28-31….…….Red Ribbon Week

Oct 30……………Picture Retake/Makeup Day

Nov 1…………….PLC Day (no students)

Nov. 11…………..Veterans Day Program, 7:45 am

Nov. 20………….6^th Grade Back to the Future Day

Wrapping Up the First Quarter at GCMS

Cougar Staff:

Move 'em out, head 'em up, Head 'em up, move 'em on. Move 'em out, head 'em up: Rawhide.

Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, Ride 'em in, cut 'em out, Cut 'em out, ride 'em in: Rawhide!  Not sure why these lyrics come to mind this week, but on the last week before break and with our annual school walkathon going, these words seemed apropos.   It has been a good first quarter of the school year, and I know that everyone is looking forward to fall break.  I hope that each of you is able to spend some time relaxing and enjoying yourself with family and friends before we return to school on October 14. 

Personnel:

We have several GCMS staff members and family members to keep in our thoughts and prayers. 

Mr. Whitmore is having surgery this morning in Bowling Green.  Karen Van Metre has surgery scheduled for October 7.  Chris Helm is dealing with some blood pressure issues this week.  Also, please continue to remember Ellen Thomas’s family, Rita Mullins’ daughter, and Ginny Paine’s daughter. 

K-PREP Scores:

I want to say once again how pleased that I am with this year’s K-PREP scores.  Making such a strong improvement across the board is a testimony to the great efforts of our students and staff.  We surpassed the goal of moving above the 50^th percentile this year ranking at the 62^nd percentile out of all Kentucky middle schools.  We had improved scores in all six assessed subject areas and scored above the state in reading, math, science, and social studies.  With all this said, we do have plenty of room for growth and further improvement.  It will not be enough to score at the same levels next spring.  Let’s set a goal of reaching the 70^th percentile and the school wide level of “proficient school”.   To view our entire School Report Card and those of other schools in Grayson County or elsewhere in Kentucky, go to the following link:  http://applications.education.ky.gov/SRC/.

Walkathon:

Thank you to everyone for helping to make this year’s walkathon a huge success!  I appreciate our related arts department, headed by Gary Parker, for organizing and supervising this year’s walk.  Also, a big thank you goes to everyone for encouraging the students to work hard and raise money for the school walkathon.  This year’s individual winners were 1^st place Kennedy Kendrick-Bostick, 2^nd place Haley Burnette, and 3^rd place Austin Van Meter.  This highest single team will get a free period of gym time/phone zone/outside time/movie during 6^th period on October 31.  The highest team at each grade level gets phone zone during lunch all week during the first week back after fall break.  We will announce those winners as soon as that info is available.

  

Staff Attendance this week:

Thank you for being here this week!  I know that sometimes staff attendance can be an issue right before a break, but our staff attendance at GCMS was very good this week!

Meetings with Ms. Heavrin:

Special Education Director Monica Heavrin will meet with staff on Friday, October 18th.  She will be discussing strategies for success of our identified special education students.  Please follow the schedule: 

Math- 7:50-8:45

Social Studies, Special Education teachers , Brey, Duvall, Parker, Mike Blair-8:49-9:44

Johnson, Watson, Morris, Twyla Blaylock-9:47-10:40

Language- 12:14-1:09

Science- 1:12-2:07 

Pay It Forward:

I want to remind you of the “Pay It Forward” program that we started at GCMS this year.  Over the past few weeks, there have been several cards placed on the bulletin board next to the teacher mailboxes offering certain “prizes” for someone who meets specified (and more or less random) criteria.  The idea is for those who claim a “prize” to then continue the paying it forward by also offering up some sort of a prize on the board.  If you have claimed a prize but not offered a prize to continue the paying forward, please do so!   Also, if you just want to offer up some sort of a prize, feel free to do that as well.  J

Quote of the Day:

“The highest point of achievement yesterday is the starting point of today.”

Coming Attractions:

Oct 4-11               Fall Break

Oct 14-15             Open Enrollment at GCMS (for health insurance)

Oct 18                   Meetings with Monica Heavrin during planning

Oct 23                   Related Arts Showcase Lesson Day

Oct 28-31             Red Ribbon Week

Oct 30                   Picture Retake/Makeup Day

Nov 1                    PLC Day (no students)