Merry Christmas from GCMS!

Cougar Staff:

The first semester has flown by, and I hope that it has been a good one for you!  I know that many GCMS staff members have had and are still having health issues or family members with health concerns, and that makes it very difficult.  It is my wish and prayer for the new year that each one at GCMS enjoys good health and happiness.  I appreciate the work that you do and the kindness that you show for our students and for each other on a daily basis.  Please try to spend some relaxation time with family and friends this holiday season.  Also, thank you so much for the generous Christmas gift; I really do appreciate it!   I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Personnel:

Please continue to remember our staff members during the break:  Ellen Thomas and family, Stacy Pierce, Elaine Holley, Pam Armstrong, Laura Goff, Wendy Butler, Karen VanMetre, Ginny Paine’s husband Barker, Shirley House’s husband Jim, Cassie Jarboe’s daughter Alyson, Mary Jane Crawford’s sister, Tez Hawkins lost an uncle this week, David Whitmore’s parents, Carolyn Thomason, my father, and many others.  Also, please remember the family of former GCMS teacher and Principal Gary Gibson who passed away this week. 

Great Job, Team 7:

I enjoyed visiting the classrooms of Team 7 for showcase lesson day yesterday. I appreciate everyone’s flexibility when we had to reschedule because of the snow days of the last couple of weeks.  Highly engaged students and teachers were observed in all four classes, and I know that everyone was able to observe some strategies and ideas that can be used in their classrooms.  Great Job, Team 7!

The Greatest Assistant Principals Anywhere:

I want to give a special thanks to David Whitmore and Becky Miller for being the best assistant principals that any principal or school could ask for.  They each go above and beyond the call of duty every day to make things better for students and staff.  I know that they make my job much easier because of the things that they do.  Monday night, I spent the night with my 91 year old father who just got home after surgery and six days in the hospital.  Needless to say, I did not get much sleep on Monday night.  I was scheduled to work the boys basketball game and the band concert on Tuesday night.  Both Mrs. Miller and Mr. Whitmore offered to take my place, and were so insistent that I gave in and agreed.  That is just one small example of their commitment and dedication to our school.  I appreciate them both very much.

Critical Vocabulary Assessments:
We will be having critical vocabulary assessments in all core content classes on the first Friday after Christmas Break (January 10).  These will be placed in mailboxes during or shortly after the break.

January PLC Day:

Our January PLC is scheduled for Friday, January 17.  Our continuing emphasis on PGES will focus on Domain 3B:  Questioning.  We will also have a guest speaker from GRREC that day to share with us an overview of the new Professional Growth and Effectiveness System that goes into effect statewide next school year. 

CIITS Password Reset/Teacher Technology Assessment:

Each teacher will be required to do a password reset on CIITS as of December 21.  Also, every teacher in the district will be asked to complete a technology assessment in January.  Mr. Graybeal says that the assessment should take about 10-15 minutes to complete.  I will let you know when that assessment is available to complete.

Quote of the Day:

“He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!” ~Dr. Seuss,  How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Coming Attractions:

Dec. 19…Crazy Christmas Sweater Contest, 7:40 in the gym

Dec. 20…Last Day before Christmas Break (end second quarter grading period)

Dec. 20…We will use the regular Mon-Thurs schedule
Dec. 20...Wear Blue Jeans for a $5 donation to Relay for Life

Dec. 20…KYCID Pizza Party Reward, 6^th period

Dec. 21-Jan. 5…Christmas Break
Jan. 10...Critical Vocabulary Assessments in all core classes

Jan. 16…Club/Team/Group Pictures

Jan. 17…PLC Day (no students)

Jan. 20…MLK Day (no school)

Jan. 27…After school faculty meeting

This Week at GCMS

Cougar Staff:

It has been another great week at GCMS!  Of course, we missed our second snow day of the year earlier this week.  Hopefully, we will be able to get through until break without missing any more.  If we have a bad winter, it would be wise to avoid planning any June vacations.  Have a great weekend, everyone. 

Personnel:

Please continue to remember all of those GCMS staff members with health concerns and family members with health concerns.  There are many right now.

Christmas Events:

Since we had to cancel this year’s Christmas Dinner, we have arranged for K’s Café to cater a lunch for our GCMS staff members on Wednesday, December 18.  The menu will include your choice of K’s hand-breaded chicken strips or roast beef and gravy, along with mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, and cheese cake.  Merry Christmas from GCMS!  We are also still planning a potluck meal on Monday, December 16 and a Staff Crazy Christmas Sweater Contest on Thursday morning, Dec. 19 (in the gym around 7:40 am).

Thank You for the Great Breakfast:

Thank you to the Grayson County Board of Education for providing our staff with a nice Christmas breakfast on Monday morning.  We appreciate our GCMS food service staff and the district for providing this breakfast.  It was very good!

Congratulations GCMS Academic Team:

Our 6^th grade academic team tied for first place in this year’s regional 6^th Grade Showcase competition.  We had several individual students to place in written assessments, and our quick recall team finished second.  Great job!

Good Luck Lady Cougars:

Last weekend, the girls basketball conference tournament was cancelled due to the snow and ice.  It has been rescheduled to start this Saturday at McLean County Middle School.  Good luck ladies!

Good Luck at KYA:

About 50 GCMS students are in Louisville and Frankfort the next three days representing our school at the annual Junior Kentucky Youth Assembly.  We wish them the best of luck and a great learning experience at KYA!

Do You Like Christmas Music?

We have upcoming Christmas concerts featuring all three GCMS music performance groups:  our band, chorus, and orchestra.  Check the Coming Attractions listed below for dates and times.

SBDMC Meeting Cancelled:

Due to some member conflicts and no pressing agenda items, the December meeting of the GCMS site based council has been cancelled.

Quote of the Day:

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” ~C.S. Lewis

Coming Attractions:

Dec. 15…GCMS Orchestra Concert, 3:00

Dec. 16…Staff Potluck Lunch in Library

Dec. 16…GCMS Chorus Concert, 6:00

Dec. 17…8th Graders tour the GC Tech Center

Dec. 17…GCMS Band Concert, 7:00

Dec. 19…Christmas Sweater Contest in the gym, 7:40 am

Dec. 20…Last day before Christmas Break (that day, we will be using our Mon-Thurs schedule)

Dec. 20…Bonus Jean Day (you may wear jeans that day for a $5 donation to Relay for Life)

Dec. 21-Jan. 5…Christmas Break

Good Stuff from Ziglar

SUCCESS IS NEVER OWNED; IT IS ONLY RENTED – AND THE RENT IS DUE EVERY DAY...

Character

This summer I had the esteemed privilege of being a keynote speaker in front of 8000 of the world’s top financial professionals at The Million Dollar Roundtable. Recently someone asked me ,“Rory, aren’t you intimidated talking in front of people of that caliber?”   My response, “Absolutely not.” 

Why? 

Because contrary to what you might think, it’s not successful people that are too good to learn anything – they got to where they are by being a student of the game. Quite the contrary, it’s the marginal producers of the world who are typically cynical, inconvincible skeptics. It’s the mediocre performers, the average among the masses, the naysayers and the un-excellent that are the ones who often think they know it all. 

Successful people, on the other hand, live by The Rent Axiom from Southwestern mentioned in Take the Stairs that says “Success is never owned; it is only rented – and the rent is due every day.” 

People who are successful embrace the idea that the rent is due every day. They welcome the challenge. They remain humble, knowing that whatever they did yesterday isn’t enough to last them forever, and they remain hungry, knowing that whatever they’ve accomplished in their past shouldn’t restrict them to what new heights they can achieve in their future. 

Successful people became successful by doing the work that no one else would do. They paid the price that no one else was willing to pay. And they developed the attitude that success isn’t something that is bestowed overnight – but that it’s earned over time. 

So no, I’m not intimidated by them - I’m inspired by them. They are people who are on the journey just like me. They are people who know enough to know that they don’t have it all figured out. 

And so, instead we take pride in, and are thankful for, one more day, where we get the privilege to pay our dues. 

Rory Vaden, MBA, is a Self-Discipline Strategist, Cofounder of Southwestern Consulting, and New York Times bestselling author of Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like....

Cougar Staff:

With snow and ice in the forecast, everyone is getting really excited…and the students too!  I always love to get through the first semester without missing any days, but that may be in jeopardy in the near future.  Mr. Anderson and Mr. Hack will be checking roads and conditions very early on Friday to make a decision about school on Friday and then again about school on Monday.  The district does a School Messenger call on the mornings of days with cancellations or delays, but it is also good to always check the Louisville and Bowling Green TV stations as well as K-105 radio.  Cancellations and delays are also normally posted on the GCBOE twitter account and the Graysoncountyschools.com website.  I know that there are many extracurricular events scheduled for this weekend, and these may be impacted by the weather as well.  It looks like winter is about to arrive.  Please use caution about travelling this weekend, and don’t get out on bad roads if you don’t have to. 

Personnel:

There are so many GCMS staff members with health concerns right now that I want to ask each one to remember your GCMS family in thoughts and prayers.  I know that there are others, but please remember Ellen Thomas and her family, Elaine Holley, Mary Jane Crawford's sister and family, Shirley House’s husband Jim, Cassie Jarboe’s daughter Alyson, Ginny Paine’s husband Barker, and Stacy Pierce.  Stacy stopped by school yesterday and plans to return to work next week.  She will be starting chemo later in December.  Also, please remember Carolyn Thomason, who is recovering after being in the hospital earlier this week. 

Christmas Breakfast:

The Christmas breakfast provided by the Grayson County Board of Education is scheduled for GCMS on Monday, December 9.  If school were to be cancelled or delayed on that day, we will plan to have the breakfast on Tuesday, Dec. 10.  We appreciate the board of education providing this breakfast!

Team 7 Showcase:

We are planning our Team 7 showcase lessons for Tuesday, Dec. 10.  If we were to cancel school one or more days, then the showcase day will be delayed by that many days.  Let me know if that does not make sense. 

Christmas Dinner:

Our GCMS Christmas Dinner is planned for Tuesday evening, December 10 at 6:00.  We will have a catered meal in the cafeteria starting at 6:00, followed by desserts and a visit from Santa in the library. 

Extracurricular Activities:

As I mentioned, we have many extracurricular activities scheduled for the next few days that may be impacted by the weather.  I do want to wish good luck to our GCMS Lady Cougar basketball team as they head into conference play at McLean County, our 6^th grade academic team which will be hosting the 6^th grade showcase here at GCMS, our GCMS Cougar Band which will be involved in the Hometown Christmas parade, playing at the nursing homes, and playing a Christmas concert here on Sunday afternoon.  Our boys basketball game at St. James, scheduled for Saturday, has been cancelled.  Also, the GCMS social sponsored by the cheerleaders for after school Friday has been cancelled.

Royal Visit to GCMS:

Some of you have seen the emails about Royal Albert’s upcoming visit to GCMS.  Albert is a dog from the local Humane Society which has been sponsored by Gwen Franich’s CCR class.  Donna White will be bringing Albert to school on Wednesday morning so that the students can see him and perhaps be inspired to make a donation.  Gwen said that her class is glad to share this project with the school.  We all hope that the students see this as a way to give back to their community by helping with this need.

Sub Limits:

This does not directly affect most of you, but I have heard several questions about the new limitations on substitute teachers and substitute aides/custodians.  Due to changes in health insurance and also changes in classified retirement regs, the following limitations now apply:  substitute teachers cannot work more than 150 school days in a year (from October to October), and classified subs cannot work more than 79 hours per month.

Fire Drill Reminders:

Yesterday’s fire drill went well.  We did notice in a few occasions, teachers walking at the front of their group rather than at the rear.  It is important that the teacher always be the last one out of the classroom to make sure that everyone has exited safely.  Also, always be sure to take your class roster with you for accountability purposes in an actual emergency.

Quote of the Day:

“The bridges you cross before you come to them are over rivers that aren’t there.” ~Gene Brown

Coming Attractions:

Dec. 7…GCMS hosts 6th Grade Showcase (academic team)

Dec. 7…GCMS girls basketball conference tourney, at McLean County

Dec. 8…GCMS Band Christmas Concert

Dec. 9…Christmas Breakfast, sponsored by GCBOE

Dec. 10…Team 7 Showcase Lesson Day

Dec. 10…GCMS Christmas Dinner, 6:00 pm at GCMS

Dec. 15...GCMS/GCHS Orchestra Concert, 3:00 and 5:00

Dec. 16…Staff Potluck Lunch in Library

Dec. 16...GCMS Chorus Concert, 6:00 

Dec. 17…8th Graders tour the GC Tech Center

Dec. 18...GCMS Site Based Council Meeting, 3:00

Dec. 19...Christmas Sweater Contest, 7:45 in the gym