We Are the Champions!

Cougar Staff:

As we wind down the week and look forward to Friday night’s Cards vs. Cats NCAA match up and next week's spring break, I have several notes to share with you.  Also, I want to thank you for helping supervise the students during our assembly with our guests from China on Wednesday.  I think our students were as well behaved as any group I remember in an assembly program…and the program was really good too!  Have a great weekend!

Personnel:

Congratulations to Carla and Josh Butler on the birth of their baby boy, Lucas!  We are all excited for Carla as she begins what I am convinced is truly the best job in life, that of parent. 

Congratulations to Brittany Watson Geary on her marriage to Bunt Geary last Saturday!  We are all excited for Brittany as she begins what I am convinced is the other best job in life, that of spouse.

I am convinced that the third best job that I have had the privilege of serving in is to be GCMS Principal.  One day I will get to congratulate someone else on that one!  J

Bump, Set, Spike:

Congratulations to the GCMS volleyball teams on capturing the conference championships for both 7^th and 8^th grade at the Cougar Gym last night!  Great job coaches Shane Decker, Amanda Thomas, and abstentia coach Carla Butler!

News from Frankfort:

The state legislature finally came to an agreement about granting some relief for school calendars and snow days.  Bottom line for us is that it really does not affect Grayson County.  The state set the date of June 6 as the last date for any schools to have classes for students.  Since we are already slated for our students to get out with a last day of May 30, the General Assembly’s action doesn’t impact our calendar this year. 

The State Senate voted to take school employee raises out of the state budget, even though a 2% raise had been recommended by the Governor and approved by the State House of Representatives.  To his credit, Senator Gibson voted against the Senate budget plan.  Stay tuned on this one.

A Little Inspiration for You!

Becky Miller shared this video with me earlier in the week.  it’s worth your 3 minutes to check it out!  Click the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxN0x_oyB5w&feature=em-share_video_user

Project Based Learning:

I want to share a short article that takes a look at the notion of project based learning, what it can be, and how it is often misused.  It’s worth your 5 minutes to read! 

http://ht.ly/uUATo

Site Based Council:

This year’s site based decision making council nominations will be taken from April 14-18, with the election to be held on April 23.  See Mrs. House to nominate someone or self nominate.  These elections are for teacher representatives and parent representatives who serve a one year term.  SBDMC training for new members is scheduled for May 5, and training for all site based council members is planned for May 12.  These trainings will be held at GCHS starting at 5:00 pm each night.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College trip:

We are planning to offer our 7^th graders and their parents a trip to ECTC for an information session and a tour on April 21.  When we have all the details in place, Mrs. Miller will be sending out letters inviting these students and parents.  We would like for our 7^th grade teachers to attend.

Future Cougar Nights:

This year’s Future Cougar Nights for next year’s 6^th graders and their parents are scheduled for May 5 and May 6.  This is a great opportunity for the 5^th graders from the four elementary schools to visit GCMS to get a sneak peak and some introductory information about their new school for next year.  These nights are always a lot of fun!  Our 6^th grade teachers will need to plan to attend (half on May 5 and the other half on May 6). 

American Heart Association Event:

Our AHA Battle for Heart event is planned for Wednesday, April 2 starting at about 1:45.  We will flip 5^th and 6^th periods that day and start calling eligible students to the gym at 1:30.  GCMS students raised over $10,000 for AHA this year! 

Summer Construction at GCMS:

Mr. Anderson and the board are in the process of bidding construction for a new roof on the GCMS gym for this summer.  This is much needed and appreciated.  It will mean that we have a period of a few weeks that we will not able to use the gym.  We will let you know when those dates are finalized.  

Spring Fever:

This is the time of year that everyone starts to get a little wiggly, and the students do to!  It is important to stress to the students that we have lots of school left and lots still to learn this year.  Please do your best to maintain our normal procedures, keeping the students in the classrooms, requiring the use of hall passes when necessary, etc.  The students take their cues from the teachers.  If teachers act like the year is over, that's what the students will do.  With us continuing our routines and expectations, the students will do fine!

Quote of the Day:

“I do have UK and U of L shirts, but I wear them to mow the yard.”  Anonymous

Coming Attractions:

Apr. 2...Battle for Heart, AHA Event

Apr. 2…DC trip departs at 4:30 pm

Apr. 3-4…Spring Break

Apr. 14…Faculty Meeting, 3:00 (School Culture Team from Allen County at GCMS)

Apr. 14-18…SBDMC nominations

Apr. 16…SBDMC meeting, 3:00

Apr. 23…SBDMC elections

Our KPREP testing window is May 15th, 16th, 19th, 21st, and 22nd.  Make up days will be May 23rd and possibly May 26th if we are in school.

GCMS Wants You To Be Happy!

Cougar Staff:

It has been a great week at GCMS as we wind our way through March.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it is supposed to be 70 degrees this afternoon.  I think most of us have stopped trying to figure out which days will be makeup days and which days will be staff only.  The state legislature has not yet agreed on anything that would give districts any relief, and even if they do, it may or may not impact our district.  It has been quite a mess this year, but we are moving forward.  I hope that everyone has a great weekend!

GCMS is a Happy Place!

If you ever had any doubts, the GCMS “Happy Dance” video should remove any thoughts that GCMS is a very happy place!  I think the video is going viral!  It’s really hard to just watch it once:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF4vc7ncbvY.

KYCID Reward Assembly:

At the beginning of the year, the KYCID committee recommended that we offer a reward assembly for all those students who did not have a behavior referral throughout the first three quarters of the year.  That assembly will feature the “Great Chinese Acrobats” on Wednesday, March 26.  

Going for the Three-Peat!

I want to thank everyone who organized, helped, and encouraged students to work hard for this year’s American Heart Association Battle for Heart.  Mr. Shane Morris did a great job heading the effort as his intern leadership project.  That was a tough job, since GCMS has been the number one fundraising school in the state for AHA the past two years in a row, but our students and staff really came through in a big way this year raising a total of $10,105 for the American Heart Association!  This is the most that GCMS has ever raised, and we should have a great shot at being number one in the state for the third consecutive year!  Great job GCMS!

The culminating assembly for AHA will be on Wednesday, April 2 during last period.  Mr. Morris will be sending you lists regarding students who qualified to participate.

GCMS 8^th Grade Career Camp:

On April 25, faculty and staff from the Grayson County Tech Center will be putting on a Career Camp at GCMS for our 8^th grade students!  We will use our Monday-Thursday schedule that day, so we do not mix any students across grade lines that day.  Our 8^th grade students will rotate through seven stations and get to see and experience examples of what they would actually get to learn to do in those career fields and tech classes.  This will be very beneficial for our students' college and career readiness.  More info coming in the near future!

Taking Attendance:

Please, please, please make it a higher priority to take attendance and enter it into Infinite Campus every period, every day.  We continue to have issues with students not being counted absent/or present appropriately.  This can be embarrassing when office personnel calls home to check on absent students.  It can unnecessarily alarm parents who know that their child went to school but is somehow counted absent, and it can give an inaccurate accounting of our student attendance, which in turn largely determines our state funding.  I cannot understate the importance of entering student attendance into Infinite Campus every period.  It is also wise to keep a hard copy of your student attendance.  Thank you.

Auditorium:

Please always remember that we do have some classes scheduled in the auditorium certain periods, certain days of the week.  Please always check with those teachers (Mr. Parker and/or Mrs. Brey) before planning to take your students into the auditorium.  If you look at the auditorium calendar and are not sure, please ask Mrs. Viola about classes that meet in the auditorium.  Thanks.

Quote of the Day:

“Happiness doesn't depend on any external conditions; it is governed by our mental attitude.” Dale Carnegie

Coming Attractions:

Mar. 24…GRVC Volleyball Tournament at GCMS (24th, 25th, 27th)

Mar. 26..Reward Assembly for all students with no office referrals, 1:45

Apr. 2...Battle for Heart, AHA Event

Apr. 3-4…Spring Break

Our KPREP testing window is May 15th, 16th, 19th, 21st, and 22nd.  Make up days will be May 23rd and possibly May 26^th if we are in school.

Do a Happy Dance!

Cougar Staff:

It would be an understatement to say that this has been a busy week.  I think that happens when we try to pack so much into a week after missing so many days.  This was one of those weeks that felt like climbing a mountain, but guess what?  It’s Friday!  We are at the top of the mountain looking over into that promise land weekend!  Time to do that Happy Dance!  I hope that everyone has a great one!

Personnel:

I want to thank everyone who has donated sick days to Stacy Pierce.  I am continuously impressed with the generosity and compassion that this staff shows for one another in time of need.  If anyone else still wants to donate, just stop by and see Mrs. House to sign the appropriate form.  Thanks again to those who have already done so.

I heard from Mr. Drake this week, and it sounds like he is doing very well in his recovery from spinal surgery.  You can’t keep a good man down, and you can’t keep Chris Drake down either!  J

Thank You Team 3

Hats off to our Team 3 teachers (unless you have a hat sticker) for a great job on showcase lesson day!  We appreciate them opening up their classrooms to their colleagues yesterday.  I saw highly engaged students and teachers and some excellent use of questioning.  I am convinced that this process is a positive benefit to teaching and learning at GCMS!

School Culture Visits:

The school culture team from Allen County had lots of good things to say about their two days at GCMS this week!  They were impressed with our students, staff, and our school overall.  They will be returning to share their report with us at an after school faculty meeting in April.  All staff will be welcome to attend that meeting to hear their report.  I want to again thank Mary Anne Hack and Tez Hawkins for accompanying me on two days at Allen County-Scottsville High School this week as well.  We had two good days at another great school and picked up a few ideas that we may be able to use at GCMS in the future.  We will also be returning to ACSHS sometime in April for an after school meeting to share our report with their faculty and staff.

School Calendar:

The Grayson County School Board approved make up days at last night’s board meeting.  We will have school on March 31, April 1, and April 2.  We will be off April 3 and 4 for an abbreviated spring break.  We will also go to school on a to be announced Saturday OR on Memorial Day.  Other makeup days will be added to the end of the school year, making the students’ last day be May 30.  We will still have some staff only days after the students’ last day.  Mr. Anderson stated that if we were to get any “waiver days” that the first one would replace having to go on a Saturday or Memorial Day.  Any other waiver days would come off of the end and possibly make the students’ last day be earlier than May 30.  Stay tuned.

8^th Grade Activities:

Thank you to everyone who has been helping with the 8^th grade activities this week.  I appreciate those teachers who came out Monday night for the parent involvement program and also all of your help with 8^th graders registering for high school classes.  It seemed to go very smoothly with Diane Horn spending a day with each team.  We certainly appreciate Diane’s efforts.  If any of you are her sister (Pam Armstrong), please relay our appreciation of Diane!

We will be having Reality Store and Operation Preparation next week for our 8^th graders.  Hopefully, be running both programs on the same days, we can share these great “real life” programs with less disruption to the classroom.  A special note on lunch times:  Teams 1 and 2 will need to switch lunch times on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Math switches with math, science with science, etc.

Quote of the Day:

“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” ~Arnold Toynbee

Coming Attractions:

Mar. 18-20..Reality Store and Operation Preparation

Mar. 19…GCMS SBDMC meeting, 3:00

Mar. 21…WKU History Contest

Mar. 24…GRVC Volleyball Tournament at GCMS (24th, 25th, 27th)

Mar. 26..Reward Assembly for all students with no office referrals, 1:45

Mar. 28..Battle for Heart, AHA Event

April 3 and 4…Spring Break

Becky Had a Little Lamb

Cougar Staff:

It is good to be back in school the past two days.  Things are getting back to normal, with staff members dressed in red and black throwing balls in the gym, a baby lamb running around the office, and everyone looking forward to the last school dance of the year. 

Personnel:

Chris Drake is doing well after having back surgery on Monday. Also,  Jeremy Meredith has returned to work after his recent gall bladder surgery.  Stacy Pierce had another chemo treatment yesterday, and we all wish her a full and speedy recovery.  Please remember all those dealing with health concerns right now.

Make Up Days:

Our weather interruptions have continued this week as our snow day totals have reached 14 for this school year.  Please be sure to take the survey for makeup day options.  Mr. Anderson emailed about this yesterday.  Basically, the options are to either add all the days onto the end of the school year (which might get some reduction if HB 410 passes) or take away three days of spring break and possibly go on a Saturday or two.  All staff will work his or her respective contract days regardless of how days are made up or whether HB 410 passes or not.  To voice your preference, go to www.graysoncountyschools.com and choose option A or option B.  It takes about 30 seconds.

School Culture Assessment:

School culture surveys have been placed in your mailboxes.  This brief survey should take about five minutes to complete, and we ask that you return them to Mrs. Viola at the front desk by the end of the day on Friday.  The survey consists of 13 questions on one sheet front and back.  This information will be used by the team from Allen County that visits on Monday and Thursday of next week.  I sent out the interview schedule earlier this week.  For any teacher whose name is not on the interview schedule, you may come to the conference room on Monday during your planning time or Thursday at 8:00.

Pertussis:

We have been contacted by the health department that we have a confirmed case of pertussis (whooping cough) with a student who attends school here at GCMS. The health department will be drafting letters and telling us who they need to be sent to.  Cyndi and Debbie will be glad to answer any questions and they are getting a master list of immunizations given to staff (whether you have/have not had a Tdap vaccination).   The risk of pertussis to this age group/adults is low. The real risk is someone having pertussis and passing it to a smaller child/infant.  Due to HIPPA regulations, the identity of the case cannot be revealed. If you hear "through the grapevine" who the case could be, please be very careful and do not repeat that information.

Quote of the Day:

“Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” ~Madeline Bridges

Coming Attractions:

Mar. 10 and 13…School Culture Assessment (visitors from Allen County)

Mar. 10..8th Grade Night, 6:00…all 8th grade teachers should attend

Mar. 11-13..Freshman Registration through teams

Mar. 13..Team 3 Showcase Lesson Day

Mar. 18-20..Reality Store and Operation Preparation

Mar. 19…GCMS SBDMC meeting, 3:00

Mar. 21…WKU History Contest

Mar. 24…GRVC Volleyball Tournament at GCMS (24th, 25th, 27th)

Mar. 26..Reward Assembly for all students with no office referrals, 1:45

Mar. 28..Battle for Heart, AHA Event