One Month Down!

Cougar Notes:

It has been a pretty fair week at Grayson County Middle School.  There has been some excitement in the air as the Grayson County Fair kicked off, but all in all, things have gone smoothly at GCMS this week.  We have a long weekend ahead, with a four day weekend for students and a three day weekend for staff.  I hope that everyone gets to spend some quality time with family and friends this Labor Day weekend! 

Friday PD Day:

GCMS staff members should report to work at 8:00 on Friday morning.  Teachers will be meeting in the library at 8:00 for our non-flex PD day.  Here is our tentative agenda:

·         All Things PGES

·         Data Analysis with Individual Student KPREP Data (by teams 1-9)

·         Program Review (related arts)

·         Lunch on your own

·         KYCID Universal Screener

·         PLC sessions

All teachers will be expected to have your self-reflection and your PGP submitted in CIITS before you leave on Friday afternoon.  Most of you have already gotten this in early!  Thanks!

We’ve Got Spirit, Yes We Do!

The culture and climate committee has declared every Friday in September as Spirit Day, so wear your orange and blue and encourage your students to do likewise!  We will recognize the team with the most orange and blue each Friday!

Rank Changes/Certificates:

If any teacher has recently completed a new certification or rank change, please contact the central office and send them your new certification.  Also, if you have completed 15 hours above your rank,  please send the central office a transcript of your additional coursework.  If the CO does not know you have a rank change or hours, they cannot add this to your pay.  Nobody wants their check to be smaller than it is supposed to be!

Digital Citizenship Lessons:

Again this year, students are required to complete the digital citizenship curriculum in order for our school to qualify for e-rate funding.  This allows us to purchase many technology related items at significantly lower prices. In the past, each team has assigned one teacher to teach these technology lessons (2 lessons per grade).   Generally, some of our non-assessed area teachers have taken care of this duty (7^th grade social studies, 8^th grade science, etc.).  I will place these curriculums in team leader mailboxes, and they will need to be completed before Fall Break.  Also, we do need each teacher who actually teaches the curriculum to complete and sign the “teacher verification” sheet. 

Field Trips:

As you start arranging field trips this school year, please keep in mind that we would like for you to utilize school food services for your students’ lunches.  With 65 percent of our students receiving free lunch, our kids generally cannot afford to buy a restaurant lunch while on a field trip.  Please let the cafeteria know at least two weeks in advance how many sack lunches you will need for your fieldtrip.  Also, in the very near future, Mr. Hack will be sending out an email with your password for the online fieldtrip request system.  It’s almost ready for everyone to start using.

Quote of the Day:

“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” ~Theodore Isaac Rubin

Coming Attractions:

Aug. 28…Suicide Prevention Certificates due to Mrs. House

Aug. 29…PD Day Non-Flexible (no students that day)

Sept. 1…Labor Day (no school)

Sept. 8…Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:00-6:00 pm

Sept. 9…Bow Tie Tuesday at GCMS

Sept. 9…Meet the Lady Cougars Night, 6:00

Sept. 15…September Faculty Meeting, 3:00

Sept. 16…Staff Tailgate/Cornhole before the GCMS home football game (game time is 5:30)

Sept. 16-18…KY Dept. of Agriculture Mobile Science Center at GCMS (7^th grade)

Sept. 17…GCMS SBDMC Meeting, 3:15

Sept. 22-23…EXPLORE Test for 7th and 8th grade

Sept. 24…Pinocchio Play at GCMS (for all 3 grades)

Sept. 30…Manufacturing Day field trip (8^th grade to local factories)

Oct. 2…GCMS Walkathon

Oct. 3-10…Fall Break