What's Happening at GCMS

Time Keeps on Slippin, Slippin, Slippin…into the Future:

This old Steve Miller Band lyric sums things up pretty well.  On this, my son’s 21^st birthday, I think about how quickly time has passed.  It seems like he should still be a 4^th grader in Becky Miller’s class at Lawler instead of a junior at Vanderbilt.  The years have flown by since I started teaching school at GCHS 25 years ago.  Many things have changed in the school world, but some things have stayed the same.  Over the years, I have always been surrounded by great people who care deeply about kids.  That was true in 1990, and it is true in 2015.  This school year is ticking right on by as well.  I have just a few notes to share as the week winds down.

Dress for Success, a Great Success!

I was very pleased to see such a good level of participation for our first “Dress for Success Day”.  I could see pride on the faces of many of our students, who clearly felt good about themselves that day.  Thank you for encouraging this effort.  I know that many of you brought items from home to help students be able to participate.  We will do this again in the future!

Good Luck Cougars!

Good luck to the GCMS academic team at the Regional Governor’s Cup competition.  Our students will compete at Legrande Elementary School in Hart County on Saturday.

Good luck to our GCMS boys basketball teams as they compete in the conference tournament at Ohio County.  Our 7^th grade boys play on Thursday night, and if we win, we play in the championship on Friday night.  Our GCMS 8^th grade boys have already advanced to Friday’s championship game.

Welcome!

I would like to welcome some new employees to GCMS.  Jeffrey Skaggs has been hired as a new custodian for the evening shift, and Deanna Lasley has been hired as a new one-on-one aide, working with an 8^th grade student in Team 3.  Also, Anna Robinson is working as a part time aide with an ELL student in Team 1.  I know that you will make them all feel welcome at GCMS.

Second Annual Career Camp at GCMS:

I met with Cynthia Smith and the staff from the GC Tech Center after school yesterday, and we agreed upon February 17 as the date for this year’s Career Camp.  The Tech Center staff will be here to conduct demonstrations of their programs that day.  We will use a similar format to last year, with half the 8th graders going in the morning and half in the afternoon. Groups of about 25 students will rotate through 7 stations, spending about 20 minutes at each station learning about a particular program at each stop.  I will work up a schedule for the 8th graders to rotate through that day and send it out to you ASAP. 

High School Registration Info. from the GCMS Counselors: 

Mrs. Sims sent this information out to 8^th grade teachers recently:

On Friday, Jan 30th, representatives from various departments of the high school will be here to have a sort of “recruitment day” for our 8th graders during 2nd, 3rd, and 4th periods.  They will have tables set up in the gym, offering printed materials, etc from all departments for the students to have before registration.  I have reserved the auditorium for PE classes to meet in during this time.  There will also be an 8th grade Parent Info Night at GCHS on February 23rd.  There will be calls made to parents before the event.  High school counselors will be here on February 24, 25, and 26th to discuss the registration process with our students.  They will meet in the language arts or social studies core classes (team leaders please let me know which one you prefer), 1 day per team. They will meet with team 1 on Feb 24, Team 2 on the 25th, and team 3 on the 26th.  We ask that alphabetized registration forms be turned in to me or Leann by March 6th.  Please let me know of any questions.  Thank you.

Lockdown Procedure:

Our recent lockdown drill went very well.  We had about 10 local police officers present to assist us with the drill, and they were very complimentary of our students and staff.  One item that we have agreed to change is the duration of the emergency tone.  From now on, when we sound the lockdown tone or the tornado tone, we will only let it sound for about two minutes, and then we will cut it off.  When the tone stops, that DOES NOT end the lockdown or tornado procedure.  Classes will remain under lockdown until a police officer or a school administrator unlocks your door.  A tornado procedure would continue until the all clear is sounded or announced.

Cougar Bucks:

The Cougar Book Store has been receiving a lot of Cougar Bucks lately with no student name on them.  In some cases, a student from one grade has cashed in Cougar Bucks from a teacher of a different grade. While it’s not impossible that a case like that is legitimate, it is unlikely.  Please always make sure that someone puts the student’s name on the buck. If it isn’t realistic for the teacher to do it, just train your students to write their own name on there right when they receive the buck.  Thanks.

Attendance Audit:

Mr. Prunty shared with me this week that the attendance auditors noted that some middle school teachers were not posting their attendance in Infinite Campus for every period, each day.  Mrs. Wilson and I have reminded teachers repeatedly, but this continues to be an issue.  Please make it your new year’s resolution to post your attendance in IC every period, every day.  Thanks.

Attendance Contest:

Mr. Prunty is sponsoring a February attendance contest again this year.  The school in Grayson County with the highest percentage of improvement over February of last school year will win $1500.  Please encourage your students to be present each and every day in February.

Quote of the Day:

“Input influences outlook, outlook influences output, and output determines outcome.” ~Anonymous

Coming Attractions:

Jan. 29-30…GRVC Boys Basketball Tourney continues at Ohio County

Jan. 30…Students grades 3-12 should have tested their IC user IDs and passwords by logging into IC.

Jan. 30…Teachers will review their PGP and record reflections in CIITS.

Jan. 30…Deadline to have all Peer Observations completed

Jan. 30…Deadline to have all 2nd Mini-Observations completed (non-tenured teachers)

Jan. 31…Regional Governor’s Cup Competition at Legrande Elementary (Hart County)

Feb. 14…Grayson County Spelling Bee (at GCMS)

Feb. 16…PLC Day (no school for students unless changed to a makeup day)

This Week at GCMS

Another Busy Week:

We have had another busy week at GCMS, following the long weekend which featured one snow day, one PLC day, and one holiday.  Our students and staff have been hard at work and doing great things in the classrooms.  I have just a few notes to share as this week winds down.

Dress for Success Day:

Tuesday, January 27 will be “Dress for Success Day” at GCMS.  We are asking our GCMS students to dress professionally that day.  For boys, this could mean dress pants, dress shirts, and even ties would be appropriate.  For girls, appropriate clothing would be dresses, skirts, pant-suits, etc.  If teachers and staff have old ties at home that you would be willing to bring in and donate to a team, that would likely help a lot of our boys be able to participate.  Students should not dress formally (it’s not the prom!) and we are not expecting families to go out and buy something new just for this day.  We will reward students who dress up that day by being allowed free seating and phone zone during lunch that day.

Good Luck!

I want to wish good luck to our GCMS boys basketball teams in the upcoming Green River Valley Conference Tournament.  Our 7^th and 8^th grade teams will play in the first round on Saturday at Ohio County.  The winning teams will continue in the tournament on Monday night, Tuesday night, and the final games on Thursday night.  We will recognize the boys with a brief pep session in the gym tomorrow (Friday) morning at around 7:40.  Good luck Cougars!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the GCMS academic team for winning first place in Future Problem Solving in District Governors Cup!  We also have several students to place in written assessments.  These students will compete at Regional Governors Cup in two weeks.

Congratulations to the GCMS Cougar Band for having 18 students to qualify for this year’s All-District Band.  This is out of 18 schools in the region.  Great job!

KDE Visit:

Our visitors from the Department of Education spoke very positively of their impressions of Grayson County Middle School.  Mrs. Miller and parents, Jenny Cummings and Robin Richardson, spoke with federal programs folks on Tuesday, and I spoke with special education reps yesterday.  Everything seemed to go very well.  I appreciate everyone working so well together as you do every day.  The district should receive a formal report in about a month with recommendations for improvements at each school and in the district.

PLC Spells Success!

I want to thank everyone who helped out with our PLC day on Friday.  I appreciate those who helped lead that day’s work:  Leann Frank, Ashley Johnson, Jonathan Devore, Don Logsdon, and Rita Mullins, along with David Whitmore.  The PLC notebook format provides a great potential tool for keeping our PLC work organized and on track.  Thanks again for a great day of professional learning!

Emergency Drills:

I have been very pleased with our students' response to this month's emergency drills.  It is so important to know what to do in a drill so we are well prepared in the event of an actual emergency.

Quote of the Day:

“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.” ~Ken Keyes

Coming Attractions:

Jan. 23…pep session to recognize boys basketball, 7:40 am

Jan. 24…GCMS boys basketball  Conference Tourney at Ohio County (continue Jan. 26, 27, 29 if winning)

Jan. 26…Last day to order a GCMS yearbook.  For more info, see Ms. Tucker (206) or Ms. Horn (220)

Jan. 30…Students in grades 3-12 should have tested their IC user IDs and passwords by logging into IC.

Jan. 30…Teachers will review their PGP and record reflections in CIITS.

Jan. 30…Deadline to have all Peer Observations completed

Jan. 30…Deadline to have all 2nd Mini-Observations completed (non-tenured teachers)

Jan. 31…GCMS Archery competes at NASP Pre-Regional Competition in Meade Co.

Feb. 16…PLC Day (no school for students unless changed to a makeup day)

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Night

Hurry Up and Wait:

I will make this week’s Cougar Notes short and to the point.  After having our first snow day of the school year yesterday, staff returns to school today for a PLC day.  Some of these notes are repeat information from last week.  Have a great weekend!

PLC Day Agenda:

I.             Professional Learning Communities Revisited…Ashley Johnson and Lea Ann Frank

II.            The PLC Notebook…Ashley Johnson and Lea Ann Frank

III.           GCMS CSI Contract Development…Jim Blain

IV.          PGES Domains 1/4 Evidence & Documentation..Mr. Whitmore, Mr. Logsdon, Mrs. Mullins

V.            Reflecting on your PGP…Jim Blain, Jonathan Devore

VI.          CSI Teams Meet Individually

A.            Rico Tyler will be here to work with the science dept. at 1:00.

B.            Related Arts will have time to work on program review.

VII.         Evaluations should be completed before you leave.

Lunch will be on your own this time.  CSI teams should turn in evidence of your work, minutes, etc. before you leave on Friday.  Evaluations should be emailed or hard copies left in Mrs. Pearl’s office.

Concerns:

Please remember 8th grader Cheyenne Phillips and her family.  Cheyenne  and Dalton Hayes have been missing for several days, and have now been seen in other states in the southeast.  This story has garnered state and national news attention in a very disturbing way.  Let’s all pray for their safety and the safety of others they may come into contact with.  If you have any information, please contact Deputy Bryan Hammons or the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office.

We have several staff members with health concerns or family members with health concerns.  Please remember Karen Likins (surgery), Gail Smallwood (husband in hospital), Lea Ann Frank (death in the family), Viola Williams (flu), Cassie Jarboe, Stacy Pierce, Laura Goff, Mary Ann McKinney, and several others who have concerns right now. 

Congratulations to Mary Ann McKinney on her upcoming retirement.  We will all miss her at GCMS.

Also, congratulations to Mr. Barry Anderson on his retirement.  Mr. Anderson will retire as superintendent at the end of June.  We appreciate his help and support over many years of service in Grayson County Schools.

Good Luck!

Good luck to our GCMS academic team this weekend!  The team will be competing in District Governors Cup competition at St. James School in E-town on Saturday.

State Compliance Visit:

I have not said much about it, but Grayson County Schools will be having a state compliance visit on January 20-22.  Folks from KDE will be looking at how various programs in Grayson County Schools work, and they will likely make suggestions for improvements.  Some of the areas that they will be looking at include Title I, program reviews, special education, PGES, alternative ed., pre-school, etc.  There will be folks visiting our building at least one of those three days doing classroom walkthroughs and informal interviews.  If you are interviewed, just think of it as a great way to share some of the great things that are going on at GCMS!

Student Voice Surveys:

As you know, Grayson County Schools will be participating in the state student voice surveys through Infinite Campus in March.  By January 30, students in grades 3-12 should test their IC user IDs and passwords by logging into IC.  I have shared some more specific information with team leaders about this process.

Coming Attractions:

Jan. 16…PLC Day (no school for students)

Jan. 17…GCMS Academic Team competes at district Governors Cup

Jan. 19…MLK Day, no school

Jan. 21…GCMS site based council meeting, 3:15

Jan. 30…Students grades 3-12 should have tested their IC user IDs and passwords by logging into IC.

Jan. 30…Teachers will review their PGP and record reflections in CIITS.

Jan. 30…Deadline to have all Peer Observations completed

Jan. 30…Deadline to have all 2nd Mini-Observations completed (non-tenured teachers)

Jan. 31…GCMS Archery competes at NASP Pre-Regional Competition in Meade Co.

Feb. 16…PLC Day (no school for students unless changed to a makeup day)

Happy New Year from GCMS!

Back to Business:

January has come in with an Arctic blast!  It is so important to make sure that everyone is bundled up and properly prepared for the cold temperatures.  I appreciate everyone making sure that the children are safe and warm, especially during this part of the year.  It was great to get back to school this week after the holiday break.  This is a very busy time of year, and I have several notes to share as the week winds down.

Concerns:

Please remember 8^th grader Cheyenne Phillips and her family.  Cheyenne  has been missing for several days, and local police are investigating.  If you have any information, please contact Deputy Bryan Hammons or the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office.

We have several staff members with health concerns or family members with health concerns.  Please remember Karen Likins (surgery), Gail Smallwood (husband in hospital), Lea Ann Frank (death in the family), Viola Williams (flu), Cassie Jarboe, Stacy Pierce, Laura Goff, and several others who have concerns right now. 

Congratulations:

We would like to congratulate Mrs. Mary Ann McKinney on her upcoming retirement.  Mary Ann will be retiring at the end of January.  We will all miss her smiling face and positive attitude at GCMS, but we wish her the very best in retirement.

Good Luck!

We want to wish good luck to our GCMS Cheerleaders as they compete at state competition on Saturday.  The team will travel to Richmond on Saturday morning to compete against squads from across the state.  Good luck ladies!

PLC Day:

Our next PLC Day is scheduled for Friday, January 16.  There will be no school for students that day and no school the following Monday, January 19 to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  On our PLC Day, we will plan a general session for all teachers that morning and focus on PLC procedures, strategies, and review/revise our PLC norms.  The afternoon will allow time for individual PLC team work.  Rico Tyler from WKU will be here that afternoon to work with our science department.

State Compliance Visit:

I have not said much about it, but Grayson County Schools will be having a state compliance visit on January 20-22.  Folks from KDE will be looking at how various programs in Grayson County Schools work, and they will likely make suggestions for improvements.  Some of the areas that they will be looking at include Title I, program reviews, special education, PGES, alternative ed., pre-school, etc.  There will likely be folks visiting our building at least one of those three days.  If you are interviewed, just think of it as a great way to share some of the great things that are going on at GCMS!

Student Voice Surveys:

As you know, Grayson County Schools will be participating in the state student voice surveys through Infinite Campus in March.  By January 30, students in grades 3-12 should test their IC user IDs and passwords by logging into IC.  Mr. Butler will be sending out some more specific information as this time gets closer.

Quote of the Day:

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Coming Attractions:

Jan. 9…Meet the Lady Cougars Volleyball Night, 5:30

Jan. 10…GCMS Cheerleaders compete at state

Jan. 16…PLC Day (no school for students)

Jan. 17…GCMS Academic Team competes at district Governors Cup

Jan. 19…MLK Day, no school

Jan. 21…GCMS site based council meeting, 3:15

Jan. 30…Students grades 3-12 should have tested their IC user IDs and passwords by logging into IC.

Jan. 30…Teachers will review their PGP and record reflections in CIITS.

Jan. 30…Deadline to have all Peer Observations completed

Jan. 30…Deadline to have all 2nd Mini-Observations completed (non-tenured teachers)

Jan. 31…GCMS Archery competes at NASP Pre-Regional Competition in Meade Co.

Feb. 16…PLC Day (no school for students)