Marching Through the Month

This Week at GCMS:

It’s been another great week at the greatest place on Earth this side of Disney!  The building is buzzing with activity, and I want to share a few notes as the week comes to a close. 

Good Luck:

I want to wish the best of luck to some students who will be representing GCMS at various competitions and conferences in the near future.  Our GCMS delegation to the Kentucky United Nations Assembly will be in Louisville today through Saturday presenting the nation of Zimbabwe.  I know that Melanie Manion and these students have worked hard in preparation for this year’s KUNA, and I wish them the very best!

Approximately 60 GCMS students will be competing in the annual Western Kentucky University History Contest on Friday at WKU.  Our students have been very competitive in recent years, and Grayson County Students have actually been first place winners more than once.  I appreciate the hard work of our social studies teachers and their students that allows them to be so competitive against the students of other middle schools from across the state (and a few from out of state).  Good luck!

Mrs. Nancy Sims will be taking a delegation of students next week to the state Junior BETA Convention.  These students have excelled academically to earn this privilege, and many will be involved in competitive events at the state convention.  I appreciate the work that Mrs. Sims has done to revive BETA at GCMS.  Best of luck to our BETA delegation as well.

Our GCMS band and orchestra ensembles will be performing at the annual KMEA Concert Festival.  I know that these groups have spent countless hours in practice and rehearsal, and I know that they will do a great job at festival!

Congratulations:

Congratulations to Ellen Thomas on her high school FPS team finishing 4^th in the state and qualifying for international competition which will be held this summer at Iowa State University.  Hard work pays off!

Student Voice Surveys:

Thank you for your flexibility in administering the student voice surveys the past several days.  I know that this is something of a disruption to our normal schedule, but hopefully, we will be able to garner valuable information about student opinions, perspectives, and thoughts.  We are all about continuous improvement at GCMS, and the student voice survey is just one more piece of information for us to draw from as we work to improve.

TELL Surveys:

At last check, we had 69 out of 70 certified staff members who have completed the TELL Survey.  This is by far the best percentage (over 98 %) of any school in the district.  Kim Dennis has done a great job in facilitating this process as GCEA building rep.  Let’s get that last “holdout” to complete their survey and send Kim out with 100 % in her last year at GCMS!  Thanks.

Student Growth Goals:

Post assessments for student growth goals should be completed by April 3.  GCMS Administrators will be meeting with teachers about progress on the goals after spring break.

School Calendar:

The Grayson County School Board recently announced that students' last day of school for this school year will be "no later than" May 29.  That is assuming that we do not miss any more days this year.  We are looking at the possibility of making up PLC Day on Election Day, May 19.  That would only leave Closing Day and one makeup staff day after May 29.  

Next School Year:

We have set the date for Back to School Night at GCMS.  We will have our open house on Tuesday, August 4 from 4:00-6:00.  I know that is a long way off, but we have to go ahead and set the date so we can coordinate with the other schools in the district.

Quote of the Day:

“People forget how fast you did a job, but they remember how well you did it.” ~Howard K. Newton

Coming Attractions:

March 19-21…GCMS Students at KUNA

March 20….College Fridays at GCMS (every Friday in March)

March 20….Home Volleyball, 5:30

March 23….GRREC Aspiring Principals Event, 3:30 in the auditorium

March 24-25..GCMS Students at State BETA Convention

March 25….Team Leader Meeting, 7:15

March 26…Band and Orchestra at KMEA Festival

March 26…Home Volleyball, 5:00 

April 6-10...Spring Break

April 15...Deadline for Summative Evaluations for non-tenured teachers

May 15....Deadline for Summative Evaluations for tenured teachers

May 13-20..KPREP Testing Window

May 29...Students' last day of school