Merry Christmas from GCMS!

This Week at GCMS:

As we race to the end of the first semester and enjoy all the celebration of the season, I want to wish everyone my sincerest wishes for a very Merry Christmas and Happy and Prosperous New Year!  As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the season of giving, family gatherings, and all that goes with it, I hope that each of you is able to relax and enjoy some down time and rest.  To say that GCMS has been busy would be quite an understatement, but I have to say this place has been rockin’ lately.  From Santa Hats to Reindeer Antlers, the school has been a very festive locale.  I have also been able to get into several classrooms to see that “Yes Virginia, the Children are Still Learning!”  I have a few notes to share as the week draws to a close.

School Christmas Play:

Our GCMS drama club did a wonderful job entertaining our students with the play “Santa Lives” on Tuesday.  The classic tale of “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” came to life on the GCMS stage, and toward the end of the play, the madcap comedy and action really peaked!  Great job, drama club!

                              61 GCMS Students At 2016 KYA

GCMS at KYA:

Congratulations to the GCMS KYA Delegation!  GCMS brought home many awards including: 

• Best Delegation (out of 48 schools)
• Bailey Richardson was elected as KYA Governor
• Chloe Cox was elected to KYA Leadership Team
• Caden Woodcock and Nate Pennington were elected to Parliamentarian Team
• The following students won speaking awards:  CJ Johnston, Ellie Evans, and Ella Robinson
• The following students were recognized for outstanding bills:  Chase Richardson, Zeb Bratcher, Kaylor Decker, and Max Daley.  Nolan Hornbeck, Austin Walker, and Dawson Gorby. 
• GCMS also won the Service Award and Delegation of Excellence.

Good Luck Cheerleaders!

Our 3^rd Region Champion GCMS Cheerleaders will be travelling to Alltech Arena in Lexington on Saturday to compete in the KAPOS Cheerleading State Championship competition.  I would love to hang another State Champions sign out front to go along with the 2012 GCMS State Champs!  Good luck cheerleaders!

Observations:

(Repeated from previous Cougar Notes)  Observation reminders:  all non-tenured (and probation year) teachers will need a second mini-observation by January 13.  Please contact your observing administrator to schedule your observation.  Those teachers who need a peer observation this year should have those completed by January 13 as well.  Full observations for summative year teachers may be completed any time after your peer observation has been completed.

Quote of the Day:

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” ~Roy L. Smith

Coming Attractions:

Dec. 15…GCHS Chorus performs for GCMS, 1:45 (students to gym starting at  1:30)

Dec. 15…GCMS Orchestra Concerts, 3:00-8:00

Dec. 16…Cougar Bucks Battle Ball and Movie, 6^th and 7^th pds

Dec. 17…GCMS Cheerleaders at State Competition in Lexington

Dec. 17-Jan. 2…No School, Christmas Break

Yes Virginia, This is GCMS!

                                Kentucky Science Mobile

This Week at GCMS:

What a busy time at GCMS!  It has been a flurry of activity lately, with things sometimes reaching a break-neck pace!  With ballgames, holiday concerts, cheer competitions, the Kentucky Science Mobile visiting GCMS, our 8^th graders visiting the high school tomorrow, and Christmas in the air, our heads have been spinning around here.  I have just a few notes to share as our week winds down.

GCMS is a Great Place to Be!

I was reviewing the 2015-2016 School Report Card Summary that we sent home with the students last Friday, and one number really  jumped out at me.  While state teacher turnover is currently at 17.8 percent, and our district teacher turnover rate is at 8.3 percent, the teacher turnover rate at GCMS is only 4.3 percent.  I credit this low turnover rate to the family atmosphere that has developed over the years at GCMS.  We have a team here that really works well together and enjoys working together! 

State Spelling Bee Runner Up:

Congratulations to GCMS student Stephenie Miller on finishing 2^nd in the state DHH spelling bee!  Also, congratulations to Jessica Bernard, Team 3, and all of her teachers! 

Cougar Choice Awards:

Thank you to everyone who took part in the first annual GCMS Cougar Choice awards!  Lots of students were recognized on Tuesday evening, and lots of proud parents were in attendance.  I believe this sort of recognition encourages students to work even harder and achieve even more!

8^th Grade Trip to GCHS:

Our 8^th graders have been invited to Career Day at GCHS on Friday, December 9.  Team 2 will leave GCMS at 7:45 and return by 9:15.  Team 1 will leave at 9:15 and return by 10:45.  Team 3 will leave at 10:45 and return by 12:15.  This should be a great opportunity for our students to learn about high school programs, clubs, and activities as they start thinking about class registration and their high school careers which are right around the corner.

Video Chat With Dee Dee Webb:

Reminder:  Video Chat with new Grayson County Technology Integration Specialist, Dee Dee Webb, will be in room 122 this afternoon at 3pm.  Come and learn more about what her new technology position will allow her to do for you.

Drama Club Christmas Play:
We are looking forward to the GCMS drama club's presentation of "Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus".  The play will be held for each grade level during school on Tuesday with 7th grade at 8:15, 8th grade at 10:00, and 6th grade at 12:55.  The play will also be performed for the public on Tuesday evening starting at 5:30.  I appreciate Mrs. Embry and Mrs. Dangerfield and all of the drama club for performing for our school!  

Merry Christmas:

I want to remind you of our upcoming Christmas activities at GCMS.  We are having our Santa hat on Monday, reindeer day on Tuesday, elf day on Wednesday, and Christmas sweater day on Thursday as we have in the past.  New events include: On Friday dress up as your favorite Christmas character from a book or movie.  We also are having a bulletin board decorating contest per team or department.  Boards will be judged on December 14^th.  We will have a staff and student sweater contest on Thursday morning in the gym, so plan accordingly and let the ugliness begin!  The board will be providing breakfast on Monday, December 12^th.  We will have a staff lunch on Thursday, December 15^th catered by Kay’s.  Menu will include, roast beef, chicken tenders, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, harvest salad and chocolate cake, and sugar free banana pudding for dessert.  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at GCMS!

Observations:

Observation reminders:  all non-tenured (and probation year) teachers will need a second mini-observation by January 13.  Please contact your observing administrator to schedule your observation.  Those teachers who need a peer observation this year should have those completed by January 13 as well.  Full observations for summative year teachers may be completed any time after your peer observation has been completed.

Quote of the Day:

“The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” ~Anonymous

Coming Attractions:

Dec. 6-8…Kentucky Science Mobile at GCMS for 7^th grade

Dec. 8…GCMS Choir Concerts, 3:00-8:00

Dec. 9….8^th graders to GCHS for high school information

Dec. 9…Meet the Lady Cougar Volleyball Team Night, 7:00

Dec. 10…GCMS Archery Competition at Bowling Green

Dec. 11-13…GCMS delegation at KYA

Dec. 13…Drama Club Christmas Play, during school and at 5:30 for the public

Dec. 15…GCMS Orchestra Concerts, 3:00-8:00

Dec. 17…GCMS Cheerleaders at State Competition in Lexington

Dec. 17-Jan. 2…No School, Christmas Break

December at GCMS!

                                            Sun Up at GCMS

This Week at GCMS:

I hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and got to spend time with family and friends.  We had a good visit with Scott before he had to hop on a plane back to Minnesota.  We look forward to a longer visit during Christmas time.  It has been good to get back to a normal 5 day week this week.  I have a few notes to share with you as the week starts to wind down.

Good Luck Cougars!

We have many GCMS student activities and competitions going on in the next few days.  Our boys basketball team hosts Muhlenberg North tonight (Dec. 1).  Our Lady Cougar basketball team kicks off the GRVC Conference Tournament at Muhlenberg North on Saturday.  If we win, our 7^th grade girls would play again on Monday night and our 8^th grade girls would play again on Tuesday night.   Our Cougar Bands will be very busy this weekend, with the 7^th/8^th grade band marching in the Leitchfield Christmas Parade and the 6^th grade band performing at the nursing home on Saturday.  The band’s Christmas concert is scheduled for this Sunday afternoon at 2:30.  Our GCMS cheerleaders will compete at DuPont Manual in Louisville on Saturday, and our GCMS academic team is hosting the regional 6^th Grade Showcase on Saturday as well.  Good luck to all of our GCMS students!

Next Week:

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Mobile Science Center will be at GCMS next week.  Our 7^th graders will get to visit the center, with Team 6 on Tuesday, Team 4 on Wednesday, and Team 5 on Thursday.  The Center will be available to all GCMS students through Cougar Zone on Tuesday after school.  This is the third year that we have been able to have the Mobile Science Center to visit GCMS, and our students always get a lot out of it. 

Our 8^th grade teams have been invited to GCHS on Friday, December 9.  High school programs, organizations, and activities will be set up in the gym for our students to learn about.  We appreciate our colleagues at GCHS hosting us for this informative day. 

Congratulations Ms. Goff!

I want to congratulate Laura Goff on being accepted into WKU’s Doctoral program!  This is a very exciting opportunity, and I am proud that Laura is going to pursue her doctorate. 

Merry Christmas:

Mrs. Miller sent this out yesterday, but I want to remind you of our upcoming Christmas activities at GCMS.  We are having our Santa hat, reindeer, elf and Christmas sweater days as we have in the past.  New events include: On Friday dress up as your favorite Christmas character from a book or movie.  We also are having a bulletin board decorating contest per team or department.  Boards will be judged on December 14^th.  We will have a staff and student sweater contest on Thursday morning in the gym, so plan accordingly and let the ugliness begin!  The board will be providing breakfast on Monday, December 12^th.  We will have a staff lunch on Thursday, December 15^th catered by Kay’s.  Menu will include, roast beef, chicken tenders, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, harvest salad and chocolate cake, and sugar free banana pudding for dessert.  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at GCMS!

Christmas Play:

The GCMS Drama Club will present the school Christmas play "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus" on December 13, with performances for each grade during the school day and a public performance at 5:30 that evening.  

Observations:

Observation reminders:  all non-tenured (and probation year) teachers will need a second mini-observation by January 13.  Please contact your observing administrator to schedule your observation.  Those teachers who need a peer observation this year should have those completed by January 13 as well.  Full observations for summative year teachers may be completed any time after your peer observation has been completed.

Quote of the Day:

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.” ~Charles Dickens

Coming Attractions:

Dec. 3….Academic Team 6^th Grade Showcase at GCMS

Dec. 3…..Band in Christmas Parade and at Nursing Home

Dec. 3…...Cheerleaders at DuPont Manual

Dec. 3-8…GRVC Conference Tournament at Muhlenberg North

Dec. 4….GCMS Band Christmas Concert, 2:30

Dec. 6-8…Kentucky Science Mobile at GCMS for 7^th grade

Dec. 8…GCMS Choir Concerts, 3:00-8:00

Dec. 9….8^th graders to GCHS for high school information

Dec. 9…Meet the Lady Cougar Volleyball Team Night, 7:00

Dec. 10…GCMS Archery Competition at Bowling Green

Dec. 11-13…GCMS delegation at KYA
Dec. 13....GCMS Drama Club Christmas Play, during school and at 5:30 for public

Dec. 15…GCMS Orchestra Concerts, 3:00-8:00

Dec. 17…GCMS Cheerleaders at State Competition in Lexington

Dec. 17-Jan. 2…No School, Christmas Break

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Week at GCMS:

As we pause next week to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I would like to say that I am very thankful for so many blessings in my life.  Our son, Scott, will be home from Minnesota, and I look forward to family time with him, Teresa, and Tessa next week and again at Christmas.  I am thankful for my work family as well.  We have a great group of people at GCMS, and it is a pleasure to work with you each day.  Our challenges with this age group, this size school, and problems in this community are great, but I thank you for the hard work and dedication that you show here every single day.  Finally, I am thankful for those who have influenced me over the years, including my parents.  Dad recently turned 94 and lives in the nursing home now.  It has been a difficult transition, but I am blessed to still have him.  Today would have been my mother’s 88^th birthday.  She passed away 16 years ago, but not a day passes that I don’t think of the love and wisdom that she always shared with our family.  The Lord has been very good to me, and I am truly thankful.

Observations:

Observation reminders:  all non-tenured (and probation year) teachers will need a second mini-observation by January 13.  Please contact your observing administrator to schedule your observation.  Also, those teachers who need a peer observation this year should have those completed by January 13 as well.  Full observations for summative year teachers may be completed any time after your peer observation has been completed.

Safe Crisis Management:

Wendy Butler shared this information with me about reducing the number of hours for initial and recertification safe crisis management trainings. From now on, initial trainings will be 12 hours and recertification trainings will be 6 hours. With reducing the hours, it also reduces the staff to participant ratio. For initial trainings, the ratio is 1:12 and for recertification trainings it is 1:6. It is very important that when someone attends a training that they are registered where we have enough trainers to meet this ratio.  We are going to have another initial training December 5-8. Training will be from 3:30-6:30 each night. Location will be determined at a later date.

Friday Announcements:

Hats off to Shane Morris and the IT Club for the new format Friday Video Announcements!  The first two editions have been very informative and even more entertaining.  It is so fun to see the students presenting news about our school.  I look forward to seeing future shows!

Catch Up Café:

We have been having some problems lately with students not showing up for Catch Up Café.  If we have to fish them out of the cafeteria, it often cuts into the time that they have to work in CUC.  The simplest and best way to help this is for teachers to always check the CUC list to see if any of your lunch class is on the list.  Then remind them right before lunch that they are to report to CUC.  Thanks for your help with this.

Week in Review:

We were very pleased with this year’s Veterans Day program at GCMS.  We had over 40 veterans to sign in at the program, and our students did a great job showing appreciation and respect for our veterans.  We had a great faculty meeting on Monday afternoon as well.  I appreciate Gary Parker and other members of the assessment team for leading the sessions about how to provide effective feedback to student work and assessments. 

Quote of the Day:

“Life is like a game of tennis; the person who serves well seldom loses.” ~anonymous

Coming Attractions:

Nov. 21…GCMS Home Boys Basketball, 5:30

Nov. 22…GCMS Home Girls Basketball, 5:30

Nov. 23-25…No School, Thanksgiving Holiday

Nov. 28…GCMS Home Boys Basketball, 5:00

Nov. 30…Team Leader Meeting, 7:15 am

Mid-November GCMS News

Tis the Season:

It has been a brief week at Grayson County Middle School after the long weekend and Election Day.  This time of year is so broken up in the calendar that it is sometimes hard to get the “normal school” rhythm going.  We will be here all week next week, and then it’s Thanksgiving Week.  Three weeks later, its jingle all the way!  The school year is flying by, and I have just a few notes to share with you.

Veterans Day Program:

We are planning our annual Veterans Day program at GCMS for Friday, November 11.  We are hoping to have a good number of veterans and active duty military in attendance again this year.  It is so important for our students to learn about the significance of our veterans and their sacrifices for our country.  We have invited veterans to arrive at 7:30, and I would like for our GCMS staff members to come and be seated in the bleachers with the students.  The program should begin at about 7:40.  I would like to thank our veterans, whether they be staff members, parents, grandparents, or community members for their service to protect our freedoms and our nation. 

Faculty Meeting on Monday:

Our November faculty meeting is scheduled for after school on Monday, November 14.  We will meet in the library at 3:00 with our focus on the assessment work that is going on at GCMS.  We want to take a good look at feedback on assessments to make sure that we are providing the most effective feedback possible to guide student learning.  Members of the assessment committee will be leading this segment of the meeting.  As usual, the meeting should last about 45 minutes and we plan to finish before 4:00. 

Infinite Campus Parent-Portal: (repeat from last week)

We are getting more and more parents using the Infinite Campus parent portal.  This is a great sign of increasing parent involvement in student academic success.  This also makes it more important than ever for teachers to keep grade posting up-to-date in Infinite Campus.  Teachers, please make every effort to get grades in quickly.  We don’t ever want parents to check the portal and find that grades have not been posted and are not up-to-date.  This is another great way for teachers and parents to partner for student success. 

Quote of the Day:

“Leadership is not about the next election, it’s about the next generation.” ~Simon Sinek

Coming Attractions:

Nov. 10…GCMS Home Boys Basketball, 5:30

Nov. 10…GCMS Host Night for School Board meeting, 6:00

Nov. 14…November Faculty Meeting, 3:00

Nov. 14…GCMS Home Boys Basketball, 6:00

Nov. 16…Midterm Grade Reports go home

Nov. 17…GCMS Home Girls Basketball, 5:30

Nov. 21…GCMS Home Boys Basketball, 5:30

Nov. 22…GCMS Home Girls Basketball, 5:30

Nov. 23-25…No School, Thanksgiving Holiday

This Week at GCMS

We are in Full Swing:

November is traditionally one of the busiest months of the school year at GCMS.  Both girls and boys basketball seasons are in full gear.  Our music programs are very active with concerts and performances.  Many of our middle school students have participated in high school marching band this year and were part of the “Top 10 in the State” performance this past Saturday!  Go Cougar Band!  Our GCMS cheerleaders are doing very well, and recently finished second in competition at the Cheer Challenge in Bullitt County.  Cross Country has had a great season and much success as well.  GCMS recently had 9 students to qualify for and participate in All-State Chorus!  Archery, baseball, Cougar Zone, Beta, DECA, drama, KYA, and on and on…  There are so many great activities for students in our school system.  Let’s always encourage our students to get out there and participate.  When students find their passion, whether that be sports, music, drama, or whatever, that is what will drive them to succeed in school.  Go Cougars!

                                     Junior High All-State Chorus

Movers and Shakers:

Did you ever notice that if you want something done, and need to delegate, you have to ask some of the people who are already the busiest.  I try to spread things around, but those who are going to get things done tend to be the ones already getting things done.  Do you feel like no one ever asks you to lead a project or initiative?  Look at what you have been doing already.  If you want to be a “mover and shaker” or “change maker” then step up and volunteer.  When there’s a need, step up to meet the need.  Everybody is busy, it’s true, but I have noticed that the busiest people always find time and strength to do even more.  That’s what makes a “go to” person.  So take it as a compliment if you are asked to lead an effort.  Someone is expressing their confidence in you. 

Infinite Campus Parent-Portal:

We are getting more and more parents using the Infinite Campus parent portal.  This is a great sign of increasing parent involvement in student academic success.  This also makes it more important than ever for teachers to keep grade posting up-to-date in Infinite Campus.  Teachers, please make every effort to get grades in quickly.  We don’t ever want parents to check the portal and find that grades have not been posted and are not up-to-date.  This is another great way for teachers and parents to partner for student success. 

Grayson County Schools App:

The much anticipated Grayson County Schools App went live this week.  I encourage everyone to download the app onto your smart phone and other devices. Visit the App Store or Google Play and search Grayson County Schools, KY to download it today.

 The new app has great potential as an effective communication tool in our school system.

Quote of the Day:

“Some men see things as they are and say “why?”  I dream things that never were, and say “why not?” ~George Bernard Shaw

Coming Attractions:

Nov. 4…KIP Survey (6^th and 8^th graders)

Nov. 7-8..No School in Grayson County (PLC Day postponed)

Nov. 10…GCMS Home Boys Basketball, 5:30

Nov. 10…GCMS Host Night for School Board meeting, 6:00

Nov. 14…November Faculty Meeting, 3:00

Nov. 23-25…No School, Thanksgiving Holiday

This Week at GCMS

Another Great Week:

We have had another great week at GCMS!  I felt like we had a productive follow up meeting after our instructional rounds from last week.  We will be continuing the work with the assessment focus and working on those “next level of work” items identified during the process.  Thanks again to everyone who helped with the rounds. 

Red Ribbon Week:

I had a kid ask one day this week, “why don’t we ever have a spirit week at GCMS?”  I responded “you mean where everyone dresses up in different themes each day?”  He said “yes, that would be great!”  I elaborated, “how about school colors one day?”  He loved it.  I went on, “and a camouflage day and a sports team day!”  By this time, he was on to me…”kind of like this week, huh?”  Red Ribbon Week is a lot of fun, but it gets a little crazy as well.  We need to always remind ourselves that if one kid says no to drugs because of these activities, it is well worth the craziness. 

PLC Alternative Plans:

Since there will be no PLC Day on November 8, we are working on plans for an alternative professional training.  This will likely be set up through Google Docs, so everyone can participate and respond digitally.  We will structure the learning so that it is worth 6 hours of professional credit.  This learning will support the focus areas that we are working on and will likely explore the concept of growth mindset.  This will not have to be completed right away.  We will give you plenty of advance notice about the due dates, etc.  More information to come!

School Rings:

Students who ordered school rings from Balfour will have their rings delivered during lunch on November 10.  Students will need to pay their balance in order to pick up their ring. 

Halloween:

GCMS will have a costume day on Monday, October 31, including a costume contest in the gym that morning.  Categories will include 1. Scariest  2. Most Original or Funny  3. Best Group.  Basic guidelines are:  no masks except for during costume judging, any face paint or hair coloring spray should be applied at home and not brought to school and not on the buses, no clown costumes because of media hype and threats elsewhere, and no real or fake weapons of any sort as part of costumes.

Quote of the Day:

“People often tell me that motivation doesn’t last, and I tell them that bathing doesn’t either.  That’s why I recommend it daily.” ~Zig Ziglar

Coming Attractions:

Oct. 24-31…Red Ribbon Week

Oct. 27…Walkathon Rewards

Oct. 31…Costume Contest, 7:45 am

Nov. 1....Boys Basketball Home Opening, 5:30

Nov. 4…KIP Survey (6^th and 8^th graders)

Nov. 7-8..No School in Grayson County (PLC Day postponed)

Nov. 14…November Faculty Meeting, 3:00

The Hum of Activity!

Another Great Week!

It has been another great week at Grayson County Middle School!  Lots of activities make our school an exciting place to be.  I have just a few notes to share as our week comes to a close.

Instructional Rounds:

Our team of observers enjoyed visiting the GCMS classrooms yesterday and saw many great lessons and learning activities in action.  We were able to observe in all core classrooms, ECE classrooms, and related arts classrooms yesterday.  I appreciate Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Meredith assisting us with observations.  Our team worked after school yesterday to analyze our observation notes, and we plan to share feedback with our faculty after school on Monday (October 24).  We will meet in the library at 3:00 with two main agenda items.  Wayne Meriwether from Twin Lakes will be here to share some information about our local hospital, and then we will discuss and share feedback from instructional rounds.  Thank you everyone for making this process go smoothly yesterday.

Edgenuity Lab:

I appreciate the extra efforts that everyone is making to utilize the Edgenuity lab as one more chance for students to be successful.  Several students have been able to bring grades up through the Edgenuity program, and that is the goal.  Several students have been assigned and not yet brought their grades up, but as they discover that learning is “unavoidable”, hopefully, they will succeed as well.  Thank you to our Title teachers for taking this on, Mrs. Miller for spearheading this program, and to our classroom teachers for helping our students succeed.

GCHS Band Performance:

We are happy to have the GCHS marching band performing at GCMS this afternoon.  We will be flipping 6^th and 7^th periods today.  All students should go to 7^th period right after 5^th period today.  We will begin calling students down to the gym near the end of that class around 1:40 this afternoon.  Depending on how much time is left after the performance, we may or may not return students to teams afterward.

Halloween:

GCMS will have a costume day on Monday, October 31, including a costume contest in the gym that morning.  Categories will include 1. Scariest  2. Most Original or Funny  3. Best Group.  4. Staff Members.  Basic guidelines are:  no masks except for during costume judging, any face paint or hair coloring spray should be applied at home and not brought to school and not on the buses, no clown costumes because of media hype and threats elsewhere, and no real or fake weapons of any sort as part of costumes. 

School Rings:

Students who ordered school rings from Balfour will have their rings delivered during lunch on November 10.  Students will need to pay their balance in order to pick up their ring. 

Quote of the Day:

“Failure is success if we learn from it.” ~Malcolm Forbes

Coming Attractions:

Oct. 21…GCHS Band to perform at GCMS

Oct. 24…Faculty Meeting after school, 3:00

Oct. 24-31…Red Ribbon Week

Oct. 27…Walkathon Rewards

Oct. 31…Costume Contest, 7:45 am

Nov. 4…KIP Survey (6^th and 8^th graders)

Nov. 7-8..No School in Grayson County (PLC Day postponed)

Nov. 10...GC School Board meeting at GCMS, 6:00

Nov. 14…November Faculty Meeting, 3:00

Back To It!

Welcome Back!

It was good to have everyone back this week after a week of fall break.  The first quarter of the school year is always such an exciting time, but it is also a hectic time, so the break is certainly needed.  As we wind our way toward the end of this week, I have just a few notes to share.

Instructional Rounds at GCMS:

As you know, our school-based instructional rounds at GCMS are scheduled for Thursday, October 20.  We plan to get in all classrooms that day for 10 minute walk-throughs, and we will be focusing on formative assessment.  I sent you the schedule and the guiding questions which our team of observers will be considering.  I have asked our 4 teachers who have been participating in the L2L Aspiring Principals program to assist with the observations and analysis.  The team will stay after school that day to analyze our data, and then we will share our analysis with the faculty after school on Monday, October 24.

Street Heat Band at GCMS:

Our PBIS reward assembly for the students is planned for Friday afternoon of this week.  The Street Heat Band from Jefferson County will be performing for our student body at 1:00 on Friday.  We appreciate Stacy Pierce and Mr. Whitmore for making the contact and taking care of details for the concert.  The group has performed here in past years and is always a big hit with our students!

Observations:

Observation window 1 is well underway and should wrap up on October 31.  If your peer observation falls in window 1, please be arranging this with your peer observer.  Also, non-tenured teachers should be arranging your first mini-observation of the year if you have not already done so.  For folks in your summative year, please remember that your peer observation needs to take place before your full observation by the principal or assistant principal.  Tenured teachers not in your summative year may set up your mini observation at any time. 

Quote of the Day:

“I bring you the gift of these four words:  I believe in you.” ~Blaise Pascal

Coming Attractions:

Oct. 14…Reward Concert for students with no referrals.

Oct. 19…Report Cards go home.

Oct. 20….Instructional Rounds at GCMS

Oct. 21…GCHS Band to perform at GCMS

Oct. 24…Faculty Meeting after school, 3:00

Oct. 24-31…Red Ribbon Week

Fall Break Edition

Happy Fall Break!

As we wrap up the week and head into Fall Break, I want to wish everyone a restful and stress-free break.  I will be at GCMS each day next week, but if you need me, please call ahead.  I plan to neither get here at 6:00 am, nor stay until dark thirty next week.  I hope that everyone has a great fall break!

KPREP Scores:

As I shared with staff members on Tuesday afternoon, this year’s KPREP scores were something of a mixed bag for GCMS.  I am very proud of the improvements that we saw.  The biggest improvement area came in the area of on-demand writing with about a 4 point jump.  Everyone’s hard work with the new writing format seems to have made a positive difference in our writing scores.  I appreciate everyone continuing to utilize this format.  Our math scores showed good progress as well, and our overall growth score showed a nice increase.  The work that is already underway to target students for intervention will make a big difference in both our Gap score and our novice reduction.  Middle Schools are unique to the Kentucky testing system in that our KPREP tests every student every year.  This is not true at the other levels.  Thanks for all that you do to help students succeed at GCMS! 

                              Walkathon Top 3:  1. Chloe Cox   2. Zeb Bratcher   3. Kyle McWhorter

                                          
Walkathon:

Thank you for another great effort with this year’s GCMS Walkathon.  Our related arts teachers, title teachers, Kim Dennis, Shirley House, and many others have worked tirelessly to pull off another successful school wide fundraiser this year.  The final count is not in at this time, but we will be able to add a significant amount of funding to provide more instructional technology at GCMS.  This year’s top three student fundraisers were Chloe Cox, Zeb Bratcher, and Ryan McWhorter.  Team 8 was the top team in this year’s team fundraising competition.  Congratulations to these winners, and thank you to everyone who helped in any way!

Instructional Rounds:

We are planning our school-based instructional rounds at GCMS for October 20.  We will do both a morning session and an afternoon session in order to get into every classroom at GCMS, and we will be using our problem of practice regarding assessment.  The school observer team will complete the analysis after school that day and then present our feedback to the faculty after school on Monday, October 24.  I appreciate your input on guiding questions, and I will be sending those out to you in the near future. 

Observations:

Observation window 1 is well underway and should wrap up on October 31.  If your peer observation falls in window 1, please be arranging this with your peer observer.  Also, non-tenured teachers should be arranging your first mini-observation of the year if you have not already done so.  For folks in your summative year, please remember that your peer observation needs to take place before your full observation by the principal or assistant principal.  Tenured teachers not in your summative year may set up your mini observation at any time. 

Quote of the Day:

“Persistance is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely, and the likely definite.” ~Robert Half

Coming Attractions:

Sept. 30-Oct. 7…No School (Fall Break)

Oct. 14…Reward Concert for students with no referrals.

Oct. 19…Report Cards go home.

Oct. 20….Instructional Rounds at GCMS

Oct. 21…GCHS Band to perform at GCMS

Oct. 24…Faculty Meeting after school, 3:00

Oct. 24-31…Red Ribbon Week

Autumn is Here!

This Week at GCMS:

The calendar may say Fall is here, but the temperatures are sure not falling yet.  It's been hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalks outside GCMS, but hopefully we will get some relief soon.  It has been another busy week at GCMS, with a variety of activities going on.  I want share just a few notes as the week winds to a close.  I hope that everyone has a nice weekend!

KPREP Data:

The testing data from this spring’s KPREP testing will be available to principals on Tuesday morning and under embargo until 12:00 am on Thursday morning, when it is made available to the public through the KDE School Report Card.  I would like to have a brief meeting after school on Tuesday to go over our results.  Again, we cannot share these results outside the school staff until Thursday.  It will be important to keep this information confidential until Thursday.

Walkathon:

As you know, our GCMS walkathon is quickly approaching, and is planned for next Thursday, September 29.  Please remind students to get their donations in.  Our related arts teachers and others will be setting up tables in the gym each morning next week to collect walkathon donations.  Students may bring money in through Wednesday to be counted toward prizes, and last minute money (to walk) will also be collected on Thursday morning.

Edgenuity Lab:

Approximately 60 GCMS students were referred for our first Friday Edgenuity lab.  I appreciate the work that our Title teachers did today and have committed to doing to provide one more opportunity for our students to succeed.  The number of referrals was somewhat higher than expected, but hopefully that number will decline as the year progresses.  I appreciate all of our teachers and staff working to make sure that our students are successful. 

Manufacturing Week:

Next week is manufacturing week in Grayson County.  We will have guest speakers for the 8th graders at 8:30 on Monday and Tuesday mornings, and then our 8th graders will take tours at local factories on Wednesday morning.  It is never too early to start thinking about what job opportunities are available in our community.  

Around the World Day:

We had a nice turnout for this year’s Around the World at GCMS day, with 125 parents in attendance.  There were lots of smiling faces of kids, parents, and teachers alike, and I heard lots of positive comments during the day.

Parent/Teacher Conferences:

Mrs. Majors reported that we had approximately 475 conferences on Tuesday evening at our first parent/teacher conferences of the year.  I know that many constructive conversations took place that evening as we work together to help students make progress in their learning.

Instructional Rounds:

We are looking at having our school based instructional rounds focusing on assessment at GCMS on October 20.  We plan to conduct observations in the morning and in the afternoon so that we can get into every classroom that day.  The team of observers will complete analysis work after school on the 20^th, and then share the results with the full faculty after school on Monday, October 24.

Quote of the Day:

“Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it.” ~Zig Ziglar

Coming Attractions:

Sept. 26-28…Manufacturing Week Activities for 8^th grade

Sept. 26…Rumpelstiltskin Play

Sept. 29…GCMS Walkathon

Sept. 30-Oct. 7…Fall Break

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Another Busy Week:

There’s a hum of activity around GCMS these days, as teachers and students have hit full stride with teaching and learning.  I am enjoying getting into lots of classrooms and seeing lots of great learning activities around the building.  If you ever have a particular lesson going that you would like to invite me and the assistant principals to see, we love that sort of thing!  We just pop in as well, but if you are doing something that you would like for us to see, just shoot us an email about it.  The door prize for first formal classroom observation of the year goes to Mr. Tarry Lockett, with a close second and third going to Shane Decker and Lori Carroll!  If anyone would like to get their observation in early, please let us know.  Teachers in the summative year do need to get their other observation(s) (mini and/or peer) in before the full length observation in completed. 

Staff Concerns:

We have lots of staff health concerns right now.  Please remember your GCMS in thoughts and prayers.  Thank you to everyone who has donated sick days to Stacy Pierce.  She is in for a long battle, but I know that you join me is wishing her the best and a quick return to GCMS. 

Morning Power-Point and Pledge:

I appreciate Mrs. Pearl preparing a morning announcement power point each day.  One of the things that our Principal’s Advisory Council student reps mentioned this morning was that some teachers don’t spend much time with the announcement power point and may not do the pledge every day.  I would like for every teacher to share the morning power point with first period class every day and give the students the opportunity to say the pledge as well.  We do not require a student to stand and say the pledge if they choose not to, but we do want to always give them that daily opportunity.  Thanks.

Parent/Teacher Conferences:

We look forward to our first parent/teacher conferences of the school year.  Our first conferences will be held on Tuesday evening, September 20 from 4:00 until 6:00 pm.  It is always great to get parents here to have those conversations on student learning and progress.  

Around the World Day at GCMS:

We are also inviting parents and guardians to GCMS on Thursday, September 22 for "Around the World Day at GCMS".  Parents are welcome to attend a class or two or even stay all day going to class with their children.  This is a great way to engage parents in the learning of their children, and we are hoping for a good number of parents to be in attendance.  Classes will focus on global competency and cultural awareness that day.  

Quote of the Day:

“Ending a sentence with a preposition is nothing to be afraid of.” ~Google

Coming Attractions:

Sept. 16…Progress Reports go home
Sept. 16...Meet the Lady Cougars Night, 6:00

Sept. 20…Parent/Teacher Conference at GCMS, 4:00-6:00

Sept. 22…Around the World at GCMS Day, Parents are Invited (all day)

Sept. 26-28…Manufacturing Week Activities for 8^th grade

Sept. 26…Rumpelstiltskin Play

Sept. 29…GCMS Walkathon

Sept. 30-Oct. 7…Fall Break

See You in September

Great Start!

It is hard to believe that we are already into our second month of the school year!  The school year has gotten off to a great start.  We were able to have a very productive PLC day this past Friday, and I appreciate everyone getting those beginning of the year necessities (self-reflections, PGP’s, and SGG’s) in place.  Our 6^th graders seem to be adjusting well to their new school and are eager and active each day!  I have just a few notes to share today.

New PLC Format:

Our new PLC meeting format has gotten off to a great start this week, with teachers volunteering for the “lesson share” segment from each department.  Hats off to Mr. Chris Helm for taking the initiative to present the first lesson share in the building.  I look forward to sitting in for as many of these as possible as our teachers share and learn with each other. 

Instructional Rounds:

Mr. Robinson has given us the go ahead to conduct school based instructional rounds this school year instead of using last year’s format.  We would like to have the rounds visit every classroom in the building instead of the smaller sampling like last year.  My thought is to split the rounds into a morning session and an afternoon session and then complete the analysis work after school.  The full faculty would then meet after school for our presentation of findings, gallery walk, and sharing feedback.  Our focus this year will be assessment.  I am in the process of putting your feedback together from PLC Day about what the most effective guiding questions will be.  I am looking at scheduling our instructional rounds day in October and will send out that date just as soon as it is finalized.

Congratulations to Karen Van Metre!

As I emailed our staff yesterday, I am happy to announce that Karen Van Metre has been named as one of the three finalists for the 2016 Kentucky Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching!  This is very exciting news, and I know that you all join me in congratulating Karen on this honor.

Innovative Technology Grants:

Our teachers in Teams 4 and 6 have been working hard at learning about and implementing the new Chromebooks made possible by the Grayson County School District Innovative Technology grants.  We were happy to have Terri Stice from GRREC here to train our teachers about some of the features of the Chromebook this past Friday during PLC Day.  I am excited about the possibilities for enhancing student learning through use of this new technology!

Teacher Mailboxes:

Teachers, please do not send students to get mail out of your teacher mailboxes.  Sometimes your mail is of a sensitive nature, and from time to time, mail items have gone missing.  It is just better not to have students get your mail.  Thanks.

Quote of the Day:

“You win a few, you lose a few.  Some get rained out.  But you got to dress for all of them.”

~Satchel Paige

Coming Attractions:

Sept. 8…GCMS Home Football game, 5:30

Sept. 9….due date for PGP and SGG in CIITS

Sept. 13…Pep Rally to Recognize GCMS football

Sept. 13…GCMS Home Football game, 5:30

Sept. 12-15…Humana Vitality Checks at GCMS (by appointment)

Sept. 20…Parent/Teacher Conference at GCMS, 4:00-6:00

Sept. 21…GCMS SBDMC Meeting, 3:15

Sept. 22…Around the World at GCMS Day, Parents are Invited (all day)

Sept. 26-28…Manufacturing Week Activities for 8^th grade

Sept. 26…Rumpelstiltskin Play

Sept. 29…GCMS Walkathon

Sept. 30-Oct. 7…Fall Break