This is a Test, This is Only a Test

Cougar Staff:

Things seem to have gone very well with the beginning of state testing this morning at GCMS!  I was out in the building most of the morning and was impressed to see students hard at work and teachers circulating and monitoring the students closely.  Thank you for taking this approach.  The students pick up on whether we take something seriously, and they tend to take it more seriously as well.  I appreciate your efforts and encourage you to sustain this effort throughout testing.  Thanks!

Shout Outs:

I want to give a special shout out to Mark Gary for being here at school today after being involved in an auto accident last night.  He wanted to be here for his kids as testing began today.  I appreciate that sort of dedication. 

Becky Miller came to school despite being sick today, again not wanting to miss being here for the testing. 

I know that there are others who didn't feel well, but were here today anyway.  Thanks for working through it, and doing what you can for the students!

May 20 Staff Day:

As you know, we will be having staff training on Tuesday, May 20.  Mrs. Pearl will be leading a session on Assessment Literacy that morning, focusing on PGES 1f and 3d.  Mrs. Pierce has generously offered to buy pizza for the staff for lunch that day!  We appreciate this greatly!  That afternoon, teachers will be involved in Peer Observer Training.  While only a small number of GCMS teachers will serve as peer observers next year, it should be very valuable for all of us to be trained on the process.  By knowing about the peer observation process, all teachers should be able to gain greater benefit when working with this next school year. 

Good Faith Effort:

Please keep track of students’ good faith effort with the checklist that I sent out earlier.  Students who get 100 percent good faith effort points will be rewarded at the end of the testing with their choice of watching a movie in the auditorium, playing or watching battle ball in the gym, chill zone time in the cafeteria where they can play their electronics, or outside time to play Frisbee or whiffle ball.  Please encourage the students to be here every day throughout testing and to give their very best on the tests!

Quote of the Day:

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” ~Vince Lombardi

Coming Attractions:

May 15-22…KPREP Testing

May 20…Staff Day, no school for students

May 21…GCMS Site Based Council Meeting, 3:00

May 22…Good Faith Reward, 1:00-2:30

May 23…KPREP Make-up Day

May 20…No school for students – Staff training day

May 26…Memorial Day – No school for students or staff

May 29…8^th Grade Awards Night, 6:00

May 30…Students’ Last Day, 8th Grade Commencement Programs, 8:00, 9:30, 11:00

June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 will be staff training days.

June 7…Closing Day

July 15-17…Sixth Sense

July 29..GCMS PD Day

July 31...GCMS Opening Day and Back to School Night

Aug. 1….District wide day in Grayson County Schools

Aug. 4…Not a required work day at GCMS

Aug. 5…Students' first day of school

Down the Stretch They Come!

Cougar Staff:

Whew!  Rounding the last turn and to the top of the stretch they come!  This week has felt like we are entering that home stretch and hoping we have enough horse left under us to cross the finish line at Churchill Downs!  Busy is an understatement are GCMS these days.  I have a few notes to share with you as our week winds down.

Teacher Appreciation:

As Teacher Appreciation Week comes to a close, I want to share my heartfelt thanks to all teachers and staff at Grayson County Middle School.  I have worked at GCMS as principal for seven years, and I can truly say that I have never worked with a more dedicated and caring staff that really cares about kids.  Thanks for all that you do each day to make GCMS a great place for students and for adults!  A special thanks again to Faye Critchelow, Kelzey McCubbin and our FRYSC for providing such a nice hospitality room for our staff yesterday!

Personnel:

Please continue to remember those who have lost loved ones this week.  Patsy Wilkerson’s father, who is also Cyndi Frank’s father-in-law, and Lea Ann Frank’s grandfather-in-law passed away this week.  Also, David Whitmore’s uncle passed away this week.  I know that the families appreciate your prayers.

Congratulations:

If you have Grace Gorby in class or see her around GCMS, please congratulate her on winning the girls singles championship!  Also, congratulations to Leann and Shawn Majors on their son Brett making it to state in doubles tennis!

One-on-One Meetings:

I have had the most fun that I have had in a long time this week in meeting one-on-one with students at GCMS about our upcoming state assessments.  Mr. Whitmore and Mrs. Miller have also been meeting with students, and we hope to finish up these meetings early next week.  The students have been very receptive and really seem to buy in to the notion that great effort brings great results.  Please continue to stress to the students how important it is for them to do their very best on the KPREP tests this year!

State Assessments:

We will be starting our KPREP testing this coming Thursday, May 15.  Please keep track of students’ good faith effort with the checklist that I sent out earlier.  I will send it again in the near future if you have misplaced the first one.  Students who get 100 percent good faith effort points will be rewarded at the end of the testing with their choice of watching a movie in the auditorium, playing or watching battle ball in the gym, chill zone time in the cafeteria where they can play their electronics, or outside time to play Frisbee or whiffle ball.  Please encourage the students to be here every day throughout testing and to give their very best on the tests!

Please see Mrs. Majors’ earlier emails about the testing schedule for May 15, 16, 19, 21, and 22.  Also, I have sent out a schedule for which classes we will attend in the afternoons.  There is a day or two that we will go to first and second period I the afternoon instead of fifth and sixth.

We are emphasizing more than ever the importance of proper monitoring during testing sessions.  Teachers should be up and circulating around the room while the students are testing.  Please do not be working on the computer, reading professional journals, knitting baby booties, talking on a phone, etc.  You will need to take up student cell phones during testing and give them back after the entire group is finished with testing. 

Quote of the Day:

“High expectations are the key to everything.” ~Sam Walton

Coming Attractions:

May 8…GCMS Data Team will meet after school

May 9…Last day for Friday Schedule

May 9…Jean Day for $5 donation to Relay for Life

May 12…SBDMC training for all SBDMC members, 5:00 at GCHS

May 15-22…KPREP Testing

May 21…GCMS Site Based Council Meeting, 3:00

May 22…Good Faith Reward, 1:00-2:30

May 23…KPREP Make-up Day

May 20…No school for students – Staff training day

May 26…Memorial Day – No school for students or staff

May 30…Students’ Last Day, 8th Grade Commencement Programs, 8:00, 9:30, 11:00

June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 will be staff training days.

June 7…Closing Day

Thank You Cougar Staff!

Cougar Staff:

Is teaching a job where you get to work with kids all day,  every day?  Or is teaching a job where you have to work with kids every day, all day?  It is and has to be the former, rather than the latter.  It is absolutely necessary to have a positive attitude in working with students.  If you think that you have to be here “like it or not”, it is not a good situation for anybody, not for the teacher, not for your co-workers, and most importantly not for the students.  So let’s all focus on having a positive attitude with your “glass half full” instead of “half empty”.  You could even try having your glass all the way full and pouring it out on all the people you come into contact with each day!  Hope there are no Amelia Bedelias reading this.  That doesn't mean that it is easy.  Teaching is probably the second hardest job there is (right behind parenting), but it is also the second best job there is (again, right behind parenting).  Let’s all be thankful that we get to work with kids each day and have the opportunity to make a positive difference!

Staff Concerns:

Please keep Vicki Staley and Eddie Dennison in your thoughts and prayers.  Their uncle passed away this week.  Also, please remember Venita Wilson, whose cousin passed away this morning. 

Thank You:

Next week is National Teacher Appreciation Week!  We would like to thank our GCMS staff with an appreciation breakfast on Monday morning, May 5.  We will have breakfast sandwiches and donuts from Best Donut of Leitchfield.  This will be set up in the GCMS Library starting at about 6:45 am on Monday morning with enough breakfast sandwiches and donuts for every staff member to have a sandwich and a donut.  Bring your own coffee or breakfast beverage and eat in the library, or feel free to grab a sandwich and donut and take back to your room.  Also, our Family Resource Center will be setting up a hospitality room to thank GCMS staff members on Wednesday, May 7.  This will also be in the GCMS library.  We appreciate everything that you do each day to make GCMS a great place for students and staff!

Remix Education:

The students and staff really seemed to enjoy the assembly program presented by Remix Education on Tuesday afternoon.  I appreciate our teachers coming down and helping supervise the students during the program. 

Lunch Accounts:

I noticed on a recent email from Mrs. Hodges, that adult meal charges at GCMS were rather high.  Please remember that food service requests that adult meal charges never exceed $15.  It will be very important to pay these charges off by the end of the school year.

Supervision/Duties:

Please be very diligent about supervision of the students.  This is the time of year that if a student was ever going to engage in foolish or inappropriate behavior, that time is now.  Usually, just the presence of a staff member will be enough to prevent misbehavior, so please be visible at the class changes, in the hallways, to and from the cafeteria, during walking time outside, and so on.  Also, please be on time to early or late duties.  A couple of minutes might not seem like a lot, but a lot can go wrong in a very short length of time with unsupervised middle school students.

KPREP is Coming: (repeated from last week)

As you know, our KPREP testing is slated for May 15, 16, 19, 21, and 22.  Mrs. Majors emailed out our testing schedule last week.  Yesterday, I also sent you the afternoon schedule for each day so that we will not be missing the same class periods every day during the testing.  Each teacher will need to diligently monitor students during all testing sessions.  I expect teachers to be up and circulating during testing sessions rather than sitting at the computer or reading a professional journal.  I (and central office staff) will be coming around and may be in and out of rooms some.  We will be quiet and careful not to disrupt.  It will be necessary to leave all classroom doors unlocked, and as always all door windows uncovered during testing.  I emailed the good faith effort checklist a couple of weeks ago, and I will email that out again.  Please mark this checklist for each student.  At the end of the testing, we will have a good faith effort reward afternoon on May 22 in which students who have received 100 percent good faith effort will be able to choose activities in the gym (battle ball), a movie in the auditorium, fun activities outside (Frisbee, whiffle ball, etc.), or chill zone electronics time in the cafeteria. 

One on One Meetings with Students: (repeated from last week)

Mr. Whitmore, Mrs. Miller, and I will begin meeting with students about the upcoming testing starting on May 5 during study skills classes.  We will review student data from last year’s KPREP as well as current year data from DEA and try to help motivate students to do their best.  Our plan is to come to your team area during your skills time starting on May 5 and visit each day until we have had a chance to meet with every student.  When we finish the study skills groups, we would also like to visit with students who are in music classes toward the end of that week.

Quote of the Day:

“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” ~John Wooden

Coming Attractions:

May 5…SBDMC training for new members, 5:00 at GCHS

May 5…Future Cougar Night, 5:30 for Wilkey and 6:30 for Caneyville

May 6…Future Cougar Night, 5:30 for Lawler and 6:30 for Clarkson

May 8…GCMS Data Team will meet after school

May 9…Last day for Friday Schedule

May 9…Jean Day for $5 donation to Relay for Life

May 12…SBDMC training for all SBDMC members, 5:00 at GCHS

May 15-22…KPREP Testing

May 21…GCMS Site Based Council Meeting, 3:00

May 22…Good Faith Reward, 1:00-2:30

May 23…KPREP Make-up Day

May 20…No school for students – Staff training day

May 26…Memorial Day – No school for students or staff

May 30…Students’ Last Day, 8th Grade Commencement Programs, 8:00, 9:30, 11:00

June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 will be staff training days.

June 7…Closing Day

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Cougar Staff:

It’s been another very busy week at GCMS!  As the week winds down, I have a few notes to share with you.  Head em up, move em out, and have a great day!

Congratulations!

I would like to congratulate our newly elected GCMS site based council members.  Parent representatives for 2014-2015 will be Keith Lucas and Jenny Cummings.  Teacher representatives for 2014-2015 will be Elaine Holley, Lea Ann Frank, and Ashley Johnson.  I appreciate all those who have served on the council, and I look forward to working with the new council this coming year.

I would also like to congratulate some of our GCMS teachers on being selected for participation and been awarded scholarships for some prestigious summer institutes.  Both Ellen Thomas and Laura Goff have been selected to participate in the McConnell Center’s Summer Institute for US History in Annapolis, MD this summer.  Lea Ann Frank and Angie Escue have both been selected to participate in the NEED Energy Conference in Savannah, GA.

Thank You!

I appreciate everyone who went with us on Monday evening to ECTC!  The 7^th graders and their parents seemed to really enjoy the experience, and I heard many positive comments that evening and since.

I want to thank Tez Hawkins and Mary Anne Hack for serving with me on the School Culture Assessment team.  We finished the process by presenting the school culture report at Allen County-Scottsville High School yesterday afternoon.  Each school will take the data received and work to continue improvement of school culture.

I want to thank Lori Carroll for serving with me on the District Certified Evaluation Committee.  We have had lots of meetings about developing next year’s one year evaluation plan before we go to “full blown” PGES the following year.

I want to thank Melanie Gallagher for serving as Math Plus teacher leader for our new Math Plus grant program.

Holly Milliner and Shane Decker are serving in the content network and district instructional leadership team for science and social studies.  Again, lots of meetings, time, and effort goes into this work.

I know that there are lots of others going above and beyond at GCMS!  Thank you everyone for what you do to make things better for students and fellow staff members!

Tuesday Assembly:

We have a motivational assembly scheduled for our student body this coming Tuesday afternoon, April 29.  This assembly will take 6^th period that day.  Check out the group from Remix Education at www.remixeducation.com.

8^th Grade Career Camp on Friday:

Our 8^th grade Career Camp is planned for Friday, April 25.  Staff from the GC Tech Center will be here at GCMS to present the program.   Remember, we will be going to our Mon-Thurs schedule that day.  All students will report to their regular first periods and then start the rotation schedule promptly at 8:00.  Please notice that I have related arts teachers scheduled to take some groups so that team teachers do not lose all their planning time that day.  Also, please notice that we are flipping 7th with 8th grade lunch schedules.  We will plan to have 8th grade band, 8th grade chorus, and 8th grade advanced math to have class that afternoon, knowing that many of those students will be participating in the career camp at those times and miss those classes.  This should be a great opportunity for our students to get a closer look at the types of activities offered by the GC Tech Center and the related careers.

KPREP is Coming:

As you know, our KPREP testing is slated for May 15, 16, 19, 21, and 22.  Mrs. Majors emailed out our testing schedule last week.  Yesterday, I also sent you the afternoon schedule for each day so that we will not be missing the same class periods every day during the testing.  Each teacher will need to diligently monitor students during all testing sessions.  I expect teachers to be up and circulating during testing sessions rather than sitting at the computer or reading a professional journal.  I (and central office staff) will be coming around and may be in and out of rooms some.  We will be quiet and careful not to disrupt.  It will be necessary to leave all classroom doors unlocked, and as always all door windows uncovered during testing.  I emailed the good faith effort checklist a couple of weeks ago, and I will email that out again.  Please mark this checklist for each student.  At the end of the testing, we will have a good faith effort reward afternoon on May 22 in which students who have received 100 percent good faith effort will be able to choose activities in the gym (battle ball), a movie in the auditorium, fun activities outside (Frisbee, whiffle ball, etc.), or chill zone electronics time in the cafeteria. 

One on One Meetings with Students:

Mr. Whitmore, Mrs. Miller, and I will begin meeting with students about the upcoming testing starting on May 5 during study skills classes.  We will review student data from last year’s KPREP as well as current year data from DEA and try to help motivate students to do their best.  Our plan is to come to your team area during your skills time starting on May 5 and visit each day until we have had a chance to meet with every student.  When we finish the study skills groups, we would also like to visit with students who are in music classes toward the end of that week.

Quote of the Day:

“Luck is the dividend of sweat.  The more you sweat, the luckier you get.” ~Ray Kroc

Coming Attractions:

May 9…Jean Day for $5 donation to Relay for Life

May 15-22…KPREP Testing

May 21…GCMS Site Based Council Meeting, 3:00

May 22…Good Faith Reward, 1:00-2:30

May 23…KPREP Make-up Day

May 20…No school for students – Staff training day

May 26…Memorial Day – No school for students or staff

May 30…Students’ Last Day, 8^th Grade Commencement Programs, 8:00, 9:30, 11:00

June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 will be staff training days.

June 7…Closing Day

Whoop, There It Is

Cougar Staff:

Interesting week around the hallowed grounds of GCMS with TV crews trying to get a glimpse of someone in a SARS mask, seemingly everybody trying to give the dieting principal a donut from the new donut store, and the red lights and sirens signifying that testing materials have arrived at GCMS!  Quite a week…and yes, the donut offers were the most stressful part.  The good news is that I still have not tried the new donuts.  I hope that everyone has a peaceful weekend and enjoys time with your family and friends.

Personnel:

Mrs. Stacy Pierce went for her last chemo treatment yesterday!  We all wish Stacy a full and complete recovery and she continues to battle this disease.  She has been a real trooper throughout.

We wish all those dealing with pertussis and other illness a speedy recovery.  I will be glad when we have whooped the whooping cough once and for all.

School Culture Assessment:

I was extremely pleased with the results of our school culture assessment presented by the team from Allen County on Monday afternoon.  It is a testament to your collaborative efforts at GCMS that we have been able to build such a positive school culture.  Of the 13 indicators in the survey, none had a discrepancy indicating a problem area.  That’s not to say that school culture is perfect at GCMS; like in any school, we all know that we have plenty to work on with our school culture.  We will take the recommendations from the team and work to make things even better!

8^th Grade Career Camp at GCMS:

Staff from the Grayson County Tech Center will be at GCMS on Friday, April 25 to present a “career camp” for GCMS 8^th grade students.  We will use the regular Monday through Thursday schedule that day so we do not have any grade level mixed classes.  I have sent a tentative schedule to 8^th grade teachers and related arts teachers and will send an updated schedule next week.  This should be a great opportunity for our 8^th graders to get a good look at several career fields as well as a preview of actual learning activities that they could experience in the various GC Tech programs.

7^th Grade Trip to ECTC:

I am looking forward to going with 7^th graders, their parents, and our 7^th grade teachers on Monday evening to visit Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in E-town.  We took a group of about 70 last spring and hope to have a good turnout again this year.  It is a great opportunity for our 7^th graders to get to visit a college campus and see a wide variety of career opportunities up close and personal.  All 7^th grade teachers are expected to attend.

Calendar Dates for May/June: (Repeat from last week)

Mr. Anderson met with the six principals this morning, and we worked out the dates for the end of the school year.  As you know, we had two PLC days changed to student days and four student days eliminated from the calendar, plus we have our end of year closing day making a total of 7 staff days to work in order to fulfill staff contract days.  With this in mind, here are some dates to keep in mind:

May 20 will be a staff day (no students)

May 26 Memorial Day, there will be no school for students and no school for staff.

May 30 will be our students’ last day of school (8th grade commencement during the day)

High School Graduation will be Saturday, May 31 at 10:00 am

June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 will be staff days.

We will be working hard to learn more about the new PGES system that we will be implementing next year during these staff days on May 20 and June 2-6.  I will send a detailed agenda soon.

June 7 (Saturday) will be Closing Day.  Most GCMS staff only have to work a half day on closing day because of working back to school night at the beginning of the year.  We do plan to have a catered breakfast for our staff that morning.

Quote of the Day:

“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Coming Attractions:

Apr. 18…Deadline for SBDMC nominations

Apr. 21…Testing Accommodations Training for those testing special education, 2:50

Apr. 21…7th grade student/parent trip to ECTC, leave GCMS at 5:00 pm

Apr 22…EARTH DAY        

Apr. 22-25…Boys’ Basketball Tryouts

Apr. 23…SBDMC elections

May 9…Jean Day for $5 donation to Relay for Life

May 15-22…KPREP Testing

May 23…KPREP Make-up Day

May 20…No school for students – Staff training day

May 26…Memorial Day – No school for students or staff

Wisdom from Master Yoda!

7 Life Lessons From Yoda

ShareThis

Despite the fact that Star Wars first premiered almost 37 years ago, many important life lessons can still be gleaned from the story. From Qui Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi we learned the value of discipline and loyalty, from Luke and Han the benefits of true friendship. Darth Vader served as a cautionary tale to anyone tempted by the dark side of life. Through it all, however, no one was as wise and self aware as Yoda. In his words there are lessons, that if taken to heart, can assure you of a long and prosperous life.

Do or do not… there is no try

Sometimes, you gotta go for it. No matter how hard, no matter the sacrifice, there will always be things that are worth the struggle. It’s a reminder to commit oneself to something completely, win or lose.

Size matters not

It doesn’t matter how big or small you are. All that matters is the size of your courage, your perseverance and your sense of self. Remember, strength often comes in small packages.

Already know you that which you need

Most of the time, we already know what the right thing to do is. We just need to trust ourselves enough to put ourselves out there and do it. Don’t be afraid to listen to your gut. It will rarely steer you wrong.

Impossible to see, the future is

Why bother stressing about the far off future and worry about things that you cannot change? Instead, focus on the here and now and enjoy today. The future will take care of itself if you stay true to yourself and work hard to create the future you want.

Hard to see, the dark side is

Lack of self-awareness is the first step to the dark side. Understanding yourself and your impact on others is crucial to developing and maintaining healthy relationships. By knowing yourself, you can figure out what you want and the steps needed to get there.

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering

By letting go of your fear and anger, you will let go of the hate and the suffering it brings. By letting go of fear, anger and hate, you will create peace and love.

Twilight is upon me, and soon night must fall. That is the way of things

Life is too short to waste it by judging others and trying to change things that you can’t. Seize the day and cherish the time you have with the special people in your life.

TGIF at GCMS!

Cougar Staff:

TGIF.  It is great to get to the end of this busy, busy week!  I’m looking forward to getting my lawn mower back into action this weekend if the weather cooperates.  The spring time is one of my favorite times of the year as the temperatures rise, everything starts blooming, and there is “new life” everywhere you look!  I hope that everyone has a great springy weekend!  Oh, and one last basketball note to make the BBN feel better.  Folks generally forget who finishes second in almost everything. 

Personnel:

We were glad to have Chris Drake back at GCMS this week after his time off with spinal surgery.  Chris says that he is feeling better already and is looking forward to getting back to his regular routines.

Please continue to remember Paige Lopez’s son, Christian, who was injured in a car accident earlier this week.  Christian was banged up pretty badly and has a broken leg but should be fine.

We are all proud of how well Stacy Pierce has handled her battle with cancer.  Stacy goes for her last chemo treatment next Thursday!  While she has a way to go still, I admire how positive she has been throughout. 

Pertussis Precautions:

I want to thank Cyndi and Debbie and everyone who has helped out in taking care of the pertussis precautions.  With confirmed cases of pertussis in the county, our staff has taken extra care to try to prevent the spread at our school.  Our custodial staff has also been taking extra care to disinfect our building each evening during this illness.  If any of you are having a persistent cough, our nurse’s office recommends going to your family doctor to get checked.  Thanks.

Faculty Meeting on Monday:

At our regular monthly faculty meeting this coming Monday, our visiting School Culture Assessment team from Allen County will be at GCMS to share their report.  I look forward to hearing from them and working on continuing to improve our school culture at GCMS!  Also, we will be doing Testing Ethics training at Monday afternoon’s meeting.  Expect to be here until about 5:00.

BETA Induction:

I want to thank Nancy Sims for doing a great job with the BETA Club induction ceremony at GCMS last night.  I was really proud to see our “best and brightest” all gathered together for this ceremony.  I think sometimes we spend some much time, money, and resources on pulling up the struggling that we overlook the high achievers.  Last night was a great chance to let those high achievers have the spotlight, and I am very proud of them! 

Calendar Dates for May/June: (Repeat from my email earlier this week)

Mr. Anderson met with the six principals this morning, and we worked out the dates for the end of the school year.  As you know, we had two PLC days changed to student days and four student days eliminated from the calendar, plus we have our end of year closing day making a total of 7 staff days to work in order to fulfill staff contract days.  With this in mind, here are some dates to keep in mind:

May 20 will be a staff day (no students)

May 26 Memorial Day, there will be no school for students and no school for staff.

May 30 will be our students’ last day of school (8th grade commencement during the day)

High School Graduation will be Saturday, May 31 at 10:00 am

June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 will be staff days.

June 7 (Saturday) will be Closing Day.  Most GCMS staff only have to work a half day on closing day because of working back to school night at the beginning of the year.  We do plan to have a catered breakfast for our staff that morning.

I may be leaving something out, so feel free to ask me if you have questions.  If anyone is committed to working an election precinct on Election Day, get with me and we will work it out. 

Next Year:

The only retirement at GCMS that I am aware of is Mr. Barry Duvall.  As we start to plan staffing for next year, it is important that I know if anyone intends to be elsewhere next year (on the beach, in the nursing home, driving the Schwan’s truck, etc.).  If you plan to retire at the end of this year or during the school year next year, or if you plan to leave GCMS for other reasons, please let me know as soon as possible.  Thanks.

Pertussis Inspired Bad Joke of the Day:

“What did one casket say to the other casket?..........Is that you coffin?”  J  Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Coming Attractions:

Apr. 14…Faculty Meeting, 3:00-5:00 (SCA Team from Allen Co. and Testing Ethics Training)

Apr. 14…No Cougar Zone

Apr. 14-18…SBDMC nominations

Apr. 16…SBDMC meeting, 3:00

Apr. 18…KYCID Committee

Apr. 21…Testing Accommodations Training for those testing special education, 2:50

Apr. 21…7^th grade student/parent trip to ECTC, leave GCMS at 5:00 pm

Apr 22…EARTH DAY        

Apr. 22-25…Boys’ Basketball Tryouts

Apr. 23…SBDMC elections

May 9…Jean Day for $5 donation to Relay for Life

May 15-22…KPREP Testing

May 23…KPREP Make-up Day

May 20…No school for students – Staff training day

May 26…Memorial Day – No school for students or staff

May 30…Last day with students/8th grade commencement

June 2-6…training days for staff

June 7…closing day – breakfast provided (half day if you worked back to school night)