What's That Crunching Sound?

This Week at GCMS:

It is an extremely busy time at Grayson County Middle School as we get ready to start the last month of the school year.  Some might even call it “crunch time” with so much work left to do in so little time.  This school year has gone by very quickly.  It seems that the more years that I work, the faster the time goes.  As I complete my 25^th year in education, I look back in amazement.  I am so thankful for the many great students, parents, and teachers that I have had the opportunity to work with, and that I look forward to continuing to work with for a few more years.  

Staff Appreciation:

I do not say thank you often enough to our wonderful staff at Grayson County Middle School, but I do sincerely appreciate the work that you do each and every day for the students at GCMS!  We will recognize staff appreciation next week with a hospitality room in the library on Wednesday organized by Faye and Kelzey from FRYSC and breakfast from Best Donut on Friday.  Thanks for all that you do to make GCMS a great place for students and staff!

Thank You:

I appreciate everyone who helped out with our 7^th grade field trip to Elizabethtown Community and Technical College on Monday night.  The students and parents seemed impressed with the programs they were able to tour.  It is never too early to start becoming college and career ready, and this annual trip is a great way to build that readiness.  I also want to thank everyone who helped out with our Future Cougar Nights this week.  The transition from elementary to middle school is often very stressful for students and parents, and events like this are great to ease the anxiety.  We had some long days this week, and I appreciate your efforts.

Great Job:

I was very impressed with our Junior HOSA students who competed in healthcare events this week.  The students were very knowledgeable about their events and did a great job!  I appreciate Mrs. Nena Tucker putting her nursing experience to work by sponsoring the Junior HOSA club.

Congratulations to the GCMS band for earning a total of 41 distinguished ratings at the recent KMEA solo and ensemble festival at North Hardin.  Several students scored 2 distinguished ratings, and Mason Parker even earned 3 distinguished ratings.  This is outstanding!

Wulfe Brothers:

The students and staff had a great job at the recent Wulfe Brothers assembly.  Members of the Wulfe Brothers even commented several times after the show about how well our students behaved and participated, saying it was the best middle school they had been to in many years!  Please brag on your students about this.  

One-on-One Meetings:

Mr. Whitmore, Mrs. Miller, and I have gotten started with one-on-one meetings with our GCMS students.  We are meeting with students during study skills time this week and plan to meet with the rest of the students through music classes next week.  I love getting to talk to the students like this and hearing what they have to say.  It is a wonderful reminder for me that we really have a great bunch of kids at GCMS!

Online Discipline Referrals:

We have had a smooth transition to the online discipline referral this year.  I do want to share one tip, though.  When you do an online referral through Infinite Campus, it is normally best to choose all three administrators rather than just choosing one.  This allows us to get to the referrals in a more timely manner.  Once in a while, there might be a case that one administrator has prior knowledge of, and in that case it is fine to just send it to one person.  Thanks.  

Supervision:

We are entering a time of year that supervision is more important than ever.  Students tend to get a little “spring fever” this time of year and inappropriate behaviors can take place.  The best approach to this is for staff members to be very visible and supervising at all times.  This goes for the hallways, the restrooms, the common areas and the classrooms.  Our students are always less likely to misbehave if a staff member is there.  Thanks.

Quote of the Day:

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~Winston Churchill

Coming Attractions:

May 5…KHEAA program for 8^th grade parents, 5:30

May 6...Hospitality Room for staff appreciation

May 8....Breakfast sandwiches and donuts for staff appreciation

May 8… Living History for 8th graders in the auditorium at 1:00.

May 11…Faculty Meeting

May 13-20…KPREP Testing Window

May 14...GCMS  Hosts the Grayson County School Board Meeting, 6:00

May 19… No school for students – PLC Day for staff

May 20…Posting window opens

May 20....Site Based Council Meeting, 3:15

May 26… Drama Club Play for 8th graders at 8:00

May 27…8th Grade Field Day

May 27…Posting window closes

May 27…Drama Club Play for 6th grade 8:00, for 7th grade 9:30

May 28…6th/7th Grade Field Day

May 28 …8th Grade Awards Program at 6:00

May 29…Last day for students

Keeping Your Head Up

Quote of the Day:

People are often unreasonable and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you.  Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa

I would encourage everyone to follow this advice.  Keep your head up when things don’t go your way, and always work to do the right thing.  If you can look yourself in the mirror and know that you have done your best, happiness and satisfaction will be yours.  Don’t let the wrongs in this world get you down.

Staff Concerns:

Please continue to remember our GCMS staff and their families.  We have many health needs, family members with health issues, and personal issues right now.  Thanks.

Congratulations New SBDMC Members!

I would like to congratulate and welcome our newly elected site based decision making council for next school year.  Our two parent representatives, Jenny Cummings and Keith Lucas, were both re-elected to the council along with teacher representative Ashley Johnson.  New teacher representatives, Ellen Thomas and John Cariel, were also elected and will join the council in July.  Congratulations to all and thanks for your willingness to help our school’s continuous improvement process.  I would also like to thank both Elaine Holley and Lea Ann Frank for their service as teacher representatives to the council this year and previous years.  

Good Luck Cougars!

Good luck to all those students trying out for boys basketball, cheerleading, and girls basketball at GCMS.  Also, good luck to those band students who will be participating in the KMEA solos and ensembles on Saturday, April 24.

Student Growth Goals:

The assistant principals and I have been able to meet with all of the teachers in the four core departments and related arts concerning your student growth goals this week.  While some teachers have not been completely satisfied with the growth seen through this process, we have all learned a great deal about the process.  I feel like this will be much more effective next year with a year of practice under our belts.  We still need for each Title teacher and each special education teacher to stop by during your planning time today or one day next week.  Those teachers will need to bring a copy of your student growth goal, your rubric, data from your pre and post assessments, your analysis of the data (spreadsheet would be a good approach).  You should be able to show the percentage of students who showed growth and the percentage of students who reached proficiency or better.

Coming Attractions:

April 27…History Assembly, The Wolf Brothers, 1:15

May 8… Living History for 8th graders in the auditorium at 1:00.

May 11…Faculty Meeting

May 13…20 – KPREP Testing Window

May 19… No school for students – PLC Day for staff

May 20…Posting window opens

May 26… Drama Play for 8th graders at 8:00

May 27…8th Grade Field Day

May 27…Posting window closes

May 27…Drama Club Play for 6th grade 8:00, for 7th grade 9:30

May 28…6th/7th Grade Field Day

May 28 …Awards Evening at 6:00

May 29…Last day for students

Here in Cougar Nation

This Week at GCMS:

It has been another busy week at GCMS as we have returned to spring break.  While it is a hectic time of year as the school year winds down, it is also an important time of year.  It is important to finish the year strong and with a continued focus on learning.  I have a few notes to share as the week winds down.

Congratulations:

I would like to congratulate Mr. Doug Robinson for being named as the next Superintendent of Grayson County Schools.  We at GCMS wish him the very best in his new role.
 

Congratulations to our GCMS music performance groups on earning distinguished ratings at the recent KMEA concert festival.  Our band, orchestra, and chorus all earned distinguished ratings at all grade levels.

Congratulations to our 7^th and 8^th grade volleyball teams on a great season.  Both teams wound up as runners up in the conference tournament!

Site Based Council Nominations:

Site Based Council nominations are being accepted this week.  See Mrs. House in the GCMS office to nominate someone or to self-nominate.  The council is comprised on three teachers, two parents, and the principal.  Teachers are eligible to nominate and to serve, and parents whose children are currently in grades 5-7 in Grayson County are eligible to nominate and serve.  See Mrs. House for other qualifications questions.  The voting will be next Wednesday, April 22.

Student Growth Goals:

We spent some time on Monday after school reviewing the student growth goal process.  I am requesting that each teacher be prepared to meet with me or one of the assistant principals during CSI planning time next week (April 20-April 24) to reflect on the progress made toward the SGG this year.  Teachers will need to bring a copy of your student growth goal, your rubric, data from your pre and post assessments, your analysis of the data (spreadsheet would be a good approach).  You should be able to show the percentage of students who showed growth and the percentage of students who reached proficiency or better.

Student Voice Surveys:

As you know, the recent student voice survey results are now available in CIITS.  Overall, I felt like the results at GCMS were positive.  I know that there has been some conversation and even concern about the survey results.  The student voice survey is not a percentage or direct component of anyone’s evaluation.  It should be thought of as one piece of evidence that informs the evaluation of professional practice.  It is also the first time that we have done the student survey, and some students may not have taken it very seriously.  We can learn from this first experience, and perhaps we can better prepare our students next year so to get optimal and appropriate results.  While I don’t want anyone to get all bent out of shape about the survey, I do want you to take it as it is intended.  We should consider student perceptions and do what we can to make those perceptions positive, while at the same time maintaining quality teaching and learning.  For example, if the students have rated a teacher low in engagement, it should cause that teacher to consider ways of making his/her classroom more engaging.  If the students have rated someone highly in a category, consider what you are doing well to motivate that high rating and build on that strength area.  Again, let’s take the student voice surveys in a constructive way to inform and improve our professional practice. 

Quote of the Day:

“In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility.” ~Michael  Korda

April 22…Teacher and Parent SBDMC Election, 6:30-3:30

April 27…History Assembly, The Wolf Brothers, 1:15

May 8… Living History for 8th graders in the auditorium at 1:00.

May 11…Faculty Meeting

May 13…20 – KPREP Testing Window

May 19… No school for students – PLC Day for staff

May 20…Posting window opens

May 26… Drama Play for 8th graders at 8:00

May 27…8th Grade Field Day

May 27…Posting window closes

May 27…Drama Club Play for 6th grade 8:00, for 7th grade 9:30

May 28…6th/7th Grade Field Day

May 28 …Awards Evening at 6:00

May 29…Last day for students

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb?

This Week at GCMS:

The old saying of the month of March “coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb” seems to be holding true this year.  Hopefully, our wintery weather has run its course this year and spring is right around the corner.  I know that many are caught up in the excitement of the NCAA Tournament with the Cards and the Cats still in the running.  I even saw one West Virginia Mountaineer shirt today!  It is always an exciting time of year.

Staff Concerns:

Please remember all of those GCMS staff members who are dealing with health issues or who have family members with health issues right now.  Stacy Pierce did well with her surgery yesterday.  Angie Escue is getting ready for a surgery next week.  Sandy Blain broke her foot earlier this week.  I know that there are several others as well.  Please always remember your GCMS family.

Calendar:

I have a few notes about this year’s school calendar.  Students will be out for Spring Break the full week of April 6-10.  Election Day, May 19 has been designated as the makeup PLC Day, so that will be a staff only day.  Students’ last day of school will be May 29.  That will leave our staff with one makeup staff day and our closing day (which is just half a day for those who worked Back to School Night in July).  I would like to hear your input about which days to use for the makeup day and for closing day.  Memorial Day, Monday, May 25; Saturday, May 30; Monday, June 1; and Tuesday, June 2 are all possibilities.  If you have preferences about which days we use, let me know.  We won’t be able to please everyone, but maybe we can choose the dates that work best for most.  Thanks.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the GCMS Beta Club for winning the State Service Award at the State Junior Beta Convention!  This is a testament to the hard work of our Beta students and their sponsor, Nancy Sims.  Also, Brooklyn Glasscock won first place in the State Beta Convention Spelling competition.  She will get to represent Kentucky at national competition.

Also, congratulations to the GCMS delegation to the Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA).  The GCMS delegation was names a Delegation of Excellence.  Payton Abney was named Outstanding Delegate from Grayson County, and Shanna McClung was named Outstanding Media Representative.

The Sound of Music:

The KMEA Concert Festival is in full swing!  Our 6^th grade orchestra kicked things off in a big way yesterday by scoring straight distinguished ratings!  Our band ensembles and our other orchestra ensembles will be performing today, and our chorus will be performing next week.  I just heard that our 7^th/8^th grade band scored straight distinguished ratings today!  We are very proud of all of our music performance groups and their hard work and dedication.

Volleyball:

Tonight is our final home volleyball match of the season.  Come out and support our girls as they finish another great season.  They will be starting conference tournament play at Breckinridge County next week.  Go Lady Cougars!

Quote of the Day:

"We must become the change we wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Coming Attractions:

                 March 30-31…Operation Preparation (8^th Grade)

                  April 1-3…Reality Store (8^th Grade)

                  April 3…Reward Assembly for PBIS (no referrals), 1:30

                  April 6-10…Spring Break

                  April 13…Faculty Meeting, after school

                  April 13-17…Teacher and Parent SBDMC Nominations Accepted

                  April 15…SBDMC Meeting, 3:15

                  April 22…Teacher and Parent SBDMC Election, 6:30-3:30

                  April 27…History Assembly, The Wolf Brothers, 1:15

May 8… Living History for 8^th graders in the auditorium at 1:00.

          May 11…Faculty Meeting

          May 13…20 – KPREP Testing Window

          May 19… No school for students – PLC Day for staff

          May 20…Posting window opens

          May 26… Drama Play for 8^th graders at 8:00

       May 27…8^th Grade Field Day

       May 27…Posting window closes

       May 27…Drama Club Play for 6^th grade 8:00, for 7^th grade 9:30

       May 28…6^th/7^th Grade Field Day

          May 28 …Awards Evening at 6:00 – Mr. Helm will be e-mailing information about how his team awarded students based on SBG

          May 27…Lunch switch with Team 8 – (8^th grade field day)

          May 29…Last day for students

      August 4...Back to School Night at GCMS, 4:00-6:00

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

Spring that Spring!

This Week at GCMS:

It has been great to be back in school this week after yet another round of winter weather!  Hopefully, the spring-like conditions will stay with us, and we can continue on with the business of teaching and learning.  I have a few notes to share as this week winds down.

College Fridays:

Tomorrow (March 13) will be our first “College Friday” of this school year.  At this time of year when so many of us go crazy over college basketball with the NCAA Tournament going on, we like to encourage students and staff to show support for their favorite college or university on Fridays.  Please encourage your students to show their support by wearing shirts, caps, or other clothing displaying their favorite school.  Students and staff may wear hats or caps without a hat sticker on Fridays during March as long as it has a college logo of some sort.  Go Toppers and Go Dores!

The Push-Up Challenge:

The March “Push-Up Challenge” has been going very well so far.  Mr. Morris, Mrs. Bratcher, and Mrs. Geary have set up a table each morning in the gym for students (and staff) to do push-ups, adding one each day.  Today was Day 11, and we have been impressed with a high level of participation so far!

Great Job Teams 5 and 6!

I was quite impressed with the recent Showcase Lessons in Teams 5 and 6.  Students and teachers were highly engaged in the learning process in every room that I visited during those two days.  In addition to the new peer observation process, this year’s Showcase Lessons have provided valuable opportunities for our teachers to get into colleagues’ classrooms and share strategies and learning ideas.  Great job!

Student Voice Surveys:

We will be starting our student voice surveys at GCMS tomorrow.  Please follow the schedule that Mrs. Pearl has provided.  I know that each team has gone over the vocabulary and meanings of survey items so that the students understand what is being asked.  We appreciate everyone’s efforts with this part of the TPGES program.

TELL Survey and PBIS Survey:

I would like for everyone to complete your TELL Survey and your PBIS Self-Assessment by this coming Monday afternoon if possible.  If you have not completed both surveys, please plan to stay after school on Monday to complete it.  This will be in lieu of our March faculty meeting.  Thanks.

Student Growth Goals:

Post assessments for Student Growth Goals should be completed by April 3.  Administrators will meet with each teacher after spring break concerning your students’ progress on this year’s SGG’s.  Nothing on SGG has to be in CIITS as of April 3, but please do have your post assessments completed and start analyzing your data. 

Observations:

I have enjoyed getting into LOTS of classrooms the past couple of weeks!  I have seen lots of great teaching and learning going on and am very encouraged by what I see.  I have also come to the conclusion that with all of the new requirements of PGES, that I want to get in a lot more formal classroom observations during the first semester next year.  The administration may set up a schedule next year to avoid having such a crunch during the months of February and March. 

Quote of the Day:

“You are the way you are because that’s the way you want to be. If you really wanted to be any different, you would be in the process of changing right now.” ~Fred Smith

Coming Attractions:

March 12…Home Volleyball, 5:00

March 15…Orchestra Concert

March 18…GCMS SBDMC meeting, 3:15

March 19-20…GCMS Delegation at KUNA

March 20….WKU History Contest

March 20…Home Volleyball, 5:30

March 23…Aspiring Principals Recruitment Event, 3:30 (GCMS Auditorium)

March 24-25…GCMS Delegation at State BETA Convention

March 26...Home Volleyball, 5:00

March 30-31…Operation Preparation at GCMS