The GMS Times Express – Parent Newsletter Dear Students and Parents: The 2011—2012 school year has arrived for Gladewater Middle School and its students. Middle school is a time of change. The work load and social adjustments for middle school students are greater here than at the elementary level. Students will be expected to attend school regularly, complete all assignments, and behave appropriately. Students, your year will be exciting and filled with many new opportunities. Parents, there will be many occasions in which you will receive informal reports given to you by your son or daughter. The faculty and staff at Gladewater Middle School will work to ensure that those reports will all be positive. One of our goals at GMS is to see that parents and guardians of students- like the students themselves – feel at home at GMS. To accomplish that, Parent Newsletters are posted to our campus website at the end of each six weeks, providing you with information about events and activities. GMS believes that the most important factor in a successful school year is you, the parent! The partnership between our school, your family, and the student is key. Gladewater Middle School began the school year having met both federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and State of Texas academic standards. With that in mind GMS encourages you to stay involve in your child’s education. Parent participation in the education of their children can make all the difference in the world for some students. If you are able GMS strongly encourage all parents to take an active role in the district’s parent volunteer organization. Your time and talents can and will make a difference to all GMS students. Giving our students every possible advantage is the dedicated goal of our parent volunteer organization and we encourage you to please join us in this effort. Parent volunteers are always an asset to any school. Finally, please remember that each of us has a role and a purpose. As parents, one of your greatest tasks is communicating—with your student’s teachers, and with the school’s administration. Please ensure that we always have current contact information on file for you. If you have recently changed your cell phone or work number, please contact the office staff on campus to let them know. Gladewater Middle School has an excellent website that we hope you will find useful. Please have a look and check back often for the latest GMS news. The website is located at www.gladewaterisd.com Thanks, James B. Griffin Principal
Transcript
The GMS Times Express – Parent Newsletter
Dear Students and Parents:
The 2011—2012 school year
has arrived for Gladewater Middle School
and its students. Middle school is a time
of change. The work load and social
adjustments for middle school students
are greater here than at the elementary level. Students will be expected to attend school regularly, complete all assignments, and
behave appropriately. Students, your year will be exciting and filled with many new opportunities.
Parents, there will be many occasions in which you will receive informal reports given to you by your son or daughter. The
faculty and staff at Gladewater Middle School will work to ensure that those reports will all be positive. One of our goals at GMS is to
see that parents and guardians of students- like the students themselves – feel at home at GMS. To accomplish that, Parent Newsletters
are posted to our campus website at the end of each six weeks, providing you with information about events and activities. GMS
believes that the most important factor in a successful school year is you, the parent! The partnership between our school, your family,
and the student is key.
Gladewater Middle School began the school year having met both federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and State of
Texas academic standards. With that in mind GMS encourages you to stay involve in your child’s education. Parent participation in
the education of their children can make all the difference in the world for some students.
If you are able GMS strongly encourage all parents to take an active role in the district’s parent volunteer organization.
Your time and talents can and will make a difference to all GMS students. Giving our students every possible advantage is the
dedicated goal of our parent volunteer organization and we encourage you to please join us in this effort. Parent volunteers are always
an asset to any school.
Finally, please remember that each of us has a role and a purpose. As parents, one of your greatest tasks is
communicating—with your student’s teachers, and with the school’s administration. Please ensure that we always have current contact
information on file for you. If you have recently changed your cell phone or work number, please contact the office staff on campus to
let them know. Gladewater Middle School has an excellent website that we hope you will find useful. Please have a look and check
back often for the latest GMS news. The website is located at www.gladewaterisd.com
Thanks,
James B. Griffin
Principal
GMS 9-11 Program Highlights
GMS takes time out to observed 9-11 in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11,
2001.
Music and songs performed by the GMS Band and Choir included: The Star
Spangled Banner, Battle Hymn of the Republic and America the Beautiful.
Great job GMS students!!
8th
grade Essay Contest Winner
6th
, 7th
& 8th
grade 9-11 Essay winners
9-11 Art contest winners
A Hard Day’s Work Completed!
GMS students await transportation home after a hard day of academic engagement
FYI - Upcoming Events
GMS will be observing bullying awareness week November 14-18, 2011
The Anti-Bullying Program: Theme: ‘Stand Up! (to bullying)’
Activities:
1. Daily public Service announcement made by GMS students
2. Anti-Bullying Contest – Students will create posters, poems, songs, essays and skits. Winners will be featured in the Anti-Bullying
assembly at the end of the week
3. Daily sub themes:
Monday- Say something Nice Today
Tuesday- Random Acts of Kindness day
Wednesday-Pledge not to bully – have a pledge form that students can sign and display on a wall
Thursday- Friendship Day – make a new friend, talk to someone you don’t usually talk to
Friday – Wear Blue as a Sign of Peace
4. School assembly with special guest speaker and winner of contest
Local media invited to attend school assembly. The week’s activities to be featured on the campus website and in the parents’
newsletter.
GLADEWATER MIDDLE SCHOOL
UIL ONE ACT PLAY
JOHN LENNON & ME
By Cherie Benne
Please join us in congratulating the following students who will represent Gladewater Middle School
on December 10th in the Jr High/Middle School UIL One Act Play District Meet.
Cast Crew
Whitney Carroll Brianna Bynum
Isabella McAvoy Jasmin Edwards
Makaidi Jones Katherine McEvoy
Brittany Monnin McKenzie Myers
Justin Basa Cole Williams
Keshawn Lawler
Brittany Reynoso
Misti Urban
Ernst Vanderlaon
Charynn McCurdy
Todd Ramsey
Ashlea Spano
Drew Burson
Lena Pellegalle
Ashton Luscomb
GMS Library News
1st
Six Weeks
Before the GMS assembly to honor the heroes of 9-11, students posed in front of the library
display. Several 9-11 books can be found in the GMS library.
Two local heroes who were honored for their service to the community
Librarian’s Pick
Author Rick Riordan has written a thrilling adventure series about twelve-year-old Percy Jackson.
You’ll find The Lighting Thief and all the books in the series in the GMS library.
GMS students were eager to get back to the
library. The new 6th
graders were given a
tour of the different sections of the library
and where to find their favorite books and
authors. The picture shows Mrs. Welch’s
class browsing magazines.
What is STAAR, What does the change mean?
Parents as you probably already know the TAKS test has been replaced by the STAAR Test. STAAR will replace the Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills for students in grades three through 11. State education officials predicted that the test will again
raise the bar for Texas education. Texas students will have to answer more questions - and spend more time in class answering them -
when the state's new student testing program is rolled out for the 2011-12 school year. Students will have less opportunity to guess at
multiple choice questions as more open-ended items appear on tests - particularly in math and science - requiring students to come up
with original answers. STAAR will represent a more unified, comprehensive assessment program that will incorporate more rigorous
college and career readiness standards.
Among the key changes to remember are:
1. Assessments in most grades and subjects will be longer, and overall test difficulty will be increased by including more rigorous items.
2. The rigor of items will be increased by measuring skills at a greater depth and level of complexity. That will help better evaluate the
academic growth of higher-achieving students.
3. Performance standards will be set so that they require a higher level of student competency than is now required on the TAKS.
4. To make sure the tests are rigorous enough, student performance on STAAR will be compared with results on standardized national
assessments.
5. The new testing program has a goal of putting Texas among the top 10 states for graduating college-ready students by the end of the
decade.
6. All students in grades three through eight will be tested in reading and math, with students in specific grades also tested in science,
social studies and writing.
7. Middle school students are now tested on only one subject per day each year. For example, a seventh-grader - being tested in math,
reading and writing - takes three days of exams.
8. That will not increase under the STAAR test, but students will have more questions and those will be more difficult, causing students
to spend more time finishing it. That means instead of most students finishing before noon, students will probably be working until
early afternoon. 9.
9. Results from the STAAR will be used to calculate annual school and district performance ratings beginning in the summer of 2013.
From the Guidance Counselor
Welcome back GMS students and parents! I hope you enjoyed your summer and are excited to get back to school.
For those of you who do not know me, I am the counselor for Gladewater Middle School. I have been in education for 19 years, and I
have been with Gladewater ISD for 5 years. As the Middle School counselor, I am responsible for guidance in career and college
planning, as well as, transition planning for students to High School. For students in middle school, the work of a school guidance
counselor is slightly different. Students at this age are often struggling with social problems. The counselor's role may be as someone
who provides advice and friendly assistance to students who have trouble making friends or navigating the middle school social
environment. On the flip side, guidance counselors can meet with bullies to stage interventions. Counselors also work with faculty to
identify students who need extra help with their schoolwork or who appear to be having problems at home. In addition, throughout
your child’s time at GMS they will be involved in character education, physical education, health, extra-curricular activities, clubs and
social events that will help them explore the confidence and leadership abilities they have within themselves. They will use these skills
to create positive change within themselves, our school, and our community.
Furthermore, I am also available to students and parents to discuss any questions or concerns that may arise throughout the school
year. Please feel free to contact me if there are any circumstances at home or school that may be affecting your child’s well being.
GMS is a strong, close community that looks out for one another.
