March 18, 2016
Scholars Bowl News!
This past Saturday the Five Forks Scholars Bowl team finished in 2nd place at the "Chattahoochee Academic Season Ender." We had our most impressive win ever against the Duluth A-Team, perennial State Champion. In the semi-finals we had our first win over River Trail in three years by a margin of 5 points, the slimmest amount possible. In the end we were unexpectedly defeated by the Taylor Road A-team whom we had beaten easily earlier this year.
What a day for Beven Jojo, Jay Patel, Leo Wang, Hollis Zeng, and Greg Zhang! They have performed so well throughout this school year and have two more tournaments to go. We will participate at the "U.S. Academic Bee and Bowl," a regional tournament, on March 26th that could lead to another level. This tournament will be very unusual in that it has an INDIVIDUAL portion, so this will make it especially interesting! Then, we will close out the year over the weekend of May 6-8 as we participate in the NAQT (National Academic Quiz Tournament) at the Atlanta Hilton.
Many thanks to Coaches Dennis Turnham and Angela Howell who have given much time before and after school as well as many weekends to be with these students. Thanks also to April Coston who has stepped in to help out whenever we have taken 3 squads to a tournament, and this in addition to her many long hours with Science Olympiad! It's such a great thing that so many of our FIve Forks teachers are willing to volunteer to help our students on weekends!
Parent Volunteers Needed!
Talent Show DVDs Available!
Publix Partners!
Attention Rising 9th Grade!
Important Dates to Remember:
3/28/16 - Rising 9th Grade Activities Night, 6:30-8:00pm, BHS Commons and Both Gyms
5/18/16 - Carnegie Unit Presentation/Q&A, 6:30pm, BHS Commons (for Parents/Students with Questions
TBA - Carnegie Unit Forms Due to FFMS
Information on Activities:
Cheerleader Tryouts for Rising 9th Graders will be held March 25th, 28th, and 29th from 5:00-6:30 pm. Final tryouts will be Wednesday, March 30th at 5:00 pm. For further information, email Emma Harris.
Volleyball Tryouts will be held May 9th - 13th. Two information meetings will be held Wednesday, February 24th and Tuesday, April 26th, both at 6:30 pm, in the BHS Media Center. Coach Welsch will discuss the tryout process, paperwork, physicals, and specific requirements and answer any questions. 8th grade girls interested in volleyball and their parents are urged to attend one of the meetings. Email Coach Welsch with any questions.
Chess Tournament!
Morning Help Sessions!
Please make sure you are dropping off your students no earlier than 8:15 am. The building is not open to students prior to 8:15 am (EXCEPT when it is extremely cold and students are allowed in the gym beginning at 8:00 am). Students are admitted to help sessions at 8:15 am when teachers are in their rooms and ready to accept them. As a reminder, Wednesday is help session day for Math and Social Studies and Thursday is help session day for Language Arts and Science. We appreciate your support in this matter as we want to keep all of our students safe!
Bidding for Good!
Parents, please support our Brookwood Cluster by participating in the "Bidding For Good" fundraising auction! Funds generated are used to make improvements to our cluster schools and to help purchase valuable equipment and technology to provide rich and engaging lessons for students. Click here for a link to the online auction! We appreciate your support!
Georgia STEM Day!
Transportation News!
Gwinnett County is updating its Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP), looking at the changes that have occurred in Gwinnett County’s population, employment, land use, and development since the adoption of the previous plan and developing a plan that will carry the county well into the future. Gwinnett County’s CTP will focus on all modes of transportation, including roadways and bridges, transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and truck routes as well as the Gwinnett County Airport. As community members we all have a vested interest in this topic. As members of school communities that interest includes school safety projects that will be addressed in the updated plan. Attached is a flyer with information about upcoming meetings, as well as the web address for the project website and an online survey. Get involved and help shape the future of Gwinnett County.
Top 20 Parents!
Observation
Discovering Your Child
Observation = to pay attention, watch, perceive or notice. Observation helps us get to know our children better by taking in more details to help us see the Big Picture of our children’s behaviors.
Observation helps us use the Frame clearly, builds our EQ and star qualities, and helps us to be aware if we are Above or Below the line.
Observation takes practice of putting ourselves in a child’s place to helps us understand why and how behavior happens.
Hone your observation skills by:
● Watching without judging right or wrong, good or bad
● Focusing on the child and not other thoughts or agendas
● Concentrating on the task the child is doing
● Listening and watching without taking over
● Sensing what the child is feeling.
For those interested in reading Top 20 Parents in its entirety, follow this link to order a copy for yourself: Top 20 Parents Book.
Clinic News!
Counselors' Corner!
The Counselors this year are Rachel Kusher and Laura Ross. Mrs. Kusher works with all 8th graders and the 6th grade team of Watson, Glenn, Hicks, & Buschell. Ms. Ross works with all 7th graders and the 6th grade teams of Coston, Seay, McGraw & Byrnes and Kuny, Byrd & Branam. Both Ms. Ross and Ms. Kusher may be reached by phone or email to set a phone conference or face to face appointment. Our contact information can be found on the FFMS Counseling Department website: http://fiveforkscounseling.weebly.com/
Spiritwear on Sale!
Brookwood Schools Foundation!
Planning for 2016-17!
Clip Away!
Every month we will have a collection contest. You can help your child's homeroom win parties by simply turning in the labels. Each homeroom will be competing with their grade level to win a classroom party. Thanks for your support!
Saturday Opportunity School!
What's New This Week!
Cafeteria News!
Also, here's a flyer about Nutrislice, available now! Click here for all of our breakfast and lunch menus, food descriptions and images, carb counts, surveys, and other nutrition information! You can also access it with the Nutrislice mobile app and have the information at your fingertips! Nutrislice information is also available on the FFMS Website under 'Cafeteria' and 'FFMS Cafe' on the 'School Information' pull-down tab. We hope you will visit this site often and encourage your child to try something new in our Cafeteria!
Yearbooks on Sale!
School Store!
Our Media Center operates a School Store for any last minute school supply needs. Students may stop by any time. Click here for an inventory sheet and price list.
GCPS E-Newsletter!
Click here to sign up for GCPS News, the school district's e-newsletter. It's a quick, easy way to learn more about Georgia's largest school system. In it, you'll find stories on teaching and learning, school leadership and governance, and the partnerships that make Gwinnett County Public Schools successful.
GCPS also publishes an online magazine, Communique, with new items added each week. Here's a link.
Join Today!
The PTSA welcomes all our new Five Forks families and would like to encourage you to become a member for only $6.00. We are striving for 100% participation and hope you'll take advantage of this easy way to get involved in many different PTSA-sponsored activities throughout the school year.
If you have not yet completed and returned a communication form, please fill one out next time you visit FFMS. This will help us keep you informed via email about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
Absence Reporting Procedure!
Dress Code!
Attention, Broncos: Shorts and skirts must be no shorter than 8" from the bottom of the knee to be worn in class. Also, no bare shoulders or see-through blouses. No holes in jeans or shorts above the knee and no droopy drawers are allowed. If a student is found to be in violation of the Dress Code, parents will be called to bring a change of clothing for their child. If a parent is not readily available to bring an appropriate change of clothes, students are sometimes able to borrow clothing articles from the Clinic. We ask that clothing borrowed clothing from the Clinic be returned at your earliest convenience so that others may have this same opportunity. Thank you for your assistance.
As a reminder, detailed and specific dress code information is located on pages 7 and 8 of your student's agenda book. We hope you will take a moment to review this with your child. We appreciate your cooperation.
Car Rider Reminders!
- Car Rider Pick-Up/Drop-Off is only at the rear of the building adjacent to the blacktop - no other doors.
- No morning drop-off in front of the building or in the side parking lot
- No drop-off prior to 8:15am except on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:00am; pick-up is at 4:00pm and the cut-off time is 4:15pm; we do not have staff on duty to accommodate students outside of these times; if you need resources for early morning or late afternoon care for your child, click here for available options.
- Students should not use electronic devices while waiting but be actively watching for their cars.
- For the safety of our students, we ask that parents refrain from using electronic devices while driving in the car rider lane.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation.
Transportation Changes!
BHS Activities Link!
Remind Text Alerts!
Community Activities Link!
Entrepreneurship Program!
Attention 8th Graders:
If you have ever thought about running your own business or turning everyday ideas into real-world products or services, the Clyde L. Strickland Entrepreneurship Program at Discovery High School may be just the educational experience for you! All GCPS rising freshman are invited to apply to the Discovery High School Entrepreneurship Program for the 2016-2017 school year, Accepted applicants will attend Discovery High School under permissive transfer. Please submit an application by June 30, 2016 by email or the street address on the application.
Milestones Results!
1) Log into the Parent Portal
2) Select the Test History tab located on the navigation bar
3) On the right-hand side is a widget titled "Assessment Reports"
4) Under "Assessment Reports" click on "2015 Spring End of Grade Individual Student Report."
In addition to the individual student report, a parent guide is listed below the report to help explain the report and your student's achievement. Please note that paper copies of the results with further instructions will also be sent home with your child's report card in January.
Dates To Remember!
3/18 - 8th Grade Dance, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Gym
3/19 - Science Olympiad State Competition
3/19 - Readers Rally Competition at Berkmar High School
3/23 - 8th Grade Band LGPE at Duluth High School, 5:30 pm
3/24 - Willy Wonka the Musical, Gym, 7:00 pm
3/25 - Willy Wonka the Musical, Gym, 7:00 pm
3/26 - Saturday Opportunity School, 9:00 - 11:00 am
3/26 - 7th Grade Band LGPE at Duluth High School, 10:00 am
3/28 - Rising 9th Grade Activities Night, BHS, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Five Forks Middle School
Email: five_forks_middle@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Website: fiveforksmiddleschool.org
Location: 3250 River Drive Southwest, Lawrenceville, GA, United States
Phone: 770-972-1506
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckyConnects
Twitter: @BuckyConnects