Jaguar News
Volume 3, Issue 17 - January 10, 2020
With the new semester, students have new opportunities to apply the skills they learned and start anew in all their classes. As always, we want to provide opportunities for them to own their education and choices, while we support them in the process. At Gentry, our goal is to have responsible students that thrive with the challenges middle school presents, and that are ready for the freedoms high school will offer.
I want to share with you this article about 10 skills middle schoolers need to be successful, and how you can help as a parent.
Here are the highlights:
1. Make good friend choices
2. Work in teams and negotiate conflict
3. Manage a student-teacher mismatch
4. Create organization and homework systems
5. Monitor and take responsibility for grades
6. Learn to self-advocate
7. Self-regulate emotions
8. Cultivate passions and recognize limitations
9. Make responsible, safe, and ethical choices
10. Create and innovate
Thank you for your constant support!
Chili Supper and Silent Auction Fundraiser- Monday, January 13!
Our 6th annual Chili Supper and Silent Auction Fundraiser will be held on Monday, January 13th from 4:30-6:00 pm in the Gentry Cafetorium. All proceeds will go to our amazing Gentry athletics program.
The value of athletics in school is significant and cannot be overlooked. It has a profound impact on our students and the school as a whole. It can bridge gaps, bring students with relatively nothing in common together and gives students unbelievable, life-altering opportunities.
Facts about GMS athletics:
• Gentry has approximately 400+ student athletes who compete in various sports each
year.
• The CPS budget for athletics is the same for every middle school in Columbia despite our
middle school being the largest in the district.
• Costs for replacement uniforms/equipment, transportation expenses and salaries to cover the cost of officials continues to rise as our student population increases. Past history tells us that GMS will exhaust our allotted budget well before the school year is over.
• We couldn't keep our athletic program running efficiently without the support of our great
Gentry families!!
With that being said, and as the weather begins to get down-right cold, please plan on joining us for supper and a ball game for a good cause! Tickets are $7 each (in advance) or $9 (at the door) and will get you a warm bowl of chili with the fixin's, a hot dog, cookie and a beverage. Your ticket price will also include admission into our 8th grade boys basketball game vs. Oakland scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm that same night. Hope to see you there!
Martin Luther King Day
Please remember that school will not be in session on Monday, January 20th due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Attention 8th Grade Parents: Work to Begin Next Week on 4 Year High School Individual Career and Academic Plans
Our school counselors will be visiting 8th grade Social Studies classrooms next week on Wednesday, January 15th so that they can introduce students to high school scheduling in Schoology. Click here to view the presentation (21 minutes long) that will be shown to students. Students will then be able to review the additional registration materials that will be handed out on this day and should begin working on their 4-year plan, called the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP). The 4-year ICAP plan is not the student’s registration for 9th grade courses, instead it is an outline or starting point that students will be able to revisit as they work through their high school years.
After this initial classroom presentation, all 8th grade students will then visit RBHS on the following day, Thursday, January 16th. Students will be bused to RBHS and will spend the entire day (including their lunch period) on their campus. Complimentary lunches from Subway will be provided for all 8th grade students on this day or students can choose to bring their own sack lunch. Students will not be permitted to take anything else (other than a sack lunch if they so choose) to RBHS.
Reminder:
Additionally, all 8th grade students are enrolled in a Schoology course called “Class of 2024.” In this course, students have access to: the power point shown in Social Studies classes, a blank ICAP, course offerings by grade level and the High School Registration Guide. Students will be encouraged to work alongside their parent or guardian to complete and submit their ICAP plan. Please ask your student to familiarize you with the materials in the above “Class of 2024” course and talk with them about this plan by: helping them understand how courses build upon one another, explaining how some classes require prerequisite courses prior to enrolling, navigating the various course descriptions with them and offering wisdom on how enrolling in certain courses will help prepare them for certain academic and career paths post high school graduation. Being somewhat familiar with this information now should give you and your student ample time to begin to prepare questions once registration begins. Lastly, please mark your calendar and plan on attending the following upcoming parent events:
RBHS Registration and Course Selection Parent Informational Meeting:
When: Thursday, January 16, from 6:00-7:00 pm
Where: RBHS Cafeteria
Who: Parents of current 8th grade students
*Please RSVP no later than January 15th for this event to Theresa Geyer at tgeyer@cpsk12.org or 573-214-3111
Rock Bridge High School Course Fair
When: Monday, January 27, from 5:30-7:00 pm
Where: RBHS/Building Wide
Who: For current current 8th grade students (who will be attending RBHS) and their parents
Hickman High School Course Fair:
When: Thursday, January 16, from 5:00-7:00 pm
Where: HHS/Building Wide
Who: For current current 8th grade students (who will be attending HHS) and their parents
**Final ICAP's will be due in Schoology no later than Tuesday, January 21st.
**Final Course Registration Requests will be due no later than Wednesday, January 29th.
Please feel free to reach out to your student’s GMS guidance counselor or the RBHS Director of School Counseling if you have any further questions or concerns regarding this process.
Kelly Off (last names A-G): Koff@cpsk12.org
Mark Holman (last names H-Pe): mholman@cpsk12.org
Lexie Davis (last names Pf-Z): aldavis@cpsk12.org
RBHS Director of School Counseling, Rachel Reed: rreed@cpsk12.org or 573-214-3113
GMS Counseling Office: (573) 214-3243
From the GMS Guidance Department: Release of Information
Please be advised that if your student receives outside support from an institution that requires school records to be shared, the Guidance office needs to have a signed Release of Information on file first. We are not at liberty to share your student’s educational records without first securing your parental permission. The counselors have copies of this Release of Information paperwork and, once it is signed and returned we will gladly share your student's information with the designated outside agency.
6th Grade Co-ed Winter Intramural Basketball
Boone County Mental Health Survey
Our students and teachers will be completing the first round of the Boone County Schools Mental Health Coalition survey beginning January 13th . If you have any questions, please check the Frequently Asked Questions Document below or contact our GMS Outreach Counselor, Erin Maynard at emaynard@cpsk12.org
Media Center Minute
It’s good to see the students back in the media center after semester break! We have lots of new books for students to check out this semester! iPad issues seem to be minimal. Please remind your student to upgrade their iOS to the latest version, 13.3, if they haven’t already. Many times this will alleviate any issues they are having.
General Reminders
None of this info is new to you, but wanted to send another quick reminder...
Riding the bus with a friend: We realize that occasionally your student will need to ride the bus home with a friend. If this is the case, we will need for you as the parent to write a note stating that your child has permission to do so. Please include in your note: the date your child will be riding, who your child will be riding with and that student’s bus number. Instruct your child to bring that note into the main office on the day that they will be riding with a friend and we will in turn issue your student a buss pass that they can give to the driver to be permitted to ride.
Lunch at Gentry: Parents are always welcome to enjoy an occasional lunch at Gentry with their student, but before you visit we thought you would like a better understanding of our lunchtime guidelines. Our guidelines below are quite simple and by being aware of them we can hopefully alleviate undo parental and student stress on the day of your lunchtime visit.
- You are welcome to purchase a school lunch through the student lunch line. Our cashiers only accept cash, however, and are unable to make change due to our large student population. An adult school lunch costs $ 3.75.
- If you wish to carry a lunch in on the day of your visit be sure that the lunch you are bringing in is only for you and your child to share. Due to the overall health concerns of our student population, we cannot have a parent share lunch items or bring in a lunch for any other student other than their own child.
- Lastly, we do not accept any lunch food deliveries from local food delivery companies for students.
Use of Coats: Students are not allowed to wear coats in the building, however, we really want them to dress for the weather. Please, encourage your students to wear coats, long pants, and anything else they need to stay warm while they walk to school or wait at the bus stop!
Use of Cellphones: Cellphones are not allowed at Gentry during the school day, except at lunch. Please, do not communicate with your students via cellphone during class time, it is extremely disruptive and sends them the message that you, as a parent, are encouraging them to not follow the rules. If the message to your student can't wait until lunch time or the end of the day, please, contact the office!
Dropping items at the office: Once again, it is valuable for your students to learn responsibility by "surviving" a school day without the items they may have forgotten on a give day at home. They are more likely to learn from their mistake and remember next time if you don't bring them the item. This also helps the office staff and teachers enormously by not having to interrupt classroom instruction to relay messages to student about these forgotten items. If you must drop something off, including lunch, please do it before 9:00 am. Thank you so much for your understanding of this policy.
Drop off & Pick up procedures: These are the general guidelines:
- Pull up as far as you can in front of the building to drop off your student
- Encourage your student to get off the car as soon as you are close to the building
- All students must be picked up or dropped off by the curb. If you park in the lot, escort your child to and from the car.
- Cars may begin entering the bus area at 7:20am
- Students must be in their classroom no later than 7:30am. Plan accordingly.
- Pick up your student(s) no later than 3:00pm, unless they are staying for a supervised after-school activity.
- Parents need to make arrangements with their students ahead of time for pick up. Make sure you communicate with them if they are to ride the bus or wait to be picked up. If you need to call the office to change arrangements it must be done before 2:00pm.
For other questions about procedures, please review the Student Handbook HERE.
Message to 7th Grade Families
Gentry 7th grade families-
My name is Tabetha Rawlings and I am working on the research portion of my dissertation. My research topic is Student Perceptions of Homework and Teacher Homework Practices. Your child receive two forms next week, one describing the research and the other is the required Columbia Public Schools Parent and Guardian Consent form which must be returned for your child to participate in the study. At no time will your child or their individual answers be identified through participating in the 25-question survey about homework. Please see the forms attached to this link. I would greatly appreciate you and your child’s support in my dissertation research.
Please use the link to access the forms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OjqOZhEvnfHNt_yjR4kjlnGZd3ekvATb/view?usp=sharing
Thank you,
Tabetha Rawlings
573-214-3280
January Lunch Menu
2019/20 Student Yearbooks
The final date to order a yearbook is March 13th! If your student is interested in a 2019/20 yearbook, it is not too late to purchase one. Although most orders were placed during our Schedule Pick Up Day in August, you can still purchase a yearbook online . Each yearbook is $15 and can be purchased using this link and entering code 40068C. If you are unable to recall if you placed an order at the beginning of the year, please contact the main office at 214-3240. Hurry and get your student's order in before it is too late!
Upcoming Tennis Play Day
PBIS Goals for January 13-17
Safe- Our goal this week is to have students get in line quietly and calmly, as well as watch where they are going and keep their hands, feet and other objects to themselves.
Advisory Lessons for January 13-17
“What is a Healthy Relationship?"
- What is important in a relationship
- Differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships
“Real Relationships”
- Characteristics of different types of relationships
- Characteristics of healthy relationships
“Getting Along with Others”
- Benefits of getting along with others
- Individual behaviors that make it easier and/or more difficult to get along with others
Looking Ahead to January 13-19
Please see listed below the clubs and/or activities along with their locations that are occurring at Gentry Middle School for the upcoming week. Please know that activities are subject to occasional last minute changes. Feel free to contact the main office at 214-3240 or visit our website if you have any further questions.
Monday, January 13: (B Day)
TBA- 8th Grade Girls OLLIS Basketball Tournament @ OLLIS
2:35-4:00 pm- Gentry Musical Rehearsal/Annex N
2:35-4:00 pm- Running Club/Annex C
4:30-6:00 pm- Chili Supper Athletic Fundraiser/Cafe
6:00 pm- 8th Boys Basketball Game vs. Oakland @ GMS
6:00-7:00 pm- Parent/Teacher/Student Book Club/Rm. 207
Tuesday, January 14: (A Day)
TBA- 8th Grade Girls OLLIS Basketball Tournament @ OLLIS
2:35-4:00 pm- 7th/8th Cheer Squad Practice/Up Commons
2:35-4:00 pm- Gentry Musical/Annex N
2:35-4:00 pm- Jazz Band Rehearsal/Rm. 172
2:35-4:00 pm- Gentry Chess Club/Rm. 205
2:35-4:00 pm- Jaguar PAWS/Rm. 216
2:35-4:00 pm- Engineering Balsa Bridge Club/Rm. 166
2:35-4:45 pm- 8th Boys Basketball Practice/Gym
Wednesday, January 15: (B Day)
TBA- 8th Grade Girls OLLIS Basketball Tournament @ OLLIS
2:35-4:00 pm- 7th/8th Cheer Practice/Up Commons
2:35-4:45 pm- 8th Boys Basketball Practice/Gym
Thursday, January 16: (A Day)
TBA- 8th Grade Girls OLLIS Basketball Tournament @ OLLIS
7:00-7:20 am- Jaguar PAWS/Rm. 216
9:00-2:15 pm- 8th Grade Students to visit RBHS
2:35-4:00 pm- Gentry Musical Rehearsal/Annex N
2:35-4:00 pm- Jazz Band Rehearsal/Rm. 172
2:35-4:00 pm- Tennis Club/Locker Room
2:35-4:00 pm- Advanced Gaming Club/Rm. 168
2:35-4:00 pm- French Study Hall/Annex K
2:35-4:00 pm- Running Club/Annex C
6:00-8:00 pm- 6th-8th Grade Archery Practice/Up Commons
6:00 pm- 8th Boys Basketball Game vs. Lewis and Clark @ Gentry
Friday, January 17: (B Day)
TBA- 8th Grade Girls OLLIS Basketball Tournament @ OLLIS
2:35-4:45 pm- 8th Boys Basketball Practice/Gym
Saturday, January 18:
There are no activities scheduled for today.
Sunday, January 19:
6:00-7:30 pm- 8th Boys Basketball Practice/Gym
Future Dates to Remember
1/13- Chili Supper Athletic Fundraiser from 4:30-6:00 pm in the Cafe
1/16- All 8th Grade Students Tour RBHS
1/16- RBHS Registration and Course Selection Parent Informational Meeting @ RBHS 6:00pm
1/20- School Not in Session Due to MLK Day
1/27- GMS Spelling Bee
1/29- All 8th Grade Freshman Course Requests Due
1/29- Early (12:05 pm) Dismissal
1/30- Geography Bee @ 2:35-4:00 pm in the Media Center
2/4- Yearbook Group Photo Day @ 8:00 am
2/6- Grade Cards Sent Home
2/14- Teacher Work Day/School Not in Session
2/17- President's Day/School Not in Session
2/25 and 2/26- Parent Teacher Conferences
2/28- Teacher Work Day/School Not in Session
Dr. Fairouz Bishara
Email: fbishara@cpsk12.org
Website: https://www.cpsk12.org/Domain/17
Phone: (573) 214-3240
Twitter: @FairouzBishara