Jaguar News
Friday, October 15, 2021
Like leaves falling from the trees after the season's first frost, so too do the days tick off on our school calendar. Our weeks just seem to get busier and busier with each passing day. Next week alone we have everything from student Influenza shots and 7th/8th grade basketball and cheer leading tryouts, to our monthly PTSA meeting, fall production of Sir Nose The Burger Rat and our 7th/8th grade choral concert. Whew! I can't thank you enough for keeping up with all of the happenings here at Gentry by taking a quick minute to review these newsletters each week. If you have any questions, never hesitate to call the main office. Enjoy your Friday and have a great weekend.
Gentry Leads The Way!
7th and 8th graders got ice cream sandwiches at lunch today in celebration of their district-wide assessment scores! This year we are administering district wide assessments in all core classes every 6 weeks. A few weeks ago, the first assessment was administered in your child’s math class. After receiving the results data we discovered that 7th grade Math, 7th grade Challenge Math and 8th grade Prealgebra students scored highest in their content across ALL CPS middle schools. In addition, Honors Algebra students scored the highest in ALL CPS middle AND high schools in the district! What an achievement! We are so proud of our scholars!
PTSA Meeting- Join Us!
Bathroom Policy Adjustment
There has been some concern about our current bathroom policy and tardies. After observing the traffic at the bathrooms we’ve made the following adjustments:
- We are asking teachers to give a 2 minute grace period when the bell rings.
- We are asking teachers to use their professional judgement about letting students use the restroom during class.
- Tardy tracking will start over next week.
Student Flu Vaccine Clinic- Monday, October 18th
The 2021-22 Influenza vaccine (flu shot) will be given free of charge to students at Gentry Middle School on Monday, October 18th from 8:00-10:00 AM. The injectable flu vaccine (flu shot) is the only type of flu vaccine that will be offered. FluMist nasal spray will NOT be given this season. For your child to receive the flu vaccination, the 2021 Influenza “Flu” Vaccine School-Based Clinic Consent Form must be FULLY completed and SIGNED by a parent or legal guardian. You will be required to complete one separate form for EACH CHILD that you want vaccinated. Forms are due to the main office no later than Friday, October 15.
- If you decline, or do not return the required permission form to the school, the free flu vaccine will NOT be given to your student at school.
- If you return a completed consent form to the school and your child receives the flu vaccine elsewhere, it is important that you notify our school nurse immediately to avoid an unnecessary second dose.
- If you you would like to have your student receive the Influenza vaccination, but they will be absent from GMS on October 18, feel free to have them attend ANY scheduled CPS Influenza vaccination clinic. Please see below a complete list of clinic dates and locations.
- If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact our school nurse, Jennifer Ferguson, RN at 214-3246 or jferguson@cpsk12.org
7th/8th Grade Girls and Boys Basketball Tryouts
Girls and boys basketball tryouts will begin on Monday, October 18th. Please click on the specific team below that your child is planning on trying out for to see further tryout information.
Be sure that your child has turned in all of their MSHSAA paperwork to the main office PRIOR to tryouts. This paperwork can be found on our website or a paper copy can be obtained in our main office. Coaches will not be permitted to allow any student to begin the tryout process until all of this paperwork has been completed and is on file in the main office. Go Jaguars!
Join Us For An Evening (or Afternoon) of Entertainment!
Are you hungry for some LIVE THEATRE at Gentry Middle School? Well, here is the feast you’ve been waiting for! Sir Nose, the Burger Rat – A Fast Food Farce will be presented October 21-22 at 7:00 pm and October 23 at 2:00 pm. All seats are $5.00 and it is definitely family friendly! Please note that masks will be required to attend this performance.
Sink your teeth into the problems at the Burger Palace. Burger Queen and Dairy King’s secret sauce is in jeopardy when Professor McRonalds and her gang (Herr Wienerschnitzel, Corporal Saunders, Dragon Panda, and Short John Silver) try to steal the recipe. Come see how Taco Bill tries to save the day, all the while wooing Wendy Freiberger with poetry fed to him from a trash can by Sir Nose, the Burger Rat.
The patrons at the Burger Palace (Olive Gardner, Jaclyn Bachs, Kristy Kareem, R.B. Bunn, Chip Oatley, and Denise Fazoli) help save the secret sauce, with the assistance of Pizza Mutt!
Join us! The students are chomping at the bit to perform and thirsting for applause! You will eat it up!
Student Beverages
Math Counts
Is your student interested in joining Gentry’s Math Counts team? Have them complete our form by using this QR code. Our first meeting will be October 21st from 3:00-4:00 in Annex A.
We've Got Spirit! How 'bout You?
If your 7th/8th grade student is interested trying out for our winter sports Cheer Squad, now is the time to make sure that all of their MSHSAA paperwork (posted on our website) is completed and on file in the main office prior to tryouts. Again, students will not be permitted to tryout without all of this completed paperwork. Cheer squad tryouts will be held October 18th-20th in the upstairs commons from 2:35-4:00 pm . We encourage ALL students to tryout who like to show school spirit and support our winter athletics! Go Jaguars! Questions? Contact Coach Noltie at bnoltie@cpsk12.org
Congratulations!
Joan Leyden
Award Nominees in the Classroom
Assistance League
Morgan Keller
Zones of Regulation and Functional Social Problem Solving
Amy Carso
Motivating Students to Read High Quality Books
Gabe Nichols
Outdoor Classroom Development
Christine Spurling
Students AccSELerating- Social and Emotional Learning Texts
Media Center Minute
Spirit Days Coming Soon!
Our Guidance Department and Media Center work hand in hand with our classroom teachers to provide valuable instruction to students throughout the year. In September the two departments teamed up to present school wide lessons on what it looks like to be a responsible Digital Citizen.
This month, their lessons pivoted and have focused on National Bullying Prevention and Substance Abuse Prevention Month. Our Guidance team once again headed back into the classrooms and provided lessons to all students focusing on the promotion of healthy social/emotional wellbeing for every area of life. These lessons have been important and serious in nature. Students were shown how to recognize signs in people who are struggling with emotional imbalance; what to do when they see something on a digital platform that sends a “Red Flag Feeling” as well as, the importance of spending face-to-face time with friends building positive relationships. One of our primary goals at Gentry is to build a strong, connected community as we are all, far more alike, than we are different.
On that note, Gentry students are invited to celebrate positive mental health and school unity by joining together to participate in Spirit Days on October 25-27. Next week’s newsletter will announce our Student Council’s theme for each of these spirit days. By working TOGETHER we all reap the benefits of a positive and supportive community.
7th and 8th Grade Students
Attention all current 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in travel, adventure, and fun! For the summer of 2022, students will have the chance of a lifetime: a trip to Boston and New York City!!! Experience the magic of seeing history come alive through the streets where the American Revolution was born. See the sights and hear the sounds of one of America’s largest and most diverse cities all while exploring new and exciting places in the world. Visit the Statue of Liberty, take in a Broadway show, and take a walk around Central Park. Ms. Noltie and Mr. Aulgur from the 8th grade team are chaperoning the trip, and any students in 7th or 8th grade are welcome. If you were unable to attend our information meetings, please follow this link à Trip Information Slides ß to learn more about the trip! Please contact Ms. Noltie (bnoltie@cpsk12.org) or Mr. Aulgur (daulgur@cpsk12.org) if you have any questions!
*This is not a Gentry or CPS sponsored event, but is organized through the EF Tours organization*
Fall Athletics Uniform/Equipment Turn-In
If your student participated on any of our fall (Football, Volleyball, Spirit Squad or Cross Country) athletic teams, now is the time to have them return their equipment and/or team uniform. Please be sure that their uniform is clean and returned in a plastic bag with your student's name clearly printed on the bag. Your student can return this to their coach before/after school or they may return their uniform to the main office, with the exception of football players who will be required to turn their uniform and equipment in directly to their coach. Thanks all!
1:1 Academic Support (Math, Science and Reading) Opportunity
Enjoy an Evening Under the Stars
Picture Retake, New Student Photos and Yearbook Orders
Interstate Studios will return to Gentry on October 27 to retake photos for those students who would like to have their photos retaken. If your student is having their photo retaken, they will simply need to bring their original photo packet and uncut photos to this sitting and give them to the photographer before their photo is taken.
On this same day, we will also be taking photos of those students who missed having their initial photo taken at our Schedule Pick Up Day on August 25. Whether you decide to place a photo order or not, we still take photos of all students for yearbook purposes. If you have any further questions, please contact Inter-State Studios at 573-449-3090.
Order Student Photos Enter code 59424RB (Use if your student's photo was taken on 8/25.)
Order Student Photos Enter code 59433P (Use to pre-order your student's photo if they will be having their photo taken for the first time on October 27.)
Pre-Order a Yearbook Enter code 62369W (Use if you would like to pre-order a yearbook.)
Future Dates to Remember
10/18- Student Flu Clinic 8:00 am-10:00 am
10/18- 7th/8th Girls/Boys Basketball Tryouts Begin/Times TBA
10/19- 7th/8th Grade Choral Concert/RBHS PAC Center
10/20- PTSA Meeting in the Media Center @ 6:00 pm
10/21- Interim Progress Reports Available on Home Access
10/21, 10/22 and 10/23- Fall Play Performance: Sir Nose, the Burger Rat
10/27- Picture Retake Day
10/28 and 10/29- School Not in Session Due to Teacher Work Days
11/2- Winter Athletic Team and Individual Photo Day
11/9 and 11/10- Parent Teacher Conferences- By Appointment Only
11/8-11/12- Scholastic Book Fair- TBD
11/10- 6th Grade Band Concert @ 7:00 pm
Josh Johnson, Principal
Email: Josjohnson@cpsk12.org
Website: https://www.cpsk12.org/Domain/17
Location: 4200 Bethel Street, Columbia, MO, USA
Phone: (573) 214-3240