Greenville Middle
Principal Update: Week of August 3
Connecting * Informing * Supporting
From Principal Andrews
So much time, energy and thought has been put into planning for the new school year. I'm grateful for your support and encouragement.
Please make sure to read all items included in this Principal Update, as it contains information you need to know about the opening of school.
Stay well!
LEAP Days: August 17-21
Whether you plan to have your student attend LEAP or not, please complete the Google Form. This information will assist us with not only planning for LEAP, but also for Chromebook Distribution. Thank you!
What is LEAP?
LEAP stands for Learn Evaluate Analyze Prepare and is a legislative mandate.
What will be done during LEAP?
Students attending LEAP will take pre-assessments in math and ELA. These assessments are part of the legislative mandate requiring schools to administer a pre- and post- assessment. The pre-assessment will be given during LEAP for both in-house students and virtual program students. The post-assessment will be given in December. Unfortunately, the assessment cannot be taken at home. Students will have to be present to take these assessments.
Will meals be provided?
Students will be provided meals and have teachers share relevant information about the upcoming year, as well as, meet other students in their assigned color group. Chromebooks, schedules, and other school information will also be distributed during LEAP.
Middle schools will run two schedules each day during the week of August 17-21. Students will attend LEAP based on their assigned color day.
Session 1 (Traditional, In-Person Students): 8:15-10:45
Session 2 (Virtual Program Students): 12:30-3:00
Are masks required?
Students will be expected to wear a mask during the duration of their LEAP session. If a student does not have a mask, one will be provided. In addition, 7th graders will need to have their Tdap vaccination in order to participate.
To learn more about LEAP, click the button below. Indicate whether your student plans to attend LEAP.
Deadline for completing this form is August 10.
Parent Resource: GMA Protocols & Procedures
GCS recently shared a Parent Resource Guide of Destination Return to School. This 81-page document is a summary of the Greenville County Schools Re-Opening Plan in response to COVID-19. To access the entire guide, click here.
We've created a chunked version of the Parent Guide for easy reference. To access our chunked Parent Guide based on the GCS Destination Return to School Parent Resource Guide, click here.
CARES Act Provides Free Internet for Eligible Families
Under Act 142, the State Legislature has appropriated a portion of the federal CARES Act funding to be used to supply at least 100,000 student households across South Carolina with free internet through December 2020. The service on the devices is only guaranteed to be paid through December 31, 2020.
Applications must be submitted by August 3, 2020.
To see eligibility guidelines, click here.
To access the application, click here.
Distribution Week: August 17 - 21
Students will pick up their school items based on their assigned color group day. Please only come during the times listed below, as we will also be conducting arrival and dismissal of students attending LEAP.
Note: There will be an option for late pick-up on Thursday.
Students who have not turned in their Chromebook will not receive another Chromebook or their schedule.
Meet the Teacher / 6th Grade Orientation
While we won't be able to conduct these events in person, we are planning to schedule Zoom sessions the week of August 24 so that you have an opportunity to "meet" your child's team of teachers and other support staff. Information for accessing Zoom will be included in my Sunday message on August 23.
URGENT - Rising 7th Graders Need Tdap Vaccine
Students entering the seventh grade, who have not received the Tdap vaccine by the beginning of next school year (August 2019), will not be allowed to attend school until they have received the vaccine and provided proof to the school.
Documentation can be mailed or faxed to the school or you can email documentation to administration at gmaoffice@greenville.k12.sc.us.
School Supply Lists
Megan Giordani, 6th grade - mgiordani@greenville.k12.sc.us
Taki Johnson, 7th grade - lmjohnso@greenville.k12.sc.us
Pam Cao, 8th grade - pcao@greenville.k12.sc.us
Access: School Supply Lists
All Students Need to Complete Transportation Form for 20-21
Greenville County Schools is asking ALL families who will have a student or students enrolled for the 2020-21 school year to complete a new Transportation Request Form. The form should be completed for EVERY student, including bus riders, car riders, walkers, bicyclists, and daycare bus riders.
It is very important to complete the form so GCS can efficiently plan for how students will arrive and depart campuses daily. It is particularly important for students who have moved or changed schools.
In order to ensure school bus transportation on the first day of school, forms are due by Wednesday, July 15. School bus requests submitted after July 15 will not be routed until after Labor Day.
*If you need to know if you've completed this form already, contact the office at 355-5600 (M-Th) or send an email to gmaoffice@greenville.k12.sc.us, and we can let you know.
Set Up Parent Backpack - An App for Parents & Guardians
Parent Backpack is an online application that allows parents and guardians to view your student's grades, school attendance, and discipline when you are logged into the system. Parent Backpack works on any device and is mobile-friendly.
To access Parent Backpack, go to https://parents.gcsbackpack.com and create an account. Please access directions by clicking on Creating a Parent Backpack Account.
Free & Reduced Lunch Applications
School meals will be available for all students in all school-opening scenarios, including the 100% eLearning option (Attendance Plan 0) and for those that register for the Virtual Program. In order to qualify for free or reduced meals parents must complete a new free and reduced meal application for the current school year.
The online Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications are now available for the 2020-2021 school year and can be accessed on our website at the link below.
Free & Reduced Lunch Application.
While paper applications will be provided for parents when they returned to school, the online applications are by far the most accurate and efficient method to apply for Free or Reduced Priced Meals. On average, online applications are processed within 24-48 hour of completion. We highly encourage all parents to take advantage of this simple to use and fast process.
For more information regarding Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications please contact the Food and Nutrition Services office at 355-1251 or by e-mail at bhogue@greenville.k12.sc.us.
Summer Reading Program
Rising 6th - 8th graders are encouraged to read a minimum of 4 books (min. of 100 pages, please). Students can select diverse books from the South Carolina Junior Book Award list or maybe select a book about a character from a multicultural book. A Newbery selection is always a good choice or maybe some nonfiction. The choices are plentiful!
After students finish reading each book, they should complete this Google Form. The Summer Reading Program ends August 28.
Students who need books can check out ebooks and audiobooks, which are free and available on Sora and Destiny Discover. Links to both, along with other book resources are on the Media Center Website.
Extended Day Program
Enrollment to the EDP will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Space is limited and once filled, we will not be able to accept any more registrations.
Questions? Contact our EDP Director, Randy Jenkins at rojenkins@greenville.k12.sc.us.
Return to School: Parent Resource Guide
Greenville Middle Academy
Email: gmaoffice@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/gvillem/
Location: 339 Lowndes Avenue, Greenville, South Carolina 29607, USA
Phone: (864) 355-5600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gvillerams
Twitter: @gvillerams