Grizzly Gazette
January 13th, 2022
Happy New Year! Welcome Back!
Dear PGMS Family,
I sincerely hope this finds you all well and enjoying 2022 thus far. We are very excited to start second semester here at Piney Grove. This school year has already been a big success and we know that our students will continue to strive for excellence in all they do. Our entire staff has continued to work extremely hard to well serve our students. Our school is full of dedicated professionals with big hearts for students. I think we can all agree that we have the very best teachers around!
One of the elements that makes Piney a highly successful school is the partnership we share with our families. This partnership allows us to work together to ensure ALL students have the opportunity to learn and grow academically and personally. Your support of our school creates an environment that is conducive productive outcomes for everyone who is a part of our school community. Please know that your support matters and is vital to our collective success. We appreciate YOU!
As you are probably aware of by now, Thursday and Friday of this week will be virtual learning days. Teachers will be providing asynchronous virtual instruction on these two days to kick off the new semester. Your student will be able to access instruction through ItsLearning. Please contact your student’s teachers with any questions.
Upon our return to school for in-person learning, we will be implementing the mitigation strategies outlined below. Many of these strategies have been in place all school year. We encourage you to talk with your student about good healthcare practices such as frequent hand washing and maintaining personal space when possible in the building. Additionally, we ask that you continue to report positive cases to our school nurse, Judy Femia.
Thank you very much for your continued cooperation and support! Together, we can make the beginning of 2022 a positive experience for our students.
Stay safe & be well,
Pam Pajerski
Tech Fair Deadline / Judges Needed
The January 14 deadline for student registration in the Forsyth Regional Technology Competition is quickly approaching. Currently, we need more judges to keep this competition running smoothly.
Due to extenuating circumstances around COVID-19, this year’s competition will be completely virtual. As a judge, this means you will be able to view and score student projects during a two week window as your schedule allows. Here is the timeline for the competition:
January 14, 2022 Registration closes for students
January 21, 2022 All student project submissions are due
January 23-27, 2022 Training for Judges (several online session will be offered, approximately one hour)
January 28-February 11 Judging Window
To register, visit https://forsyth.stemwizard.com/, click Registration in the top right-hand navigation menu, and select Judge. We invite any parents, teachers, and other community members who reside in Forsyth, Dawson, Lumpkin, and Union counties to volunteer. If you know others who may be interested, please feel free to forward this information or post the link to the registration site on your social media pages.
Thank you for your support!
Optimist Club Oratorical Contest
All ELA teachers will be hosting Grade-Level Oratorical Contests the week of February 7th-11th. The 2022 Optimist International Oratorical Contest topic for 2022 is "Staying Optimistic in Challenging Times". Participation is voluntary, and specific dates and times will be communicated to students in ELA classes as they will differ between grades. Two students from each grade level will advance to the School-Wide Competition on February 17th during Thrive. The School Winner will advance to the Semi-Finals Competition on March 9th for further opportunities to earn scholarship money and hone their speaking skills. Virtual students of any grade level wishing to participate may email video files or links to cmastrangelo@forsyth.k12.ga.us. Further information, including sign-up, can be found in the PGMS Student Group on itslearning under "Resources".
Golf
January Teacher of The Month / Staff Member of The Month
Teacher of the Month & Staff Member of the Month Program!!!
Rosati's Pizza and Sports Pub will once again be honoring each monthly designee. We are extremely excited to be partnering with a business that is so dedicated to giving back to the community. Please take the opportunity to nominate one of our amazing teachers or staff members for this honor.
January Teacher of the Month Nomination Form
January Staff Member of the Month Nomination Form
If you have someone in mind to nominate and you are not sure which form to use please don't hesitate to reach out. jwiles@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Please submit all January nominations by the end of the day on January 27th
Forsyth County Total Wellness Collaborative
Track and Field
7th and 8th grade students interested in trying out for track and field should attend an informational meeting in the media center on Thursday, January 20th at 8:30 AM.
Tryouts for the 2022 Track and Field season will take place February 16th, 23rd and 24th. Athletes must try out for at least 2 events to be considered for the team. Please reach out to Coach Thomas at kethomas@forsyth.k12.ga.us for more information. Conditioning prior to the season is open to all students and will take place after school on February 9th, 10th, 14th and 15th until 5:45 PM.
Yearbooks are Almost Gone!
There are less than 45 yearbooks left to buy! You do not want to miss out! Go to Balfour.com and search Piney Grove Middle School.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Kimberly Zimmerman at kzimmerman@forsyth.k12.ga.us
2022 Grizzly Great Day of Giving (G3)
WHAT IS G3...
G3 is a 12-year strong tradition where Piney Grove staff and students spend a day serving our neighbors, our country, and our world through hands-on service experiences.
WHEN IS G3..
This year G3 is on Friday, May 20, 2022.
WHERE IS G3…
6th and 7th grade will participate in service projects on the Piney Grove campus, while 8th grade will head into the community to serve, if restrictions allow.
WHY IS G3 IMPORTANT...
The goal of G3 is to EDUCATE students on why service is important, ENGAGE students in hands-on service projects, and EMPOWER students to identify service opportunities in their own lives, both now and in the future.
We want students to develop a love of service that will last a lifetime!
HOW CAN YOU HELP WITH G3…
● Pay the $20 G3 fee on MyPaymentsPlus
○ Fee covers student t-shirt, lunch, and all service project supplies
● Become a G3 Family Partner - visit MyPaymentsPlus
○ $50 Family Partners: Receive car magnet and letter of thanks
○ $125 Family Partners: All items above PLUS your family’s name listed on the G3 shirt and one adult size shirt
○ $200+ Family Partners: All items above PLUS breakfast for one adult parent/guardian with Mrs. Pajerski and staff
● Would your business like to support G3 with a Corporate Sponsorship?
○ Contact Katie Spring for more information at teamspring1999@gmail.com
● Would you like to serve on the G3 Committee or volunteer for G3 day?
○ Email Katie Spring at teamspring1999@gmail.com
G3: EDUCATE, ENGAGE, EMPOWER
Have You Joined PTSO?
Did you know that PTSO member dues directly impact your child's education? In previous years, PTSO funds have provided grants for various educational materials such as iPads, calculators, software, and media center materials that are utilized in the classroom. PTSO has provided items for the Art, Drama, and Music Departments. We have also supported the Outdoor Classroom and speakers for Parent Information Nights.
Volunteering to help PTSO is greatly appreciated by other members, students, teachers and staff.
We thank you for your support!
Piney Grove PTSO Membership 2021-2022:
$25 Basic Membership
$50 Basic Membership + Magnet + Raffle for free Yearbook
$100 Basic Membership + Magnet + Raffle for free Yearbook
$250 Basic Membership + Magnet + Raffle for free Yearbook + Sponsor a Letter and special recognition on a Plaque inside the school commemorating 15 Years of Excellence + “Vintage” Spirit Wear Item
Piney Grove Updates on Daily Procedures:
Students will be allowed in the building beginning at 8:00 A.M. They will proceed to the cafeteria where we will follow social distancing guidelines. Students will be dismissed to classrooms starting at 8:30 A.M.
Please consider dropping your students off between 8:30 A.M.- 8:55 A.M. Students arriving by bus or car-rider line at 8:30 A.M or later, will report directly to their classrooms. Students arriving by bus prior to 8:30 A.M. will be reporting to the gym where we will follow social distancing guidelines.
We will be reinstating our Covid mitigation procedures from the start of the year such as:
We will resume a lunchroom rotation that will allow for half of our students to eat in the lunchroom at one time to ensure social distancing. Teachers will share the rotation schedule forward with students on Monday, January, 10th.
Parent Meetings:
All parent meetings will be scheduled online as virtual meetings, unless a face to face meeting is needed. This includes IEP meetings, 504 meetings, etc.
Families and Visitors:
Nonessential guests to the school building will be limited. Parents will not be able to drop off items for students with the exception of medications that are housed in our clinic. Please make sure your child has funds on his/her lunch account. Our reception area is small, making distancing difficult. Please understand that you may have to wait outdoors if the area becomes congested.