The Bronco Buzz
November 20, 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE FORKS
- Monday, November 23-27- Thanksgiving Holidays
- Tuesday, December 1- School wide PLC @ 8:00am in the cafe!
- Tuesday, December 1- 8th Grade Winter Concert @ BHS- 7:00pm
- Wednesday, December 2- 6th Grade GTES Surveys in LA Classes
- Thursday, December 3- 90 Minute PLCs
- Thursday, December 3- FFMS vs. Shiloh at Shiloh HS -Come Support!
- Friday, December 4- Relay for Life Hat Day
- Friday, December 4- Schoolwide Pep Rally during extended HR
- Friday, December 4- 8th Grade GTES Surveys in LA Classes
- Friday, December 4- Staff Holiday Party at LaCazuela- 5:00- 8:00pm
- Saturday, December 5- FFMS vs. Moore @ BHS- 9:00am
WINS FOR THE WEEK!
- Basketball season is off to a great start! Congratulations to our girls' team on their big win over McConnell! Thanks to all the coaches (b-ball, cheer leading, etc.) who worked so hard to get our students ready!
- Advisement continues to be a successful way to make connections. A student wrote a check to Mrs. Douthart today for $1,000,000 for having the best teachers in the world! Talk about building up someone's "emotional bank account!"
- Several members of the STEAM committee visited Duluth Middle School and sat in on their STEM team planning. Five Forks is on the right path.
- The PTSA Bake Goods was a HUGE hit with our staff. Don't we have the BEST PTSA in the world!?
- ...and HEY...if you haven't noticed...it's FRIDAY before Thanksgiving Break! We've made it! Enjoy your time off...rest and enjoy!
Our Principal for a Day, Mark Reiswig, joined us at Five Forks today for a fantastic day of learning!! He was able to visit many of our classrooms, and he couldn't say enough about the clever teaching strategies that he saw that kept our students engaged. Mr. Reiswig also spoke to our students during the morning announcements about how he applies literacy--reading, writing, and discussing-every day in the job that he does! He encouraged our students to plan for the future-to plan for jobs that have not yet been created.
COUNT ME IN AWARD... Pam Underwood
STEAM Overview
As mentioned in the previous post, the STEAM Committee has developed six objectives to guide our work this year as we seek the Georgia Department of Education’s STEM certification. Last week, we focused on the first three objectives and this week we’ll look at objectives 4-6 in greater detail.
Objective 4: Develop Plans for STEAM cohort model for 2016-2017 – In an effort to earn the STEM certification, our school will be assessed according to fifteen rigorous standards. Several of these standards expect us to develop a STEM cohort of students and program that offers a curriculum that is unique to STEM education. Our cohort model will align with the STEM pathway program that currently exists at Brookwood High School. Our Five Forks STEAM committee has been exploring the parameters of the cohort model by meeting with representatives from others schools and visiting Duluth Middle School, which is in the second year of its STEM cohort model. In the 2016-2017 school year, we anticipate that the STEAM cohort will begin in the 6th grade with one team of students. In 2017-2018, we’ll have two cohorts (one in 6th grade and another in 7th grade). In 2018-2019, we’ll add a third cohort (one in each grade level). Students who are interested in participating in the STEAM cohort in the 6th grade next year will apply in the spring 2016. Special attention will be given to ensuring that this cohort of students is truly representative of the population at Five Forks Middle School. More information will be presented to the faculty in January and to the community in February.
Objective 5: Outfit STEAM Lab with technology – One of the standards by which our STEAM program will be assessed is the technology accessibility of our STEAM lab. It is our priority to outfit the STEAM Lab with technology that will enable teachers to engage students in inquiry-based, collaborative learning. Last summer, Five Forks MS received a $3,000 grant to purchase eight Labdisc Probes which have the capability to measure a variety of different factors (pH, temperature, sound, etc.). In October, all of our science teachers were provided with an orientation to these devices by representatives from the Box Light Company. In addition to the probes, we have set a goal of dedicating a class set of 35 Chromebooks to the STEAM Lab. Through funds secured by the PTSA, we have purchased 15 tablets. Also, we have written a $9,000 grant to purchase an additional 37 Chromebooks. If the grant is fully-funded, we will dedicate 20 of the Chromebooks to the STEAM Lab (bringing the total amount to 35) and then have 17 additional Chromebooks for general use throughout the school. One more exciting bit of news to share is that Five Forks received a monetary gift of $1,001 from an anonymous donor, which will be used for technology for our students!
Objective 6: Develop Community Partnerships – Our final objective for this year is to cultivate partnerships with STEAM community organizations. A team of teacher-leaders is building relationships with community partners, encouraging them to lead hands-on demonstrations, and inviting them to speak with our students about their vocations. The experiences of these STEAM partners will provide our students with a greater context on how STEAM education can be used to solve real-world problems.
As you can tell, the STEAM committee has made great gains in advancing our school forward in the certification process. If you have any questions, then please feel free to reach out to a STEAM committee member.
INSTRUCTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
A great way to review!
Widget Highlight!
Shared Singing Test
TECH NEWS
DID YOU KNOW???
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
November
4- Carolyn Brooks
12- Kathy Crews
14- Michael Linton
15- Kim Hoope
20- Harristina Stephens
24- Tracy Hickmon
26- Susan Seay
29- Phillip Watson
30- Alexis Evans
Five Forks Middle School's Bronco Buzz
Email: jeni_greene@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Website: http://www.fiveforksmiddleschool.org/home.html
Location: 3250 River Drive, Lawrenceville, GA, United States
Phone: 770-972-1506
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuckyConnects
Twitter: @Bucky_Connects