Blue Devil Blast

Volume I, Issue 15 - November 12, 2021

November 12 2021 Blue Devil Blast

Dr. Looney's Message

Another great week at Summerour.


OUR basketball teams play Coleman Middle School this weekend (at Duluth High School). JLC Cadets compete at Shiloh Middle School this weekend.


8th grade parents - look into the options for high school next year. Students will be choosing their schools after the Thanksgiving Break. Make sure you're checking both Paul Duke and Norcross High websites to make your selection. Reach out to 8th grade counselors if you have questions.


Follow your children on social media and look into what their conversations look like.

The Coming Month

  • November 13 - Basketball at Coleman MS (Duluth HS)
  • November 13 - JLC Raider Competition at Shiloh MS
  • November 13 - All State Chorus Auditions
  • November 13 - District 13 Honor Orchestra
  • November 16 - Bingo for Books & Math Game Night
  • November 17 - Picture Makeup Day
  • November 18 - Basketball vs. Pinckneyville (Summerour)
  • November 19 - Career Day (career volunteers needed)
  • November 22 - 26 - Thanksgiving/Fall Break
Big picture

Khan Academy 48% in November!

Did your child get 32% on Khan by Halloween? Excellent, but that's old news now!


This month's goal is 48% progress level on Khan Academy by the end of November. We are giving incentives out each month. We also have a Khan Saturday Program - ask your math teacher to join!

Building Battery Operated Electric Motors

Working Motors Shukla 2

Bingo 4 Books & Math Game Night

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

6:00-7:30 PM


Please join us for this fun event to celebrate National Parent Involvement Day!

Learn and have fun with your child through games, books, and activities!


Fun for the whole family! Free pizza dinner, cotton candy, popcorn, and prizes.


(flyers below)

Drive Through Food Pantry

Gwinnett County Public Library in partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank will hold a drive through food pantry at the Gwinnett County Public Library, Lilburn Branch on November 23.


Food will be distributed starting by 10 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, one package per family while supplies last. Each package will contain up to 20 lb. of produce in addition to shelf stable items. Distribution will be a drive through process with volunteers bringing food packages out to cars.

Grade Level News You Can Use

6th Grade

  • We're continuing to remind our students about healthy use of technology and devices looks like in our building. Please continue having the dialogue with your children about the dangers of social media, and how to use devices in positive, productive ways.


  • Are you interested in speaking to our students about your career on Career Day? We'd love to hear from you. Please contact Lenie George at lenie.george@gcpsk12.org


  • Parents, please remind your kids that they have math homework. Students are expected to complete 12% progress per month on Khan Academy. We're giving away monthly incentives for those who are making growth - the progress level should be 48% by the end of November.


Mr. Lenie George

6th Grade Assistant Principal

Lenie.George@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2494


Mrs. Pam Griswell

6th Grade Counselor

Pam.Griswell@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2491

7th Grade

What Are Students Learning Next Week?


MATH - Standard Math is working on proportional relationships from graphs, tables, equations, and scenarios (being able to represent all forms from one) so that they can compare two proportional relationships. Accelerated is finishing Transformations and beginning our last unit on exponents (simplifying exponent expressions).


LANGUAGE ARTS - Students will be preparing for their unit assessment that is on Tuesday, 11/16. They will also be reviewing content from this semester to prepare for their semester final.


SCIENCE - After our assessment on Wednesday, 11/17, we start Punnett Squares.


SOCIAL STUDIES - Our Southwest Asia Economic test is on Wednesday, 11/17. We will end the week with Africa Geography.



7th Grade Upcoming Assessment Dates

ELA

11/8 - Unit 4


MATH

11/5 -Standard Math Unit 2 (No School: Pushes Back to Monday)

11/10 - Accelerated Geometry Test


SCIENCE

11/17 - Tentative date

12/16 - Tentative date


SOCIAL STUDIES

11/17



Mr. Stacy James

7th Grade Assistant Principal

stacy.james@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2486


Mrs. Yunilda Valdez

7th Grade Counselor

yunilda.valdez@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2480

8th Grade

8th Grade Students have the unique opportunity to choose the high school they wish to attend next year, either Norcross High School or Paul Duke STEM. We have found that students make the best choice by learning about both high schools and choosing the school that best fits your interests. An overview of the high school selection process is available online at https://bit.ly/NorcrossClusterHS22. Please review this information and pay special attention to the dates of the upcoming information meetings where you can learn more.


Upcoming Meetings

  • Monday, November 8 @ 6:30 pm: In-person student/parent meeting with detailed information about Paul Duke STEM HS (in English & Spanish)
  • Monday, November 15 @ 6:30 pm: In-person student/parent meeting with detailed information about Norcross HS (in English & Spanish)
  • Week of November 29: Students submit their high school choice and elective course selections through eClass.


Begin by familiarizing yourselves with both schools by visiting the school websites at PaulDukeSTEM.org and NorcrossHigh.org. Students will select which high school they will attend and which elective classes they would like to take after the Thanksgiving break. We hope you will attend one or more of the upcoming meeting to learn more about Norcross High School and/or Paul Duke STEM High School.


Mrs. Christy Gray

8th Grade Assistant Principal

Christian.Gray@gcpsk12.org

770-453-2051


Mrs. Robin Blackwell

8th Grade Counselor

Robin.Blackwell@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2487


Mrs. Kimberly Blackshear

Gear Up/ Special Education Counselor

Kimberly.Blackshear@gcpsk12.org

770-797-2960

Social Media Challenges

There has been a recent increase in social media challenges that are very concerning. GCPS takes the issue seriously. These challenges highlight the need to educate our students to think critically about the challenges and pranks they may encounter on social media. Parents, please take a look at the Social Media Parent Tips attached below and see where you can help.

Cell Phone Policy

Student cell phones are best left at home for the school day. However, we understand that some of you need your child to bring it with them due to before or after school concerns.


While students are on campus, cell phones are not to be powered on, are not to be visible, and are not to be in the hands of the student. We have phones in various places throughout the building that we can use to reach out and contact you should there be a need to inform you of anything throughout the day. Please help us as we prevent many of the issues that student cell phones could cause.


(Photo by Torsten Dettlaff from Pexels)

Athletics & Clubs

Big picture

Basketball Season Starts Tomorrow!

November 13: Away - Coleman Middle School (at Duluth High School)
November 18: Home - Pinckneyville Middle School
December 2: Away - North Gwinnett Middle School (at North Gwinnett High School)
December 4: Home - Lilburn Middle School
December 6: Away - Jones Middle School (at Mill Creek High School)
December 9: Home - Duluth Middle School
December 11: Home - Twin Rivers Middle School
December 13: Away - Radloff Middle School (at Meadowcreek High School)
December 16: Home - Osborne Middle School
January 8: Home - Northbrook Middle School
January 10: Away - Lanier Middle School (at Lanier High School)
January 13: Home - Hull Middle School
January 15: Away - Creekland Middle School (at Collins Hill High School)
January 19: Away - Dacula Middle School (at Dacula High School)


Tickets are $3.00, cash at the gate

Digital Tickets are $4.00

(available on https://gofan.co/search as the date approaches)

Upcoming Assessments

Fall 2021 Final Exam Schedule

Connections A - December 13

Connections B - December 14

Science - December 15

Language Arts - December 15

Social Studies - December 16

Math - December 16

Makeups - December 17

Future School Council Meetings

December 7, 2021

February 1, 2022

April 12, 2022


* all meetings will be held from 5 - 6:30 pm

Summerour Middle School

OUR Students * OUR School * OUR Community * OUR Future