Hawk Highlights
February 12, 2023
February 12, Volume 2, Issue 20
Dear GVMS Families,
We have had another great week at GVMS. Here's an update on what's good at Gainesville:
This past week we held our PTO meeting for the month of February, where we began discussing the end of the year 8th-grade celebration. While we still have to work out the details (time, theme, etc.) the 8th-grade dance will be held on Friday, June 9, 2023. The end of the year is a busy time filled with many events. As dates are finalized in the coming weeks, we will communicate information through this newsletter.
This upcoming week the High School Counseling Teams will be at GVMS to help schedule our current 8th-grade students for the 2023-2024 school year. Students will be scheduled through their current social studies classes and will be bringing home documents to review with their parents/guardians.
We are celebrating Kindness Week at GVMS from February 13 - 20, 2023 with a spirit week and some daily kindness challenges. Check out the flyer below for more information. Join us on Tuesday, February 14 at 6:00 PM over Zoom for the GVMS Advisory Council. The Zoom information is included below. On Friday, February 17, we will celebrate our students who received the Honor Roll and Principal's Honor Roll.
In some sad news, our GVMS Psychologist, Mr. Jared Dart, will spend his final day with PWCS and GVMS on Friday, February 17, 2023. Mr. Dart and his family are headed to Upstate NY, where he will impact the lives of several students at his new school. We will miss Mr. Dart at GVMS dearly! #onceahawkalwaysahawk.
As always, we thank you for your educational partnership and look forward to another great week at GVMS.
Best,
Mary Kate Graham
Proud Principal
Twitter: @HighFlyingHawks
Monday, February 13, 2023
- Valentine's Day Duck Delivery
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
- Advisory Council Meeting - 6:00 PM over Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
https://pwcs-zm-edu.zoom.us/j/83544516910?pwd=QWNBWXJRUm1rYWJ6T3hjL3dzM3VSdz09
Meeting ID: 835 4451 6910
Passcode: hawks
Thursday, February 16, 2023
- Positive Climate and Culture: Supporting Student Well-Being with Coping Strategies for Students with Disabilities - Live Webinar - 7:00 PM
Friday, February 17, 2023
- Honor Roll and Principal's Honor Roll Certificates and classroom celebration
Monday, February 20, 2023
- President's Day - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
- Wrestling Meet @ Home vs. Nokesville
Positive Climate and Culture: Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Reporting: How to Support Your Student & School - Live Webinar - 7:00 PM
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
- Virginia Climate Survey in AM Hawk Time
Friday, February 24, 2023
- Family Science Night @ Battlefield HS - 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Saturday, February 25, 2023
Monday, February 27, 2023
- Wrestling Meet @ Home vs. Marstellar MS
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
- Wrestling Meet @ Home vs. Metz Middle
Black History Month at GVMS
We will kick off our celebration by sharing the important accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans throughout our nation's history. Black history month was first proposed in 1969 by a group of educators and students at Kent State University. The first celebration of Black History month occurred the following year at the university. Six years later, it was being celebrated all across the country in schools and community centers. At the US Bicentennial in 1976, Gerald Ford urged Americans to, “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Hiram Revels
Hiram Revels was born in 1827 to free parents in North Carolina. He was the first African American to serve in the US Congress. He was elected to his seat in the Senate in 1870.
He is quoted as saying, “Today we make the Declaration a reality… the Declaration was only half established by Independence. The greatest duty remained behind. In assuring the equal rights of all we complete the work.”
After serving in Congress, Revels became the president of what is now Alcorn State University. This is one of many historically black colleges in the United States. HBCUs or Historically Black Colleges and Universities are educational institutes created before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African American students.
GVMS De-Stress Nest Information
This week the De-Stress Nest opened up in the library. The GVMS librarians in collaboration with the Social-Emotional Learning Team selected some fabulous items and activities for our staff and students to sign-up to use. Check out the video below to learn more about the De-Stress Nest!
ART CONTEST Theme: The Art of Being a Military Child
PWCS is hosting an art contest to promote encouragement and support for our military-connected students. The top award entries will be highlighted in April when schools celebrate Month of the Military Child. The theme for this year is “The Art of Being a Military Child,” and the contest is open to all students (K-12), both military-connected and not. The deadline to submit artwork is March 1, 2023.For questions, contact Dr. Deborah Ransom, DODEA Project Director–College, Career and Student Support, at ransomdv@pwcs.edu.
Click the link below for more information.
GVMS Kindness Month
There is something "growing" in the cafeteria. This month, to celebrate kindness month, you can give a fellow student a shout out for their kindness or helpfulness. If you see a student doing something kind, please let the counseling department know and a leaf with their name will go up on the tree in the cafeteria. Our goal is to fill up the tree and make it as big as possible. Counselors will be in the cafeteria each morning to take the names of the student you are giving a shout out to!
Five Below Book Review Contest: Winners week of 2/10/2023
Congratulations to this week's winners of the Five Below Book Review Contest: Rigel V. (6th) and Harshini R. (7th). Come get your prize in the office. The contest is still accepting entries until the end of this month.
Attention Hawk readers: Here are a few reviews of books that you might like to read:
The first book recommendation is for a book titled Zero Tolerance by Claudia Mills. "When a seventh grader named Sierra accidentally takes her mom's lunch with a plastic knife packed in it, she gets suspended because of a zero-tolerance policy at school. This book is like a rollercoaster of events: something unexpected, a new surprise problem, and way more. This book hooked me, and it was a delight to read. The storyline is very unique, and it's a great read."
Another book that was highly recommended is When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. "The book is about two brothers separated from their mother from a country called Somalia that they fled because of the outbreak of war. They are determined to be chosen to come to North America. It's a colorful and beautiful graphic novel, so you can visualize the mood and setting of this refugee story. Read to see if they are chosen to go to North America!"
BHS Family Science Night - 2/24/23
Battlefield High School is proud to bring back Family Science Night, hosted by the Science National Honor Society! Families will move through the different science classrooms while participating in lessons and hands-on activities led by society members. The picture in the flyer below is just a taste of the demos that they've done in the past year!
Girls on the Run/ Heart & Sole at GVMS!
Girls on the Run/ Heart & Sole is coming to Gainesville Middle School! GOTR/ H & S is a physical activity-based positive youth development program for middle school students. The program teaches life skills through dynamic interactive lessons and running games. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.
Starting the week of March 6th, the team will meet every Monday and Thursday from 3-4:30 pm. The program culminates in a celebratory 5K at the end of the season! The standard program fee is $185 and includes 20 lessons/practices, a t-shirt, a water bottle, entry into the 5K, a 5K medal, and more. Financial assistance is available for anyone who needs it, with the lowest program registration cost being $22 for the season. Registration begins on February 6th at www.gotrnova.org.
Did you know that all PWCS students can get free help from Paper tutors?
- If you have an important assessment coming up, reach out for free tutor support.
- Do you need to catch up on your assignments or need extra help remembering how to do something you had in class a few weeks ago? Paper tutors can help.
- Do you need to see an example of how to work through a problem? Reach out to your own personal tutor.
- It's fast, easy, free, safe, and encouraged by PWCS.
- There is no limit to the amount of help you can get, and there is absolutely no charge to you for using the service.
- The tutors will meet you in less than 30 seconds from the time you contact them.
- Tutors are available to you anytime, day or night, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
- To contact your free tutor, visit Paper - Online Tutoring - Prince William County Public Schools (pwcs.edu).
*Note: Teachers can see the names of the students who use Paper in their classes. You'll grow in your confidence as you get help with the areas you might be having difficulty learning.
Why wait until it is too late? Start using a tutor today. Paper can be found in Clever as well.
GVMS Yearbooks 22-23
YEARBOOKS! Last year we sold out of yearbooks, please don't delay - order yours today. Jostens has sent multiple communications, but they may be going to your SPAM. Please click the link below to order your yearbook.
Student Behavior Reminders:
In our return from winter break, we want to provide some reminders about student behavior at GVMS:
- It seems as if the trend of bathroom destruction has returned to GVMS. When we receive reports during the school day, we have to lock the bathrooms until our custodial team is able to attend to them. We know this is frustrating for students, however, they pose a safety risk and can be gross. Parents - please talk to your students about their behavior in the bathroom and encourage them to do the right thing. Students - please make sure you are keeping the bathrooms clean and encourage your friends to do the same.
- AirPods and headphones are not to be worn at GVMS in the hallways and during instruction. They pose a safety risk and should be kept off and away.
- We also want to provide a reminder to students about the dress code. Shirts that bare the midriff (stomach) are not allowed to be worn at school. We will ask students to wear a sweatshirt/t-shirt over the top of their shirt. Repeated reminders will result in discipline referrals.
The GVMS Five Star Book Review Contest - Begins 12/2
The Five Below Five Star Review Contest is starting December 2nd! We need book recs! Have you read a great book that others at GVMS might like to read, too? Fill out a "Five Stars or Below" recommendation form; the link can be found on the library's Canvas page. If your recommendation is selected, the book will be advertised on the morning announcements, and you'll receive a prize. The Five Star Review Contest will be open December through February; and winners will be selected every week, so enter now! Rate your book five stars or below to win a Five Below gift card. Dec. 2 will be Stars Day to kick off the contest. Wear stars this Friday to show support for the Five Stars Review Contest. Rise up and read, Hawks!
PWCS Stormwater TMDL Action Plan Survey
As part of Prince William County School’s commitment to the environment and compliance to Virginia’s MS4 regulations concerning stormwater pollution prevention, PWCS has developed Bacteria Total Maximum Daily Load Action Plans for the Potomac River, Anacostia River, Neabsco Creek, Bull Run, Little Bull Run and Occoquan Rivers.
Please click on the following links to review the documents and take advantage of an opportunity to leave a comment for consideration to be incorporated into the document.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PWCS_Bacteria_TMDL_Action_Plan
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PWCS_Neabsco_CreekBacteria_TMDL_Action_Plan
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PWCS_Occoquan_River_Bacteria_TMDL_Action_Plan
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PWCS_Bull_Run_Benthic_TMDL_Action_Plan
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PWCS_Potomac_Anacostia_Rivers_PCB_TMDL_Action_Plan
Thank you for taking an invested interest in PWCS’s efforts to prevent stormwater pollution on our properties. If you want to learn more about other stormwater pollution prevention efforts at PWCS, please click on the following link to the PWCS website where you will find additional stormwater pollution prevention resources.
Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Our school, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Department of Education, is conducting the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions. We will survey students in grades 6,7, and 8, classroom instructors, and staff, beginning in winter 2023. The purpose of this survey is to measure student support, student engagement, school discipline, and safety conditions in each school. This information will be used to guide educational practices that produce a safe and supportive school environment.
I am writing to provide you with information on the student survey. The survey will be completed online between February 22 and 24 during your student's AM Hawk Time/Advisory. The survey does not ask for your child’s name and all answers are anonymous. No one, including teachers or administrators, will know how your child answered the survey. You will not have access to your child’s survey answers even as their parent or guardian. You may review the questions asked in the student survey at this website: https://tinyurl.com/VaSchoolSurvey.
The survey will ask questions such as how students feel about their school, how students get along with one another and their teachers, how students feel about school rules, and their perceptions of their teachers’ willingness to help them. Students will also be asked what kinds of bullying they may have observed during school and whether they have been bullied themselves.
All students in your child’s grade level are eligible to participate in the survey. Students participating in remote instruction and in-person instruction are both eligible to participate. The survey is voluntary and your child can decide not to participate. No action will be taken against you, your child, or the school if your child does not participate. If you do not wish for your child to participate, please notify the school by completing the survey found at the link below Friday, February 17, 2023. If you would like for your student to participate, you do not need to fill out the form.
Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions Opt-out Form
Your child will not receive any immediate benefit from participating in the survey, but the survey will help us to maintain a safe, inviting, and supportive learning environment for your child.
Thank you for your cooperation in this important study of Virginia’s schools.
GVMS Athletics Events Reminders
Student Behavior at GVMS Events
It is important to remember that the Code of Behavior still applies at all PWCS and GVMS athletics and extra-curricular events. If students are not following the Code of Behavior, they will be sent home, and may lose privileges to come to future events.
PWCS Bag Policy at Athletic Events
Please notice the safety rule for bags that was implemented last school year (21-22) in PWCS. Please plan ahead before attending any school event across the county and possibly out of county.
BAGS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE ATHLETIC FACILITY
(Includes Backpacks, Purses, Fanny Packs, Etc.)
Clear bags are allowed for use as a diaper or medical bag and are subject to search.
Parent Pick-Up
Please note the start time of sporting events and time accordingly to arrange for quick pick-up of students after sporting events. Administrators supervising the events provide reminders to students as to when to contact parents to arrange for pick-up and will send out a text to families with about 10 minutes left in the game.
IvyMath Tutoring
Is Your Child On Track in Math?
IvyMath is providing all Gainesville Middle families with a free online math tutoring session and an in-depth parent conference to discuss your child's strengths and weaknesses and how they compare to grade level. IvyMath is an online math tutoring program for students grades 2-12. We help your child catch up, get ahead, and stay ahead in math! Sessions are 100% online via Zoom and are fun, convenient, and highly effective!
IvyMath will also create a custom learning plan that maps out the exact areas your child should be focusing on in math. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions and understand what your child needs to feel confident and stay on track in math this year.
Signup for a comprehensive math assessment session, where we'll work 1-on-1 with your child. Afterward, there will be an opportunity for a parent conference, where we'll discuss your child's math strengths/weaknesses and how they compare to grade level. The IvyMath tutoring session, parent conference, and learning plan are free for all Gainesville Middle families. Popular times fill up, so please register quickly! Signup now at: IvyMath.com/Boost
Please note: the IvyMath assessment, parent conference, and learning plan are free. If you do decide to continue doing weekly IvyMath tutoring, there is a regular monthly membership cost - $355/month (middle school) and $625/month (high school).
*IvyMath is not affiliated with GVMS or PWCS.
Ways to Report Absences...
1. ParentVUE:
GVMS ParentVue and Canvas Cheat Sheets
Our fabulous Instructional Technology Coach, Mrs. Chrissy Richmond, put together some "cheat sheets" for Parent Vue and Canvas. Both documents can be accessed by clicking on the links below.
Paper Online Tutoring
Raise your hand if you could use some help with class assignments! The Office of Teaching and Learning is excited to announce that Prince William County Schools has partnered with Paper, a 24/7 academic support tutoring platform. Through Paper, our students can safely and securely chat with an expert tutor anytime, anywhere, for free.
Whether they need help clarifying homework questions or feedback on a written assignment, they can get on-demand and unlimited help when they need it! Teachers can also have students access this service during the school day for small group or individual support while in class!
To get started:
- Log into Paper via Clever or visit app.paper.co to connect with a tutor.
- Use this link to learn more: https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/ Instructional_technology/paper
PWCS Transportation Information
Wondering where the bus is? Check out Here Comes the Bus
Wondering if the bus is delayed? Check out the PWCS Bus Delay Website
Questions or concerns about your bus route? Contact Transportation Services
PWCS uses the “Say Something” Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS) designed specifically for students in grades 6-12 and staff to report any type of serious or potentially violent concerns of unsafe behavior or threats of harm to self or others. Say Something is a youth violence prevention program from the national nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise and is provided and sustained at no cost to PWCS.
“Tipsters” can send reports on anything from school threats they’ve seen or overheard to personal crises including sexual harassment, self-harm, and depression. The system enables school administrators and those in law enforcement to create effective interventions and intervene upon at-risk individuals to help prevent violence, suicide, bullying, self-harm, and other forms of threatening behavior.
All tips submitted receive an immediate response by one of the highly skilled crisis counselors at the Sandy Hook Promise National Crisis Center; this person then determines the necessary support steps. When credible tips are received that are life-threatening and require immediate attention, the crisis center will notify school-based representatives, even after hours. And, in cases of imminent threat, the crisis center will contact local 911 dispatch and involve law enforcement. Users can submit a tip by calling 1-844-5-SAYNOW or by visiting www.saysomething.net. The free app is available for download from the App Store and Google Play Store, where students can submit tips instantly.
Administation Team
Mrs. Mary Kate Graham - Principal - grahammk@pwcs.edu
Ms. Michelle Praul - 6th Grade Assistant Principal - praulmh@pwcs.edu
Mr. Ed Schultz - 7th Grade Assistant Principal - schultej@pwcs.edu
Mr. Steve Williams - 8th Grade Assistant Principal - williasp@pwcs.edu
Safety and Security Team
Mr. Antione Jeter - jeterad@pwcs.edu
Mr. Jeffrey Barnes - barnesja@pwcs.edu
Counseling Team
Mrs. Jessie Castles - Director of School Counseling - castlejm@pwcs.edu
Ms. Janaelle Robles - Last Names A - Cou - roblesj@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Erin Abbott - Last Names Cr - Hin - abbotte@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Sarah Ware - Last Names Hl - Mik - waresm@pwcs.edu
Ms. Alexis Hawkins - Last Names Mil - Rut - hawkinam@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Autumn Brown - Last Names Ruu - Z - brownal2@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Patricia Lopez - Registrar - lopezpa@pwcs.edu
Technology Team
Mrs. Christine Richmond, Instructional Technology Coach: richmocm@pwcs.edu
- Canvas
- Parent Vue/Student Vue
Mr. Joseph Evans, Technology Specialist: evansj1@pwcs.edu
- Device Information and support