Pony Express
Connecting GMS in one place!
May 25th
GMS Families,
I'd like to begin by thanking all of the families for their support this year. I've come to know many of you well and am still working on meeting all of the families that represent these awesome students. It's hard to believe that this is the final newsletter. Don't worry, I will still communicate important things through our website. Make sure to check it out regularly throughout the summer.
Speaking of summer, there will be "staycations" for some and travel for others. Please be safe but rest and enjoy the break from school. Good luck to our Ponies that are headed to high school - we will miss you!
If you know families that have upcoming 6th graders, please let them know that Pony Camp is taking place on Thursday, August 16th! GMS never stops...
As you know, there's always something great happening at GMS and it is THE middle school to attend! Please read through this newsletter so you don't miss out on anything. Here’s what you need to know for this week:
Here is the total list of 2017-2018 GMS School Supplies (yes, one common list for the entire campus):
https://cdn.peachjar.com/15266479785753.pdf
Wanna plan ahead? Save the dates for online registration, schedule pick-up, Pony Camp and more by clicking this link!
3. With the new TEXRail coming to the area, please view these safety videos with your student(s)
8th grade - Tuesday, May 29th at 9:30am
Tuesday, May 29th
1st Period Final 8:10 - 9:35 85 min
2nd Period 9:39 - 10:31 52 min
3rd Period 10:35 - 11:26 51 min
5th Period 11:30 - 1:00 90 min (lunch)
4th Period 1:05 - 1:50 45 min
6th Period 1:54 - 2:39 45 min
8th Period 2:43 - 3:25 42 min
Wednesday, May 30th Finals
2nd Period 8:10 - 9:27 77 min
3rd Period 9:31 - 10:48 77 min
4th Period 10:52 - 12:10 78 min
Thursday, May 31st Finals
5th Period 8:10 - 9:27 77 min
6th Period 9:31 - 10:48 77 min
8th Period 10:52 - 12:10 78 min
On Thursday, May 3, at 9:00 a.m. registration for the June 20th administration of math telescoping tests opened. The registration window will remain open through midnight on May 23, 2018. Parents must complete a two-step registration process by going online from this webpage to register their child and then printing their online confirmation to attach to their fee payment. Payment is due by 4:00 p.m. on May 24, 2018. Payments may be mailed or hand-delivered to the Administration Building but MUST arrive by the deadline in order to be accepted. No exceptions.
We are FAMILY! This is OUR HOUSE! Great students come from GREAT FAMILIES!
#OurHouseGMS
Monday, May 28th - Memorial Day (School holiday)
Tuesday, May 29th - 8th grade Awards, 9:30am, 8th grade Athletic Awards, 6-8pm, Gym (Exam in 1st period)
Wednesday, May 30th - 1/2 Day (Exams in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th periods)
Thursday, May 31st- 1/2 Day (Exams in 5th, 6th, 8th periods) School is out for summer!
GMS Reps
Great Speaker
Student Created
Great Friends
Powder Puff
Ready for Action
Go Ponies
What a Group
Cheerleaders?
Burger's Lake
Just Chillin'
Friends For Life
8th grade Field Trip
Sand Castles?
Wiped Out
Lunchroom
Award Ceremony
Requests
Make the process of schedule pick-up SUPER easy: All upcoming 7th graders (current 6th graders) will need to provide proof of immunization. Please make sure you take care of this before schedule pick up in August - you will have to show proof of immunizations. If you do it before the school year ends, please send a copy of your child's immunization record to Nurse Jansen.
Attention parents of GMS 6th & 7th graders:
On Thursday or Friday GMS 6th & 7th graders were given a list of the current course requests for Grapevine Middle School during the 2018-2019 school year. Actual schedules (order of classes) will not be available until August 2018.
Please carefully review your student’s course requests.
There will be an additional adjustment request window for core (Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts) classes August 1-3. No elective adjustments will be considered during the August window.
1. During the first ten days of school, any core adjustments will be considered along with adjustments due to scheduling errors. The adjustments may or may not be granted. The determination will be made depending on class size, reasons for adjustment, and results of the adjustment on the overall schedule.
2. After the first ten (10) days, any adjustments can only be made at the end of the
first nine weeks and will be limited to core classes (from PAP to On-Level or Accelerated to PAP), and will require parent/guardian signature and principal approval. The adjustment may result in extensive or multiple period and/or teacher changes.
3. After the first nine weeks, any other schedule adjustments will require principal approval.
Note for current 7th Graders – Please note that PAP Algebra I (M0203A/B) is Accelerated Math 8 and PAP Biology (M0303A/B) is Accelerated Science 8.
The following classes will be taught at Grapevine High School: Latin I, German I, and French I. Parents are responsible for getting students to the high school, but a bus is provided to bring students back to campus. The above mentioned classes along with any other high school credit class successfully completed prior to the 1st day of 9th grade in August will receive high school grades BUT those grades will not be factored into the student’s high school GPA.
Since personnel, facilities, and material resources are assigned to the campuses based on student course requests, it is imperative that students choose courses carefully (including alternates). Adjustments to student schedules create an impact on many other courses; and therefore, will be made on a limited basis.
Attention parents of 8th graders attending CHHS & GHS For the 2018-19 school year: Students have scheduled their courses for the 2018-2019 school year using their Skyward Student Log-in. Adjustment Windows- Students with schedule errors or concerns may submit one change request form online during each adjustment window.
Window #1: May 21-23
Window #2: August 1-3
This week, Mrs. Johnson dropped of school supplies for students along with Texas Proud T-Shirts and lots of cookies for the teachers at our partner middle school, Marshall Middle School in Beaumont, Texas. Their students were negatively affected by Hurricane Harvey in the fall.
The 2018 Summer School Registration is now open for students to sign up.
The link below will take you or your students to the Summer Programs page. Simply scroll down to locate the link to register.
http://www.gcisd.net/cms/one.aspx?portalId=96313&pageId=195746
- EPI School Supply Packs: School supply packs are now on sale for 2018-19. Orders can be placed online through June 24th at https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks/. Our school id is GRA176. Packs are $21 plus tax.
- https://cdn.peachjar.com/15266501611576.pdf (in English)
- https://cdn.peachjar.com/15266504699897.pdf (en Espanol)
- GMS PTA Membership Awards: This week the Texas PTA awarded GMS PTA with the following membership honors for 2017-18: Head Start Award, Fall Increase Award, Honor Roll Award, MARS Award, Student Membership Award, President’s List Award, Three Year High Award, and the Golden Apple Award! This is a major accomplishment and a great example of all the great things happening at GMS! Thank you to our 2nd VP of Membership, Stacy Wirick, for all her hard work this year & keeping track of our 316 members. Congratulations to all of our GMS PTA Members!!!
- GMS PTA General Meeting: We will have our last General Meeting for the year on Wednesday, May 30th at 12:30pm in the cafeteria. This is our end of year staff luncheon, awards, and officer election. The following nominations are being submitted & will be voted on during the General Meeting. 1st VP Ways & Means – Candy Worthan. Secretary – Jo Kruzel. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor during the General Meeting.
- 8th Grade Dance: 8th Graders celebrated “Under the Stars” and had a great time at their last GMS dance on May 4th. Thank you to Mindy Matlock for organizing the dance & all the volunteers who helped make the night a huge success! Here’s the shared Google link for pictures from the 8th grade dance: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vRDg5LJRk23j74279 More pictures were added this week.
- PTA Membership Benefits: Don’t forget to take advantage of all the PTA discounts and offers over the summer. There’s discounts for Great Wolf Lodge, Six Flags, Texas Rangers, Schlitterbahn and much more! Here’s the link to access your benefits: https://www.txpta.org/member-perks Your membership also includes discounts through National PTA. Here’s the link for their offers: https://www.pta.org/home/About-National-Parent-Teacher-Association/Benefits-of-PTA-Membership/Save-Money-with-Member-Offers
- World Wear Project: Time for Spring Cleaning to begin! Please donate your gently used shoes, clothing, purses, belts, wallets, hats, caps, backpacks, hard toys, stuffed animals, & pots/pans into the World Wear Project bin, located in the circle drive near the gym entrance. For every pound collected, we receive $0.12. Help do your part to Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle!
Keep bringing those Box Tops!
To stay connected with all the latest PTA news be sure to like our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/grapevinemiddleschoolpta/
CALLING ALL AVID STUDENTS!
We searching for AVID students who are strong participators in Socratic Seminars and Philosophical Chairs who could join in presenting these strategies to teachers at the GCISD Learning Institute this August!
Participation Requirements:
Must be available all day August 8th and 9th with transportation in the morning and afternoon.
Strong participator in Socratic Seminars and Philosophical Chairs (ex. Ties discussion to the text, communicates clearly)
Could benefit from leadership opportunity!
**Students could earn up to 12 community service hours for these days!**
Schedule:
August 8th 8:30-3:30 Student Presenter Training
August 9th 8:00-4:00 GCISD Learning Institute
*Times of presentations to be determined*
If you are interested, please email Mrs. Shepherd!
What’s happening in AVID?
Check out our Facebook page for class updates, pictures and more!
Community Service
Classroom Visits
Debate, anyone?
In Action
Engagement
AVID Tutorial
AVID Panel
Thank you so much for all of your support this year! We are looking forward to growing with your students next year, but will miss those moving on. It has been a joy to teach our outgoing 8th grade class. We can’t wait for updates on the great things they accomplish at CHHS, GHS or Collegiate Academy.
Students that will be returning, please make sure that you keep up with your device. We will use it the first week back on campus, so it will need to be working. See the website for work-ticket information over the summer. Enjoy your summer!!
*Remember if you are absent for finals, arrangements will need to be made to make them up before a grade can be issued. Please contact that subject teacher. Thanks!
Planting in the Outdoor Learning Center
Hard work
Task driven
Nice Hardware
Just Chillin'
Hard at Work
Cheer coaches will be offering information on our new 6th grade Pep Squad, The Wranglers! We are SO excited to offer this opportunity!
Thank you, Mrs. Mercer for all your hard work. We appreciate all you did for Pony Pride and wish you the best as you pursue other opportunities at GMS!
Thank you, StuCo!
This year's student council represented a year of kindness and tolerance. They did great job promoting kindness around GMS from a Kindness challenge to running a booth at the Rachel's challenge rally, from writing encouraging message to peers on STAAR days, to creating an appreciation station for teachers to let them know how much students care. We are very proud of the way they lead by example!
Girls Soccer
Coaching Advice
On the Move
Thank you to Ms. Wise for all her hard work with our Dual Language Program. She will be joining the World Languages Dept. as an instructional coach. We are proud of her and will miss her dearly!
On Slide 8, you will find the actual bell schedule. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Summer Nutrition Program 2018
Important outreach materials regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) summer nutrition programs will be delivered to the campuses by May 20th.
Each package will contain the following summer outreach materials:
• Posters to display throughout the school
• Postcards to pass out to every student
Locations of summer sites:
Cross Timbers Middle School: June 4 – August 10
Breakfast: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Silver Lake Elementary: June 4 – July 13
Breakfast: 7:00 - 8:00 a.m.
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Grapevine Middle School
Email: laura.koehler@gcisd.net
Website: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/gms
Location: 301 Pony Parkway, Grapevine, TX, United States
Phone: 817-251-5660
Facebook: facebook.com/GrapevineMiddleSchool
Twitter: @GrapevineMiddle