GRISSOM NEWS!
January 2017
Dear Parents and Guardians,
At Grissom, we have so much to be thankful for as we usher out what was a great start to our school year and prepare for what promises to be a dynamic 2017! Thank you to all the parents who attended the Holiday Concerts. Thank you to all the parents who supported their student-athletes during the season. We love to see you at the games; ultimately, your support is so beneficial to your child’s success. In general, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents and volunteers that support our school and the Good, Better, Best vision. Your contributions and support are what makes our school and community so special, and you are making a difference in the lives of our children. At every level, when we need something, there are parents willing to step up and fill the need. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate our parents, PTO members and all who help us achieve our goals.
As an important reminder, this year’s ISTEP test is given the end of February and again in April.
Experience ISTEP Online Testing
The Indiana Department of Education is providing the ISTEP+ “Experience” opportunity through Pearson. The purpose of Experience, is for students, educators, parents and community members to see how test items, similar to those in the ISTEP+ Part 2 assessment, are presented in the online system.
You can access the ISTEP+ Experience on the following IDOE website: http://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/experience-online
Once on the main page of the Experience ISTEP page, access the practice assessment found in the following link:download.pearsonaccessnext.com/IN/in-practice-tests-links.html (link is external).
The answer keys for the Experience Online Assessment can also be located on the main page.
Happy New Year!
Nathan Boyd, Principal
PLTW WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE AT GRISSOM!
ATTENTION 6TH GRADE STUDENTS!!!
Do you like building things and solving problems? Do you like working with your hands? There is an exciting new opportunity coming your way very soon! Mr. Rosselit will be hosting a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) class that will take place after school.
PLTW is an exciting science program that works with critical thinking and problem solving. The curriculum is heavily project based, and will allow students to choose their own routes for analyzing and solving real world problems. This will be the first time ever this opportunity is offered at GMS, and if you are interested in participating in this program for multiple years, you need to start this year!
Keep your eyes and ears open for more information to come, including dates, times and application process!
Scheduling Calendar for 8th Grade Students
- Friday, January 13th
- January-February
PHS Summer School Dates:
Session I: June 12th-June 30th in the morning
Session II: July 10th-July 28th in the morning
(Exact times are to be determined)
7th Grade Career Exploration Activities
We encourage you to ask your child about their results, and start exploring with them!
21st Century Scholars
-Prepare -Plan -Pay for College!
Parents of 7th and 8th graders are encouraged to visit the website of Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars Program, Scholars.IN.gov.This website will provide information, eligibility requirements, and instructions to complete the online application for the program.
Winter Fun Family Centered Ideas!
- Go ice skating.
- Build a winter bonfire and make s'mores.
- Explore your local state or national parks. Go cross country skiing or Snowshoeing.
- Go sledding.
- Build a fort and have a snowball fight with your kids (or your spouse/partner). Or buy a snow block maker and build an igloo.
- Take a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa and sit outside.
- Shovel paths in the snow.
- Feed the birds or go bird watching. Make your own bird feeders out of pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed.
- Go ice fishing.
- Go on a winter picnic. Take blankets, sandwiches and hot soup in a thermos.
- Head out on a photo expedition to take pictures of the winter landscape.
- Set up an obstacle course (for kids or dogs) in the yard with jumps, tunnels and other challenges.
- Make snow paint. Simply add food coloring to water and put in a spray bottle, then go out and paint your yard!
Final Word:
Grissom Battle of the Books!
Grissom's Battle of the Books teams are now being formed for our competition in March.
Teams may be 1-5 students of all the same grade or multiple grades.
Our PTO has generously donated $50 to the winning Team!
Team members will read the following books:
- Firegirl
- The Good Dog
- Al Capone Does My Shirts
- Hattie Big Sky
- War Horse
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Project Mulberry
- Wednesday Wars
- Kidnapped
- Devil's Arithmetic
Teams will compete in TEAMS, therefore, all members do not need to read all books. You can 'divide and conquer' as you decide who will read which books prior to the competition. Competition will be held at Grissom during the regular school day.
Mrs. Mayer has details and sign up information in the library!
https://gmsphm.goalexandria.com/bulletins#board=Battle%20of%20the%20Books%202017
Box Tops for Education
Grissom Food Pantry
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES!
Let’s make 2017 a year of student involvement in extra-curricular activities! Academic competition practices are beginning this month. The theme is “The French Revolution” and students will answer questions that revolve around this topic. We will compete with Schmucker and Discovery students in March and travel to Wawassee Middle School to participate in a regional competition. Please see the following coaches if you are interested in joining: Miss Biek – Social Studies, Mr. Akers – Math, Mrs. Emeigh – Language Arts, and Mrs. Gouker – Science. Please encourage your child to participate and shine on whichever stage they choose!
Many eighth grade students attended “Tech Day” at Penn High School, where they participated in activities related to the Robotics, Computer Science, Chemistry, and Manufacturing. Some of our sixth and seventh grade students will be attending upcoming events including “Hypatia Day” at St. Mary’s and “Expanding Your Horizons” at Notre Dame. We encourage our students to explore and take classes revolving around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
January and February Intramurals
ART
Tuesday
Dates: 1/12, 1/26-CANCELLED, 2/9, 2/23
Times: 4:00 to 5:50 PM
Place: Art Room
Sponsor: Mrs. Roeda
7 on 7 Football
Tuesday and Thursday
Dates: 1/10, 1/12, 1/17, 1/19, 1/26, 1/31, 2/2, 2/7, 2/9, 2/14, 2/16, 2/21, 2/23, 2/28
Times: 7:30 to 9:00 AM
Place: Gym
Sponsor: Coach Komo
PTO OFFICERS NEEDED!
We have openings for PTO President and Vice President and
WE NEED YOU!
The PTO is a great way to be a huge part of your child’s educational
experience and helps Grissom become a better place for all students.
Join the PTO today and see your efforts pay off in the smiles of your
children and their friends!
Call 574.968.9628 to volunteer TODAY!
Parents of English Language Learners (ELLs)
Please visit https://www.wida.us/assessment/ACCESS20.aspx for more details.
FOLLOW US!
Email: nboyd@phm.k12.in.us
Website: https://grissom.phmschools.org/
Location: 13881 Kern Road, Mishawaka, IN, United States
Phone: (574) 968-9628
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Virgil-I-Grissom-MiddleSchool/291749927681507?fref=ts&rf=472089909509579
Twitter: @1GoodBetterBest