NEWS FROM THE CORRAL
December 5, 2015
Education Foundation Grants
Student Teacher Choice for November
Girls Athletics Team Nite
Good Afternoon Pony Parents,
What an amazing week we have had at Grapevine Middle School. We hit the ground running upon return on Monday and every day has been filled with great teaching, excited students, and community involvement. Thank you for supporting our many activities and ensuring our students grow academically, socially, and emotionally. We could not reach greatness without YOU!
Each month our students select a teacher per grade level who is a great role model and represents all we encourage with our @gmsYOUMatter mission. For November students selected Taryn Baker for 6th grade, Shon Slatton for 7th grade, and Bill Hornberger for 8th grade. Mrs. Baker teaches 6th grade STEM Science and PAP Science. Shon Slatton received the 7th grade choice and he teaches our Career and Tech classes. Eight graders selected Bill Hornberger who teaches 8th grade U.S. History and coaches boys athletics. Congratulations to these three excellent educators and examples of @gmsYOUMatter.
Thursday evening was a fantastic night for our students who participated in the Parade of Lights. It was a beautiful evening with a record-breaking crowd. Thank you for your efforts to transport your child and pick them up so they could walk or ride in the parade. Developing an appreciation for our community and participating in events outside the school day is extremely important as we develop global citizens.
December 14 - 19 is finals week. I'm sending the finals schedule in a separate email where you are able to easily locate the information.
As always we look forward to seeing you at school and at outside events. Thank you for trusting us with the education of your child and for partnering with us in their transition to young adulthood.
Have a blessed week,
Linda Young, Principal
Chris Molina 1st place Cross Country
Rachel Sutliff 1st Place Cross Country
Geography Bee Winners
Ponies in Action
Geography Bee
Thursday, November 19th, we held our Geography Bee. It was a fight to the finish and we're very proud of all our students who participated. Our top three finalists are:
Ethan Halman - 1st place
Solenne Halman - 2nd place
Jennifer Edelman - 3rd place
Congratulations to these students for all their hard work in learning World Geography. The questions are NOT easy! Thank you Coach Chippeaux on your hard work in hosting our Geography Bee.
Cross Country
In last weeks meet 7th grade boys place 5th overall and 8th grade boys placed 4th. Individual awards go to Chris Molina and Rachel Sutliff who placed first! Way to go Ponies!
Choir Winter Performance
Friday evening all GMS choirs presented their winter performance at CHHS auditorium. It was an amazing evening with varied songs. The students voices blended incredibly and it was obvious they worked daily to present us with an evening of entertainment. Congratulations to Mrs. Bothe for assembling this masterpiece of music!
During the evening Mrs. Bothe recognized our students who qualified for All District Choir. They are Caroline Tamul and Julia Richards. Congratulations to these young ladies as they represent GMS!
Playbill Students at Thespian Festival
Theater Director, Nichole Goodsell, traveled with our Playbill students to the Texas Junior Thespian Festival in Dallas. This is a day filled with professional workshops where our students received instruction in monologue, duet acting, group acting, costume design, and many additional areas of main stage performance. It was a great day of learning and prepared our students to take our theater performances to the next level.
Excellence in Education Video
Please visit the following link for words from our Superintendent, Dr. Robin Ryan, on the great education your child is receiving in GCISD.
GCISD Education Foundation
Friday Grapevine Middle School staff received over $30,000 in educational grants from the GCISD Education Foundation. The Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation was created to support the educational programs of the Grapevine- Colleyville Independent School District. The Foundation provides funds beyond the normal operating budget for educational programs and activities for students and staff. Foundation funds are used to facilitate student achievement and skill development, recognize and encourage staff excellence and expand community involvement from individuals, businesses and civic organizations.
Without this Foundation the many "extra" projects and activities offered to our students would not be possible. If you are looking for an opportunity to assist our schools engage in outstanding learning opportunities, please contact the Executive Director, Janice Kane, at janice.kane@gcisd and donate to this phenomenal organization.
Coach Casey Schutza @gmsYOUMatter
Thursday we continued with our monthly motivational speakers sharing their experiences with our students. This month Coach Casey Schutza from Grapevine High School spoke with the students on his difficulties as a middle school student. He was small for his age and battled an illness which caused him to develop an internal drive to persevere and power through the difficult time. He is now a successful teacher/coach and had a powerful message for our students. If they have not shared with you his story, please ask you child about his visit. Many students have shared with us that he caused them to think about their purpose and their future.
PALS Attend 7 Habits Conference at CHHS
Wednesday PALS attended the annual leadership conference. During the day they participated in activities around the 7 Habits of Highly Successful Teens. These habits are the work of Sean Covey who provides real life training for students to overcome obstacles to succeed and in learning how to develop relationship "bank accounts". Great work and we are thrilled our students immerse themselves in this preparation for success!
FLL Robotics
News Flash! This just in! Two teams from GMS advance to the next state qualifier level.
We will have pictures and more information next week! We are so excited as we watch this group of robotics practitioners develop!
Winter Performance by Choir
Coach Casey Schutza
Theater in Parade of Lights
More Updates
ATTENTION 6TH GRADE PARENTS
Shots for 7th grade 2016-2017
The following immunizations will be required for 7th grade. Please bring updated shot records to the RN clinic when they are given.
1 dose of tDDAP
2 doses of Varicella
1 dose of Meningococcal
Parents may click on the following link which leads them to our GMS Nurses page.
http://www.gcisd-k12.org/domain/1038
2016-2017 Student Calendar
GCISD is working on finalizing the student calendar for next year. State changes in attendance requirements have caused a delay. Please view the link below to stay updated on our student calendar progress.
http://www.gcisd-k12.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1
Excellence in Education
GCISD is starting a new monthly video series called Excellence in Education, which will give community members a look at district programs, finance, facilities and other initiatives. The first YouTube segments highlights school funding and the impact of the state’s Robin Hood finance system on GCISD. The video can be seen at the district’s YouTube Channel, GCISD TV.
Upcoming Excellence in Education segments will cover how each tax dollar is spent, debt service, facilities, learning environments, safety and security, and more.
The goal of the video series is further transparency between the district and parents, staff and others in the GCISD community.
Meet your Board of Trustees Jesse Rodriguez
Each month the district provides a spotlight on our Board of Trustees to allow us to get to know a little bit about each one. This month we showcase Jesse Rodriguez. Please follow the link to learn more about Trustee Rodriguez.
http://www.gcisd-k12.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
The GMS Counselors page provides information for parents as you conquer the social, emotional, and educational needs of our middle school students. http://www.gcisd-k12.org/domain/1033
Pony Athletics
GMS Athletics Booster webpage is full of information on dates, players of the week, and announcements. Please visit the site regularly to stay informed. https://gmsathleticboosterclub.shutterfly.com/
Weekly schedule for all sports: http://www.rankonesport.com/Schedules/View_Schedule_All.aspx?D=e0d4c82d-3d5a-4c3b-a68b-53feba7c1c58&S=542&Sp=
Student Attendance at After School Events
Once students enter into the gym for basketball we do not allow them to leave and re-enter. Safety of students is our first priority. We want you to feel comfortable leaving your child with us at these events knowing they are in the presence of school officials. Should your child go against our request and leave the activity you will need to pick them up immediately. We do not want students lingering in areas without supervision. Should you have questions, please let me know.
Yearbook Purchase
Remember yearbooks are available for purchase. You may go to
https://yearbookforever.com/# and place your order by January 20, 2016. Order forms are also available in the office.
FIRST Committee
GCISD has formed a Facility Innovation and Readiness Stakeholder Team (FIRST) to study and prioritize ways to create the best possible learning environment for GCISD students. This Team meets every other Tuesday and all minutes and updates are uploaded on their webpage. This is a critical time for our district as we look towards the future and what the educational needs will look like for our graduates. The FIRST website link: http://www.gcisdfirst.net/index.html
GMS Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Grapevine-Middle-School-495229377156742/timeline/
Twitter: @GrapevineMiddle
Week Ahead
Monday
Boys Basketball @ Dawson MS 5:00 pm
Tuesday
GMS Band Winter Concert 7:00 pm @ GHS
Cross Country Meet 4:00 @ CHHS
Play It Safe 7th Grade
GCISD FIRST Committee meets 6:00 - 8:00
Wednesday
AVID 7th and 8th Grade to Baylor University tour
STEM Exploratory Night 6:00 - 7:00 Library and Cafeteria
Thursday
Girls Basketball @ GMS 5:00 pm
GMS Voice Recital 7:00 pm Lecture Hall
Friday
7th Grade Dance 7:00 - 9:00 Cafeteria / GMS Students only
Band and Choir Holiday Elementary Tour
Saturday
District Championship Cross Country Meet
Upcoming Events:
Finals Week December 14 - 19
EARLY RELEASE DAYS - December 17 and 18 @ 12:10