November 20, 2015
Principal for a Day!
Giving Thanks!
STEM Award!
STEAM at FFMS!
As mentioned in the previous post, the STEAM Committee has developed six objectives to guide our work this year as we seek the Georgia Department of Education’s STEM certification. Last week, we focused on the first three objectives and this week we’ll look at objectives 4-6 in greater detail.
Objective 4: Develop Plans for STEAM cohort model for 2016-2017 – In an effort to earn the STEM certification, our school will be assessed according to fifteen rigorous standards. Several of these standards expect us to develop a STEM cohort of students and program that offers a curriculum that is unique to STEM education. Our cohort model will align with the STEM pathway program that currently exists at Brookwood High School. Our Five Forks STEAM committee has been exploring the parameters of the cohort model by meeting with representatives from others schools and visiting Duluth Middle School, which is in the second year of its STEM cohort model. In the 2016-2017 school year, we anticipate that the STEAM cohort will begin in the 6th grade with one team of students. In 2017-2018, we’ll have two cohorts (one in 6th grade and another in 7th grade). In 2018-2019, we’ll add a third cohort (one in each grade level). Students who are interested in participating in the STEAM cohort in the 6th grade next year will apply in the spring 2016. Special attention will be given to ensuring that this cohort of students is truly representative of the population at Five Forks Middle School. More information will be presented to the faculty in January and to the community in February.
Objective 5: Outfit STEAM Lab with technology – One of the standards by which our STEAM program will be assessed is the technology accessibility of our STEAM lab. It is our priority to outfit the STEAM Lab with technology that will enable teachers to engage students in inquiry-based, collaborative learning. Last summer, Five Forks MS received a $3,000 grant to purchase eight Labdisc Probes which have the capability to measure a variety of different factors (pH, temperature, sound, etc.). In October, all of our science teachers were provided with an orientation to these devices by representatives from the Box Light Company. In addition to the probes, we have set a goal of dedicating a class set of 35 Chromebooks to the STEAM Lab. Through funds secured by the PTSA, we have purchased 15 tablets. Also, we have written a $9,000 grant to purchase an additional 37 Chromebooks. If the grant is fully-funded, we will dedicate 20 of the Chromebooks to the STEAM Lab (bringing the total amount to 35) and then have 17 additional Chromebooks for general use throughout the school. One more exciting bit of news to share is that Five Forks received a monetary gift of $1,001 from an anonymous donor, which will be used for technology for our students!
Objective 6: Develop Community Partnerships – Our final objective for this year is to cultivate partnerships with STEAM community organizations. A team of teacher-leaders is building relationships with community partners, encouraging them to lead hands-on demonstrations, and inviting them to speak with our students about their vocations. The experiences of these STEAM partners will provide our students with a greater context on how STEAM education can be used to solve real-world problems.
As you can tell, the STEAM committee has made great gains in advancing our school forward in the certification process. If you have any questions, then please feel free to reach out to a STEAM committee member.
Bidding for Good!
Parents, please support our Brookwood Cluster by participating in the "Bidding For Good" fundraising auction! Funds generated are used to make improvements to our cluster schools and to help purchase valuable equipment and technology to provide rich and engaging lessons for students. Click here for a link to the online auction! We appreciate your support!
Parent Survey!
We Love Our Five Forks Family!
Milestones Results!
Youth Wrestling!
Book Fair!
Attention 8th Grade Parents!
Clip Away!
Every month we will have a collection contest. You can help your child's homeroom win parties by simply turning in the labels. Each homeroom will be competing with their grade level to win a classroom party. Thanks for your support!
Saturday Opportunity School!
What's New This Week!
Top 20 Parents!
Above and Below the Line:
Living vs. Visiting & Decision Making
We all fluctuate above and below the line. It is a part of being human. While we do not stay above the line all of the time, Top 20 Parents spend most of their time above the line. They live above the line and only visit below. When Top 20s go below the line, they are aware they are below the line, they take responsibility for being below the line, they find ways to get above the line, and they do not trust their thinking below the line.
Top 20 Parents do not make decisions when they are below the line. They know that when they are above the line their thinking is working in their best interests and that is when important decisions should be made. When important decisions are made above the line, Top 20s can avoid having to clean up messes or repair damaged relationships.
Living above the line does not mean every day is happy or perfect, but it does mean being able to make choices to create your own life rather than allowing circumstances create it for you.
As parents, when we operate as Bottom 80s, it doesn’t make us ‘bad.’ It just means the way in which we are thinking, learning and communicating are not serving us well as we parent our children.
Top 20 Parents living above the line do the following: have a positive view of the child, accept the behavior of the child as part of her/his development, have empathy toward the child, show patience and understanding, believe parenting involves teaching when mistakes occur, work with the child’s stage of development and temperament instead of against it, and keep the end goal of parenting in mind.
For those interested in reading Top 20 Parents in its entirety, follow this link to order a copy for yourself: Top 20 Parents Book.
Clinic News!
Counselors' Corner!
The Counselors this year are Rachel Kusher and Laura Ross. Mrs. Kusher works with all 8th graders and the 6th grade team of Watson, Glenn, Hicks, & Buschell. Ms. Ross works with all 7th graders and the 6th grade teams of Coston, Seay, McGraw & Byrnes and Kuny, Byrd & Branam. Both Ms. Ross and Ms. Kusher may be reached by phone or email to set a phone conference or face to face appointment. Our contact information can be found on the FFMS Counseling Department website: http://fiveforkscounseling.weebly.com/
Career Day Sign up!
This year the FFMS Counseling Department has set a goal to provide Career Day for all grade levels, but we need your help! Please consider volunteering to present informative, interactive sessions for our students at our FFMS Career Day. Currently, it is scheduled for Friday, March 18, 2016. If you are interested in being a career day presenter, please complete the form at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Pp5JpGNiCV5hCqiBAbvVCimAlCYxoOXdmeQm9xgGEMM/viewform?usp=send_form
Thank You!
FFMS Counselors
Cafeteria News!
Once again, our fabulous cafeteria has received a '100' on its health inspection! Congratulations to Cafe Manager DJ Jackson and her entire staff!
If you qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch status and have not applied this school year, please note that you must apply every school year. Click here to apply online. Thank you for your cooperation.Yearbooks on Sale!
School Store!
Our Media Center operates a School Store for any last minute school supply needs. Students may stop by any time. Click here for an inventory sheet and price list.
GCPS E-Newsletter!
Click here to sign up for GCPS News, the school district's e-newsletter. It's a quick, easy way to learn more about Georgia's largest school system. In it, you'll find stories on teaching and learning, school leadership and governance, and the partnerships that make Gwinnett County Public Schools successful.
GCPS also publishes an online magazine, Communique, with new items added each week. Here's a link.
Join Today!
The PTSA welcomes all our new Five Forks families and would like to encourage you to become a member for only $6.00. We are striving for 100% participation and hope you'll take advantage of this easy way to get involved in many different PTSA-sponsored activities throughout the school year.
If you have not yet completed and returned a communication form, please fill one out next time you visit FFMS. This will help us keep you informed via email about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
Absence Reporting Procedure!
Dress Code!
Attention, Broncos: Shorts and skirts must be no shorter than 8" from the bottom of the knee to be worn in class. Also, no bare shoulders or see-through blouses. No holes in jeans or shorts above the knee and no droopy drawers are allowed. If a student is found to be in violation of the Dress Code, parents will be called to bring a change of clothing for their child. If a parent is not readily available to bring an appropriate change of clothes, students are sometimes able to borrow clothing articles from the Clinic. We ask that clothing borrowed clothing from the Clinic be returned at your earliest convenience so that others may have this same opportunity. Thank you for your assistance.
As a reminder, detailed and specific dress code information is located on pages 7 and 8 of your student's agenda book. We hope you will take a moment to review this with your child. We appreciate your cooperation.
Car Rider Reminders!
- Car Rider Pick-Up/Drop-Off is only at the rear of the building adjacent to the blacktop - no other doors.
- No morning drop-off in front of the building or in the side parking lot
- No drop-off prior to 8:15am except on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:00am; pick-up is at 4:00pm and the cut-off time is 4:15pm; we do not have staff on duty to accommodate students outside of these times; if you need resources for early morning or late afternoon care for your child, click here for available options.
- Students should not use electronic devices while waiting but be actively watching for their cars.
- For the safety of our students, we ask that parents refrain from using electronic devices while driving in the car rider lane.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation.
Transportation Changes!
BHS Activities Link!
Remind Text Alerts!
Community Activities Link!
GSMST Lottery Process!
Dates To Remember!
11/23 - Thanksgiving Holidays (through 27th)
11/30 - School resumes
12/3 - Basketball vs Shiloh MS, 5:00pm, Shiloh HS
12/4 - Hat Day to benefit Relay for Life; pay $1 to wear a hat!
12/5 - Basketball vs Moore MS, 5:00pm, BHS Gold Gym
12/4 - Schoolwide Pep Rally
12/7 - Hour of Code at BHS, 7:00-8:00pm, Commons and Computer Labs
12/10 - Basketball vs Crews MS, 5:00pm, BHS Maroon Gym
12/12 - Saturday Opportunity School, 9:00-11:00am, Media Center
12/12 - Basketball vs Bay Creek, 9:00am, Grayson HS
12/17 - Basketball vs Trickum, 5:00pm, Parkview HS
12/21 - Winter Break (through 1/5/16; School resumes Wednesday, 1/6/16
Five Forks Middle School
Email: five_forks_middle@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Website: fiveforksmiddleschool.org
Location: 3250 River Drive Southwest, Lawrenceville, GA, United States
Phone: 770-972-1506
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckyConnects
Twitter: @BuckyConnects