Hawk Highlights
RISING 6th GRADE - SPECIAL EDITION
Rising 6th Grade Information 23-24
APRIL 2023 - Issue #2
Dear Rising 6th-Grade Families,
Welcome to Gainesville Middle School, home of the High Flying Hawks! We are excited to welcome your student for the 2023-2024 school year! The end of the school year is just around the corner and your student will soon be entering sixth grade at GVMS. The transition from elementary school to middle school is an exciting time in the lives of your student. We recognize the wonders and questions that accompany such a transition and want to provide some activities and information prior to the start of the school year to help them feel safe and prepared for their new adventure.
On Thursday, March 30th, we held a Zoom webinar to review important information regarding schedules, available courses, and some general middle school transition information. A pdf copy of the presentation as well as the video recording can be found below.
On Thursday, May 18, 2023, parents and students can come into the building to check out the school, learn more about clubs and activities, and learn what middle school life is like. The event will begin at 6:00 PM.
In order to ensure that we are answering all of your questions and providing you with all the necessary information, I've provided a link below for you to complete. We will take the responses and include additional information in both our webinar, the in-person session, and via email, as appropriate.
Additionally, as you are making your plans for summer, we will be holding an Open House event the week of August 14, where students will receive their schedule, have a chance to open their lockers, and walk the school to find their classes. The date and time for this event will be communicated to parents before the end of the 22-23 school year. This is the only time that students will have the opportunity to come into the building and receive their schedule during the month of August, prior to the start of the school year.
Below, you'll find some basic information about life at GVMS. If you want to come to check out a GVMS event this spring, you'll find a list of dates for athletics, music concerts, and drama productions. We love to show off the incredible things our Hawks do!
If you have any questions about the transition to Gainesville Middle School, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team (contact information is included below). I look forward to meeting you and your student and am so excited to welcome you to the GVMS community!
Best,
Mary Kate Graham
Proud Principal
Twitter: @HighFlyingHawks
6th Grade Information Night - Virtual Session - March 30, 2023 @ 6:00 PM
GVMS Rising 6th Grade Questions
Want to know more about middle school or life at GVMS? Is your student especially anxious/nervous about something regarding next year? We would love to be able to prepare for your questions or ease some nerves at the webinar, at the in-person event, and through newsletter communication. Fill out the link below with any questions/wonderings or things that we can assist with.
GVMS Rising 6th-Grade FAQ
How will my rising 6th-grader choose their classes for next school year?
The GVMS counselors traveled around to our main feeder elementary schools in February and March of 2023. If your student has not yet selected classes, please reach out to Jessie Castles, Director of School Counseling, at castlejm@pwcs.edu.
What advanced classes are offered at GVMS? How would my rising 6th-grader select those classes?
GVMS offers advanced math, science, and language arts, classes. Information regarding those classes can be found in the rising 6th-grade PowerPoint presentation linked above. For advanced math and language arts, teacher recommendations and SOL scores are taken into consideration. Information about the application process will be shared in the coming weeks for the enriched science program. Additionally, we take into consideration teacher recommendations, SOL scores, and the student essay.
*Please refer to the PWCS Math Placement FAQ document for more information.
When do sports tryouts take place?
Athletics tryouts happen during the following months.
- August - first week of school: (football, boys' soccer, girls' track, volleyball, cheerleading)
- November (boys' basketball)
- January (girls' basketball and wrestling)
- March (baseball, softball, girls' soccer, boys' track)
Will there be teachers around helping the 6th-grade students who are lost during the first week of school?
The GVMS staff does a wonderful job supporting all of our students during the first few days of school. Staff is available in the hallways to help guide students to where they need to go. Additionally, the GVMS staff escorts students to lunch and assists with finding encore classes. Our 6th-grade teachers take our students out on tours to help them locate major locations like the restrooms, cafeteria, library, counseling office, gym, and main office.
What are the Encore Course descriptions?
Below are the Career and Technical Education course descriptions for FACS and Tech Ed.
Family and Consumer Sciences: Personal Development (Grade Six)
This introduction to Family and Consumer Science prepares students for the demands of 21st-century life. This course provides a foundation for managing individual, family, career, and community roles and responsibilities. Students focus on areas of individual growth, goal setting, strengthening families, and awareness of personal safety and wellness. Students learn financial literacy concepts such as earning, saving, and spending practices, as well as clothing care, food preparation, and positive peer relationships, and make connections to career opportunities along the way.
Introduction To Technology (Grade Six)
Students find solutions to current technology-based problems using resources including tools, energy, materials, people, time, information, and capital in hands-on, project-based learning. They study up to three systems of technology, including medical, agricultural, and related biotechnologies, energy and power, information and communication, transportation, manufacturing, and construction. Students relate the impact of technology on society, the environment, and culture to future consequences and decisions.
When do 6th-grade students take gifted education classes?
Our 6th-grade students who are in the gifted education program will take two-quarters of their gifted class during the encore rotation. Students will either be enrolled in quarters 1 and 3 or in quarters 2 and 4. 8th-grade students will not see gifted on their schedule, as it is a pull-out program from PE.
Do students have lockers? How often do students go to their lockers? Do students have to carry all materials from class to class?
- Each student at GVMS has access to a locker. Students are also allowed to carry their backpacks throughout the day with their materials inside. Many of our students choose not to use their lockers during the school day, as they are not always in a convenient location.
- Currently, our students have three designated locker times during the school day. Our 6th-graders are allowed to go once before school, once in the middle of the day, and once before heading to their encore classes. The locker times were carefully selected to minimize congestion in the hallways during multi-grade level exchanges. Our team communicates a plan for student success with locker times and assists students with selecting the materials they need to be successful.
Special Education Meetings, 504 Plans, and Intervention Plans
Special Education Meetings: If your student has an IEP, their elementary school will reach out to you to schedule a transition meeting. Transition meetings will take place from now until the end of the school year. GVMS will have a representative at those meetings to answer any of your questions.
504 Meetings: If your student has a 504 plan, GVMS will reach out to you to schedule that meeting. We traditionally schedule those meetings before school begins at the end of July and August.
Intervention Plans: If your student has a current Intervention Plan, please complete the form below. This will provide GVMS with important information for your student's transition to middle school.
Want to see what's currently happening at GVMS?
Each week, I send out a new update with all of the information parents, students, and staff need to know. This weekly newsletter is called "Hawk Highlights". All past Hawk Highlights issues can be found on the Gainesville Middle School website. Check them out below to get a feel for how we communicate at GVMS!
GVMS House System - Work in Progress
GVMS has been hard at work implementing the new house system this school year. We created our three houses and students have been involved in selecting the house colors, motto, symbols, and crest (student created!) GVMS switched over to the house system so that we could grow our school community to increase opportunities for student leadership. We are excited for the 23-24 school year when we will be able to roll out the house system in full force!
Want to get involved at GVMS?
At GVMS, we have a fabulous PTO and an Advisory Council that meet monthly. The schedule for those meetings will be shared in August 2023.
GVMS SPIRIT WEAR
GVMS Spring Event Calendar
Interested in checking out a GVMS event?
The spring is a busy time at GVMS, full of athletic events, drama performances, concerts, etc. Come see our incredible Hawks in action to get a feel for the GVMS community.
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
- Girls' Soccer and Softball at HOME vs. Bull Run MS @ 4:45 PM
Thursday, April 20, 2023
- Baseball at HOME vs. Bull Run MS
Friday, April 28, 2023
- Boys' Track Meet at HOME vs. Reagan MS & Bull Run MS @ 4:45 PM
Monday, May 1, 2023
- Girls' Soccer and Softball at HOME vs. Reagan MS @ 4:45 PM
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
- Baseball at HOME vs. Reagan MS @ 4:45 PM
- GVMS 6th-Grade Choir Concert @ 7:00 PM
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
- Boys' Track at Home vs. Marstellar @ 4:45 PM
Thursday, May 18, 2023
- Rising 6th-Grade Information Night #2 @ 6:00 PM - Gainesville Middle School
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
- GVMS 6th-Grade Band and Orchestra Concert @ 7:00 PM
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
- GVMS 7th-Grade Choir Concert @ 7:00 PM (Concert at GVHS)
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
- GVMS 8th-Grade Chorus, Band, and Orchestra Concert @ 7:00 PM (Concert at GVHS)
Friday, June 2, 2023
- 8th Grade Drama Production - Performance @ 7:00 PM
Thursday, June 8, 2023
- GVMS 7th-Grade Band & Orchestra Concert @ 7:00 PM (Concert at GVHS)
GVMS Administration Team
Mrs. Mary Kate Graham
Ms. Michelle Praul
6th-Grade Assistant Principal
Mr. Ed Schultz
7th-Grade Assistant Principal
Mr. Steve Williams
8th-Grade Assistant Principal
Mrs. Dominique Alexander
School Nurse
Mr. Antione Jeter
Safety & Security Specialist
Mr. Jeff Barnes
Security Assistant
GVMS Counseling Team
Mrs. Jessie Castles
Director of School Counseling
Ms. Janaelle Robles
Counselor - Last Names A - Cou
Mrs. Erin Abbott
Counselor - Last Names Cr - Hin
Mrs. Sarah Ware
Counselor - Last Names Hl - Mik
Ms. Alexis Hawkins
Counselor - Last Names Mil - Rut
Mrs. Autumn Brown
Counselor - Last Names Ruu - Z
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