Panther Prowl

Can you believe it's 2023?! We are quickly progressing through the school year and 2nd Semester has begun. We only have...

• 42 More days till the end of 3rd Quarter
• 51 More days till Spring Break

But who's counting... :)

This months Panther Prowl will review the following topics:

• Principal Message
• VP Corner
• APTS Committee Involvement
• GEMS Events
• Panther To-Do's
• Important Dates

Please let us know if you need anything, we are always here to support you and your Panther!

Ana Castillo

ancastillo@wpusd.org

Jessica Fernandez

jfernandez@wpusd.org

I hope you all enjoyed the winter break and took advantage of the opportunity to recharge and reset for the New Year -I know we sure did! We were excited to see our students back on campus and in good spirits despite this crazy weather. With that being said please remind your Panther to come to school prepared whether that be with an umbrella, sweatshirt or jacket. We want to ensure our Panthers are staying warm and dry! The start of the 2023 year also means that we are about to dive into planning for the 2023-2024 school year. Our end of the year event announcements will start to roll in come February, please be on the lookout for all communication. That being said, here are a few quick but important updates for you from the Administration:

• New for Semester 2: beginning on Wednesday, we will be rolling out a new Schedule (course) Change Policy and Procedure to ensure equitable and timely changes for all stakeholders. Please click here for more information.
• Our new bell schedule has been successful and our 6th graders are very happy about a later lunch! Thank you for being flexible with us as we worked to identify the best schedule to support our students and staff.
• 8th Grade Panthers: The time has come to start discussing course selections for your first year at LHS or TBHS. Your Panther received additional information from the HS today during their History classes regarding the paperwork related to selecting their courses. I would encourage you to speak with them this weekend as this information will help you navigate the Zebra Showcase and Rhino Rollout Night next week for families/parents.
• Incoming 5th and current 6th and 7th grade Panthers will be selecting their electives come February. More details to follow.

Our afterschool tutoring program will be up and running next week beginning 1/17!! If your child is in need of some extra support/help this is a great opportunity for them to fill in gaps.

Time: 3:10-4:10 with the support of 2 LHS tutors.

Location: GEMS Library

Tuesday: Laura Sliepen
Wednesday: Laura Koerner
Thursday: Kelly Ransford

Behavior Reminders:

Behaviors that do not model the 3 Ps are neither positive, productive, nor professional. Some of the more consistent behaviors are related to inappropriate language about races/cultures/gender identities, misuse of technology in the classrooms and during passing periods/lunches, leaving garbage behind for others to clean up, squirting water or throwing food/objects at others, roughhousing, and engaging with peers & staff in an unprofessional manner.

GEMS is home to all of us during the school day. All members should uphold the school expectations to take ownership and show pride for our campus. All Panthers can contribute to campus pride by picking up after themselves, being prepared for classes (this includes dressing down for PE), using technology appropriately, and interacting with each other with respect. Disrespect and defiance surrounding these expectations will be addressed according to our progressive discipline process. Please take a moment to review this process and the student expectations in the handbook with your Panther.

Thank you so much for collaborating with the teachers, staff, and administration to ensure the success of your student. We appreciate all of your support.

Hey there Panther families! We hope your Winter Break was exactly what you needed to reset and get the new year started off right!

Our next meeting is this week on Thurs, Jan 12th @6pm online via zoom. Please join us!

APTS Meeting Link

Reminder, easy way to SUPPORT GEMS APTS with very little effort is to be sure to assign Glen Edwards Middle School to your Box Tops and Amazon Smile accounts. Amazon account is under Association of Parents, Teachers, and Students.

We have created wish lists for all teachers to hopefully help get them needed classroom supplies. Teachers will add/edit it throughout the year. Please be sure to support!
Agrippino Banderas Baracosa Butler Colson Cuomo

Davena Fulton Greenside Hargis Harrigan Hunt Johnson

Law Luci Mahan Mason McAdam Mullen Noonan Ransford

Rayos Santos Saul Simko Smith, Richard Smith, Ryan

Stolesen Trueman Ward White

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Jan 12th – APTS Meeting (Online)
Feb 7th - Dine Out Event at La Villa
Feb 9th – APTS Meeting (Online)
Feb 13th – 16th – Krispy Kreme Fundraiser

Be sure to follow us on Facebook @GEMSAPTS. Click here to learn more about our parent group and what we do to support the staff and students.

Any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at GemsAPTS@Gmail.com

Our Leadership Class has been working hard on planning the next GEMS Event. They are on a roll and keep hosting great things to do for our students.

On January 27th they are planning an Open Gym & Movie Night. Entry fee will be approximately $5.00 and as always the $1.00 snack bar will be available. As we head into February there is another Rally planned for 2/3 to pump everyone up for "Kindness Matters" week which will be 2/6-2/11. Lots of FUN ACTIVITIES are in the works so keep your eyes out on Schoology for the specific details.

as a reminder.......GEMS events are for GEMS students only.

GO PANTHERS!!!!

Women's Cut Tees
1st Place Spirit Wear received a lot of customer feedback regarding sizing for the Bella Canvas women's cut slim fit tees. This style runs extremely small, with people generally needing to order 2 sizes larger than normal in order for them to fit properly. Because of this, they are switching Bella Canvas women's cut tees to relaxed fit, which have great reviews and a much truer fit! Visit https://1stplace.sale/5471 and support Glen Edwards Middle School TODAY!!

Online access is now LIVE!

If you haven't done so already, you will need to review your child’s emergency contact and health information for any updates. When reviewing and updating your child’s information, you will also be electronically signing your child’s 2022-2023 Technology Use and Waiver Agreements, Student Health Insurance option, and Photo Release Opt-Out Forms.

Please contact your child's SCHOOL office if you have any questions. If you've already completed this process, no action is needed. If you have not completed this process, it may impact your child's ability to attend school events and use district technology.

**If don't have a Parent Portal account you should have received an email or letter with information and instructions to set up your account. If did not receive an email or letter or you forgot your student’s Access ID/Password, please contact your child’s SCHOOL and they can help.**

If you need technical assistance, please email HelpDesk@wpusd.org.

At the end of each year, all students will be returned to their home school based on the District boundaries (except for previously approved bilingual immersion, GATE and Honors (GEMS) programs).

You must reapply if you wish to continue your intra-district transfer in 2023-2024. We will begin accepting priority intra-district transfer requests on January 19, 2023. Intra-district transfers are approved for one year only.

• Parents are to submit the form online and must have a Parent Portal Account to submit.
• For LHS and TBHS students - any incoming 8th–– 9th and 10th grade students who wish to attend a high school that is not their home school for the 2022-2023 school year should also submit the form online. On the form there is a notation to include the CTE pathway they are requesting (if applicable).

As WPUSD plans for the upcoming school year, a series of important dates and events for those newly registering for the 2023-2024 school year will be pushed out. Below is a link to a list of upcoming information sessions held in both English and Spanish. If you, or someone you know, is planning to register a child for TK, Kindergarten, or our Bilingual Immersion Program next year, please use the link below to register.

2023-2024 New Student Registration & Program Information Nights

Key Dates for 2022-2024 New Student Registration, Bilingual Immersion & Transfers

• December 7, 2022: Bilingual Immersion Parent Information Night (English Session) 5:30 pm
• December 7, 2022: Bilingual Immersion Parent Information Night (Spanish Session) 6:45 pm
• December 8, 2022: TK/K Virtual Registration Information Night (English Session) 6:00 pm
• December 13, 2022: TK/K Virtual Registration Information Night (Spanish Session) 6:00 pm
• *January 10, 2023: Online Registration OPENS at 8am
• ^January 19, 2023: Begin Accepting Intra-District Transfers (within the district) at 8am
• February 1, 2023: Begin Accepting Inter-District Transfers (outside of district)
• *February 10, 2023: Deadline for Bilingual Immersion Lottery
• ^February 16, 2023: Deadline for High School Intra-District Transfers ONLY (TK-8 accepted through June 2023)
• *February 21, 2023: Deadline to submit 2023-2024 priority registration online
• February 24 - March 3, 2023: Parent notification for Bilingual Immersion Program placement
• Late March - Early April 2023: Parent notification for TK placement

*IMPORTANT REGISTRATION DATES TO NOTE

^IMPORTANT TRANSFER DATES TO NOTE

Visit wpusd.org for more information

• 1/17/23- TBHS Rhino Rollout
• 1/18/23 - LHS Zebra Showcase
• 1/19/23 - School Site Council (4:00-5:00 / Staff Room)
• 1/20/23 - Winter Team Pictures (Wrestling & Girls Basketball / 3:00 / Gym)
• 1/27/23 - Open Gym & Movie Night
• 2/3/23 - Rally (2:00-2:45)
• 2/6/23-2/11/23 - Kindness Week
• 2/9/23 - School Site Council (4:00-5:00 / Staff Room)
• 2/9/23 - ELAC Meeting (5:00-6:00 / Staff Room)
• 2/9/23 - APTS Meeting (6:00-7:00 / APTS Meeting Link)
• 2/17/23 & 2/20/23 - NO SCHOOL

IF you or someone you know is interested in this paid position, please click the picture above for more information.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the office for more information.