Bulldog Bark
GHMS Moving Forward Together May Newsletter
From the Desk of Mr. Fording
As we bring to a close the remainder of the school year it is important to be reminded of some key points.
1. We are a cell phone away for the day school. We should not see them or hear them throughout the day. If we see them, we will ask for them until the end of the day.
2. Social media continues to influence our students in a negative way. Please encourage your child to stay off of social media or use it appropriately.
3. We will not tolerate any sort of violence or physical aggression. We have adults in the school that will talk to your children if they need to talk to someone before a situation escalates.
4. Be kind. It is such an easy thing to do and takes very little effort!
5. Continue to work hard until the end of the school year. How you finish will affect how you start next year!
6. Please be safe as you walk home at the end of the day. Remind your child to use all crosswalks and be very careful. Be especially careful on Turney, by the bridge, where there is construction.
7. We have one more round of MAPPING which will allow us to make decisions about what your child needs next year and their best fit from a classroom standpoint.
8. Finally, we will be having some field trips for different grade levels and groups of students as the year comes to a close. The same expectations that we have in school are also expected on field trips.
Parents and Guardians, THANK YOU for all that you do everyday to partner with the schools in the education of your child. It takes a team to help students and you are certainly such an important part of that team!
From the Office of Teaching and Learning
State Testing is over and the results should be available in June. Stay tuned for your child's results.
We will have our last MAPPING benchmark for the year on May 10th and 11th. We will take the benchmark in the morning, so please remind your children to bring their Chromebooks to school, fully charged on those two days. It is important that your children are present on these two days to avoid making up the assessment at an unscheduled time.
Please see the Middle School MAPPING Schedule below.
From the Athletic Director- Rebecca Shotliff
From the Literacy Coach- Jen Corrado
Exciting News:
During the month of May everyone at GHMS will read Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds. Jason Reynolds has written numerous young adult novels including All American Boys, a track series that includes Ghost. Patina. Sunny, Lu. , and most recently Stuntboy, In the Meantime. Look Both Ways captures one day's walk home from school. But within that structure, Reynolds conjures 10 tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and weaves them into a funny, poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.
Students and staff will engage in the novel as well as discussion questions throughout the month. If any students would like their own copy of the book we do have a few extra. Please email me at jmcorrado@gbulldogs.org and I will get you a copy!!
From the Guidance Department
Here is a list of activities offered through the Garfield Heights Library Branch of Cuyahoga County for the month of May. Please visit their website for more information: www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Branches/Garfield-Heights
Mobile Pantry-Free, fresh produce distribution
Wednesday, May 4: 11:00 PM-1:00 PM
Homework Center
Monday-Thursday 4:00 PM-6:30 PM
Artful Impact-Grades K-8
Wednesday, May 4 and May 11:4:00 PM-5:00 PM
AV Club
Tuesday, May 10: 3:30-5:00 PM
Kids Cafe
Thursday, May 12: 3:00 PM-4:00 PM
General Information contacts:
211-Information about social, health, housing, and government resources.
Crisis Hotlines:
24-hour Child Abuse Hotline
Child abuse, neglect, or exploitation - Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services
24/7 Crisis Line: 216-696-KIDS (5437)
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
24/7 Crisis Line: 216-619-6192
National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 Crisis Line: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center (Greater Cleveland)
24/7 Crisis Line: 216-391-HELP (4357)
Teacher Feature
Ms. Cassandra Stanton
Her favorite thing about teaching is that no day looks the same. She enjoys the unexpected and being kept on her toes.
When she is not working, you will most likely find her in the gym, competing in some kind of sport, or spending time with the people she loves.
Her advice for students is: Every day do the best you can for that day. When you know better, you do better.
Mrs. Danielle Morris
Mrs. Morris received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Middle School Education from the University of Akron in 2007. She also holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Lamar University. She has previously taught 6th, 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts in Texas. She and her family recently moved back to Ohio, and this is her first year here at Garfield Middle School as an 8th grade ELA teacher.
For fun Mrs. Morris likes to craft, read, travel to new destinations and spend time with her family and friends.
What she likes best about her job is being able to develop important relationships with students. She loves being able to get to know their minds and hearts as they navigate through their middle school years. She believes that the better she knows her students, the better teacher she can be!
Mrs. Morris' advice to students is to set a goal and do whatever it takes to reach your dreams! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something that you are inspired to do! Push yourself!