Hawk Highlights
GVMS Weekly Newsletter
March 5, Volume 2, Issue 23
Dear GVMS Families,
We have had another great week at GVMS. Here's an update on what's good at Gainesville:
I want to send a special SPIRIT CHECK and a huge congratulations to the GVMS Cheerleading Team. On Saturday, March 4, after months of hard work, our cheerleaders finally got a chance to compete. And, our team came out on top, winning first place! I was able to see the routine a few times and was impressed each time I got to see the team perform. Thank you to Coach Sherin, Coach Holland, and Coach Reece for everything they do for our cheerleaders each day. GO HAWKS! (Video below).
Over the past few weeks, our grade-level administrators have been completing classroom lessons to revisit some of our GVMS school rules and behavior expectations with students. We've been discussing behaviors in lunch, in the hallways, in the restrooms, and in classrooms. At this point we have completed lessons in all 6th and 7th-grade classes. 8th-grade is coming soon!
It's hard to believe that we've already made it through half of the third marking period. With four weeks left, please make sure you are checking Parent/Student Vue and Canvas and connecting with teachers
Beginning on Thursday, March 9, GVMS will transition to an announcement-free dismissal. We will provide students with the tools they need to get to their bus without the overhead announcement. Information about this new process is below.
Ramadan begins on Wednesday, March 22, and ends on Friday, April 21, 2023. For our Muslim students and families, Ramadan is the holiest month of the year. It is a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. During Ramadan we provide our Muslim students with:
- A food-free space
- The option to avoid physical activity in PE
If you are interested in exempting your student from physical activity in PE during Ramadan, please provide a note to your student's PE teacher.
As we are entering the last few months of the 22-23 school year, we want to be sure that we are planning and scheduling events that meet the needs of our community. If you don't mind taking a few minutes to complete our survey, we would really appreciate it!
This upcoming week is National School Social Worker Week. We appreciate our School Social Worker, Mrs. Melanie Brown. Mrs. Brown rises up each day to support GVMS students with a variety of challenges. She is a fantastic advocate for our students' needs and supports our students, families, and school community. Thank you, Mrs. Brown for everything you do for the GVMS community. RISE up!
Even though our winter athletes are still in season, our spring sports season is quickly approaching. Spring sports tryouts begin on Monday, March 27, from 3:00 - 5:00 PM. Students can try out for Girls' Soccer, Boys' Track, Softball, and Baseball. Students - if you have not done so already this school year, please bring your completed online concussion training certificate and sports physical to Mr. Cadolino or Mr. Grinnell. No digital physicals or concussion training will be accepted. Please email Mr. Cadolino at cadolisx@pwcs.edu with any questions. (More information and forms are below).
GVMS Yearbooks - last year we sold out of yearbooks and we don't order more once they are gone. Please order your yearbook today.
As always, we thank you for your educational partnership and look forward to another great week at GVMS.
Best,
Mary Kate Graham
Proud Principal
Twitter: @HighFlyingHawks
Monday, March 6, 2023
- Girls on the Run - Room 1412
- History Bee Club - 3:00 - 4:30
- Girls Basketball Home vs. Bull Run MS
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
- 8th Grade Writing SOL - Multiple Choice
- PTO Meeting over Zoom @ 6:00 PM - Email gvms.pto@gmail.com for the Zoom Link
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
- Advisory Council Meeting over Zoom @ 6:00 PM
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
- 8th Grade Writing SOL - Short Paper
- Girls Basketball Home vs. Nokesville
Monday, March 20, 2023
- Girls Basketball Home vs. Reagan MS
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
- 8th Grade Writing SOL -Integrated Reading and Writing Test Item Sets
- Girls Basketball Home vs. Marstellar MS
Thursday, March 23, 2023
- Orchestra Pyramid Concert at 6:15 and 7:45 PM
Friday, March 24, 2023
- Students vs. Faculty Basketball Game @ 3:30 PM
8th Grade Students - Writing SOL
Our 8th-grade students and teachers are hard at work preparing for their Writing SOL, which begins this week. The Writing SOL will take place over three days, Wednesday, March 8, 15, and 22.
Here are some tips and reminders as you prepare for the SOL:
- Get a good night's sleep
- Eat a good breakfast
- Charge your laptop the night before
- Don't forget to pack your charger in your backpack
Parents: Please avoid scheduling appointments on these dates, as student attendance at testing sessions is important. When students are absent for the testing session, we are required to pull them out of class at another date/time.
Afternoon Announcements - Beginning Thursday, March 9
Beginning on Thursday, March 9, GVMS will transition to an announcement-free dismissal. Many of our feeder elementary schools do this, so we are going to try the same! We will begin our regular announcements at 2:49, announcing any important messages for students, before dismissing walkers, kiss-n-ride, band students, and athletes. We will then remind students and teachers to display the Padlet before beginning our "silent" dismissal.
Students will be provided with the following to ensure that they are making it to their bus when it arrives:
- Reminders each day this week on the morning and afternoon announcements.
- Teachers will display the Padlet in their classrooms for students to see on their Newline Board.
- The link for the Padlet can be found below. Students can access this link from their cell phones or school laptops.
After a majority of the buses are dismissed, we will then dismiss students to their final location. It'll be important for students to pay attention to the Padlet, as it tells them when their bus arrives and where their bus is located. Many of our students have been dismissing themselves like this all year!
Girls on the Run - GVMS
Girls on the Run students will have their first practice on Monday, March 4. Please change into running clothes and fill up your water bottles after the afternoon announcements. You'll meet in Ms. Raso's room, 1412.
Spring Sports Tryouts - March 27, 28, and 29
All information can be found on the PWCS Student Athletics Website.
Spring sports include Girls' Soccer, Boys' Track, Softball, and Baseball.
GVMS Spring Sports Tryout Dates
Monday 3/27
Tuesday 3/28
Wednesday 3/29
All try-out dates run from 3:00 - 5:00 PM.
*Extra tryout days may be added due to weather.
It is important to note that students are NOT allowed to walk home from tryouts or athletics events at any time. Please arrange for a ride for your student.
In order to try out for an athletics team, all students must:
- Take concussion training;
- Meet participation requirements; and
- Have a current physical dated after May 1, 2022.
Important Forms
Middle School Physical Exam Form (PDF)
Middle School Activities Participation Guide (PDF)
Concussion Training Information
All student-athletes and their parent/guardian are required to complete an annual Concussion Training according to PWCS Policy 759. Concussion training information can be found on the PWCS Student Athletics Website.
You are eligible for Online Concussion Education Training if you are in grades 6, 7, and 8 and are currently enrolled in the Prince William County Public Schools. More information and the Online Concussion Education Training can be found by clicking the button below.
Please email Mr. Cadolino at cadolisx@pwcs.edu with any questions.
Women's History Month at GVMS
On the announcements each morning, we will celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields.
Did you know that all PWCS students can get free help from Paper tutors?
- If you have an important assessment coming up, reach out for free tutor support.
- Do you need to catch up on your assignments or need extra help remembering how to do something you had in class a few weeks ago? Paper tutors can help.
- Do you need to see an example of how to work through a problem? Reach out to your own personal tutor.
- It's fast, easy, free, safe, and encouraged by PWCS.
- There is no limit to the amount of help you can get, and there is absolutely no charge to you for using the service.
- The tutors will meet you in less than 30 seconds from the time you contact them.
- Tutors are available to you anytime, day or night, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
- To contact your free tutor, visit Paper - Online Tutoring - Prince William County Public Schools (pwcs.edu).
*Note: Teachers can see the names of the students who use Paper in their classes. You'll grow in your confidence as you get help with the areas you might be having difficulty learning.
Why wait until it is too late? Start using a tutor today. Paper can be found in Clever as well.
Student Behavior Reminders:
In our return from winter break, we want to provide some reminders about student behavior at GVMS:
- It seems as if the trend of bathroom destruction has returned to GVMS. When we receive reports during the school day, we have to lock the bathrooms until our custodial team is able to attend to them. We know this is frustrating for students, however, they pose a safety risk and can be gross. Parents - please talk to your students about their behavior in the bathroom and encourage them to do the right thing. Students - please make sure you are keeping the bathrooms clean and encourage your friends to do the same.
- AirPods and headphones are not to be worn at GVMS in the hallways and during instruction. They pose a safety risk and should be kept off and away.
- We also want to provide a reminder to students about the dress code. Shirts that bare the midriff (stomach) are not allowed to be worn at school. We will ask students to wear a sweatshirt/t-shirt over the top of their shirt. Repeated reminders will result in discipline referrals.
GVHS Open House
Gainesville High School will be hosting a Freshman and New Student Open House on Thursday, April 27th, 5:30-7:30 pm. Students and families will be able to tour the school and meet department representatives, club sponsors, and athletic coaches. There will be information sessions throughout the evening.
Integrated Reading and Writing Test Item Sets - GVMS
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has developed a new type of test question for future Standards of Learning (SOL) Reading assessments in grades 5, 8, and high school. Before this new type of test item can be used in practice, it will be tried out with students this spring during what is called a field test. The field test will be completed sometime between March 20, 2023, and March 31, 2023, at Gainesville Middle School
Students in grades 5, 8, and high school (usually grade 11) who are scheduled to take the online SOL Reading test this spring are expected to participate in the field test. During the field test, students will read a nonfiction passage online that may be about a history or science topic and then answer four to six questions about what they read. One question will be a writing prompt, which will ask students to write about what they read. Students will complete the online field test in one day. Currently, VDOE is only trying out this item type in an online format. However, in the future, this item type will be available in other formats such as paper. Examples of the new item type are available for students, parents, and teachers to view online in what is called “Integrated Reading and Writing Item Sets.” These item sets include examples for grade 5, grade 8, and high school students.
More information can be found on the SOL Practice Items page of the VDOE website located at: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/student-assessment/sol-practiceitems-all-subjects
Families of participating students should note that individual test results from the field test will not be available to students. Rather results from the field test will be used to make decisions about the use of the new integrated reading and writing item type on future state assessments.
GVMS Athletics Events Reminders
Student Behavior at GVMS Events
It is important to remember that the Code of Behavior still applies at all PWCS and GVMS athletics and extra-curricular events. If students are not following the Code of Behavior, they will be sent home, and may lose privileges to come to future events.
PWCS Bag Policy at Athletic Events
Please notice the safety rule for bags that was implemented last school year (21-22) in PWCS. Please plan ahead before attending any school event across the county and possibly out of county.
BAGS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE ATHLETIC FACILITY
(Includes Backpacks, Purses, Fanny Packs, Etc.)
Clear bags are allowed for use as a diaper or medical bag and are subject to search.
Parent Pick-Up
Please note the start time of sporting events and time accordingly to arrange for quick pick-up of students after sporting events. Administrators supervising the events provide reminders to students as to when to contact parents to arrange for pick-up and will send out a text to families with about 10 minutes left in the game.
Ways to Report Absences...
1. ParentVUE:
GVMS ParentVue and Canvas Cheat Sheets
Our fabulous Instructional Technology Coach, Mrs. Chrissy Richmond, put together some "cheat sheets" for Parent Vue and Canvas. Both documents can be accessed by clicking on the links below.
Paper Online Tutoring
Raise your hand if you could use some help with class assignments! The Office of Teaching and Learning is excited to announce that Prince William County Schools has partnered with Paper, a 24/7 academic support tutoring platform. Through Paper, our students can safely and securely chat with an expert tutor anytime, anywhere, for free.
Whether they need help clarifying homework questions or feedback on a written assignment, they can get on-demand and unlimited help when they need it! Teachers can also have students access this service during the school day for small group or individual support while in class!
To get started:
- Log into Paper via Clever or visit app.paper.co to connect with a tutor.
- Use this link to learn more: https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/ Instructional_technology/paper
PWCS Transportation Information
Wondering where the bus is? Check out Here Comes the Bus
Wondering if the bus is delayed? Check out the PWCS Bus Delay Website
Questions or concerns about your bus route? Contact Transportation Services
PWCS uses the “Say Something” Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS) designed specifically for students in grades 6-12 and staff to report any type of serious or potentially violent concerns of unsafe behavior or threats of harm to self or others. Say Something is a youth violence prevention program from the national nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise and is provided and sustained at no cost to PWCS.
“Tipsters” can send reports on anything from school threats they’ve seen or overheard to personal crises including sexual harassment, self-harm, and depression. The system enables school administrators and those in law enforcement to create effective interventions and intervene upon at-risk individuals to help prevent violence, suicide, bullying, self-harm, and other forms of threatening behavior.
All tips submitted receive an immediate response by one of the highly skilled crisis counselors at the Sandy Hook Promise National Crisis Center; this person then determines the necessary support steps. When credible tips are received that are life-threatening and require immediate attention, the crisis center will notify school-based representatives, even after hours. And, in cases of imminent threat, the crisis center will contact local 911 dispatch and involve law enforcement. Users can submit a tip by calling 1-844-5-SAYNOW or by visiting www.saysomething.net. The free app is available for download from the App Store and Google Play Store, where students can submit tips instantly.
Administation Team
Mrs. Mary Kate Graham - Principal - grahammk@pwcs.edu
Ms. Michelle Praul - 6th Grade Assistant Principal - praulmh@pwcs.edu
Mr. Ed Schultz - 7th Grade Assistant Principal - schultej@pwcs.edu
Mr. Steve Williams - 8th Grade Assistant Principal - williasp@pwcs.edu
Safety and Security Team
Mr. Antione Jeter - jeterad@pwcs.edu
Mr. Jeffrey Barnes - barnesja@pwcs.edu
Counseling Team
Mrs. Jessie Castles - Director of School Counseling - castlejm@pwcs.edu
Ms. Janaelle Robles - Last Names A - Cou - roblesj@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Erin Abbott - Last Names Cr - Hin - abbotte@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Sarah Ware - Last Names Hl - Mik - waresm@pwcs.edu
Ms. Alexis Hawkins - Last Names Mil - Rut - hawkinam@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Autumn Brown - Last Names Ruu - Z - brownal2@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Patricia Lopez - Registrar - lopezpa@pwcs.edu
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