GMS Weekly Newsletter

New Announcements

Greetings, GMS Families -

I mentioned last week that we had about 350 GMS students participating in the OMEA contests. I am thrilled to report we did AMAZINGLY well. We had so many superiors (rating of 1) and excellents (rating of 2). This is outstanding for middle schoolers. Kudos to everyone who performed. This week starts the scheduling process for GMS. All 8th graders will enter their 9th grade course requests tomorrow/Monday during ACE. There will be a family meeting for rising 7th and 8th graders Tuesday night at 6:30pm in the GHS Theater. I will post several resources to the website for those who cannot attend. Here is a reminder of other key dates:

Current 7th graders and 6th graders

3/5: Family information session @ 6:30pm in the GHS Theater

3/8: Mrs. Ormond and Ms. Frazier will be at GIS to speak with 6th graders

3/11: Mrs. Ormond and Ms. Frazier will be in 7th gr SS classes to speak with students

3/13: Mrs. Ormond and Ms. Frazier will host open zoom sessions for Q/A (links sent closer to date)

3/15: 6th grade students will enter their schedule requests at school

3/18: 7th grade students will enter their schedule requests during ACE period

Other Important Dates

Schedules will be ready in August.

Incoming 7th grade (and any new 8th grader) orientation dates:

August 13 from 9-11am, last names A-K

August 14 from 9-11am, last names L-Z

Here's to another good week, and as always, we welcome your questions, concerns, and positive thoughts.

Respectfully,

Lisa Ormond

Principal, GMS

Follow GMS:

Instagram @gms_aces

X, formerly called Twitter, @GranvilleMS

LATE ARRIVAL DATES FOR MARCH

March 6, 13, and 20

PARKING LOT SAFETY

Please drive slow and with caution in the school parking lots. Not only when school is in session, but also in the evenings and on the weekends since we have SO many after school activities.

END OF THIRD QTR

As a reminder, the third grading period ends on March 22, in three weeks. Grades earned will be used for spring sports eligibility. Let's finish strong.

WELL NOTE

Engaging students in conversations about events in the world, books, movies, and social events assists students in developing curiosity and critical thinking skills. Your students are never too young or too old to have these conversations.

SUMMER WRITING CAMP

It’s time for summer camps! I The Thurber Summer Writing Camps focus on creative writing and using your imagination. The week-long camps are for students going into 2nd through 9th grades in the fall and take place at Thurber Center located at 91 Jefferson Avenue. A limited number of scholarships are available by lottery for students who have financial need. The deadline for camp registration is Friday, May 3, but in the past our camps reached capacity before then. Click here for more info, or use the link.

http://www.thurberhouse.org/summer-camps

TECH TIPS from Mr. QUIRE

What Are Some Basic Social Media Rules for Middle Schoolers?

The number of preteens using social media is climbing. Kids age 8 to 12 spend an average of 18 minutes a day on social media, while teens spend about an hour and a half. Watching online videos on platforms like YouTube or TikTok is also a popular activity among kids and teens.

Whether your kids are already using social media or asking to get started, it's a good idea to teach them some basic rules. Here are some guidelines for helping middle school kids use social media safely and responsibly:

Follow the rules. Many social sites have an age minimum of 13 by law and for reasons of safety and privacy. Encourage kids to stick to age-appropriate sites.

Tell your kids to think before they post. Remind them that everything they post can be seen by a vast, invisible audience (otherwise known as friends of friends of friends). With middle schoolers, it's a good idea for parents and caregivers to have access to what their kids are doing online. That way, you can be sure that what they're posting is appropriate, and help your kids avoid doing something they'll regret later.

Make sure kids set their privacy settings. Privacy settings aren't foolproof, but they can be helpful. Take the time to learn about default settings and how to change the privacy settings on your kids' favorite sites and apps, and teach them how to be in control of what they share.

Kindness counts. Lots of sites have anonymous features, such as Q&As and discussion channels, that allow users to tell their friends what they think of them. Rule of thumb: If your kids wouldn't say it to someone's face, they shouldn't post it.

REMINDERS

READING CURRICULUM UPDATE

Reading Curriculum Update: The State of Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) is requiring all school districts to adopt Science of Reading specific materials for grades K – 5 for the 2024-25 school year. The State was supposed to come out with a list of approved materials/curriculum schools could select in the fall. That list was pushed back to November/December, and now was recently released in late January. The implementation timeline is still for the 2024-25 school year. We have been reviewing reading and writing curriculum over the past two school years in preparation for this change. That review process includes use of EdReports and other research agencies that compile data on alignment, usability and effectiveness of all reading programs. The World Class Education Committee, composed of Granville Schools’ residents and parents, was involved in this review as well. From the feedback from staff, committee members and administrators, Granville Schools intends to propose Wit & Wisdom (with Geodes) as the curricular choice for Granville Elementary and Granville Intermediate Schools language arts classes. The Board of Education will review this request at their March Board meeting. We invite any community member to review the Wit & Wisdom curriculum, as samples are located at the District Office (2nd floor) at 130 N. Granger St. If interested in reviewing those materials, please contact Granville Schools Assistant Superintendent Ryan Bernath ([email protected]) to arrange a time for review and/or to offer any feedback for consideration.

CURRENT 7th and 8th GRADE GIRLS

The College of Wooster’s B-WISER Science Camp for middle school girls. Buckeye Women in Science, Engineering, and Research (B-WISER) is a non-profit that began in 1990 and is designed for girls who will be completing 7th or 8th grade. We prioritize making this opportunity affordable to any interested young woman; financial aid recipients pay just $150 for the week, including room and board.

Partnering with the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, B-WISER camp provides hands-on experiences in physics, chemistry, geology, biology, and engineering. The residential program takes place on The College of Wooster campus from June 10-15, 2024. Please see our website for more information: https://bwiser.spaces.wooster.edu/

RIDE 360 APP - UPGRADES

The Ride360 App that allows you to track your student's bus has been upgraded to My Ride K-12.

Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) has the upgrade to My Ride K-12. Tyler Technologies, that we utilize for our bus routing system and bus tracking has released an upgrade to the Ride360 App. It is a free download, but we need to make sure everyone knows about this upgrade. The Ride360 App will continue to work until May 1, 2024, but the new My Ride K-12 App has some very nice upgrades we think you will like.

ATTENDANCE REMINDERS - NEW POLICY

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these three convenient methods:

1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

2. Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

3. Call the toll-free number (866) 294-5982 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Future absences can be reported at any time.

PLEASE NOTE: If your child is going to arrive late you will still need to select the option absent even though they will be in school sometime during the day. The office will reconcile the time the student arrives.

ALE POLICY (aka vacation days)

Families taking vacations during the year can now apply to have up to five days a year counted as excused absences. Vacations are now referred to as Alternative Learning Experiences, or ALE, as the District values and recognizes the learning that can take place with travel. A family can include as many as five students on the form. The excused days can be used together in one ALE or at different times in multiple ALE’s. ALE forms can be rejected if the student(s) has attendance issues or academic concerns that do not warrant excusal by Granville Schools. https://forms.office.com/r/F4iNHH1F32

SPORTS & CLUBS

Nothing to report at this time

CALENDAR

March 4: 8th gr enter their 9th grade course requests during ACE

March 5: Family scheduling meeting for rising 7th and 8th graders @ 6:30pm

March 5: Book Club at ACE

March 6: LATE arrival

March 8: Speaking with 6th graders about scheduling during the school day

March 11: Speaking with 7th graders about scheduling during SS classes

March 13: LATE arrival

March 14: Drama Club opening performance

March 15: 6th gr entering their 7th gr course requests during school