GVMS Weekly Update

Achieving our best through creativity, compassion, and community.

Email: stenzl@garnetvalley.org
Website: https://gvms.garnetvalleyschools.com/
Location: 601 Smithbridge Road
Phone: 610-579-5100
Twitter: @GarnetValleyMS

Constitution Day

This upcoming Tuesday, September 17th our Social Studies department will lead our annual Constitution Day. We are encouraging all students to wear red, white, and blue to celebrate the day. Also, please keep an eye out on Twitter on Tuesday as we will be sending out pictures highlighting the day.

Back to School Night

Don't forget about our Back to School Nights next week! We sent out newsletters earlier this week providing information about September 17th and 18th. Please use the links below to access the newsletters that we sent out earlier this week.

Tuesday, September 17th - 6th Grade

https://www.smore.com/s29vz

Wednesday, September 18th - 7th and 8th Grade

https://www.smore.com/f6c0e

Sincerely,

Lisa Stenz, Principal

stenzl@garnetvalley.org

Gerry Weinhardt, Assistant Principal

weinhag@garnetvalley.org

Rick Martin, Assistant Principal

martinr@garnetvalley.org

Programming Club: Tuesdays 2:30-3:30 must sign up using the hyperlinks below.

Robojags Competitive FLL Team: See link for tryouts process

Programming and Robotics Club and RoboJags are about to begin. Please click here if you would like more information on RoboJags Tryouts.

Click here if you would like to register for a session of Programming and Robotics Club. If you have any further questions, please visit Mrs. D in room 110.

While School Messenger provides users with the option to submit early dismissals, our office staff is asking for a physical note to be dropped off in the main office.

The GVMS library's book collection is continuing to grow! If you would NOT like your child to check out books from our YA (young adult) section please fill out this form.

https://permission.click/eZbYA/us

If you have any questions or would like further clarification, please contact Mrs. Cleary at clearye@garnetvalley.org.

We have worked with the Rachel Kohl Library Director, Susan Sternberg, to confirm that our middle school students may be released from our care and walk unsupervised to the Rachel Kohl Library after school or following after school clubs or practices. The Rachel Kohl Library Child Safety Policy and Code of Conduct can be found here:

http://www.kohllibrary.org/child-safety-policy/

If you would like to give your child permission to walk over to Rachel Kohl Library to be picked up, please read, sign, and return the attached form to Mrs. Cleary in the GVMS library.

Thank you for your continued support and we will continue to evaluate our after school guidelines and make improvements to the process if needed. We thank you for your patience and understanding in working with us to ensure our students’ safety.

Letter and Parent Permission Form:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QLhGLRCsOaT7swzuhqxsasG5dA8ewxYC6FYGAG3SQYg/edit?usp=sharing

The tests will be given on Thursday,September 19, 2019 and Wednesday, October 2, 2019. All tests will be given in the cafeteria at the Middle School. Testing will begin promptly at 2:30 and end at 3:30. Students need to bring a pencil and a calculator. Students must take both tests to have their scores considered.

Any student in any grade at the Middle School can take the tests.

Details can be found on Schoology:

Please join the course!!

The course code is J6KKB-V484X

Please direct questions to Mrs . Sohail at sohails@garnetvalley.org

Science Olympiad is a team of 6th, 7th and 8th graders that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from October to April. The team competes in four day-long science tournaments and hold our own tournament in January.

Join the Science Olympiad Schoology page for more complete information. Access code: 5NXDN-ZM4SV

Go to “My Courses” then “Join a Course” and use the code.

There are four mandatory parts to the tryout:

1. Teacher Recommendation, due Friday, Sept. 27

2. Online Survey, due Friday, Sept. 27

3. Ornithology “Meet Sheet,” due on tryout test day.

4. Tryout test: in Room 226, from 2:30 to 4:00 pm:

• Wednesday, September 25th (6th & 7th grade)

• Thursday, September 26th (8th grade only)

Please contact Ms. Kunze by Friday, Sept. 20th, if you cannot make your scheduled test time. Email Ms. Kunze with any questions at kunzec@garnetvalley.org.

8th Graders

Have you thought about playing in the high school band?

Whether you currently in 8th grade band, or thinking about joining the high school band, you are invited to attend our 8th Grade Night with the GVHS Band, Fri, Sep 20, at the home football game at Garnet Valley High School. Band members will get details from Ms. France in class. If you're not in band but think you might want to check it out, please talk to Ms. France, or e-mail Dr. Selfridge at selfris@garnetvalley.org to reserve your spot.

We will have technology support staff available during both our Back to School Nights, which will be held on September 17th and 18th. Our technology staff will be available to answer any questions you may have in regards to Alma, Schoology, SNAP, or any of the other technology we utilize here at GVMS.

With the addition of a fourth school counselor, we had to re-evaluate our system for creating counselor caseloads. Our main focus throughout this process was balance. Our new structure is a little more detailed than our previous structure, but it provides each school counselor with approximately the same number of students. Our school counselors are excited to see familiar faces, but are also looking forward to meeting their new students.

2019 - 2020 School Counselor Caseloads

• Marisa Mahon - Last names beginning with A-Em

• Wendy Xanthopoulos - Last names beginning with Ep-Ler

• Madison Rogas - Last names beginning with Les-Rom
• Christy Francart - Last names beginning with Ros-Z

All students should have access to their Alma account. Alma is our online student information system, which is where students can go to access their course schedule. Please let us know if your child is having issues logging into their Alma account. We can reset a student's Alma password, which would generate an email to their Gmail account with further instruction.

To access Alma, click the link below:

https://gvms.getalma.com/home

For more information on Alma, click the link below:

https://sites.google.com/garnetvalley.org/gvsystemssnapshot/alma

This is the fourth year that the Garnet Valley School District is taking part in the 2019 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. The survey will ask questions about the behaviors of students in the 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, including questions about school climate, violence, depression, bullying, and substance abuse. The results guide our efforts as a district and Garnet Valley Communities That Care to create programs that enhance our parent/guardian efforts and help our students to be their best.

As a parent/guardian, you have the right to opt your child out. Participation in this survey is completely voluntary. The survey is anonymous and confidential.

The survey will be administered during the school day, the week of October 21st for GVHS and the week of October 1st for GVMS. If you do not want your child to participate, please submit your request to Carolyn Falcone in writing to falconc@garnetvalley.org by September 26, 2019.

We encourage all families to utilize our transportation services for safety and efficiency purposes. However, if you need to drop your student off below are our AM Drop-off procedures:

• Parents entering from Station Road will travel to the GVES and GVMS shared parking lot by taking a right and making a loop to the GVMS drop off location. Parents will exit back to Station Road.

• Parents entering from Bob Mench Drive (Passed the Rachel Kohl Library) will travel to the left of GVMS and take a right and make a loop to the GVMS pool drop off location. Parents may exit to the right or left on Bob Mench Drive.

• Parents may not park in the front parking lot and walk students across the BUS ONLY LANE into the school between 7:00 and 7:30. This poses a safety risk.

• ALL BUSSES will be entering the campus from Station Road and enter the BUS ONLY LANE for Student Drop Off. The BUS ONLY LANE for Student Drop Off will only be for busses, so no other traffic will be allowed to go through. ALL busses will continue past GVMS and make a right onto Municipal Drive and exit onto Temple Road.

• This traffic pattern will be in place from 7:00 to 7:30 during all school days.

We appreciate your cooperation in following all established traffic patterns.

We encourage all families to utilize our transportation services for safety and efficiency purposes. However, if you choose to pick your child up in the afternoon, below are our PM Pick-up procedures:

• Parents can only enter from Station Road and will travel to the GVES and GVMS shared parking lot by taking a right and making a loop to the GVMS drop off location. Parents will exit back to Station Road.

• Students who miss their bus will call and notify you that they missed their bus. Any student who misses the bus will remain in the office until they are able to be picked up.

We appreciate your cooperation in following all established traffic patterns.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Tuesday, 9/17/19 - Back to School Night 6th Grade, Scholastic Book Fair, & Spirit Wear Sales 6:30 -7:30 pm

Wednesday, 9/18/19 - Back to School Night 7th & 8th Grade, Scholastic Book Fair & Spirit Wear Sales - 6:30 - 7:30

Monday, 9/23/19 - - 1st Home and School Meeting of the Year - 6:30 - 7:30 at GVMS .

Wednesday, 9/25/19 - Picture Day

Friday, 9/27/19 - 6th Grade - Class of 2026 Spirit Night 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm at GVMS

Monday, 9/30/19 - MOD Pizza Glen Mills - Eat Out All Day & Raise Money for GVMS HSA - 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

Monday, 10/14/19 - MOD Pizza Glen Mills = Eat Out All Day & Raise Money for GVMS HSA - 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

Friday, 10/25/19 - 7th & 8th Grade Halloween Dance 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm at GVMS

HSA NEWS

* AMAZON SMILE- GVMS HSA is now registered as a nonprofit educational charity with Amazon Smile. Raising money for our school has never been easier. The next time you are shopping on Amazon, please considering registering to participate in Amazon Smile. When you select Garnet Valley Middle School HSA as your charity of choice, Amazon will make a donation to our school whenever you shop through Amazon Smile. Here is a link to the GVMS HSA Amazon Smile page for more information & to register: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-3075301

For the most up to date information , check out the GVMS HSA Website at https://sites.google.com/garnetvalley.org/gvmshsa/home

Follow us on Social Media too!

Facebook - @garnetvalleymiddleschoolHSA

Instagram - @gvhs_hsa

The first event of the year for our sixth grade students will be held at Garnet Valley Middle School on Friday, September 27, 2019 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

For more information, check out the flyer and submit the following Google Form to register. Please note that we are still working on getting MySchoolBucks ready to accept payments, and it may not be an available option until after September 16.

https://forms.gle/LM35xSSg4j2ntmya6

Did you know? CTC stands for Communities That Care. GV CTC is a coalition comprised of the school district, parents, and community leaders that base their prevention efforts on the results of the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS).

Garnet Valley has taken the PAYS, Pennsylvania Youth Survey, in 2013, 2015 and 2017. We will be taking the PAYS again this year, 2019. Students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 participate.

Thank you in advance for your support! We hope you will continue to support the Garnet Valley Communities That Care.

https://www.garnetvalleyschools.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=151092&pageId=2190411

Call to action… “It takes a village” or in this case a “valley” to:

• support children in a multi-layered manner (across all grades and at varying levels of need)

• educate adults on the New Realities of Parenting

• foster open dialogue between community members

• promote the best possible environment for our children.

Click on the link below to learn more!

https://www.garnetvalleyschools.com/gv_ctc/about_g_v_c_t_c

Achieving our best through creativity, compassion, and community.

Email: stenzl@garnetvalley.org
Website: gvms.garnetvalleyschools.com
Location: 601 Smithbridge Road
Phone: 610-579-5100
Twitter: @GarnetValleyMS