 Glasgow Community -
March is always a busy month in a middle school! Last week, despite the network outages on Monday and Tuesday, we had a full week of learning, gathering and performing. Thank you for those of you who of you came out to our PTA meeting on Tuesday; it was great to be able to answer some of your timely questions about scheduling, course registration and school safety. There were also several performing arts concerts held this week including the Band and Orchestra assessment concerts.
Tomorrow we begin our Writing SOL for 8th grade students. It is important that your student attend school on these days. If possible, please avoid scheduling trips or appointments that would take your student out of school during this time period. It is also important that your student have a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast before testing. If you become aware of an unavoidable conflict that could result in your student missing a testing day, please notify your student’s counselor as soon as possible.
As we head into the final few weeks of third quarter, students have an important opportunity to finish the quarter and the year stronger than they started. Our teachers and staff are encouraging students to show commitment to their learning and embrace a growth mindset. I am thankful to work at a school where lifelong learning is such a central part of our school vision.
It is an exciting time to be a part of the Glasgow Community! As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Shawn P. DeRose
Principal
Contact Information
Twitter: @ShawnDeRose
Email: spderose@fcps.edu
Website: http://www.fcps.edu/GlasgowMS/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlasgowMS.FCPS/
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Calendar at-a-Glance
March 14 through 16 - 8th Grade Writing SOL
March 18 - Fairfax County Spelling Bee, 2pm LBSS
March 19 through 23 - SGA Spirit Week
March 22 - 6th Grade Dance
March 23 - Hunger Games Pep Rally
March 24 - First Day of Spring Break
April 13 - Quarter Ends, 2 Hour Early Release
April 16 - Teacher Workday, No School
April 13 - Hoop It Up Night
IMPORTANT DATES
8th Grade Writing SOL - March 12-16
This week, we will administer the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Grade 8 Writing Test to 8th grade students. The test has two components: multiple choice response and a short paper response. In order to obtain a score, your child must complete both components.
It is important that your student attend school on these days. If possible, please avoid scheduling trips or appointments that would take your child out of school during this time period. It is also important that your child have a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast before testing. If you become aware of an unavoidable conflict that could result in your child missing a testing day, please notify your student’s counselor as soon as possible.
The purpose of SOL testing is to provide information about student achievement to the parent, school, school division, and state. In most cases, test scores are available for parents by the end of the school year. More information about how and when you will receive your student’s scores will be shared closer to these dates. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah N’Guessan at senguessan@fcps.edu.
8th Grade Field Trip to Finance Park - March 19-22
On March 19, 20, 21 and 22 all 8th graders will take their annual field trip to finance park. Students have been learning about the fiscal responsibilities of citizenship and will put these skills into practice at a day-long budget simulation. Contact Tina Takach at cptakach@fcps.edu with questions.
Spirit Week - March 19-23
Students and staff are encouraged to celebrate Student Government Association Spirit Week. Below are the daily themes for the week.
Monday: Jersey Day
Tuesday: Tacky Day
Wednesday: Teacher-Student switch dress day
Thursday: Identical Dress Up Day
Friday: Hunger Games
6th Grade Dance - March 22
The 6th grade dance is Thursday, March 22 from 2:20-4:40. Parents are welcome to stop by and see the kids moving to the music. Please email Marc Perella at maperella@fcps.edu if you have any questions.
After School Program Cancellation - Friday, March 23
On Friday, March 23, all after school activities will be canceled. Students are expected to board their normal afternoon bus (2:15pm) or be picked up from school by a parent in a timely fashion following the school day. If you have any further questions please contact After School Specialist, Aaron Cannon acannon@fcps.edu.
 FCPS Cares Recognition
Do
you know a Glasgow Middle School staff member who does ordinary things in an
extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to
share with everyone.
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 Beyond the Classroom
Glasgow Science Olympiad Going to States
Comprised of 30 students, Glasgow Teams Da Vinci and Einstein competed in the Virginia Science Olympiad Regional Tournament on Saturday, February 24 at Fairfax High School placing 12th and 16th respectively out of 28 teams. Overall, Glasgow placed 9th out of 19 schools earning Glasgow a spot at the State Tournament at UVA in Charlottesville on Saturday, April 14. Several students earned scores within the top ten places.
1st Potions & Poisons (Bhaswith Suresh/Gabe Warner – medal)
5th Ecology (Aryan Tiwari / Walid Graich -- medal)
6th Write It - Do It (Maricely Sonnenberg-Nieves / Ronan Bates -- medal)
7th Ecology (Keegan O’Hara / Maya Benke)
8th Fast Facts (Jordan Sydney / Samyut Ghimire)
9th Meteorology (Gabe Warner / James Manansala)
9th Towers (Gabe Warner / Keegan O’Hara)
10th Anatomy & Physiology (Bhaswith Suresh /Maya Benke)
10th Rocks & Minerals (Peter Kashyinski / Zoe Kinder)
10th Towers (Duaa Eldirdiri / Catherine Felix / Annabella Agosto)
Congratulations to our winners and to all of our Science Olympians for a very successful tournament and to Team Glasgow for earning a spot at State on April 14!
District 10 Orchestra Assessment
The Glasgow Classical, Symphonic and Chamber Orchestras performed at the District 10 Orchestra Assessment this past weekend. Orchestras are heard by 3 professional judges and given minute-by-minute recorded comments and a rating. Our orchestras’ results are below:
Classical Orchestra – Superior (rating I)
Symphonic Orchestra – Excellent (rating II)
Chamber Orchestra – Superior (rating I)
We’re extremely proud of all these orchestra students, not only for the way they performed, but also for the way they represented Glasgow Middle School. The event is attended by a wide spectrum of the FCPS community, and our students superbly demonstrated our Panther Principles.
Glasgow Spelling Bee 2018 (see photo above)
Congratulations to Will Hemmens (Champion), Charles Duong (Runner-up), Nadira
Ga'al (3rd place) and all other participants. Many volunteers made this
annual competition possible and our sincere thanks go out to the PTA for their
generous support by offering great prizes, PTA representative Ben Hemmens, our
judges Ms. McKee, Ms. Sparrow & Ms. McHarris and Ms. White for being an
amazing announcer of words.
The next step in the Spelling Bee competition is the Fairfax
County Spelling Bee to be held on Sunday, March 18 at 2pm at Lake Braddock
Secondary School. Approximately 75 school champions from other FCPS elementary
and middle schools will compete in the county Bee. The winner of the county
Spelling Bee will represent FCPS at the Scribbs National Spelling Bee held May
26 through June 1 at the Gaylord Resort & Convention Center, located in the
National Harbor.
Panthers of the Month (see photo below)
The IB Learner Profile that we focused on this month for our Panther of the Month was Reflection. Students who consistently demonstrate reflection give thoughtful consideration to their learning and are able to assess their strengths and limitations! This months winners were Arpan Kc, Denia Zelaya, Ian Ambrossi, Hanin Joubas, Daniel Vasquez Cortez, and Grace Mugaas. Our Panthers of were chosen for their thoughtfulness in their writing, being purposeful in questioning, critical thinking, active participation in class discussions, self analysis for personal growth, and intrinsic motivation to do well! Congratulations to all of our winners and nominees!
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 Get Involved!
Serve on the PTA Board next year!
If you've been thinking about getting more involved in Glasgow and making a positive difference for all the students here - (including yours!) - consider serving on the PTA Executive Board for 2018 - 2019! We're currently looking for folks like you who have a little or a lot of time to share next year. Contact any member of our Nominating Committee (info below) to learn more about the open positions soon! We’ll be presenting the slate of nominees in April!
Tom Dickson - tomdicksontd@gmail.com
Rachael Lubarsky - rlubarsky9@gmail.com
Agnetta Palacios - amancila@yahoo.com
Yearbook Class Needs Photos of Your Child!
The yearbook staff wants to see our students and staff engaged in an activity outside of school. If you traveled to an exciting location (includes vacation destinations) or play sports outside of school, we want a picture! You can also include pictures of helping the community or attending a play, movie, evening school event, etc. Be creative and send those pictures to the yearbook staff! The deadline is March 23, 2018.
To submit pictures, you can give them to a yearbook staff member or drop them off to Mr. Perella in room B125. In order to make sure we return the picture to you, please put your picture in an envelope with the following information:
* First and last name
* Panther Time teacher
* Brief description of when and where the picture was taken.
Pictures can also be emailed to Mr. Perella. Parents and students can use this email address: maperella@fcps.edu. Students can also use this address: maperella@fcpsschools.net
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Resources and Reference
PTA’s Panther Press
Look for PTA-specific information in the new PTA's Panther Press,
which will be distributed every Tuesday. Connect with the PTA through glasgowms.pta@gmail.com or glasgowpta.org.
2018-2019 Course Registration Process
We recently completed registering rising 8th grade students and have begun registering our rising 7th grade students. During the academic advising meeting, counselors use student’s grades, teacher recommendations, SOL scores, along with student and parent input to register the student for classes for next school year.
After the registration window has closed, a list of the courses that your child is registered for, will go home for your review. Below is a link to the course descriptions at J.E.B. Stuart and Glasgow. If you have questions regarding the registration process, please contact your child’s school counselor.
J.E.B. Stuart - https://goo.gl/u5u8F2
Glasgow - https://glasgowms.fcps.edu/node/2419
SIS Parent Accounts, SIS Student Accounts, and FCPS 24-7 ParentView (Blackboard)
Custodial parents/guardians, can send our Student Information Assistant (SIA), Ms. Jackie Baires (jebaires@fcps.edu) an e-mail containing their e-mail address and their child’s name & ID, Ms. Baires will create & e-mail the parent a SIS Parent registration letter. The username/password (generated by following the instructions on the letter) can be used by the parent to access their SIS Parent Account (gradebook) and FCPS 24-7 ParentVUE (child’s Blackboard courses). Bob Nordling (rcnordling@fcps.edu), can be contacted to provide support for both types of parent accounts (SIS and FCPS 24-7).
SIS Student accounts are available to all middle & high school students who logon using their regular network username (Student ID) and password.
On the main FCPS website (www.fcps.edu) towards the bottom of the page is a link “Student Information Systems” which provides buttons for both “SIS Parent Account” and “SIS Student Account”. Here is the direct URL to get there: https://www.fcps.edu/student-information-system-sis
School Safety and Threat Assessment
Fairfax County Public Schools has a well-established policy and protocol for responding to threats of violence in the schools. To help parents and older students learn more about the role they can play in keeping schools safe, we have collaborated with the Youth Violence Project of the Curry School of Education, University of Virginia to develop short videos with useful information. These brief modules were developed for parents and children aged 12 and up, and you may want to watch the student video with your child to answer any questions which may arise. To access these modules go to www.schoolthreatassessment.com and use parent code pgvsdt and student code sy8zk2 as a password.
J.E.B. Stuart HS PTSA Mulch Sale is ON!
The annual J.E.B. Stuart HS PTSA Mulch Sale is underway! Proceeds from the Mulch Sale support the All-Night Grad Party for the Class of 2018 as well as other athletics, clubs, and activities for all students at Stuart High School. Students can deliver mulch to your home, while earning cash for their clubs, activities, or sports.
Order online via our Mulch Sale website www.StuartMulch.com or by email, contact PTSA VP-Events, Jen Bowman at info@stuartmulch.com. All orders are due by March 29. The price is $5.50 per bag for Brown or Red mulch. Brown mulch comes in 3-cubic foot bags and Red mulch is a 2-cubic foot bag. Delivery will be on April 7, 2018 – rain or shine. FREE for orders of 30 or more bags; or $25 delivery fee for less than 30 bags.
WTOP 2018 Click for Kids Campaign
A number of Glasgow feeder elementary schools, Bailey’s, Sleepy Hollow and Belvedere, are participating in WTOP's Click for Kids Campaign this year, and they need your votes to win! Please rally your family, friends, and neighbors to help win up to $10,000! Voting ends on Friday, March 16th. All voters must be 13 or older and can vote once a day. See details below. Please help us by spreading the word on social media! #WTOPClickforKids
 Upcoming STEM Events
ScI2YC - Saturday, March 17, from 10-4PM at Lanier Middle School
We are excited to announce that Glasgow Middle School is partnering with Project BEST, a non-profit organization that promotes STEM education to promote the Science Innovation and Inspiration Youth Conference (ScI2YC) on Saturday, March 17 from 10:00AM - 4:00PM at Lanier Middle School in Fairfax, Virginia.
ScI2YC is a free event that offers students the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities, listen to esteemed guest speakers from the community, and have the opportunity to make connections with one another to develop and grow. The goal of the conference is to create and drive students’ curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and math and help them develop higher level critical thinking skills.
To register for this FREE event, please visit https://tinyurl.com/ScI2YC2018.
Project BEST was founded by students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in early 2012, and now encompasses 17 chapters in middle schools in Northern Virginia as well as Virginia Beach and Kansas. If you have any questions, please email Anurika Kumar at projectbest.usa@gmail.com.
GIRL's STEM Escape Experience and Career Expo - March 17 at 9:30-1:30
Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead is hosting an interactive experience that will expose girls to careers in STEM by using teamwork and solving puzzles to complete a mission and "escape" the room in the allotted time.The event also includes an interactive career expo with hands on activities.
Agenda
9:30 - 10:00 a.m. - Registration
10:00 – 11:30 a.m. – STEM Escape (Group 1) and Career Expo
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. - Lunch
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. – STEM Escape (Group 2) and Career Expo
NOVA STEM Days - April 14 and April 28
NOVA STEM Days provide local youth with a showcase of opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math. Designed for students of all ages, the day features hands-on exhibits, workshops, food, fun, and learning! The events are FREE and open to the public. Children under age 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is responsible for providing appropriate supervision. There are two NOVA STEM Days this Spring:
NOVA STEM Day-Alexandria Campus
When: Saturday April 14, 2018, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Where: NOVA Alexandria Campus
To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nova-stem-day-alexandria-campus-2018-tickets-42095520836
For More Information: https://www.novastemday.com/
NOVA STEM Day-Manassas Campus
When: Saturday April 28, 2018, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Where: NOVA Manassas Campus
To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nova-stem-day-manassas-campus-tickets-42319586021
For More Information: https://www.novastemday.com/
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 Be Informed, Stay Involved!
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