Glasgow Community Gazette - November 4

Glasgow Community:

I hope you had a great Halloween. On Wednesday, the faculty and staff went “all out” dressing up in costumes. We award prizes in the following categories: Best Individual, Best Duo/Group, Spookiest, and Most Original. This year, the administrative team dressed up as Mario Kart characters. Special thanks to Jane Cheek, PTA President, for designing and making the costumes. Check out the photos below and the Mario Kart “race” in the halls at Glasgow: http://bit.ly/2qt0Dpj.

As I mentioned in last week’s Gazette, Virginia State Superintendent Dr. James Lane, Del. Kaye Kory, School Board Member Sandy Evans, Chief Equity Office Francisco Duran, and Region 2 Executive Principal Penny Gros visited Glasgow and toured classrooms. The visit was featured in Dr. Brabrand’s Weekly Video. Check it out: http://bit.ly/2DnaOV4.

It is hard to believe that the 1st quarter has come to a close. It feels like just yesterday that we were celebrating the opening of school and hosting Back to School Night. As a reminder, there is no school for students on Monday and Tuesday.

Report cards will be distributed to students the week of November 12. Please note that FCPS Weekly Progress Reports generated through SIS will not be sent to parents between now and Friday, November 9 while first quarter grading is completed and report cards are generated. Additionally, the Grade Book and Report Card modules in ParentVUE and StudentVUE is closed now through Saturday, November 10 at 6:00AM while teachers work on completing report cards.

As you anticipate receiving your student’s report card, we want to remind you that middle school is an important time not only for students’ academic growth, but also for their social and emotional development. At Glasgow, we are intentional about cultivating a positive school culture to support the growth of our students in all of these areas.

With that in mind, I need a favor from you. I believe that our staff is truly unparalleled, and that the work we do for our students deserves celebration beyond our building. Please consider nominating a Glasgow staff member(s) for an FCPS Award. I have included information below on the FCPS Awards Program and a link to the nomination form.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Shawn DeRose
Principal

Contact Information
Twitter: @ShawnDeRose
Email: spderose@fcps.edu
Website: http://www.fcps.edu/GlasgowMS/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlasgowMS.FCPS/

FCPS Awards Program - Nominations Now Open

Each year, FCPS looks to honor several staff members for outstanding excellence in their roles, including:
- Outstanding Teacher
- Outstanding New Teacher
- Outstanding Leader (School-Based)
- Outstanding Operational or Hourly Employee (School-Based)

Our goal is to choose Glasgow Middle School winners in each category to submit for consideration at the pyramid, region and division levels. We believe that our staff is truly unparalleled, and that the work we do for our students deserves celebration beyond our building.

Please consider nominating a Glasgow staff member(s) for the categories listed above (you may submit this form more than once, and you do not have to nominate for all categories). You will need to include a brief explanation for your nomination to be considered. Thank you for celebrating the amazing work done everyday at Glasgow by highlighting some of our amazing staff members!

To nominate a Glasgow staff member, click the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/q5wAm5WSlwgM3zxZ2

If you are interested in learning more about the overall FCPS awards process, you may visit: https://goo.gl/oo18SF

Important Dates

November 5 - School Planning Day

November 6 - Teacher Workday

November 8 - World Credit Exam

November 13 - PTA Meeting, 7:00pm

November 15 - Thanksgiving Lunch

November 15-17 - Justice HS Presents Bye Bye Birdie

November 21-23 - Thanksgiving Holiday

December 11 - PTA Meeting, 7:00pm

Upcoming PTA Meetings - November 13 and December 11

Glasgow PTA is offering a two-part series designed to provide support and resource information for our Glasgow community.  

On Tuesday, November 13, the FCPS Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement will focus on growth mindset and self-motivation.

* Middle schoolers can need more family support than either they or you realize. They still depend on you for guidance navigating the world around them and dealing with the many competing demands on their time and attention. As we encourage our children’s continued independence and development by helping them prepare for the future, we want to cultivate their self-motivation skills and a growth mindset.

* Come explore the components of motivation, what it looks like, and how motivation is related to school success. We will examine the importance of goal setting, the relationship between motivation and self-esteem, as well as positive steps to motivation and negative factors that affect it. We will also consider the common problems middle schoolers face when dealing with motivation and strategies to help build their motivation.  

On December 11, we'll learn about specific resources for mental health support.  Both meetings are 7-8 p.m. PTA membership is not required for attendance. Spanish and Arabic interpreters will be present.

Justice HS Presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' - November 15-17

Justice High School Wolfpack Theatre presents... Bye Bye Birdie on November 15-17! Tickets are on sale now.  All Glasgow students will receive a Bye Bye Birdie wristband on November 12 during Panther Time that will be good for one free treat at the performance.  

Shows details: Thursday, Nov 15 at 7:00pm, Friday, Nov 16 at 7:00pm and Saturday, Nov 17 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm.

Tickets: General Admission $15, Students / Seniors $10.  Online ticketing is available at www.wolfpacktheatre.org, and tickets are available at the door for cash, check and credit card. (Online ticketing is strongly encouraged and is available WITHOUT A FEE)

Volunteer Opportunities

Open Campus Donations Needed - Open Campus is right around the corner and as we have started planning, we have noticed we are in need of a few items people may have around their homes! If you or your family has any lightly used nail polish that you are willing to donate, we would love to add it to our collection. We are also in need of gently used pots! If you have any old pots that you’d be willing to donate, we could use a few extra. Email Lauren Oliver at lroliver@fcps.edu if you have any questions or wish to donate.

Get Involved, Volunteer Today! - The Glasgow PTA needs YOU! See volunteer opportunities at Glasgow Middle School, supporting our teachers and staff, throughout the year: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084aa4a92da0fc1-glasgow12

Important Information

TJHSST Invitational Science Fair 2019 - The TJ Mythvestigations Club would like to cordially invite any interested students at your school to participate in our sixth annual Invitational Science Fair. Participants will complete a research project and prepare a presentation for our science fair on March 16, 2019. Now is the time to register for the event and start work on projects! The final pool of approximately 40 entrants will be chosen first come, first serve from all registrants on January 10, 2019. Students may register at http://bit.ly/isf2019. If you have any questions, email the TJ Mythvestigations Team at tjhsstsciencefair@gmail.com.

REMINDERS & REFERENCE

Yearbook On-line Store is Now Available - Families who still have not paid for their 2018-2019 yearbook can now pre-order on-line. The website is: https://www.balfour.com/virginia/alexandria/glasgow-middle-school. Students may continue to bring in money and turn in to the front office. The price of the yearbook is only $25, but will increase to $30 in early February. Extra items will be available until March: name stamping ($5), clear plastic cover ($3), autograph sheets ($2), arrow stickies ($6), jewel pack ($6) and pen signing set ($4.99).

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.

Be Informed, Stay Involved!

• Sign up for News You Choose.
• Visit the Glasgow Middle School website.
• Follow Glasgow on Twitter.
• Visit Glasgow Middle School on Facebook.
• Monitor your students academics with a SIS Parent Account.
• Join the Glasgow Middle School PTA and attend meetings.
• Keep your contact information up-to-date.