Glasgow Community Gazette - November 18

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Glasgow Community:

I hope you are having a great weekend. My father and brother flew into town this weekend. We went out to dinner in Old Town Alexandria on Friday night and watched Ohio State survive in overtime against Maryland on Saturday. This morning we are planning on having brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Metro 29 Diner in Arlington.

On this Thanksgiving week, one of the things I am most thankful for is our incredible Glasgow staff. Last week was a great example of their hard work and dedication. Whether it is spending time helping students after school, or hosting an Open Campus activity or giving up lunch to serve students a Thanksgiving meal in the cafeteria, they are truly tireless in their dedication to your students.

When I first started at Glasgow in the spring of 2015, I requested parent support by donating $5 gift cards that we could use as incentives and thank you's for our staff. Your response was overwhelming and I have finally used the generous stash that you all provided.

I am requesting your help again since we are not permitted to use any kind of FCPS funds, local or otherwise, for this purpose. It is amazing how much a $5 or $10 gift card is appreciated. If you are so inclined, please feel free to drop them off at the main office or drop them in the mail to my attention. I will share the love with staff throughout the school year. (It can be for any business you want to support, in any amount. Nothing is too small!)

Everything we do at Glasgow is because you give us the tremendous privilege of educating your students. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of their growth and learning.

I hope you have a restful holiday with loved ones. 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


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Important Dates

November 19-20 - No After School Program

November 21-23 - Thanksgiving Holiday

November 26 - 6th and 7th Grade All A Honor Roll Ceremony

November 27 - Picture Makeup Day

November 30 - 8th Grade All A Honor Roll Ceremony

November 30 through December 7 - Book Fair

December 3 - A/B Honor Roll Certificates Distributed 

December 7 - Outstanding Employee Award Nominations Due

December 7 - Fall Play “Lucky Hudson”, 7pm

December 8 - Winter Fest at Justice High School, 9am-12pm

December 8 - Fall Play “Lucky Hudson”, 6pm

December 11 - PTA Meeting, 7:00pm

 

After School Program Cancelled - November 19, 20 - Our After School Program is off to a tremendous start with hundreds of students participating on a daily basis. For your planning purposes, we wanted to provide you with dates that our after school program will be cancelled. These dates include:  

Monday, November 19, 2018

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

To view all of the wonderful opportunities our after school program offers please visit our website (https://glasgowms.fcps.edu/activities) and follow us on Twitter (@GMSAfterSchool).  If you have any questions please contact Aaron Cannon at acannon@fcps.edu.

 

All A Honor Roll Celebration – November 26 and November 30 - Congratulations to those students that have made all A’s Honor Roll! Their hard work has paid off and we are so proud of each and every one of our students. We will recognize these students for their outstanding commitment with a ceremony during Panther Time. On Monday, November 26, we will recognize 6th and 7th Grade students. On Friday, November 30, we will recognize 8th Grade students. Please note the event is for students only. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Akon Otoyo at ajotoyo@fcps.edu.

 

Student Picture Make-ups – November 27 - Make-Up Day has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 27 in the Lecture Hall.  Students will be called to the Lecture Hall during period 1, FIT and period 4. Students can have their picture taken or retaken if they can meet one of the following requirements:

The student was absent on the first picture day (Oct. 16/17).

The student enrolled at Glasgow after October 17.

The student has money to purchase new pictures and has it with them.

RETAKE: Students can have their purchased picture retaken if there is something wrong with the picture taken during the first picture day. Students MUST return the entire packet in order to have their picture retaken. Please contact Mr. Perella at maperella@fcps.edu if you have any questions.

 

Scholastic Winter Book Fair - November 30 - December 7 - The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to the Glasgow Library from November 30 – December 7.  This event will provide a great opportunity for students, families, and teachers to browse the bookshelves for new and interesting titles, and there will be some fun activities and opportunities to win raffle prizes too.

 

A/B Honor Roll Certificates – Distributed December 3 - Congratulations to those students that have made A/B Honor Roll! Their hard work has paid off and we are so proud of each and every one of our students. We will recognize these students with certificates to be distributed through Panther Time on Monday, December 3. If your child is absent, they can obtain their Certificate from Student Services the following day. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Akon Otoyo at ajotoyo@fcps.edu.

 

Upcoming PTA Meetings, December 11 - Glasgow PTA is offering a two-part series designed to provide support and resource information for our Glasgow community. Part 2 on December 11, we'll learn about specific resources for mental health support. The meetings are 7-8 p.m. PTA membership is not required for attendance. Spanish and Arabic interpreters will be present.


Opportunities

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

 

Gift Card Donations Wanted - When I first started at Glasgow in the spring of 2015, I requested parent support by donating $5 gift cards that we could use as incentives and thank you's for our staff.  Your response was overwhelming and I have finally used the generous stash that you all provided.

I am requesting your help again since we are not permitted to use any kind of FCPS funds, local or otherwise, for this purpose. It is amazing how much a $5 gift card is appreciated. If you are so inclined, please feel free to drop them off at the main office or drop them in the mail to my attention. I will share the love with staff throughout the school year. Thank you so much! (It can be for any business you want to support, in any amount. Nothing is too small!)


Important Information

Understanding Glasgow’s Grading Process - Report cards were distributed last Monday. If you do not receive your student’s report card, please email your student’s counselor or come to the school to request another copy. Parents can also view their student’s report card online through ParentVUE. Curious about how your students’ grades are determined? Read about the components of Glasgow’s grading process: http://bit.ly/2CVot5y

 

Calling ALL Families: Help us Share/Create Career Selfies - November is National Career Development Month, and Glasgow Student Services needs your help ASAP! We are looking to highlight careers through our morning news show on Tuesdays & Fridays throughout the month of November. We need parents/ guardians to participate by sending us a 2-3 minute “selfie style” smartphone video of you at work, explaining your career, and the educational pathway for your career. A template and sample will be provided. If you are interested, please contact counselor Cynthia Pareja (cspareja@fcps.edu) or counselor Greg Frantz (gdfrantz@fcps.edu) for more information.

 

After School Program Update - The after-school program has been off to a wonderful start thus far!  Students are enjoying the different clubs and activities that are being offered. As we get closer to the Thanksgiving break, the after-school program would like to provide you with the upcoming schedule of programming for Thanksgiving week.

All after-school activities will be canceled on Monday, November 19th and Tuesday, November 20th. There will be NO late buses provided for Monday (11/19). Students are expected to report to their normal (2:15pm) bus for dismissal or kiss & ride for parent pick-up. If you have any questions please contact, After-School Specialist, Aaron Cannon at acannon@fcps.edu

 

REMINDERS & REFERENCE

 

Impact Aid Forms Due - If you have not done so already, please be sure to complete the Impact Aid Student-Parent Survey and return it to school immediately. This form is distributed to every student in the county and is used to identify federally connected students and to support our request for Impact Aid resources. Please be assured that all forms are handled with the utmost confidentiality.

 

Family Life Education - December 10-14 - Grade eight students will be participating in Family Life Education lessons as part of their HPE curriculum from December 10-14. If you wish to opt your child out of all or some of the grade eight Family Life Education lessons, please complete the form below and return it to your child’s Health/PE teacher prior to FLE instruction. Additional information for lesson objectives and media descriptions is available at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/family-life-education-fle.  Lessons are available in FCPS 24/7 (Blackboard) Parent View at https://fcps.blackboard.com/. PLEASE NOTE: You do not need to return this form unless you are opting your child out of all or some of the grade eight Family Life Education lessons.

Opt Out Form English: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/8.pdf   

Opt Out Form Arabic: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/arabic_16.pdf    

Opt Out Form Spanish: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/spanish_20.pdf

 

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.

 

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).


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Glasgow Goodies

2019 District 10 Honors Orchestra - Eight Glasgow Orchestra students earned a seat in the 2019 District 10 Honors Orchestra, which will rehearse and perform January 10-12, 2019. Two students were selected as violin alternates. All were selected through a rigorous audition process. Congratulations to the following: Shalini Vlcan, Henry Cornette, Alexandra Traub, Karen Tran, Christine Pham, Lauren Lai, Catherine Felix, Ryan Lesmana, Kennedy Beal, and Maddox Shreve.

 

Midterm Election vs. the Glasgow Election Results - November 2018 - Check out the comparison of last week’s midterm elections vs. the Glasgow mock election.  519 8th graders participated and while the ultimate results were the same, there are some interesting differences!

Senate Race - Fairfax County results (from NY Times)

Kaine – 71.1%, Stewart – 26.9%, Waters — 2%

 

Glasgow results:

Kaine – 74.3%, Stewart – 12.7%, Waters — 12.9%

 

VA 8th district House Race results (from NY Times)

Beyer — 76%, Oh — 24%

 

Glasgow results

Beyer — 65.3%, Oh — 34.7%


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Glasgow Middle School Panther Mascot, image

Be Informed, Stay Involved!