Glasgow Community Gazette - January 27


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Glasgow Community:

Each week in the Glasgow Gazette, I highlight the amazing learning opportunities, experiences and growth of our students. Social, emotional and academic growth occurs because students are consistently provided feedback on their strengths and areas for improvement. They are asked to reflect on their learning each and every class. In a similar manner as our students, Glasgow teachers are also provided feedback on their classroom instruction and asked to reflect on their progress. Below are just a two examples of how our teachers reflect on their practice and continue to grow:

My teaching has become more focused on meeting the kids at their level and providing them the scaffolds they need in order to be successful. Walkthroughs have made me more aware of my own weaknesses and what I need to do in order to address them. Observations have given me new ways of approaching the challenges that I face in my class.

This year, we have tried to focus on pulling small groups so that we can really know students by name and need. Getting to interact with small groups really allows me to see what students know and what they don’t know. It also helps build relationships when we are working with small groups.

I am so honored to work with an amazing staff that works collaboratively to meet the needs of each and every one of our students. As the principal, it is extraordinary to watch each teacher improve their pedagogy by embracing feedback, reflect on their teaching, and being willing to grow.

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/


Getting Ready For High School

2019-2020 Course Registration for Rising 8th Graders - Starting this week, counselors will be meeting one-on-one with each student to review course options and complete the course selection form. Sometime before January 29, your student will bring home a copy of their selections for you to sign and return within three days. Here is a link to the course descriptions at Glasgow: https://insys.fcps.edu/CourseCatOnline/#/frontPanel/360/nocourselist/1/1/

As always, please let us know what questions you may have as we move through the academic advising season!

 

Fairfax Academy Open House: February 5 - Families of rising 9th graders, the Fairfax Academy open house is on February 5th from 6:30-8:00pm with a snow date of Monday, February 11 from 6:30-8:00pm. This is an opportunity to meet the teachers, visit the classrooms, speak with current students and learn more about the courses available such as musical theater, dance, and TV and media production.

 

Rising 9th Grade Night at Neighboring High Schools:

Edison High School - February 26 at 7PM. For more information on these events, please contact Laine O'Donnell at lodonnell@fcps.edu.


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Important Dates

January 30 - Glasgow Rising 6th Grade Night, 6PM

January 31 - Lollipop Sales (All Lunches)

February 1 - Grade Cards Distributed to Students

February 4 - Staff Development Day (No School for Students)

February 11 - Lollipop Distribution During Panther Time

February 12 - PTA Meeting 7pm

February 12, 13, 14 - Q2 Open Campus

February 20 - Spelling Bee

February 26 - Group Picture Day

 

2nd Semester Classes Begin: January 28 - On Monday, January 28, students will begin their 2nd semester classes. You can see your 2nd semester classes by logging on to your student or parent SIS accounts. A list of first period classes will be posted on the walls throughout the building to help students find their classes. If students have a yearlong class during 1st period, or have located their first period class by looking on SIS, students do not need to stop to look at the lists in the hallway.

 

Rising 6th Grade Open House: January 30 - Parents of rising 6th graders, come join us on January 30 from 6-8pm for an Open House to learn more about what middle school at Glasgow is all about! We will offer short (optional) sessions on our various Glasgow programs, and teachers will be in their classrooms throughout the evening to share all about our core and elective courses for 6th Graders.

We hope you leave this event excited about all the opportunities you will have as a Glasgow Panther and prepared to complete your course request form! Breakout Sessions on the following topics will be offered throughout the evening:

  • Welcome to Glasgow! (6:10PM, 7:10PM - Cafeteria)
  • Course Request 101 (6:40PM, 7:40PM - Library)
  • Level IV Advanced Academic Program (7:10PM - Library)
  • Spanish Immersion Program (6:40PM - D206)
  • English for Speakers of Other Languages Program (7:40 - D206)
  • Special Education Office (6:10PM, 7:40PM - D201)
  • Math Course Placement and Selection Q&A (6:40PM, 7:10PM - E221)

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Beck at sjbeck@fcps.edu. We can’t wait to meet you!

 

Lollipop Sales: January 31 and February 1 - The SGA will be selling lollipops for Valentine’s Day and are again giving parents a chance to buy lollipops for their child by having order forms and notes in the office from Tuesday, January 29 thru Friday, February 1.  Parents can stop in at the office during regular school hours.

The school-wide sales days for students will be Wednesday, January 30 and Thursday, January 31 during lunches.  Please let your child know that once the lollipops are gone, sales will cease. Students will be limited to purchasing 10 lollipops per day.  Lollipops will be distributed to students during Panther Time on Monday, February 11.

 

Grade Card Distribution: February 1 - This past Thursday marked the final day of the 2nd quarter. I encourage you to monitor your student’s grades in SIS (through StudentView or your ParentView accounts) and touch base with their teachers if you have any questions. Please keep in mind that report cards will be distributed to students on Friday, February 1.

 

Lollipop Distribution: February 11 - Lollipops will be distributed during Panther Time on Monday, February 11. If your child is sending lollipops, it is important to make sure they know the name of the Panther Time teacher of the student receiving the lollipop.

 

Glasgow PTA Meeting: February 12 - The next PTA meeting will be held this Tuesday, February 12 from 7:00 to 8:00PM. The FCPS Office of Equity and Cultural Responsiveness will present on “Exploring our Cultures, Building our Community”. PTA membership is not required for attendance. Spanish and Arabic interpreters will be present. We hope to see you there!

The January PTA Meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather. However, the featured topic: Glasgow’s International Baccalaureate, or IB, program has been rescheduled to the March 12 PTA Meeting. We will hear information presented by Middle Years Program Coordinator at Glasgow and the IB Coordinator at Justice High School. Mark you calendar!

 

Spelling Bee: February 20 - This year's Glasgow Spelling Bee will be held on Wednesday, February 20 at 2:30 in the Lecture Hall. All Glasgow students are invited to participate! The winner of the Bee will advance to the Fairfax County Bee in March, and will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. Second- and third- place finishers will receive $25 Amazon gift cards. Word study lists are available in the office; additional study materials can be found at spellingbee.com. We are also looking for three judges for the Bee. If interested, please contact Ben Hemmens (bhemmens@gmail.com).


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://bit.ly/2VA0orc

 

Join the PTA Executive Board! - Interested in serving on next year's PTA Executive Board?  Position descriptions and timeline/process are posted on the PTA website.

 

Join the Glasgow PTA Listserve - If you would like to join the PTA listserv to receive current announcements, send a request to glasgowms.pta@gmail.com. If you would like to join the PTA or make a donation, go to www.glasgowpta.org. THANK YOU!

 

Mason District Little League Registration Open! - Mason District Little League spring softball and baseball registration is now open with early bird discount prices until February 10th. The softball division is entering its second year and beginner players are welcome. The intermediate level baseball league is also entering its second year for 13 year old ball players. For more information visit MDLL.org.

 

FCAG Annual Summer Camp and Enrichment Fair: February 16 - The Fairfax County Association for the Gifted Annual Summer Camp and Enrichment Fair will be held on at McLean High School on February 16 from 3-5pm. The event is free and open to the public, featuring camps from the performing and visual arts, computer technology, STEM, and rigorous academic programs for pre-school through high school aged kids. The Fair is a community-loved annual event in Northern Virginia with over 40 summer programs participating. For more information visit their website at http://www.fcag.org/.

 

Justice HS Volleyball Weekend Camps in March: Sign Up Today! - Justice High School volleyball program is excited to be offering Volleyball Clinics for boys and girls in grades Kindergarten through 6th grade on two dates in March. New this year, parents have the option to pay online. For more information check out the following link: https://bit.ly/2wgGmWC


Important Information

Eating Disorder Parent Letter and Fact Sheet - In 2013, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law (Code of Virginia, 22.1-273.2) requiring Virginia Public Schools to provide, on an annual basis, parent educational information regarding eating disorders for pupils in grades five through twelve.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA 2013),

Thirty million Americans will struggle with an eating disorder and millions more will battle food and body image issues at some point in their lives. Eating disorders are real, complex, and devastating conditions that can have serious consequences for health, productivity and relationships. They are not a fad, phase, or lifestyle choice. Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening conditions that affect a person’s emotional and physical health.

In collaboration with the Fairfax County Health Department, FCPS has developed eating disorder documents with detailed information to be provided to parents and guardians of Fairfax County Public Schools. The letter and fact sheet have been translated and posted on the following webpage:

http://fcpsnet.fcps.edu/ssse/translations/dss-healthmedical.htm

 

George Mason’s Early Identification Program - The Early Identification Program (EIP) at George Mason University is again asking for your assistance identifying and nominating current 7th grade students. EIP is George Mason’s college access program which supports the academic achievement of selected first-generation college bound middle/high school students. The mandatory criteria is as follows:

- Current 7th grade student in participating public middle school  

- The student’s parents may not have completed a 4-year college degree in the United States  

- Academic potential to enroll in a pre-college curriculum in high school

If you have a 7th grade student that you think would benefit from this program, please email Akon Otoyo - ajotoyo@fcps.edu or Laine O’Donnell - lodonnnell@fcps.edu.  Nomination Deadline: January 31.

 

6th Grade Family Life Education Instructional Program Information - Our 6th grade students will be participating in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Family Life Education (FLE) program from January 28-February 1. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.

Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out will be provided age-appropriate, non-punitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, please fill in the opt-out form below for the appropriate grade level and return it to Glasgow Middle School’s main office. Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Kristy Ritchie at 703-813-8758.

6th Grade Opt Out Forms:

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/6.pdf (English)

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/spanish_13.pdf (Spanish)

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/arabic_8.pdf (Arabic)

 

2019-2020 Course Registration for Rising 7th Graders - Glasgow Student Services is excited to begin meeting with your students to register them for next year’s courses! Counselors will meet one-on-one with each student to review course options and complete the course selection form. Sometime before March 15, your student will bring home a copy of their selections for you to sign and return within three days. Here is a link to the Glasgow course descriptions: https://insys.fcps.edu/CourseCatOnline/#/frontPanel/360/nocourselist/1/1/1

In addition, students learned about course options in Panther Time last week. Students explored the kinds of classes they can take, the difference between general education and honors classes, and what choices they have for electives. After reviewing the information students completed a “think sheet” to practice selecting their classes.

Next Thursday, February 7, 6th grade students will watch a video on the elective offerings during FIT. Our goal is to empower students to feel confident about their educational choices and continue these conversations at home.

Please note that all course request changes are due by April 12, 2019. Finalizing requests by this date allows us to invest in staffing and resources based on students’ needs and interests. We will be finalizing schedules and placements throughout the late Spring and summer months.

 

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!

*Glasgow Students Named All District Jazz Band - We want to wish a big congratulations to Benji Loeffler for representing Glasgow and being selected to participate in the All District 10 Junior Jazz Band as the lead Alto Saxophone. They rehearsed this past weekend, with a concert on Saturday, and for only a weekend to put it all together they sounded incredible!

 

Thank you Glasgow PTA! Salad/Potato Bar Lunch - Huge shout out to the Glasgow PTA for sponsoring a healthy salad/potato bar lunch for teachers and staff members on the Teacher Workday, January 25.


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Glasgow Middle School Panther Mascot, image

Be Informed, Stay Involved!