Glasgow Community Gazette - August 4

Glasgow Community:

I hope you had a great week and were able to take advantage of the amazing weather this weekend. I spent Saturday at Go Ape with Regan (9) and Jack (5) while my wife took Claire (11) back to school shopping. 

On Wednesday, members of the administrative team attended the FCPS Leadership Conference, where Dr. Brabrand shared his “Theory of Action” which includes “creating a welcoming and culturally responsive environment.” Specifically, FCPS will achieve this goal by “building shared responsibility among schools and families to engage in meaningful ways to support students' learning and development.”

When reflecting on his keynote, I am very proud of the work we have been doing and what we have been able to accomplish over the past four years at Glasgow, specifically around this goal of creating a welcoming and culturally responsive environment. Below are results of the 2019 Family Engagement survey that directly relate to this goal (Parents who agree or strongly agree):

• 94% - This school welcomes families of different backgrounds and cultures. 
• 92% - I feel welcome at my child’s school.
• 91% - My child connects to and trusts at least one caring adult at the school.

If we are going to continue to improve as a school, your support and involvement is essential. Here are just a few examples of how to get involved today!  

• Volunteer Throughout the Year: Check out the Glasgow PTA website to find out how you can help at Glasgow!  http://www.glasgowpta.org/participate/volunteer/
• Stay In Touch and In The Know: Sign up for the PTA listserv by sending a request to glasgowms.pta@gmail.com.
• Join the PTA: It’s only $10! http://www.glasgowpta.org/participate/membership/

Finally, I want to encourage you to attend and/or support the Justice Pyramid Resource Fair this Thursday, August 8 from 1:00-4:00PM at Justice High School. The fair is intended to get students excited about the start of the school year and to insure that they are prepared for success in school. Plans include school supply distribution, as well as, many other resources such as haircuts, medical screenings, vision/hearing screenings, and resource booths staffed by community and program agencies. This video will give you an idea of what it was like if you missed it: https://vimeo.com/142014376 or check out the website at http://www.JusticePyramidFair.org/

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

Sincerely,

Shawn DeRose, Principal

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

Summer at Glasgow Update

We are looking forward to hosting 6th grade students at our FREE Jump Start program on August 5-6 and 7-8. The Jump Start Program will be taught by Dezzarae Crosler, Anntoinette McIntyre, Keely Norris, and Olivia Shank. The goal of the program is to alleviate any anxiety and concerns students may have about attending a new school and get them excited about the opportunities that await them at Glasgow Middle School. If you have not signed up your student yet for Jump Start, visit the following link: https://forms.gle/ykgTDoCK2S2FYrFF8.

This past week, 8th grade Jump Start leaders took part in a two day training with Ms. Charbonneau and other Glasgow staff members that focused on team building exercises and activities that will help incoming 6th graders feel more comfortable about the transition to Glasgow. These 8th grade leaders will mentor a group of 6th graders through these activities during the Jump Start program and throughout the school year. This group of 8th graders demonstrated true leadership and what it means to be a Glasgow Panther (they also had a ton of fun)! If you have any questions, please contact Shona Person at sdperson@fcps.edu.

Get Ready for High School!

Run with the Pack: Rising 9th Grade Transition Program: August 12 or 13 - Justice High School will be offering a Rising 9th Grade Transition Program on both August 12 and August 13 from 8:00am-12:00pm. Students will select only one of the two dates to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Vandawalker (Assistant Principal at Justice HS) at kmvandawalke@fcps.edu or (703) 824-3900.

The program is FREE and all attendees will receive a new Justice Wolves t-shirt. To register, please fill out and submit the Google Form: https://forms.gle/M3Q2dosFMLYxN9Jc8. 

Justice HS Fall Sports Season Begins This Week!

Glasgow encourages parents of rising 9th grade students that the fall sports season begins this week. Students who participate in athletics in high school perform better academically than their peers.

Monday, August 5th

Cheerleading - 2:00-5:30pm in Aux Gym

Cross Country - 3:00pm on Track

Field Hockey - 2:30-6:00pm on Baseball Field

Football - All levels meet at 2:00pm - Freshmen: 4-6pm, JV/Varsity: 4-6 and 7-9 on Football Field

Golf - Boys: 2:00pm, Girls: 3:30pm at Pinecrest

Volleyball - All Levels: 800-11:00am in Main Gym

Head Coaches Contact List - Please contact individual coaches with specific questions.

Cheerleading - Deborah O'Rourke - dworourke@fcps.edu 

Cross Country - Ron Kronlage - rkronlage@fcps.edu 

Field Hockey - Stefanie Vestal - slvestal@fcps.edu 

Football - Greg Weisbecker - gpweisbecker@fcps.edu  

Golf - Ryan Kenna - rhkenna@fcps.edu

Volleyball - Sharon Ponton - sponton@fcps.edu 

Important Dates

Now Through August 23 - Free Meals this Summer

August 5 and 7 - New Student Parent Coffee

August 8 - Justice Pyramid Resource Fair

August 12 or 13 - Run with the Pack: Rising 9th Grade Transition Program at Justice

August 20 - PTA Packet Stuffing Day 

August 22 - PTA Sponsored Welcome Back Breakfast for Teachers/Staff

August 22 - 6th Grade Orientation (12:45PM) and Open House (3:30PM)

August 26 - First Day of Classes 2019

October 3, 6:00-8:00 PM - Back to School Night 2019

Free Meals this Summer: Now through August 27 - Hunger doesn’t take a vacation and neither do we! The Office of Food and Nutrition Services will be hosting the 2019 FEEDS (Food for Every child to Eat During Summer) program at various locations across Fairfax County this summer. This USDA-funded program is FREE to all children 18 years. Adult lunches at BBQ sites are available for purchase. There is no registration involved, and everyone is welcome!  If you are in the neighborhood, please feel free to stop by and check it out. This program runs Monday through Friday from 11:30 to 1:00. See flyer for more information: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/FEEDS-Flyer-2019-English.pdf 

New Student Parent Coffee: August 5 and 7 - After dropping your student off at our FREE Jump Start Program, join the Glasgow Admin for coffee on August 5 or August 7 at 8:15am. Katie Madigan will lead the session on August 5 and Shawn DeRose will lead the session on August 7. During both sessions, we can answer questions you may have about the transition to Glasgow Middle School. Email Shawn DeRose, Principal at spderose@fcps.edu if you have any questions.

Justice Pyramid Resource Fair: August 8 - The Justice Pyramid Resource Fair is scheduled on August 8 at Justice High School and we are expecting 4,000 students and family members to attend to gather free school supplies, get free haircuts, pick up free books, and get free eye exams, as well as access numerous county related services. This video will give you an idea of what it was like if you missed it https://vimeo.com/142014376 or check out the website at www.justicepyramidfair.org. 

PTA Packet Stuffing Day: August 20 - Every year, the PTA supports the school by helping prepare the packets which all students receive.  This year, we'll be stuffing 1900 packets, so we need your help! It's a great opportunity for middle- and high-school students to earn community service hours, as well. Give an hour or more; every bit helps. Interested volunteers please email glasgowmspta.activities@gmail.com.

PTA Staff Breakfast Event: August 22 - Help us welcome the teachers back in style! The PTA welcome-back breakfast will be on Thursday, August 24. We need donations of food and beverages, and volunteers to help that morning.  Sign up here!

6th Grade Orientation: August 22 from 12:45-2:45pm - Rising 6th grade students and parents are invited to our 6th grade orientation on August 22 at 12:45pm. In addition to picking up packets, students and families will have a chance to walk through an odd and even day schedule and briefly meet their teachers. We look forward to welcoming our newest students and their families to our building!

Open House: August 22 from 3:30-4:30pm - 7th and 8th grade students and parents are invited to pick up packets and tour the building beginning at 3:30pm on August 22. Rising 6th grader students and parents are also invited if they are unable to attend 6th grade orientation early in the day. Note: teachers are not expected to be available in their rooms during this event.

Glasgow Back to School Night: October 3 from 6:00-8:00pm - We will be hosting our annual Back to School Night (BTSN) on October 3, 2019. The Back to School Night program officially begins at 6:10pm. Students are welcome to attend BTSN as interpreters for their parents if necessary.

Back to School Night at the secondary level is an opportunity for you to meet your student’s teachers, see their classrooms, and hear about what each class will look like for your student. You will spend 10 minutes in each classroom, hearing from the teacher(s) of that class. Given the time constraints of the evening, we invite parents to email teachers directly with any specific questions or information you would like them to know about your student. Our teachers love to hear from you and are always available for scheduled conferences throughout the school year.

Important Information

Important Immunization Requirement for Incoming 7th Grade Students - Seventh grade students cannot begin school in September without documentation of having had the Tdap booster. Parents or guardians should ask their private health care provider, or the health department, to review their child’s immunization record if they are unsure if their child has received the Tdap booster. A signed and dated immunization record from the physician stating that your child has received this immunization will be required. You may send in your documentation now to your school's registrar, to ensure that he or she meets this requirement before the first day of school in the fall.

Students can receive immunizations required for school at any Fairfax County Health Department immunization clinic. Information about health department clinic locations and hours can be found at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/clinics. 

Keep Up with the PTA This Summer - The PTA greatly appreciates all the volunteers and support from this past year. We stay active in the summer as well, participating in the annual Justice Pyramid Resource Fair and planning for the new year, so look for updates on the PTA listserv (to join the listserv, send a request to us at www.glasgowms.pta@gmail.com). You can get your 2019-20 membership in place on our website, http://www.glasgowpta.org. The back-to-school packet will contain lots of information about new opportunities next year, and we will send out a signup for people to help stuff the packets for the whole school community! 

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.