Glasgow Community Gazette - August 11

Glasgow Community:

It was great to see many of our students and parents this past week at our Jump Start program, Parent Coffee and the Justice Pyramid Resource Fair. Special thanks to Katelyn Charbounneu, Anntoinette McEntyre, Olivia Shank, Keely Norris and Dezzarae Crosler for leading the Jump Start program, Katie Madigan for leading Monday’s Parent Coffee and the Admin Team for assisting with the Resource Fair.

This Friday, August 16, marks the official return to school for teachers. However, many of our teachers and staff members have been attending school and county-wide professional development throughout the summer. I have said it numerous times that “students learn best in schools that learn.” Glasgow’s entire staff is committed to “lifelong learning” and because of their dedication, we continue to improve each and every year as a school.

As parents, we can also make the same commitment. As summer comes to an end, now is the time to get prepared for the upcoming school year. Here is an article from Healthy Minds, a collaborative project between FCPS and Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, that includes a number of strategies to help your student make a successful transition back to school. Link: https://www.fcps.edu/blog/tips-making-successful-transition-back-school

Finally, if you have not done so already, please mark your calendars for our 6th Grade Orientation and Open House happening on Thursday, August 22. 6th grade parents, please plan on arriving at 12:45. All remaining families are invited into the building beginning at 3:30 for our Open House.

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/

Employment Opportunities

Glasgow Middle School is seeking applications for a Library Aide. For more information, check out the following link. Interested candidates should email their resume to Mary Geary at mkgeary@fcps.edu.

Important Information

Students Schedules Available in SIS August 22  - Student schedules will be available in SIS StudentVue and SIS ParentVue on Thursday, August 22 at 6:00am. For more information about obtaining a ParentVue account, please click here to access support on the FCPS website. Please note that an “activation key” is required to activate a ParentVue account. If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Baires at jebaires@fcps.edu. 

In addition, On Thursday, August 22, 6th grade students can pick up a hard copy of their schedule at Orientation and 7th and 8th grade student schedules will be printed on-demand at Open House.

Transportation to and from Glasgow - Bus Riders: All students are strongly encouraged to take the bus to and from school each day. FCPS Transportation consists of a team of dedicated routing, safety, and administrative specialists combined with a host of drivers and attendants that work together to maintain a high level of service for students and parents.

Prior to the start of school, FCPS transportation will contact each parent via eNotify to inform you of your child’s bus number, and where to meet the bus. Please remember the first few weeks of school can be very hectic as morning routines are re-established, so students should allow adequate time to catch the bus. Bus drivers will often need to get their routes down and make necessary adjustments to schedules to arrive at school on time, so students are encouraged to arrive at their bus stop at least 10 minutes before their scheduled arrival time. By arriving early, it will help alleviate the stress of students missing the bus.

On the first day of school, students will watch a presentation on “How to Find Your Bus” during Panther Time. We have a large white board outside of Door 3 where students can check the bus line up order each day. There will be plenty of staff on hand to ensure that all students know which bus to take home and where their bus is located at dismissal during the first few days of school. Afternoon buses will be held longer at Glasgow this week in order for students to become familiar with catching their bus ride.

Kiss & Ride: Parents who drop off/pick up their student to school must do so at the main entrance, Door #1. Students can be dropped off beginning at 7:00am. Keep in mind that congestion and backup can be significant, causing your student to be late to their class if you drop off your student after 7:15am.  School ends at 2:15pm.

Student Lunch Accounts - Parents may access the MySchoolBucks app to add money to student lunch accounts, see menu options, check ingredients and allergen information, and much more. The official FCPS mobile app is available for iOS and Android at no cost. Lunch menus can be viewed online at https://fcps.nutrislice.com/menu/glasgow-middle-school.

Physical Education (PE) Uniforms - PE Uniforms will be available for purchase at 6th Grade Orientation and Open House on August 22.  In addition, parents can purchase PE Uniforms via the MySchoolBucks app. If you have any questions about PE uniforms, please contact Michael Pulver at mapulver@fcps.edu.

School Supply List Now Available - There are a few supplies every Glasgow student will need for the upcoming school year. You can find the list on our website: https://glasgowms.fcps.edu/academics/school-supply-list

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 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. 

Important Dates

Now Through August 23 - Free Meals this Summer

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 

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.

Reference and Reminders

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.