Glasgow Community Gazette - September 29

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Glasgow Community:

Last week, students who earned Panther Cards from Glasgow staff when they committed acts of Kindness, Commitment or Safety had their first opportunity to exchange their cards for prizes at the Panther Store, which is open during lunch once a month. Congrats to all students who received a Panther Card. Thank you to those of you who donated items to the Panther Store and the parents who volunteered on Friday. 

This Thursday, we will be hosting our annual Back to School Night (BTSN). The Back to School Night program officially begins at 6:10pm, and we encourage you to arrive early as we anticipate a well-attended event. Please keep in mind that parking will be limited. We have arranged for the buses that normally park outside door #3 to park at Justice High School that evening. We also hope to provide overflow parking on the school fields (weather permitting). 

Again this year, a variety of food trucks will be stationed in front of the school beginning at 4:30pm for parents and students to purchase food prior to the event. Students are welcome to attend BTSN as interpreters for their parents if necessary. This year Glasgow will also be hosting a small resource fair with community partners. It will be located outside the front entrance. 

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 you 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.

Please bring a copy (or take a photo) of your student’s schedule to guide you through the Back to School Night schedule. A detailed schedule is outlined below.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions. Have a great week.

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/


Last Chance - Order Author R.J. Palacio's New Book Today!

Author R.J. Palacio will be visiting Glasgow Middle School on October 10 to promote her new book White Bird: A Wonder Story. Inspired by her blockbuster phenomenon Wonder, R. J. Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with an unforgettable story of the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war.

Last week, students received a R.J. Palacio White Bird: A Wonder Story book order form. This is an amazing opportunity to receive an autographed copy of any book written by RJ Palacio. Order forms are due to your student's Panther Time teacher by September 30. You can also order White Bird or any of her previous books using the following updated link:  https://forms.gle/BRaC8dgmQMDtX8Qb7

All book sales will benefit Glasgow Middle School. If you have any questions, please contact Tara Sanz at tmsanz@fcps.edu.

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Important Information

After School Program Has Begun!
Glasgow After School Program began last week. Late buses will be available for students every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Please note that the After School Program is cancelled on Thursday, October 3 due to Back to School Night. To learn more about Glasgow’s After School Program, check out our website, email Greg Williams, After School Coordinator at gwilliams2@fcps.edu or call 703-813-8885.

 

TJHSST After School Prep Program
Glasgow will be offering an after school TJ prep program for interested 8th grade students. This program is designed to help your child get ready for the upcoming TJ test that will be held November 9. TJ Prep sessions will be available for students during academic time after school beginning the week of October 7. Please refer to the after school website to check the time and location of the sessions. If you have any further questions please contact, Glasgow TJ Liaison Counselor Greg Frantz at gdfrantz@fcps.edu.

 

Free and Reduced Price Meals Application: Did you know that free and reduced price meal application forms need to be completed EVERY year? We encourage you to apply online using this link. Applications are also available in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Tagalog, French, and Vietnamese. To change the language of the application click on the Language link in the top right of the screen. For more information, please click here.

 

Locker Request Forms - Available October 1 in Student Services: If you would like to request a locker for your student, locker request forms will be available in Student Services beginning Tuesday, October 1. In addition, if you have concerns specific to your student, we will work with you to ensure your student has what they need to be successful at Glasgow this year. Please visit the Student Services website at https://glasgowms.fcps.edu/student-services and email your student’s counselor.

 

September Safety Drills: Glasgow conducted a bus evacuation drill last Friday to conclude our September safety drills. Teachers will continue to help teach students our expectations and procedures to support school-wide safety throughout the year. If you have any questions about required safety drills, please email Kristy Ritchie at klritchie@fcps.edu.


FCPS Cares

FCPS Cares

Do you know a Glasgow Middle School staff member who went beyond what is expected this first week of school? If so, then click here to submit a brief description so we can all acknowledge the good work of Glasgow faculty and staff members.


Breakfast and Lunch 

Parents may access the MySchoolBucks app to add money to student breakfast and 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.


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Article (Podcast) of the Week

In addition to keeping you updated on important information related to Glasgow Middle School, the Gazette will also provide information about what parents can do at home to help their student improve academically and help parents build the social and emotional skills that students need to be successful.

This week, we included a link to a podcast that dives into parents’ top concerns about middle school with Phyllis Fagell—school counselor, therapist, author and mother of three. Podcast: https://www.pta.org/center-for-family-engagement/notes-from-the-backpack/middle-school-what-every-parent-should-know


Volunteer at Glasgow!

Picture Day Parent Volunteers Needed - October 8 and 9: Picture Days at Glasgow are coming up! Parent volunteers are needed throughout the two days Tuesday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 9. You will assist teachers and photographers getting students through the line and organized for the photos!

For every three-hour shift you will receive $25.00 voucher to use towards the costs of your child’s pictures. Shifts are 7:30am-11:00am or 11:00am-2:15pm each day. For more information, email: glasgowms.pta@gmail.com or Marc Perella at MAPerella@fcps.edu

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084aa4a92da0fc1-2019


Important Dates

October 1 - FIT Begins (Tues/Wed/Thurs)

October 3 - After School Program Canceled

October 3 - Back to School Night, 6-8pm

October 5 - Taste of Annandale

October 8 & 9 - Picture Day

October 15 - PTA Meeting/Parent Grading Workshop, 7pm

October 17, 6:30-8:00pm - International Potluck

November 6 - World Language Credit Exam

 

Flexible Instructional Time (FIT) Begins October 1
All students will receive a new schedule with their FIT assignment during 1st block on Tuesday, October 1. Students’ FIT assignment will show up on their schedules as their 9th period class. Students will report to their FIT class every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.

The purpose of FIT is to provide remediation to students based on their specific needs. Specifically, for those students who need additional support in reading, writing or math. All other students will attend an enrichment FIT. The format of enrichment FIT will be as follows: Tuesday = Read a text, Wednesday = Write about the text, Thursday = Discuss the text. If you have any questions, please contact your student’s counselor.

 

Glasgow Back to School Night – October 3: On Thursday, October 3, we will be hosting our annual Back to School Night (BTSN). The program officially begins at 6:10 PM, and we encourage you to arrive early as we anticipate a well-attended event. Please bring a copy (or take a photo on your phone) of your student’s schedule. Students are welcome to attend BTSN as interpreters for their parents if necessary. 

4:30 – 5:45  Dinner Available for Purchase via Food Trucks. Seating Available in the Cafeteria and in front of the building (weather permitting).  

5:00 - 5:30  Family Life Education (FLE) Video Screening in health rooms (optional)

5:00 - 6:00  Community Resource Fair outside front entrance (optional)

5:15 – 5:45  Student Services Meet & Greet in the cafeteria

5:45 – 6:10  Transition to 1st Period Classrooms

6:10 – 6:30  1st period (includes time for welcome videos & school vision presentation)

6:35 – 6:45  3rd period

6:50 – 7:00  5th period

7:05 – 7:15  7th period

7:20 – 7:30  2nd period

7:35 – 7:45  4th period

7:50 – 8:00  6th period

 

Celebrate the Taste of Annandale - October 5: Come on out and enjoy some good food and entertainment at the fifth annual Taste of Annandale, Saturday, Oct. 5, 10am-4pm, along Tom Davis Drive in the center of Annandale.

The Taste of Annandale is a free, family-friendly street festival featuring food trucks, a beer garden, live music, an aerial dance performance, a best-dressed pet contest, a full day of children’s entertainment, 5K race, the police helicopter, a chili cook-off, vendors, and more. The Taste of Annandale 5K race starts at 9:30 a.m. in the Kmart parking lot, 4251 John Marr Drive. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/2BMXVUr. For more information visit: https://tasteofannandale.com/

 

Picture Day - October 8 & October 9: Students will have their pictures taken during their PE classes on either Tuesday, October 8 or Wednesday, October 9. Picture order forms will be distributed to students on Friday during Panther Time. Families can also prepay online by clicking on this link. Please contact Mr. Perella if you have any questions at maperella@fcps.edu

 

PTA Meeting/Parent Grading Workshop - October 15: Mark your calendar for the next Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting on Tuesday, October 15 at 7:00pm. After a brief PTA meeting and Principal's Report, the special program for the evening will be a Parent Grading Workshop. All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend. PTA membership is not required. Spanish and Arabic interpreters will be present.  

 

International Potluck - October 17 from 6:30-8:00pm: Glasgow will be hosting an International Potluck on October 17 from 6:30-8:00pm. This event is free for the Glasgow Community! Sign up to bring food to share or volunteer at http://bit.ly/GMSPotluck2019.

 

Credit for World Language Exam - November 6: Glasgow will host the World Credit Exam on Wednesday, November 6 at 8:00am in the lecture hall. The exam is designed to assess students’ native language proficiency and enable them to earn one or two credits toward fulfilling the world languages requirement for the Advanced Studies Diploma.

The 2019 Credit Exam for World Languages will be administered November 6th, 7th and 8th. Twenty-nine languages will be included:  American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese/Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit/Samskritam, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog/Pilipino, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinia, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Registration closes on Thursday, October 10, 2019, at 4 p.m. Students must meet with their school counselors to register. Late registrations will not be accepted. Please see information on the credit exam website or contact Irania Escalante, school counselor, at ivescalante@fcps.edu, for questions or more information.


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Attendance Matters!

The new school year has been off to a wonderful start. Students are adjusting to their new routines, and routines are such an important part of academic success. In order to support consistent school attendance, please read the following information:

* Students who attend 90% or more of the school year are more likely to graduate from high school on time.

* Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with peer conflicts or facing some other potentially serious difficulty, and help is available.

* Being in school promotes academic and social growth for students as they learn from their peers who become a strong influence for students during their middle school years. Visit FCPS’s attendance site for more information on the importance of school attendance: FCPS Attendance Policies

 

Report Student Absences: In order for our students to get the most out of their education, students must be in school and on time to class every day. Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.

Save this phone number in your phone! Call the Attendance Line at 703-813-8787 by 8:00am when your student is absent from school.


Glasgow Middle School Panther Mascot, image

Be Informed, Stay Involved!