Glasgow Community Gazette - October 6

Glasgow Community:

It was great to see so many of you at Back to School Night (BTSN) on Thursday evening. As I stated in my opening video, Glasgow is truly a remarkable school. Our 1906 students and their families come from 56 different countries and speak 58 different languages. We have an incredible staff that is tirelessly dedicated to the learning of each and every student. We believe that quality instruction means:

* Students spend the majority of class time meaningfully reading, writing, discussing, thinking. 
* Students know what they are doing, why they are doing it and how they’ll know when they’ve got it. 
* Each lesson teaches a skill. Not just content.
* Our role as educators is to show students how to learn, not just tell them what to know.

I hope you left the event with a better sense of what your student needs to be successful in their classes and the important role you can play in supporting their learning. I strongly encourage you to continue to communicate with your student’s teachers throughout the year. The parent-school partnership is vital to the success of our students. Working together, families and teachers can be a powerful team in supporting students’ learning.

I am excited to attend the Dodgers/Nationals Game 5 of the NLDS on Monday night. As always, please let me know if you have any questions. Go Nats!

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/

Important Information

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 this week. 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 - Now Available in Student Services: If you would like to request a locker for your student, locker request forms are now available in Student Services. 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.

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.

Article of the Week

At Glasgow, we believe assessment & grading should: 1) help students know their areas of strength and areas of growth, 2) allow teachers to adjust instruction to meet the needs of students, 3) provide communication between students, 4) teachers and parents about learning progress and empower students to drive their own learning. Check out this article on why all schools should move beyond averaging grades and the BTSN presentation on Glasgow’s “Grading Practices.” If you want to learn more about Glasgow’s grading practices, we invite you to the next PTA meeting on October 15. Presentation link: http://bit.ly/2zW4pNT

Article: https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/21/Its-Time-to-Stop-Averaging-Grades.aspx

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 8 & 9 - Picture Day

October 14 - School Planning Day (Student Holiday)

October 15 - Fall Orchestra Concert (at Justice HS)

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

October 16 - Fall Chorus Concert (at Justice HS)

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

October 23 - Fall Band Concert

November 1 - End of the 1st Quarter

November 4 - School Planning Day (Student Holiday)

November 6 - World Language Credit Exam

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.

If your student will be out of school on Wednesday to celebrate Yom Kippur and is scheduled to have his/her picture taken, please have your student go to the Lecture Hall during FIT on Tuesday. The photographer will take the picture during this class period. 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.

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

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.

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.

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.