Glasgow Community:
During Monday’s School Planning Day, our professional development focused on the collaborative work of our (teacher) teams. At Glasgow, collaboration means 1) recognizing we can’t do it alone 2) making our thinking visible to each other 3) inviting different perspectives and 4) changing our approach, based on input. Our success as a school over the past few years has been because of our teams’ ability to get better at working together and our goal is to “level up” and take our collaboration to another level this year. I am inspired by our success and for what the future holds at Glasgow because of our teachers’ ability to work together at the highest of levels.
On Tuesday evening, Glasgow faculty and admin provided parents an overview of our assessment practices and grading policies. If you weren’t able to attend, here is a link to the presentation titled, “Grading at Glasgow - An IBMYP Approach”. If you have any questions about your student’s grades, please contact your student’s teacher. Link - http://bit.ly/2CVot5y.
The Performing Arts Department was also on display this past week as the Glasgow Orchestra and Chorus hosted their fall concerts at Justice High School. Shout out to Ms. Ray and Touzinsky (Orchestra), Ms. Lansberry (Chorus) and performing arts students for amazing performances. The Glasgow Band fall concert is on Wednesday, October 23 at 6:00pm at Glasgow and is free for all to attend.
The PTA hosted International Night on Thursday, which provided the school community the opportunity to come together to celebrate our diversity. It was a fun evening of sharing food together and connecting school staff with parents. It is one of my favorite nights, as I love seeing all of our families and the pride we all take in our own cultures and our collective Glasgow community.
Finally, on Friday, Justice Pyramid Principals came together at Glasgow Middle School for our monthly meeting. During the meeting, we had the opportunity to visit 6th grade classrooms. It is so cool to see the smiles of our students’ faces when their elementary school principal enters their classroom at Glasgow. Check out some of the photos below.
Have a great week and as always, 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/
Important Information
2019 Fairfax County Youth Survey: The Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors work together to administer the Youth Survey. The results are used by school officials, youth leadership classes, youth-serving county agencies, and local non-profits to determine the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs offered in schools and communities. The youth survey will be administered to all 6th and 8th grade students between November 6-15. Information regarding the survey and opt-out forms are available here.
Student-Parent Survey For Federal Impact Aid: FCPS will be asking all families to fill out a Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid. Returning this form is important because information from this survey results in an anticipated $3 million dollars in grant funds each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For each school-aged child in your household, please complete, sign, date, and return the survey to your child's school. If sections 1 and 2 of the survey do not apply to you, just check the box in Section 3. All forms must be signed, dated, and returned by October 30. All results are CONFIDENTIAL. Learn more by watching this short video - https://youtu.be/uPqC3BLf3Ow
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.
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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.
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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 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's article from the New York Times is about "How to Help Teenagers Keep Track of Their Stuff." Check it out.
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Volunteer at Glasgow!
National Career Development Month - Selfie Videos Needed - November is National Career Development Month, and Glasgow Student Services needs your help! We are looking to highlight careers through our morning news show and our Panther Time lessons throughout the month of November. We need you to participate by sending us a 2-3 minute “selfie style” smartphone video of you at work, explaining your career and the educational pathway for your career (see sample). Please send your video to cspareja@fcps.edu.
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Important Dates
October 22 - FCPS ACSD Meet and Greet
October 23 - Fall Band Concert
November 1 - End of the 1st Quarter
November 4 & 5 - Student Holiday
November 6 - World Language Credit Exam
November 21 - Thanksgiving Lunch
FCPS Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) Meet and Greet - October 22: The FCPS Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) is holding a Meet and Greet for families, staff, and community members to learn how we advise the school board and superintendent about needs for special education in FCPS. The Meet and Greet will be held on Tuesday, October 22 from 7-9 pm at Luther Jackson MS in Falls Church. Staff from the FCPS Office of Special Services will be present to introduce themselves as well. All families, staff, and community members are welcome.
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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After School Program News
Glasgow After School Program has begun. Late buses are available for students every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. 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.
Glasgow Chess Club by DMV Chess: Is your student interested in learning the game of Chess? Are they a critical thinker and like strategy? Then have your student join Glasgow Chess Club. Novice players will learn the rules of the game, the value of each piece, game strategy and principles and patterns for checkmating.
Chess teaches logical thinking, improved attention span, planning and academic achievement. Chess Club will operate one day per week. Fees for instruction would be $15.00 per student per session. For more information, please contact Greg Williams at gwilliams2@fcps.edu.
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.
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Be Informed, Stay Involved!
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