Glasgow Community Gazette - July 26

Glasgow Community:

I hope you were able to enjoy the (slight) decrease in temperatures in between two very hot weeks. I am grateful that my sons have been able to enjoy a safe, and social-distanced return to swimming, basketball, and water polo. Having a schedule has helped us feel a little more normal lately!

This past week, Dr. Brabrand proposed and the Fairfax County School Board approved a full virtual start to the beginning of the upcoming school year. In the communication Dr. Brabrand sent out to the community he shared the following:

The online instruction model will be the same one offered to families in our recent survey. For distance learning, our first priority is to provide access and equity in the learning experience for each of our students. We understand that there are significant academic and social/emotional challenges to our students learning remotely. We have strengthened our digital learning model so that we can provide an even more rigorous and engaging virtual learning program with greater connections for all students at all grade levels.   

• Online learning provides four days (Tuesday through Friday) of live, face-to-face instruction with teachers. 
• Middle and high school students will follow an A/B block schedule. 
• Student work will be graded and attendance is required.
• Mondays will remain a teacher planning day with intervention supports for selected students that we hope can be provided in-person.

At Glasgow, we are committed to supporting the entire community in starting the school year virtually. We are working on developing tools for students and families that will focus on the transition back to school. In addition, our staff is engaging in professional learning throughout the summer focused on digital teaching. We are also preparing for our FCPSOn laptop distribution for all students, which you will hear more about in the coming weeks. Finally, as we prepare for a virtual start, we are keeping in mind the need to be able to pivot to in-person learning when FCPS determines we can safely bring students back to the building. 

I know this is a very challenging time and there are many emotions around the start of the school year. We are committed to spending the weeks before September 8 preparing resources and supports for parents and students. 

Please reach out for questions or concerns, and be safe!

Katie Madigan, Acting Principal

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

Summer Programs

Summer Learning Opportunities - Our summer learning opportunities are up and running at Glasgow. If your student has not already, he/she should receive their Language Arts & Math review workbooks in the mail.  If you opted out of receiving the paper workbooks during distance learning and did not opt back in, your student will need to access the review workbooks online through Blackboard 24/7. Office hours are available using the schedule below. If you would like your child to receive the link for the office hours - please contact Molly Walsh or Deirdre Levin.

If you have any questions during summer learning, please reach out to Molly Walsh, molly.walsh20@gmail.com, or Deirdre Levin, dmcshea@fcps.edu, for support.  

Important Information 

Yearbook Distribution - Pick up for the 2019-2020 yearbook will be on Tuesday, July 28th at Glasgow MS. A second date for pick-up will take place in August, date coming soon.  Here are the times for pick-ups by student last name: A-F from 8am -9:30 am, G-N from 10:00 am -11:30 am, O-Z from 12:00pm - 2:00 pm. To speed up the drive up process have your student’s name, grade level, and student ID number printed on a piece of paper. Please remain in the car and a Glasgow staff member will bring your yearbook to you. 

We are currently only distributing yearbooks that have been pre-ordered. More information to come soon on purchasing left over yearbooks. If you have specific questions, reach out to Marc Perella at maperella@fcps.edu.  

Jump Start - Glasgow Middle School will be hosting a FREE Virtual Jump Start program for rising 6th graders to prepare them for their transition to middle school.  Due to overwhelming demand we will now be offering two sessions of the Jump Start program. The first session will be on August 3rd and 4th and the second session on August 5th and 6th. Both sessions will take place from 10-2:30. If you have already signed up you will receive an email this week designating which session your child should attend.

Students will have a chance to meet and interact with their new peers and teachers, virtually tour the building and classrooms, as well as ask other important questions they may have before school begins. Jump Start is designed 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.  Registration will be closing at the end of the day Monday, July 27th. Please click the following link to register: https://forms.gle/8qBtZVi52UFs69dC7.  If you have any questions, please contact Keely Norris at kcnorris@fcps.edu.