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Employees of the Month
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Middle Schools
Carver Road
Felicia Stinson: Mrs. Stinson has done an outstanding job as our athletic director by being extremely organized and paying attention to every detail. She works tirelessly to ensure that our teams have everything that they need. As a physical education teacher you do everything possible to show that P.E. can be a true standards-based classroom. Thank you for your work and dedication.
Cowan Road
All Staff Members: Each staff member of Cowan Road Middle School for continuing to be flexible as we work to meet the needs of our students. The foundation of our work is dependent upon unity, common direction, and our love for teaching and learning.
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Parent-Teacher Conferences: Tips for Teachers
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Parent-Teacher Conferences are an integral part of the relationship between home and school. Since "Conference Season" is upon us, here are some tips to help you make the most of yours. - Be sure to offer varying times for conferences to accommodate parents' work schedules. - Consider including the student in the conferences, especially in middle and high school. - Set an agenda for the meeting ahead of time. This will give parents an idea of what to expect and help you stay on track. - Set-up a meeting space that is welcoming, private, and comfortable. Be sure to have adult-sized seating! - Facilitate two-way communication. Ask questions about the student's home life, answer questions sensitively, and invite parent ideas and input. - Encourage parent involvement in and outside the classroom. Tell the parent specific ways he/she can be involved. - After the conference, look for any changes in the student that may have been prompted by the conference. Be sure to follow up with parents. Additional Resources www.hfrp.org www.educationworld.com |
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Open Enrollment 2012-2013
State Health Benefit Plan and Flex ONLY
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Scheduled Meetings Available
- Tuesday, September 25, 2012 @ 4:00 p.m. (Learning Center)
- Wednesday, September 26, 2012 @ 4:30 p.m. (Learning Center)
- Thursday, September 27, 2012 @ 9:30 a.m. (Learning Center)
Meetings are NOT mandatory. Information regarding all changes, rates, etc. will be available to view on the website by October 1st for those who do not choose to attend, at www.mygscsbenefits.com
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| Find GSCS on Social Media |
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| Preview the October 4 Board of Education Meeting |
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| The Wellness Program | |
Congratulations to Susan Elder for winning the September drawing. She won a $15 Subway gift card!
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 How different are we this year?
Part of my professional learning is reading magazines with content that makes me think about the future -- where we are going.
One of those magazines is District Administration Solutions for School District Management. In the September 2012 edition, the editor in chief, Judy Faurt Hartnett, made some interesting points in her letter, "How different do your schools look this year from last year?
"What changes have you accomplished that will make this school year different from last? In an era of having to do more with less, what progress have you made?"
As I reflected on her essay, I was reminded of the changes that we made last spring with our budgeting process. We looked at 15 different solutions for managing our budget and are in the process of implementing those decisions now.
Much of that is about doing more with less. I think some of you have heard me also say we are so much less now that we are into the bone. There is very little left that can be reduced.
Reflecting upon the question asked by the author, we are doing a lot more with less.
Common Core Standards
The editor continued, "Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards. Will there be more of an emphasis on critical-thinking skills and deeper understanding of concepts in your schools?"
For us the answer is yes.
Our state did adopt the new Common Core State Standards, and we're in the process of coming to a better agreement of how the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards differ from the old Georgia Performance Standards.
We are trying to use Professional Learning Communities to allow you time to look at the standards and then help us improve our teaching of the standards to students. Many of you are through the first units of the Common Core, and as soon as we finish, I believe more time will be given to not only looking at lessons learned but ensuring that the student learning objectives (SLOs) are identified for each standard. So we will have a better understanding of how to deconstruct the new standards.
So yes, in my view more critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the concepts are in our schools. But it starts with us, the professionals, understanding the standards so we can ensure students understand them, and can learn what they know and can do.
Waivers granted
The third point made in the article, "Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have been granted waivers from important parts of the No Child Left Behind law. With the freedom from a focus on math and reading testing, and greater control over student achievement, will you be focusing more on science, civics, music and art?"
Again I think we are.
STEM
Many of you know we applied for a grant with Georgia Tech to focus more on STEM. The grant has just been approved. So we are putting more emphasis on some of those other areas, like science.
Fine arts
I also continue to have a concern with what's happening with our fine arts program. No Child Left Behind required more focus on remediation for reading and math. I believe that we did lose some of our focus on the fine arts. I am hoping that we can continue to refocus in this important area.
Fewer dollars for education
And then the last point that was made that I will share with you from the article was, "Billions of federal dollars have gone out to schools in the form of competitive grants, at a time when states have far less money to support education. Tied to these dollars are teacher evaluations and the expansion of publicly funded charter schools. Have you moved forward even if your personal views go against these mandates?"
I think we have.
Teacher Keys and Leader Keys
We are in the process of implementing Teacher Keys and Leader Keys, and while there are some growing pains in this process, (I have already spoken on the difficulties we are having with SLOs) I believe that at the end we are going to be better because the new evaluation will help all of us grow and improve as professionals.
Charter question
As far as the charter aspect of the mandates, I think you know that Georgia has on the ballot in November a question asking the voters to approve a new charter authorizer. This is probably going to be the most hotly debated subject in our state between now and the election, and the key issue, other than the presidential election on November 6.
Continue to look for more information about this amendment. But once again I believe our state and our school district are meeting the challenge that this article suggests.
So as I review the questions that District Administration has asked, I can tell you
* we are different,
* we are moving on a path for continuous improvement,
* the initiatives we have in place are helping us,
* the initiatives are broad,
* they are innovative,
* they are challenging, and
* they clearly demonstrate that the schools of today are nothing like the schools of the last decade or the last century.
I know the work is hard and sometimes frustrating, but I ask you to continue to keep your eye on the horizon.
Our students are different today than they were 10 or 20 years ago. We are responding to their changes with better ways for improving ourselves as professionals and providing a better education for them.
So let's enjoy the journey.
Let's continue to improve Griffin-Spalding County.
Let's dare to do better.
Have a great week-end, everybody.
COLDR
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 Dr. Jones congratulates Will Jones, Futral Road Elementary student, at Mercer University's Youth Program College For Kids
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Parent Involvement News
District Parent Involvement Policy
The district's Parent Involvement Policy is revised annually with input from all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, administrators, and community members.The meeting to revise the district PI Policy for the 2012-2013 school year will take place on Monday, October 1 at 5:30pm in the Board of Education meeting room (large board room). We encourage you to attend and provide your input! Parent LiaisonsEach school has a designated Parent Liaison who coordinates all Title I Parent Involvement Activities for their school. This includes hosting parent workshops and aiding all parents in becoming engaged in their child's education. Encourage parents in your classroom to attend the parent workshops and utilize the resources available to them. Title I Parent Involvement also includes four staff trainings throughout the year. These trainings are designed to help you maximize parent engagement in your classroom. Most Valuable Parent ProgramThe Most Valuable Parent (MVP) program is back! Each month, the schools will nominate an outstanding parent or volunteer who has gone the extra mile for students and staff. From the school nominees, a district MVP of the month is selected. If you would like to recognize a parent or volunteer, submit the individual's name to your principal. If you have questions or would like more information about parent involvement, please feel free to contact me at any time. |
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Click here for our non-discrimination statement
Heather Kingsley, Guest Editor
Griffin Spalding County School System
PO Drawer N
Griffin, Georgia 30224
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