the gscs COMMUNICATOR

Week of February 15 - 22, 2013

the Griffin-Spalding County School System's employee e-newsletter

published by the school & community services department

the gscs

COMMUNICATOR

system-wide straight talk

The Griffin-Spalding County School System

No Furlough Days!

a message from Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones

Let's talk about next school year.

As you know the 2013-14 school calendar has been approved. That calendar includes 180 days for students and 190 days for teachers. It's the first time in four years we'll have a regular calendar.

This week the Board of Education conducted a retreat. One of the items discussed was planning for next year. I am very happy to report that the financial situation for our system is okay. We are continuing to believe that we will have no furlough days next year. Let me say that again...no furlough days next year! For the first time in four years - no furlough days!

I want to thank each of you for the time you have put in to help us get to this point. The Board of Education and I made eliminating the furlough days a goal last spring when we went through some difficult cost reductions decisions. Your efforts in helping us implement those reductions have gotten us to this point.

We are also in the process of reviewing those reductions. But a couple of cautions. As we say no furlough days there is the desire by some to reverse some of those reduction decisions. As the board and I reviewed the financial data through 2017 we realize there is no room in the budget to restore the items that were cut. We are still receiving austerity reductions from the state. We don't have enough money to even put step increases back in but we continue to review. The good news is no furlough days for teachers or students.

So thank you for the efforts you have made. You are greatly appreciated by all. Our school system is doing great things and you are the reason why.

Have a great weekend everybody.

COL DR - Daring to do Better

Vote for the B.E.A.R.S.

Our Atkinson B.E.A.R.S. STEM Team is currently participating in the First Lego League Global Innovation Competition. We could use the help of the entire Griffin-Spalding Country School System. Please visit our page here and vote for Atkinson. You have unlimited votes all day every day.

It would be awesome if every employee in the county could vote. We are trying to make the top list.

The competition will end March 1st.

bball team

Congratulations Cowan Road Middle School Panthers Boys Basketball Team!!! -- Central Georgia Middle School Athletic Boys Basketball 2012-2013 West Region Champions and Central Georgia Middle School Athletic Boys Basketball 2012-2013 League Champions. The Cowan Road Panthers had an outstanding season finishing the season 15-0.

Did you know?

Griffin High School's own Tyler Hendrix was the 2012 Georgia Gold Medal winner in the SkillsUSA state carpentry competition. He went on to compete at the national level in Kansas City, MO. this was the first time any student from GHS construction technology class placed first in the state! Congratulations to Tyler and his teacher, Walter Preston.

Pre K open house

Pre-K Registration Information Meeting Set

Families of Pre-K students attended open house at all elementary schools this week. Cowan Road visitors are pictured above. An information meeting is set in the auditorium for February 26 at 6 pm, where registration packets will be distributed. Registration for Pre-K is March 25-April 5 at Central Registration. Registration hours are 8:00 am - 3:00 pm. If you know a Pre-K student please invite the family to consider the excellent program offered by Griffin-Spalding County School System.

Common Core APPS

There are a number of new apps that can help you meet standards and evaluate student progress.

Here are a few we found:

-Common Core K-6, Compare changes in each standard or search a glossary of key terms with this user-friendly reference app. Provides access to updated ELA and math standards. For iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Free. learningunited.blogspot.com

- Common Core Standards, A reference guide to encourage greater understanding of the Common Core, this app has the Core standards at your fingertips. Search math and ELA standards by subject, grade or category. for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Andriod and Windows 8. Free. mastery connect.com

- Word Wizard, Develop foundational ELA standards and build students' vocabularies with the "Talking Movable Alphabet," a program designed to pronounce and spell-check words and sentences. For iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. $2.99. lescapadou.com

- Murky Reef, Pull students into informational texts using interactive game play. Elementary school students will learn about sharks, math, sentence structure and more while inflating puffer fish and making an octopus squirt ink. For iPad. $4.99. frolyc.com

- Common Core Tracker, Use your digital gradebook to track student mastery and pinpoint areas and skills requiring further instruction. Users can align assignments with integrated Common Core and state standards. for iPad. $2.99. commoncoretracker.com

Do you know others that work? Let us know so we can share your finds.

Employee of the Month

High Schools

Griffin High

Mrs. Kay Moore

We would like to thank Mrs. Moore for her outstanding service and commitment to the students, faculty, and parents of Griffin High School. She serves as our principal's secretary and lead event planner. Mrs. Moore is readily available to assist whenever needed and offers service with a warm smile. It is because of people like Mrs. Moore that we are able to "Keep the Change" here at Griffin High School.

Spalding High

Employees of the Month are Cheryl Reddick, Teisha Waller, Corenza Barnes and Antoinette Smith for their commitment to our students in promoting our students' post-secondary options. They are taking groups of students to college expos and visits during weekends where Spalding High seniors have been accepted to colleges and universities on the spot as well as being offered scholarship opportunities. This dedication results in a lifetime of rewards for our students! Thank you for what you do!

$40,000

in private funds is up for grabs

thanks to

Partners in Education has extended all grant and mini-grant deadlines until February 26, 2013. Grant funds can be used through November 2013.

CLICK HERE!

Our non-discrimination statement

Judy Parker, APR

Griffin Spalding County School System

PO Drawer N

Griffin, Georgia 30224

gscs Communicator Editor