GSCS
CENTRAL
OFFICE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Cynthia Copeland is the Employee of the Month for Central Office. Cynthia is truly the superstar behind the scenes. She is the hub of the technology department, working with technicians, schools, and multiple vendors all at the same time to ensure that everyone gets what he/she needs. Her quiet dedication to the technology team and GSCS deserves to be recognized! |
 UNITED WAY CARDBOARD BOAT RACE A SUCCESS
Last Saturday, with the creativity and workmanship of boat builders Jimmy Passmore, Calvin Pitts and Buddy Boggs from our Maintenance Department, GSCS participated in the United Way Annual Cardboard Boat Race. The "Daring To Do Better" cardboard boat was paddled by Lindy Scott, SHS principal, and Spencer Boggs, HVAC Technician. They did an amazing job! This year, the GSCS cardboard boat actually made it all the way across the lake and back to the finish line without sinking! Go GSCS! Though Lindy and Spencer didn't place in the top three, they are still winners in our book. They showed true determination and athleticism as they represented GSCS. Kudos to both of them for their willingness to participate and for making GSCS proud! 
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2014 EDUCATOR FALL OF FAME INDUCTEES  | |
Chappelle Wesley Calhoun
(represented by his wife)
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Nina Jones
(represented by her daughters)
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Liz Watkins
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PUBLISHED SHS TEACHER
Spalding High teacher, Lea Folds, co-wrote an article that is being published in the Journal of Career and Technical Education.
Socioeconomic Status, Higher-Level Mathematics Courses, Absenteeism, and Student Mobility as Indicators of Work Readiness
By Lea D. Folds &
C. Kenneth Tanner
The University of Georgia
Click HERE to read the article.
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OCTOBER IS NATIONAL PRINCIPALS MONTH Join National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) as we honor the hard work and dedication of America's principals all month long. National Principals Month is your opportunity to say "thank you" to principals everywhere and to share with the community all the great things that principals do. The key to student success is a great school, and the key to a great school is a great principal!
Video Contest:
NASSP wants you to give props to your principal.
Make a one-two minute video with your students showing why your principal rocks, then upload it to Youtube and send the
link to:
bswiatek@marketingdesigngroup.com.
Three winning videos will receive national exposure on our websites, as well as a $200 Best Buy gift card. Hurry! Entries must be received by October 31, 2014.
Click HERE for more information on the video contest and other ways to celebrate National Principals Month
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I continue to be excited about this school year and the potential we have for achieving even greater success. Recently a majority of my time has been spent with principals conducting the pre-conference part of the Leader Keys Effectiveness System process. The principals are stretching themselves to identify goals that will not only help them grow but also improve the leadership in their school. I am very pleased to see the hard work going into this and I am looking forward to great outcomes. Thank you for supporting your principals as they have worked to develop these goals. They cannot be successful without you. With collaborative support we can experience success together. It is an action-packed week for Spalding High School, it's homecoming. Homecoming is always such an exciting week not only for the school but also for the students, faculty, parents and our community. The SHS Homecoming parade was an excellent display of school spirit. Congratulations to all! I also want to give special congratulations to our 2014 Educator Hall of Fame inductees who participated in the parade. They are all very deserving of this honor. Seeing my former teacher, Mrs. Watkins, took me back more years that I want to admit. It reminded me how much a quality educator can impact a student's life. Thank you to these inductees for impacting so many lives through quality education! Have a great week everybody! COLDR 
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 GEORGIA SEEKS ONE-YEAR FLEXIBILITY FROM CONSEQUENCES OF STUDENT GROWTH ON TEACHER AND LEADER EVALUATION
Implementation of educator evaluation systems to continue
September 24, 2014 - Georgia will seek flexibility from its Elementary and Secondary Education (ESEA) waiver in order to delay, for one year, the high-stakes consequences related to the use of student growth measures in new teacher and leader evaluation systems, Superintendent Dr. John Barge announced today.
"As we transition to a new assessment system, we need additional time before incorporating student growth in high-stakes personnel decisions," Dr. Barge said. "A one-year delay will ensure that teachers and leaders are aware of the impact of more rigorous standards and high-quality assessments, and that they have time to amend instructional practices and engage in the necessary professional learning."
Read more...
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 PIE GRANT PERIOD CLOSES OCT. 3rd!
Teachers are eligible for two different grant programs sponsored by Griffin-Spalding Partners in Education. Teachers may apply for $1,000 classroom grants and $1,000 field trip grants (separate grant applications must be submitted for each).
To complete a grant application visit: http://www.gspie.org.
When the grant period closes, Oct. 3, volunteer reviewers will rank the proposals for funding, select approved grants and applicants will be notified. Checks are expected to be delivered by the end of October.
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"CHARACTER IS FORMED FROM YOUR STANCE. IN ORDER TO HAVE A STANCE, YOU MUST HAVE NON-NEGOTIABLES."
~ UNKNOWN
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| GSCS NON-NEGOTIABLES
 *Teacher and Leader Key Evaluation Systems
*Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports
*Formative Instructional Practices
*Common Assessments and Benchmarks
*Character Education
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 IMPORTANT FLU VACCINATION INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES Due to reimbursement issues, the health department will no longer bill insurance companies for flu shots. Vaccines are 100% covered with all GSCS insurance plans but employees must now pay $25 and then submit receipt to the insurance company for reimbursement. Employees willing to file the insurance can get vaccinated at the following schools on the following dates: 10/6 Moore, Atkinson, & A.Z. Kelsey 10/7 Beaverbrook & Jordan Hill 10/8 Crescent & Anne St. 10/9 Orrs, GHS & The Enrichment Center 10/10 Maintenance Shop, Bus Shop & Central Office 10/21 Futral Road, Spalding High & Rehoboth Middle 10/22 Jackson Road & Kennedy Middle 10/23 Moreland Road & Carver Middle 10/24 Cowan Elementary & Cowan Middle For additional information contact Licia Evans, School Nurse Supervisor at licia.evans@gscs,org or 770-229-3700 ext. 350. 
The Spalding County Health Department is having a drive-thru clinic Sept 30 - Oct 2 from 7 am - 7 pm. If you are a Spalding County resident, you can drive up and get the shot for FREE! Click HERE for flyer |
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PARENTS + TEACHERS = SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS!
GSCS MVP PROGRAM
September is a very exciting time for GSCS parent involvement because the GSCS Most Valuable Parent (MVP) Program launches! The MVP Program is a way to thank volunteers who dedicate their time and service to our schools.
We are so excited to start recognizing a whole new group of MVPs for the 2014-15 school year so stay tuned!
 MATH STANDARDS WORKSHOP
GSCS held a successful Math Standards workshop for parents on September 22. GSCS math coordinator, Graham Fletcher, presented information to parents on the new Georgia Milestone Assessment and math standards. Parents also received helpful ideas, tips and resources on working with student's math at home.
Check out our new GSCS Parent Involvement Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/gscsparentinvolvement.
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 MEDAL OF HONOR FOUNDATION CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Teacher Training at Griffin RESA
November 13, 2014
8:30am -3:00pm
Griffin RESA (440 Tilney Avenue, Griffin, GA)
This full day training will provide educators with all the tools they need to bring the Medal of Honor Character Development Program into their classrooms. This extensive curriculum focuses on values and how students can use these examples of courage, commitment, sacrifice, integrity, citizenship and patriotism to influence change in their own communities.
Click HERE for the flyer.
To register for the training visit www.griffinresa.net.
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Hear from a teacher in California about how her third graders use Chromebooks and Google Apps for Education. She will share her experience as one of the pilot classes for Classroom, a new tool coming this September. Classroom weaves together Google Docs, Drive, and Gmail to help teachers create and organize assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently, and communicate with their classes easily. Click HERE to watch this free on-demand webinar
Click HERE to view all of the free on-demand archived webinars for educators |
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Click HERE for our non-discrimination statement.
Laura Beaber, Editor
GSCS Communications and Partnerships Department
PO Drawer N
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