The GSCS                         
COMMUNICATOR
System-wide straight talk for employees
April 17-24, 2015
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In This Issue
GSCS 
ELEMENTARY
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

ANNE STREET

Anne Street Elementary Employees of the Month are classified employee, Alicia Best and certified employee, Candice Moore. Mrs. Best is always willing to help out in any capacity needed.  One teacher wrote, "Mrs. Best is always so friendly and has inspired me to start working out and eating right!" Ms. Moore goes above and beyond the call of duty.  One teacher wrote, "Ms. Moore is awesome, she is dedicated with a positive attitude that helps make Anne Street students feel loved!"

 

ATKINSON

Atkinson Elementary would like to recognize Tyehesha Alexander, David Lackey, Melanie Lynch, Audra Olukoya and Angeline Alexander as Employees of the Month. These employees make our car rider process run smoothly each afternoon.  Each of these staff plays a vital role in keeping our students safe during the dismissal process.  Because of the dedication of these five individuals, this has been our smoothest year for car rider dismissal.  Thank you all for everything!

 

BEAVERBROOK

Bobbie White is the Employee of the Month for Beaverbrook Elementary.  Bobbie is a member of our kitchen staff and is an inspiration to us all.  She has kind words of encouragement for everyone every day. Bobbie always maintains a positive attitude even through numerous challenges.  We love you Bobbie!

 

COWAN ROAD

Cowan Road's Employee of the Month is Assistant Principal Aleshia McCray. Aleshia held down the fort while Principal Wood was out on leave. She handles challenges like a champ!  Aleshia will do a fabulous job as principal next school year! All her hard work and dedication to Cowan staff, students and parents is appreciated! Congrats to her!!!

 

CRESCENT

Assistant Principal Karen Williams, Counselor Wendy Whedon and Special Education Teacher Libby Todd are Crescent Elementary Employees of the Month. These three ladies have done an awesome job of getting our school ready for testing and coordinating all testing sessions.  Even with the added challenges this year, these ladies did an outstanding job!!  Thank you, Karen, Wendy and Libby!

 

FUTRAL ROAD
Sandra Long is the Futral Road Employee of the Month.  Mrs. Long is always willing to serve and does so with a smile.  She knows our students and parents by name and greets them each day with excitement and enthusiasm. She readily accepts new challenges and gives it her all each and every day! Thank you Mrs. Long for being an excellent example for us all!

 

JACKSON ROAD

Jackson Road Elementary Employee of the Month is Robin Eagle, special education paraprofessional.  Ms. Eagle is a dedicated team member who is always willing to help with any task, is committed to her students and is committed to making our school a better place.  She does all of this with a sunny smile and a great attitude.  Her dedication to our school is evident in all she does each day!

 

JORDAN HILL

The Jordan Hill Employee of the month is Coach David Brewer. Coach Brewer cares for the well-being of his students and he works well with his colleagues. He takes on extra duties without any complaints and always does a great job. He maintains a positive attitude and is a joy to be around.

 

MOORE

Moore would like to recognize Dr. Sharon Williams as the Employee of the Month for her outstanding leadership coordinating our first Georgia Milestones Assessment. Her expertise and attention to detail were tremendously valuable during our test administration. She was able to quickly understand the new testing procedures and implement the process with fidelity. The quality of her work was recognized and appreciated by students, faculty and staff.

 

MORELAND ROAD

Moreland Road Employees of the Month are Christy Whitson and our Relay for Life Team. Mrs. Whitson and the team have done an outstanding job coming up with wonderful ideas to raise money for Relay for Life this year.  She and the team have worked tirelessly on many projects, including Ladies Night Out and our annual Art Auction, of which all have been tremendously successful.  Mrs. Whitson and the team do these events with passion and positive and uplifting spirits. Under Mrs. Whitson's guidance our team raises a lot of money for this worthy cause.  Thank you Christy and our entire Relay for Life team as we continue, "supporting the fighter, admiring the survivor, and honoring the taken."


ORRS

Orrs Elementary wants to recognize all of their employees as Employees of the Month. All faculty and staff did an excellent job creating a positive environment for administering the Georgia Milestones assessment. Orrs is proud to have employees that are so dedicated and focused on student achievement. Thank you all!


May 1
Law Day

May 1-7
National PE & Sports Week

May 3-10
National Music Week

May 3-9
Teacher Appreciation Week

May 5
National Teacher Day & Cinco de Mayo

May 6
National School Nurse Day

May 4-8
School Nutrition Employee Week

What a week! We successfully completed Georgia Milestones testing, thanks to all
your efforts.  High schools will be giving
End-of-Course tests in May and I am sure
we are prepared for any and all technical issues that might arise.

 

Please have a restful, relaxing and fun spring break.  Be safe and come back ready to complete our last four weeks of the 2014-15 school year!  Enjoy your week off.

 
Sincerely,

Jim Smith
Interim Superintendent

SPRING OPEN

ENROLLMENT

APRIL 27 -
MAY 15, 2015

(for supplemental benefits only) 

 

Two scheduled benefits meetings will be held:

  • Thursday, April 30th from 9:30 am-10:30 am in the GSCS Learning Center
  • Thursday, April 30th from 4:30 pm-5:30 pm in the GSCS Learning Center

You can begin viewing the options on our benefits website: www.mygscsbenefits.com

 

Benefits available during Spring Open Enrollment include:

  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurances
  • Cancer/Critical Illness Insurance
  • Disability Insurance

There are no benefit changes this year. If you are satisfied with your current coverage then you do not have to take any action. Your benefits will automatically roll over July 1st. HR requests that all changes to personal contact information or beneficiary information be updated during this open enrollment period.

 

You should have received an email from Infinity HR with your current benefits. If you did not receive this email please call 1-877-422-3312. 

MISSION MILESTONES  COMPLETED


Message from Shiela Mincey, Director of Special Education, Assessment, Data and Program Evaluation

 

We made it through the Georgia Milestones!!! Overall the assessment experience was positive.

 

Once some technology glitches were fixed, online testing was fantastic. The students loved it and once the glitches were corrected, the majority of the adults loved it as well. Thank you GSCS Instructional Technology Department for the technical support during testing. 

 

We tried to make this new endeavor go as smooth as possible. I would like to thank all of you for your understanding and patience. It was a learning curve for all of us. It didn't matter how many webinars we took or how many practice test we participated in. It was all about the experience.

 

I would also like to personally thank Nicole Jones, Fern Goldstein, Tesha Woodard, Lisa Jones, Cathy Treadway and Sharlene Patterson for all of their hard work and assistance trying to make this transition as smooth as possible.

 

Thanks and have a great Spring Break! 

GSCS TECHNOLOGY COACHES ACHIEVE GOOGLE STAMP OF APPROVAL

 

Leslie Fagin and Robin Harris, instructional technology coaches, recently became authorized Google Education Trainers. After a rigorous application process which included submitting a training resume, case study, video, and references, Fagin and Harris joined the ranks of over 1,000 authorized Google Education Trainers worldwide. The authorized Google Education Trainer badge is an official stamp of approval from Google which assures
others that their learning materials and expertise meets high quality standards set by the Google for Education team.

 

GSCS Google Masters (which have completed all four levels of the GSCS Ninja Academy) are:

 

Alicia Stratton

Amy Brown

Andrea Smith

Ashley Baldwin

Ashley Reid

Ben Johnson

Ben Steele

Beth Miller

Brandy Boardwine

Candace Peek

Catherine Corbett

Chandra Bell

Christie King

Corenza Barnes

Daniel Stansberry

Debbie Harper

Dottie English

Grant Adams

Harriet Goodsell

Janette Geasley

Jason Short

Jessica Lalumiere

Jhondee Barnes

Jody Singletary

Josh Worley

Kelly Cottingham

Kinte Smith

La'Tesa Parker

Laurie Jones

Leslie Fagin

Liz Akins

Lonny Harper

Mark Sanders

Marlena Bell

Marty Shiver

Melanie Lynch

Michael Stanford

Michelle Purmort

Nina Williams 

Paige Wynn

Paula Salazar

Robin Harris

Robin Swain

Rosemary Nicholas

Ryan Meeks

Sandra Long

Sarah Meeks

Stan Mangham

Stephanie Chilton

Terri Collins

Tiana Fowler

Tonya Nelms

Will Nagaj

Tonya Nelms

SUPPORT PIE THROUGH THE KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM

 

Kroger Plus card holders can register and have a percentage of their sales donated to PIE. This support provides additional dollars to GSCS teachers and students through scholarships and classroom/field trip grants.

 

To register, visit www.krogercommunityrewards.com; the PIE # is 107370.

DO YOU KNOW ANY POTENTIAL PARTNERS FOR GSCS? 


If so, please send contact information to Judy Parker at judy.parker@gscs.org or 770-229-2700 ext. 340.

GSCS RECOGNIZED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO THE SALVATION ARMY ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE

 

Last week, the Salvation Army held its annual appreciation dinner to recognize volunteers, partners and organizations who helped "achieve miracles throughout the past year".  GSCS was recognized specifically for its participation in the Annual Food Drive held before Christmas break. GSCS collected over 27,000 food items to help families in our community. Way to go GSCS!

 

Recognition plaques were given to the top three schools in the Elementary School category and the top three schools in the Secondary School category. Awards are given based on the number of cans donated divided by the number of students enrolled at each school. 

 

Congratulations to the following schools for a job well done. Make sure you display your plaques with pride!

 

Elementary Category
1st -Futral Road Elementary
2nd -Crescent Elementary
3rd -Cowan Road Elem.

Secondary Category
1st -Rehoboth Road Middle
2nd -Cowan Road Middle
3rd -Spalding High

 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2014 Salvation Army's Annual Food Drive. It takes a lot of giving and coordination to make this a success each year and your efforts are always unfailing. Your love and generosity are felt far beyond the classroom walls. Thank you for truly caring about our students and community. 

 

Click HERE to see all school totals.

GRIFFIN CHORAL ARTS PRESENTS "CELTIC BLESSINGS"

 

Griffin Choral Arts, under the direction of Dr. Stephen J. Mulder, will present "CELTIC BLESSINGS," on Thursday, May 7, at 7:30 pm at Griffin First Baptist Church (106 W. Taylor St.). The season finale features special guest fiddler Jamie Laval performing music inspired by Celtic lands and traditions. Choral classics, folk songs and crossover repertoire will conclude our season with a celebration of this musical culture rich in Celtic soulfulness.

 

Tickets are $15 general admission (all ages) at the door or in advance in Griffin at Artistic Flowers and Gifts, Safehouse Coffee Roasters and First United Methodist Church.

 

Griffin Choral Arts is a 50-voice, auditioned community choir known for its innovative and diverse programming.  The mission of Griffin Choral Arts is "to bring the best choral music to the community."

 

For more information about Griffin Choral Arts call
888-SING1-88 (888-746-4188) or visit the GCA website: www.griffinchoralarts.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The theme, "Respect Yourself. Be Drug Free." will be used in over 100,000 schools across America this October, as part of the 30th Annual Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation.


Learn more about Red Ribbon Week and this year's theme by visiting our website at www.redribbon.org.

GOOD READS FOR SPRING BREAK 

 

Spring break is all about unwinding, relaxing and taking some time for yourself and your favorite things. Whether you are at home, on a beach or somewhere in between take a moment to slow down and dive into one of these recently released bestsellers...

 

All the Light We
Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
History buffs and romantics, be sure to check out this bestselling novel. The story is about a blind girl from France and a German boy whose paths cross after the devastation of World War II.

The Girl on the Train 
by Paula Hawkins
It's a mystery with characters you'll despise and characters you'll empathize with, all the while wondering who did it.


Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
If soul-searching is on your agenda for break, try this memoir. It follows Strayed as she walks along the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Oregon to California, as she works through her divorce and the death of her mother.

The Assassin by Stephen Coonts
Crime series junkies can get their fix with the third installment of Coonts' series after The Traitor. CIA operative Tommy Carmellini fights against terrorism and a leak in the agency in this page turning novel.
Click HERE for our non-discrimination statement.

Communicator is edited using the AP Stylebook 2010 edition. 
 
Laura Beaber, Editor 
GSCS Communications and Partnerships Department 
PO Drawer 
Griffin, GA 30224