The GSCS                         
COMMUNICATOR
System-wide straight talk for employees
May 22 - 29, 2015
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In This Issue
GSCS 
ELEMENTARY
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

ANNE STREET ELEMENTARY
Anne Street's Employee of the Month is Annie Ruth Reed. Thank you for your years of support to Anne Street's students, families and staff. Enjoy your retirement!

ATKINSON
ELEMENTARY

Atkinson would like to recognize Cafeteria Manager Sandy Phillips
as our Employee of the Month. Ms. Phillips is a bright shining star in our cafeteria. She greets the children with a smile in the morning and takes an interest in what is going on around Atkinson.
Ms. Phillips was chosen as the GSCS Cafeteria Manager of the Year, which is a well deserved honor.  

 

BEAVERBROOK ELEMENTARY

Linda Shiver is the Employee of the Month for Beaverbrook. 
Mrs. Shiver is a tireless
worker dedicated to our
staff, students and parents. We appreciate all of her efforts for our school!

 

COWAN ROAD
ELEMENTARY

Cowan's Employees of the Month are our retirement crew: Nancy Colvin, Avis Ferguson, Becky Harper, Teresa Willis, John Drag and William Few. We want to recognize them for their many years of service to Cowan and other schools! Thanks for your dedication, high expectations and perseverance. You have cared for students, staff, families and the community. You each hold truly unique and special gifts that no one will ever replace. We love you all!

 

FUTRAL ROAD
ELEMENTARY

Futral Road Employee of the Month is Leslie Benefield. She is full of energy and innovative  ideas and has turned our media center into a true  resource center for both students and staff. Mrs. Benefield also serves as our Parent Involvement Coordinator and has gone above and beyond this year to make sure our parents stay informed. Thank you Mrs Benefield for all you do!

 

JACKSON ROAD ELEMENTARY

Jackson Road Elementary Employee of the Month is third grade teacher Amy Brown. Ms. Brown is a leader in the implementation of project based learning and innovative teaching practices in our school. Additionally, she is a mentor teacher, chair of our House Committee, member of the Leadership Team and maintains a model standards-based classroom. She is 100% vested in the achievement and well-being of our students and readily shares ideas for school improvement initiatives. Ms. Brown is an invaluable member of the JRE team!

 

JORDAN HILL
ELEMENTARY

The Jordan Hill Employee of the Month is Kim Holden. Kim works tirelessly to ensure her first grade students are well prepared for second grade. She also serves as our Co-Parent Involvement Coordinator and Relay for Life Team Captain. She is an asset to Jordan Hill and GSCS!

 

MOORE ELEMENTARY

Moore would like to recognize Sonya McIntyre and Dana Landburg as their Employees of the Month. Dr. McIntyre and Mrs. Landburg bring meaning to the quote "Teamwork makes the dream work." They have worked together to ensure that the students in Mrs. Daniels' class continued to receive lessons infused with rigor and relevance, interventions and progress monitoring in her absence. Way to go first grade team!!!


MORELAND ROAD ELEMENTARY

Employee of the Month for Moreland Road is our assistant principal, Dottie English. Mrs. English has done an outstanding job. It is hard to believe that this is her first year as an assistant principal because she has performed all of the duties and responsibilities associated with being an administrator like a veteran. She is an
asset to our school and to the school system. We are fortunate to have Dottie with us as a vital member of the Moreland Road family. Thanks you for all that you do!

 

ORRS ELEMENTARY

Orrs Elementary Employees of the Month are our retirees: Karen Childs, Charlie McDowell, Jackie Summerville and Diane Whatley. It has been such a pleasure working with you all. You have shared your passion, hard work, positive attitudes and dedication with us for many years. As you look forward to the next phase of your journey please remember the indelible mark you have left on our hearts.  Orrs Elementary staff will miss you dearly but also know that we are better for having had you on our team. We wish you the best with respect to happiness, health and a fulfilling retirement. Retirement may be an ending but it is also a new beginning...ENJOY IT!

 

GHS ROBOTICS CAMP 2015!

 

Are your students interested in robotics? Do they want to get better? Well this summer is their chance! The Griffin High Robotics team will be offering two separate four day Lego NXT camps over the summer. This is an opportunity for students who are already on a robotics team and those that aren't as well.  

 

June 15-18 
July 13-16

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Griffin High School
(
1617 W. Poplar St.) 
4th - 9th grade

$125 (lunch provided)

 

Contact: 
eric.harper@gscs.org (770-229-3752
ext. 170)

BOARD NAMES SMITH AS SOLE SUPERINTENDENT FINALIST

 

The Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education named Interim Superintendent Jim Smith as the sole finalist for superintendent

 

Under state law, the board must wait 14 days before taking an official vote to offer a contract.

Read more...

BOARD APPOINTS PRINCIPALS FOR
COWAN ROAD MIDDLE, A.Z. KELSEY AND GHS

 

At a called meeting on May 21, 2015, the Griffin-Spalding Board of Education approved the recommended candidates for the principal positions at Cowan Road Middle, A.Z. Kelsey Academy and Griffin High School.

Read more...

BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDES COMPETITIVE SALARIES

 

The Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education will take a
long-term approach to competitive salaries under a proposal presented during a work session on the 2016 budget.

 

"To be more competitive with our staff positions, the district authorized a comprehensive salary study that compared our district to 12 neighboring/similar districts," said Interim Superintendent Jim Smith. "Our choice is to invest in our people by revamping the practice of how salaries are set."

Read more...
2015-16 OPEN HOUSE

GSCS Open house is scheduled for July 30, 2015 from 3 PM - 7 PM.

TKES/LKES

 

Below you will find two links. One link is to the TKES online survey for teachers. The other link is for leaders to provide feedback on both TKES and LKES. These are the surveys the Division of Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (TLE) conducts bi-annually to gather additional feedback from districts across the state. The surveys will remain open until midnight Saturday, June 13, 2015.

 

Teacher Link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TKESSpring2015 

 

Leader Link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LKESSpring2015

GRIFFIN-SPALDING ARCHWAY PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY-WIDE
LISTENING SESSION

 

Griffin-Spalding County leaders and the University of Georgia Archway Partnership are hosting listening sessions to better understand the most important issues facing the community. Citizen support and engagement is essential to bringing the resources available through the Archway Partnership to Griffin and Spalding County, thus making the listening session an important key to bringing real change to the community.

Read more...

 

June 2, 2015

Session 1: 9:30 am - 11 am

Spalding High School


Session 2: 6:30 pm - 8 pm

Orrs Elementary

For more information call 706-612-3479. 

2015 SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM

 

Spalding County Parks and Recreation will be providing nutritious meals to low income children in Spalding County while school is not in session.  Lunch will be provided through the USDA Summer Food program managed by AD Smith Community Services. 

 

USDA Summer Food Program Meals are provided to all Spalding County children ages 2-18 without charge.  Beginning June 1 through July 31 (M-F), meals will be served  from noon to 1 p.m. at the following locations:

  • City Park Gym
  • Fairmont Gym
  • AMBUCS Gym

For more information contact Kelly Leger, recreation superintendent, at 770-467-4750 or visit 
http://www.spaldingparksandrec.com/camps_summer_food.php.

"END OF EVERYTHING IS INEVITABLE, REMEMBER AND LEARN FROM IT AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEW BEGINNING."


GRIFFIN RESA PL CLASSES ARE FLIP-FLOPPING INTO SUMMER!

 

Click HERE and see if there's a pair you like!

SPECIAL OLYMPICS 2015

MAY IS AMERICAN STROKE MONTH: BECOME A STROKE HERO

 

Anyone can have a stroke and everyone should be ready. Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke and every 4 minutes, someone dies from a stroke. That is why The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is inviting all Americans to become Stroke Heroes by learning and sharing the warning signs of stroke, F.A.ST. (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 9-1-1). 

Recognizing and responding to a stroke emergency immediately can lead to quick stroke treatment and may even save a life. Be ready! Share the F.A.S.T. acronym with your friends, family and loved ones throughout American Stroke Month.

 

Strokes can happen at any age, even to kids. Click HERE to learn how to protect the kids you love by learning how to spot pediatric stroke F.A.S.T.

 

Go to StrokeAssociation.org/StrokeMonth to learn more.

STEM SIZZLES THIS MONTH

Crescent Elementary students celebrated Georgia STEM day on May 8. Third graders became architects to design a new playground. They researched, measured, sketched and used their imagination to design their plans. 

2015 SUMMER READING PROGRAM

 

The Griffin-Spalding County Library's annual summer reading program will be held from June 1 through August 8. Students can read during the summer to receive prizes and attend fun programs and performances.


Public libraries have summer reading programs each year to encourage students to continue to read during their vacation. Please encourage your  students to come to the library this summer and read "for the fun of it!"

 

Click HERE to view the children and teen program schedule.

AS THE SUN SETS ON ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR, WE WISH EVERYONE A FANTASTIC SUMMER BREAK!

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