The GSCS

COMMUNICATOR

System-wide straight talk for employees

May 29 - June 5, 2015

In This Issue

GSCS CLASS OF 2015

POST PLANNING FOR SCHOOLS

2015-16 EMPLOYEE WORK SCHEDULE

CERTIFICATE RENEWAL

RESA PROFESSIONAL LEARNING...CLASSES.

SUMMER READING TO ENHANCE INSTRUCTION

RESA PROFESSIONAL LEARNING...CLASSES.

GRIFFIN-SPALDING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS EXPO

GSCS

MIDDLE SCHOOL EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

CARVER ROAD MIDDLE

Ms. Julie Tippens is the Employee of the Month for Carver Road Middle. She has been a great help with our special education department. She has worked closely with the students, mentored them and has made school enjoyable for them. Thank you for everything Ms. Tippens!

COWAN ROAD MIDDLE

I would like to recognize the phenomenal team at Cowan Road Middle School for working hard to improve academic achievement over the past seven years. This hard work resulted in the school being removed from the state's Needs Improvement list and the Lowest Achieving Schools list. Cowan Road Middle's CCRPI score ranked the highest of GSCS middle schools in 2012 and the second highest in 2013. Thanks for all you have done over the years for our students!

KENNEDY ROAD MIDDLE

Kennedy Road Middle School would like to recognize Paige Norman and Eugenia Heard as our Employees of the Month. These ladies have taken on extra duties to assist with our special education department. They are always willing to assist in any way to help our students and school. Thank you Ms. Norman and Ms. Heard for being a vital part of the success of KRMS!!!

OCT. 2, 2015

7:30 AM REGISTRATION

9 AM - TEE-OFF

CITY GOLF COURSE

Click HERE to view flyer.

Flicks at Sixth

Free movies under the stars at 6th Street Park

Friday, June 12

Feature Movie: "ANNIE"

Pre-movie fun begins at 7:30 and featured movie starts at dark!

Griffin Stadium Cinemas Summer Movie Series

June 9 - July 30

Tuesdays & Thursdays Movie starts at 10 am

$1 - admission

$1.50 popcorn

$1.50 soft drink

Click HERE to view movie listing

The Children's Museum of Atlanta

Visit on June 9 or July 14 when admission is FREE (thanks to a grant from Target). The FREE event starts at 1:00 p.m though the line to get in the Museum generally starts before then.

CREATE ATL:
Family Fun at The Woodruff Arts Center

Presented by: High Museum of Art, Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & the Woodruff Arts Center

Every Sunday from June 7 - August 30, from
12 pm to 5 p.m.

Activities include family festivals, art-making activities, interactive musical story times, acting classes and more.

Atlanta Motor Speedway's Thursday Night Thunder!

Each Thursday, June 4 - July 23, Legends and Bandoleros race on the

1/4-Mile "Thunder Ring" at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Plus games, contests, giveaways, etc.

Gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets are just $6 for adults and $2 for children 6-11 (kids 6 and under are free).

Medieval Times

Through June 14, 2015, you can use coupon code WEB2010 to save $20 on adult tickets or $10 on child tickets to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Lawrenceville at 5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy. Call

1-888-WE-JOUST to make a reservation.

I hope that you all had a great last week of school. The many honor programs, special performances and commencement exercises made this week memorable. Every program I attended was first class in highlighting student achievement at all levels. While attending some of the programs I was able to witness some very special moments.

At the Anne Street Elementary fifth grade honors program Ms. Trayon Henderson was serenaded by one of her students. The student had asked for time in the program to dedicate two songs to her. Both songs spoke of seeking and developing the potential in people. They captured the essence of a teacher beautifully. What a moment!

Another such moment occurred at the Jackson Road Elementary third grade Bazaar. One student was selling piggy banks made from plastic water bottles. I asked her how she decided on her product. She explained to me that her class had studied recycling and when she realized she had a lot of empty water bottles at home she decided to recycle them into her product for resale. She transferred her learning into tangible action and, better yet, she knew she was doing it. I was left with no choice but to buy a water bottle piggy bank!

These are only two examples of the impact your work has on students. All of you: bus drivers, nutrition staff, school nurses, teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, school office staff, administrators, maintenance staff and central office staff are needed to inspire our students to the highest degree possible. Thank you all for your hard work and commitment to our students, schools and district.

This will be the last Communicator for the 2014-2015 school year and I want to end saying thank you!

Please have a restful summer and come back in July ready and excited to take on the challenges of a new school year.

Sincerely,

Jim Smith

Interim Superintendent

A.Z. Kelsey Academy

*12 graduates

Griffin High School

Valedictorian - Mary Holmes

Salutatorian - Laura Harness

*Graduates received almost $7 million in scholarships!

Spalding High School
Valedictorian - Lee Ann Frank
Salutatorian - Drew Johnson
*215 Seniors

POST PLANNING FOR SCHOOLS

School post-planning work hours will be June 1-3, Monday - Wednesday, 8 AM - 4 PM.

2015-16 EMPLOYEE WORK SCHEDULE

Click HERE for the final employee work schedule for 2015-2016. Please note that there are a few changes from the previously distributed version so please destroy all previous versions.

**Employees who are working this summer please remember that the ten hour work days on Monday through Thursday begins on June 8.

CERTIFICATE RENEWAL

Attention: several changes in certificate renewal requirements have recently been made or proposed. Please carefully read the appropriate sections below to determine the renewal requirements that apply to the certificate or license you hold.

Certificate renewal requirements are determined by the type of certificate and, in some cases, the year in which the certificate expires.

For Professional certificates expiring between 2011 and 2017:

Completion of any outstanding Special Georgia Requirements that were outlined when the initial certificate was issued
Employment by a Georgia LUA unless exempted as described in the Employment Requirement section below
No renewal credit (coursework) is required to renew these certificates

For Professional certificates expiring in 2018 or later:

Completion of any outstanding Special Georgia Requirements that were outlined when the initial certificate was issued
Employment by a Georgia LUA unless exempted as described in the Employment Requirement section below
A GaPSC rule change regarding renewal of Professional certificates expiring in 2018 or later was recently initiated. You may read the proposed rule here.

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means waste of time."

~John Lubbock, "Recreation,

" The Use of Life, 1894

SUMMER READING TO ENHANCE INSTRUCTION

Summer is just around the corner and a new school year will be here before you blink. Don't hesitate to start thinking how you will improve your teaching for next year. Here is a list of suggested books to check out this summer. Grab a chair, find a beach and start reading!

If you want to...	Read...
Improve literacy techniques	The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
Learn methods for awakening the skills and talents of your students	Teach like a Champion by Doug Lemov
Improve your lesson plans	The Lesson Planning Handbook by Peter Brunn & Understanding by Design by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe.
Get a fresh look at a critical subject	Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy by Emily Bazelon
Stay in touch with what many of your students may be reading	The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey
Engage your students and reduce drop-outs	Leaving to Learn by Elliot Washor and Charles Mojkowski
Learn about youth development	Youth, Education and the Role of Society: Rethinking Learning in the High School Years by Robert Halpern
Get instructional inspiration	The Dimensions of Engaged Teaching: A Practical Guide for Educators by Laura Weaver & Mark Wilding

RESA PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
CLASSES

Are "flip-flopping" into summer this July at Griffin RESA!!

Click HERE to see if there's a pair you like.

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 N

Griffin, GA 30224