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EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
CARVER ROAD MIDDLE
Kimberly Gregory, Donna Watkins and Robyn Davis are recognized as Carver's Employees of the Month. Each of these ladies have gone the extra mile. Ms. Gregory and Ms. Davis are model teachers and Ms. Watkins has jumped right in as the new media specialist. We appreciate all they do. #2185PRIDE
COWAN ROAD MIDDLE
Christopher Belcher, band director, is the Employee of the Month for Cowan Road Middle School. Mr. Belcher has created excitement and increased school spirit through the CRMS Panther Band by sharing what they are learning in the hallways and at sporting events. He has steadily increased enrollment in the band program with strong student relationships and a willingness to teach all who want to participate. He is a true team player and is dedicated to our students and our school. We are so thankful that he is a part of Panther Nation!
KENNEDY ROAD MIDDLE
Kennedy Road Middle School is proud to recognize Tiana Fowler as our Employee of the Month. Mrs. Fowler serves as our 6th grade department chair and has been a great addition to the faculty at KRMS. She always has a positive and enthusiastic attitude. She goes above and beyond for her students on a daily basis by offering lunch and learn sessions for her students to help them improve their math skills. KRMS is lucky to have Mrs. Fowler as part of our team!
REHOBOTH ROAD MIDDLE
Rehoboth Road Middle School's Employee of the Month is Dr. Stephanie Leeks. Dr. Leeks is our special education lead teacher. She works to ensure all rules and guidelines are followed in an effective and appropriate manner. Her work with FTE was invaluable. She reviewed and corrected all paperwork turned in resulting in a near flawless submission. Dr. Leeks is a valued and important part of our school.
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KRMS, JRE & MAINTENANCE
REPRESENT GSCS AT THE UNITED WAY BOAT RACE
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Maintenance Dept. Boat:
Kids Come First
Built by: Maintenance Dept. (primarily by Calvin Pitts)
Team leader: Jimmy Passmore
Rowers: Lindy Pruitt & Spencer Boggs
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Built by:
KRMS 6th graders
Team Leader:
Tiana Fowler
Rowers: 8th graders, Ryan Lord & Allison Fowler
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JRE Boat #1:
Third Grade Awesomeness
Built by: The boat was researched, designed and decorated by third grade students but was actually made by the third grade teachers (since it involved sharp objects to cut the pieces and smelly contact cement)
Team Leader: Amy Brown
Rowers: Amy Brown & Jonathan Stone
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JRE Boat #2:
S.S. Wildcat
Built by: JRE Staff
Team Leader: Amy Brown
Rowers: Kadie Archer &
Tim Eagle |
Congrats
to JRE's team for being voted most spirited team!
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CHARACTER ED KICK-OFF
Cowan Road Elementary kicked off character education this week with The Power of the Knot and The Power of the Scarf.
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OCTOBER IS NATIONAL PRINCIPALS MONTH
Need ideas to help you celebrate National Principals Month? Click HERE.
All year long, your principal is working hard to ensure that your school is running smoothly. This year during National Principals Month, NASSP invites you to make a one- to two-minute video giving "props" to your principal-telling us why you love your principal and what he or she means to you, your school, and your community.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, 2015.
Click HERE for the official rules. Click HERE to submit your video link.
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EDCAMP GRIFFIN IS ALMOST HERE!
Saturday, Oct. 3
8AM - 2PM
Griffin High School
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A good map is always helpful in getting to a desired destination. The same is true for any organization desiring improvement. GSCS is no different. We are currently in the process of developing our five-year strategic plan to guide us through 2021. A lot goes into this process. Historical data is used to determine how we got to where we are today and current data and research is used to identify areas that need to be addressed in the next five years and beyond. Think of the new initiatives as already in place or under development such as the Griffin Region College and Career Academy, Project AWARE, Audio Enhancement/ViewPath, IE2 waivers and the list goes on. Our district is not sitting around hoping for better graduation rates, higher SAT scores, improved Lexile measures or stronger graduate applicants for the job market. Instead, we are carefully analyzing our present position, looking at available resources and searching for new and better ways to design and present an instructional program that empowers graduates to be successful in college and career choices. This strategic planning process has already involved almost 100 individuals along with another 500 online survey responses. We are moving forward with drafts of GSCS mission, vision and belief statements to guide program development. I will be discussing the components of our strategic plan in upcoming Communicators and the role we all play in the success of our students and our community.
Jim Smith
Superintendent
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MODIFIED IMPLEMENTATION PILOT FOR TKES
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is working to allow modified implementation of the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES), beginning with a pilot in selected districts this year.
Modified implementation means that six observations will not be required for all teachers, allowing for a more personalized approach to evaluating teachers. Highly effective teachers are eligible to receive fewer observations while new or ineffective teachers will receive the standard six.
The following school districts will participate in the 2015-16 modified implementation pilot:
- Ben Hill County
- Cherokee County
- Clayton County
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- Griffin-Spalding County
- Peach County
- White County
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The GaDOE used standard criteria to identify schools that qualify to participate in the pilot. Click HERE to see the business rules applied to all school systems' data. GADOE has indicated that they foresee a larger year two pilot and will apply the same business rules to identify qualifying schools.
"GSCS is fortunate to have two schools, Moreland Road Elementary and Orrs Elementary, qualify to participate in the pilot for 2015-2016. We are excited to pilot this flexibility to our district. Veteran GSCS teachers who are proficient or better are eligible for the modified evaluation process. Evaluators must complete one 30 minute formative observation and two 15 minute walkthroughs for a total of 60 minutes of observation," said Human Resources Director Stephanie Dobbins.
School Superintendent Jim Smith stated, "We look forward to hearing updates and feedback from Moreland Road and Orrs Elementary as they pilot this streamlined process. We plan on reviewing the criteria and anticipate more GSCS schools qualifying to participate next year."
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SOCIAL SECURITY ONLINE
The Social Security Administration now offers online services allowing individuals to:
- Apply for Social Security retirement or disability benefits
- Apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs
- Use benefit planners to calculate retirement, disability and survivor benefits
Individuals already receiving Social Security benefits can accomplish the following online:
- Change the address and telephone number on their record
- Get a replacement Medicare card
- Request a proof of income letter
- Request a Social Security benefit statement (1099 or 1042S)
- Check information about benefits
- Start or change direct deposit
To create your Online Account follow these instructions:
- Begin with a valid email address and visit socialsecurity.gov
- Select "Sign In" at the top right
- Select "Create an Account"
- Provide some personal information to verify your identity
- Choose a username and password
Find answers to frequently asked questions at www.socialsecurity.gov/faq. |
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SUPERINTENDENT MEET & GREET
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On September 16, GSCS employees and community members stopped by for refreshments and to mingle with Superintendent Jim Smith.
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 PIE GRANTS CLOSE OCT. 1, 2015
What are you waiting on? Don't miss out on this great opportunity to surprise your students with an exciting field trip or something new for your classroom! Visit http://www.gspie.org and complete your application to receive up to $1,000 for your classroom or field trip.
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 HANDLE IEP DOCUMENTS WITH EXTREME CARE Excerpt from 2015 PAGE New Teacher Guide
An IEP document is a federally mandated document for children with special needs and/or learning disabilities. Generally, an IEP document identifies the student and his/her disability, and it includes accommodations that the school must implement in order for the child to be successful. IEPs are governed by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
There are several mistakes in the IEP process that may result in a sanction against an educator by the Professional Standard's Commission. First, drafting, revising, updating or amending an IEP requires an IEP meeting. This meeting involves the parent(s), student, special education teacher, regular education teacher and administrator. At the end of the meeting, each person involved signs off on the IEP. Do not sign an IEP document without having an IEP meeting with everyone in the room at the same time. Sporadic contact, such as phone calls to parents regarding the IEP, emails among faculty members about the IEP or discussing the case outside of the IEP meeting, does not constitute the actual IEP meeting. No educator should sign his/her name unless the educator was actually in the meeting with all of the others present. Such action, in the eyes of the PSC, constitutes dishonest conduct under Standard 4. Moreover, signing someone else's name to an IEP is also considered unethical conduct under Standard 4.
Failure to implement the IEP does not always constitute unethical conduct; however, it could result in the parent filing a complaint with the United States Department of Education. For example, if the IEP mandates that a student must have all assessments read aloud, then this must happen, even if the student indicates a desire to waive the right. While this may not be considered unethical conduct, it would result in adverse employment action, such as a reprimand, termination or non-renewal.
 Do not sign an IEP document without having an IEP meeting with everyone in the room at the same time. Sporadic contact, such as phone calls to parents regarding the IEP, emails among faculty members about the IEP or discussing the case outside the IEP meeting, does not constitute the actual IEP meeting.
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"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource."
~ John F. Kennedy
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HEALTHIER OPTION FOR FALL FAVORITE
60 billion+ is the number of calories consumed in Pumpkin Spice Lattes since Starbucks released the drink in 2003. When the fall favorite returns, opt for a tall with nonfat milk, no whipped cream and only one pump of syrup for a seasonal treat just under 150 calories.
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 SRH OFFERS GSCS FEMALE EMPLOYEES A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Spalding Regional Hospital (SRH) has a golden opportunity for the female teachers and staff of GSCS. SRH is hosting two special evening events exclusively for you to schedule your annual screening mammogram.
October 7, 2015 & October 27, 2015
5PM - 7PM
Spalding Regional Hospital Women's Center
For more information click HERE to view the flyer.
Take control of your breast health and participate! Call
770-229-6931, identify yourself as a GSCS employee and schedule your mammogram appointment. |
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS NEEDS YOUR HELP
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Central Midwest GA Chapter & Spalding County Fire Department need volunteers to help improve fire safety in the Griffin community. Teams will canvass neighborhoods to educate homeowners and install smoke alarms. No training necessary! Safety briefing begins at 8:30am.
Event: Home Fire Preparedness Campaign- Neighborhood Canvass Date: Saturday, September 26 Time: 8:30am - 4:00pm Location: Gary Reid Fire Station (1843 N. Hill Street)
To learn more or register Call 706-884-5818 or email Jessica.mcfadden@redcross.org.
Click HERE to view the American Red Cross news release |
 NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK OCT. 4-10, 2015
Theme: "Hear The Beep Where You Sleep; Every Bedroom Needs A Working Smoke Alarm"
State sponsored activities include:
- Statewide Fire Drill, Wednesday, October 7, 2015, at 10:00 a.m.; if inclement weather, the alternate date is Wednesday, October, 14, at 10:00 a.m.
Insurance & Safety Fire Commissioner's annual statewide fire safety contests:
- Statewide Poster Contest (Grades K-5)
- Statewide Fire Safety Essay Contest (Grades 6-12)
- Statewide "Fire Safety House" Essay Contest (Grades K-3)
- Statewide Fire Safety Tips Calendar Poster Contest (Grades K-5)
*The submission deadline for ALL contest is Sept. 28, 2015, at 4:30 p.m.
Click HERE for all 2015 Fire Prevention Week Forms.
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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
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