GSCS MIDDLE SCHOOL
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
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CARVER ROAD MIDDLE
Tamara McCann, special education, is the Teacher of the Month for Carver Road Middle School. She works closely with faculty and staff to provide support in the classroom. She also excels at helping students with literacy skills. Kelly Handley is the Employee of the Month. Kelly is proactive in ensuring that the front office operates smoothly. She also maintains a welcome and inviting atmosphere.
COWAN ROAD MIDDLE
Cowan Road Middle School would like to recognize Jody Payne as our Employee of the Month.
Ms. Payne has embraced our school improvement initiatives and is committed to helping us foster a challenging and relevant learning experience for her students. She is reflective about our teaching and always seeking ways to make Georgia Studies engaging. As our Parent Engagement Liaison, she works tirelessly to improve communication and increase parental involvement in our school. We appreciate Ms. Payne's dedication to the staff, students and families of CRMS!
KENNEDY ROAD MIDDLE
Kennedy Road Middle School would like to recognize Rachael Bama as our Employee of the Month. She supplies extensive support to students and parents; all while providing a positive classroom setting that delivers an exciting look into literacy. She goes above and beyond to counsel and encourage students daily. Mrs. Bama has also done a phenomenal job with the KRMS drama department and has taken on any role that has been asked of her. It is with great pleasure that we recognize Mrs. Bama for a job well done!
REHOBOTH ROAD MIDDLE
The Employees of the Month for Rehoboth Road Middle School are our RTI chairs: Shelly Worley, Sandra Holloman, Debbie Hudson, Julie Joiner, LaSondra Thrash-Harris and Denise Lawrence. This year, they have all gone above and beyond to create and implement an RTI program that works perfectly for our school. Through their hard work, planning and efforts, RRMS students have benefited greatly and grown tremendously academically. Thank you for the time, organization and preparation to make RTI the best that it can be for RRMS!
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16TH ANNUAL FRE HEART HUSTLE
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Join us at Futral Road on Saturday, February 6, for our annual 5K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Fun Run and/or Tot Trot. You can register by clicking this link:
Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. The Tot Trot begins at 8:15 a.m. The 1 mile Fun Run will begin at 8:30 a.m. The 5k begins at 9 a.m. Awards ceremony will begin at approximately 10 a.m.
**T-shirt guaranteed if registered by January 27, 2016**
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| START 2016 WITH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING! |
Click HERE to view Griffin RESA's current professional learning class list for January 2016 for teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals.
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FREE WEBINARS |
The New Year has started and so have the Performance Matters free webinars! Check out some of the new sessions developed for January by clicking HERE.
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| JANUARY 2016 HOLIDAYS |
January 18, 2016
Other fun January observances include:
National Soup Month -
Click HERE for 12 healthy soup recipes from health.com.
National Pizza Week - January 3-9, 2016
Jan. 11 - National Clean Off Your Desk Day
Jan 18 - Thesaurus Day
Jan. 19 - National Popcorn Day
Jan. 20 - National Cheese Lover's Day
Jan. 21 - National Hugging Day
Jan. 23 - National Handwriting Day
Jan. 24 - National Compliment Day & National Peanut Butter Day
Jan. 29 - National Fun at Work Day & National Puzzle Day
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I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing break with family and friends and are ready to take on the challenges of the second semester. 2015 seems to have gone by quickly and I'm sure 2016 will move just as fast, especially if this past week is any indication. As 2016 opens, several exciting initiatives are close to implementation. First, we are almost complete with our new five-year strategic plan. Several important focuses are addressed such as student performance, family and community engagement, organizational effectiveness and staff performance. I will be addressing various aspects of these plans in future articles. The items in the plan are comprehensive and the task of implementation seems somewhat daunting. But I believe we are poised to make a real difference building on past successes while creatively looking to the future. Second, we are making plans for the curriculum audit to be conducted by Phi Delta Kappa International, most likely near the end of February. Being audited is not always the most pleasant experience but we can't grow without an understanding of our strengths and weaknesses. The audit will focus mainly on our instructional program but will also include a review of operating processes impacting instruction (which is almost everything else we do). Third, the Griffin Region College and Career Academy (GRCCA) is slated to open in August with a target of serving approximately 150 students from a three-county region in the first-year. Presentations were made to the high school teachers on Monday and to parents on Thursday night. I've received very positive comments from both presentations. In addition, GRCCA officials have been meeting with students this week explaining the options being offered as well as information on the registration process. We still have a lot of details to work out but the GRCCA promises to add a new dynamic to our instructional program. Get ready for an eventful 2016, a lot will be happening in GSCS. A dedicated staff and involved community are vital to the success of a school district.
Thank you for the part you play! Jim Smith
Superintendent |
| JANUARY BOARD BRIEFS |
Click HERE to view the January 5, Board of Education briefs.
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| | 2015-16 GSCS Governor's Honor Nominees being recognized |
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| | (L-R): Gwen Lebouef (FRE), James Ray (KRMS) and Bill Stikes (GHS) were recognized as recipients of the 2015 PIE Teacher Tuition Reimbursement Scholarship |
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| (L-R): GSCS Parent Involvement Coordinator Jessica Layfield recognized Vicki Smith from Jordan Hill Elementary as the December District-level MVP
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| | GSCS 2014-15 GaDOE PBIS Operational Schools were recognized |
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| | GSCS 2014-15 GaDOE PBIS Emerging Schools were recognized |
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| 2016 BOE MEETING SCHEDULE |
 The Griffin-Spalding Board of Education meetings will remain on the first Tuesday of each month for 2016.
Click HERE to view the 2016 Board of Education meeting schedule. |
EMPLOYEE EMAIL ADDRESS AND MOBILE PHONE VALIDATION
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 Employees must verify and update their email address stored in the SHBP Enrollment Portal to receive enrollment confirmations, transitional communications and other important benefits information. Unless required by law to be sent through the postal service, most notices will be emailed. Email addresses are also used to deliver the activation code during registration on the SHBP Enrollment Portal.
Employees are also encouraged to update their mobile phone number. The stored mobile phone number may be used to deliver activation codes from ADP via text message. It may also be used when employees forget their login information. ADP can send a text message with the temporary password and/or user identification. ADP does not charge for this service but standard text and data charges may apply from the mobile phone carrier.
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| 2016 GSCS JOB FAIR |
 When: March 24, 2016
Time: 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Griffin High School
(1617 W. Poplar St.)
Who: Teachers and Other Certified Personnel
Questions: Call (770) 229-3700 or email humanresources@gscs.org
* No Registration Required
Apply online at www.spalding.k12.ga.us
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"IF YOU'RE BORED WITH LIFE, IF YOU DON'T GET UP EVERY MORNING WITH A BURNING DESIRE TO DO THINGS, YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH GOALS."
~ Lou Holtz, football coach
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TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION SURVEY RESULTS
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Op-Ed by Superintendent Richard Woods
 Currently, 44% of Georgia's newly hired teachers are dropping out of the profession by year five. Equally alarming is that there was a 16% dip from 2010 to 2014 in the number of candidates entering Georgia's teacher preparation programs.
For students, this could mean larger class sizes, fewer opportunities, and a decreased chance of being taught by a quality teacher.
To find the root cause of this growing crisis, the Georgia Department of Education surveyed current and former teachers to ask them what factors they felt were pushing them or their colleagues out of the profession. Within three weeks, more than 53,000 Georgia teachers - almost half of the state's teacher workforce - responded to our survey (view the full report HERE), showing that teachers were ready to talk about this critical issue.
The results were enlightening. The top reason teachers selected for leaving the profession was "Number of state mandated tests" with "Method for evaluating teachers" as a close second. Though "Compensation/Benefits" was an option and ranked higher than the average, it was not listed in the top three.
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JANUARY IS CERVICAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
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The most important thing you can do to help prevent cervical cancer is to have regular screening tests. Click HERE for the American Cancer Society's guidelines for cervical cancer prevention and early detection.
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TOP 12 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR TEACHERS www.teachhub.com
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 1. Stay Positive
2. Spice up Your Classroom Routine
3. Build Fitness into Your Curriculum
4. Get Your Work/Life Balance in Order
5. Give Individual Time & Attention to Students
6. Get Organized - Work Smarter, Not Harder
7. Don't Let Admin & School Policies Get You Down
8. Plan Your Move up the Pay Scale
9. Set Goals & Avoid Autopilot Mode
10. Get Students Involved/Empowered
11. Make Better Use of Planning
12. Dress to Impress Yourself
To read the full article click HERE.
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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
Griffin, GA 30224
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