GSCS ELEMENTARY
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
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ANNE STREET ELEMENTARY
Anne Street Employees of the Month are Jasmyn Monette and Susan Wilson. Jasmyn is always positive and willing to help others. She constantly helps all the staff and students in many ways. Thank you Jasmyn for making all of our lives easier! Susan has a great spirit and a bubbly personality which really rubs off on our students. She is hard working, helpful, flexible and awesome at tackling challenging situations.
ATKINSON ELEMENTARY
Atkinson Elementary would like to recognize David Lackey as our Employee of the Month. Mr. Lackey worked with our teaching staff to organize an outstanding Black History Program. We thank him for ensuring that our students have a chance to showcase their talents with events like this. We look forward to seeing what he has planned for our students during the spring concert.
BEAVERBROOK ELEMENTARY
Beaverbrook would like to recognize our nutrition staff as our Employees of the Month. Our staff includes Becky Griffith, Garie Foster, Renae Lupes, Becky Sherman, Ashley Smith and Lynn Smith. Our ladies are dedicated to our students and provide them with quality meals every day. They go the extra mile by talking to our students, getting to know them and forming relationships with them. The students and staff at Beaverbrook love our nutrition staff!
COWAN ROAD ELEMENTARY
Cowan Road Elementary Employees of the Month are Jennifer Patel, Rhonda Atkinson and Kathy Howell. These ladies do an excellent job working with our MOID students. They continue to go above and beyond to address students' needs and add excitement to the curriculum.
CRESCENT ELEMENTARY
The Employees of the Month for Crescent are Sal Argila and Eugene Mathews. They help our students begin their day on a positive note by opening car doors every morning with a smile and kind words. We can count on them to be punctual whether it is raining, snowing, cold or hot. They are truly an asset to our school.
FUTRAL ROAD ELEMENTARY
Gwen LeBouef is Futral's Employee of the Month. Mrs. Lebouef does an outstanding job with our MOID students. She has made tremendous gains in a short amount of time. Mrs. Lebouef provides many opportunities for her students to learn and interact with their regular education peers. The growth is evident not only in academics, but in their social and emotional development as well. Thank you Mrs. LeBouef for putting your heart into everything you do at FRE.
JACKSON ROAD ELEMENTARY
Jackson Road Elementary Employee of the Month is School Nurse Lisa Smith. Lisa is such an important member of our Jackson Road team. She has many visitors to her clinic and she treats them all with kindness and compassion. She is always willing to go above and beyond to help keep things running smoothly. She does an excellent job taking care of our students and getting them back to their classroom to continue learning. She has a pleasant demeanor and we love having her here.
JORDAN HILL ELEMENTARY
The Jordan Hill Employee of the Month is Heather Ingram. Mrs. Ingram is an integral part of the Jordan Hill team. In addition to teaching fifth grade Reading/ELA, Heather serves JHE as the grade-level chair, on the leadership team, as the co-parent involvement coordinator and also coordinates the school-wide spelling bee. Congratulations Heather!
MOORE ELEMENTARY
Vickie Talmadge is selected as the Moore Elementary Employee of the Month. She provides quality customer service to students and staff. We are proud to have her serve as our nutrition assistant manager.
The Employee of the Month for MRE is our Media Specialist Mandi Beverly. On top of all her other duties and responsibilities, she did an outstanding job on our Title 1 inventory this year. Mandi teaches five classes a day and keeps our media center in top working order. She also coordinates our school-level Literacy Days, host our daily news show, coordinates two Book Fairs each year, troubleshoots and assists with technology, serves as the schools media contact, collaborates with teachers and administration as needed, serves on our Leadership Team and PBIS committee and supports special events such as our annual Trick or Treat at MRE. Thanks for all that you do for Moreland Road!
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GA DNR FREE TRAVEL GUIDE
Spring is just around the corner! The newly-published 2016 Guide to Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites is a handy resource for planning a spring break or summer vacation. The free booklet is filled with tips on the best hiking trails, fishing spots, wedding venues and accommodations. The guide is produced annually by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. For a free copy, call 1-800-864-7275 or stop by any Georgia State Park or State Historic Site. An online version can be found on GeorgiaStateParks.org. |
 HOW MUCH SLEEP DO WE REALLY NEED: REVISITED
Just in time for National Sleep Awareness Week (March 6-13) and the eve of their 25th anniversary, the National Sleep Foundation released the results of a world-class study that took more than two years of research to complete. It is an update to their most-cited guidelines on how much sleep is really needed at each age.
Click HERE to view the poster.
Click HERE for a downloadable recommended sleep time chart.
To pave the way for better sleep, follow these simple yet effective healthy sleep tips, including:
- Stick to a sleep schedule even on weekends.
- Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual.
- Exercise daily.
- Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature, sound and light.
- Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
- Beware of hidden sleep stealers like alcohol and caffeine.
- Turn off electronics before bed.
Like good diet and exercise, sleep is a critical component to overall health so make sleep a priority!
To read full article click HERE.
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 Dear (Contact First Name),
Over 50 employers and post-secondary institutions were represented at the College and Career Day hosted by the Griffin-Spalding County School System this past Tuesday. The Kiwanis Center was packed with display booths visited by over 300 Griffin High and Spalding High students during the day. I can tell you the sight was impressive. Most of the major colleges and universities in Georgia were represented along with a few from out of state including the University of Alabama. Students were able to get information about career opportunities from a wide variety of employers including banks, government agencies and industrial companies. During the time I walked through the displays, students were engaged in real conversations about issues directly impacting their futures. Thanks to all who helped organize this event. GSCS students certainly have the support of our community. I also want to thank each of you who participated in the curriculum audit this week. Our team visited every classroom and have left to begin the task of writing our report. Stay tuned for more information. Have a great weekend!
Jim Smith
Superintendent |
| PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION 2016 |
 March 1, 2016 is Super Tuesday!
What is Super Tuesday?
Super Tuesday is the nickname given to the one day in every Republican and Democratic presidential primary cycle where the most states vote at once. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON GEORGIA PRIMARY DAY!
To find your Election Day voting location, visit MY VOTER PAGE at http://sos.ga.gov and enter the requested information.
Don't forget to take a valid photo ID with you when to go to vote! Georgia law requires that any voter casting a ballot in person during the advance voting period or on Election Day provide photo ID. A list of acceptable photo ID for voting purposes in Georgia can be found on the website for the Georgia Secretary of State at http://sos.ga.gov.
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| UPCOMING EARLY DISMISSAL |
 On March 9, 2016 all Griffin-Spalding County schools will dismiss two hours early for teacher work time.
Click HERE to view the flyer.
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NEW IRS FORMS REQUIRED FOR ACA
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 The Affordable Care Act requires that employers like GSCS generate a new form to benefit eligible employees this year. They will receive a 1095-C form if they worked for GSCS at any time during the 2015 calendar year. This form will show that you were either covered by health insurance or chose to decline coverage. These forms must be distributed to employees with Monday's payroll.
These forms are not required to file your taxes this year. However, upon receipt of the forms the individual should maintain this information with their important records. Please talk with your tax advisor for any further instructions.
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GSCS FIRST GRADERS AND SCIENCE: AMPHIBIANS AND FUN
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 "I can describe the traits of amphibians" read the learning target in Julie Riggs first grade classroom. And describe them they did!
The 20 students were studying science and discussed amphibians. That's frogs, toads, newts and salamanders in case you have forgotten. Students worked in groups to develop a circle map of what they knew about amphibians. Even with the discussion, the room was quiet and the students were focused and engaged.
Students were thoughtful and used their best guess spelling. After all, could you spell amphibian as a first grader? Ms. Riggs floated between tables asking questions that led to expanded thinking by her students. And, when they were finished a video awaited the eager group of learners. Afterwards, the students created the circle map on the board. What are some characteristics of an amphibian? Cold-bloodied, 4 fingers, 4 toes and thin skin. And at the end of the lesson, a first grader gave a detailed explanation about metamorphosis.
No wonder, Ms. Riggs serves Jackson Road Elementary as their 2015-16 Teacher of the Year! She exudes enthusiasm and a positive spirit. Her care and concern for her students is evident in her interaction with them plus her class was great fun!
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"DO YOU WANT TO TRACE YOUR FAMILY TREE? RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE."
~ Patricia H. Vance
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| SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK APPRECIATION |
 School Social Work Week is March 6 -12. During this week, celebrate and recognize the critical roles that our school social workers play in the lives of our students, administrators, educators, parents and community!
School social workers impact student achievement by helping to remove barriers that impede teaching and learning.
Beth Shepherd, MSW, Melissa Johnson, Ph.D., Keisha McGill, MSW, Ed.S., Jessica Jones, LMSW and LaJuana Carlisle Love, Ed.D are our social workers. Thank you for all you do!
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LIFT UP YOUR VOICE
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On Feb. 6, Dr. Roland Carter, former conductor of the Morehouse College Glee Club, conducted the combined
GHS and SHS choirs in performing two of his spiritual arrangements. All proceeds were split between the GHS
and SHS music departments.
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| HELP SPREAD THE WORD...GSCS IS NOW HIRING TEACHERS |
 Click HERE to view the GSCS Teacher Recruitment flyer.
Click HERE to view the Spring 2016 GSCS Job Fair flyer. |
| BULLYING VS. INCIVILITY | 
Click HERE to view the GSCS Bullying vs. Incivility handout. Please feel free to distribute to students. |
| TOP TEN REASONS TEACHERS SHOULD USE SLDS |
 1. Attendance Tracker
2. Lexile Information
3. Assessment Results
4. Statewide Assessment Classroom Performance
5. View Course Grades
6. Student Profiles
7. Resources
8. GOFAR
9. Local Assessments
10. TKES Performance Standards
Click HERE to view the GaDOE presentation.
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SHS FAMILY FEUD
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On Feb. 12, SHS faculty participated in professional learning geared toward differentiated instruction (DI) and student engagement. One of their activities was DI Family Feud. The TKES Family was defeated by the TAPS Family!
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CAMPBELL'S ANNOUNCES LABELS FOR EDUCATION PROGRAM CLOSING JULY 31
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 " In the past few years participation in Labels for Education has declined and as a result, Campbell has come to the very difficult decision to wind down the LFE program. The good news is nothing changes this program year. There will be changes for next year's program starting August 1, 2016."
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SHS 2nd ANNUAL IRON JAG 5K
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When: Saturday, April 2 at 7 a.m. 
Deadline: Register by March 22, to be guaranteed a t-shirt
Click HERE to register online.
Contact: cheryl.reddick@gscs.org
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| SHOP LOCAL AT ATKINSON ELEM. | |
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ARBOR DAY AT GHS
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GHS administration, faculty, and students planted trees outside the school in commemoration of Arbor Day.
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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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