This Week at GMS: January 27

Hello Greendale Middle School families,

Welcome to the start of the second half of the school year! The second half got off to a busy start with some Encore changes in sixth and seventh grade, volleyball try-outs and a new batch of activities starting this week. I would like to say thank you to Cheryl Sanders, Linda Loeffler, the PTO and all of the parents that helped host a fun Student Activity Night last Friday. Despite the weather, we had a great turnout.

I would like to congratulate all of the students that participated in the Battle of the Books last week. The photo above is from one of the teams that participated. The Battle of the Books competition promotes a love of reading and encourages students to read a variety of books and remember information about the plots, characters and settings. In preparation for the event, teams of two to four students received a list of thirty books in October, which they divided amongst the group members to read.

Did you know? The sixth grade is hosting the first Science/Math and Technology Interactive Fun Night for all sixth grade students and families on Wednesday, February 1 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at GMS. This event will include interactive activities, games, demonstrations and labs.

Enjoy the weekend with your families.

Important Information and Upcoming Events…

Forensics 2012
Forensics Night 2012 will be held on Tuesday, March 27 from 6:00–8:30 p.m. This year will bring some changes to this long standing program. For details, please click here.

A student informational meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 31 from 3:00–4:30 p.m. in the LMC. Students who are interested in participating in Forensics are encouraged to attend.

Tuesdays at the Greendale Public Library
The Greendale Public Library offers a variety of after school activities for students on Tuesdays starting at 3:30 p.m. Below are the scheduled events for the month of January.

• January 31 – 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Duct Tape Wallet Workshop
  

Parents of Eighth Grade Students
Greendale High School would like to invite the parents of current eighth grade students to attend a transition night on Tuesday, January 31 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Greendale High School. This is a parent only night designed to provide you with information about your child’s transition to the high school. This night is a must attend for eighth grade parents.

Parents of Seventh Grade Students
Please set aside Wednesday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m. for the Outdoor Education Meeting for parents. The meeting will be held in the middle school multi-purpose room. In May of every school year, our seventh grade students have the opportunity to participate in an Outdoor Education Program at Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva. This year it is taking place May 9 through May 11. The purpose of this off-campus program is to provide an outdoor experience that allows our students to learn environmental concepts; learn to work together through problem solving and effective communication; and increase their leadership skills and sense of self-esteem. In addition to providing parents with information about the program, time will also be spent discussing the eighth grade course selection process.

Parents of Fifth Grade Students
Please set aside February 9 at 6:30 p.m. for our Fifth Grade Parent Orientation Night. This will be held in the middle school multi-purpose room. This night is for parents only and is meant to be informational in nature and a good foundation upon which to build the middle level experience. Topics will include an overview of the middle school program, activities and athletics, counseling services, transition opportunities and brief presentations from a few sixth grade teachers. Parents will also have an opportunity to ask questions and take a tour of the building.

Parents as Partners Conference
The Parents as Partners Conference will be held on Tuesday, February 7 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at Greendale Middle School. Sessions include Technology Bootcamp for Parents, Parenting with Love and Logic: Birth to Age 6, Leap into Learning, Understanding the Impact of Social Networking, Raising a Healthy Child, Did You Know We Had That Class at GHS?, Using WISCareers for College/Career Readiness, Parenting in the Middle, From Stress to Strength for Parents, Is My Child Gifted?, Conversation with the Superintendent and Understanding Your Child’s EXPLORE Test Results.

There is no cost for this event and free childcare will be provided to children who are potty trained. For more information, please click here. To register, click the button below.



Splash Into Science
Another fundraising opportunity to raise money to apply towards the Splash into Science trip will begin Friday, February 10. Students will be able to sell Yankee Candles (40% profit) and/or Alterra coffee ($5 per bag profit). Order forms will be collected Thursday, February 23 and pickup is scheduled for Friday, March 30. Yankee Candle needs three weeks for their order. The coffee order could be picked up sooner (they only need one week) than March 30. Contact Ms. Burish at leora.buish@greendale.k12.wi.us if you are interested in an earlier coffee pickup.

Also, remember to mark your calendars for Monday, March 19 and plan to attend the benefit night at Noodles on 76th St. Volunteers are needed for one-hour shifts to sit in the restaurant starting at 5:00 p.m. A second benefit night is planned at Quaker Steak & Lube in New Berlin (Hwy 43 & Mooreland Rd.) on Monday, April 30. Volunteers will again be needed.

It’s never too late to register to join us on the Splash into Science trip to Florida. The GMS trip id # is 71375. For more information on this exciting trip opportunity and/or to sign up, visit the World Strides website at http://www.worldstrides.org/.

PowerSchool Parent and Student Mobile Apps
PowerSchool has released two mobile Apps. With PowerSchool Student and PowerSchool Parent you can now see live attendance, assignments, scores, grades and more, right from your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. You can view a video demo of the Apps here: goo.gl/UKvvb. Both the Parent and Student versions of the App are available for download from the App Store.

The PowerSchool Apps give parents or students real-time access to:

• Attendance
• Assignments
• Assignment Scores
• Teacher Comments
• Final Grades
• Standards Scores
• Fee Transactions

Early Student Dismissal
Please be reminded that February 10 is an Early Student Dismissal in the Greendale School District for a teacher in-service. Middle school students will be released at 11:03 a.m.

Early Childhood Screening
For parents who have questions about their child’s development and whose children did not attend Greendale Child Development Days in September, the Greendale School District will be holding a developmental screening for preschool through kindergarten age children. It will be held on Thursday, February 9 at Canterbury Elementary School, 7000 Enfield, by appointment only, with times beginning at 8:00 a.m. If you have a question about this screening or to schedule an appointment, please call Renee Jarvey at 414-423-2713.

This Week’s Links and Downloads:

• Upcoming GMS Events (PDF)