October 28, 2016

Challenge Day was a HUGE success and it was wonderful to see adults and students working together to support each other!!  There were a lot of emotions throughout the past three days and we certainly want our students supported.  Please continue to ask your student what took place, how they felt, and encourage them to share with you!  Please help us help them continue the feeling of love, inclusion, care and concern for one another!!

We recently emailed all parents of 8th graders who had more than one F and are not on track for high school.  We are SHOCKED at the number of families and students that are NOT checking Parent Portal DAILY to ensure that your student is turning in their work.  Please bookmark THIS LINK and let us know if you need another copy of the instructions to log in.  PLEASE check this DAILY and work with your student to ensure that they turn in all of their work.  Teachers emails and websites (if applicable) can all be found on Parent Portal or our website at www.fsusd.org/greenvalley so please check it out!  

Please remember that GVMS has ALREADY celebrated Halloween with dressing up and our dance today.  PLEASE do not send students to school in their costumes on Monday as they will be directed to call home and change clothing.  Thanks for your help on this!

Have you taken a look at how students and families are using social media? Check out the real lives, real media use HERE to show how age, living circumstances, and access to technology influence how they use social media.

We are striving to promote kindness every single day at GVMS.  We really want students to give a smile, say hi. and to start spreading the chain reaction of kindness.  The smile or friendly high five that our kids pass along may just be the one thing that helps another student (or adult for that matter!) turn things around.  We will be participating in the Great Kindness Challenge in January 2017 but it's something we want to promote ALL THE TIME!  Help us spread kindness too!

October 21, 2016

Challenge Day is COMING next week!  We are so excited!  About 300 students will participate in this life changing event.  Our kids will be working together to build empathy, accept others for who they are, be aware of bullying, know that their actions directly affect those around them and more! Check it out HERE or www.challengeday.org! It will be an emotional day for some so please check in with your kids when they get home and give them a hug =)  Are you interested in being a part of this???  WE STILL NEED MORE ADULT LEADERS!!  Email Mrs. Bates HERE or ElizabethBa@fsusd.org to come hang out with us and help make a difference in our middle school students' lives!

Halloween is coming!  GVMS Vikings are celebrating Halloween a few days earlier so that we can coordinate it with our first school dance!  GVMS will wear school approved costumes on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28th ONLY so that they may wear them to the dance and NOT on Monday, October 31st.  All costumes must be school approved (no masks AT ALL, any costume promoting violence/drugs/alcohol, or skimpy costumes) or students will be calling home to change and not participate.  Our dance is immediately after school in the gym and costs $2.00 per ticket.  All students MUST show ID to purchase a ticket AND to get into the dance!  Want to come dance with us?  CLICK THIS LINK TO SIGN UP!!!

We really want our students to bring their own devices and we have had many parents asking is there is additional insurance that can be obtained.  What if the device breaks at school?  There is an option!  Check out our FSUSD website HERE for more information on reasonably priced insurance for student devices!  Check it out as you can purchase insurance for a $250 device for a low as $30 a YEAR!

How much time is too much cell time?  Are my kids too tech savvy?  How often should I be checking my kid's cell phone?  These and many other questions can be answered on CommonSenseMedia.org for some fantastic resources to support parenting in this tech driven worlds!

We are striving to promote kindness every single day at GVMS.  We really want students to give a smile, say hi. and to start spreading the chain reaction of kindness.  The smile or friendly high five that our kids pass along may just be the one thing that helps another student (or adult for that matter!) turn things around.  We will be participating in the Great Kindness Challenge in January 2017 but it's something we want to promote ALL THE TIME!  Help us spread kindness too!

October 14, 2016

WE STILL NEED YOU!!!  We have many many many exciting things planned this year at GVMS and, with a population of over 960 students and families, we know that many of you have the resources to help!  We are truly trying to make our outdoor learning classroom and garden grow (check out needed supplies HERE)!  Also, check out the picture sent with the weekly update as to what our DREAM GARDEN looks like!

We are incorporating more and more hands on learning to our two STEAM classes (check out needed supplies HERE)!  Our Journalism and Creative Writing classes are hands on and engaging (check out needed supplies HERE)! We STILL need a few more Challenge Day Volunteers for October 25, 26, or 27 please (email Mrs. Bates HERE)!  

Halloween is coming!  GVMS Vikings are celebrating Halloween a few days earlier so that we can coordinate it with our first school dance!  GVMS will wear school approved costumes on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28th ONLY so that they may wear them to the dance and NOT on Monday, October 31st.  All costumes must be school approved (no masks AT ALL, any costume promoting violence/drugs/alcohol, or skimpy costumes) or students will be calling home to change and not participate.  Our dance is immediately after school in the gym and costs $2.00 per ticket.  All students MUST show ID to purchase a ticket AND to get into the dance!  Want to come dance with us?  CLICK THIS LINK TO SIGN UP!!!

We really want our students to bring their own devices and we have had many parents asking is there is additional insurance that can be obtained.  What if the device breaks at school?  There is an option!  Check out our FSUSD website HERE for more information on reasonably priced insurance for student devices!  Check it out as you can purchase insurance for a $250 device for a low as $30 a YEAR!

We, at GVMS, TRULY strive to build character in each one of our students, including teaching character strengths and life skills, through social interactions AND social media.  We strive to have our students understand that their digital footprint is LIFELONG.  Check out THIS ARTICLE to see how COLLEGES are using student's social media postings, which can HARM and HELP their admission chances for college!  It's no longer just a focus on GPA or activities....

October 7, 2016

We want to thank you SO MUCH for all of your continued support this year!! We are thrilled to report that PTC has already set aside money for the purchase of new after school sports equipment, more Chrome books and storage, garden supplies, and more!  THANK YOU!!!

WE STILL REALLY NEED YOU!!!  We have many many many exciting things planned this year at GVMS and, with a population of over 960 students and families, we know that many of you have the resources to help!  We are truly trying to make our outdoor learning classroom and garden grow (check out needed supplies HERE)!  Also, check out the picture sent with the weekly update as to what our DREAM GARDEN looks like!

We are incorporating more and more hands on learning to our two STEAM classes (check out needed supplies HERE)!  Our Journalism and Creative Writing classes are hands on and engaging (check out needed supplies HERE)! We need Challenge Day Volunteers for October 25, 26, or 27 please (email Mrs. Bates HERE)!  

We really want our students to bring their own devices and we have had many parents asking is there is additional insurance that can be obtained.  What if the device breaks at school?  There is an option!  Check out our FSUSD website HERE for more information on reasonably priced insurance for student devices!  Check it out as you can purchase insurance for a $250 device for a low as $30 a YEAR!

We, at GVMS, TRULY strive to build character in each one of our students, including teaching character strengths and life skills, through social interactions AND social media.  We strive to have our students understand that their digital footprint is LIFELONG.  Check out THIS ARTICLE to see how COLLEGES are using student's social media postings, which can HARM and HELP their admission chances for college!  It's no longer just a focus on GPA or activities....

We have the chance to win $10,000 for our school!  Visit THIS website or click www.grandstandforschools.com EVERYDAY to enter!  Plus, we can earn 5 bonus entries when you upload your receipt of participating products AND try to win $175 Visa Prepaid Card for yourself! 

We are collecting SunnyD labels for the SunnyD Book Spree!  20 labels earns us 20 books for our teachers!  We are still collecting so please bring them into the front office!  We have until 11/20/16 so start collecting!