September 29, 2017

Official progress reports have been MAILED home!  Please note!! These are a reflection of how our students are doing at THAT moment.  Numerous grades will go in BEFORE the official report cards in DECEMBER!

We HIGHLY encourage you to constantly check Parent Portal to get a more accurate picture of how they are doing.  Additionally, final report card grades (December and June) are what we see on their official transcripts, not progress report grades.  Thank you!

Helping your GVMS Viking to be able to self-manage and be self- aware, is something that can be a challenge.  Parent Toolkit is a GREAT resource to help guide you through some tips and advice on what to do.  Check out THIS LINK for this and more ideas on social emotional support, relationships, academics, and more!

Did you know?  By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.  Did you know?  Research show that missing 10% of the school year, or just two days a month, negatively affects a student's academic performance?

Did you ALSO know?  GVMS has the HIGHEST attendance rate in the ENTIRE district!  YAY!  We want this to continue as our goal for the year is 98% and that is where we are for this first month of school!  Why does attendance matter you ask?  Check out THIS LINK with information on why being at GVMS matters!  Plus, we miss you when you are gone =)

Thank you all of the adult volunteers for joining us at our Challenge Days this past week!  We hope that you had a great time with our students and built strong bonds with your family groups!  

Thank you to Mrs. Barnes, Mrs. McCormick, Mr. Cason, Mrs. Metcho, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Bilafer, Mrs. Sherrod, Mrs. Sandbak, Mr. Lapid, Mrs. Love, Mrs. Young, Ms. Morrison, Mrs. Burns, Mrs. Thompson, Mr. Scott, Mrs. Villarreal, Mrs. Frische, Mrs. Moreno, Mrs. Pereira, Mrs. Keffer, Mrs. Garcia, and Mrs. Fisher for your participation on Tuesday!  Thank you to Mrs. Fisher, Mr. Diaz, Mrs. McKenna, Mr. Pozzesi, Mr. Phan, Ms. Wheeler, Mrs. Garcia, Mrs. Frische, Mr. Peterson, Mrs. Medley, Ms. Harkness, Mrs. Gurion-Jumamoy, Mrs. O'Connell, Mr. Perry, Mrs. Plancarte, and Ms. Pollard for speing the day with us!

We are ALWAYS thinking outside the box to create effective ways to reach all of our students!  Want to be a part of this??  All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE!!!  Check out THIS LINK to see ALL OF the different ideas that our VERY OWN GVMS teachers have come up with!!

ATTENTION!  The "grace period" for Food Service meal applications expired on September 27!  If your student has NOT renewed their application for free or reduced lunch, please check and see if it's possible to DO SO NOW!  Click HERE or cut and past this address: http://www.fsusd.org/Domain/835

September 22, 2017

Official progress reports will be MAILED home next week.  Please note!! These are a reflection of how our students are doing at the PRESENT moment.  The "cut off" is today 9/22 and we must submit them to our IT department to mail home.  Students will have had more assignments given and grades recorded by the time that these make it home in the "snail mail".  We HIGHLY encourage you to constantly check Parent Portal to get a more accurate picture of how they are doing.  

Additionally, final report card grades (December and June) are what we see on their official transcripts, not progress report grades.  Thank you!

Have you seen these around our GVMS campus?  We are REALLY striving to promote our students to THINK before they post.  What they put on social media is typically permanent and our students must understand that when they are on their social media accounts.  In addition to knowing your student's log in and password, click HERE for some basic social media rules to follow to ensure that your student is safe and appropriate online when posting!

ATTENTION!  The "grace period" for Food Service meal applications will expire on September 27!  If your student has NOT renewed their application for free or reduced lunch, please DO SO NOW!  Click HERE or cut and past this address: http://www.fsusd.org/Domain/835

Ever wish that our middle school students came with a manual to review? Ever wish you could just look up the answer to a question when it comes to stuff your tween or teen asks you?  Take a look at Parent Tool Kit HERE to get ideas on social/emotional, academics, and health/wellness.  It has such amazing resources to help answer some of our toughest questions!

Don't forget to join us on September 27 from 5:30-6:30 in the cafeteria for "All Things Tech at GVMS" to become even more familiar!

We, at GVMS, are striving to prepare our students for college and careers, even in middle school.  It's never to early to start thinking and planning for life beyond high school.  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE regarding some helpful ideas and plans to get you and your student ready for life beyond high school!  Everyday we give tips and information over the loud speaker regarding college and getting ready for it!  Don't miss the info that comes out!

We, at GVMS strive to have excellent open communication regarding events, helpful hints, classroom assignments/expectations and more via our blog, Twitter, Facebook, Remind, Google Classroom, email, daily announcements and our website.  If you are not receiving enough information, please let us know! Additionally, we ask that you PLEASE check these sites for updated information and reach out to teachers first, prior to emailing the admin team directly, when asking questions regarding assignments and expectations!  Thank you!

Challenge Day is coming NEXT WEEK and we are still in NEED of adults to help lead our family groups!  Are you interested in participating in with us? This is an AMAZING opportunity for all of many of our 7th and 8th graders!  Sorry, not for 6th at this time due to program policy.  Check out more information at www.challengeday.org and check our their videos here https://www.challengeday.org/videos/featured-videos/ 

If you CAN HELP US and participate, PLEASE email Mrs. Bates here or cut and paste into your email ElizabethBa@fsusd.org! 

We are ALWAYS thinking outside the box to create effective ways to reach all of our students!  Want to be a part of this??  All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE!!!  Check out THIS LINK to see the different ideas that our teachers have come up with!!

September 15, 2017

*Thank you for all of your support with donations for Hurricane Harvey (mailed directly to support victims via the Houston Food Bank), to the support for cookie dough fundraising, to school supply donations to Donor's Choose donations, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!!!

*Thank you for coming out to our Dine and Donate at Mary's!  Funds raised from this one are going to support our school garden!  Interested in helping? Please contact Mrs. McKenna HERE or KatherineM@fsusd.org and jon us at our next one in October at Chipotle!

*Thank you for all of the cookie dough orders!  We will be having the celebration for those that sold or donated on October 10the with delivery on October 3rd!  We didn't get as many orders this year as we do in the past so we are excited to try some out of the box things for additional activities and fund raisers for our students!

*Thank you to all of the Dads who came to our first Watch DOGS meeting at Mundy Elementary!  We can't wait to see you all on our campus!  Special shout out to Jason Biggs for taking this over and making it even more effective!  Interested in joining?  Please email him at jjbiggs129@yahoo.com and join us!

There are so many positive benefits to social media....Heck, we work hard to bring you into our classrooms through social media.  There are, however, some draw backs as we are certain that you have already discovered for your selves.  Check out THIS ARTICLE to become more aware of the best and worst social media apps, how it is considered more addictive than some substances, and how it can be linked to depression.  Just being aware could help you and your teen with these issues!

Don't forget to join us on September 27 from 5:30-6:30 in the cafeteria for "All Things Tech at GVMS" to become even more familiar!

MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing will take place three times during our school year.  We will begin in Math and ELA next week. These tests are done on a computer and they measure academic growth throughout the year.  The tests are unique as they can adapt to your your Viking's level of learning!  Each student has the same opportunity to set goals for themselves and to succeed while maintaining a positive attitude toward testing!  MAP tests take a shorter amount of time to administer and give us detailed accurate information about their growth.  Check out THIS Parent's Guide to MAP Growth!

We, at GVMS strive to have excellent open communication regarding events, helpful hints, classroom assignments/expectations and more via our blog, Twitter, Facebook, Remind, Google Classroom, email, daily announcements and our website.  If you are not receiving enough information, please let us know! Additionally, we ask that you PLEASE check these sites for updated information and reach out to teachers first when asking questions regarding assignments and expectations!  Thank you!

We have Challenge Day coming to GVMS this year September 26/28 and we need YOU!  Are you interested in participating in with us?  This program was created to build connection and empathy among teens, and to fulfill a vision that every kid can feel loved, safe, and celebrated!  This is an AMAZING opportunity for all of many of our 7th and 8th graders!  Sorry, not for 6th at this time due to program policy.  Check out more information at www.challengeday.org and check our their videos here https://www.challengeday.org/videos/featured-videos/ 

If you CAN HELP US and participate, PLEASE email Mrs. Bates here or cut and paste into your email ElizabethBa@fsusd.org! 

We are ALWAYS thinking outside the box to create effective ways to reach all of our students!  Want to be a part of this??  Check out THIS LINK to see the different ideas that our teachers have come up with!!

September 8, 2017

Below are our school-wide results (dark blue and green) from the 2017 SBAC assessments, including scores compared across the State of California (light blue and yellow).  HERE are some helpful hints on understanding your Viking's score.  Additionally, here are side by side comparisons from 15-16 to 16-17.  Our focus will be on closing the achievement gap in both Math and English-Language Arts!  

MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing will take place three times during our school year.  We will begin in Math and ELA on September 18 These tests are done on a computer and they measure academic growth throughout the year.  The tests are unique as they can adapt to your your Viking's level of learning!  Each student has the same opportunity to set goals for themselves and to succeed while maintaining a positive attitude toward testing!  MAP tests take a shorter amount of time to administer and give us detailed accurate information about their growth.  Check out THIS Parent's Guide to MAP Growth!

We, at GVMS strive to have excellent open communication regarding events, helpful hints, classroom assignments/expectations and more via our blog, Twitter, Facebook, Remind, Google Classroom, email, daily announcements and our website.  If you are not receiving enough information, please let us know! Additionally, we ask that you PLEASE check these sites for updated information and reach out to teachers first when asking questions regarding assignments and expectations!  Thank you!

We have Challenge Day coming to GVMS this year September 26/28 and we need YOU!  Are you interested in participating in with us?  This program was created to build connection and empathy among teens, and to fulfill a vision that every kid can feel loved, safe, and celebrated!  This is an AMAZING opportunity for all of many of our 7th and 8th graders!  Sorry, not for 6th at this time due to program policy.  Check out more information at www.challengeday.org and check our their videos here https://www.challengeday.org/videos/featured-videos/ 

If you CAN HELP US and participate, PLEASE email Mrs. Bates here or cut and paste into your email ElizabethBa@fsusd.org! 

THANK YOU to all of the parents that signed up to participate in our Watch D.O.G.S. program at GVMS!  Our Watch D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students) is looking for even more volunteers to join our organization!  The purpose is to provide positive male role models and enhance campus security.  We are only asking for 1 shift this school year!  FSUSD fingerprinting is required.  Our first meeting will be Tuesday, September 12 at Nelda Mundy Elementary at 570 Vintage Valley Drive in Room 707 from 7-8 PM.  Fingerprinting will be available THERE beginning at 6 PM with the cost at $45.00.  Please contact Jason Biggs at jjbiggs129@yahoo.com or 707-330-6977 if you have any questions!

We are done making schedule changes at this time.  All students have been placed to the best of our ability and all classes are full.  Please do not submit any more requests to change as we really want stability moving forward! Thank you!

If you and your family have applied for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs in the past and have not completed the application OR if you are interested in completing the application, please CLICK HERE to complete the application!  

We are ALWAYS thinking outside the box to create effective ways to reach all of our students!  Want to be a part of this??  Check out THIS LINK to see the different ideas that our teachers have come up with!!

September 1, 2017

Thank you for joining us for Back to School Night on Wednesday!  It was awesome to see so many friends and families!  We hope you had fun downloading QR codes, seeing the videos on FlipGrid, and watching the slide presentations! We know that this was a different format than the past and we are still working out the kinks.  Next year, we will be working on a hybrid model of the past and present so stay tuned and THANK YOU for your patience, productive suggestions, and constructive feedback!

We have Challenge Day coming to GVMS this year September 26/28 and we need YOU!  Are you interested in participating in with us?  This program was created to build connection and empathy among teens, and to fulfill a vision that every kid can feel loved, safe, and celebrated!  This is an AMAZING opportunity for all of many of our 7th and 8th graders!  Sorry, not for 6th at this time due to program policy.  Check out more information at www.challengeday.org and check our their videos here https://www.challengeday.org/videos/featured-videos/ 

If you CAN HELP US and participate, PLEASE email Mrs. Bates here or cut and paste into your email ElizabethBa@fsusd.org! 

THANK YOU to all of the parents that signed up to participate in our Watch D.O.G.S. program at GVMS!  Our Watch D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students) is looking for even more volunteers to join our organization!  The purpose is to provide positive male role models and enhance campus security.  We are only asking for 1 shift this school year!  FSUSD fingerprinting is required.  Our first meeting will be Tuesday, September 12 at Nelda Mundy Elementary at 570 Vintage Valley Drive in Room 707 from 7-8 PM.  Fingerprinting will be available THERE beginning at 6 PM with the cost at $45.00.  Please contact Jason Biggs at jjbiggs129@yahoo.com or 707-330-6977 if you have any questions!

We are done making schedule changes at this time.  All students have been placed to the best of our ability and all classes are full.  Please do not submit any more requests to change as we really want stability moving forward! Thank you!

We apologize that there has been a LOT of questions regarding PE clothing. We have decided to REOPEN the ordering window for 2 weeks and then clothing will be delivered two weeks later.  If you have questions, please contact Ad Special Ts at 452-7272 and CLICK HERE for the ordering website!

Cell phones and Internet aren't just part of our student's lives....they ARE their lives in many cases!  As a parent, we don't get an instruction manual as to how we can keep up with it, so check out THIS LINK on ideas, ways to keep up with the latest apps and more.  Don't back away!  Work with your tween and teen to stay on top of it!!

If you and your family have applied for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs in the past and have not completed the application OR if you are interested in completing the application, please CLICK HERE to complete the application!  

We are ALWAYS thinking outside the box to create effective ways to reach all of our students!  Want to be a part of this??  Check out THIS LINK to see the different ideas that our teachers have come up with!!

Cookie dough and cheese cake orders have gone home!!  Order forms are due September 7 with checks made payable to GVMS PTC.  All orders will be delivered on October 3rd and they MUST be picked up as we don't have the space to store them!  Have questions?  Please email GVMS PTC HERE or GVMSPTC@gmail.com