September 28, 2018

We truly try our very best to promote kindness DAILY with our students and, yes, it is a GREAT struggle EVERY day at GVMS.  We truly need your help to encourage this at home while we promote it at GVMS.  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE at ways to help support this at home.  We want a campus where every student is KIND to one another!  Thank you!

We know that MANY of our students LOVE to post videos on multiple sites, but do we all TRULY know what is going on with them?  Check out the video above and THIS ARTICLE about the pros and cons and everything in between about Kik, Whisper and Musical.ly!

HAVE YOU HEARD?  We are SO excited that our own Green Valley Parent-Teacher Club is signed up for Amazon Smile, where a portion of purchases comes back DIRECTLY to GVMS!  As you are doing your shopping on Amazon, remember to log into Amazon Smile and click Green Valley Parent-Teacher Club to help support GVMS!  Thank you!!

Have you sent in your Color Run participation sheet?  This is going to be a great family event!  Don't miss out on this SUPER fun event!   Flyers went home and can be found on our website!  They were due today, however, if you still have one and want to join the fun, PLEASE send it in THIS Monday, October 1!!

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 21, 2018

Official progress reports will NO LONGER be mailed home.  YOU MUST CHECK PARENT PORTAL FOR CURRENT GRADES! 

Please note!! These are a reflection of how our students are doing at the PRESENT moment.  The "cut off" is next week 9/21.  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.  These will also NOT be mailed home.  Please be sure you are constantly checking Parent Portal!! 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!

September is Attendance Awareness Month!!!

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 one of 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 =)

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 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 14, 2018

Official progress reports will NO LONGER be mailed home.  YOU MUST CHECK PARENT PORTAL FOR CURRENT GRADES!  

Please note!! These are a reflection of how our students are doing at the PRESENT moment.  The "cut off" is next week 9/21.  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.  These will also NOT be mailed home.  Please be sure you are constantly checking Parent Portal!! 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!

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 when asking questions regarding assignments and expectations!  Thank you!

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 7, 2018

MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing will take place THREE times during our school year, with Winter scores helping to determine high school placement for our current 8th graders.  We started and continue to MAP test in Math and ELA. 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!

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 Thursday, September 13 at Nelda Mundy Elementary at 570 Vintage Valley Drive beginning at 6 PM.  Please contact Jason Biggs at jjbiggs129@yahoo.com or 707-330-6977 if you have any questions!  Hope to see you there!

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!

Speaking of social media, how do we check and see which apps are there to keep our kids safe and what do they mean?  Take a look at the video above to see how parents can research and better understand social media apps!

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 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!!

August 31, 2018

Thank you for joining us for Back to School Night on Wednesday!  It was awesome to see so many friends and families!  Thank you for joining us!

MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing will take place THREE times during our school year, with Winter scores helping to determine high school placement for our current 8th graders.  We started and continue to MAP test in Math and ELA. 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!

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 Thursday, September 13 at Nelda Mundy Elementary at 570 Vintage Valley Drive beginning at 6 PM.  Please contact Jason Biggs at jjbiggs129@yahoo.com or 707-330-6977 if you have any questions!  Hope to see you there!

We held our Clubs Offering during lunch so that students could get a feel for the clubs offered at GVMS.  Currently, we are offering Robotics Club, Knitting Club, Garden Club, THE Club, and Volleyball Club.  Meetings have not started yet and, once they do, we will forward the information to you all and have it in our daily bulletin HERE. 

Additionally, once we have more information regarding intramural sports (Ultimate Frisbee, Badminton, and more, we will send that out.  Thanks for your patience! 

Just a few friendly reminders that were announced during our morning announcements:

• The daily bulletin is on our website and is read each morning.  It can be found HERE.
• We know that short shorts, bandannas, slides, flip flops, and short shirts are super cute....AND need to be left at home please! The dress code policy is  HERE. 
• Please do NOT bring gum to campus.  It ends up EVERYWHERE!  Mints are totally fine!
• PLEASE remind your Viking to charge and bring back their Chromebook daily!  THANK YOU!
• Earbud, wireless or not, MAY NOT be used during passing periods any longer.  It has become a safety hazard and we need all of our students to hear what's going on.  If teachers allow earbuds to be worn in class, with permission, then that is up to the teacher!
• PE Clothing can be purchased before and after school.  We have reordered smaller sizes AGAIN and will announce when they are in! 
• Please make sure that your Viking has money on their lunch card.  We cannot give emergency lunches in middle school.  The website can be found HERE.
• If you still haven't created your Parent Portal account or need the instructions, please call the office or come in.  If you need there website again, you can find it HERE.
• If your Viking needs assistance from a different teacher than they are going back to for tutorial, they MUST arrange that the day before to get a pass!

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!!

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!  You MUST apply every year!!

August 24, 2018

PLEASE help us help our students to remember a few things!  Please remind them to charge their chrome books every night and bring them back each day!!  We know that this is new and we are really struggling with this!!  Also, please remind them of our school rules and keeping their hands to themselves!  Thank you!

Back to School Night is Wednesday, August 29th, beginning at 5 PM .  Be sure to mark your calendars!  Families will go through their Vikings' schedule, moving from class to class as the bell rings and ending in the gym for food from Napa Deli for purchase and information from GVMS PTC, Watch D.O.G.S representatives, Experience Church, Attendance Liaisons, Child Nutrition, and more!  

It's a WEALTH of information for all families! We look forward to having you involved!

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!!

Just a few friendly reminders that were announced during our morning announcements:

• The daily bulletin is on our website and is read each morning.  It can be found HERE.
• We know that short shorts and short shirts are super cute....AND need to be left at home please!  
• We follow FSUSD dress code policy, so please make sure that you and your Viking are aware of it or they will need to change.  It can be found HERE. 
• Please do NOT bring gum to campus.  It ends up EVERYWHERE!  Mints are totally fine!
• Earbud, wireless or not, MAY NOT be used during passing periods any longer.  It has become a safety hazard and we need all of our students to hear what's going on.  If teachers allow earbuds to be worn in class, with permission, then that is up to the teacher!
• PE Clothing can be purchased before and after school still.  We have reordered smaller sizes and will announce when they are in! 
• Please make sure that your Viking has money on their lunch card.  We cannot give emergency lunches in middle school.  The website can be found HERE.
• If you still haven't created your Parent Portal account or need the instructions, please call the office or come in.  If you need there website again, you can find it HERE.
• If your Viking needs assistance from a different teacher than they are going back to for tutorial, they MUST arrange that the day before to get a pass!

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!!

August 17, 2018

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year!  We had a FANTASTIC start to our school year!  We loved cheering you on to our campus in the morning!  We loved the smiles and the laughter that filled our campus!

We are excited that you are here!! We believe that every student needs to have a "super hero" in their life and that every student has the potential to BE a super hero!   We are looking forward to an AMAZING "super hero" kind of school year!

Did you miss orientation?  We are sorry to hear that!  HERE is the presentation that was shared, so please feel free to take a look!

Just a few friendly reminders that were announced during our morning announcements:

• The daily bulletin is on our website and is read each morning.  It can be found HERE.
• We know that short shorts and short shirts are super cute....AND need to be left at home please!  
• We follow FSUSD dress code policy, so please make sure that you and your Viking are aware of it or they will need to change.  It can be found HERE. 
• Please do NOT bring gum to campus.  It ends up EVERYWHERE!  Mints are totally fine!
• Earbud, wireless or not, MAY NOT be used during passing periods any longer.  It has become a safety hazard and we need all of our students to hear what's going on.  If teachers allow earbuds to be worn in class, with permission, then that is up to the teacher!
• PE Clothing can be purchased before and after school still.  We have reordered smaller sizes and will announce when they are in! 
• Please make sure that your Viking has money on their lunch card.  We cannot give emergency lunches in middle school.  The website can be found HERE.
• If you still haven't created your Parent Portal account or need the instructions, please call the office or come in.  If you need there website again, you can find it HERE.
• If your Viking needs assistance from a different teacher than they are going back to for tutorial, they MUST arrange that the day before to get a pass!

Back to School Night is Wednesday, August 29th beginning at 5 PM.  Parent and guardians will follow their Vikings' school schedule (click HERE for blank one) and move from class to class.  Please join us after in the gym for food from Napa Deli for purchase and information from GVMS PTC, Watch D.O.G.S representatives, Experience Church, Attendance Liaison, Child Nutrition, and more!  It's a WEALTH of information for all families! We look forward to having you involved!

Parents/Guardians may find electronic copies of the 2018-2019 Parent Student Handbook on the Parent section of the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District's website. The Parent Student Handbook is available online in English and Spanish. At the beginning of the school year, parents/guardians who have an email on file with their student's school will also receive an email with the Parent Student Handbook!