Upcoming Events
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GMS DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS
JANUARY NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE
Each month we publish a monthly newsletter to keep you updated with the latest Gettys Middle School events and information from the School District of Pickens County. Important dates and home sporting events are also highlighted for you. Click on this: January Newsletter to have your own online newsletter for printing or saving.
MRS. GIACCI EARNS NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
Congratulations to Mrs. Giacci, 8th grade Social Studies teacher, who earned National Board Teacher Certification. The National Board Certification is the highest certification a teacher can earn through an extensive and rigorous evaluation system. Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review. We congratulate Mrs. Giacci on this achievement and her dedication to lifelong learning. Mrs. Giacci joins other outstanding National Board Certified teachers at GMS that include in 8th grade English: Mrs. Whittemore, Mrs. Sharman and Mrs. Hennessee as well as Mrs. Evatt, 6th grade Science and Mrs. Ault, RBHS clinical supervisor.
GMS PHONE DIRECTORY: CALL DIRECT
Our school has a new phone system with all staff having individual phone numbers. We encourage you to begin using the new phone numbers that will take you directly to your contact. Teachers can be called at anytime as it will just go to voicemail during their class time. PHONE DIRECTORY Our main office number is 397-3900. The nurse office is 397-3907. The cafeteria is 397-3908. The 6th grade office is 397-3915. The 7th grade office is 397-3917. The 8th grade office is 397-3916.
NATIONAL CHARACTER AWARD GOES TO GMS
Our school was selected as a 2011 Promising Practices Award Winner by the Character Education Partnership and its National Schools of Character program in Washington DC! The Promising Practices program recognizes schools and districts that have developed unique educational practices that promote character development. We were one of 235 schools recognized across the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Singapore.
GMS received national recognition for two programs: Gettys Gives Back and Breaking Into Business.
GMS received national recognition for two programs: Gettys Gives Back and Breaking Into Business.
GMS EXCELS ON 2011 SCHOOL REPORT CARD
Gettys Middle School achieved a "Good" absolute rating on the SC Department of Education 2011 Report Card! The index achieved that is associated with this rating is the highest index that we have ever received in the past nine years as a school in all the years of the PASS and the previous PACT testing. Also, another significant milestone is that our school performed higher than 71% of all middle schools in the state of South Carolina. We are extremely grateful for the hard work of all of our students that achieved these results. I am also thankful for our outstanding staff members and teachers that are "Making Gettys Great" every day! Click HERE to review our outstanding results.
PE DEPARTMENT AWARDED RUNNING GRANT
Gettys Middle School is one of 50 recipients of a grant to inspire students to be active and adopt healthy choices to carry into adulthood. The ING Run for Something Better School Awards Program is helping to introduce sixth through eighth-grade students across the country to the benefits of running and active lifestyles through school-based running programs.
Gettys will receive $2,000 in funding to support an eight-week running program that will conclude with a culminating running event in celebration of the students’ achievements. The school also received an ING RFSB School Award in 2010 and 2009. This grant was award to our Physical Education Department that will organize our Third Annual Christmas Cruise 5K Walk/Run in Easley on December 10, 2011 ING Press Release.
Gettys will receive $2,000 in funding to support an eight-week running program that will conclude with a culminating running event in celebration of the students’ achievements. The school also received an ING RFSB School Award in 2010 and 2009. This grant was award to our Physical Education Department that will organize our Third Annual Christmas Cruise 5K Walk/Run in Easley on December 10, 2011 ING Press Release.
STOP BULLYING NOW
Gettys Middle School has implemented the STOP BULLYING NOW PROGRAM. This program will help our staff/students/parents better understand the nature of bullying and its effects, how to respond to bullying, and how to work with others at school to help prevent bullying. For more information about the program click HERE. We also recommend parents to review these research-based TIP SHEETS of recommendations. Students should follow the following GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS if they encounter this issue. Always know that communication with the student, family, guidance counselors, and administration is one of the most effective strategies.
CAR- RIDER PROCEDURES
All car-rider students and their parents are expected to review the following letter regarding our car-rider procedures. Student safety is our highest priority and all car-rider families are expected to enter the GMS Traffic Loop in the morning and afternoon. It is important that our students see all of us following procedures, demonstrating cooperation, and supporting Gettys Middle School. CLICK HERE for letter of car-rider expectations and traffic enforcement procedures. You may also view the TRAFFIC LOOP MAP by clicking on this link.
GMS USES TWITTER
Gettys Middle School is using Twitter. Twitter is a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices. People who sign up to follow Gettys Middle School can access education news and events as it happens. Your can receive updates as a text or email of one or two sentences from Mr. Cory, Principal. Join Twitter today and follow your school. Click HERE for GMS Twitter.
INFORMATION FROM NURSE'S OFFICE
We have sent home letters today with 6th and 7th grade students with information from our school nurse. These grades were our primary contacts for this health information and our available by clicking on 6th grade and 7th grade. If you have any questions about this information, you may contact our school nurse at 397-3907 or any grade level office. The letters are being provided for information for all families.
ADVANCED MATH SDPC CRITERIA
The School District of Pickens County continues to use the SDPC Criteria for enrollment in Advanced Math courses and this criteria has not changed from last year. The criteria can be reviewed by clicking HERE. Due to recent budget cuts and staff reductions, a student may have received "placement" into an Advanced Math class to fill classes and balance limited staffing without ever meeting the SDPC criteria. These students receiving "placement" and not meeting the SDPC criteria in a previous year must meet the SDPC criteria for enrollment in an Advanced Math class for the coming school year.
GMS LIBRARY FUND KICKOFF!
GMS and BI-LO Charities will officially launch the Gettys Middle School Library Fund campaign on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. In 2013, Gettys Middle School will split into two smaller schools, but school renovation funds cannot be used to buy library books. GMS is acting now to ensure that both schools will eventually have good libraries. BI-LO Charities is giving back to the Easley community by supporting the GMS Library Fund through the BI-LO Charity Golf Classic Store SCAN Program and boostersplus. The SCAN program enables shoppers at either Easley BI-LO store to add $1 or more to their grocery bills between April 20 and June 7, 2011. BI-LO Charities will match every dollar raised through all fundraising activities. In addition, anyone who enrolls in boostersplus will have 2% of their purchases donated by BI-LO Charities year-round if they designate the Library Fund as a recipient—double the usual 1%!
All Easley students will go to one or both of the two middle schools, and every child deserves a completely-staffed, exemplary library. GMS urges the community to support this fundraising campaign and to find out what more can be done to provide the best possible school libraries for our children.
BUILDING FUTURES UPDATE
Many of the new high school projects are finishing and they look outstanding! You will now see several portable classrooms have been placed around the GMS site that have been moved from those previous construction sites. This is in preparation for our construction at the GMS site that will begin around August 2013. They will not be used this school year. EHS should move to their new site around June 2012. Construction will then begin at the old EHS site July 2012 and will be completed around June 2013. At that time, we will then transition to two middle schools in Easley with grades 6-8 structures. At the September 2010 board meeting, they approved that Forest Acres and West End Elementary attendance zones will attend the middle school at the old EHS site. They also approved East End Elementary, Crosswell, and McKissick schools to attend the middle school at the current GMS site. Construction would begin on the final middle school project of this program around August 2013 at the current GMS site as it will be renovated as well and should be complete by July 2014. Thank you for investing in SDPC's future.
MEGAN RAINEY TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Ms. Megan Rainey, Special Education Teacher, on being named Gettys Middle School's 2011-2012 Teacher of the Year!
ALESIA COOLEY SUPPORT EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Mrs. Alesia Cooley, 8th grade Secretary, on being named Gettys Middle School's 2011-2012 Support Employee of the Year!
2011 REPORT TO PARENTS
Click HERE to view Gettys Middle's 2011 Report to Parents.
BI-LO PARTNERS WITH GMS LIBRARY
In 2013, Gettys Middle School will split into two smaller schools, doubling the need for library books for our students. The current collection, already classified as "at-risk" according to state standards due to its age, will be even further endangered when the library is cut in half for both schools. We'll need to purchase thousands of books in order to meet minimum standards for all our children, no matter which school they'll attend.
Easley's two BI-LO stores, in partnership with BI-LO Charities, have chosen the Gettys Middle School library to partner with in fundraising efforts to help meet our needs. We are indeed grateful for BI-LO's decision, and ask that you will support them as they work to benefit our children. Please see this INFORMATION flyer, QUICK FACTS sheet and VIDEO for more information.
Stay tuned to this page for more information on our kickoff celebration on April 27th!
