Upcoming Events
Tomorrow
- EOC Exams 8th grade5/22/2012
5/23/2012
School Announcements
GMS DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS
5th GRADE FAMILIES INFORMATION
Our staff puts much planning into the support of our rising 6th graders and their families. Click HERE to visit a webpage dedicated to our new students. We will support their transition to middle school by hosting two days of student tours at our school in February, a parent night on May 15 from 6:00-7:00 pm in our gym, and our current 8th grade students will visit with elementary students at their school in June. We will also provide our Meet the Staff day on August 14 from 4:00-7:00 when families can pick up their schedules, meet their teachers, tour the school and find out more information about our nurse, cafeteria, as well as car and bus procedures all before the first day of school.Click on PARENT POWERPOINT to see our presentation from May 15.
GRANT WARWICK NAMED TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Congratulations Mr. Grant Warwick, 8th grade Science and lead Bridges to Success teacher, on being named the Gettys Middle School Teacher of the Year 2012-2013.
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION
Starting May 14 all grade levels will begin units related to Comprehensive Health Education. The purpose of this unit according to the state mandated Comprehensive Health Education Act of 1988 is “maintaining, reinforcing, or enhancing the health, health-related skills, and health attitudes and practices of children and youth that are conducive to their good health and that promote wellness, health maintenance, and disease prevention.” All students should have received and reviewed with you a letter about this activity. The Comprensive Health Education unit will be taught during Science classes by our certified teachers from the areas of Science or Physical Education. The classes will be single-gender classes with a certified teacher of the same gender as the students presenting the material. The district-approved curriculum materials will be utilized and is available for your review in any grade level office if you have any questions. Section 59-32-50 of the Comprehensive Health Education Act of 1988 outlines your right to have your child exempted from comprehensive health education classes. A parent that chooses to exempt their child from these classes must sign and return the letter. Contact our office if we can be of any assistance.
LEONARD GARRETT SUPPORT EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Mr. Leonard Garrett, custodian, on being named the Gettys Middle School Support Employee of the Year for 2012-2013.
GMS AWARDED PALMETTO SILVER AWARD
Congratulations to all students, teachers and staff that contributed to our school’s first Palmetto Silver Award from the South Carolina State Department of Education! Our school met the criteria for the Palmetto Silver Award for consistent growth in student achievement over three years. Section 59-18-1100 of the EAA established the Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards Program to give recognition to schools that attain high levels of absolute performance and schools that attain high rates of growth. Our Palmetto Silver Award is in recognition of three years of strong performance. It has been over fifteen years since our school received a similar award in 1997.
APRIL 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: April Newsletter to have your own online newsletter for printing or saving.
2012 REPORT TO PARENTS
Click HERE to view Gettys Middle's 2012 Report to Parents.
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.
ADVANCED MATH SDPC CRITERIA and GIFTED/TALENTED SERVICE
The School District of Pickens County continues to use the SDPC Criteria for enrollment in Advanced Math courses and this criteria has changed for the 2012-2013 school year as well as 2013-2014. The criteria can be reviewed by clicking 2012-2013 or 2013-2014. Parents are encouraged to review these requirements prior to MAP testing in March 2012. It is also a good document to use for goal setting with students. 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 meeting the SDPC criteria. These students receiving "placement" and not meeting the SDPC criteria in a previous year must still meet the SDPC criteria for enrollment in an Advanced Math class for the coming school year. Each year, a student must meet this criteria for consideration in Advanced Math classes. If a student has qualified as Gifted and Talented by the state criteria, they will be served in an advanced English class for 2012-2013 in SDPC.
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.
STUDENT/FACULTY GAMES 2012
The GMS faculty was definitely "in it to win it" as they defeated the students in the Battle for Gettys Greatness 2012. It was an evening filled with basketball and dodge ball, balloon juggling and cookie-stacking, magic, music and great food!
Check out the video highlights by clicking HERE.
Check out the video highlights by clicking HERE.
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.
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.
BUILDING FUTURES UPDATE
Many of the new high school projects are finishing and they look outstanding! 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 while we remain at GMS. For the 2013-2014 school year our school will move in its entirety to the newly renovated middle school on Pendleton Street. During the 2013-2014 school year, the GMS site will be renovated and under construction. Around August 2014 the GMS renovation should be complete and we will then transition to two middle schools in Easley with grades 6-8 structures for the 2014-2015 school year. At the September 2010 board meeting, they approved that Forest Acres and West End Elementary attendance zones will attend the middle school at the Pendleton Street site. They also approved East End Elementary, Crosswell, and McKissick schools to attend the middle school at the current GMS site. Thank you for investing in SDPC's future.
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.
