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Message from Principal Langer
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November wanders in with a blast of cold air and snow!
I would like to talk about two hot topics this month. I want to talk about social media and the need for us at school and for parents at home to continuously monitor social media use by our students. Our children are growing up in a culture so different than ours, the pressures they face are very different. Our students are judged by their social media; their pictures, their experiences, and sometimes their ability to create funny or sad or scary items and post them to social media. They use Tik Tok, Snapchat and Instagram. As adults, we are just catching up with Twitter and Facebook, which are old apps compared to what is available to students now. Students do not understand the implications of their posts on social media. We need to keep teaching, keep monitoring, and keep our lines of verbal communication open! This takes a village.
The second item I would like to touch base on is vaping. Vaping is a form of smoking, or inhaling a steam type substance, that is oil based through an electronic device. Vaping machines and oils are sold legally only to adults. Our younger adults are buying oils from their friends or off the streets and, quite honestly, they have no idea what they are smoking/inhaling. Please talk to your sons/daughters about this. More and more young people are dying across the country from electronic cigarettes. Many oils are laced with illegal substances or items that are not even identified.
Keeping our kids safe is a difficult job. Open lines of communication, continued education and monitoring are our best practices.
Here is to a wonderful start to November and our second quarter!
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Office Hours
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Monday through Thursday: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
Friday: 7:30 am - 3:45 pm
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| Winter Wishes |
Gift tags will be posted during GDS parent/teacher conferences. Look for the large snowman in the cafeteria/commons. Please contact Mikayla Lee with any questions.
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| Need to leave school early.... |
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Please send a note with your student to drop off first thing in the morning to the school office. We will issue them a pass.
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| Update personal information |
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| Project Unify |
GDS Project Unify traveled to Wauskeha and participated in the Special Olympics Unified Sports soccer clinic at Catholic Memorial High School. GDS brought 7 athletes and teamed them up with 28 peers, grades 5 through 8, to play adapted sports, practice skill building, inclusion, teamwork, and respect. Our student leaders were amazing and learned so many valuable skills! The staff members were able to observe positive relationships and inclusive practices with all students, coaches, and athletes.
GDS Project Unify will also be attending the Special Olympics Unified Sports bowling event in Madison later this winter. We look forward to seeing the athletes and peers work together once again with these great opportunities!
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| Chess Club is Back!! |
The GDS Chess Club will be starting in November. The first meeting will be Nov. 25. The meeting will take place in the 5
th
grade pod, B214 from 3:30-5:30. Monona students can take the late bus to the high school. Cottage Grove students should arrange for a ride home.
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| Parent Teacher Conferences |
Mark your calendars for Parent-Teachers Conferences scheduled for
Wednesday, November 6 and Wednesday, November 13. Teachers will send out an invitation to schedule your conference via Sign Up Genius. We're looking forward to seeing parents on those evenings at school.
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| Lost and Found |
Please check lost and found for missing clothing, shoes and lunch boxes. All remaining items will be donated to a local charity on the morning of Thursday, Nov 14.
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| Teachers and Parents as Partners Project |
We seeking teachers and parents who have a middle school student who has behavior concerns. Click
here to read more information. Click
here for the Spanish version.
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| Early Learning Fair - Monday, Feb 3, 2020 |
On Monday, February 3rd, 2020, the Monona Grove School District will hold its annual Early Learning Fair and
Together 4 Kids
registration at Nichols School (MG District Office) in Monona. This event is a free service to families of pre-school children. Parents will have the opportunity to meet with a professional to share information about their child's development and to register for the 2020-2021 T4K program. Registration information will be sent to families in mid December. Parents will need to schedule an appointment upon receipt of registration materials. If you have any new neighbors with young children aged birth to 4 ½, please have them call Gina in the Early Education Office at 839-2113.
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| PTO News |
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Conference Meals
PTO Meeting Dates
The GDS PTO meets at 5:30 the first Thursday of each month in the conference room of the GDS office. Meetings are an excellent opportunity to find out what's going on at GDS from the principal and ask questions. Meetings last no more than an hour. Hope to see you there.
2019-2020 meeting dates: November 7, January 2, February 6, March 5, April 2, May 7. Find more information about the PTO on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Glacial-Drumlin-School-PTO-166614183528542/
Holiday Craft Fair
The GDS Holiday Craft Fair is December 7. Mark your calendars for this fun event - the school gym and hallways are packed with vendors, students perform on the stage in the commons and there are concessions. This event is one of PTO's largest fundraisers, so please come join in the fun.
SCRIP sales
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| Student Admittance to School Sponsored Athletic Events |
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Students must have their picture ID to be able to attend any home athletic events at the HS or GDS.
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| School Nutrition Department |
Breakfast and lunch menus are available
HERE.
Click
HERE for Free and Reduced application and FAQ.
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| Attendance |
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If your student will be absent from school for any reason, call the attendance line 24/7 at 608.839.8437 press 2.
If your child has a fever (>100 degrees), is vomiting, has diarrhea, has a rash you do not know the cause of, or has a communicable disease do not send them to school - keep them home until they are 24 hours vomit/diarrhea/fever free without medication.
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| GDS Visitors & Volunteers |
If you are planning to help in the classroom or accompany your child on a field trip, you must complete the
Online Volunteer Form.
If you are visiting GDS during regular school hours, please be prepared with your driver's license or state issued ID. For more information on the district's Raptor Visitor Management System click
HERE.
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| After School Classes/Clubs |
Click
HERE for Cottage Grove information/offerings.
Click
HERE for Monona information/offerings.
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