Glenridge Middle Community Member
I was a little worried that we would not be able to maintain the 6 year tradition of having a weather delayed dismissal in the first week of school since we started on a Thursday. However, we did it! Thank you to all of you for getting through that process and understanding that safety is our primary concern. Speaking of dismissal. We will continue to follow the traffic pattern in the car loop for arrival and dismissal. Please pay attention to the staff out there directing you. We are trying to get everyone out as quickly and safely as possible. This will improve as the year goes on. If your child rides a bus, I want to encourage you to try and find an alternative method of transportation. I know it isn’t possible for some, but if you can coordinate a carpool plan with neighbors and friends, it will help your student. I do not know a timeframe for buses to improve, but it may take a while. Some of our buses do not get to the school until 5:30 or later. I know it’s frustrating, but transportation can only work with what they have.
With all of that said, we had an amazing two days. The students were terrific, and we saw so much learning going on already. We have distributed almost all of our computers to this point. We will finish up Monday and Tuesday. We have a busy week ahead beginning with soccer tryouts after school on Monday. If your child is interested in participating, they need to have a physical on hand and you need to complete an Aktivate account. This is new this year, and it is a requirement. You can create an account here:
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Mr. Kempinger
Principal
Pictured very top and just below: Glenridge families gather at our 2023-2024 Mane Event held on August 8th.
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Back to School Resources & Useful Links: |
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Parent Academy: "A Guide to a Successful New Year" |
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One of several reasons OCPS rolled out the new cell phone policy in 2023-2024 - nearly 50% of teens use their electronic devices constantly: |
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Joy Ouellette, Varying Exceptionalities |
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I come to Glenridge Middle School from Seminole County Public Schools where I worked in several roles including ESE Teacher, Case Manager, Support Facilitator, and District Staffing Specialist. I earned my Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and my Master’s degree from the University of Miami. With a background in counseling, I have previously worked as in an inpatient and outpatient counselor at Orlando Regional Medical Center. I have extensive experience working with a variety of psychiatric populations as well as people who have sustained trauma. I have one daughter, Ainslee, who is the best little ray of sunshine! I was recently married to the love of my life this past summer. I am excited to join the team at Glenridge and look forward to working with each of you!
Joy Ouellette, MM, MT-BC, NMT
Master of Music, Music Therapist - Board Certified
Neurologic Music Therapist
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Ms. Ruth Lagares, Science |
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I was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico and I moved to Florida 28 years ago. I have three adult children, two boys and one girl, and four adorable grandkids. I love to investigate things and I love to capture nature scenes. I developed a curiosity for unknown mysteries over the years so I would like to explore the deepest parts of the sea and the farthest places in the Universe. I also love animals of all kinds including snakes, crocodiles, bugs and lizards. My favorite pets are dogs, lizards, fishes and turtles but my favorite animal overall #l is the lion, I wish I can train one to be my pet!
The person that inspired me the most to do better in life is my grandmother. I learned many things from her. She taught me that the best things in life are free, and that the best investment you can make is in your health. She always said that all things are possible if you believe. She used to help others and was always a positive person.
My hobbies are dancing, painting, photography and fitness workouts. I played volleyball when I was in middle school, and now I practice cycling, yoga and kickboxing. I travel, each time I am off work. My favorite place to be in the summer is the beach. My favorite holiday is Christmas time. And my favorite foods are fruits and veggies, like pineapple, papaya and avocado. I love ice cream and dark chocolate too!!!!
I go by the Golden Rule and it means that I treat people the same way I want to be treated and that is with respect and honesty.
Ms. Lagares, Science
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Theatre Open House this Thursday, Aug. 17th |
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FFA/Science with Ms. Glenn
Butterscotch, a very special Glenridge student, has returned for another school year!
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CSI Lab safety lesson with Mrs. Scherer during week #1: |
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Eighth graders, Jack Linn and Madden Kempinger posing with our new mascot at the Mane Event. We will be holding a contest to name our new mascot in the next few weeks and cannot wait to see him out at all of our events! |
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Our PTSA came out in support of our staff on Wednesday, providing us with some delicious food from 4 Rivers. Please consider joining our PTSA as they provide our teachers and staff with so much. As unbelievable as it sounds, this is often brought up in our interviews. Teachers have lots of options. One thing that separates us from other schools is how active and involved and supportive our PTSA is.
Thank you for your support!
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Progress on the gym is going great. The anticipated finish will be this week. |
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What a great gift presented to me by Assistant Principals Bispott and Hames. As a huge Jets fan, getting this reminder from future hall of famer and Super Bowl LVIII MVP Brett Favre for my birthday emphasizes the importance of respecting the process and not letting stress get in the way of success. This is going to be a great year for both of us. I can't wait to get this authenticated. 🙂
~ Mr. Kempinger
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Monday's Motivational Moment! |
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As we spotlighted three Glenridge science teachers in this issue (Ms. Lagares, Ms. Glenn, and Mrs. Scherer), we have included a fascinating YouTube virtual interview by actor Tom Cruise (Top Gun) of U.S .Navy pilot and NASA astronaut Victor J. Glover, Jr.. Captain Glover explains the impact of flight and space on people in everyday language. You will enjoy this inspirational interview from the first 60 seconds!
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Captain Glover On Education: |
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My favorite part about being an astronaut is the outreach. It's about so much more than the training and the work that we do. I'm not only encouraging kids to do their homework, eat their veggies, and listen to their parents, but I'm talking to these future generations that are very science- and technology-literate.
Being an astronaut is so much more than excelling in science and math. If you work hard enough while in school, you will find your passion. Like my being a fifth-grader and not fully knowing what an engineer really was. I grew this passion from a belief.
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Prepare to make this a very successful week Lions!
Daniel Kempinger, Principal
Glenridge Middle School
Sunday, August 13, 2023
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Glenridge Leadership Team |
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This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that OCPS utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone. |
Copyright Notice
Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Glenridge Middle School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Glenridge Middle School. Please contact Principal Daniel Kempinger daniel.kempinger@ocps.net with any questions or for further information.
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Glenridge Middle School
2900 Upper Park Road,
Orlando, FL 32814
Phone 407-623-1415
Fax 407-623-1417
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