GDS Newsletter October 2023

October 2023

Principal Message

We are off to a strong start at GDS. We feel students are settling in and are enjoying the 2023-24 school year.

We are are continuing to work on iReady testing and due to an issue on the iReady end, we had to restart the majority of our 7th graders. The problem was that they were being reported out against the 8th grade standards and measures. We apologize for that issue, and that our students had to retest. We are looking for the origin of the problem so it does not happen again.

It's wonderful that the students are getting the opportunity to enjoy the good weather and spend time outdoors including field trips for our 6th and 7th grade classes. Building a sense of community and healthy learning habits at the beginning of the school year is essential, and it's natural to see some frustration and avoidance behaviors as instruction becomes more demanding. Encouraging parents to stay engaged and talk to their students about their experiences is a great way to support their success.

Parent-teacher conferences will be October 18 and 19, both in person and virtual. It is an excellent opportunity for parents to get involved and learn more about their children's progress and the positive things happening at GDS.

During conferences, Ms. Owen and Mr. McLaughlin will be available to ask questions on assessment and grading. A table will be set up in the IMC.

We have received some quality feedback from our open house, and we will look to make some minor changes for next fall. Thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback.

In October we look forward to homecoming. Remember students need their IDs for game entry, and need to be on their best behavior. The high school band will visit GDS on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 to play for us. They are wonderful and help us get in the spirit. Our student council is also working on some fun activities for our students during the week.

Please do not hesitate to call our teachers, student service members or administrators at any time. We want to partner with you and help all students have a successful middle school experience.

Thank you,

Kris Langer

OFFICE HOURS:

7:15 am - 4:00 pm (M-Th)

7:15 am - 3:30 pm (F)

CONTACT:

Main Office: (608) 839-8437

Attendance: (608) 839-2175

UPCOMING EVENTS:

October 18

Parent Teacher Conference

October 19

Picture Retake Day

Parent Teacher Conference

October 20

No School

October 23

No School

November 3

End of 1st Quarter

No School

November 22-24

No School

Thanksgiving Break

December 25-January 1

No School

Winter Break

October’s Safety Drill

Classroom Hold Drill & Student Safety Training

Glacial Drumlin School will hold a classroom hold drill on October 17th for all students and staff. During the month we will also hold a student safety training to inform and prepare students for the potential of a threat or hazard (i.e. hazardous material) inside or outside the building.

The safety of our students is a top priority which is why it’s important for students to be present for monthly drills. This hold drill is designed to help students understand what they can do to protect themselves in the unlikely case of a critical event. A classroom hold is called when students would be in the way of staff or emergency responders responding to a crisis, such as a medical or behavioral incident. We follow best practices to use trauma sensitive language and exercises to mitigate fear and anxiety during the drill.

What your student will experience: Staff will prepare students by explaining the purpose of the drill, what they can expect and what they will need to do during the drill. The drill will begin when an announcement is made over the speakers that a building hold has started. Staff will clear students from the hallways and collaboration areas as needed, and then remain in their classrooms until the classroom hold is lifted. Instruction will continue as normal until an announcement has been made that the drill has ended. Staff will use trauma sensitive language to help students process the experience. For the student safety training, staff will talk through scenarios and classrooms may plan and generate ideas together for action plans on potential threatening situations that could happen while at school.

Students with sensory and other special considerations will be accommodated according to their needs.

We encourage families to communicate with your student(s) about the importance of safety drills. You can find resources on our website to help guide those conversations.

Read the full message on safety communication practices on our website.

School Nutrition

Breakfast/lunch menus and Free and Reduced FAQ and application available HERE.

GDS New Grading Practices

GDS is implementing new grading practices this year. Click HERE for more information and ways you can support your student

Message from the School Nurse

When to keep sick kids home? Read more here

Fall Conferences

October 18 &19 are Parent Teacher Conferences from 4-8 PM at GDS.

If you would like to meet with an Encore Teacher click HERE for more information.

D&D Club

The first meeting of the year is October 4th after school in the GDS Library! D&D Club was formed around the fantasy tabletop roleplaying game of Dungeons and Dragons where people play as characters in a fantasy story invented by a story master! In this club students tell and participate in a story that one of their peers designs. The story changes and characters constantly develop with each session. Our club is focused on creating a strong community in a safe, inclusive, and fun space.

This year we have more books for Dungeons and Dragons and now have rule books for two other games: Pathfinder and Starfinder. Through this we can explore the fantasy worlds of D&D as well as Pathfinder and take our adventures to the stars with Starfinder. We look forward to meeting our new and returning members while we share adventures, stories, and laughs. The club meets from 3:20 until 4:35PM with pick up at 4:45PM. Students will need a safe way to get home! There is a late bus that loads up around 5:00PM at GDS and travels to MGHS. Please email Mr. McLaughlin at matthew.mclaughlin@mgschools.net if your student wants to be added to the roster.

Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad is an optional STEM based club formed around the Science Olympiad competitions. Last year we made a great showing at Regionals and State and have increased our club to have two teams for all competitions this year. We will have meetings once a month at the start of the year with more frequent meetings as we get closer to Regionals. Students are not required to participate in competitions. Those students who do plan to compete will need to commit to one or two Saturdays out of the year for Regionals (likely March 9th) and State (confirmed April 13th). This year State is at UW-Stevens Point and will require competitors to stay overnight. Our after school practices will be from 3:20PM to 4:20PM on Thursdays. It's not too late. Please be sure to email Mr. McLaughlin at matthew.mclaughlin@mgschools.net if your student is interested in joining in. Events for this year can be found at https://www.wisconsinso.org/events.

Pay Fees and Update Info

MGSD requests families pay fees and update demographic information (such as cell #, address, email, etc...) through the Infinite Campus Portal.

GDS PTO News

Follow GDS PTO on Facebook for updates.

Scrip Order Form

Join us for virtual PTO meetings! We’ll meet the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6 pm. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, October 17! The meeting link is below:

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

us06web.zoom.us

GDS Concert Dates

October 30

6-8 Choirs at GDS at TBD

November 14

7/8 Band at GDS at 7 pm

November 20

7/8 Orchestra at GDS at 7 pm

December 2

Show Choir at MGHS at 7 pm

December 5

6 Band and Orchestra at GDS at 7 pm

December 11

GDS Jazz Band/Sizzling Strings/Show Choir at GDS at 7 pm

December 18

6-12 Choirs at MGHS at 7 pm

Leaving School Early

Please send a note with your student or email (gds.attendance@mgschools.net)the office first thing in the morning. We will issue them a permit to leave class early and update their attendance status.