Panther Prowl

Hi Panther Families,

Is it May ALREADY!? As we approach the final stretch of the school year, there are several important events and updates we are excited to share with you.

• Our students are set to participate in state testing this month. These assessments are crucial as they help us evaluate our educational strategies and student understanding in various subjects. Testing will occur from May 7th to May 17th. Please ensure your Panther gets a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast each morning to perform their best!

• Our Open House is May 16th, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This is a great opportunity to meet with your Panther’s teachers, experience their school environment, and see the amazing work they have been doing this year. Our GEMS band will also be performing in the Gym! We look forward to seeing you!

• The much-anticipated 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony will take place on June 6th at 9:00 AM. This milestone event celebrates our 8th graders transitioning to high school. Please mark your calendars; more details regarding the ceremony and associated celebrations will follow.

Our Panthers have worked hard throughout the year, and as we wrap up, our students to keep up the great work and finish strong. Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation. Let's make the rest of this school year memorable and successful for everyone!

Panther Proud,

Ms. Castillo

Welcome to May Panther Families!

As we get ready to close out the school year, there are a few important reminders that need to be reviewed with your panthers:

• SBAC/CAASPP State Testing- Please be sure you have read the message that went out on May 1st <<LINKED HERE>> that detailed the upcoming state tests and what your student needs to do and have to be prepared.

• School Expectations- Please be sure to regularly review and discuss following the Panther Way expectations with your students. This includes but is not limited to: no cell phones or wireless headphones at school, being to school and classes on time, following the dress code, using respectful and appropriate language, being respectful of all staff, students, and the school environment, and using technology appropriately. See recent messages that have been sent regarding behaviors affecting students participation in end of year events/trips.

• School Issued Chromebook Concerns- Please be sure to talk with your panther about being responsible for their school issued chromebook. We have had a large number of students needing to have their chromebooks repaired because of dropping the device, slamming the screen closed, and being rough with the device/keyboard. As a reminder, the cost for those repairs are invoiced to the student.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure all Panthers have a successful end to the school year.

Mrs. Fernandez

Assistant Principal

As we get closer to Promotion, please be sure you are reviewing ACADEMIC and BEHAVIOR requirements with your student. This information has been distributed each month since January and for convenience you can access it <<HERE>>.

If you would like to check your child out at the end of the promotion ceremony and do not want to wait for a long period of time in the office, please make sure you fill out this form using the Parent/Guardian EMAIL ADDRESS REGISTERED WITH PARENT SQUARE. The person who is checking out the student MUST be on the emergency card. There will be no exceptions made.

Use this form to check out your student early the day of Promotion.

8th GRADE EARLY CHECK OUT

THE LIST WILL CLOSE AND NOT ACCEPT RESPONSES AFTER MAY 24th

Please note the following times, dates, and deadlines for the 8th Grade Activity Week.

• Monday, June 3rd Sunsplash Trip - (students only. Lunch, Admission & Transportation included). Leave at approximately 9:45am/return at 5:00pm. There will be no parent pick-ups at Sunsplash. Students must ride the bus back to school. NO summer passes can be used – Per Sunsplash
• Wednesday, June 5th Promotion Dance - (students only) 6:30-8:30pm @ Glen Edwards Middle School (see below for dress requirements)
• Thursday, June 6th Promotion Ceremony - (for parents) 9:00am at Glen Edwards Middle School. Students should arrive to school on time (8:00am) to prepare for ceremony entrance. Guest seating is first come first serve. Please be prepared for any type of weather. No umbrellas or pop ups allowed.

Appropriate dress for the Promotion Ceremony is as follows:

• It is recommended that boys wear dress shirts and slacks; ties are optional.
• It is recommended that girls wear a dress or blouse with a skirt or slacks
• Clothing must not expose buttocks, cleavage, midsection or underclothing when standing still, bending over, raising arms, or in motion.
• Tuxedos, jeans, shorts, T-shirts and overalls are not appropriate. Dresses or blouses should be in good taste and age-appropriate for the occasion. Spaghetti strap dresses are allowed for the promotion dance.

Please keep this dress code in mind when selecting promotion clothing. School administration has final determination as to what is appropriate for the occasion, and administration will deny entrance should your child choose to dress inappropriately.

Promotion Certificates:

Names will be printed as they appear on the school computer unless otherwise requested by parents. Please contact our office if you would like your child’s name updated.

A huge thank you to Chelsea Walsh and Amy Ridgway!!! They have graciously taken on the roll of fine tuning some remaining items needed for the Promotion Dance.

<<HERE>> is the list of donations they are looking to secure.

Please reach out to them if you are able to assist with: decorating, chaperoning or cleaning up. Chaperones require a current TB and Volunteer Form on file. Please contact Chelsea Alvarez to check your status or obtain the forms.

The success of the event depends on parental support. They look forward to hearing from you!!

Chelsea Walsh - Chairperson / chelseawalsh88@gmail.com

Amy Ridgway - Co-Chairperson / aaridgway@gmail.com

PICTURES NEEDED BY END OF DAY 5/10/24 OR THERE MAY NOT BE A SLIDESHOW

The trip is coming up soon!! 6th Graders are traveling to SeaQuest Wed. May 22nd and Thursday May 23rd. We appreciate your patience as this is our first time using Parent Square Digital Permission. Final reminders were sent this week (4/30/24). If you can't sign the permission online, please have your student pick up a paper copy from History teacher or come by the office. You can also email Mr. Luci or Ms. White if you have any questions.

Please review the following requirements for attending this event. All behavior is being recorded in accordance with the outlines given by administrators and was reviewed with students in January:

If during the last seven weeks of school, a student receives the following discipline, it may result in:

• First Administrative Referral / Friday school– Loss of SeaQuest field trip

• Second Administrative Referral/ Friday school – Loss of EOY BBQ

This event is coming up at the end of the month.......Friday May 31st!!!

The students who want to bring a small table and/or pop-up tent, need to deliver them by May 29-30 to room A1 or B1. We will store them. Please label them so we can get them back to you.

The event will be from 9am to 10:15am. Students will present their fun filled booths with many facts and fun items. Students will help run their booths along with visiting other booths by using their passports.

Email Mr. Luci or Ms. White if you have any questions. The assignment sheet is published week 15 in Schoology - history class.

Before your student enters the 7th grade in Fall 2024, documentation of Tdap- 1 dose (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis – whooping cough booster usually given at ages 11and up) and Varicella – 2 doses (VZV and/or MMRV -usually given at 12 months and 4-6 years) is required. In addition, please make sure that your student is current with all other immunizations.

If your student is up to date with all the required immunizations, please bring proof to the office for our health records. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact our office as soon as possible by calling 916 - 645- 6370.

Thank you!
GEMS Health Services

PLEASE NOTE: TUTORING FOR THE 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR WILL END ON MAY 17TH. THE FOUNDRY AFTER SCHOOL M-W WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE.

We are still looking for new board members for the next school year (24/25). If interested in learning more about the positions please email us at GemsApts@Gmail.com

Next week kicks off Staff Appreciation Week and we are still looking for donations of items. If you could turn into the office and let them know it is for APTS we would greatly appreciate it.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050845AEA628A6FB6-49378886-staff#/

Our final meeting of the school year is on Wed, May 29th @4pm in the school library. We hope to see you there!

APTS is hosting their 1st Yard Sale Fundraiser! $20 per parking space. Offering to GEMS families first then will open to the public. If interested in reserving a space email Laura at ChickenGrease@Hotmail.com or text her at 916-768-9139

WHO IS APTS?

We are a parent group. APTS stands for All Parents Teachers and Students. For those of you who don't know us, check out our flyer here! Be sure to follow us on Facebook @GemsApts

SUPPORT APTS

An easy way to support GEMS APTS with very little effort is to assign Glen Edwards Middle School to your Box Tops account.

ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
We still have Water Bottle stickers and bling hoodie strings for sale. Order anytime from our website

TEACHER WISH LISTS
Reminder teachers will add/edit their lists throughout the year. Please be sure to support!
Agrippino Alonso Banderas Butler Casillas Colson Davena Flamenco Gonzalez Hargis Harp Harrigan Hunt Kent Koerner Law Lukas Luci Mahan Martin McAdam Mullen Noonan Otte Ransford Rayos Ressa Rodriguez Santos Saul Smith, Richard Smith, Ryan Stolesen Ward White

Any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at GemsAPTS@Gmail.com

Hello GEMS Families!

Our theme last month focused on Stress Awareness to help manage stress and promote general

wellness. This time of year comes with plenty of excitement and also stress for students and families.

Stress impacts us all, whether its social, academic or personal pressures, finding effective coping

strategies is crucial for a healthier and balanced life.

During lunch time, student’s had the opportunity to play Wellness Bingo and win prizes that promote

mindfulness. Students also participated in creating their own list of coping strategies for stress

management. Below are some ideas to try!

1. Exercise Regularly: Physical activity reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline

2. Practice Mindfulness: Stay in the present moment, engage in art, journaling, walks, or yoga

3. Listen to Music: Enjoy your favorite music to relax and shift focus away from stressors

4. Adequate Sleep: Prioritizing a consistent sleep schedule to regulate mood

5. Connect with Friends: Spending time with loved ones you trust to share your feelings

Check out the website below for a further read on stress management tips for your youth during

their middle school years! Teens, Stress and how Parents Can Help

Questions? Contact the team!

Mental Health Specialist- Adri Ramos: aramos@wpusd.org

Family and Community Liaison- Rigo Hernandez: rhernandez@wpusd.org

Located in Room D4

8th grade is the #1 seed and took home a league banner as they host the playoff tournament next Wednesday at GEMS. They open round 1 vs EV Cain at 3:30pm.

7th grade team are the co-league champs (another banner!!) and their playoff tournament will be held at EV Cain on Tuesday. Round 1 they open with Twelve Bridges at 4:45pm.

The GEMS Gym Banner Sponsorship Program offers you an opportunity to advertise your business and the products & services you provide, displayed on a large format full color banner.

Your banner will be displayed in our gymnasium for the entire 2024-25 school year. Your banner will reach GEMS students, athletes, and parents/relatives from in and out of the Lincoln area who attend various events throughout the school year. The banner is posted for 12 consecutive months, professionally produced using a high-resolution digital printing process and installed to ensure they are displayed safely and securely.

Banner Costs: 3x5 standard banner= $450 (only 9 available) Scoreboard banner= $850 (only 2 available) **This is positioned by the scoreboard

The funds from sponsorships are Tax Deductible Donations and are used towards Athletic Expenses, League Fees, Uniform Upgrades, Training Equipment, and MORE! We appreciate your support!

Click the link below for more information
https://forms.gle/EnUBUU3nk1d88rj96

Any questions, please email jnoonan@wpusd.org

IF your student wants to participate in any athletic capacity be sure you have an account created and physical clearance by a physician.

• Parent AND Student must create their own account, fill out and submit information via FINAL FORMS
• All students must have a current PHYSICAL on file with the school (current means within the past year).

As of Monday, May 6th, yearbook prices will be $65 for the remainder of the school year.

Yearbooks will be passed out on May 30th but we only have 72 copies left! Reserve your copy now in the office (exact cash $65) or online at jostensyearbooks.com.

Congratulations to the students listed below! They passed the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) in the spring of 2023 and met district criteria for reclassification which means that their status has changed from English learner to Fluent English Proficient status. Students were recognized at our annual Reclassification Ceremony on April 24th.

Brandon Lee

Daisy Rodriguez

Danny Mauricio

Dayanna Nazario Marcos

Fernando Rojas

Genesis Moron Sanchez

Jose Leon

Joselynn Garcia Carrillo

Julieta Barrales-Perez

Kevin Ochoa

Lizeth Rojas-Martinez

Monica Ramirez

Natali Banuelos

PBIS:

Last week, students who practiced using kind and polite words with their classmates and staff for two weeks earned an ice cream sandwich!

And the fun keeps on going! Today we begin our second semester Clean-Up Challenge. Campus supervisors will award points to the grade level that keeps the quad and lunch areas the cleanest. The challenge ends May 3 and the winning grade level will earn some yummy treats!

Check out the flier below. There are several ways to report absences. We hope you find it useful!

ALSO NOTE: There will be NO TRAVEL STUDIES allowed to last two weeks of school. Anyone on Travel Study status must be done and returned to school no later than May 24th.

• When you receive a message that your student was absent, you can respond easily by clicking on the link within the message to report your student's absence.
• 7th period is actually the students PAW period and the first class of the day Tuesday - Friday.

OUR 24/7 GLEN EDWARDS MIDDLE SCHOOL Sideline Store is officially up and running. Stop reading and start shopping to score the latest fan wear and accessories.

*PLEASE NOTE: THESE CLOTH ITEMS WILL NOT MEET PE UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS. DO NOT PURCHASE FOR PE CLOTH FROM HERE.

Don't forget to follow our GEMS Facebook Page to stay on top of all the fun things we are doing around campus! Click this link or the picture below to follow!

Learn more about our food services program HERE and visit the food service website HERE to fill out a meal application to receive breakfast and/or lunches.