Blue Devil Blast

Volume I, Issue 13 - October 29, 2021

Dr. Looney's Message

Halloween weekend is always a lot of fun. . . and we hope you have tons of fun this weekend. But in order to be a fun weekend, it needs to be a safe weekend. Remember to wear reflective clothing, carry flashlights, and WATCH for cars and other pedestrians while you are out this weekend.

8th Grade Parents: be sure to check out the information below about making your child's high school selection for next year.

Progress Reports go out next Friday, so parents watch for them in your email Inbox at the end of the upcoming week. You can also check the portal at any time.

Have a great Halloween weekend.

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The Coming Month

November 3 - Band Cluster Concert, 7pm
November 4 - Orchestra Cluster Concert, 7pm
November 5 - Progress Reports Go Home
November 6 - Orchestra GMEA
November 9 - Digital Learning Day #3
November 13 - Basketball at Coleman MS (Duluth HS)
November 13 - JLC Raider Competition at Shiloh MS
November 13 - All State Chorus Auditions
November 13 - District 13 Honor Orchestra
November 17 - Picture Makeup Day
November 18 - Basketball vs. Pinckneyville (Summerour)
November 19 - Career Day (career volunteers needed)
November 22 - 26 - Thanksgiving/Fall Break

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Book Fair Is Open Until Wednesday!

Monday - Wednesday

8:15 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Students can come (2 at a time) with their School ID and their teacher's hard pass (not a paper pass)!

G.I.F.T.S. to Skate-A-Long USA

Last weekend, OUR G.I.F.T.S. had a great time at Skate-A-Long USA on Beaver Ruin Road, where they had a great time. They were also praised by staff for their well-mannered, respectful behavior. Way to represent, ladies!

G.I.F.T.S. (Girls In Focus To Succeed) is a girls’ group focused on equipping girls to be young ladies. It is a place where a girl can gain the knowledge and confidence to become the person that they truly want to be. Our mission is to equip girls with the skills to express themselves like young ladies, understand their feelings, use the power of their voice and be a positive role model. We structure our work around four central values: Authentic Communication, Courageous Growth, Equity and Social awareness.

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Khan Academy 48% in November!

Did your child get 32% on Khan by Halloween? Excellent, but that's old news now!

This month's goal is 48% progress level on Khan Academy by the end of November. We are giving incentives out each month. We also have a Khan Saturday Program - ask your math teacher to join!

Grade Level News You Can Use

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6th Grade

Please ask your children about upcoming Saturday opportunities for Math and ELA. Our next session is November 6th, here in the building.
Are you interested in speaking to our students about your career on Career Day? We'd love to hear from you. Please contact Lenie George at lenie.george@gcpsk12.org
We have a Khan Academy push for Summerour. Each math teacher has already assigned homework - the progress level should be 48% by the end of November.

Mr. Lenie George

6th Grade Assistant Principal

Lenie.George@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2494

Mrs. Pam Griswell

6th Grade Counselor

Pam.Griswell@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2491

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7th Grade

What Are Students Learning Next Week?

MATH - 7th-grade math students are finishing up writing and solving inequalities and equations. Their test is Thursday 11/4! Accelerated math students are starting transformations.

LANGUAGE ARTS - Students will continue to read informational texts and analyze how authors develop their purpose in texts.

SCIENCE - Students are exploring genetic variation.

SOCIAL STUDIES - Students will be learning and researching about the different economic systems used by various middle eastern countries.

7th Grade Upcoming Assessment Dates

ELA

11/8 - Unit 4

MATH

11/5 -Standard Math Unit 2

11/10 - Accelerated Geometry Test

SCIENCE

11/17 - Tentative date

12/16 - tentative date

SOCIAL STUDIES

11/17

Mr. Stacy James

7th Grade Assistant Principal

stacy.james@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2486

Mrs. Yunilda Valdez

7th Grade Counselor

yunilda.valdez@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2480

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8th Grade

8th Grade Students have the unique opportunity to choose the high school they wish to attend next year, either Norcross High School or Paul Duke STEM. We have found that students make the best choice by learning about both high schools and choosing the school that best fits your interests. An overview of the high school selection process is available online at https://bit.ly/NorcrossClusterHS22. Please review this information and pay special attention to the dates of the upcoming information meetings where you can learn more.

Begin by familiarizing yourselves with both schools by visiting the school websites at PaulDukeSTEM.org and NorcrossHigh.org. Students will select which high school they will attend and which elective classes they would like to take after the Thanksgiving break. We hope you will attend one or more of the upcoming meeting to learn more about Norcross High School and/or Paul Duke STEM High School.

Mrs. Christy Gray

8th Grade Assistant Principal

Christian.Gray@gcpsk12.org

770-453-2051

Mrs. Robin Blackwell

8th Grade Counselor

Robin.Blackwell@gcpsk12.org

770-417-2487

Mrs. Kimberly Blackshear

Gear Up/ Special Education Counselor

Kimberly.Blackshear@gcpsk12.org

770-797-2960

Engineering: CAD Design & Robotics

From introductions to CAD (Computer Aided Design) to Robotics, the technology classes of the past are truly "old school". Below is a photo showcase of a number of our students with their CAD projects: from food trucks to gliders; and photos of some high school students who were here today (Friday) from Engineering classes, Technology Student Association, and the Robotics Club.

The high school students were here to pump interest in the really cool, high school-level programs. We are grateful for their time and energy. Thank you!

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Counseling

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Social Media Challenges

There has been a recent increase in social media challenges that are very concerning. GCPS takes the issue seriously. These challenges highlight the need to educate our students to think critically about the challenges and pranks they may encounter on social media. Parents, please take a look at the Social Media Parent Tips attached below and see where you can help.

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