SMILE Picture Re-Take Day

Thurs Nov 6th Order envelopes are availa-ble in the main office

We will all be confronted soon with one of the most difficult times of the year I like to think of it as the

buffet portion of the calendar year The buffet line starts with a bunch of candy and apple cider donuts due

to Halloween Then we proceed to turkey and pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving Before we end the buffet line

we find ham and a bunch of holiday cookies As we are walking away from the buffet someone hands us

a bag of Doritos because we have to have something to munch on during the football games on New Yearrsquos

Day Most of us after going through the buffet line will make a New Yearrsquos resolution to pledge that we

will recover from this before summer hits only to redo it again next year

Why do we do this Partly out of tradition mainly because we like it That being said wouldnrsquot it be bet-

ter to make our resolution now before hitting the buffet line Wouldnrsquot it be better to resolve that we will

eat in moderation Maybe we can make a goal that the amount of veggies on our plate will be larger than

the amount of carbs (even if it is all covered in cheese like my mother does to her Christmas broccoli cas-

serole) If we challenged ourselves to always think about how we can improve our eating habits while still

enjoying life maybe we could avoid being depressed on the scale on January 1st In fact the number on

the scale will not matter as much if we proactively manage to improve our habits and find good food and

EXERCISE to counteract those other negative eating choices Eat your pecan pie while you are riding

your exercise bike and all will be well in the universe

At this point you may be wondering why all of this is appearing in the SOUTH SCOOP when it sounds

more like something from Fitness Magazine When it comes to learning we need the students to under-

stand their strengths and their struggles so they can plan throughout the year how to improve and grow

Just like we donrsquot want to wait until we stand on the scale on January 1st to realize we have a problem we

also donrsquot want to wait until the end of the year to understand our students MAP testing provides us an

opportunity to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the students All of our students took the MAP

test in early fall The results went home on October 2nd with the students When a parentchild looks at the

MAP results it is our hope that they will not just look at the overall math or reading score but instead will

focus on the specific skill areas and understand their strength and weaknesses Doing this will allow them

to create a real and obtainable goal regarding a specific aspect of their learning For example ldquoI will focus

on lsquoinformational textrsquo by choosing to read non-fiction books 50 of the time that I read independentlyrdquo

Similar to my goal ldquoI will choose to not eat more than one apple cider donut per day during the month of

Octoberrdquo

The main idea is to constantly reflect on our strengths and challenges throughout the school year in order to

make realistic growth or realistic reductions if you are still following my health analogy Students who

look at their overall MAP score for guidance on how to get better are going to be looking a long time for

the answers Help your child break down their report Help draw their attention during different points in

the year to the skills that were a struggle for them on their MAP report so they have an appreciation for

why they are struggling But also show them there are aspects of math or reading that are areas of relative

strength for them Doing this will help them avoid that feeling of dread they may have regarding assess-

ments like MAP and replace that feeling with excitement to see if focusing on a goal has resulted in an

improvement of their MAP score

Have a great buffet season

Terry Bleau

G E N E V A M I D D L E

S C H O O L S O U T H The South Scoop O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5

C O M I N G

S O O N

6th Grade Play

Friday Oct 16th amp

Saturday Oct 17th

Clean Sweep Fri-

day Oct 23rd

End of 1st Quarter

Friday Oct 23rd

Orchestra Concert

Monday Oct 26th

Picture Re-takes

Thursday Oct

29th

Choir Concert

Thursday Oct

29th

Band Concert

Tuesday Nov 3rd

Veterans Day Cer-

emony Wednes-

day Nov 11th

Jazz Band Concert

wNorth South

Thursday Nov

12th

7th amp 8th Grade

Partners Day Fri-

day Nov 13th

School Improve-

ment Day (Half

Day) Friday Nov

13th

Wersquore on the Web

geneva304orggmss

A Note From The Principal

SMILE

Picture

Re-take Day

October 29th

Bring your picture packet

back with you that day or

order forms are available in

the main office

Whatrsquos Hap-

pening at

GMSS

RED RIBBON WEEK

OCTOBER 23-30 This yearrsquos theme is

ldquoBe Somebodyrsquos Hero Be Drug Freerdquo

Many activities are planned Check with

your student for more details

FOOD DRIVE In conjunction with Red Ribbon Week

Leos Club will be coordinating a food

drive Food will be collected in the team

centers all week long The food will be

donated to the food pantry at the First

Baptist Church in Geneva

STUDENTSTAFF VOLLEYBALL

GAME There will be a student and staff volley-

ball game at 345pm Friday Oct 23rd to

kick off Red Ribbon Week All are wel-

comed to cheer on the players Come See

the

6th Grade Play

Twinderella

Oct 16th amp 17th at

700 pm Doors open at 630pm

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $500 Admission is free for all

Geneva Middle School students

Are you interested in doing community service Then the GMS Leos

Club is for you Leos provides students with an opportunity to excel

develop positive character traits and receive recognition for their

contributions to the community Leos Club is a way to mentor future

community leaders and build leadership skills The 1st meeting will be

held on Friday October 16th from 330 ndash 415 This will be a joint

meeting with North We will meet in room 213 Students will be or-

ganizing the food collection for the Annual Geneva Food Drive dur-

ing Red Ribbon Week

LEOS CLUB

SMILE

Picture

Re-take Day

October 29th

Bring your picture packet

back with you that day or

order forms are available in

the main office

Whatrsquos Hap-

pening at

GMSS

RED RIBBON WEEK

OCTOBER 23-30 This yearrsquos theme is

ldquoBe Somebodyrsquos Hero Be Drug Freerdquo

Many activities are planned Check with

your student for more details

FOOD DRIVE In conjunction with Red Ribbon Week

Leos Club will be coordinating a food

drive Food will be collected in the team

centers all week long The food will be

donated to the food pantry at the First

Baptist Church in Geneva

STUDENTSTAFF VOLLEYBALL

GAME There will be a student and staff volley-

ball game at 345pm Friday Oct 23rd to

kick off Red Ribbon Week All are wel-

comed to cheer on the players Come See

the

6th Grade Play

Twinderella

Oct 16th amp 17th at

700 pm Doors open at 630pm

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $500 Admission is free for all

Geneva Middle School students

Are you interested in doing community service Then the GMS Leos

Club is for you Leos provides students with an opportunity to excel

develop positive character traits and receive recognition for their

contributions to the community Leos Club is a way to mentor future

community leaders and build leadership skills The 1st meeting will be

held on Friday October 16th from 330 ndash 415 This will be a joint

meeting with North We will meet in room 213 Students will be or-

ganizing the food collection for the Annual Geneva Food Drive dur-

ing Red Ribbon Week

LEOS CLUB

ParentTeacher Conferences

are November 24th and 25th

ParentTeacher conferences will be held on Monday November 23rd from 800am-800pm and Tuesday November 24th from 800-100pm Information on signing up for

conferences will be sent out soon Sign ups on PTC wizard will begin on November 2nd

Everyone is welcome to attend Chess Club meeting after

school from 330-420pm in the library Mark your calendars

for the following meetings

October 20 at South Library

October 22 at North Library (match with Haines MS)

November 3 at South Library

2015 Variety Show ldquoThe Tonight Show Starringrdquo

The Variety Show is coming back for a limited time only After a successful run with last yearrsquos show ldquoDisneymdashPixarrdquo this yearrsquos theme ldquoThe Tonight Show Starringhelliprdquo will entertain audiences young and old alike All 6th 7th and 8th graders are encouraged to bring their special talents to the stage for two fun-filled evenings of must see entertainment All acts chosen will be given a schedule for the specific days they will be rehearsing In addition to those perform-ing auditions will be held for MCrsquos Students who wish to help backstage can also sign up for Stage Crew I am looking forward once again to working with the many talented students we have here at GMS South

Auditions Held the last week of OctobermdashSign up for audition times will be in the Main Office

Variety Show Friday December 11 and Saturday December 12 at 7pm If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help supervise dress rehearsals or help the nights of the show please contact me at kjaplongeneva304org Ken Japlon (630) 463-3600 ext 3669

The Geneva Middle Schools now have a bowling league North and South have joined for an 8 week bowling league at Funway Coming soon a trip to Epic Air Watch the posters and listen to the announcements for upcoming pro-grams and events

The combined Social Studies Club of South and North is off and running Thus far we have had an all-school historical and building scavenger hunt studied some of the worldrsquos worst living dictators and com-pared them to our Bill of Rights and we are eagerly awaiting our annual Cantigny filed trip on Saturday October 17th All students are welcome to attend Club Sponsor Information Mr Cook jcookgeneva304org

The combined Social Studies Club of South and North is off and running Thus far we have had an all-school historical and building scavenger hunt studied some of the worldrsquos worst living dictators and com-pared them to our Bill of Rights and we are eagerly awaiting our annual Cantigny filed trip on Saturday October 17th All students are welcome to attend Club Sponsor Information Mr Cook jcookgeneva304org

Sentildeora Lindahlrsquos South of the Border Spanish Newsletter

iexclHola The end of first quarter is quickly approaching and the students continue to do well I am very proud of

the growth that I have seen in the last month The students seem to have a handle of the routine of the classroom and are

becoming more accustomed to the expectations of the class

We have just taken our first test on the Lecciones Preliminares chapter The grades were spectacular Many stu-

dents improved upon their quiz scores and showed growth in their understanding of the material We are currently work-

ing on Capiacutetulo 1 This chapter we are learning adjectives to describe people and things the verb SER subject pronouns

adjective agreement countries and capitals and questions words We will soon be taking quizzes on these topics and

will end the quarter with the chapter test Please note that there are Study Sessions before all quizzes and tests Encour-

age your child to get a pass and attend Study Session to help them prepare for the quizzes and the test

I also encourage you to visit my website at wwwgeneva304orggmssclindahl There are many valuable re-

sources including links to practice sites homework assignments study guides and other helpful information

STUDY TIP The textbook has a wonderful and helpful website for students to use The website can be found

at wwwglencoecom Enter in the Quick Pass Code ASD4003c1 Be sure to explore this site and play the many games

and do the review activities that are available There are also flashcards available on this site with an audio component

that can help students review vocabulary for the chapter and learn the correct Spanish pronunciation of the term

FRASES DEL MES Join in on the fun and learn three Spanish phrases

iexclVaacutemonos Letrsquos go Siacute se puede Yes we can iexclAdioacutes amigos Goodbye friends

I am looking forward to continuing to work with you and helping your child have a successful year They are already off

to a great start iexclAdioacutes

PTO News

Mark your calendars

Seventh and Eighth grade Partners day is scheduled for November 13th Our Spirit Wear Committee will be available at dis-

missal time If you would like to purchase items please remember to bring cash or your checkbooks Wearing these items is a

great way for our students to show their school spirit

Our next PTO meeting will be on November 16th

Still Looking for Volunteers

We are actively looking for volunteers for our sports concessions and helpers for preparing honor roll certificates

GMSS doesnrsquot have its own sports booster club Instead it has the PTO Although sports concessions only operate

during home indoor sports events all GMSS teams benefit from PTO financial help All Concessions profits go to

the PTO budget under Athletic Club support We are looking for volunteers to help organize the setup and schedul-

ing of concessions as well as workers to man the concession station Please consider helping out Contact Fatima

Udoiwod at udoiwodicloudcom to volunteer Thank you for your continued support

A quick word from the health office regarding the medication at school policy

Medication need to be brought into school by an adult and not sent with the student

Prescription medication needs to have the appropriate label from the pharmacy which includes Name of the drug students

name dosage and time medication is to be given

Over the counter medication needs to be in the original packaging

The medication authorization form needs to be completed by both the parent and the ordering physician This includes

over the counter medication as well This form needs to be on file in the health office if you want your child to receive any

medication while at school

You do not need to provide Ibuprofen or acetaminophen This is currently a stock medication The medication form still

needs to be completed

If your child has asthma and is able to self carry their inhaler please complete the medication form or provide a copy of the

inhaler box with the prescription label that which states the inhaler can be self administered

Please take a moment to review the policy below Thank you

PTO News

Mark your calendars

Seventh and Eighth grade Partners day is scheduled for November 13th Our Spirit Wear Committee will be available at dis-

missal time If you would like to purchase items please remember to bring cash or your checkbooks Wearing these items is a

great way for our students to show their school spirit

Our next PTO meeting will be on November 16th

Still Looking for Volunteers

We are actively looking for volunteers for our sports concessions and helpers for preparing honor roll certificates

GMSS doesnrsquot have its own sports booster club Instead it has the PTO Although sports concessions only operate

during home indoor sports events all GMSS teams benefit from PTO financial help All Concessions profits go to

the PTO budget under Athletic Club support We are looking for volunteers to help organize the setup and schedul-

ing of concessions as well as workers to man the concession station Please consider helping out Contact Fatima

Udoiwod at udoiwodicloudcom to volunteer Thank you for your continued support

A quick word from the health office regarding the medication at school policy

Medication need to be brought into school by an adult and not sent with the student

Prescription medication needs to have the appropriate label from the pharmacy which includes Name of the drug students

name dosage and time medication is to be given

Over the counter medication needs to be in the original packaging

The medication authorization form needs to be completed by both the parent and the ordering physician This includes

over the counter medication as well This form needs to be on file in the health office if you want your child to receive any

medication while at school

You do not need to provide Ibuprofen or acetaminophen This is currently a stock medication The medication form still

needs to be completed

If your child has asthma and is able to self carry their inhaler please complete the medication form or provide a copy of the

inhaler box with the prescription label that which states the inhaler can be self administered

Please take a moment to review the policy below Thank you

A quick word from the health office regarding the medication at school policy

Medication need to be brought into school by an adult and not sent with the student

Prescription medication needs to have the appropriate label from the pharmacy which includes Name of the drug students

name dosage and time medication is to be given

Over the counter medication needs to be in the original packaging

The medication authorization form needs to be completed by both the parent and the ordering physician This includes

over the counter medication as well This form needs to be on file in the health office if you want your child to receive any

medication while at school

You do not need to provide Ibuprofen or acetaminophen This is currently a stock medication The medication form still

needs to be completed

If your child has asthma and is able to self carry their inhaler please complete the medication form or provide a copy of the

inhaler box with the prescription label that which states the inhaler can be self administered

Please take a moment to review the policy below Thank you