Welcome Back 2010

Greeneville Middle School

"Work Hard, Play Hard"

August 13, 2010

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Thanks for a great start back to school!  We have had great turn outs for our parent nights and enjoyed seeing our families again or meeting some new ones.  There are a few updates and reminders I would like to share with you as we move into our new year. 

At GMS, we continually strive to improve.  We believe that hard work, good effort, and positive attitudes are keys to success. Please make school a priority with your child, setting up a homework/study station at home, discussing school work and social issues, and being involved in the GMS parent groups such as the GSIA or Athletic Booster Club.  It takes all of us working together to give our children the best education.  We must be partners in this endeavor!  We will have high expectations of all students for good behavior, attitudes and work ethic.  Each child will be challenged and pushed enough to show significant progress.  We want students competing against themselves to improve and attain goals. Failure is not an option!

We moved to new software program last year called Power School, for attendance, grades, and student information. If you do not have a user name and password, please contact our guidance department at 639-7842.  One important thing that parents need to know and remember is that GMS teachers are asked to update grades by Thursday morning of each week.  Some teachers may update more often, but an updated grade weekly is the policy.  If you have questions or concerns about your child's progress, please do not hesitate to contact the teachers.    It is imperative that we maintain good communication between parents-teachers to ensure students are staying on track.

You will find a complete listing of our GMS staff on the back of this letter. Most email addresses are the last name first initial @gcschools.net; a few new teachers have different email.  You can access all email accounts and teacher web pages on our GMS home web page http://gms.gcschools.net/ . Teachers use their web pages to post homework assignments and to share information about classes.  As we have emphasized at our parent meetings, our new curriculum is more challenging for students.  Please encourage your student to do his/her best and keep on top of assignments and projects. 

After school tutoring will be available after Labor Day Monday through Thursday till 4:00 p.m. Bus service will be available for students who live within the city limits.  We are going to be having "classes" this year for tutoring. Our goal is to target skills and concepts that students are struggling with and focus improvement on those areas.  We will still have some time to do the homework or assignments that students have.  Tutoring  is a privilege and we expect appropriate behaviors, attitudes, and effort.     

We welcome your questions, concerns, and suggestions at GMS.  Our goal is to work with our parents to ensure a quality and enriching educational experience and prepare all students to meet or exceed the Tennessee Diploma Project requirements at the high school level and be prepared for post secondary education.  Thanks for being a part of the Greeneville Middle School team!

Sincerely,

Shelly W. Smith

smiths@gcschools.net