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GCS Monday MorningA weekly update for Gaston County Schools employees and parents October 27-November 2“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." -- Anatole France, French poet and novelist
News, Notes and Information
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United Way fundraising campaign begins today
Our annual fundraising campaign for the United Way of Gaston County begins today and runs through Friday, November 7. The United Way funds many worthwhile programs and services in our community, including initiatives for Gaston County Schools. We hope you will give what you can – we sincerely appreciate your contribution. If you have questions about the United Way campaign, please contact your principal or department campaign coordinator.
Board of Education cancels November work session
The Gaston County Board of Education canceled its November work session originally scheduled for Monday, November 3. The November regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the GCS Central Office, 943 Osceola Street, Gastonia. The public is invited. The Gaston County Schools Master Facilities Planning Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. prior to the November 17 regular meeting.
Kia Outstanding Educator Awards Ceremony
The Kia Outstanding Educator Awards Ceremony will be held at Stuart W. Cramer High School on Wednesday, November 19 at 4:00 p.m. Each school and the Central Office will have a nominee for the Kia Outstanding Educator Award. A random drawing will be held to determine the winner, who will receive a new Kia Soul from Kia of Gastonia.
State Health Plan open enrollment ends FridayAttention, employees: Open enrollment for the State Health Plan ends Friday, October 31. The choices you make will remain in effect from January 1 through December 31, 2015. For more information, visit https://gcsbenefits.hrintouch.com. If you are satisfied with your current plan, you do not have to re-enroll in that plan. However, if you are enrolled in the Enhanced 80/20 plan or the Consumer-Directed Health Plan (CDHP) and wish to maintain or lower the premium, you will need to complete the wellness premium credits by October 31. If you do not complete the wellness premium credits, you will remain in the Enhanced 80/20 plan or CDHP, but the employee-only premium will be higher.Thank you, Gaston Regional ChamberWe would like to thank the Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce for helping us to celebrate National Principals Appreciation Month. The chamber gave each principal a beautiful yellow mum during last Tuesday’s principals meeting. Chamber representatives Rick Houser and George Ratchford presented the flowers and expressed appreciation to the principals for their outstanding leadership and commitment to public school education.GCS students featured on TV morning showA Gastonia dance studio that provides lessons and activities for children with special needs received national attention last week. Several of the children in the "Today" morning show story are GCS students. Click here to watch the video.Dates set for end-of-year tests
The State Board of Education recently approved the end-of-year testing dates for elementary and middle schools. The N.C. final exams for middle school (grades 6-8) are May 20-21. The end-of-grade tests in reading, English/language arts and math for grades 3-8 are May 27-28. The end-of-grade science tests for grades 5 and 8 are May 29 - June 3. An updated testing calendar is available in the GCS employee portal under the Testing Department link.New Professional Learning Opportunities catalogThe Office of Professional Learning has released a new Professional Learning Opportunities catalog for all GCS employees. The catalog is a great resource that lists professional development programs and seminars. Click here to download the catalog.Volunteer orientation sessions for OctoberOrientation sessions for adults wishing to serve as school volunteers will be held October 27 at 4:00 p.m., November 5 at 12:15 p.m., November 12 at 4:00 p.m. and November 17 at 8:30 a.m. at the GCS Central Office. For more information, call the Business Partnerships Office, (704) 866-6329.Model bridge building competition for studentsMiddle and high school students are encouraged to enter the 16th annual model bridge building contest sponsored by the N.C. Department of Transportation. The competition is designed to create student interest in careers related to transportation, engineering and construction. The deadline to register for the competition is November 14. Click here for more information and click here for a video about the contest. We hope to have GCS students involved in this competition, so please encourage your students to enter.Friday is deadline for entries in 175th anniversary contestsStudents from across the state are invited to participate in essay, poster and video contests that coincide with the 175th anniversary of public schools in North Carolina. The contests are sponsored by the N.C. Association of School Administrators. The deadline for entries is Friday, October 31. We would love to have Gaston County Schools represented in the statewide contests. Cash prizes will be awarded. Click here for more information.
GCS Photo of the Week
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UAW helps with landscaping project at Rhyne ElementaryRepresentatives from the UAW Local 5286 organization spent time Friday morning at Rhyne Elementary School planting the 50 azaleas the school received from N.C. Beautiful, WRAL-TV and Capitol Broadcasting. The three organizations provide azaleas to schools and community groups across the state for creative landscaping projects. Rhyne principal Linda Neely and assistant principal Tim Reed (pictured with the UAW representatives) would like to thank the UAW Local 5286 group for helping to make the campus beautification project possible.
School Events and Activities
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Bessemer City High: Community Trunk-or-Treat program, Friday, October 31, 5:00-7:00 p.m.Bessemer City Middle: PTA Meeting, Monday, October 27, 6:00 p.m. and Fine Arts Night, Tuesday, October 28, 6:00 p.m.Stuart W. Cramer High: Theater production of Dracula, Tuesday, November 4, 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.East Gaston High: Choral Music Festival, Saturday, November 1, 5:00-7:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, Stanley. Tickets are $12.W.C. Friday Middle: Arts Festival, Thursday, October 30, 6:30-8:00 p.m.Gaston Early College High: Spotlight Night for eighth grade students and their parents who are interested in the Early College program, Monday, November 10, 6:00-8:00 p.m.Grier Middle: Hispanic Heritage Night program, Tuesday, October, 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m. and School Dance, Thursday, October 30, 5:00 p.m.Hunter Huss High: 'Haunted Huss' activities, Thursday, October 30, 6:00-7:30 p.m.Pinewood Elementary: Boo, Books, and Boogie Family Night, Thursday, October 30, 6:00-7:30 p.m.South Point High: Community Trunk-or-Treat program, Friday, October 31, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Must See Video From Gaston County Schools
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Have you downloaded the new GCS mobile app to your smartphone? A lot of people have and you should too. The app is designed to enhance communication with parents, students, employees and the community. The mobile app is available as a free download in the Apple iTunes and Google Play online stores - search "Gaston County Schools." Check out our promotional video by clicking below.
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Superintendent's MessageAgain this year, Kia of Gastonia will sponsor the Outstanding Educator Awards program that recognizes the “unsung heroes” of Gaston County Schools. The program honors 57 employees – one from each school and one from the Central Office – who go beyond expectations to help our schools, but don’t always get praise for a job well done.The Outstanding Educator Awards ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, November 19 at 4:00 p.m. at Stuart W. Cramer High School. While all nominees are honored during the ceremony for their hard work and commitment to Gaston County Schools, one emerges as the Kia Outstanding Educator and receives a new car from Kia of Gastonia. A random drawing will be conducted to see which nominee wins the 2014 Kia Soul.The Kia Outstanding Educator Awards ceremony was an excellent program last year, and we are anticipating another suspenseful and exciting event. All schools are encouraged to have representatives at the ceremony to support the nominees.We are extremely grateful to Chris Hafer, president of Kia of Gastonia, for making this important recognition program possible. Mr. Hafer wanted to show appreciation and support for our schools and the car giveaway is how he says “thank you” to all school employees for providing excellent educational opportunities to children.Last year’s winner – W.A. Bess Elementary custodian Omer Salazar – was most deserving of the award and new car from Kia of Gastonia. We look forward to finding out in just a few weeks who will join him as the second recipient of the Kia Outstanding Educator Award.W. Jeffrey BookerSuperintendent of Schools
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Recent Headlines
Check out these recent news headlines from Gaston County Schools:
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On the CalendarOctober 1-31National Principals Appreciation MonthRed Ribbon WeekOctober 28End of First Nine-Week Grading PeriodOctober 31HalloweenNovember 4Election DayNovember 6Early DismissalNine-Week Report Cards DistributedElementary and Middle School Parent-Teacher Conference DayHigh School Professional LearningNovember 10-14School Psychology Awareness WeekNovember 11Veterans Day HolidayNovember 17Board of Education Meeting7:00 p.m.November 19End of Second 6-Week Grading PeriodKia Outstanding Educator AwardsStuart W. Cramer High School4:00 p.m.November 26Student Holiday/Teacher Annual LeaveNovember 27-28Holidays (Thanksgiving)Click here for the GCS calendar
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Weekly Points of Pride
W.A. Bess Elementary students in Kim Crain’s and Rose Nabinett’s kindergarten class observed Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing pink on October 15. The students wanted to honor mothers and faculty members who are battling the disease or have survived it.Hunter Huss High School received 780 scientific calculators from Classroom Central, an outstanding business partner that provides resources to area schools on a regular basis.Cramerton Middle School received a $200 contribution from PSNC Energy to support the Discovery music class.Laura Long, media specialist at Kiser Elementary, was chosen to present a session at the N.C. School Library Media Association conference in Winston-Salem. She led a workshop titled “Lights, Camera, BOOKS!” that focused on engaging students in creating book report video commercials and blogging to promote literacy and library activities.Students in the Cherryville High School teacher cadets program implemented a tutoring and mentoring program at John Chavis Middle School.
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Communication Tip
People love stories, and we love telling them about our schools. It's the most powerful form of communication regardless of one's age, background or experience. To begin leveraging the power of storytelling, first identify your school's "personality." Consider what your school is known for, what your school does particularly well, values held by students and staff, and how parents and stakeholders view your school. Use this information to develop your stories. Tell your stories in various ways -- in the school newsletter, in front of the PTO audience, during halftime of an athletic event, over the intercom during daily announcements, on a "good news" bulletin board, using the telephone communication system, etc. Let space and time determine how much attention you give to a story, but most important is to tell your school's story every chance you get.Source: PRincipal Communicator, National School Public Relations Association
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This week's GCS Monday Morning is produced by the Communications/Public Information Department for the students in the Cherryville High School teacher cadets program and everyone who cares about Gaston County Schools.Please e-mail information for GCS Monday Morning to Todd Hagans, Chief Communications Officer: tthagans@gaston.k12.nc.us