March 2016

T. BENTON GAYLE MIDDLE SCHOOL
“Promoting Excellence Through the Power of Learning”
“HOME OF THE PANTHERS”
100 Panther Drive, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406
Robin Lloyd, Principal
Dawn Miller, Assistant Principal
Chris Lewis, Assistant Principal
Website: gms.staffordschools.net
Gayle Middle School’s Mission Statement
The faculty and staff at Gayle Middle School support students in their endeavor for academic success by
providing high-quality learning opportunities appropriate for middle school youth while incorporating a
strong awareness of each student’s role within the school community.
March 2016
Principal’s Message
February was filled with excitement and March promises much of the same. Let’s review a few of
February’s highlights:
 Congratulations to Team Persson for winning Gayle’s 7th Grade Battle of the Books Competition.
Battle of the Books is a reading challenge that involves team work and a comprehensive knowledge
of fifteen books. We wish Team Persson the very best as they prepare for the county-wide Battle of
the Books Competition at A. G. Wright on April 8th.
 Under the direction of Mrs. Easter and Mrs. Fitzgerald many of our Focus students, participated in the
Model UN Conference in Williamsburg the weekend of February 19th -21st. The Conference was a
rich and rewarding experience.
 Due to an unexpected week off from school, our School-wide Magazine Fundraiser was pushed back
to Wednesday, February 23rd and will run through March 7th. If you have not already completed the
Reach-Out postcard booklets please do so. I encourage everyone to sell and/or buy from the catalogs
as the money we raise will help replenishing our technology resources and support our athletics
programs.
 Watch out for our Girls’ Basketball Team! With two wins under their belts they are sure to be in the
District Tournaments.
 Gayle Middle School’s SCA and NJHS led the Pennies for Pasta drive raising $1975.04 for the
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
 Speaking of SCA and NJHS, a “Thank You” those student groups for sponsoring this year’s 2nd
Annual Talent Show. The talent show is an opportunity for all students to showcase their amazing
talents. Congratulations to Faith Walthall on winning this year’s talent show. A round of applause
for Mr. and Mrs. Ritenbaugh and Mrs. Easter for orchestrating this wonderful event. A special thank
you to our judges Mr. Bruno, Mrs. Kavina, and Ms. Jones for the tough job of judging the great
performances. This was a fun, student lead enterprise, and an inspiring experience for everyone.
March brings the first of our Standards of Learning Assessments Tests. Our eighth grade students will
lead the way with the SOL Writing Test. Our students will start the multiple choice section and essay
Monday, March 7th through Thursday March 13th. The tests are not timed so some students may be
testing for a significant portion of the day. To help our students do their best on these tests, we ask
parents to insure they get plenty of rest the night before the tests, eat a balanced breakfast, arrive at school
on time on the day of their test, and try to schedule appointments on non-testing days.
I invite you and your family to attend Gayle’s Annual PTA Family Bingo Night on March 4th. Our PTA
does a great job supporting our school and having fun in the process. I also invite you to attend our
monthly PTA meetings, or to simply volunteer at the next PTA event.
Course registration for the 2016 – 2017 school year will start this the month. Students, with parent input, will
have the opportunity to select the courses they wish to take for the upcoming school year. Within the next few
weeks our school counselors will meet with our 8th graders to review their course requests to assist with their
selection. This is an important time to talk with your child about his/her interests, the amount of time your child
has to invest in accelerated courses, and the graduation requirements for the different types of diplomas. Please
see the Counseling Corner (page) for more detailed information.
Over the past few months it has become apparent that we educate our students on “Digital Citizenship.”
Digital Citizenship is a holistic and positive approach to helping children learn how to be safe and secure,
as well as smart and effective participants in a digital world. Social media and technology will continue
to increase at a rapid rate, as well as have a major impact in our society and in our educational
environment. Our students are surrounded by technology at school and at home. There are two types of
social media users; digital natives and digital immigrants. Digital natives are the ones who were born after
1980, they came to this world when the digital media existed. However, digital immigrants are the ones
who were born before 1980 and adapted their lives to digital media. As an individual born prior to 1980,
I have learned a lot about technology, the good and the “not so good.” One wrong post of a statement or
picture can cause major issues between individuals or perhaps be the beginning of cyber-bullying. My
charge to parents is to stay current on what your children have access to, including reading their text
messages and posts to all their social media. You might be surprised as to what their friends are sending
them and what they may be posting. As partners in education, we need to continue to reinforce Safety &
Security, Digital Literacy and Ethics & Community to our children on a regular basis.
Respectfully in Education,
Robin Lloyd
Principal
Calendar of Events
March
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
14
15
16
17
18
22
28 – Apr. 1
Primary Presidential Election – No School
Chorus Concert at 7:00 p.m.
Girls Bball v. RTMS
Interims distributed at end of day through homeroom
PTA Family Bingo 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Girls Bball v. DSMS
Band Concert at 7:00 p.m.
Girls Bball @ DMS
PTA Meeting in the Library @ 6:30 p.m.
Girls Bball @ SHMS
Orchestra Concert at 7:00 p.m.
Girls Bball Tournament (TBD)
Girls Bball Tournament (TBD)
Girls Bball Championship (TBD)
Spring Break
WOW!
Word of the Week
The Gayle Word of the Week will continue through May. Each week a specific academic word
will be highlighted on the announcements and in classes!
March’s WOWs!
Analyze – to break down into parts
Emphasize – to stress the importance of something
Elaborate – to give more details or new information about something
Verify – to prove the accuracy or truth of something
Parents – Try to incorporate these words at home and in your daily activities. Your child sees
these words in textbooks, assignments, and on the SOLs. The more exposure they have to using
them in a variety of settings, the better their knowledge and critical thinking will be. Parents in
the Know…
Parents in the Know…
The eight grade writing SOL starts the week of March 7th. This assessment consists of two parts
– a short paper on a given prompt and a test on the writing process and grammar and punctuation
that contains multiple choice and Technology Enhanced Items (ex. Drag and drop text). Students
have been preparing for these in English classes. What can you do to support your student? Ask
him/her when the class is taking the tests (two separate days), and make sure he/she get a good
night’s rest and eats a healthy breakfast. Also, make sure your child is not running late that day.
Additionally, talk to your child about taking his/her time. I like to remind students that writing is
“talking on paper.” This seems to help some when they are having difficulty figuring out what to
write. Encourage your child to plan and write a rough draft. If test anxiety is an issue, remind
your eight grader to believe in himself/herself and take a quiet, but relaxing breath, if he/she
starts to feel anxious. Self-talk is powerful; encourage your middle schooler to have a positive
attitude and believe in himself/herself. I know they can!
Here is the link to the practice items. Students have done these in class, but it doesn’t hurt to go
over them again. http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/released_tests/index.shtml
Jennifer Blecha, Reading Specialist
blechajj@staffordschools.net
PE News
As we start the month of March, students will begin taking FLE through their Health Class.
Please pay attention to the board and announcements for dates and locations regarding where to
report. In PE, as the weather starts to turn more Spring like, classes will be headed outdoors and
students should have a hoodie or light coat in case it's a little windy on the fields. Lastly, in
intramurals, The Lady Panthers went undefeated to capture the crown of Intramural Floor
Hockey Champions. Congrats to the Lady Panthers!
Congratulations
Members of the Girls’ Basketball Team
Cameron Downs
Kari Borja
Zoe Alhanati
Charlene Johnson
Darlene Johnson
Isyss Reed
Vanessa Moss
Bella Overby
Alia Carmichael
Maggie Hatton
Joanna Haley
Jenna Grey
Jenna Bragg
Hannah Myers
Kyra Gaitlin
Faith Piser
Managers: Letaysha Arrington, Julia Kennedy, and Zerie Jackson
Students selected for District Chorus
Sopranos:
Altos
Baritones
Susannah LeMay
Faith Walthall
Mitchell Motley
Caeleigh Feindt
Jenna Bragg
Ty Webster
Kayliah Hunt-Kendrix
Claudia Avaloz
Anthony Nieves
Alt: Katie Secino
Alt: Darby Gray
Alt: Tyler Cornwell
Alt: Jessica Koch
Thomas Moyes
Flutes
Helen Choi-Concert
Jaelei Spears-Concert
Students selected for District Band
Clarinet
Izzy Baksy-Symphonic 3rd Chair
Alto Saxes
Lucas Johnson-Symphonic 1st Chair
Sriram Darbha-Symphonic
Sarah Helms-Concert
Percussion
Maggie Hatton
Trumpet
Nathen Realmuto(Symphonic 1st Chair)
Art News
MARCH IS YOUTH ART MONTH
And this year it is also the month of the
Stafford County Public Schools’
Fine Arts Festival
Come and join us for this annual event that showcases the artistic talents of our students!
Performances and artwork will be on display all weekend
at
Brooke Point High School
Saturday, March 12 from 11am-4pm
and
Sunday, March 13 from 11am-4pm
Clinic News
March is National Nutrition Month
Many students who come to the clinic complaining of not feeling well tell me they do not eat breakfast in
the morning before school. Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of child development. It
influences growth, physical stamina, mental receptivity, general health and even disposition. It is not
difficult to understand the statement that "we
are what we eat". When we regularly eat highly nutritious food, we look better, we feel better and we can
work more efficiently.
DID YOU KNOW……………………………………..?
1) Breakfast is the most important meal of the day?
2) Your body needs fuel to give you energy for your day
3) Skipping breakfast may actually cause you to have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight because you
may eat more calories throughout out the day through snacking on high calorie foods.
4) Kids who eat breakfast do better in school and are more likely to participate in physical activities and
tend to eat healthier overall.
5) School Breakfast provides 25% of your recommended daily allowance of protein, calcium and Iron,
vitamin A and C and calories as well as meeting the Dietary guidelines for Americans.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
Just a reminder, please make sure your emergency phone numbers are updated and current for our
records. There is nothing more distressing to parents, staff and students then not being able to contact
parents/guardians when a child is ill or has been injured during school hours.
HELP WANTED
Substitute School Nurses
Registered Nurses licensed in Virginia preferably with a BSN are needed to substitute for School
Nurses. If interested, please apply at the Human Resources office or call for information at 6586000.
ELSA MANIERI
Children’s Insurance Outreach Coordinator/
Coordinadora del Seguro de Asistencia Médica
Melchers Complex
610 Gayle Street, Fredericksburg VA
22405
(540)368-5102
(540)368-2559 ext.123 - Fax (540)
368-1978
manieriem@staffordschools.net
DSS - (540) 658-4203
elsa.manieri@dss.virginia.gov
Cell (540)604-0513
Counseling Center News
Tricia Morgan: Counselor A-K
Jennifer Waterman: Counselor L-Z
Judy Basluke: Registrar/Secretary
Second semester will be a busy time in the school counseling office at Gayle Middle School. At
this point in the year, students will begin planning their courses for the 2016-2017 school year.
Counselors will be meeting one on one with eighth graders toward the beginning of March. This
is a crucial time for rising ninth graders because the decisions students make in ninth grade will
have an impact on their entire high school career. Our goal as counselors is to guide children in
a positive direction by providing support and encouragement during this time of transition. Part
of our role is ensuring students choose courses that coincide with their academic plan, match
their interests, and meet graduation requirements. During the session with the counselor,
students’ six year plans will be revisited. Your counselor will discuss the diploma options and
review the plethora of program offerings available to ninth graders. In addition, we will review
the results of the PSAT test students took in October. Encourage your child to attend one of the
program information sessions scheduled during the school day at Gayle. Teachers and students
from the Advanced Placement Programs of Excellence (APPX), International Baccalaureate
(IB), and Stafford Academy for Technology (STAT), will provide information and answer
questions about their programs to those interested. Students wishing to attend can sign up in the
school counseling office.
Rising seventh and rising eighth graders will begin the scheduling process near the middle of
March. A middle school course catalog will be issued to middle school students as well as a
course selection sheet. Students are asked to review the catalog and course selection sheet with
parents when making course selections for the following year. Rising eighth graders are also
encouraged to attend the APPX, STAT, and IB program information sessions. It is never too
early to start planning for high school.
SOL TESTING
Eighth graders are required to take a writing Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment. The test
will be administered during the week of March 7th-March 11th through English classes. There
are practice tests for both the multiple choice and writing portion of the test available on our
website under the “Panther SOL Information” tab. This page was created for parent and student
access with links to practice SOL sites, available guidelines to help make the testing experience
successful, and will eventually include our SOL schedule to keep you informed as to when we
will be testing at Gayle. Please contact the school counseling center with any questions.
Yearbook Pre-Order
Student Name: _________________________ Homeroom Teacher: _____________
Make Checks out to Gayle Middle
Yearbook orders started at Open House. We will continue to take orders throughout the year until Spring
Break. At that point, all pre-orders will stop and books will only be available for purchase at school
Monday – Wednesday before the yearbook distribution celebration and then again after the yearbook
distribution celebration has started.
(Reminder, we only ordered a limited number of extra yearbooks.)
Checks will be accepted only up to Spring Break. After that point, ONLY CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED
when yearbooks go on sale before and/or during the yearbook distribution celebration!
Please be aware that you can also order your yearbook on line at NO additional cost.
Just go to YearbookOrderCenter.com
Our school number is 4858
Only Basic Book: $40
TOTAL AMOUNT
(Circle) Check #: ______or Cash
If you move, you must leave a $10.00 mailing fee and a forwarding address to receive your book .
Free Children’s Dental Clinic Day
For Very Young Children and
Children with Special Health Care Needs
When?
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Where?
HealthWorks for Northern Virginia
Dental Clinic, Suite 160
163 Fort Evans Road NE
Leesburg, VA 20176
Who qualifies for this free clinic?
Children three years old or under
or
Children with special health care needs under 21 years old
How do I make an appointment?
Call (703) 443-2000 and ask for the dental clinic
What about my income?
There are no income restrictions for this program.
Who can bring my child?
A legal guardian must be present to sign the consent for dental treatment
and remain at the clinic during the child’s care.
Co-sponsored by the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia Dental Association Foundation
1
T Benton Gayle Middle School
March 2016
Short
Stops
School (still)
comes first
Spring is just around the
corner! As the days warm up, your
middle grader may be tempted to
enjoy the weather instead of studying
or going to school. Let her know you
expect her to keep up her schoolwork
and attendance. Discuss ways she
could feel refreshed, like reorganizing
her study space or doing homework
outdoors.
Ready for future careers
Fifty years ago, no one
could have predicted the jobs
of today. And it’s likely to
be the same for the jobs of
tomorrow. Help your middle grader prepare for a
world of change with
these suggestions.
Know how to learn
If your child isn’t developing as fast as
his peers, he may feel self-conscious.
Reassure him that his body will catch
up. Share your experience—if he’s a
late bloomer, it’s likely one of his parents was, too. Then, suggest he focus
on what he can control, such as staying
healthy by eating well and exercising.
Equip your child to
pick up new skills as he
goes. When he needs to figure
something out, have him brainstorm ways to get information or
instructions that will help. This will
teach him not to give up if his first idea
doesn’t work. If he’s stuck on a science
project, for example, he might consult
library books, talk to an aunt in the field,
or look online.
A humble attitude
Be information-smart
Being humble makes it easier for your
tween to accept feedback from teachers and coaches and to ask others for
assistance. Putting others’ needs first
is one way to practice humility. For
example, she might help a younger
sibling with homework even if she’d
rather watch YouTube videos.
On the job, your middle schooler may
need to analyze and understand large
amounts of information. He can practice
now when he reads material for classes.
For instance, he should read with specific questions in mind — looking for
the answers will keep him focused. Also,
Late bloomer?
Worth quoting
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney
Just for fun
Q:
What gets bigger the more you
take from it?
A:
A hole.
making an outline of the important
points could help him concentrate on
the information that matters most.
Work with diverse groups
Your child will likely collaborate with
people very different from him at work.
When he does group projects, point out
that including people from other backgrounds can make his team stronger
since they’ll bring different viewpoints
to the table. Also, encourage him to look
for what he has in common with others.
Classmates may be from different cultures but have the same favorite school
subject or enjoy similar hobbies.
Standardized test success
Your child will probably take standardized
tests around this time of year. Here are helpful tips:
■ Have your tween post the test schedule on your
refrigerator so she’ll know the dates she’ll be tested
on each subject.
■ Encourage your middle grader to pay close attention to directions. Many tests
require students to go beyond filling in a bubble — she may be asked to show her
work on a math problem or select two answers on a multiple-choice question.
■ Even if a test is not timed, she should work steadily and avoid spending too
much time on a single item so she doesn’t get frustrated. When she is finished,
she can go back to skipped questions and also double-check her work.
© 2016 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Middle Years
March 2016 • Page 2
Dealing with
dilemmas
she shouldn’t). Also, suggest she
put herself in the other person’s
shoes. If she were being badmouthed, would she want
to know?
Tip: Help your tween
understand that there’s not
always a perfect answer—
just a better one for her.
Middle graders may sometimes be
unsure about the right thing to do,
from handling friendship issues to
facing peer pressure. Encourage your
child to make good decisions with
these strategies.
Think through choices.
When no answer seems right,
talking things through can help. Perhaps your tween doesn’t
know whether to tell her friend that a classmate said something behind her back. Ask what would happen if she told
(the friend may be hurt and the classmate would probably get
mad) or didn’t tell (her friend might keep trusting someone
Q Middle graders
need more sleep
&
Q My son gets decent grades,
A ■
but his teachers say he’s always
sleepy and has trouble concentrating.
Any suggestions?
■
A If he’s eating well and shows no signs
of illness or drug abuse, he may just be
tired. The average 13-year-old needs as
much as 10 hours of sleep every night.
During adolescence, your son’s body
signals him
to go to
sleep and
wake up
later than
normal. So,
he may have to train himself to fall
asleep earlier. Choose a bedtime when
it’s easy for him to doze off. Then, move
bedtime 15 minutes earlier for a few
nights in a row. To make his new sleeping schedule simple to follow, your son
should get up at the same time every day.
If your child still has trouble concentrating even with more sleep, contact his
pediatrician.
O
U
R
P
U
R
P
O
S
E
To provide busy parents with practical ideas
that promote school success, parent involvement,
and more effective parenting.
Resources for Educators,
a division of CCH Incorporated
128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630
540-636-4280 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com
www.rfeonline.com
ISSN 1540-5540
© 2016 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Plan ahead. Wanting to fit in
may make it hard for your child
to do what’s best in the moment. She might know something
is wrong, but not know how to get out of it. Role-play scenarios, and brainstorm ways to respond. Say friends want her
to distract a store clerk while they steal makeup. She could
describe the consequences (“We could be arrested,” “I could
be kicked off the track team”) or go to the restroom and call
you, giving her time to avoid the situation.
Music to my ears
Music offers a fun way to connect with your
tween. Try these ideas.
Make a family playli st
Have everyone pick songs they like and put
them together on one list. Let your child show
e
you how— he’s probably the expert! Then, turn on your playlist when everyon
can sing or dance along (say, while doing chores together).
Hold a lip sync conte st
the
Ask each person to choose a family-friendly song and practice mouthing
for
vote
and
other,
lyrics along with it. Pick a date to perform your songs for each
a winner.
Name that tune
each
Listen to the radio or a playlist, and award a point to the person who names
artist.
or
band
the
name
to
song the fastest. Give an extra point to the first one
Parent Learn challenging words
to
(ology = a subject of study) will help her
My middle schooler
Parent comes
across some tough grasp the meaning.
vocabulary terms in her classes. When
Melanie got frustrated, I suggested she
ask her teachers for ideas on how to
approach learning the words.
One teacher encouraged
her to think about a word’s
root. For instance, audi is
the root of audible, audiology, and auditorium.
Piecing together the
definitions of the root
word (audi = hearing,
listening, sound) and
any prefix or suffix
Another teacher said she should try
to use these words as much as possible
to get familiar with them. For example,
she could quiz herself with open-ended
questions. (“How is an exothermic reaction different from an endothermic one?”)
She might also use them when talking
to others about homework or giving
answers in class.
Melanie has been using
her words around the
house, too—and now
we’re all learning new
vocabulary!