Genesee Jr/Sr High: Fall is in Full Swing and We're Thriving!

Greetings, Genesee families!

We're already in week 6, and what a fantastic start to the school year it's been! Our students are settling into routines, embracing new opportunities, and making us proud every day.

Highlights:

• Cell Phone Champs: A big shout-out to our students for doing a fantastic job adhering to cell phone expectations! Students are adhering to expectations and keeping their phone in their bag or the cell phone holders in their classes. Our students are allowed to use their phones in before school, after school, at lunch, and in between classes. Thank you for your support in implementing this policy. We are seeing increased student engagement in classes because of this policy.

• 6th Grade Success: Our newest Wolves have transitioned seamlessly, and we're thrilled to have them in the Jr/Sr High School. Mrs. Davis and Mr. Trigger are steady at work helping our students make the transition as smooth as possible. Our 6th graders now know they have limited time between classes to get to their next class. When asked how they are doing, the typical response from many 6th graders is that they feel like their school day goes by quicker since they switch classes every hour. We are thankful to have this great group of kids at the Jr/Sr High School and look forward to seeing all that they will accomplish!

• Coding for the future: Our new Junior High coding class is sparking creativity and problem-solving skills. More and more students have requested to take this course and learn valuable computer science skills that will benefit them in today's technological society.

• More PE, More Fun: Expanded physical education offerings are keeping our students active and healthy. Every single junior high student will receive at least a semester of physical education this year. Brain research shows the benefits of physical activity and we are happy to offer these course offerings to each of our junior high kiddos.

• AP Literature: Challenging our high schoolers with a brand-new AP Literature course. The AP courses add a new element to programming at Genesee High School. Many students are taking advantage of this opportunity and challenging themselves through this rigorous coursework.

• Youth Entrepreneurship Club: Fostering innovation and business savvy in our future leaders. We have officially started a new Youth Entrepreneurship Club that we believe is an important avenue to reach our young entrepreneurs. The students will be provided with authentic opportunities to get involved in an exciting opportunity to show their entrepreneurship skills and learn the tricks of the trade. Mr. Allen is heading up this opportunity and providing a great new experience to our students. If students show excellent progress in this club they may have a chance to present a Shark Tank style presentation in front of county educators with opportunities to win cash prizes. See the Link below, which outlines the entire program.

• Welcome Student Teachers: Three excellent student teachers are joining our team and bringing fresh perspectives to our classrooms. Mr. McDowell is working with a former teacher of the year, Mr. Capuchina and Ms. Shantry, to provide students with a strong junior high and high school social studies curriculum. Ms. Dunton is working with Mrs. Rutledge to challenge our students in their high school ELA courses, and Ms. Lawrence is working with Mrs. Moore each day in high school social studies courses. Our student teachers are professional, positive, and personal. We are happy to have them in our building; they will help all our students in those courses. As you may know, the market for teachers has dramatically decreased, and it is important that we support the profession by encouraging more people to join the profession. Having three student teachers in our building allows us to grow individuals in their college coursework and help grow the profession.

• Music Matters: It has been far too long since we invested substantially in our band and music programs, but we did just that. Mr. McMartin is leading the way in upgrading our band equipment and recruiting students to join the program. We look forward to future performances from our band and music students!

Go Wolves!

Adrienne has served as a middle school science teacher and teacher leader in her building as well as leading Kearsley's summer learning program. She has served the Kearsley Community since 2004 and comes highly regarded for her curriculum work, leading staff development, and developing strong relationships with students, families, and colleagues. Adrienne brings proven leadership and expertise to our team! Adrienne is slated to start at the end of October.