"The Buckeye" ~GIS Newsletter~

At GIS, we firmly believe having a set of core beliefs shared among students and staff leads to increased levels of social, emotional, and academic achievement. At GIS, we believe . . .

• Positive Relationships are FIRST!
• Treat EVERYONE with respect and dignity.
• Push for success: Expect great things from ALL.
• Continually learn and grow personally and professionally.
• Show up and Do the WORK!

Happy November!

As a new season of Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to begin by saying "THANK YOU" for coming and supporting us at our annual Academic Fall Fest! A great time was had by all.

This month, we will have our Annual Veteran's Day Ceremony, and we are looking forward to welcoming you all back to campus for that on November 11th at 9:30am!

This group of kids is such a fun group full of leadership and stewardship and we will get the opportunity to see them in action during the ceremony!

It truly is a priviledge to serve as their principal! I am in awe of them and what they all can do both in and out of the classroom!

Buckeye Proud!

Jasmine McDowell

Gilmer Intermediate School Principal

All students will receive a form for parents/guardians to fill out if they have a Veteran they would like to honor. Please fill out the form completely, and return it to campus with your child as soon as possible. If you or a family member would like to attend and you have never had your ID scanned, please arrive to campus a little early to complete that process. This ceremony is such an awesome event that honors our Nation's Veterans, shines light on our staff and students, and highlights our AMAZING GHS Military Marching Band! The ceremony will be open to any parent/guardian of our GIS students who would like to attend.

The ceremony will also be live streamed.The link will be shared via Parent Square closer to the day of the event.

All students will test this month. On Thursday, November 12th, all students will take the ELA/ Reading Comprehension test. On Tuesday, November 17th, 5th graders will take the Science Comprehensive and 6th graders will take the Math Comprehensive. We will have an alternative schedule on these days to ensure students have enough time to take their tests. We ask that you ensure your child has a good night's rest, and encourage them to eat a good breakfast at home or school.

These tests are cumulative which means they test over everything that has been taught up until this point. The data from the assessments will help us determine our small group instruction, and what skills we need to remediate.

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through the 2nd quarter! Grades will be available to view at anytime, but will be finalized for Progress Reports on the 12th. If you would like a printed copy of your sudent's grading report, please contact the front office.

Morning Drop-Off

7:20-7:55am

(Students with Elem siblings dropped at front entrance; All others dropped at The Loop).

Instructional Day

7:40-3:25

Tardy Bell

7:55am (Students in class prepared for instruction)

Breakfast

Served 7:20am-7:55am

Lunch Schedule

5th Grade 12:40-1:10

6th Grade 11:40-12:10

Afternoon Dismissal

3:25pm

(Students with Elem siblings picked up at front entrance; All others picked up at The Loop).

GIS will enforce the dress code as noted in the Student Handbook. Please refer to the handbook for a more detailed description of the dress code. Below are a few areas we would like to emphasize:

• Jeans with holes can only be at mid-thigh and down.
• Tights may be worn with a top that hits at or below mid-thigh in the front and back.
• Straps on blouses need to be wide enough to cover bra straps. No skin below the arm pit or waist should be shown.
• Chest areas must be covered.
• Hair should be neatly groomed and away from eyes. Hair styles, designs, or colors that are distractions to the educational environment are not permitted.

• Small nose studs, only, are acceptable.
• No blankets allowed.
• No pajamas, unless it's "PJ day"

**Dress code violations are at admin discretion. This means, no matter if you think your child is in dress code, if admin says they are out of dress code, the student must change.

If for some reason the student cannot change clothes, further disciplinary action will be issued to the student.

Transportation Changes

Transportation changes for dismissal need to be made in writing and include the date and a parent/guardian signature. If an emergency should arise, parents may call the front office at (903) 841-7800 before 2:00pm to request a change with principal approval. Please do not email or text your child’s classroom teacher with a transportation change.

Students will need to know their route number. We will need a new note from a parent/guardian each time your child’s transportation changes. This is the only way for us to know exactly which mode of transportation your child will have each day.

Cafeteria

Breakfast and lunch are served daily free of charge to all Intermediate students.

Deliveries

Gilmer Intermediate School will accept gift deliveries such as candy baskets, flowers, balloons, etcetera, between 2:00 PM and 2:30 PM.

Lunch and/or food deliveries may be dropped off at the front office for student pick-up prior to the student’s lunch time between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Parents may only deliver food items for their child.

Group lunches will not be allowed.

We do not accept door dash for students.

November 11th- Veteran's Program at 9:30am

November 12th- ELA/Reading Comprehensive Test

~Progress Reports

November 17th- 5th Grade Science Comprehensive Test 6th Grade Math Comprehensive Test

November 23rd-27th- Thanksgiving Holiday

November 30th- Sock Drive begins

Jasmine McDowell, Principal cunninghamj@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7800

Tara Dudley, Asst. Principal tara.dudley@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7819

Hannah Burke, Counselor hannah.burke@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7821

Devon Lipsey, RtI/MTSS devon.lipsey@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7807

Lorelei Alford, Dyslexia alfordl@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7800

Megan Dorsett, Nurse megan.dorsett@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7805

Lucia Nava, Secretary lucia.nava@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7800

Kelleen Ketterling, Registar/PEIMS kelleen.ketterling@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7801

Aleshia Parker, Café Mgr. aleshia.parker@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7815

Rachelle Jones, Transportation jonesr@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7466

Luke Walters, Transportation luke.walters@gilmerisd.org (903) 841-7469