GMS Family Newsletter

Dear Greene Devil Family,

As we enter the final week of the school year, there is a great sense of excitement and pride throughout Greeneville Middle School. Our students have represented GMS well during recent field trips and activities, demonstrating outstanding character, responsibility, and school pride while creating lasting memories with their classmates and teachers.

This time of year also brings opportunities to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of our students. With awards days, end-of-year activities, and final classroom projects taking place, students are finishing the school year strong while reflecting on all they have accomplished throughout the year.

We are incredibly proud of the effort our students and staff continue to show each day as we work together to close out another successful year at GMS.

Learning, Leading, Lifting... #RISEasONE,

Dr. Rachel Adams, Principal
Mr. Bryan Everhart, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Nancy Philbeck, Assistant Principal

Monday, May 18

• GMS 8th Grade Awards @ NPAC @ 10:00am
• GMS 8th Grade Dance @ GMS 6:30-9:30pm
• 7th Grade field trip to movies
• 6th Grade Olympics at the track

Tuesday, May 19

• 7th Grade Awards in GMS Commons @ 8:15am
• 6th Grade Awards in GMS Commons @ 9:30am

Wednesday, May 20

• Last Full Day of School

Our 7th grade students had the opportunity to learn from a variety of community professionals during Career Day this week. Students heard firsthand about different career paths, educational experiences, and workplace expectations while engaging with professionals from several fields. This experience helped connect classroom learning to future opportunities and encouraged students to begin thinking about their goals beyond middle school.

Our 6th grade students recently participated in a hands-on STEM challenge where they designed and built protective devices to see whose egg could safely make it to the ground without breaking. Using materials such as tape, cups, balloons, and other creative supplies, students worked collaboratively to problem-solve, test ideas, and apply critical thinking skills through this engaging learning experience.

Our student leaders did an outstanding job representing GMS during Rising 6th Grade Night as they welcomed incoming students and families to our Greene Devil community. Their leadership, kindness, and willingness to serve helped create a positive and welcoming experience for those joining the GMS family next school year. Additionally, Brantley Marion and Olivia Howard proudly represented GMS at the recent Greeneville City Schools Board meeting, where they were recognized for receiving the Character Education Award. We are proud of the leadership and character our students continue to demonstrate both inside and outside the classroom.

Our Yearbook Club students are leading behind the scenes to make yearbook distribution a success! Their hard work, organization, and attention to detail are helping preserve the memories of an incredible year at GMS. Thank you for stepping up, serving others, and showing what it means to lead with responsibility and pride.

Our 6th and 7th grade students recently enjoyed end-of-the-year trips to Dollywood, where students and staff had a wonderful time together celebrating a successful school year. The trip provided opportunities for students to build relationships, make lasting memories, and enjoy time together as the school year begins to wind down.

Students: Chorus students should arrive at NPAC by 8:00. Ms. Townsend will take attendance, and they will rehearse for their performance. All other 8th graders should be at NPAC by 9:00. If a student comes to school that morning, bus transportation will be provided. The bus should leave GMS at 8:30. Students will be placed in their seats and practice for the morning’s activities.

Bus Transportation Permission Slip: Anyone coming to school that morning will be provided bus transportation to and from school to the NPAC. An online permission form must be signed by a parent/guardian for bus transportation. That form can be found here: https://gms.gcschools.net/o/gms/page/field-trips

Parents/Guests: The doors will open for all guests at 9:30. For those unable to attend, it will be livestreamed on the Greeneville City Schools website. The website address will be sent via Bright Arrow the morning of the event. The link can be found below as well.

Ceremony: That morning, the 8th grade chorus will perform, and Dr. Adams and Mr. Starnes will speak. A select few academic awards will be given as well as character awards. Individual class awards and Presidential Gold and Silver Awards will be placed in the student’s folder with their 8th grade certificate and announced as they come across the stage. ALL 8th graders will cross the stage to receive their 8th grade certificate.

Conclusion: At the conclusion of the ceremony, your child is encouraged to leave with you. Each parent will need to “check out” their student with their homeroom teacher before leaving. If your student can not leave with you, there will be bus transportation back to the school. Those students will finish the day as a regular school day. Those students need to meet Mrs. Hansard at the front of the stage.

We would invite all GMS 8th grade students to attend the dance from 6:30 pm-9:30 pm on May 18th. The event is free. All food is free. While most students dress formally, we encourage all students to attend for one last celebration with their peers and teachers. Students will be picked up and dropped off at the front entrance of GMS.

Greeneville Middle School is proud to recognize 8th grade student Olivia Howard for placing 7th in the state of Tennessee during the Spring Qualifier of the 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) U.S. National Championship in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019).

This outstanding accomplishment reflects Olivia’s dedication, hard work, and advanced technology skills. GMS would also like to recognize Mrs. Andrea Tolley for her commitment to providing students with meaningful, real-world learning experiences that prepare them for future success.

Congratulations to Olivia and Mrs. Tolley on this impressive achievement. We are proud of the way they continue to represent Greeneville Middle School with excellence!

Tara Disalvo, Beginning with the End in Mind, Tara always takes initiative, steps in to help wherever needed, and approaches every challenge with a positive attitude and solution-focused mindset. Her dedication to students and staff creates a supportive and encouraging environment throughout GMS.

Todd Pait, Marisa Perkins, Jason Shelton, Wendy Hansard, Being Proactive, Thank you for being exemplary educators not only in academics, but with setting and reinforcing strong ethical and moral standards in your classrooms. We are so grateful for you all!

To help us better support families and ensure timely communication, a Transportation Change Request button is now available on the GMS homepage. This allows families to submit requests directly so our team can review and follow up as needed.

Please note that all transportation changes must be submitted by 12:00 PM to be processed for that day.

We are excited to share an opportunity for our 8th grade students as they prepare for high school. Rosie’s Girls Camp will take place at the end of May at GCTA and is an interactive 4-day experience that includes hands-on STEM activities and field trips to local companies and colleges. Participants will also receive a camp t-shirt.

This opportunity is open to current 8th grade girls (rising 9th and 10th graders for the 2026–2027 school year) who are interested in exploring careers in STEM. Best of all, the entire experience is free.

We encourage interested students to apply and take advantage of this great opportunity.

Camp NPAC Kids is a summer theatrical day camp for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Throughout the week, participants will sing, act, dance, design costumes, and help create set and prop pieces for a full week of fun!

GMS Families,

We want to keep our dismissal process safe and efficient for everyone. Local law enforcement has asked us to remind families that blocking the roadway during afternoon pickup is not permitted.

Officers have issued and will continue to issue tickets to motorists who stop in the road, especially before carline begins moving.

To help us keep dismissal running smoothly, please keep these reminders in mind:

• CarRider Pro will not start reading until 2:00 PM, and parents/guardians cannot begin lining up until 2:00 PM.

• Dismissal begins at 2:40 PM. Arriving too early causes traffic backups.

• Always have your car tag visible.

• Follow staff directions at all times during dismissal.

• Pull all the way forward when directed.

• If your student is delayed, please use the designated waiting area so traffic can continue to flow.

• Carline remains open until 3:10 PM, and there is often little to no wait toward the end of carline.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in making dismissal safe and efficient for everyone.

For the safety of all students and to ensure a smooth dismissal, student checkouts are not permitted between 2:00–3:00 p.m. During this time, students are engaged in their final classes of the day, and our office staff is focused on preparing for afternoon dismissal. Please plan all afterschool appointments at a time that allows for checkout before 2:00 or after 3:00. If you do not have a car rider tag, please park and come into the office after 3pm to sign-out your student. Thank you for you help as this helps us maintain a safe and efficient process so that all students get home safely.

Bus Transportation- Want to know exactly when the bus will pick-up or drop-off your child? It's easy using the My Ride k-12 App! Additional information on the My Ride k-12 app can be found here: https://www4.gcschools.net/page/transportation . If your student will be riding the bus please verify transportation questions with our transportation department (423-525-4793).

Please note, unexcused morning tardies count toward GCS truancy and GMS discipline and are cumulative for the entire school year. As outlined in the student handbook each combination of 3 unexcused morning tardies = 1 infraction on the progressive discipline policy (beginning at level 1). In addition, any combination of 5 unexcused morning tardies/early check-outs will result in one-full day unexcused absence toward truancy.

Please remember to notify the school anytime your student is absent. Parents may submit a parent note to excuse up to three days per semester. The easiest way to submit notes, whether parent or doctor, is through the online absentee reporting form found on our school website or the email/text link you receive when an absence is recorded as unexcused. Students may also turn in physical notes to the office; however, they often forget and fail to do so within the required two-day window (resulting in unexcused absence toward truancy).

All notes, parent or physician, must be submitted within two days of returning to school.

There has been a lot of discussion on social media regarding school attendance and notes. Good school attendance is essential for student success, as missing more than eight days in a semester, including illness or doctor-excused absences, is considered chronic absenteeism. Regular attendance helps students stay on track with their learning and is directly linked to higher achievement and an increased likelihood of graduation. Please reach out to GMS admin if you have any questions or need support.

Greeneville City Schools only offers free breakfast and lunch for elementary school students. Greeneville Middle School and Greeneville High School students are charged for breakfast and lunch daily. Many families are eligible for Free & Reduced meals by competing the Free & Reduced Lunch Application. Also, families must submit an application yearly. Apply now!

The Free & Reduced-Price Lunch Application for the 2025–2026 school year is now open!

We encourage all families to apply — even if you believe you may not qualify. Completing the application helps ensure access to important funding and opportunities for:

✅ Student Education
✅ Technology & Internet Access
✅ College Application Fee Discounts
✅ Scholarships

You can apply quickly and easily by scanning the QR code below or clicking this link:
🔗 https://frapps.horizonsolana.com/GREC01

If you have questions, please email Brianna Holt at holtb@gcschools.net.

Thank you for taking a moment to complete this important application and helping us better support all students!

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Technology is incorporated into the curriculum and is for student use under teacher supervision. Any destruction of the technology equipment or misuse of software or internet capabilities will result in strict disciplinary action. All families must sign and agree to the Responsible Use Policy before students will be permitted access to the internet at school. This policy is updated every year and includes detailed information about proper internet use and the care of student computers. This document is posted on the GMS website.