GMS Family Newsletter

What a great week at GMS! Our students and staff enjoyed another exciting week of learning and engagement, capped off by some Halloween fun on Friday! It was great to see so many students showing their creativity and school spirit through their costumes, bringing plenty of smiles and excitement to our hallways.

As we head into November, we look forward to building on the momentum of a strong start to the second quarter. We are proud of the many great things happening throughout GMS and look forward to the opportunities and experiences ahead for our students!

#BuiltInTheMiddle!,

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

Monday, November 2

• GMS Boys and Girls Basketball Team Field Trip to Tusculum

Tuesday, November 3

• Election Day - No School for Students
• GMS Offices Closed

Wednesday, November 4

Thursday, November 5

Friday, November 6

• Friday Night Lights - TSSAA 4A Playoffs Round 1 - GHS vs Knoxville Fulton

As a reminder, GMS offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as our building will serve as an election polling site. There will also be no school for students on this day.

Who says middle school isn't FUN?! Our Greene Devils wrapped up the week with a fun-filled Halloween dress-up day! Students and staff showed off their creativity and school spirit with a variety of costumes, bringing plenty of smiles and excitement to our hallways. We love seeing our GMS family come together, enjoy these moments, and make lasting memories along the way!

You may have noticed a familiar face recently at GMS! Cody Guinn is now our dedicated School Resource Officer! Please join us in welcoming him to this role. Thank you, Cody, for helping keep our students, staff, and school safe!

Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Kathy Campbell as our Interim Art Teacher at GMS! We are excited to have her join our Greene Devil family and look forward to the creativity and enthusiasm she will bring to our art classroom. Welcome to GMS, Mrs. Campbell!

Visit the GMS Athletics page on our school website for the most up-to-date athletic information. You'll find team contacts, required athletic forms, schedules, physical information, and other important announcements. We encourage families to check the page regularly throughout the school year for updates.

GMS Athletics: https://gms.gcschools.net/o/gms/page/athletics

1 ADULT – GENERAL ADMISSION TO ALL HOME GMS SPORTING EVENTS. THE PASS DOES NOT INCLUDE OFF-SITE SPORTING EVENTS OR TOURNAMENTS.

All purchased passes may be picked up from the GMS Main Office.

The Turkey Trot is right around the corner, and we encourage our GMS families to attend and participate in this fun event! Additional information can be found in the flyer included in this week’s newsletter. When registering, be sure to select GMS as your school affiliation to show your Greene Devil pride!

The Greeneville Police Department has notified us that keeping East Vann Road clear and traffic moving is essential for safety. Please keep the following in mind when arriving for afternoon pick-up:

• Vehicles may not stop or wait in the roadway along East Vann Road while attempting to turn right onto campus. The Greeneville Police Department has advised that vehicles stopping in the traffic lane and impeding the flow of traffic may be ticketed.

• If the car line is backed up to East Vann Road, please do not stop in the roadway. Instead, drive past the school and enter the turn lane from the Hal Henard direction, or drive around and return a few moments later once the line has moved.

• When entering campus, please consider alternating turns with vehicles coming from the opposite direction. Allowing one car at a time from each direction to enter keeps the pace even and helps traffic continue to flow. Allowing three or four vehicles to turn across at once can quickly back up traffic on East Vann Road and can also block vehicles trying to exit our car line.

• The CarRiderPro tag reader turns on at 2:00 p.m. Vehicles may not line up or wait at the sensor before 2:00 p.m. This allows us to maintain access to the back parking lot for as long as possible.

Pro Tip: If your schedule allows, consider arriving around 2:55 p.m. The car line is typically much shorter and moves quickly by that time.

Thank you for helping us keep East Vann Road clear, maintain safe traffic flow, and keep our campus entrances accessible.

Morning car drop-off begins at 7:00 a.m., when staff members come outside to begin welcoming students. A few reminders will help us keep morning arrival safe and efficient:

• Please use both lanes of the car line.
• We use the entire drop-off lane, from the green sign below the awning to the trees at the back of the lot. Pull all the way forward and stay close to the car in front of you. Please do not wait to stop/drop off at the end of the awning.
• Once you have passed the trees and traffic comes to a stop, please have your student exit the vehicle. Using the full drop-off area allows more students to exit at the same time, helping us keep traffic moving while maintaining a safe and orderly arrival.
• Students exiting from vehicles in the outside lane should wait for an adult to signal that it is safe before crossing the inside lane.
• Pro-Tip: Plan to drop-off between 7:06-7:16.

A few things make a big difference in keeping our afternoon line moving:

• Have your car tag with you. If you do not have a car tag, you will need to park in the front lot, come inside, show your ID, and sign-out your student.
• The CarRiderPro tag reader turns on at 2:00 p.m. Vehicles may not line up or wait at the sensor before 2:00.
• Use both lanes of the car line. This helps us move more vehicles through the loading area at one time.
• Pull up close to the car in front of you. Maximizing the number of cars in the loading zone allows us to dismiss more students with each group.
• Keep driving until traffic stops or you reach the beginning of the loading zone. Please do not stop when you see your child. We use the entire loading area, from the green sign below the walkway all the way to the trees at the back of the lot.
• Remind your student to watch for your car and be ready to load quickly when dismissed from the sidewalk.
• If your student is not outside and ready to load, you will be directed to pull into the parking row at the bottom of the lot. We will check to make sure your tag scanned correctly, replace a tag if it is no longer working, and call your student outside.
• Pro tip: Car rider traffic is significantly reduced by approximately 2:55 p.m. We highly recommend waiting until that time to arrive when possible. Your overall wait will be much shorter as you cruise straight through our line!

Tardy & Early Check-Out Reminder:

Being at school for the full day and arriving on time helps students stay engaged in learning. In alignment with our Student Handbook (viewable on the GMS website & link at the bottom of this newsletter), the accumulation of three or more unexcused tardies and/or unexcused early check-outs during a semester will result in consequences through our progressive discipline policy, beginning with lunch detention.

Thank you for helping your student arrive on time and remain at school through the end of the day.

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. Apply now!

The Free & Reduced-Price Lunch Application for the 2026–2027 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

Please note: If your student qualified for free or reduced-price meals last school year, you must complete a new application for the 2026–2027 school year. Eligibility does not roll over from year to year — a current application must be submitted and processed for benefits to continue.

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!

Bus Transportation- If your student will be riding the bus, please verify transportation questions with our transportation department (423-525-4793). Additional information on the My Ride k-12 app can be found here: https://www4.gcschools.net/page/transportation

The online transportation change form should be the primary method used to submit any transportation changes for your student. All online requests must be submitted by noon on the day of the requested change to ensure we have time to make the necessary arrangements.

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.

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.

Shelby Weber, Being Flexible – Shelby was flexible in helping cover classes last week when we were short-handed! Thank you!

Sarah Shipley, Being Flexible – Sarah was flexible in helping cover classes last week when we were short-handed! Thank you!

Antigone Duarte, Being Flexible – Antigone was flexible in helping cover classes last week when we were short-handed! Thank you!

Ronda Miller, Being Flexible – Ronda was flexible in helping cover classes last week when we were short-handed! Thank you!

Carrie Foster, Being Flexible – Carrie was flexible in helping cover classes last week when we were short-handed! Thank you!

Keshia Sanders, Being Flexible – Keshia was flexible in helping cover classes last week when we were short-handed! Thank you!

Emily Dean, Being Patient – Emily has been so accommodating this year by having her classes in the science lab. I appreciate her patience as this project has taken much longer than anticipated!

Kim White, Everything! – Kim does a great job working with students during EDT and is making a difference through essential intervention! Additionally, she is SO flexible with her time, making sure she can help with band when needed! Thank you!

JP Hall, Being Helpful! – JP is always willing to help where needed and does it with a smile! Thank you for always being so helpful!

Marty Seaton, Dedicated – Marty has worked diligently to identify and address academic learning gaps, helping students strengthen their skills and achieve success!

Judy Steen, Intentional – Judy consistently demonstrates intentionality in supporting students, helping them grow and become the best versions of themselves.

Jamel Hall, Inspiring – Jamel works diligently to support students while serving as a positive role model and making a meaningful difference in their lives.