PANTHER PROWL

Even though this is my first year of retirement, I am happy and excited to return to my original WPUSD roots at Glen Edwards Middle School. I could not be more honored or proud to serve as the Assistant Principal supporting Mrs. Fernandez as she transitions to her new role.

I was a Math teacher at GEMS for three years before heading over to Twelve Bridges Middle School for 18 years. I was the Assistant Principal for nine years, and then was the school Principal for nine years up until my recent retirement.

First Semester report cards will be sent via Parent Square on Monday to the email on file using the systems Secure Document feature.

If you have NOT accepted an emailed "INVITE" you will not be able to open the attachment until doing so. If you have previously accepted an invite and were able to view Report Cards/Progress Reports there is no action needed to view the document.

Please ensure we have your current mailing address as hard copy report cards will be mailed later in the week.

Promotion based on academic achievement for 2024/2025:

The following three requirements will be utilized in determining academic eligibility for promotion and summer school eligibility. Students meeting all three of the following requirements will be academically eligible to participate in the promotion Ceremony.

1. Overall cumulative GPA of “C” or better
2. GPA of 2.0 (“C”) or better in Language Arts
3. GPA of 2.0 (“C”) or better in Mathematics

The academic requirements will only apply to semester 2 grades for the 2024/2025 school year and will be applied at administration discretion.

8th Grade Promotion Activities (2024/2025):

Eighth-grade students must meet the academic and behavioral requirements to participate in promotion activities. Academic requirements are listed above and the behavioral requirements are listed below.

Eighth-grade promotion activities may include a water park trip, promotion dance, and the promotion ceremony. Additionally, students must return all materials, supplies, textbooks, and equipment issued to them and must pay all their debts by the required deadlines.

If during the last seven weeks of school, a student receives the following discipline, it may result in:

• First Administrative Referral – Loss of water park trip
• Third Administrative Referral – Loss of Promotion Dance

• One day of suspension – Loss of all promotion activities with the exception of the promotion ceremony.
• Multiple days of suspension - Loss of all promotion activities including the promotion ceremony.

8th grade families be on the lookout for more detailed information after the first of the new year!!

Attention 8th Grade Parents. It is that time of year to start planning your child’s end of the year event, “The Promotion Dance”. This event is planned and executed by you….the parents and we need your involvement to ensure its success.

The first Parent Promotion Dance Committee Meeting is scheduled for January 23rd at 5:00pm in the GEMS library.

At this meeting we will review the dance budget, purchasing procedures, and proven best practices.

The dance will not happen without your support. We hope to see you there!

We wrapped up 2024 with some fantastic activities organized by our leadership students!

Canned Food and Sock Drive
In partnership with The Salt Mine, our students spearheaded a canned food and sock drive. Thanks to their efforts—and the generosity of our school community—we donated over 750 cans of food and approximately 100 pairs of socks to those in need. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated and donated!

Winter Dance: "Winter in the City"
Our students hosted a wonderful winter dance with the theme "Winter in the City." They worked together to create stunning decorations inspired by New York City, including scenes from Central Park, Times Square, the city skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and iconic yellow taxi cabs. The evening also featured a cozy hot chocolate station where students could enjoy a warm treat. We are so proud of their creativity and teamwork!

Looking Ahead: January and February Events
As we begin the new year, our leadership students are already hard at work planning exciting activities for January and February, including:

• School Rally: Our 3rd all-school rally will take place on January 31st.

• Spirit Week: Spirit Week is scheduled for February 3rd–7th, with fun dress-up days and activities to build school spirit.

• Valentine's Day Dance: This semi-formal dance will be held on Friday, February 7th.

• Random Acts of Kindness Week: In February, students will organize activities to spread kindness throughout our school community.

Stay tuned for more updates as these events draw closer. Thank you for your continued support!

Sandie Mullen

Glen Edwards Leadership Teacher/Activities Director

Glen Edwards Physical Education

ATTENTION PARENTS!

The PBIS Team on campus is looking for parent representatives to help add important input on student behavior patterns and ideas for our incentive programs on campus. For those of you unfamiliar with the program, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework that helps schools create safe and effective learning environments for students. We are seeking parents willing to join our monthly PBIS meeting on campus.

Our next meeting is February 3rd 3:15-4:15 in room B1. If this is something you may be interested in please contact our site Principal, Jessica Fernandez at jfernandez@wpusd.org or our PBIS Lead, Anastasia White awhite@wpusd.org

Wrestling and Girls Basketball seasons are underway! For students that are interested in spring sports, Girls Flag Football, Track and Field, and Boys Volleyball will all be starting in March.

You must have your physical uploaded to Final Forms before the tryout date.

MEETINGS

If you missed the meeting last night mark your calendar now for the next APTS meeting. It will be on February 6th @5pm in the GEMS Library. We hope to see you there!! Everyone is welcome to attend and we appreciate any support you can provide.

ONGOING FUNDRAISERS

• Check out and support our APTS STORE!! Updated items are:
• Stickers have been discounted to only $1 now!!
• Bling Hoodie Strings are still available for $5ea.

Hello WPUSD Students, Staff and Families,

We are seeing an increase in the use of e-scooters as a mode of transportation to and from school. E-scooters, while convenient, must be operated within the law to ensure the safety of both riders and others. We are partnering with the Lincoln Police Department to help educate our students and families about the laws surrounding e-scooter use. Through this collaboration, we aim to raise awareness, promote safe practices, and ensure everyone understands their role in keeping our community safe.

Under California Vehicle Code 407.5(a), an e-scooter is defined as:

A “motorized scooter” is any two-wheeled device that has handlebars, has either a floorboard that is designed to be stood upon when riding or a seat and footrests in place of the floorboard, and is powered by an electric motor.

The law also places clear restrictions on e-scooter operation under Vehicle Code 21235, including:

• Riders are REQUIRED to have a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit.

• E-scooters cannot be operated on sidewalks, except as may be necessary to enter or leave adjacent property.

• No passengers are permitted on an e-scooter.

• Riders under 18 must wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet.

Additionally, California Education Code requires schools to take responsibility for student safety during their travel to and from campus. Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in incidents involving e-scooters, some resulting in serious injuries. To address these safety concerns and ensure compliance with the law, e-scooters will no longer be permitted on elementary and middle school campuses starting in January. All high school students riding an e-scooter to or from school must have a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit.

We know that e-scooters are a popular gift item and mode of transportation for students. While they can be a fun and practical choice, we ask families to consider these laws and safety guidelines before allowing their use.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep safety at the forefront as we head into the new year.

Please see the fliers below for information regarding the districts TK/Kindergarten New Student Parent Information Sessions. The information presented will be the same at every session and there are TWO SESSIONS left.

As we enhance safety measures, please note IDs will be checked every time you come to pick up your student during school hours. Please have your ID ready for the office staff. This includes anyone listed as an emergency contact. Be sure you have logged into the PowerSchool Parent Portal and submitted the ARU modules for accuracy.

REMINDER: We can not allow food delivery services (Doordash, Postmates, UberEats, etc.) to GEMS. Breakfast and Lunch are available to all students without charge.

IF your student wants to participate in any athletic capacity be sure you have an account created in Final Forms and physical clearance by a physician.

• Parent AND Student must create their own account, fill out and submit information via FINAL FORMS
• All students must have a current PHYSICAL on file with the school (current means within the past year).

Visit jostensyearbooks.com to place your order.

Advanced Broadcasting produces GEMS TV every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/gemstv916

WeAre105 podcast has started! Subscribe to our channel on Spotify or Apple Podcast

Panther Press is live NOW! Visit pantherpress916.com to see the latest articles written by the Journalism students at GEMS. The views on this site do not reflect the views of WPUSD or the admin at GEMS. Our goal is to promote student expression and provide a platform for diverse voices and viewpoints within our campus community.

Learn more about our food service program HERE and visit the food services website HERE for daily menu options.

Check out the flier below. There are several ways to report absences. We hope you find it useful!

• When you receive a message that your student was absent, you can respond easily by clicking on the link within the message to report your student's absence.
• 7th period is actually the students PAW period and the first class of the day Tuesday - Friday.
• ALSO NOTE: There will be NO TRAVEL STUDIES allowed to last two weeks of school.
  

Don't forget to follow our GEMS Facebook Page to stay on top of all the fun things we are doing around campus! Click this link or the picture below to follow!