PANTHER PROWL

Dear Panther Families,

Happy September! It has been wonderful seeing our students settle into their daily routines, reconnect with friends, and bring so much positive energy into our classrooms over the past couple of weeks. Our 2026–2027 school year is officially off to a fantastic start!

As we transition into the full rhythm of the fall semester, we are focused on creating a Positive, Productive, and Professional learning environment for all of our Panthers—both in the classroom and online.

With technology playing such an important role in our students' daily lives, we want to ensure they have the tools and awareness to navigate the digital world responsibly. We invite all of our families to join us for our upcoming Digital Citizenship Fun Presentation on Thursday, September 10th! This will be an engaging and informative event designed to help students and parents build healthy online habits together. More information below.

Strong connections between home and school make all the difference, and we look forward to seeing many of you on campus for this event.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we dive into a busy and productive September.

Go Panthers!

With Panther Pride,
Jessica Fernandez
Principal
Glen Edwards Middle School

We are off to a great start! During the first week of school, administration visited all PE classes to review The Panther Way, and expectations were reinforced throughout our First Five Days of FLEX. Families can also review the full Panther Way presentation here: Panther Way (English Version); Panther Way (Spanish Version)

A few important reminders as we continue settling into our routines:

• Phones and earbuds should be put away during the school day.
• Toys, fidgets, sports equipment, and other personal items from home should stay at home.
• Energy drinks and energy powders are not allowed on campus, including energy and specialty drinks from Starbucks and Dutch Bros.
• Chromebooks should NOT be used in the Quad or Spirit Center during breakfast or lunch.
• Tardies add up! Students should be in class and ready to learn when the bell rings. Consequences for repeated tardies will begin soon.
• Minga passes are being used for bathroom and hall passes. Students have two bathroom passes per day and need to return to class within the time allowed on their pass.

Thank you for helping us reinforce these expectations at home as we work together to keep our Panthers focused, safe, and ready to learn!

Thank you so much to all of the parents and guardians who joined us for Back to School Night! We know how packed your family schedules are, and we deeply appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to walk through our halls, meet our teachers, and invest in our school community.

Student success is at the heart of everything we do, and achieving it is truly a team effort. When families and educators work hand in hand, our students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Your presence sent a powerful message to your children about the value of their education and the strong support system standing behind them.

I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing, dedicated campus community. Thank you for your continued partnership—we are looking forward to an incredible school year together!

We are so proud to share that California PBIS is recognizing Glen Edwards Middle School of Western Placer Unified School District for successful implementation of PBIS at the GOLD level.

This recognition reflects our school’s excellence in putting the core features of PBIS into practice. With nearly 2,700 schools applying for recognition this year, earning this honor is a significant achievement and a testament to our team's dedication to creating positive outcomes for students. We are incredibly proud!

Hello Panther Families,

It's that time of the year when we are looking to build our GEMS School Site Council! The purpose of the School Site Council is to bring together, teachers, parents, administrators, classified staff, and students who will work together to develop, review, and evaluate the school's improvement programs and school budgets.

If you are interested in school policy or budgets, you might enjoy serving on the GEMS School Site Council. Parents who are interested in serving on GEMS School Site Council, please fill out the

INTEREST FORM <<HERE>>.

Welcome back Panthers to a brand new school year at Glen Edwards Middle School!

This year, we are continuing our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework to build a safe, encouraging, and highly effective learning environment for all students. Our goal is to set clear behavioral expectations so every student feels supported and empowered to succeed.

At GEMS, our daily expectations center around three core values:

• Positive: Bringing a good attitude, encouraging peers, and engaging respectfully with teachers and classmates.

• Productive: Arriving on time, staying on task, completing assignments, and taking ownership of learning.

• Professional: Dressing appropriately for school, using respectful language, and representing GEMS with pride in the hallways and classrooms.

Throughout the year, we will actively teach, model, and reinforce these behaviors. Students demonstrating these values will earn positive recognition and rewards along the way. Thank you for partnering with us at home to reinforce these expectations and make this an incredible school year!

During the presentation, our students will learn valuable skills to help them overcome challenges and achieve their dreams! If you were part of the GEMS community we had him here last school year in April to focus on Growth mindset and the students loved it!

We are also happy to have him here for a parent presentation that evening! See the flyer below. You don't want to miss it!

ParentSquare is the official communication platform for GEMS and Western Placer Unified School District. We use ParentSquare to share school updates, important reminders and time-sensitive information, including communications during an emergency.

We strongly encourage all families to download the free ParentSquare app and enable notifications. The app provides the most convenient way to receive messages, view updates and stay connected with your school.

Once downloaded, sign in using the email address or phone number listed in PowerSchool. You can also select your preferred language and customize how you receive routine notifications.

Download the ParentSquare app through your Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

STARTING AFTER SCHOOL ON 9/2

We are excited to share opportunities for students to get extra academic support and connect with peers through fun activities after school!

Tutoring

• Days: Tuesday – Friday

• Time: 3:05 – 4:35 PM

• Location: Library

• A great place for students to complete homework, study, or get academic help.

Thank you to all that came to our Back to School Night. During the FLEX period of the night, you learned about what FLEX is and also about Minga. Here is the information for Minga. Keep in mind students are not to have phones at school, so everything for Minga is done from chromebooks and Chromebook kiosks during the school day.

Guides to help your family get started with the Minga platform:

Family Introduction (English)

Spanish Family Intro (Español)

We had a fantastic August welcoming our Panthers back to school! A special shout-out to our Leadership students for making 6th Grade Orientation a success by leading campus tours, getting to know our newest Panthers, and helping students feel welcome.

🌟 September Events

Get ready—September is going to be Out of This World! 🚀

🎉 Spirit Week | September 14–18
Students will have the opportunity to show their Panther spirit with fun themed days throughout the week. More details coming soon!

🚀 First Dance of the Year – Friday, September 18

We are excited to kick off the year with our first dance of the school year! This year’s theme is “Out of This World!” 🌎✨🚀. To make the dance experience even more enjoyable, we will be offering two separate dance times:

• 👽 6th Grade: 3:30–5:00 PM

• 🌙 7th & 8th Grade: 5:30–7:00 PM

Get ready for an evening that is sure to be stellar! We are looking forward to a school year filled with fun events, school spirit, and opportunities for our students to make great memories with their friends.

Go Panthers! 🐾🚀

September is Attendance Awareness Month, and at GEMS, we know that every day matters!

Did you know that missing just 10% of the school year can impact a student academically? That’s about 18 days over the course of the year, or just two days a month. A day here and a day there may not seem like much, but they can add up quickly.

September is an especially important time to build strong attendance habits. In fact, research shows that half of students who miss just 2–4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school during the year.

We know there will be times when students need to miss school, especially when they are sick or for other important reasons. Our goal isn’t perfect attendance. It’s making sure our Panthers are at school as much as possible so they don’t miss valuable learning, connections with teachers and friends, and all the opportunities that happen throughout the school day.

This September, let’s work together as a Panther community to make attendance a priority. Families, students, teachers, staff, and our community all play a part in helping our Panthers get to school, get there on time, and make every day count.

Every day matters. Every Panther matters.

• 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 ZERO Period. Should you receive an absence notice the student missed 7th period it is technically their 7:00-7:45am class
• 8th period is actually the students FLEX/Intervention period Tuesday - Friday. Should you receive an absence notice the student missed 8th period it is technically their 12:35-1:03pm class.
• ALSO NOTE: There will be NO TRAVEL STUDIES allowed the first two weeks or last two weeks of school.

****See the flier at the bottom of the newsletter for additional information and quick reference.

Schedule change requests will only be considered during the first two weeks of school. The deadline to submit a schedule change request is Friday, September 4.

The Schedule Change Request Form will be available online and physical copies will be available in the GEMS office for students and families who need one.

Please note that schedule changes will not be made for the following reasons:

• A desire for a different instructor
• A desire for a class to be scheduled during a different or specific period
• A request to change an elective after the first two weeks of school
• A student is failing a class
• A desire to have classes with friends
• A conflict with another student in a class. Students should work with their counselor or an administrator to address conflicts and work toward resolution.

We understand that students may have preferences regarding their schedules; however, schedule changes are limited due to class sizes, staffing, and course availability. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to ensure that all students are appropriately placed.

Please submit all schedule change requests by Friday, September 4.

The link is live and open for ALL parents of WPUSD students to update their student emergency contact information and e-sign waivers on-line. https://powerschool.wpusd.org/public/

Please take a few moments to confirm, update and submit each module of information by September 1st. There are new modules that have been added this year. If you are unsure how to navigate the system click the following link for resources: ARU Website Resources

Failure to submit current/updated information will result in exclusion from activities such as dances and delay any travel study applications until all modules are submitted.

We will continue to ask for IDs when picking up students. Please ensure you have yours with you and that your name appears on the student profile as an authorized person to pick up the student.

Fall Picture Day was Thursday, August 20th, 2026 so if you missed the first day of school, make ups are scheduled for 9/28/26 during PE. These are the ONLY dates to have student pictures taken and these images will be used for the yearbook.

Hello Parents (From Bill Smith),

Your pictures are posted online to access your child's private gallery. You can easily access your pictures by clicking on the direct link that was sent to your email/text.

You may also visit our website below. This will require an "ONLINE CODE". This will be unique to each student and is their (Student ID Number)

Direct Link: [GLEN EDWARDS FALL 2026-2027

OR Go to https://billsmithphoto.com

1. Select View/Order Sports & Event Photos from the "View My Images” dropdown menu
2. Select GLEN EDWARDS FALL 2026-2027
3. Select your package

Order Questions? Call or Text (916)749-1026 (Press 1 if calling) or email services@billsmithphoto.com

Here is the link:
https://form.jotform.com/262285185056158

This same link was included in all the email notifications parents received when informed that the images were online.

If a student hasn't been photographed, they don't need to use this sign-up. This is only for those who were photographed and would like a retake when we are back on campus on September 28 for make-up day.

When bringing your student(s) to school or picking them up, please use only the two designated lines:

1. Front of the school – entering from 3rd and L

2. Side of the school – 3rd Street heading toward L

🚗 Important reminders:

• If you are in the drop-off/pick-up lines, you must remain in your vehicle and be ready to move forward when the line advances.

• There are no other approved drop-off or pick-up areas.

• Parking lots on either side of the school may only be used if you are parking and walking your student in/out of school. They may not be used as additional drop-off/pick-up lines.

• 🚍 Do not enter the bus zone. This causes delays to our bus routes and creates safety concerns.

Thank you for following these procedures to keep all students safe and traffic flowing smoothly!

As the new school year begins, we are partnering with school districts throughout Placer County to help raise awareness of two important online safety initiatives: AppSafe and Guard Against the (Groom)ing. These educational campaigns are designed to equip parents with the knowledge and tools needed to help protect children from online exploitation, recognize warning signs of grooming and encourage safe and informed technology use.

To learn more about these initiatives, please visit:

• AppSafe: https://www.placer.ca.gov/AppSafe
• Guard Against the (Groom)ing: https://www.placer.ca.gov/Guard

To support this effort, we have created a one-minute parent awareness video. The video is intentionally brief, making it easy to incorporate into existing outreach while providing families with valuable information on keeping children safe online.

• 1 minute video to link: click here

Thank you for your partnership and for your continued commitment to the safety and well-being of the students and families in our community. We sincerely appreciate your support in helping us share these important educational resources and look forward to working together to promote online safety throughout Placer County.

Thank you for helping keep our kids safe,

PE Teachers began filling PE clothing orders on Monday, August 31, 2026, through PE classes. Both pre-orders and cash purchases were honored. Please note that the online OMELA store has now closed. Going forward, PE clothing can be purchased through the front office beginning Thursday 9/3/26.

For your convenience, prices are listed below:

• $10 — Shirts
• $10 — Shorts
• $20 — Set (shirt and shorts)

Sweatpants and sweatshirts will be available at the end of September. Be on the lookout for another OMELA store and additional information in the weekly Panther Peek!

To ensure the safety of our students and remain in compliance with new state mandates, all volunteers—both new and returning—must complete a brief online safety training on Mandated Reporting through PublicSchoolWorks before volunteering on campus or attending school events/field trips.

Even if you were cleared to volunteer in previous school years, you will need to complete this training and fulfill the updated requirements before you can be cleared for this year.

For step-by-step instructions and additional details, please see the attached district communication sent out in July <<HERE>> . Thank you for your support in keeping our campus safe!

CROSS COUNTRY, BOYS FLAG FOOTBALL AND GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

• Cross Country is open to all grade levels
• Boys Flag Football and Girls Volleyball are open to 7th/8th grade

Please make sure you have a current physical uploaded to FINAL FORMS and all forms signed before the first day of tryouts.

Questions about Athletics? Email jnoonan@wpusd.org

For all 7th and 8th graders interested in playing, practice will be:

• 3:10-4:40pm M-F
• on the field @ GEMS

Questions...contact tcolson@wpusd.org

Practice times:

• Mondays and Tuesdays from 7-7:45am
• Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:05-4:00pm
• There are only TWO(2) Friday practices on 8/28 and 9/4 from 3:05-4:00pm
• Meets will be on Thursdays and there will be no practice on Fridays once the meets start.

Coach Banderas- jbanderas@wpusd.org and Coach Smith- rsmith@wpusd.org

We meet for practice by the tree at the far end of the track

• Regular Practices:

  • Starting: Monday, August 24

  • Schedule: Monday through Friday

  • Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Coach Chichizola achichizola@wpusd.org and Coach Luci dluci@wpusd.org

• Any 7th or 8th graders interested in trying out in October, there will be a brief meeting Thursday, September 10th in room 105 at 3:00 p.m.

Coach Noonan jnoonan@wpusd.org

8th Grade Parents, if you are interested in 8th Grade Dedication ad..click link below and we will
contact you when school begins
https://forms.gle/T6M72zxSfycNKca99

Web Link

Pre Order Now

https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A09891586

OUR 24/7 GLEN EDWARDS MIDDLE SCHOOL Sideline Store is up and running. Stop reading and start shopping to score the latest fan wear and accessories.

*PLEASE NOTE: THESE CLOTH ITEMS WILL NOT MEET PE UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS. DO NOT PURCHASE FOR PE CLOTH FROM HERE.

WHO ARE WE?
We are the Association of Parents, Teachers and Students (APTS) at Glen Edwards Middle School. The purpose of APTS is to raise and administer funds to support the education of our students; as well as for the improvement and enrichment needs of the students and staff of Glen Edwards Middle School. Our primary focus is to keep our kids, staff and families engaged, inspired and active, by fostering relationships between the school staff, families, teachers and students. Our goal is to build community, while making our school a great place to learn.

One way to support APTS is to become a member. APTS membership is open to parents, students and staff. Right now we are holding a Membership Drive! The class with the highest percentage of sign ups will WIN cupcakes for the whole class and the teacher will WIN $100 for classroom supplies. Click on the linktree link below to sign up today!

Check Linktree regularly for the most up to date APTS information!

MEET THE BOARD: Click here
STAY CONNECTED: Linktree
APTS MEETING: Our next meeting is on Thurs, Oct 15th at 4:30pm in the school's library! We hope to see you there!

¿Quiénes somos?
Somos la Asociación de Padres, Maestros y Estudiantes (APTS) de la escuela secundaria Glen Edwards Middle School. El propósito de APTS es recaudar y administrar fondos para apoyar la educación de nuestros estudiantes, así como para atender las necesidades de mejora y enriquecimiento tanto de los alumnos como del personal de la escuela. Nuestro objetivo principal es mantener a nuestros estudiantes, al personal y a las familias comprometidos, inspirados y activos, fomentando las relaciones entre el personal escolar, las familias, los maestros y los alumnos. Buscamos crear comunidad y, al mismo tiempo, hacer de nuestra escuela un lugar excelente para aprender.

Una forma de apoyar a APTS es haciéndose miembro. La afiliación a APTS está abierta a padres, estudiantes y personal. ¡Actualmente estamos llevando a cabo una campaña de afiliación! La clase con el mayor porcentaje de inscripciones GANARÁ pastelitos para todo el grupo, y el maestro o la maestra GANARÁ $100 para material escolar. ¡Haz clic en el enlace de Linktree que aparece a continuación para inscribirte hoy mismo!

¡Consulta Linktree regularmente para obtener la información más actualizada sobre APTS!

CONOZCA A LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA: Click here
MANTENTE CONECTADO: Linktree

REUNIÓN DE LA APTS: ¡Nuestra próxima reunión será el jueves 15 de octubre a las 4:30pm en la biblioteca de la escuela! ¡Esperamos verlos allí!

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

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).

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 ZERO Period. Should you receive an absence notice the student missed 7th period it is technically their 7:00-7:45am class
• 8th period is actually the students FLEX/Intervention period Tuesday - Friday. Should you receive an absence notice the student missed 8th period it is technically their 12:35-1:03pm class.
• ALSO NOTE: There will be NO TRAVEL STUDIES allowed to last two weeks of school.
  

IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR!!

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!