community newsletter

As August ends and September begins, our Piney Point of View is one of gratitude and excitement. We've had a fantastic start to the school year, filled with energy, connection, and strong support from our families. Thank you for sharing your students with us and for partnering with us to make this year a success.

Thank you to all who attended Curriculum Night—we appreciate you taking the time to connect with our teachers and partner with us in your child’s success.

We’re proud to celebrate our four amazing Teacher of the Year finalists and thrilled to announce that Coach Vince Wynn has been named our 2025 Teacher of the Year. Clubs and organizations are already in full swing, bringing energy and enthusiasm to our campus.

Additionally, we’re also excited to announce this year’s Grizzly Great Day of Giving (G3), which will take place on March 20th. Stay tuned for how students will be giving back through their organizations throughout the year—this service will culminate with a school-wide day of service in March.

At Piney Grove, we live by our motto: We work hard. We are family.

With #pineypride,

Lori

September 1 - No School - Labor Day

September 16-18 6th Grade Field Trip

September 19 - Dodge Ball

September 22-26 - Fall Break

December 15-18 - Midterms

May 18 - 22 - Finals

We are excited to launch Partner Connect, a special opportunity for parents, families, and community members to get involved and support our students. Whether it’s volunteering at events, sharing your expertise, or lending a helping hand, your partnership makes a difference in the success of Piney Grove Middle School.

Interested in joining? Click here to learn more and sign up

Do you have a passion for music and experience working with student musicians? We’re looking for someone to lead a once-a-week before-school orchestra club for students of all levels. A small stipend is available. The position requires Lay Coach certification through the district (we can help guide you through that process).

A teacher club sponsor will be assigned to assist with the school-side responsibilities of running the club.

Interested or know someone who might be? Contact Lori Waddell at lwaddell@forsyth.k12.ga.us for more information.

We are planning a fun outing to the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC). Your child will go on the same day as their Thrive teacher.

Your price of $35 includes the following: round-trip transportation on school buses, admission to CNC and educational programs. The students will be chaperoned by 6th grade teachers, an administrator and parent volunteers.

In order to reserve the transportation and tickets in advance, the PAYMENT AND FORM deadline for students is Tuesday, September 2, 2025 YOU MUST PAY ONLINE and turn in the completed permission forms to your Thrive teachers by this date.

Please fill out the permission- Click Here

Please pay for the this field trip- Click Here

We will be conducting Vision Screening for our 7th Graders September 2 - 5 and would love to have you partner with us.

Please sign up HERE to help.

8th Grade Dues are now available to be paid on School Pay. Our 8th grade dues help offset the cost of our 8th grade events and include a ticket to the 8th Grade Dance in May. We look forward to celebrating our 8th graders this year!

Questions? Please reach out to Dr. Missy Marsh, 8th Grade Administrator.

Picture Day is September 12, 2025!

Click here to pre-order your child’s photos. BPI will also email you proofs which can be purchased at a later date.

Piney Grove Middle School is proud to continue one of our most meaningful traditions — G3: Grizzlies' Great Day of Giving! On this special day, all PGMS students will step up to give back to our community in impactful, age-appropriate ways.

Each grade level will participate in unique service experiences:
- 8th Grade students will be empowered by partnering with local businesses and charities to complete real-world service projects.
- 7th Grade students will be engaged as they volunteer at nearby schools, helping younger learners.
- 6th Grade students will be educated through on-campus rotating sessions, completing service projects that benefit the school and community.

Since Piney Grove’s early days, service has been at the heart of who we are. G3 is our way of honoring that legacy and living our Grizzly values out loud.

We hope you’ll SAVE THE DATE – March 20, 2026 – and support this incredible day by:
- Paying the $20 student fee (additional giving levels available) to help offset the cost of the t-shirt, lunch and supplies needed service projects
- Donating items for project sessions
- Volunteering as a chaperone or session leader

Participation links will be released in October.

If you have an organization close to your heart that you’d like for us to contact for G3 Day, please email Melissa Greely at mhgreeley@yahoo.com.

Thank you for supporting this amazing tradition and helping us show our community that here at Piney Grove - We work hard. We are family.

We can’t do any of this without YOU! We have a few open positions on our PTSO board including Co-President, Vice President, VP of Fundraising, and VP of Programs. We also welcome parents who want to get involved in any capacity, big or small. If you have any questions, please email us at pineygroveptso@gmail.com.

To join the PTSO, click HERE.

Want to celebrate one of our AMAZING Piney Grove Staff Members? Please use THIS FORM to shout out our staff and celebrate the incredible ways they support our students!

We are incredibly grateful for the support of our business partners, whose generosity helps enrich the educational experience for all Piney Grove students. If you or your business would like to join our Partner Connect program and make a difference in our community, please reach out to Dr. Missy Marsh, f44895@forsyth.k12.ga.us, for more information.

Huntington Learning Center helps students succeed with personalized tutoring in reading, writing, math, study skills, and more—as well as test prep for SAT, ACT, PSAT, Georgia Milestones, and beyond. Families can save $100 on an academic evaluation (regularly $195) and support PGMS with a $50 give-back for every enrollment.

Learn more at HuntingtonHelps.com or call the Cumming center at 770-292-8995.

Success in high school and beyond isn’t about piling on more activities—it’s about building authenticity and depth early on. Click HERE to learn more.