PANTHER PROWL

Dear Panther Families,

As fall weather settles in and we prepare for the upcoming holiday season, I wanted to take a moment to share some important updates, upcoming events, and reflections as we continue our work together to support the growth and development of your children.

1. November is a Month of Gratitude

As we approach Thanksgiving, it's a time to reflect on all that we are thankful for. In our classrooms, teachers are emphasizing the importance of gratitude, kindness, and community. We are encouraging our students to think about what they are thankful for and how they can show appreciation for others. Whether it's writing thank-you notes, helping classmates, or sharing moments of kindness, it’s wonderful to see these values being practiced daily.

2. Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for the week of the 18th. This is an important time for you to connect with your child’s teacher and discuss their progress, strengths, and areas for growth. Teachers will be reaching out to inform families about concerns and schedule times to meet. Your involvement in these conversations helps us support your child’s educational journey.

3. Thanksgiving Break & School Holidays

Thanksgiving break will begin on Monday the 25th and will run through Friday the 29th. We hope that you and your family enjoy this time to relax, recharge, and spend quality time together. Please remember that school will be closed during this break, and we look forward to welcoming students back on December 2nd.

4. Winter Clothing & Preparedness

As the weather turns colder, please remember to send your child to school dressed appropriately for the winter months. Layers, jackets, hats, gloves, and scarves will help keep everyone comfortable as we transition into colder weather. It is also a good idea to label all clothing items with your child’s name to avoid lost items. If you need assistance with winter clothing, please reach out to the school office.

5. School Safety Reminders

As always, the safety and well-being of our students is a top priority. Please remember to follow all drop-off and pick-up procedures, including respecting designated parking areas and crosswalks. Please slowdown in the school zone and stop for people in crosswalks. Your cooperation helps us keep our students safe.

A Final Word of Thanks

I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to each of you for the support, patience, and encouragement you show throughout the school year. It is truly a privilege to work with such an engaged and caring school community. As we move into the holiday season, I hope you take time to enjoy your families, create wonderful memories, and reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for.

Thank you for being a vital part of our school community. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or feedback. We are here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Warm regards,

Michael Bose
Principal, Glen Edwards Middle School

We will be on a SPECIAL SCHEDULE the week of November 18th-22nd and will dismiss at 12:45. Please refer to the schedule below as lunches and class times are modified.

Conferences should be scheduled for students not meeting "C" or better in any of their classes. Meetings will be held from 1:00-3:00 Monday through Friday and teachers should be contacting those affected.

We will also allow for conferences on Wednesday night from 5:00-7:00 for those who can not attend during the daytime.

All meetings will be held in the Spirit Center. Should you have any questions or concerns please contact your students teachers next week.

We kicked off the month by celebrating Red Ribbon Week. Students participated in a lively rally and enjoyed Spirit Week, showcasing their school pride. We were impressed by the creativity in our door decorating contest and loved seeing the fantastic costumes during Halloween.

One of the highlights of the month was our 3rd Annual Harvest Fair, which was a tremendous success. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed decorations, candy, cakes, and other goodies. Your support made the event possible, and we truly appreciate it. Thank you also to the volunteers who helped make the day run smoothly—we couldn’t have done it without you!

Looking ahead to November, ASB is excited to support the Boys Basketball Whiteout Game on November 19. We are also starting to plan for our next school event, which will take place in December.

Thank you once again for all your continued support. We couldn’t make these events happen without the involvement of our amazing school community!

Sandie Mullen

Let us help you get into the holiday spirit! The GEMS Panther Advanced/ Intermediate and Beginning Bands will perform their winter concert selections on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

The GEMS Gymnasium doors will open at 6:00 P.M. with the concert starting at 6:30 P.M.

This is a free concert and all are welcome! No tickets are required to attend. We will be accepting donations at the door. Donations will go towards the purchase of our first school concert chimes!

See you soon!

Ms. Harp

GEMS is offering After-School Homework support in the library. We will have students from Lincoln High School offering support from 3:00-4:00 (T-TH). Adult supervision will be present during all sessions, and this support is available on a drop-in basis. Going forward homework support will be offered Tuesday-Friday.

MEETINGS

Our next APTS meeting will be on January 9th @5pm in the GEMS Library. We hope to see you there!! Everyone is welcome to attend!

RAFFLE BASKETS

HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who donated items for our raffle baskets. And a huge thank you to those that made a bid. Our winners were:

• Coffee Basket - Gisela
• Hydration Basket - Charles

Winners were notified and picked up their prize from the front office.

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.

• Our first ever Turkey Trot will take place on Friday, Nov 22nd. Please see link below for more information and to help make this fundraiser a success! https://gemsaptsturkeytrot.cheddarup.com/

• Our next dine out event will be on Wed, Nov 13th at Dominoes Pizza. <<CLICK HERE>>!

BOYS BASKETBALL WHITE OUT GAME
GEMS VS EICH on Tuesday, November 19th
**Everyone Wear White to school and the game!
7th grade 4pm
8th grade 5pm

Show up to support your Panthers! We will have the BAND playing and FRESH FRENZY FRIES food truck for families/students.

Extremely proud of the girls who participated in ALL STARS and represented FISAL this year. Congratulations!!

Registration is now open for the 2026 Trip to Washington DC, New York & Philadelphia.

This trip is open to all 7th graders (for their 8th grade year).

We have already filled up one bus and are still adding students for our second bus. For more information or to register for the trip, please visit this link:

www.efexploreamerica.com/2827852BZ

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).

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!