GMS Family Newsletter

As November gets underway, our focus remains on making each school day meaningful for our students. The work taking place in our classrooms, the relationships being built, and the opportunities for students to grow all contribute to the positive direction we continue to move as a school.

With the second quarter well underway, consistency and a commitment to doing the little things well remain important. As Veterans Day approaches, we have an opportunity to remind our students of the importance of respect, gratitude, and service to others. We want every student to understand that their actions matter, their words matter, and the way they treat others makes a difference. These are lessons that extend well beyond the classroom and help shape the kind of people we hope our students will become.

We hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful weekend and we look forward to welcoming our students back on Monday!

#BuiltInTheMiddle!,

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

Monday, November 9

Tuesday, November 10

Wednesday, November 11

• Veterans Day - Wear Red, White, & Blue!

Thursday, November 12

• GMS Student Leadership Team Field Trip

Friday, November 13

• Interim Period Ends
• Friday Night Lights - TSSAA 4A Playoffs Round 2 - GHS vs Upperman

This Veterans Day, we thank all Veterans for their service, sacrifice, and dedication to our country. We especially want to recognize our Greeneville Middle School Veterans: Jeremy Simerly, Abel Candelaria, and Keshia Sanders. We are grateful for your service to our nation and for the difference you continue to make in our GMS community.

We invite all students, staff, and families to wear red, white, and blue on Wednesday, November 11, in honor of all who have served. Please join us in showing our gratitude to our Veterans!

We look forward to cheering on our GMS wrestlers on Tuesday, November 10, at Greeneville High School! Families planning to attend are reminded that, due to an event at NPAC, parking will only be available in the back student parking lot at GHS. There will be no parking available in front of the school.

Thank you for your cooperation, and we hope to see you there supporting our Greene Devils!

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.

Greeneville City Schools is excited to partner with generous community organizations to provide FREE Thanksgiving meal boxes to our school families!

Families interested in receiving a Thanksgiving meal box are encouraged to contact the GMS Counseling Office at 423-639-7841 for more information.

We are grateful for our community partners and their continued generosity in supporting our students and families this holiday season!

The Greene County Health Department's dental clinic is now open and accepting appointments! Dr. Adam Qualls provides dental services for uninsured and TennCare patients ages 12 months and older.

The clinic operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Please note that appointments are currently limited as the clinic gradually expands its services.

Appointments are required, and walk-ins are not accepted. Families interested in dental services are encouraged to contact the Greene County Health Department for additional information or to schedule an appointment.

RunSignUp Registration Link: GCS Education Foundation 5K Turkey Trot

GCSEF 5K Turkey Trot Facebook Event Page: 12th Annual GCS Education Foundation 5K Turkey Trot | Facebook

Early registration pricing for children and adults ends on 11.10.26 and you must be registered by then to be guaranteed a race day shirt.

Don't forget about the School Challenge!

The school with the highest percentage of participants will receive a cash prize. Please remember every dollar raised from this event is returned directly to GCS. The school with the highest percent of participation will receive a cash prize and all other profits are devoted to our teacher grant programs. Just indicate your school affiliation on the registration form!

Top race finisher awards will be presented in the following divisions:

• PreK-3rd Grade Elementary students
• 3rd – 5th Grade Elementary students
• Middle School students
• High School students
• College students
• Adult 40 & under
• Adult over 40
• Grand Master (50+)
• Senior Grand Master (60+)
• Teachers/administrators

The Greeneville/Greene Co Public Library is partnering with the Tusculum University Pre-Health Club to offer a series of fun, hands-on Saturday events for elementary and middle school students interested in exploring careers in healthcare!

Students will have the opportunity to meet healthcare professionals, ask questions, participate in interactive activities and experiments led by Tusculum University students, and enjoy snacks!

Upcoming Saturday Events:

• November 7: Dental Professionals

• November 14: Medical Professionals

• November 21: Veterinary Professionals

This is a great opportunity for students to discover different career paths while having fun and learning something new!

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.

Kayla Welden, Beginning with the End in Mind – Kayla is someone I am very thankful to learn from and work with. She is proactive in planning and has taught me so much about planning for the week with the end in mind.

Derek Beach, Being Proactive – Derek helps me plan proactive approaches to classroom management. He is a valuable coworker and mentor because of this.

Nancy Philbeck, Calming – Nancy has a gift for helping students navigate difficult moments. Her calm, reassuring presence makes a difference for students who are distressed and need someone steady to help them feel supported and at ease.

Mr. Olson, Uplifting – Mr. Olson makes a difference by meeting students where they are, recognizing their individual needs, and building them up through encouragement and support.

Anna Burge, Leadership – Shout-out to Ms. Burge for stepping in to assist with administrative responsibilities this past week! Her willingness to lend a hand wherever needed and support our school community is greatly appreciated!