Gayle Newsletter

Week #9: October 5 - October 9

Dear Gayle Middle School Families,

As Dr. Smith shared in his message to Stafford families, October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a time to focus on kindness, inclusion, respect, and creating schools where every student feels safe, valued, and supported.

At Gayle, we are building on that message throughout the month. Students can take our anti-bullying pledge, wear blue on Monday, October 5, participate in anti-bullying advocate shoutouts, and wear orange on Wednesday, October 21 for “YOU-NITY” Day.

These activities are a reminder that creating a positive school community is something we all contribute to every day. We want our Panthers to know that their words, choices, and actions can help make Gayle a place where everyone feels like they belong.

Take the anti-bullying pledge here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ3DChVx-4AptmuyShdjGFIbiWvOL2VR0nDuqa6iB_JZjZ7w/viewform

Thank you for partnering with us to make kindness and belonging a priority throughout the year.

With Panther PRIDE,

Deanna Fierro-Kin
Principal, T. Benton Gayle Middle School

October is Bullying Prevention Month at Gayle! Students can take the anti-bullying pledge, wear blue on October 5, participate in advocate shoutouts, and wear orange on October 21 for “YOU-NITY” Day. Together, Panthers can promote kindness, inclusion, and respect.

Take the pledge here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ3DChVx-4AptmuyShdjGFIbiWvOL2VR0nDuqa6iB_JZjZ7w/viewform

Membership is quick and easy! Simply scan or click the QR code to register and become part of this impactful organization. Together, we can continue to make a positive difference for our Panther Pride!

Purchase Spirit Wear Here! Click here for details.

Registration Link: https://tbgmspta.givebacks.com/store/items/875037

Family-Teacher Conferences are a great opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers about their progress, goals, and next steps. Conferences will be held Monday, October 19, from 10:00 AM–6:00 PM.

Families can schedule conference times online through StudentVUE. The scheduling window is open now through Monday, October 12.

Need help scheduling? View our step-by-step guide or this helpful video tutorial, created by one of our sister schools.

If you experience any issues with scheduling, contact the school and we’ll be happy to help.

Gayle Families, we are excited to invite you to join us for our Veterans Day Breakfast on November 10 from 9:30–10:30 a.m. as we recognize and celebrate the veterans who are special to our students and families. Space is limited, so families interested in attending should RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/GMSveteransbreakfast. A reminder email with additional details will be shared with registered families closer to the event date.

Each week, teachers nominate students for Panthers of the Week based on how they demonstrate our Panther PRIDE values: Personal Accountability, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Effort.

Students may be recognized for their attitude, effort, growth, leadership, kindness, responsibility, or for simply making choices that positively impact our school community.

To balance enrollment and ensure equitable resources across all schools, the Stafford County School Board is reviewing boundary change scenarios that affect each middle school in our division.

Detailed maps of the proposed new boundaries, along with other relevant information, are available on our Redistricting webpage. Please note these scenarios are for consideration only, and may change as we become closer to opening the rebuilt school. Should the options change, we will notify families.

Family and community input is vital to the redistricting process. Our primary goal is to maintain a focus on what is best for all students while minimizing disruptions. Join us to discuss redistricting options to accommodate the reconstruction of Edward E. Drew Middle School, projected to open in the fall of 2028.'

The next community meeting is Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at Colonial Forge High School from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

In addition, the Falmouth and George Washington District Town Hall will be held October 14 at Drew Middle School at 6:00 p.m., hosted by our School Board representative Dr. Sarah Chase (Falmouth) and Ms. Susan Randall (George Washington).

We are inviting parents and guardians to participate as stakeholders in Gayle’s three-year School Improvement Plan process. Participants will review our school data, goals, and Year 1 strategies and provide feedback to our School Improvement Team. Meetings will be held either November 10 or November 16 from 1:30–3:00 PM, with both in-person and virtual options available.

Interested? Complete the form here: https://tinyurl.com/GAYLEmssp

Our Gayle students enjoyed a fun and educational fall field trip to Braehead Farm! 🎃🍂 Students participated in hands-on learning activities, explored the farm, and enjoyed a great day of learning beyond the classroom. We are grateful for opportunities like this that help create meaningful experiences for our Panthers!

Our Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations continued with 7th grader Delia C. and 6th grader Anthony B.C. leading a morning announcement and our latest trivia winners, Hudson H., Allen Y., and Ryker A.!

Congratulations to Art Teacher Tyler Clarke on being selected as a 2026–2027 Amazon Innovative Teaching Grant recipient through the Stafford Education Foundation! Her project, FLAG: Free Little Art Gallery, was recognized for its creativity and potential impact on students. We are excited to see this innovative idea come to life at Gayle!

Families who would like to have their student retake their photo must sign up for retakes. The printed retake form will be sent home with students this week and must be returned by Monday, October 5th.

Students who did not have their photo taken before will automatically participate in the Make-Up Day and retake form is not required.

SCPS MUN Registration Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfulC0PHiSPlDQFqBZyt-qsyzowKmCqerbuOTRItneFyKQjAw/viewform

It's almost October and time for a new Book of the Month. It's spooky season and time for reading! Will your next book be creepy or cozy?

Each month students will have a choice of books to enjoy and will earn a prize for completing their selected book. Although, the real prize is the joy one gets from reading.

Get a pass to come to the library from your teacher, and check out a fun, fall read.

Important Requirement for ALL Athletes:
A current VHSL Sports Physical

The following list of events require implementation of the Clear Bag Inspection Process: All ticketed events at Middle and High Schools, including sporting events and graduations. This ensures a consistent, effective, and transparent approach to enhancing security and safety for all students, staff, and visitors during school-sponsored events.

Cash only and while supplies last. Funds raised support our athletics teams.

Families of students receiving special education services are encouraged to share their feedback through the Special Education Parent Involvement Survey.

This survey provides an opportunity for parents and guardians to share input on their experiences and help improve services and support for students with individualized education programs (IEPs).

Parents may access the survey using the provided link. Families with more than one child receiving special education services are asked to complete a separate survey for each child.

Deadline to complete the survey: December 11, 2026

Your voice is important in helping us continue to strengthen our programs and better serve our students and families.

On Tuesday, November 3, Stafford County voters will consider a referendum on an additional local sales and use tax of up to 1%.

If approved, the referendum would authorize the County Board of Supervisors to implement the tax, which would go toward school facility projects throughout our division.

This funding could support:

Construction of new schools

Replacement of aging school buildings

Major renovations and modernization projects

Restoration or replacement of critical building systems

Classroom and instructional-space improvements

Eligible additions to existing schools

Eligible bond or loan financing costs associated with school capital projects

Specific projects would continue to go through established planning, budgeting, procurement, and approval processes. Approval of the referendum would not automatically authorize or fully fund every project.

Learn more and find answers to FAQs: https://www.staffordschools.net/salestax

To ensure student safety, any change to a student’s normal dismissal plan must be requested by a parent or guardian listed in the student’s information profile. These requests may be made by email, phone call, or written note before dismissal.

** When calling the school, families will be asked to verify identifiable student information so we can confirm the caller’s identity.

For example:
If a student who normally rides the bus or is a car rider has been given permission to walk home, the front office will issue a green slip once the parent request has been received and verified. Students must have this green slip to leave campus as a walker.

Please note:

• A green slip does not allow a student to ride a different bus.

• A green slip does not allow a student to ride a bus if they are not assigned to one.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain safe and accurate dismissal procedures.

For safety reasons, we will not pull students from class in advance based on a phone call from a parent or guardian. All adults entering the building for early dismissal must present a valid photo ID at the entrance before the student will be called from class.

Please plan your arrival time accordingly, as it may take a few minutes for your child to be dismissed once you arrive. This process helps us ensure that every student is released safely. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Medication Drop-Off Instructions

If your child requires medication during the school day, it must be brought to the clinic by a parent or guardian. All medications must be in their original, labeled container and accompanied by the required Stafford County Public Schools medication form. Students may not carry medications on their own unless specifically authorized for emergency use (such as an inhaler or EpiPen). Please contact our school nurse for any questions or to schedule a drop-off time.

All rising or new 7th grade students must have proof of required immunizations on file.

Per the Virginia Department of Health’s School and Day Care Minimum Immunization Requirements, students entering 7th grade must have received the following after their 11th birthday:

• Tdap booster

• First dose of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine

• HPV vaccine series (Parents/guardians may choose to opt out after reviewing approved educational materials.)

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Submit proof of immunizations to:
Email: Nurse Fleming – flemingal@staffordschools.net
Fax: (540) 373-8856

Failure to provide documentation will result in the student being unable to attend classes on the first day.

Parents and guardians can create a Canvas Observer Account to stay connected with their student’s learning.

As an observer, you’ll have read-only access to your student’s courses, allowing you to:

• View course materials and announcements

• Check assignments, due dates, and grades

• See teacher feedback

Observers cannot submit assignments, take quizzes, or participate in class discussions.

Follow these step-by-step directions to set up your account: GMS Parent & Guardian Canvas Account/Observer Creation

We are very excited to introduce our college and career readiness platform, SchooLinks! This platform is your one-stop shop for preparing your students for life after graduation, beginning in elementary school.

All of the SchooLinks features are designed with students in mind to help them become career, college, and life-ready. As a guardian, you will have the opportunity to join your student in their career and college exploration process and have conversations with them about their future.

SchooLinks allows you to:

• View the results of your student’s career interest, strength, and mindset assessments to learn more about their interests and what careers might be right for them

• See what colleges and careers your student has favorited and set as goals

• Check your personalized dashboard for upcoming events as well as important reminders and to-dos for your student

• Complete your own research on colleges, careers, and more to help you have informed conversations with your student

• Compare college costs and explore expected financial aid, scholarships, and out-of-pocket expenses

• Review your student’s course plans (8th and 10th grade only)

SchooLinks is a tool that gives you access to the bigger picture of your students’ future. It also allows you to connect with their school counselor by allowing you to message them directly through the platform.

To register for your account:

• Visit app.schoolinks.com to access the SchooLinks login page.

• Click Login with Google if the email you have on file with is a Google account, OR Click Forgot Password, enter the email you have on file with the district, then follow the email instructions to create a password

• Once logged in, click the “My students” tab at the top to view your students

For more information, please watch this video and view this document. You may also visit our website at www.staffordschools.net/schoolinks.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school counselor. Thank you for partnering with us regarding your student’s success.

What is the Lightspeed Parent Portal?

To help keep our students safe and focused online, we use Lightspeed Systems to filter school devices. The Parent Portal is a free tool that gives you visibility into that activity. By signing up, you can receive weekly reports detailing your child’s browsing history, top visited sites, and search terms. It’s an easy way for us to partner together in supporting healthy digital habits.

Ready to join? Please view the attached Google Slideshow for a step-by-step guide on how to get signed up today.

Stafford County Public Schools is committed to keeping families and students informed and engaged in the learning process. ParentVUE and StudentVUE are secure online platforms that provide real-time access to important student information, including grades, attendance, and schedules.

ParentVUE allows parents and guardians to stay connected with their child’s education, while StudentVUE empowers students to track their own academic progress. Both tools support our shared goal of ensuring every student is prepared to excel.

Use the links and resources on this page to log in, get support, and make the most of these powerful tools.

ParentVUE and StudentVUE Access

View the Complete How-To Document

Monday–Friday: 8:50 AM – 4:20 PM (Building & Phone Lines Open)

Main Office Phone Number: 540-373-0383

Call or email ahead if you need to stop by:

• Deanna Fierro-Kin, Principal – fierrokind@staffordschools.net

• Dr. Keana Butler, Assistant Principal – butlerks@staffordschools.net

• Katie Hawkins, Assistant Principal – hawkinskd@staffordschools.net

• Ashley Hairston, Dean of Students - hairstonad@staffordschools.net

• Judy Basluke, Registrar – baslukejl@staffordschools.net

• Tracey Williams, Counseling Director – williamstd@staffordschools.net

• Shelley Everett, Front Office Manager - everettm@staffordschools.net

Website: https://gms.staffordschools.net/

Facebook: GaylePanthers

Instagram: @gaylepanthers

X: @Gaylepanthers

Phone: 540-373-0383