GMS Family Newsletter

It’s Spirit Week at GMS, and we are excited for a week filled with school pride, energy, and opportunities to celebrate what makes our school community special! We encourage our students to participate in each day’s theme, have fun, and show their Greene Devil spirit throughout the week.

As we enjoy the excitement of Spirit Week, our focus remains on helping students grow both academically and personally. Each day provides another opportunity for our students to challenge themselves, make positive choices, support one another, and take pride in being part of GMS.

Thank you to our families for the continued support you provide our students and school. We are looking forward to a fun and successful Spirit Week as we continue to show what it means to be #BuiltInTheMiddle!

#BuiltInTheMiddle!,

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

Monday, August 31

• Spirit Week: First Responders Appreciation Day

Tuesday, September 1

• Spirit Week: Dazzle Like Dolly Day

Wednesday, September 2

• Spirit Week: Celebrate America 250 Day

Thursday, September 3

• Spirit Week: Camo Day for Military Appreciation
• Activity Schedule / Pep Rally
• Thursday Night Rivalry: GHS @ Northview Academy

Friday, September 4

• No School for Students
• GMS Office Closed

GMS Office will be closed on Friday, September 4, and Monday, September 7, 2026.

Learning is happening every day at GMS as our students continue to grow, discover, and show what it means to be #BuiltInTheMiddle!

Leading is happening throughout GMS as our students step up, set positive examples, and lead the way in what it means to be #BuiltInTheMiddle!

Lifting one another up is what makes GMS special, and moments together like our school dance help build the connections and memories that make us #BuiltInTheMiddle!

Our GSIA will be set up during lunches this week to collect money for the fundraiser!

As we continue to enjoy a busy schedule of GMS events and athletics, we want to remind families to make arrangements for students to be picked up promptly at the conclusion of each event. We have recently seen an increase in students waiting for extended periods after events have ended. Your attention to timely pickup helps us maintain appropriate supervision and ensure the safety of our students.

Click below to view the GMS Programs of Study!

IXL is an instructional resource used at GMS to provide students with personalized practice and support across a variety of skills. To help families better understand the platform, we have included two helpful resources below: a video explaining how to get started with your child’s IXL account and a SmartScore Guide for Families. These resources provide an overview of how IXL works, how student progress is measured, and what SmartScores represent as students work toward skill mastery.

GMS students are invited to participate in the Constitution Day 2026 Art Contest! This year’s theme is “A Promise Worth Keeping,” and students are encouraged to use their creativity to showcase a constitutional principle that is meaningful to them. Submissions are due September 10.

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.

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.

The Greene County Health Department will host the GMS Flu Clinic on October 7 from 8:00–9:00 a.m. for both students and staff. Registration will be completed online using the provided QR code. Families interested in having their student receive the flu vaccine should complete the online registration form prior to the clinic.

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.

Thank you for a fantastic start! When everyone pulls forward, uses both lanes, and is ready to load or unload, it makes a tremendous difference in keeping traffic moving while getting our students in and out of school safely.

We've had another GREAT week on afternoon car line! Friday we broke another record, dismissing 249 cars in under 25 minutes! Thank you for helping us get students safely and efficiently on their way home!

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!

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, Synergizing, Mrs. Welden is always available to answer questions and has been very helpful. She has made my job a lot easier, and I am learning so much from her and the rest of my team as well. With the collaborative planning we do together, the sum of our planning has yielded a much higher outcome so far.

Christy Watkins & Kayla Welden, Being Proactive, Kayla and Christy volunteered to work the gate for our home football game at a moment’s notice. Their willingness to step in and help wherever needed is exactly the kind of initiative and teamwork that makes GMS so special!