GMS Family Newsletter

Dear Greene Devil Family,

There is a noticeable sense of momentum across our building as we move through this time of year. Classrooms remain focused, and students continue to show effort as they wrap up important work. We appreciate the consistency our students have demonstrated and the support from families that helps keep them on track each day.

As we transition beyond testing, we are entering a time that truly capstones the school year. This is an opportunity for students to bring their learning full circle, finish strong, and leave a lasting impression on the work they have done all year. The habits, effort, and pride they show now are just as important as any other point in the year.

We are proud of how our students are continuing to grow and take ownership of their learning. Thank you for partnering with us to make these final weeks meaningful and successful for all.

Learning, Leading, Lifting... #RISEasONE,

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

Monday, 5/4

Tuesday, 5/5

• GCS Professional Learning Day- Election Day - No School
• GMS 8th Grade Leaves for Washington DC

Wednesday, 5/6

Thursday, 5/7

• 5th Grade Visit to GMS
• All Library books are due

Friday, 5/8

• Greene County Field Day- 6th Grade
• GMS 8th Grade Returns from Washington DC

Tuesday, May 5

• GCS Professional Learning Day- Election Day - No School
• GMS 8th Grade Leaves for Washington DC

Thursday, May 7

• 5th Grade Visit to GMS
  

Friday, May 8

• Greene County Field Day- 6th Grade
• GMS 8th Grade Returns from Washington DC

Tuesday, May 12

• TENTATIVE GHS Seniors Walk the Halls
• GMS Upcoming 6th Grade Family Night 5:30-7:00

Friday, May 15

• 6th, 7th, & LRE Field Trip to Dollywood

Monday, May 18

• GMS 8th Grade Awards @ NPAC @ 10:00
• GMS 8th Grade Dance @ GMS 6:00-9:00

Tuesday, May 19

• 7th Grade Awards in GMS Commons @ 8:15
• 6th Grade Awards in GMS Commons @ 9:30

Wednesday, May 20

• Last Full Day of School

All 8th grade students attending the Washington, D.C. trip should arrive at the school by 6:00 AM on Tuesday, May 5th.

Please note that GMS will be closed to visitors on Tuesday, May 5, as our building will be used for the election and voters. We appreciate your understanding and support.

We are celebrating our GMS educators for Teacher Appreciation Week at GMS! We would like to invite families to help us celebrate by sending in notes and/or tokens of appreciation for Thankful Thursday on Thursday, May 7th!

Wednesday is School Nurse Day! Please help us celebrate and show our appreciation to Nurse Megan! She goes above and beyond to take care of our students and staff. Thank you, Nurse Megan, for your care, compassion, and smile!

We want to make families aware of a concerning trend involving a game referred to as the “Epstein Game” that has recently surfaced among students. This activity is not appropriate for school and is strictly prohibited at GMS.

Students are not permitted to access or participate in this game on school grounds or on school-issued devices. Any instances will be addressed, and our technology department and administration will be involved as needed.

We appreciate your support in speaking with your student about making responsible choices and helping us maintain a safe and respectful learning environment.

As we move through the final weeks of the school year, we want to remind families and students to continue following GMS dress code guidelines. These expectations help maintain a focused and respectful learning environment for everyone. Please take a moment to review the dress code image from our student handbook and ensure your student is in compliance each day.

As the semester begins to close down, learning remains a top priority across GMS. Classrooms continue to be filled with hands-on activities, focused work on student devices, and meaningful discussions that deepen understanding. It has been great to see students staying engaged, collaborating with peers, and taking ownership of their learning as they finish the year strong.

Leading continues to shine across GMS as our students step up in a variety of ways. Our soccer team made an impressive run in the tournament, and our track and field team continues to represent GMS with excellence and determination. Beyond athletics, our GMS Greene Team recently presented at the Board Meeting, showcasing their commitment to energy conservation and making a positive impact on our school. In addition, our NJHS members are already taking initiative by planning ahead for next school year. We are proud of the leadership our students are demonstrating both in and out of the classroom.

There is something special about the way our school community continues to lift one another up. Our spring choral concert was nothing short of amazing, as the talent, energy, and joy on stage created a fun and memorable experience for everyone in attendance. Behind the scenes, students stepped up in a big way by helping welcome and guide visiting families during our 8th grade scheduling meetings, providing meaningful support for our office staff through their willingness to serve.

Our GSIA helped us celebrate the end of TCAP testing by treating students to popsicles, bringing smiles and a well-deserved moment of fun after a season of hard work. In addition, our service learning students have been doing a great job helping keep GMS clean, showing pride in our school through their actions each day.

Students are expected to bring their fully charged laptop to school each day. This is an important tool for learning, and having it ready to go helps ensure students can fully participate in lessons, assignments, and assessments without interruption. Please help us by reminding your student to charge their device each night and bring it to school daily.

To help us better support families and ensure timely communication, a Transportation Change Request button is now available on the GMS homepage. This allows families to submit requests directly so our team can review and follow up as needed.

Please note that all transportation changes must be submitted by 12:00 PM to be processed for that day.

Did your child have a GMS staff member who made their week special? We would love for you to share your appreciation by completing the FORMS link below to send them a GMS Staff Shout-Out. It only takes a minute and is a wonderful way to let our staff know the positive impact they had on your child’s week. Your words of encouragement mean so much and help us celebrate the amazing work of our GMS team!

Megan Wilson, Being Proactive, Megan has been very responsive to tech needs of students and staff. She performs her tasks with a smile! Most recently, she was very proactive and prepared for the various tech problems that arose during TCAPs, especially the first day and week. She had additional tech help from Central Office on hand to ensure students were able to use their computers or loaners to take the tests. During TCAPs, she has been in the library at least half the day, ready to assist students.

Kayla Welden, Synergizing, Kayla has stepped up and helped me more than I could have ever asked at a moment's notice. I appreciate this very much.

Daniel Knight, Synergizing, Daniel has stepped up in so many ways that have helped me out due to unexpected circumstances. The 7th grade Social Studies team is the best.

Derek Beach, Synergizing, Derek has stepped up to the plate when I needed assistance. I am extremely grateful to have him as a coworker. The 7th grade Social Studies team is the best.

We are excited to share an opportunity for our 8th grade students as they prepare for high school. Rosie’s Girls Camp will take place at the end of May at GCTA and is an interactive 4-day experience that includes hands-on STEM activities and field trips to local companies and colleges. Participants will also receive a camp t-shirt.

This opportunity is open to current 8th grade girls (rising 9th and 10th graders for the 2026–2027 school year) who are interested in exploring careers in STEM. Best of all, the entire experience is free.

We encourage interested students to apply and take advantage of this great opportunity.

Camp NPAC Kids is a summer theatrical day camp for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Throughout the week, participants will sing, act, dance, design costumes, and help create set and prop pieces for a full week of fun!

GMS Families,

We want to keep our dismissal process safe and efficient for everyone. Local law enforcement has asked us to remind families that blocking the roadway during afternoon pickup is not permitted.

Officers have issued and will continue to issue tickets to motorists who stop in the road, especially before carline begins moving.

To help us keep dismissal running smoothly, please keep these reminders in mind:

• CarRider Pro will not start reading until 2:00 PM, and parents/guardians cannot begin lining up until 2:00 PM.

• Dismissal begins at 2:40 PM. Arriving too early causes traffic backups.

• Always have your car tag visible.

• Follow staff directions at all times during dismissal.

• Pull all the way forward when directed.

• If your student is delayed, please use the designated waiting area so traffic can continue to flow.

• Carline remains open until 3:10 PM, and there is often little to no wait toward the end of carline.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in making dismissal safe and efficient for everyone.

For the safety of all students and to ensure a smooth dismissal, student checkouts are not permitted between 2:00–3:00 p.m. During this time, students are engaged in their final classes of the day, and our office staff is focused on preparing for afternoon dismissal. Please plan all afterschool appointments at a time that allows for checkout before 2:00 or after 3:00. If you do not have a car rider tag, please park and come into the office after 3pm to sign-out your student. Thank you for you help as this helps us maintain a safe and efficient process so that all students get home safely.

Bus Transportation- Want to know exactly when the bus will pick-up or drop-off your child? It's easy using the My Ride k-12 App! Additional information on the My Ride k-12 app can be found here: https://www4.gcschools.net/page/transportation . If your student will be riding the bus please verify transportation questions with our transportation department (423-525-4793).

Please note, unexcused morning tardies count toward GCS truancy and GMS discipline and are cumulative for the entire school year. As outlined in the student handbook each combination of 3 unexcused morning tardies = 1 infraction on the progressive discipline policy (beginning at level 1). In addition, any combination of 5 unexcused morning tardies/early check-outs will result in one-full day unexcused absence toward truancy.

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.

There has been a lot of discussion on social media regarding school attendance and notes. 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.

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. Also, families must submit an application yearly. Apply now!

The Free & Reduced-Price Lunch Application for the 2025–2026 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 2025–2026 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!

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Technology is incorporated into the curriculum and is for student use under teacher supervision. Any destruction of the technology equipment or misuse of software or internet capabilities will result in strict disciplinary action. All families must sign and agree to the Responsible Use Policy before students will be permitted access to the internet at school. This policy is updated every year and includes detailed information about proper internet use and the care of student computers. This document is posted on the GMS website.