September/October, 2002
Volume XXI, Issue 3
December, 2003
Dear Parents:
What a wonderful time of the year. It is difficult to believe that our middle school students and staff can get more excited and enthusiastic; however, the holiday season seems to bring out even more excitement and enthusiasm in all of us. Middle school students still have that one foot in their childhood that brings out the joy in all of us. They exhibit an excitement that reminds us all of happy and positive times shared. Enjoy your children--these years go by so quickly. Take a lot of pictures, eat well and take advantage of the opportunities you will have to make your children feel special.
An interesting phenomenon has occurred here at the middle school the past few months. On many occasions students finding money or valuables have made a special effort to bring the lost items to the office so we can try and find the owner. One student found an envelope of Positive I.D. Club money containing almost two hundred dollars. Others have found significant amounts of cash or other valuable items. At one point we estimated almost four hundred dollars has been returned. In every case the person finding the lost items could have easily kept the items or money. Each student made a choice to turn the item into the office.
For middle school young people to exhibit this kind of character is extraordinary, heartwarming and wonderful. They are setting an example for so many other students. This is just one area where we see so many students making good decisions. Throughout each day we observe students helping others, working hard and exhibiting a wonderful attitude. Discipline continues to be outstanding and we know the tremendous impact discipline has on instruction. Classes are not interrupted, the halls are safe, and a tremendous amount of positive interaction occurs between staff and students.
I am often asked why the discipline is the way it is here. The answer is complicated and has many parts. First, our teachers are so good at what they do that students either do not want to cause a problem or are prevented from a discipline situation by a proactive approach. Teachers are very visible outside the classrooms--the interaction in the halls is wonderful. They enjoy the students and it shows. It is such a pleasure to spend time with young people who are so positive, caring and sometimes just entertaining. Laughter, joy and enthusiasm are such a big part of this middle school. We realize the connections made by the teachers beyond the classroom affects the classroom climate along with the instructional level.
Another piece is the positive support from our parents. The students see us working together and they benefit from this connection between school and home. We have only a few basic expectations; however, we really believe that middle school students respond to guidelines and will meet high expectations. I have shared before the positive impact of our students hearing similar messages at school and at home. The child who turns in lost items and the child who demonstrates respect and a positive attitude in class are a reflection of what they have been taught at home. We commend you for the fine example you set for your children.
Have a safe and happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
Stephen Swymer, Ed.D.
Principal
GVMS Newsletter
Volume XXI, Issue 3 December, 2003
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
These students were selected by their teachers for the honor of Students of the Month. The students and their invited teachers receive a complimentary lunch at the Paoli Wendy’s or the Frazer KFC/Taco Bell, or compli-mentary breakfast at the Frazer McDonald’s.
Grade 8:
Jackson Hunter is an outstanding student, conscientious, and a pleasure to have in class.
Jessica Caccese is a hard worker, is conscientious, willing to help others, and actively participates in class.
Alex DiValerio is kind to others, always uses great manners, works hard, and has adjusted nicely as a new student to GVMS.
Grade 7:
Scott Biddle is an enthusiastic student who shows a true interest in learning. He is dependable, cooperative, and personable.
Kevin Zimmerman is responsible, helpful, kind, ambitious, conscientious, respectful, helpful, and motivated.
Jordan Allen is a great student! He is enthusiastic about what he is learning, participates in class, and works well with others.
Grade 6:
Cassia Petridis is an outstanding student.
Dan Shackleton is extremely conscientious, strives for excellence, and is a hard worker. He is a fine young man who gives 100% effort.
November honorees were:
Grade 8:
Susan Phan is an excellent student and brilliant writer.
Kim Ralph is an excellent student, new to the school this year and has done a great job adapting. She is caring, friendly, and all-around outstanding young woman.
Jacquie Morges is very responsible for herself, respectful, kind to others, and always tries her best.
Grade 7:
Kristen D’Isidoro is pleasant, self-motivated, helpful, and truly interested in learning.
Kyle Pegon not only displays characteristics of a conscientious and hard-working student, but also goes above and beyond to help other classmates.
Andrew Carbonar is an excellent student! Always prepared for class, participates in class discussions, and helps others! His classroom behavior demonstrates a love for learning!
Grade 6:
Natalie McQuiston is an exceptional young woman who demonstrates the six pillars of character! She is also a highly motivated learner who actively participates in her classes and always pushes herself to do her best. Success is her area of focus.
Nick Gaynor is hard working, has a positive attitude, greets and helps others.
Shirley Yu is very bright, self-motivated, and extremely conscientious. She participates in class activities and is always willing to help other students.
Grade 6
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William Batchelor |
Samantha Leonetti |
Matthew Powers
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Ryan Aceto
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Baldwin Giang
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Devon Pecora
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Distinguished Honor Roll
Grade 7
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Madison Andrew |
Grant Gilbert
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John
Nurthen Grace O'Neill Angela Qian Taylor Saia Jonathan Urban Ryan Wallace Max Wang Alison Weltman Matthew Witman Samuel Zantzinger Victoria Zhang |
Honor Roll
Grade 7
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Matthew Addis |
Hannah
Grant
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Kailey
Nicholson
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Distinguished Honor Roll
Grade 8
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Lindsay Augusterfer |
Caroline Gimmillaro |
Laura Rainville |
Honor Roll
Grade 8
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Jessica Abramson |
Caroline Gillie |
Ryan Nessle |
LIBRARY NEWS
Go to the Great Valley Middle School homepage www.gvsd.org/gvms/ Click on the “Library” link in the menu on the left-hand margin.
The Library homepage lists the five databases that can be accessed from home. Click on the name of each database to see a description of what it includes and get the link to that database.
The login screen for most of the databases will then ask for a user name and password. Use the information below to get into each database and begin searching.
FACTS FOR LEARNING
Username: greatvalley
Password: facts
NOTE: In this instance, the username and password are case-sensitive. They MUST be entered as lowercase letters.
PROQUEST HISTORY STUDY CENTER
Username: gvalleyms
Password: welcome
NOTE: This logs you on to a History Online introductory page where you then need to click on “History Study Center” to enter.
GALE STUDENT RESOURCE CENTER JUNIOR
[No username is required]
ID: malv_rpa
ABC-CLIO (Two databases: World Geography and State Geography)
Username: gvms
Password: gvms
WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA
Username AND password: gvsdwb
NEED HELP FINDING A GOOD BOOK TO READ?
There is a wonderful, little-known resource that can help parents and students get suggestions for what to read next. It is called Novelist and is available in two versions: one is simply called Novelist and the other is called Novelist K – 8. Anyone who has a public library card has access to this great tool. Start by going to the home page of the Chester County Library at www.ccls.org.
Click on the POWER Library icon (at the far right end of the first line.) This takes you to a screen labeled “POWER Library Remote Access.” There is a box in the middle of the screen where you enter your Chester County Library card’s barcode number. (You’ll see the numerical barcode number on the bottom right of your library card.) When you enter your barcode number in the box and hit the “Submit” button, you arrive at the homepage for the POWER library.
To get to Novelist, click on the link “EBSCOhost” that appears at the top of the first column. The menu on the initial EBSCOhost screen includes links to both Novelist and Novelist K – 8. You may want to explore both to see which better meets your child’s reading needs. In both Novelist and Novelist K – 8 the opening screen offers a variety of ways to begin searching the database. (The steps described below are for Novelist; the steps for Novelist K – 8 are basically the same steps simplified for a younger audience.)
If you have a particular book or author in mind, you can do a Quick Search. Look in the column along the left-hand margin for the box labeled “Quick Search.” Use the drop-down menu in the box immediately below the “Quick Search” box to choose to search by Author, Title, Series, or Key Word.
If you don’t have a particular title or author in mind, look instead for the brown oval “Start” button in the top middle of the screen. You will arrive at a page labeled “Search Selection.” Various search approaches are categorized there under three salmon-colored horizontal bars labeled “Search Our Database,” “Browse Lists,” and “Read about Popular Titles and Topics.” I recommend starting in the Browse Lists section. Click on the link that says “Best Fiction.” The next screen prompts you to select an age level and then click on the “continue” button. This takes you to a screen that offers links to recommended and award-winning books grouped by genre (Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mysteries and Thrillers, etc.) Select a genre and the database will give you links to one or more lists of books in that genre.
If your child says something like “ I want a book just like A Wrinkle in Time,” click on the “Find a Favorite Title” link under the “Search Our Database” heading on the main Search Selection screen. Type in the name of the book your child liked (using the limiters for age level, length, etc. if you wish) and hit “Search.” When the title appears, click on the title to go into the database’s record for that book. At the top left of the screen (above the actual description of the book) is a brown oval button labeled “Find Similar Books.” Clicking on that button brings you to a menu where again you can select to limit results by things such as age level or length. When you’ve selected the limiters you want, hit “Search.” You’ll get a list of books ranked in order by how similar the subject headings are to the “liked” book (taking into account any limiters you selected.) Click on the title of any of the similar books to get a description.
The searches I’ve described here just skim the surface of Novelist! There are so many different search options that you can explore for hours. So the next time anyone in your family says they don’t know what to read next, point them to the Novelist databases that are part of the EBSCO host resources offered in the PA POWER Library!
Mrs. Carol Delaney
Librarian
READING IS FUNDAMENTAL BOOK DISTRIBUTION
Reading is Fundamental
(RIF) is a federally funded program to promote reading with young children.
RIF awards money to local school districts to purchase three "free"
books for each child in the school every year. Great Valley Middle School is
fortunate to have a supportive administration and PTO to help out with this
wonderful child-centered program. The district and GVMS PTO matches a percent
of the money given by RIF to purchase books for the students.
The week of November 17 was the first RIF pick for the students of GVMS. Each child attended the RIF pick in the library with their Language Arts class. They selected one free book before Thanksgiving Break.
Please encourage your child to read. Remember... Reading is Fundamental.
-- Mrs. Lisa Freeman, GVMS Reading Teacher, RIF Coordinator
POE SEMINAR TRIP
On Friday November 14, forty-five members of the seventh grade Poe Seminar and the seventh grade language arts teachers, Ms. Caruso, Mr. Levi, Mrs. Bedell, and Miss McCullough enjoyed a trip into the countryside to experience the “Poe Evermore” presentation at the PA Renaissance Faire.
An act of revenge by a crippled dwarf, a hideous disease that conquered all, a one-eyed black cat named Pluto, and a melancholy raven set the tone for the journey into the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Actors and actresses, dressed in authentic costumes of the era, brought mad Poe’s chilling tales to life. Works presented included “Hop Frog,” The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Black Cat,” and “The Raven.”
The excursion was a continuation of an in-depth examination of Poe’s works by a group of students who elected to join the Poe Seminar. Students and teachers agree that the trip was a resounding success.
UNICEF UPDATE
Changing the world with children, & created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1946 to help children after World War II in Europe, UNICEF was first known as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations system, its task being to help children living in poverty in developing countries. Its name was shortened to the United Nations Children's Fund, but it retained the acronym "UNICEF," by which it is known to this day.
Thanks to all of the National Junior Honor Society members for collecting money for UNICEF. The grand total this year is $1890.44 and included $115 in checks, $640.88 in change counted at the local Coinstar, and $556 in bills. Congratulations to the UNICEF Committee consisting of Ben Shackleton, Lindsay DiPiano, Arne Anderson, John Hausladen, Stephanie Conklin, Chelsea Newbould, Robert Moore, and co-chaired by Jenna Desmarais and Raija Madsen on the fine work they did organizing this year's campaign. This committee needs to be commended for its efforts in everything from the advertising on morning announcements, collecting during lunch, and endless time spent at the Coinstar Machine counting the money. The efforts of these students serve as role models for all the students at GVMS.
THE DIVERSITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
All meetings are open to the Great Valley community. Any questions can be directed to Jane Trimble 610.889.1918 ext. 1921 or Bonnie Citron 610.647.6651.
The location is Great Valley School District Training Room #23, 47 Church Road, Malvern, 7:00 to 8:30 PM.
The dates are:
Thursday,
January 22
Thursday, March 11
Thursday,
May 6
SWIMMING INTRAMURALS
Sponsor:
Mrs. Janet Snyder Swimming intramurals are open to all students and are
held on Tuesdays, January 6 through February 24, at the Upper Main Line YMCA,
1416 Berwyn-Paoli Road, Berwyn. You don't need to sign up in advance, but you
must give Mrs. Snyder in room 120 a signed parent permission form
in the morning.
The school will bus students there, but you'll need to be picked up
promptly at 4:00 p.m. from the Upper Main Line YMCA.
Sponsor:
Mrs. Ellen Cerritelli
Bowling intramurals are open to all students and are held on Thursdays, January
8 through March 4 (except February 12), at the Frazer Lanes on Rte. 30 in Frazer.
You do need to sign up in advance, giving Mrs. Cerritelli in person in
room 142 a signed parent permission form on Wednesday and $5.25
for two games and shoes rental. (We are limited to 10 lanes, hence the need
to sign up in advance.)
The school will bus students there in Bus #24, waiting in the faculty parking
lot, but you will need to be picked up promptly at 4:00 p.m. from
the Frazer Lanes.
STUDENT COUNCIL UPDATE
The Student Council was very busy planning the Sixth Grade Social, which was a great success. The Social included many events such as a treasure hunt, relays, soccer, bingo, volleyball, and dancing. The sixth graders had a chance to win many prizes in a raffle. The Student Council gives a special thanks to the sixth grade teachers that supported and helped in making the Social a complete success.
The Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils conference was held in Erie, PA from November 14 to 16. Keelin Hood, Ryan Nessle, and Alexa Gibbons represented our school. The agenda consisted of learning about middle school activities and functions such as team building, student of the month, the eighth grade end of the year dance, fundraising as well as many other middle school activities. It was a lot of fun and great learning experience for the students.
Student Council is currently making plans for the father-daughter dance (Jan. 23) and the mother-son dinner (Feb. 11). In December we will be fundraising with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. The winners of this fundraiser will get a chance to go in a limo with Student Council to Hard Rock Café in Philadelphia.
IS MY CHILD GIFTED? IS MY CHILD LEARNING DISABLED?
Your child has been identified as mentally gifted or learning disabled. Now what? Do you wonder about the next steps? If so, come to "An Overview of Tests Given to Identify Children with Special Education Needs, both Learning Disabled and Gifted" on January 21, 2004, 7-9 PM. at the District Office located on Church Road. During the presentation, GVSD school psychologists will review the testing process including what kinds of tests are given, how they are administered, who administers them and what do we do with the results. This presentation is open to all parents. For more information call Sandra Stecher at 610.640.0507. Presented by the Parents of Special Needs and Gifted Students. Is My Child Gifted? Is My Child Learning Disabled?
ACROSS THE MILES
Around Veteran's' Day sixth grade students wrote to service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan thanking them for risking their lives for our country and telling them how much they and their efforts are appreciated. The men and women they wrote were contacted through Holly Nicom, a former GV student, and William Glas, the stepson of Janet Licci, our school psychologist. The service men and women have responded with letters of their own. Many pen pal relationships have resulted, and the kids have learned the lesson that if you want to receive a letter, you need to write one. PFC Glas also indicated that he would like to come in to meet the students when he comes home on leave, so we are working to arrange that.
Jane H. Humphrey
SPRING BASEBALL & SOFTBALL REGISTRATION
WHO: Boys and Girls between the ages of 5 and 18 as of July 31, 2004. Must
be a resident of either Malvern Borough or Willistown Township.
DATE: Saturday, December 6, 2003
TIME: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
PLACE: Willistown Township Building on Sugartown Road
To register on-line,
go to http://www.chestervalleyll.org
December 2003
5 Select Chorus to Malvern Victorian Christmas,
7:00 – 8:00 PM
11 Winter Choral Concert, 7:30 PM
16 Quest for Respect assembly; 9:00 & 10:00 AM
18 7/8 Gr. Chorus and Holiday Brass to Exton Mall, 12:00 – 1:00 PM performance
time
19 Winter Dance, 7:30 – 9:30 PM
24- Jan. 2 Winter Recess; Schools Closed
January 2004
2 Schools Closed
7 PTO Meeting, 7:30 PM
10 Ski Club - Big Boulder 1 Trip
12 School Board Work Session, 7:30 PM
13 Winter Instrumental Concert, 7:30 PM
14 CAT-Pickering gr.8 assemblies; pds 5,6,7
16 Early Dismissal - 11:00 AM
16 Schuylkill Valley Orchestra Concert @ Colonial MS
17 Ski Club - Big Boulder 2 Trip
19 Dr. M. L. King Jr. Day; Schools Closed
22 CAT-Pickering display s
23 Father/Daughter Dance, 7:30 – 9:00 PM
24 Ski Club - Jack Frost Trip
29 NJHS Induction, 7:30 PM
31 Ski Club - Elk 1 Trip
PHONE NUMBERS
School Phone: 610.644.6440
Absence Phone: 610.644.6442 press 6
Message Board: 610.644.6442 press 7
Emergency Closing Number: 855
Fax: 610.889.1166
Editor’s e-mail: tfreeman@gvsd.org
Great Valley Middle School Message Board
You can access voice mail and the message board via 610.644.6442, then follow these voice prompts:
PRESS # ANNOUNCEMENT
1 Athletic Events For The Week Or Today’s Changes.
2 School Closings & Early Dismissals
3 Homework In Reading, World Languages & Long Term Special Area Projects
4 Guidance, Music, School Activities, Including Trip Arrival Times
5 Parent Teacher Organization
6 Grade 6 Homework
7 Grade 7 Homework
8 Grade 8 Homework
For example, to access the Homework Hotline:
q Dial 610.644.6442, then 7, then 6, 7, or 8 for sixth, seventh or eighth grade homework. To hear the homework again, wait for the message to end, then press 6, 7, or 8.
You can continue to reach the main office at 610.644.6440, but if the office lines are busy, your call will transfer to the auto attendant.
To access our Website, bookmark www.gvsd.org/gvms/
Our Website displays a plethora of timely information – the GVMS calendar of events (updated daily); homework in major subjects; athletic schedules and directions to games; teacher e-mail addresses; Student Handbook (You’ll need to download the free Adobe Acrobat to read the Handbook, if you don’t have it installed on your computer); and new this year: LetterGrade, showing your child’s progress reports.
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Great Valley School District is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or handicap in its activities, programs, or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX, Section 504. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Chapter 15 of the Pennsylvania School Code, and Americans with Disabilities Act. For information regarding civil rights, grievance procedures, services, activities, and facilities accessible to and usable by handicapped persons, contact Dr. Robin Koslo-Stahl, Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator, Great Valley School District, 47 Church Road, Malvern PA 19355. Tel: 610.889.2125 ext. 2116. For more information on the evaluation procedure and provisions of services to protected handicapped students requiring a 504 Service Agreement/Chapter 15, contact the Director of Special Education at 610.889.2125, ext. 2113.
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