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Gator Gazette
Gray Middle School Newsletter
Volume 5
HELP US PROVIDE BASIC NECESSITIES FOR STUDENTS IN NEED IN OUR SCHOOLS
Did you know that 32% of children in Boone County Schools are considered to be living in poverty,
and that 1% of those children are homeless? You can help provide these children with basic items
like clothing, personal hygiene items, food, and cleaning supplies by donating to the Boone
County Schools’ FRYSC at Gray Middle School.
What is the FRYSC? The Boone County Schools’ Family Resource and Youth Services Center
assists children in our schools with basic needs items. In these tough economic times, the FRYSC
is struggling to provide the help our students need to assure they are ready to learn when they get
to school.
The Board has started a district-wide initiative which aims to help keep the FRYSC stocked so it
can provide for our students in need. THE ITEMS MUST BE NEW. Each month, we will ask for
specific items to be donated. Personal hygiene and cleaning supplies are always needed. We will post each month’s item request on the Infinite Campus Portal, as well as in the Gator
Gazette. Simply send the item to school with your student (there will be a permanent donation box in the front lobby of the school) or drop off the item in the main office. We will make sure
your donation gets to the FRYSC. If you have any questions, please email Kara Nixon at [email protected]
Family Resource & Youth Services Center
January Items Needed
Toothpaste
Tooth Brushes
Paper Towels
Deodorant
Gray Middle School held a holiday drive from mid November through December
12. The National Junior Honor Society and Student Council from GMS adopted
twelve families this holiday season. Through the generosity of the GMS community
we were able to provide these families with gifts for Christmas. The students, staff
and families raised over $4,500.oo. The generosity and support of the Gray Middle School family is humbling and astounding. Below is the Holiday Drive results
from each grade level.
Holiday Drive Results
In 3rd Place: 7th grade with $505.68
In 2nd Place: 6th grade with $758.67
And in 1st Place: 8th grade with $3,284.30
Thank you everyone for making this holiday drive a success!
NJHS members (left) Josh Johnson and Cole Januski shopping for the adopted families at
Walmart.
8th Grade Chicago News
Chicago payment number three is due January 9th. The trip
is filling up quickly. No new reservations will be taken after
the January 9th payment date.
December Bookmark
Parents: While your kids are away from school for 2 weeks
and during the long snow days of January, here is a game
they can play that will get them reading. Play the Christmas
Break/Snow Day Bingo. Students earn a BINGO by reading
books and getting your signature as their books are completed. Bingo forms are available on the library bulletin
board or by visiting the library webpage. Link to the library
webpage from the GMS homepage.
Hurry and get reading!! The contest ends on January 30.
GMS Lego League
Gray Middle School did an outstanding job at the NKY FIRST
LEGO League Robotics and Engineering Tournament. GMS won
both 1st and 2nd place Champions Trophies.
1st place Overall Champion was the Jr Brainy Bots, who are Wyatt
Richards, Mina Ryumae, Lucy Lawal, Audrey Wilson, James Funk
and Kate Grayson
2nd place Champion was the Tech Team, who are Dalton Aragon,
Riley Atkinson, Luke Hickey, Mitch Playforth, Diana Runkel, and
Xavier Veselovec
GMS Academic Team News
Congratulations to the 6th grade Academic Team for
taking 1st place at the 6th grade showcase! Great job
gators!
6th grade Academic Teams members include:
John Dumancic, Nik Dumancic, Mina Ryumae, Krupa
Hegde, Kioni Bush, Hayden Caldwell, Adrian Urso,
Tate Judge
Coach: Mary Beth Marqua
GMS Mathcounts
8th grade:
3rd place Manu Nair
2nd place Evan Webster
1st place Koushik Devarakonda
7th grade
2nd place Jadin Moorman
1st place Owen Klug
6th grade
3rd place
Grace Chan
2nd place John Dumancic
1st place Mina Ryumae
Team Competition: Gray took 1st, 2nd and 3rd in this competition.
3rd place—Evan Webster, Grace Chan, Jeremy Fernando, and Allyssa Hiatt
2nd place—Manu Nair, Mina Ryumae, Hayden Caldwell, and Owen Klug
1st place—Koushik Devarakonda, Troy Hutchinson, Carter McIntire, and John Dumancic
All-State Choir Members
Congratulations to the following GMS students who have been selected as All State
Choir members.
Gray Middle School is very proud of you.
Monya Brandt
Tessa Hutchinson
Phoebe Clark
GMS Archery News
The Archery Team competed in the Frankfort Invitational, a state qualifier competition. GMS took 4th place.
In the middle school girls division,
GMS took the top 3 places.
Hannah Hamilton - 1st place
Mikayla Owen - 2nd place
Kaylin Conley - 3rd place
The Archery Team also competed
in the Williamstown Invitational
where the team came in 1st
place.
Nicklas Jump, Katie Henderson and Koushik Devarakonda
are at pictured right
Congratulations GMS Archery!
Gray Middle School Student Council
Learning. Serving. Leading.
Our next Student Council Meeting will be Wednesday, 1/14/2015, in room
152 from 2:45 – 3:30. We will start making plans for Pennies for Patients
and review Member Feasibility Studies for other possible projects. New
members are welcome.
Thanks to all of the Student Council members who worked with NJHS for
the GMS Holiday Drive. These students helped collect and count money
and shopped for the gifts.
For more information you may contact Mrs. Sturdivant at [email protected]. To receive automated text or email
messages about upcoming meetings or events, please text the message
@gms-sc to 270-228-2388 or send an email message to [email protected].
Student Council Members are pictured
left to right after the December
meeting: Logan Batte, Tate Ohmer,
Ella Holtz, Jadin Moorman, Tyler Cook,
and Ujjala Patel.
The Nutcracker—Cincinnati Ballet
GMS is proud to announce two of our own, Ainsley Hoh and Ally
Price will be performing with the Cincinnati Ballet in the production of the Nutcracker. Performances for The Nutcracker are
from December 19 through December 27. These students have
passed along information for the opportunity for our GMS community to purchase discount tickets. Information regarding discount is included below. Congratulations Ainsley and Ally on this
outstanding accomplishment with your dance career.
The website to purchase tickets: cballet.org
Click on: Buy Tickets
Go to: Promotions
Enter Code: G1415CAST
This code will allow for a 20% discount (tickets start at $32) The
discount does not apply on premier seating unfortunately.
You can also purchase in person at the Cincinnati Ballet Box
Office 513-621-5282 or 513-562-1114
GMS 7th Grade Math Teacher and Ryle Wrestling
Coach
Tim Ruschell
Please visit the link below regarding an article on GMS 7th
Grade Math Teacher, Tim Ruschell. Mr. Ruschell has been
a teacher at GMS for twenty years and a coach for the Ryle
Wrestling Team for eighteen years. The article is a wonderful tribute to him and his family. Congratulations Ruschell
family on your accomplishments.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/kentuckyhigh-school/2014/12/13/ryle-raiders-ruschell/20361205/
GMS PTSA News
Reality Day Volunteers
Reality Day is coming! New this year, this event will be held on
two dates, January 26th and April 29th, to enable all 8th grade students to participate. Volunteers will work with the students to create a realistic view of life in the real world. We will need 25 volunteers for each day from 9:30 - 12:30 to serve at the various life
stations. Please sign up here to help: http://
www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044DA8A828A1F58-reality
PTSA Positions
Looking for an opportunity to be part of the PTSA, but unsure of
what you might want to do or how much work it might entail? Consider shadowing one of this year’s officers! Join us on
Monday, January 12th at 6:00pm in Room 101.
· This month’s highlighted position: VP Volunteers – email
parent lists monthly with volunteer opportunities, event and
dance social information, and other PTSA updates as needed. Attend monthly meetings (they only last an hour!). This
fun, easy position is a great way to get to know parents and
staff at Gray.
Kroger Community Rewards
Thank you to the families that have supported the school by participating in the Kroger Rewards program. With 57
families participating $641.54 has been raised to support school programs during the last quarter.
If you have not signed up please do so, below are the directions.
Kroger Plus Card Offers More for
Gray Middle School
Additional Benefits When Using the Card
Your Kroger Plus Card gives Kroger Community Rewards to Gray Middle School
It's simple to enroll:
Grab your current Kroger Plus Card - it's probably on your key fob.
If you use your phone number at the register, call 800-576-4377, select option 4 to
get your Kroger Plus Card number.
If you do not yet have a Kroger Plus Card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger.
1. Go online, to krogercommunityrewards.com
2. Click on Sign In/Register
3. Most participants are new, Kroger Community Rewards program online customers,
so click on Sign Up Today in the ‘New Customer?’ box.
4. Sign up for a Kroger Community Rewards account by entering your zip code, clicking
on favorite store, entering your email address and creating a password, agreeing to
the terms and conditions.
5. You will then get a message to check your email inbox.
6. Go to your email and click on the link within the body of the email.
7. Click on My Account and use your email address and password to proceed to the
next step.
8. Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus
card number.
9. Update or confirm your information.
10. Enter NPO number (47522 for Gray Middle School) or name of organization,
select organization from list and click on confirm.
11. To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see Gray Middle School on the
right side of your information page.
Why register you Kroger Plus Card? To earn additional funding for Gray Middle School
How does it work? Use your registered Kroger Plus Card or your phone number at
checkout like you always do.
When does it work? Every time you shop, your purchase counts. But, purchases
will not count until after you register your card(s).
Does this take away from my gas discounts? No. You still earn Fuel Rewards.
Important Dates
12/20—1/4 Winter Break
3/25 End of Term 4
1/14 NJHS New Member Induction
3/30—4/3 Spring Break
1/19 No School
3/27 End of Term 4
1/26 Reality Day #1
4/23-4/25 8th Grade Chicago Trip
2/4 End of Term 3
4/24 School Dance
2/13 School Dance
4/29 Reality Day #2
2/16 No School
5/4 Band Concert
3/5 Band Concert
5/9 8th Grade Dance
3/10 Choir Concert
5/12 Choir Concert
3/13 No School
5/19 No School
3/20 & 3/21 Spring Musical @ Ryle
5/20 End of Term 5
3/23 Spring Pictures
SBDM meetings are held the second Monday of every month at 5:00 pm.
PTSA meetings are held the second Monday of every month at 6:00 pm.
Please feel free to join us for these meetings.