March 3-10, 2017
In This Issue
GSCS TRANSPORTATION ACES STATE INSPECTIONS
Last week, the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) transportation department had their annual Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) inspection. A total of 124 GSCS buses were inspected and no serious defects were detected. No buses were taken out of service and only eight minor defects were identified. None of the discovered defects were safety related but rather minor leaks.
 
DPS Officer Daniel Dixon stated, "This is one of the best inspections I have seen in my 10 years of experience inspecting buses for the state."
 
GSCS Transportation Director Todd Harris stated, "Officer Dixon is known for being one of the most meticulous and precise inspectors in the state so this is a huge compliment. In short, out of 124 buses and 6200 official individual inspection points we had eight minor defects. That equates to being 99.8% effective.  Our technicians and Shop Foreman Kenneth Brooks have set the bar extremely high."
 
"This is outstanding! I am very pleased with the great work of our transportation department. Their daily efforts to ensure the safety of our students should be recognized," stated Superintendent Jim Smith.
GSCS HIGHLIGHTS EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATORS
This school year, the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) is highlighting its 2016-2017 Teachers of the Year. This is a wonderful opportunity show off these great GSCS educators who were all chosen by their peers to represent their school. GSCS is proud to call attention to these exceptional educators and honor them for ensuring that every student receives a quality education.

Click HERE to read more about some of our 2016-2017 Teachers of the Year.
GSCS EMPLOYEE RECEIVES FIRST REFERRAL BONUS
Congrats to Cowan Road Middle School Teacher Jeremy Hodges for being the first GSCS employee to receive the $500 employee referral bonus!

You could be next! Do you know a great certified teacher who has not previously applied or interviewed with GSCS? Have them apply on the GSCS website and list your name on their application under "referral source." If they get hired and start working at GSCS, you get a $500 bonus! 
Help us build a great team!
GSCS FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AWARD CEREMONY
The GSCS Family and Community Engagement Program will be recognized
by State Superintendent Richard Woods
at an  award assembly at GHS at 11am on March 27 for being a winner in the 2016 Family Engagement Month Video Contest.
 
Congratulations GSCS Family and Community Engagement!
GSCS CELEBRATES OUR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS
 
GRIFFIN ROTARY PROMOTES LITERACY TO GSCS MIDDLE SCHOOLS
This week, members of the Griffin Rotary Club presented each GSCS middle school with 50 copies of the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.

Rehoboth Road Middle School's books will be delivered next week.
NEW SLDS WEBINAR SESSIONS
The SLDS team has scheduled a new series of webinar sessions. These webinars include all seven of the current teacher modules and several webinars that focus on admin or support staff.

The SLDS team will continue offering FREE face-to-face training but the webinars will "fill-in" a missing venue (for example; new teachers, teachers that missed a specific module when the face-to-face training was conducted, as follow-up after the initial training, etc.). These webinars will be recorded and posted on our website for viewing whenever the viewer wishes to participate.  

Click HERE to view the schedule of webinars.
WIN YOUR SCHOOL A $30K GRANT FOR NEW PLAYGROUND MATERIALS
Could your school playground use an extreme makeover? Each year, the Healthy Playground Makeover Sweepstakes provides the opportunity for you to win big for your school! Anyone in your community can enter for a chance to win a $30,000 grant for your school's healthy transformation and a new playground. 

Enter once a day every day now through March 24th, 2017. The more entries your school has, the greater your chances to win! 
ENTER NOW!

SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION WEEK

FEMA'S RECRUITING TEEN LEADERS FOR YOUTH PREPAREDNESS COUNCIL 
Students in 8th, 9th, 10th or 11th grade who are engaged in community service or are interested in emergency preparedness, may apply to serve on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Youth Preparedness Council.

During Council members' two-year term, they meet with FEMA staff on a regular basis to discuss the youth perspective on emergency preparedness, share information with their communities, and participate in local and national emergency preparedness projects.

Adults working with youth or emergency management are encouraged to share the application with youth who might be interested in applying. Applications are due March 31, 2017. Applicants must submit a completed application form, two letters of recommendation and academic records.

For more information and to see the projects current members are working on, click HERE to visit the Youth Preparedness Council website. To submit an application, visit https://community.fema.gov/applytoYPC.
THE HELEN POUCH MEMORIAL FUND CLASSROOM GRANT AWARD PROGRAM 
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior Membership committee supports the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund which is the fundraising project of the committee to support education. This fund has awarded annual scholarships and supported educational projects at the DAR schools. In an effort to expand the impact of the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund, the committee has established the classroom grant project with the goal of awarding a $500 classroom grant to one classroom in each state, totaling $25,000 in grant awards each year. 

Applicants for the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund Classroom Grants must be
K-12th grade classroom teachers and sponsored by a local DAR chapter. Proposed projects must directly benefit students in the classroom. Funds may be used for supplies and educational programs but the applicant must detail how these items will help to further the educational goals of the DAR. 

If you are a classroom teacher interested in applying please contact Judy Parker, APR, at extension 10341 or judy.parker@gscs.org by March 15.

Click HERE to view the application. 
CENTRAL OFFICE EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
Director of Instructional Technology Lonny Harper

Lonny recently started scanning browser history and internet searches on the GSCS network for Project AWARE to identify malicious content and/or threats to personal safety (i.e. suicide or homicide). Many student interventions have resulted in his work. The Project AWARE team believes that through his professionalism and diligence Lonny's actions have had a lifesaving impact on many of our students and also revealed the need for close monitoring on what our students are accessing and communicating on our school network.
SCRUB RUN BENEFITTING BACKPACK FOOD FOR KIDS

  
WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital will be hosting their 5th Scrub Run 5K on March 11, 2017. The success of this event over the years has allowed them to donate just over $20,500.00 for the Backpack Food for Kids Program.
 
WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital is asking for our support to help make the 2017 Scrub Run 5K Run for Kids the best one so far.

Scrub Run 5K Sponsorship Form

Scrub Run 5K Registration Form