Community Brief
Monday, March 4, 2024
Glenridge Middle Community Member

This week we will have some district assessments on Wednesday and Thursday. Students will take quarterly exams in all science classes, Civics, Algebra and Geometry. The tests will be given during your student’s class period. We will meet in our even periods on the 6th and odd periods on the 7th. These assessments help teachers ensure that the curriculum was mastered for the quarter. Please encourage your student to do their best!

On Friday, our current 6th grade students will have an opportunity to receive their Tdap vaccines that are needed for all 7th grade students. This clinic is free, but students must bring in a signed form that went home last week.  

With 8 class days left in the third quarter, it’s very important for students to turn in all of their assignments on time to get their grades up. We are really hoping to have a record-breaking number of students participate in our Lion Leader celebration this quarter.  

OCPS will be conducting surveys for our students, staff, and families this month. The family survey opened today (please see survey at the end of this issue). I truly appreciate the time that it takes to complete the survey as it gives me insights to what we are doing well and what you would like to see improved.  

Thank you for reading.

Mr. Kempinger
Principal

Pictured very top: Our orchestra students on the steps of Windermere High School where they had their 2024 Music Performance Assessment (additional pictures below).
Lion Spotlight
Congratulations to our Olympic Cornhole Champions!
Nathan Figueroa, Jeziel Sanchez and Giovanny Romero finished in first place and Liam Ramdath in third place in the Cornhole Area games on Saturday, February 17th at Gotha Middle School. They had a great time, and they moved on to the regional competition that was held Saturday, March 3rd at Lake Nona High School.
Orchestra Music Performance Assessment
Classroom Spotlight
Flag Football during morning intramurals
Chorus
Our chorus students performed the national anthem for the Orlando Magic vs. Brooklyn Nets basketball game. They were professional and represented Glenridge very well. Way to go Lions!
Civics Bowl Champions!
Congratulations to our Civics Bowl team (above left during the competition) in their victory over rival Maitland Middle last week!
Presentation of the Civics Bowl trophy to our team!
Malcolm Kramer, Maceo Santos, Tessa Hafer, Lexi Tong, Zayn Azam, Mr. Berry
Lions in MathCounts National Competition
We participated in the Central Florida MathCounts Competition on Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 8:30am - 4pm. The entire morning comprised of teams and completing challenging problems. Students learned their scores at the end of the day. This is a national competition, so the tests they took were highly guarded. No parents, teachers, or coaches were allowed in the testing area.  

After lunch, the top performing student from each school was recognized with a certificate. (The GMS top performing student was Grace Fields.) There were also team ciphering speed rounds, a special guest speaker who is a civil engineer with the Florida Department of Transportation, and finally the students were able to witness the countdown round where the top 10 scoring students competed for the top spot.  
From the left at Edgewater High School: Hannah Fields (Grade 6), Derek Babler-Madrid (Grade 7), Soham Puranik (Grade 7), Shaun Babler-Madrid (Grade 6), Coaches (WPHS students and former students of Mrs. Conenna): Daniel Sullivan & Kyle Babler-Madrid, Grace Fields (Grade 7), and Mrs. Kimberly Conenna (club sponsor). All of the 7th grade students are current students of Mrs. Conenna.
Teacher Feature
Teachers on planning period enjoying the weather: Ms. Meredith, Ms. Herman,
Ms. McCreery
Lions Pride Fund
We are excited to share that the GMS Lions Pride Fund is back! The Lions Pride Fund raises money to make improvements to the school and ensure an exceptional educational experience for GMS students.

  • Please join us on March 5th, 6:00 PM, at Lobos Coffee to learn more.

The Lions Pride Fund initiatives for the 2023-2024 school year include:

* International Baccalaureate (IB) Dues ($10,000) – The IB program provides a solid academic foundation that prepares students with transferable, future-ready skills to be citizens of tomorrow, who are ready to step up as leaders and contribute to their world.

* New Furniture for the Media Center ($5,000) – New furniture for the media center will create a more comfortable, welcoming and modern space for students that promotes learning and fosters student engagement.

* LEGO Spike Kits ($5,000) – LEGO Spike Kits enhance the STEAM learning experience and encourage students to develop abstract and critical thinking skills to creatively solve complex problems.
Tdap Clinic for current 6th Grade Students
Glenridge families,

The state of Florida requires students to have all of their required immunizations in order to attend school. This is a reminder, if you have an eleven-year-old they are eligible for the Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis immunization also known as Tdap. This is a required shot before entering 7th grade and required documentation is needed to be turned into the school.

  • There will be immunization event at our school March 8th.

If you would like additional information just visit ImmunizeFlorida.org. Those with private insurance or Medicaid can go directly to their medical care provider and obtain these same services. Once your child receives the immunization, you’ll need to submit the Florida 680 form that the doctor gives you to the school.

The following vaccines are required for children entering preschool and grades K-12: Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis(whooping cough), measles, mumps, rubella, polio, varicella (chickenpox) and hepatitis B.
2024 Family Survey
Glenridge Families – Please invest a few moments to share your views on our school. 

Steps to completing a family survey:
1) Visit bit.ly/ocpsfamily and select a school name
2) Select the language in which the family would like to take the survey in
3) Complete one survey for each school that the family has a child attending
4) Press submit once completed
We greatly appreciate your help in providing feedback regarding our school and your dedication to the Glenridge Family. (All survey responses are totally anonymous; we only see the combined results for Glenridge Middle School, not any of the individual family surveys.)
Florida flag
Thank you again for reading. Have a good week!
Daniel Kempinger, Principal
Glenridge Middle School
Monday, March 4, 2024
Glenridge Leadership Team
Principal: Mr. Daniel Kempinger - [email protected]
Assistant Principal: Dr. Kimberly Bispott - [email protected]
Assistant Principal of Instruction: Mr. Thomas Hames - [email protected]
8th Grade Dean: Ms. Ms. Camille Cassara - [email protected]
7th Grade Dean A-L: Ms. Camille Cassara - [email protected]
7th Grade Dean M-Z: Mr. Steven Schulties- [email protected]
6th Grade Dean: Mr. Steven Schulties - [email protected]
6th Grade / 7th Grade M-Z School Counselor: Ms. Jayne Ness-Lee - [email protected]
8th Grade / 7th Grade A-L School Counselor: Mr. Dwayne Noble - [email protected]
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Copyright Notice
Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Glenridge Middle School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Glenridge Middle School. Please contact Principal Daniel Kempinger [email protected] with any questions or for further information.
Glenridge Middle School
2900 Upper Park Road,
Orlando, FL 32814
Phone 407-623-1415
Fax 407-623-1417