Panther Post

September, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 1

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801 Cox Neck Road New Castle, DE 19720 302.832.6280 http://gunningbedford.colonial.k12.de.us/

Happy New Year!

How to have a successful start to the new school year
Middle school is a very challenging time for students. As you mature, it is natural to seek greater autonomy. For parents of middle school students, it is often tempting to let the reins go a bit. However, it is critical to remember that students need the support of their parents more so now than ever before! Here are a few quick tips for students and parents to make sure you start off on the right foot! 1. Agenda Each day write down your homework assignments, due dates, test dates, and any other important information you need to keep track of. Check your childs agenda at least once per week. 2. Get Involved : Join a club or sport at GB. Research shows that students who are active in school have higher GPAs. : Contact your childs teacher and ask how you can be involved at GB. 3. Monitor Grades : If you have a question about a grade, speak to your teacher or counselor. If you are struggling with a class, ask for extra help. : Once a week, check your childs grades using the online grading system. If you do not have your username and password, contact your childs guidance counselor. BE POSITIVE! You can only be as successful as you believe you can.

Mr. Moffett, Principal

Sept. 11 - Open House Sept. 16 - Picture Day Sept. 20 - School Closed Sept. 26 - Parent Information Night Oct. 12 - Colonial Homecoming Events Oct. 25 - End of Marking Period 1

Social Media Corner

GB is on Facebook!

a good u o y Ar e itizen? c l a t i g di
Scan the QR Code to Like GB for GBMS updates.

Trends in Technology
As we move further into the 21st century, the staff at Gunning Bedford are committed to increasing digital literacy for all of our students. The Colonial School District is working on finalizing the full implementation of the Bring Your Own Device initiative. Be sure to check the Colonial website for more information on the BYOD initiative.
The new digital media exploratory classes will work on developing several essential skills to help every student become college and career ready, including: Online and social networking safety, Digital citizenship, Digital research skills, Digital storytelling, Basics of online and mobile learning (eLearning), and Digital media appreciation and criticism. Students will work on activities that build: Better understanding of digital citizenship, research, information, and technology operations, and creativity and innovation development. Students, when you stop by the Library to check out a new book, say hello to Mr. Clark, our new Digital Media teacher. Mr. Clark has spent the last thirty years working with technology on college campuses throughout the state of Delaware. We are happy to have his expertise with us at GB this school year.

A great and really simple [tool] that I use in class is polleverywhere.com I like it because students don't need a smartphone to use itthey can just text in their votes for the correct answers, or if a student doesn't have a cell phone, but is able to [access] WiFi from their device, they can participate in the poll through the website. It's able to provide both the teacher and student with instant visual feedback!

One of my favorite things to do in the classroom is use the [cell] app "Socrative". It essentially turns the phone/tablet/laptop into a clicker. I can pose a question and the students respond using the app. It can graph student responses (anonymously) or can show student answers (anonymously) if they typed them in themselves. At the end of the "quiz", I can email a report to myself which provides me a spreadsheet of all the students names and responses to every question. It even goes as far as color-coding the multiple choice answers red if they were wrong and green if they were correct. Socrative allows for immediate feedback to be given to the students and greatly reduces the amount of time it takes to generate that feedback. Also, it allows me to make better informed decisions in the classroom to have the greatest impact on student learning.

Get Involved at GB!

Delaware Interscholastic Athletics Association
The purpose of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association is to preserve and promote the educational significance of interscholastic athletics; ensure that interscholastic sports remain compatible with the educational mission of the member schools; provide for fair competition between member schools; promote sportsmanship and ethical behavior; establish and enforce standards of conduct for athletes, coaches, administrators, officials and spectators; protect the physical well-being of athletes; and promote healthy adolescent lifestyles. For more information regarding sports at GB, please contact the Athletic Director, Ms. Vautier at
[email protected]

Field Hockey

Girls

Ms. DeMatteis
[email protected]

Soccer

Boys & Girls

Mr. Adams [email protected] Mr. Dinkeloo [email protected]

ity ibil nts g i l E eme uir req

Extracurricular Clubs
In order to participate in athletics or extracurricular activities, each student must the student BPA Science Olympiad Sportsmanship Committee two of which must be in Math, Science, Social Studies, or English. For questions about your eligibility status, please see your coach, counselor, or Ms. Vautier. Student Council Yearbook Ms. Upshure Ms. Bennett & Ms. Motley Ms. Taggart Ms. Hudes Ms. Blume & Ms. Citino

Dont forget to collect Box Tops for GB! Hand in your box tops to your homeroom teacher. Student Council will be running contests throughout the year to recognize the HRs with the most box Tops!

Sixth Grade
Welcome to the Panther Pack!!!
A letter from the Class of 2013 to the Class of 2016
has the best teachers to offer! They wont steer you wrong. All I can say is that dont let the thought of being the Babies of the school get to you. Everyone in that school at one time was a baby too! The size of the school is over-whelming at first too, but its very easy to get used to. You arent going to be alone with all the new friends you are going to make! Your 3 years will go by so fast and before you know it you will be choosing your next journey into high school. Just focus, have fun and learn as much as you can! Good Luck and Congratulations on becoming a 6th grader at Gunning Bedford Middle School! You are part of a unique group The Panther Pack - Be Proud of It!

Middle School Grading System

One of the changes you will notice from 5th to 6th grade is that you now have letter grades. These grades will be used to calculate your Grade Point Average (GPA) to determine if you are eligible to participate in clubs, sports, and other incentives at GB. Throughout Colonial, the grading scale is:
93%+ 85% - 92% 77% - 84% 70% - 76% 69% and below A B C D F

Welcome to Gunning Bedford Middle School! You are in for a great 3 years of middle school. Plenty to do, see, and learn! As of now, you are a part of the Panther Pack. Middle school is a great experience and especially for 6th graders. You are able to experience something totally new! Like a rotating schedule, exploratories and a wonderful athletic program! How do I know what middle school is like? Well, because my twin sister Alexis and I just finished our 8th grade year at Gunning Bedford. We are both now freshman in high school. We both have to say, we are going to miss all the great teachers we had, especially those who taught us beyond the classroom. We are also going to miss the athletic coaches since we also participated in soccer and softball in our 7th and 8th grade years. Middle school is excellent preparation for whats to come and Gunning Bedford

From the desk of Mr. Distler

Welcome back! I hope you had an enjoyable and relaxing summer vacation. The 6th grade team is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the class of 2020. At Gunning Bedford, we believe that we can empower our students through excellence in education. It is our mission to prepare every student to be highschool, college, and career-ready. Transitioning from elementary school to middle school can be challenging for many students. These challenges range from everything from friendships to academic ability. At GB, we are going to challenge each student to reach their fullest potential academically, behaviorally and socially. Middle school students are not only expected to learn Common Core standards, but to also analyze and apply what they have learned in real-life situations. At GB, we want to empower students to be independent thinkers. Middle school offers students many choices. The challenge will be students making appropriate choices throughout the school year. As my favorite author states

It is important that you access the online grading system at least once per week to make sure you are making adequate progress in all of your classes.

Throughout the school year, please dont hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Who is Mr. Wolfe?

Gunning Bedfords 7th Grade Administrator Graduate of Wm Penn HS, Class of 2003 University of Delaware, Class of 2007 Wm Penn HS Teacher, 2007-2013 DE Geography Teacher of the Year, 2012-13

Seventh Grade
From the desk of Mr. Wolfe:
Welcome back to Gunning Bedford! I hope this finds you refreshed from your summer vacation and ready to get back in the swing of things. The 7th grade teachers are tremendously excited about your arrival and have been working hard to prepare for a great year of fun and learning. It is our mission in the Colonial School District to prepare every student to be high-school, college, and career-ready. As a result, it is our expectation that students will come to school everyday, ready to learn and to lay the foundation for their future. As a 7th grader, our students are now acclimated to the building and can hit the ground running this marking period. Though the 7th grade students have a year of middle school under their belts, increased academic expectations and other challenges lie ahead. These challenges range from social and physical changes to the increase in academic rigor. It is highly recommended that students get involved in any of our numerous athletic and extracurricular activities. This will help students develop their time management skills, while helping them develop positive relationships with other students and staff members. Todays students are expected to master a greater number of intellectual skills at a faster pace than ever before. The Gunning Bedford faculty, staff, and administration are committed to providing a high-quality education for our students and assisting our families and community in raising a productive group of life-long learners. I look forward to working with all of your students this year.

Mark Your Calendars

September 11th: GBMS Open House September 26th: Title I Reading Night October 12th: Wm Penn Homecoming October 24th: Title I Math Night November 21st: Parent Technology Night

Meet the Team A Staff:

Ms. Tiberi/Ms. Evans, ELA Ms. Gaden, Math & Science Mr. McCabe, Science Ms. Hudes, Soc. Studies Ms. Darrisaw, Math

Meet the Team B Staff:

Ms. Kalb, Mathematics Ms. Motley, Science Mr. Dinkeloo, Soc. Studies Ms. Kilcur/Mr. Mulshnock, ELA

Meet the Team C Staff:

Ms. Bennett, Science Ms. Singleton, ELA Ms. Davis, Mathematics Ms. Brown, Soc. Studies

Eighth Grade
Choosing the Right High School for Your Future
What should I look for in a high school? The Colonial School District and
staff of Gunning Bedford hope that all of our students choose to go to William Penn HS. As you begin to look towards your future, here are some questions to ask of each school you are considering. 1. What do you offer that will allow me to earn college credit? What do you offer - AP, dual enrollment, etc? 2. that I can chose from? If I pick to study one topic (EX: Criminal Justice), later (EX: Culinary Arts)?
his is an exciting time for you, as you begin to prepare for your journey into high school. You will be challenged more this year than you have in the past, but we are confident you will rise to the occasion! As students, you will be challenged not only to remember things, but to analyze problems. As stated by Alvin Toffler,

6. Will the courses you offer, especially in math and science, from UD? 7. How much money does your senior class get in ? What support does the staff offer to assist with earning scholarships? What support is there in completing Financial Aid forms for college? 8. What do you have? How many of your clubs ? 9. What f offer? How can I take? do you

3. What have any

do you offer? Do you ?

For information on how WP can answer these questions, contact Ms. Gloria Compello, 9th Grade Counselor. [email protected] 302-323-2800

4. What can I earn while in high school? 5. How many athletes go on to play ?

College Spotlight: UD
Todays students are faced with a lot of challenges in picking the right college. One of the major hurdles that students have to overcome is how to pay for college. UD has an answer to that - T . In 2006, UD launched its Commitment to Delawareans. UD to all in-state students in them. If Delaware students follow this academic roadmap preparing them for college-level work, their chances of admission are great. Of course, access is as much about affordability as academic preparation. And so, in 2009, the University pledged to meet the full demonstrated financial need of in-state students and to of a four-year UD education. For more information, and the required high school courses, go to the online Brochure at http://www.udel.edu/commitment/C2DEBroch.pdf.

. Please feel free to see me throughout the year if you find yourself struggling to succeed.