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Welcome to the Gryphon Gazette!

January 29^th – 1^st Semester Report Cards mailed (see below)
SRVEF – Read a Thon – February through March
February 1^st – Jump Rope for Heart – 1^st Period
February 1^st – GRMS Vocal Music Club – afterschool – MPR
February 3^rd – Spelling Bee
February 15^th – President’s Day Holiday – No School
February 17^th – Dine out at Garlex Pizza – Support the GRMS Ed Fund
February 18^th – PTSA Meeting 9am
February 19^th – 7^th & 8^th Grade Dance
February 24^th – Spring Picture Day

First Semester Report Cards: Due to system issues report card processing has been delayed. We hope to be able to process and mail them via US mail by the end of this week. Depending on your mail delivery, you should receive them early next week.

Jump for Heart! Ask your student about Jump Rope for Heart. Great exercise with benefits to heart patients. We will be part of the effort to break the Guinness’s World Record! All participants must have a completed permission slip on file. Download here or pick one up in the front office.

Gale Ranch Middle School will be taking part in READ WITH SRVEF .. click here to view the flyer .. Check in with Mrs. Williams, our Librarian Teacher with questions and to get additional information and pledge sheets.

2010 Tri-Valley Expanding Your Horizons Career Conference

The 2010 Tri-Valley Expanding Your Horizons Career Conference for girls in grades 6 through 9 will be held on Saturday, Feb 27, 2010, at Diablo Valley College, San Ramon campus, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. This year's theme is 'Dive into a Learning Adventure' in honor of our keynote speaker, Ashley Jackson, a dolphin trainer at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA.

Girls attend two 90-minute workshops that provide hands-on science- or math-related activities which enable them to interact with professionals and science enthusiasts. Attendance per workshop is typically limited to 20 students to keep the instruction personal and interactive. In addition to workshops, girls also visit numerous career displays and are able to interact with professionals from industry, government, academia, and public service, discussing career and education choices in a friendly and relaxed environment. Career fair participants distribute brochures and freebies and may advertise their special events. All this and lunch for only $20! Scholarships are available upon request.

The TVEYH conference web site is http://www.tveyh.org The hotline number for further information is (925) 422-2453.

GRMS Vocal Music Club is starting up again at Gale Ranch on Mondays from 2:50pm-3:30pm. Come sing choral as well as popular music with an enthusiastic group of vocalists! See you in the MPR February 1st.

CJSF News:

With the end of the first semester, 7^th and 8^th graders are eligible to apply for CJSF membership. Applications are available in the main office. Please check the application carefully to be sure you qualify. You must attach a copy of your first semester report card. Due to system issues report card processing has been delayed. We hope to be able to process and mail them via US mail by the end of the week. Depending on your mail delivery, you should receive them early next week.

Remember you must re-apply at each semester (with current grades) to remain a member of CJSF. To qualify as a CJSF honor member, you must qualify and be a member for all 4 semesters. (2 for 7^th & 2 for 8^th grade). Any questions should be directed to the CJSF advisor, Mrs. Seipel at lseipel@srvusd.net.

GRMS Website Our website contains loads of information that we hope will be informative and relevant to you. Please check it often. It contains, among other things, upcoming event, school, district and sports calendars, PTSA and Ed Fund information, links to pertinent sites and so much more. www.grms.srvusd.net

Other Events & Opportunities

Our front office has a literature rack containing informational flyers about school and outside activities. These could include sports, support groups, scholastic and other school groups. Please stop by periodically to peruse the rack. Your students should be checking it often too! Currently there is information about Lacrosse, Softball, CJSF, GIA, PTSA, ED Fund, La Asia, Office Depot and more!

In an effort to keep the Gazette to a reasonable and readable length, we will post a link in this area to community offerings you might be interested in viewing. Click here to see the latest.

GRMS ED Fund News and Happenings

Your Ed Fund is working hard to support the students at Gale Ranch Middle School. Here’s some easy and fun ways for you to participate and help!

Gale Ranch Dine Out –- Garlex Pizza in Danville (9000-P Crow Canyon, Blackhawk) is our next merchant offering to help out Gale Ranch. The third (3^rd) Wednesday of every month, Garlex will donate 25% of GRMS sales to the Ed Fund. Simply mention you are from Gale Ranch and the magic will happen. Good for take-out as well as in store dining. Download the flyer here.

Matching Funds – Such an easy way to double your contribution! Many employers have a matching funds program. If yours does, the school needs your help to expedite this very much needed support. Generally, companies have a matching gift form that you will need to fill out in order to process. Please check with your human resource department.

You may need the following information:

1) Gale Ranch Tax ID: 26-2286399

2) Gale Ranch Middle School

6400 Main Branch Rd
San Ramon, CA 94582-5978
(925) 479-1500

www.grms.srvusd.net
3) Your contribution amount.

For more information or assistance in this process, please contact, IChien Wu-Magidi, iwmagidi@gmail.com, 925-325-0007. We greatly appreciate your support. Thank you.

Sports at Gale Ranch

Week of February 1^st

Girls’ Basketball

6^th Grade

· Monday – AWAY @ Windemere Ranch

· Tuesday – Home vs Windemere Ranch

7^th Grade

· Monday – Home vs Windemere Ranch

· Thursday – AWAY at Windemere Ranch

Tuesday – 8^th Grade

· Tuesday - AWAY at Windemere Ranch

· Thursday – Home vs Windemere Ranch

Practices are held Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (on non game days).. beginning right after school until about 3:30p. Players should confirm dates and times with their coaches. For the complete schedule of games visit the GRMS website.

Required forms can be downloaded and printed from our website. Visit our website for all the information and schedule of practices and games/meets. From the GRMS website www.grms.srvusd.net click on Calendar and Events, choose Sports Calendar from the dropdown menu and choose the sport you are interested in learning more about.

Counselor’s Corner

First Semester Ends January 22^nd!!

We hope to process and mail first semester report cards by the end of this week. Grades will be an average of first and second quarter combined. GPA’s will be posted on report cards, but students and parents can be familiar with how to calculate GPA’s on their own. GPA stands for Grade Point Average, which is calculated as following:

1) Each grade has a specific value such as A=4 points, B=3 points, C=2 points, D=1 point, and F=0 points

2) To average these points, add these values together and divide by the number of classes the student is taking

Note to 8^th graders: Students, who wish to participate in extracurricular activities, such as sports, leadership, cheerleading, etc., during the freshman year of high school, must maintain a 2.0 GPA during the second semester of their eighth grade school year. By policy, students who do not maintain a 2.0 GPA by June of their eighth grade year may be excluded from the extracurricular program in the fall, even if they qualified for participation at the time of any spring signups or tryouts that may have been held. It is the responsibility of the parent and student to monitor academic progress since academic ineligibility may result in the loss of all deposits or fees paid.

· DVHS Incoming 9^th Grade Night-Wednesday, March 3 at 6PM- GRMS 8^th graders are invited to Dougherty Valley High School for an informational meeting about transitioning to the high school in the fall.

“She’s All That!” Conference

All middle school girls in our school district are invited to participate in the 6^th Annual “She’s All That!” conference (put on by the Soroptimists International of the San Ramon Valley) on Saturday, February 6, 2010 from 9AM-3PM at California High School. This special conference includes an inspirational keynote presentation and a choice of three of the available workshops for girls including Mean Girls, Facial Finishes, Straight Talk on Boys, Relationships and Other Teen Issues (Level I and II), Yoga, Self-Defense, Get Your Parents Off Your Back (and On Your Side), Money in My Life, My Personal Style, Social Saavy, What’s on the Menu, Independent Me, Dance, and Exploring the Great Outdoors. There will also be workshops available for parents to participate in. I have attended the conference for the past five years (I facilitate the “Mean Girls” workshop) and girls report that “She’s All That” is a fun and interesting day that should not be missed. Representatives from the Soroptimists will be visiting Gale Ranch on December 10 during lunch periods to hand out flyers to girls and answer any questions. To register, please visit http://www.soroptimist-sr.org/SATregistration10.html. Cost is $25 through January 15, or $30 after this date

Join “Quest” at Gale Ranch Middle School!

Quest is part of the Youth Resource Program, which promotes viable life skills among

young people in our community through recreation activities, community service

opportunities, counseling programs, and skill development at San Ramon middle schools.

Each session meets once a week for a four week curriculum after school.

Various subjects are introduced to promote positive choices.

The following “Quest” course will be offered at Gale Ranch this quarter:

Making the Right Choice

Learn about personal finance, education, and career options based on your skills, interests, and values.

Tuesday 3/16 – 4/13 3:00 – 4:30pm Room C 202 Act # 64472 (no class on 4/6)

For Gale Ranch Middle School students - Each session $29. Sign up for both sessions at a discounted rate of $49 – use Act # 64476. For more information view the Spring Recreation Guide or call Dolores Pita at 925-973-3373 for more information.

Call 973-3200 to sign up. Space is limited.

Youth-2-Youth - a conference for ALL middle school students (boys and girls) - is different than the She's All That conference. The Y2Y Conference is staffed by 100 local high school students who have been trained to facilitate small groups (family groups). At the conference, middle school students are grouped into "families" for the day, which are facilitated by two local high school students. Care is taken to keep family groups small, 8-12 student per "family", and attention is paid to try and make sure that the family groups are balanced and that students get to meet new friends. For example, it is rare that two 6th graders from the same school are place in the same family group. The conference will run from approximately 8am-10pm on Saturday, March 13, 2010, and includes workshops, family group time, a keynote speaker, lunch, dinner, and a dance at the end of the evening. This year's keynote is Javier Sanchez - a hip-hop artist who has a love for youth development, spreading a drug-free message, and empowering young people to reach their potential. Here is the registration link:

Click here and be taken directly to the online preregister page. We are trying to do 95% of the registration online this year (something new for CASA).

PTSA & Parent Education

REFLECTIONS UPDATE Congratulations! Tuili's Reflections entry was selected to move on to the state level. She received her 32nd district certificate and ribbons this past weekend at the showcase at Alhambra High. Good Luck as you move to the next level!

PTSA OFFICERS AND CHAIRS NEEDED

It’s that time of year to recruit next year’s slate of officers and chairs. The nominating committee has been formed.These volunteers will be looking to fill many positions over the next month. If you are interested, please refer to the officer and chair positions on our website or email Elaine O’Hanlon, Parliamentarian, ohanlon@sbcglobal.net or Renata Price, winekid@yahoo.com. You can help make a difference as the PTSA continues its work towards improving the education and the well-being of our students.

ANNUAL PARENTING CONFERENCE ~ The San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs presents its Annual Parenting Conference on Saturday, February 27^th, at Dougherty Valley High School from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm (check-in begins at 7:45am). This year’s keynote presentation is the documentary film Race to Nowhere that examines education, childhood and the unintended consequences of the achievement-oriented way of life that exists in American education and culture. Following the film will be a panel discussion and question and answer session. Attendees will then have the opportunity to attend a morning and an afternoon small group seminar of your choice, focusing on current parenting topics. Breakfast and lunch are provided. More information will be posted at www.srvcouncilpta.org.

ANNOUNCING THE 30^TH ANNUAL PTA ADVOCACY DAYSee Flyer

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Are you concerned about looming catastrophic budget cuts to our schools and children's services? Have you been hearing about new education reform and budget reform efforts and want to understand more about them? Sign up today for the 30th annual PTA Advocacy Day trip to Sacramento. On this trip, you will learn about the issues and make our voices heard to our legislators. A registration fee of $65 includes transportation by bus from the Sycamore Park and Ride, box lunch, information packets and an informative itinerary with opening speaker Kevin Gordon, President of School Innovations and Advocacy; Debbie Look, Director of Legislation, California State PTA; and a panel of our elected Legislators including State Senators Mark DeSaulnier and Loni Hancock and Assembly members Joan Buchanan and Nancy Skinner. You can register on line by clicking on the following link: http://www.signmeup.com/67766

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