Part I - Grenada School District

Communicator
Information for the Grenada School District Community
GSD Implements
iReady System
Superintendent's
Message
Dr. David Daigneault
GSD has been extremely proactive
in preparing for the state-mandated
requirements and Common Core
Standards. Common Core is not a
prescribed curriculum, but a framework that requires the mastery of key
concepts and college and career-ready
skills. Many educational changes are
happening at once, including the shifting of topics and standards, higher
student achievement expectations, and
increased difficulty of subject matter.
GSD is implementing multiple strategies to meet the new state requirements,
including the development of units
designed especially for our students by
teachers and District specialists and the
implementation of a computer-based
system called iReady.
The iReady system of diagnostics
and instruction was built for use with
Common Core. The iReady system provides computer data analysis of student
knowledge to enable the teacher to
determine exactly where to focus
instructional time. The diagnostics for
reading and mathematics pinpoint student needs down to the sub-skill level.
The iReady system provides ongoing
progress monitoring and determines
whether students will achieve endof-year targets. These diagnostics of
student abilities enables pupils to receive individualized instruction to keep
them on track to meet the new rigorous
expectations and to succeed on the accompanying assessments.
The adoptive assessments of iReady
leverage advanced technology to
provide deep, individualized evaluation and track growth and performance
consistently and continuously over
a student’s entire K-12 career. The
iReady adaptive assessments derive
large amounts of information from a
limited number of test items, delineate
needs and abilities, and enable individualized online and teacher-led instruction
to be provided for each student’s unique
needs.
GSD is constantly adapting and
modifying our strategies to more fully
adjust to student needs and state directives. We are implementing iReady
to provide a rigorous, on-grade level
instruction and practice program that
prepares students for college and career
readiness and provides teachers with
the tools needed to implement Common
Core. Our assessments and instruction
are reflecting the increased academic
requirements, offering lessons that
make connections across grade levels,
and implementing individualized progress monitoring and adaptive instruction.
December 15, 2014
GHS Hosts Beauty Review
(Photo left)
Jordan Lea was
crowned GHS
2015 Most Beautiful (right) and
Kes Spencer was
selected as Most
Handsome. (left)
(Photo right)
Allyn Flautt was
selected as Miss
Congeniality.
Photo by Yearbook Staff
Photo by Yearbook Staff
GHS Students Make Callbacks for Lions Band
Several Grenada Band Students received call backs
for additional auditions
from the Mississippi Lions
Band. Students front (l to
r) Cathyrne Booth, Claire
Sanford, Ashley Hatch,
back (l to r)
Tristan Crockett, Dylan
Teas, Jadarius Avery, and
Dakota Young will compete
again for the coveted positions in the band.
Not pictured Jacob Robertson and Amber Cummings.
Photo by Lisa Holland
GES Boot Scootin’ Boogie Contest
By Martha Liberto
GES Teacher
Students from kindergarten to third grade
recently participated in a Boot Scootin’ Boogie contest at Grenada Elementary School.
Physical education teacher Leslie Lancaster
and assistant Amy Laster led the students in
learning the line dance. Students were chosen to perform for their
peers at a Boot Scootin’ Boogie Contest
which was judged by teachers. Winning
classes were those of Ms. Oakes, Ms. Reyes,
Ms. Bowen, Ms. Moore, Ms. Palmer, and
Ms. Holland.
Coach Lancaster explains, “Line dances
are great for developing a variety of locomotor skills. It’s really fun, but also an excellent
team building exercise for classes to develop
their cooperative skills.”
Students (l to r) Tristan Davenport, Lila
Makemson, and Jett Lewis) from Mrs.
Carol Ciarloni’s kindergarten class show
off their western gear after their performance.
Photo by Martha Liberto
Communicator, December 15, 2014, Page 2
GMS Recognizes
Students of the Month
AmeriCorps Member of the Month
6th Grade
GMS Assistant Principal Barry Rogers, Samaya Jones, Dakeyveon Dunn,
Mason Pettit, Chris Golden, Jada Carpenter, Elando Hardiman, Neely Sherman, Amelia Ferguson, and Gabe Martin, not pictured, Reagan Waldo
By Gwen Woodson
AmeriCorps Director
7th Grade
GMS Assistant Principal Angela Cooley, Grayson Dale, Austyn Vaughn,
Colton Lane, Haley Shaw, Paris Harville, Jamya Benson, Samaria Swims,
and Cecilea Jones
8th Grade
GMS Assistant Principal Barry Rogers, Jacarla Hankins, Domnique McClain,
Bailey Simmons, Janae Tellis, Kayla Byford, Ebonee Webster, Carson Lollar,
Cody Jeffords, Andrew Ferguson, and Hunter Logan
Thank you
Partners In Education Members
&
GMS hosted a Thanksgiving Luncheon to honor their adoptors. Enjoying the
feast are Mississippi State Extension Service Agent Jan Walton, back, and
Renasant Bank Representatives Fran Harper, left, and Kim Hawkins.
Ka’Resha Bratcher is the type of person who contributes to others unselfishly,
without seeking any rewards. This is one
of the many reasons Bratcher is so effective in her position as a full-time AmeriCorps member with the Grenada School
District AmeriCorps Program (GSDAP).
Placed at the Grenada Elementary
School, Bratcher is committed to improving students’ academic achievement. The
GSDAP focuses on tutoring Grenada
School District k-8 students in math and
reading.
The Grenada School District has
hosted AmeriCorps members for the last
seven years in the role of tutors. The
GSDAP member is principally responsible for tutoring 45 students during the
school year. There are 1,015 students
involved in the tutoring program.
Bratcher attended Grenada High
School where she was a member of
DECA, SADD, FEA, and the prestigious
Grenada Band. She also graduated from
Holmes Community College and attended
the University of Mississippi where she
was a member of the University of Mississippi Gospel Choir.
“I joined AmeriCorps with the desire
to give back to our children and citizens
of the community,” said Bratcher. “I
am passionate about children and very
concerned about the needs of our community.”
Bratcher is married to Laderrick
Bratcher. They have a four year old
daughter, Alexia, and they are also expecting a son in February.
“I have been involved in many service
projects throughout the community: Grenada Food Pantry, Grenada Lake Visitors
Center, Thunder on Water, Balloons Over
Grenada, Powell Place, Martin Luther
King Jr. Day Breakfast and Parade,
Lewis Johnson Senior Citizen Complex,
Senior Citizen Computer Class, Summer
Children Feeding Program, Elizabeth
Jones Library Reading Program, Grenada
High School Visions Christmas Program,
Downtown Jubilee, Grenada Afterglow,
Make A Difference Day, and GSD Parent
Trainings.”
“One of the greatest joys I get to experience is to see the children learn, grow,
and really take in what we are trying to
help them with. It is really motivating,”
said Bratcher. “AmeriCorps has taught
me how to be more humble, appreciative,
and never take anything for granted. It’s
an absolute blessing and honor to be a
part of this wonderful program. Knowing
that I am making a difference is gratifying. The joy that we bring to those in
need is a joy within itself.”
“Ka’Resha has been a great asset to the
program during her terms of service,”
said Program Director Gwen Woodson.
“I am truly grateful for her commitment
to ‘Getting Things Done’ and her ability
to inspire others.”
In exchange for a year of service,
AmeriCorps members earn an education
award of $5,645 that can be used to pay
for college or to pay back qualified student loans. Bratcher plans to pay back her
student loans using her education award.
AmeriCorps partners with The GSD
Parent Resource Center assisting the GSD
Parent Resource Center Director, Myra
Muirhead, by facilitating parent workshops during the school year. The workshops are held every Tuesday evening
from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Adult
Education Center in Room 10. Carolyn
Smith, an AmeriCorps member, prepares
other members to assist with each topic.
A recent workshop topic was “Getting To
Know Your Child.”
Other services offered by the Center
are parenting videos and handbooks.
There are five computers with internet
access to enable students to register for
ACT or FAFSA and receive help with the
completion of financial aid forms. The
GSD Parent Resource Center was created
to give parents options to help their children succeed in their education and life.
The Resource Center is open Monday –
Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
and Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
For information on upcoming workshops
and all other services, call 662-227-3370.
The GSD Center is made possible
by the 21st Century Grant. The GSD
AmeriCorps Program is administered by
the Corporation for National and Community Services (CNCS) and Volunteer
Mississippi.
For more information about the Grenada School District AmeriCorps Program,
contact Program Director Gwen Woodson
at [email protected]. For more
information about AmeriCorps, visit
www.americorps.gov.
GES Reading Fair GUES Reading Fair
Communicator, December 15, 2014, Page 3
Kindergarten
1st place - Mary Grace
Klinck
First grade
3rd Place-Will Meriwether; 1st place-Drew Klinck;
and 2nd Place-Gabe Reyna
Fiction
1st Row (l to r) 1st place- Makayla Bailey; 2nd place- Gracie Colbert; 3rd placeAbbi Jackson; 4th place - Simrah Sajjah; 2nd Row (l to r) 5th place- Olivia
Fulgham; Honorable Mention- Aiden White; and Honorable Mention -Jonathon
Brown
Non- Fiction
1st Row (l to r)
1st place- Luke
Hardin; 2nd placeGrayson Patton;
3rd place- Zion
Williams; 2nd Row
(l to r) 4th placeJames Doubleday;
5th place- Parks
Wilbourn
2nd Grade
1st Row (l to r) Honorable Mention- Kelsey Hodges; 2nd place - Jillian Dykes;
1st place- Beau McPhail; 2nd Row (l to r) 4th place -Preston Downs; Honorable
Mention- Abby Presley; 5th place-Emily Smith; and 3rd place- Anna Hankins;
3rd Row (l to r) Honorable Mention -Aden Noah; Honorable Mention -Logan
Hentz; and Honorable Mention- Alexis Gonzales
3rd Grade
1st Row (l to r) 5th place- Sydney Beane; 4th place -Cassie Sellers; 3rd placeDrudarrius Barnes; 2nd place -Anthony Carollo; and 1st place-Gavin Brown;
2nd Row (l to r) Honorable Mention-Chloe White; Honorable Mention -Preston
Lee; Honorable Mention-Sadie Rose Williams; Honorable Mention -Anna Elise
Ferguson; and Honorable Mention - Bryce Stegall
Group and Family
1st Row (l to r) 1st place-Lauren Dungan, Sunny Logan, and Caydence Trost;
2nd place- Luke Mattox and Will Nesbit; 2nd Row (l to r) 3rd place-Sydney
Allbritton and Meredith Meriwether; 4th place- Katie Blankenship and Sadie
Stockton; 5th place- Leah Brassfield and Alley Harris; Honorable Mention- Amelia Taylor and Ella Brooke Horan
GMS Reading Fair
Non-Fiction
1st place- Kayla Reece; and 2nd placeJavier Booker
Group and Family
(l to r) 1st place- Cislee Trost and Lindsey Kilgore;
2nd place- Allison Holland and Anna Palmer
Fiction
front (l to r) 3rd place -Dallas Boyett; 1st place- Landon
Wortham; 4th place Keeochius Rhymes; back (l to r)
3rd place- Austin Moore; Honorable Mention- Ashlee Hankins; 5th place Alissa Aldridge; and 3rd place Chris Davis
Communicator, December 15, 2014, Page 4
Leadership Grenada Tours
Grenada School District
GES (K-1)
Domino’s –donated free cheesy bread
certificates
Applebee’s-donated certificates for
free item
Shoney’s –donated certificates for free
item
GES (2-3)
GMS Principal Angela
Cooley spoke to the Leadership Grenada members
during their lunch break.
Star 92.3-donated 24 hand sanitizers
to GES teachers
First Family Finance-donated funds
for GES wish list
Cash Depot- donated items from
teacher wish list and Halloween
goodie bags for L.E.A.P and students
Grenada Star-donated electric pencil
sharpener to Mrs. Blakely’s 2nd grade
looping class and provides newspapers to students
Perma “R” Products- donated funds
for GES teacher wish list and foam for
visual arts
Sunset Chrysler- donated paper clips,
tape, hand soap, and copy paper
Walmart-donated plants
Cross Country Seeds-loaned 2 cedar
fanback rocking chairs for National
Young Reader’s Week
GMS
Perma “R” Products-donated template
to spray football field for military
night
Neblett’s –donated mat board to art
classes
Emmanual Baptist Church- donation
GHS
Grenada Career and Technical
Center
Jan Walton-donated funds
Plaza Cinema-donated five gift cards
to the movies and funds
Shoney’s –gave honor choir a discount on their meal
Farm Bureau-donated monogrammed
Charger aprons for the concession
stand
McAlister’s –donated tea for concession stand and marching festival
Applebee’s –donated food for marching festival
Domino’s –donated pizzas for marching festival
333 Restaurant- donated food for
marching festival
Salad Etc.- donated food for marching
festival
Spain’s –donated food for marching
festival
Grocery Basket-donated food for
marching festival
Save-A-Lot-donated food for marching festival
Tassin’s Jewelers-donated crown for
beauty review
Sp Cal
on end
so
red ar
By
Leadership Grenada is
a program offered by
the Grenada Chamber
of Commerce with the
purpose of providing
corporate leadership
training, motivating and encouraging
civic leaders, and
developing personal
leadership characteristics and skills within
individuals. Leadership skill topics are
taught with active
participation along
with numerous field
trips, with each graduate encouraged to
actively contribute to
Grenada’s growth and
future.
Thank-You GSD Partners in Education
January
The Best Meats In Town!
B & L Service Center- John Bennett
participated in Craft Committee supper
K-12
Junior Auxiliary-provided uniforms
and school supplies
21st Century Incentives
Shoney’s- hot fudge cake Sunday
McDonalds- hamburger, small soft
drink, or small fries
McAlister’s- cookie
Church’s Chicken- 2 piece meal
Sonic- medium fountain drink or
medium slush Domino’s Pizza - coupons for a free
item with purchase

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