REDHAWK NEWSLETTER

Issue #1

REDHAWK
NATION
NEWSLETTER

Walk-A-Thon November 20th, 2015

Message from the Principal
As John Glenns Principal, I join
our staff in approaching each
school year with enthusiasm and
commitment to the tradition of
excellence that has been
established in our Redhawk
Community. Our tradition is
sustained by outstanding
academic results and a rich
program of activities that foster
development of the whole student.
Our mission is to provide each
student with a rigorous educational
experience in a supportive and
caring environment. As part of our
commitment to continuous growth,
we have challenged ourselves to
meet the rigorous criteria
established by the International
Baccalaureate Middle Years
Program (IB MYP) and develop in
our students a strong foundation
for learning and living as members
of a global community.

The collaboration among

stakeholders and the commitment
to excellence is what inspires us to
achieve. We are very proud of our
students, our highly qualified
faculty, and the community we
serve. In order to continue our
tradition of excellence, we are
committed to continuous
improvement and growth as we
face the challenges of an
interdependent world.

Welcome Back
Thank you all for attending JGMS Back to School
night. We hope you got to meet your childs
teachers and learn more about your school. What
else has been happening? Click here

Just happened Page 5

(Continues on next page)

IN THIS ISSUE
New Teachers add to
Excellence at JGMS
Student led Conferences
Upcoming Events
Recent Happenings
What is MYP?
Help Wanted

Page 2
Page 4
Page 8
Page 5
Page 6
Page 9

Upcoming Events (Page 7)

Coming November 20, 2015 our Annual

Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser! One of our
biggest events of the year. Spearheaded
by Mrs. Penny, its sure to be a big hit with
the students. But if think the Walking part
is exciting, wait until you see what else this
event has in store!
Go to Page 7

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Message from Principal (cont.)

We at JGMS are committed to

provide our students with an
education that is "Globally Sound,
College and Career Bound".
Through MYP, we encourage our
students to make connections
between what they learn in
school with the real world. Our
goal is for our students to gain a
global perspective and develop
the qualities of being inquirers,
thinkers, principled, risk-takers,
communicators, reflective,
balanced, knowledgeable, openminded, and caring. Our AVID
program helps our students
become college and career ready
by providing them with academic
tools such as writing to learn,
inquiry, collaboration,
organizational skills, and critical
reading. The expectations and
goals for all students are high,
and together as a team we will
work to help all students achieve
their goals. I look forward to the
collaborative partnership
between students, staff, parents,
and the community in order to
support our objective of providing
students with the best experience
during these middle school years.
Redhawks we are ready,
respectful and reach-out,
John Glenn Middle School
Principal

REMEMBER
REDHAWKS:
Cookie Fundraiser Re-deliveries Tuesday
November 3rd, 2015
Make-up pictures are coming on Tuesday,
November 10th, 2015
This years First Renaissance Rally coming on
Friday November 13, 2015
Walk-a-Thon November 20th, 2015
No School on November 11th, 2015
No School November 23 through 27
Winter break from December 21st thru
January 1st, 2016

REDHAWK NEWSLETTER | Issue #1

They Grace us with

Fresh Faces
Over a dozen new
teachers this year!!
Reis, David
I'm David Reis and this is my 11th
year in education. I have a B.A. in
Psychology from Queen's University
in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and an
M.B.A. from Dowling College in New
York. In addition, I hold an M.S.Ed.
degree in Curriculum, Assessment,
and Instruction from Walden
University in Minneapolis. Although
most of my teaching experience was
completed in Phoenix, AZ., I am
happy to be teaching here in
California--especially at JGMS! My
family comes from Brazil, the Middle
East and Europe, but I was born is
Canada. I spend a lot of my spare
time by the ocean.
Clark, Troya
Troya Clark teaches 6th Grade
Language and Literature. Troya
received her Teaching Credential
from the University of Redlands and
is currently finishing her Master's
Degree there. She has past
experience in marketing and has
worked with Middle School children
as a counselor. She used to write as a
Weekly Columnist for a women's
magazine. Having just relocated to
the Coachella Valley, Troya is
enjoying learning about her new
community and all it has to offer. She
enjoys reading, swimming, movies
and traveling. Troya has never met a
sushi roll she didn't like and is a
master of Trivial Pursuit.

Rangel, Roman
Hola! My name is Roman Rangel.
This is my 3rd year teaching Spanish
and 1st year teaching at DSUSD. I
was born and raised in the Coachella
Valley. I graduated from Indio High
School in 2005. I received my
Bachelor's degree in Spanish from
California State University, Long
Beach in 2010. After 10 years living in
the LA county and getting frustrated
with traffic, I decided to come back
home to the dessert to teach and be
closer to my family. My wife and I
like to travel and we like to hike
whenever we get a chance.
Macknicki, Jayme
I have been a classroom teacher for
8 years. I have taught Kinder, math at
the 7th, 8th and High school levels. I
have my B.A. in Psychology and
graduated from the University of
Redlands with my teaching
credential. I am a Mom of two. My
daughter is 5, who attends Amelia
Earhart, and my son is 3. I enjoy
soccer, volleyball and reading. I enjoy
watching my daughter in competitive
cheer and my son in T-ball! I am
excited to be a part of JGMS!
Gayle Mollerstuen

Grew up in Washington State and

attended Pacific Lutheran University
for Bachelors degree as well as
Masters degree in Educational
Leadership. My 14 years of
experience ranges from k-5 Special
Education, 5-8 General Education
and 6-8 Middle Level Special
Education. Two years ago I received
my National Board of Professional
Teaching Certificate through a long
and rigorous process. My husband
and I recently moved here from
Olympia, Wa and are loving living the
desert life! We have 4 kids and 3
grand kids who all look forward to
visiting us soon. We are avid golfers
and can be found any Sunday and
Saturday enjoying any of the
beautiful courses here. I am so
impressed with DSUSD and JGMS Go Redhawks!
Janelle Reynolds
I am a native Southern Californian
who arrived to the desert 7 years ago
with my husband and three children.
My oldest attends La Quinta High
School and promoted through JGMS.
I also have a 6th grader at JGMS and
a 1st grader at Earhart. I'm proud to
be a John Glenn teacher and parent.
I received my Bachelors at Chapman
University in the City of Orange and

REDHAWK NEWSLETTER | Issue #1

Fresh Faces (cont.)

furthered my education at CSUF.

Upon receiving my teaching
credential, I have taught both high
school and middle school math. I
took a break from teaching to raise
my children but am now back and
eager to teach math at JGMS.
Julie Miller
Julie Miller- My family and I moved
to the Coachella Valley last year and
are getting used to desert living.
Prior to joining JGMS, I taught middle
school for ten years in San Diego and
served as my school's AVID
Coordinator. I earned my Master's
degree from CSUSM's Educational
Literacy program. When not at
school, we love going on family
outings to swim, hike or going to visit
grandparents in San Diego.
Tiffany Gaskin
My name is Tiffany Gaskin and I am
the 6th grade RSP Teacher. I am
excited to be here at John Glenn
Middle School. I have taught RSP for
thirteen years and was a school
counselor for one year. I hold a BS in
Special Education, MA in School
Counseling, and a MEd in School
Administration.
I grew up in the Los Angeles area and
recently moved here from Phoenix.
In my spare time I enjoy snorkeling,
swimming, reading, traveling, and
spending time with family.
Tammy Carley-Barrow
I earned my Bachelors Degree in
Education and teaching credential
from Minnesota State University in
Moorhead, MN in 2000. My first
Masters degree was in Curriculum
and Instruction from Lesley
University in 2007. I also received a

Masters degree in Educational

Leadership and Administration with
an administrative credential from
Brandman University in 2013. This is
my 16th year of teaching and I teach
Math Year 1 and MYP Individuals and
Societies Year 1. I am also the DSUSD
coordinator for the 4th/5thgrades
Math Field Day and publish childrens
empowerment workbooks. I love
spending time with my family
traveling across the country, going to
the beach, or hiking in the
mountains.
Asalia Mendoza
Asalia E. Mendoza- From a young
age, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.
I loved learning and wanted to
spread my enthusiasm for education
to children. In 2005, I graduated from
the University of California Riverside
with a Bachelor in Liberal Studies;
and, in 2010, I graduated from
Chapman University with a Master of
Education Degree concentrating in
Instruction and Curriculum. For the
past ten years, I have taught middle
school and high school English in
Public Schools. I have experience and
certifications in curriculum and
instruction, Pre AP, and a Training of
Trainers Certification in expository
and argumentative writing (Thinking
Maps). Currently, I live in Indio, with
my husband and daughter. In my
spare time, I enjoy reading, taking
day trips to the beach, and hiking.
Fred Cisneros
I have been a teacher in Desert Sands
for the past 28 years. I have taught at
Wilson M.S., Eisenhower Elementary,
Van Buren Elementary and Thomas
Jefferson M.S. My main subjects of
instruction have been Math and
Science. I am also very interested in

Foreign Languages, and have taught

Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and
French as elective enrichment
classes.
Anabel Sotelo
Born in Indio, California, I am a
Coachella Valley High School
graduate. I attended UC Davis, and
majored in both Mathematics and
Spanish receiving a Bachelor of
Science and a Bachelor of Arts. Later
I returned back to school at
University of Southern California,
USC, and received a Master of Arts in
Teaching along with my single
subject credentialing in mathematics.
As I worked on my Masters degree, I
juggled being married and being a
new parent to my baby boy Victor. I
am very excited to be at John Glenn
Middle School!
Pat Benson
My name is Pat Benson and I teach
7th Grade Math at JGMS. I have
been a teacher in Desert Sands for
the past 15 years. Previous to that, I
taught math in the Palm Springs
Unified School District for 6 years. I
have my Masters of Art Degree in
School Administration. Over the
years I have participated as a
volleyball and basketball coach, ASB
Advisor, and AVID teacher. I am
looking forward to a great year here
at John Glenn Middle School!
Veronica Duran
My full name is Veronica Esquivel
Duran.
I have been working in education for
a total of 15 years, both as a
substitute and full-time teacher. I
earned my Bachelor of Arts in
Communications from California
State University, Fullerton. I

REDHAWK NEWSLETTER | Issue #1

completed my multiple-subject
teaching credential from Chapman
University and my credential in

REDHAWKS:
Only the Best
Teachers and
Students

special education from Cal State

University, San Bernardino. I am
currently working on my Masters
Degree in special education.
After college, I wrote for a couple of
weekly newspapers, reporting the
local news throughout Orange
County and the greater Los Angeles
area. My first teaching assignment
was with the Coachella Valley Unified
School District. After teaching 6th
grade for several years, I became
interested in special education and
was hired as a teacher for students
with severe disabilities. I currently
teach an SH/SDC class at John Glenn
Middle School.
I have two children, ages 7 and 9,
who are active and full of mischief.
During my leisure time, I enjoy
traveling, singing with my church
choir, spending time with my family,
and working out.

Student Led Conferences to be held

November 17 from 1pm-3pm and 4pm-6pm
By Lisa Sullivan

Students at John Glenn have been

hard at work putting together
PowerPoints to share with their
parents. This is a great opportunity to
find out what your child has been
learning and accomplishing in all their
classes. They will be sharing their
successes as well as areas that need
improvement. Teachers will be
available for you to speak with if you
have questions or concerns. There
will also be a presentation on AVID
and IB from 5pm to 6pm. Look for
the flyer being mailed with students
report cards the beginning of
November containing more detailed
information.
See you there!

Ready Respectful
Reach out!
We are REDHAWKS!
STRONG!

REDHAWK NEWSLETTER | Issue #1

RECENT EVENTS, Food, Friends, Festivities, Fun

Times!

Our WATCH D.O.G.S. Pizza with dad

event went GREAT! Thank you all who
attended. The Pizza was provided by
PTO. Thanks PTO!
Who are Watch DOGS? Fathers,
grandfathers, step-fathers, uncles, and
other father figures who volunteer to
serve at least one day a year in a variety
of school activities as assigned by the
school principal or other administrator.
For more information about Watch DOGS
contact Mary Cardinal.

The evening festival was a funfilled, food-flowing, good time.

Entertainment was provided by
Mariachis and a play was put on
by our own JGMS students! It
was an event to pay tribute to
generations of Hispanic
Americans who have positively
influenced and enriched our
nation and society. Thanks to all
who showed up!

JGMS Back to School Night

Back to School night is always a special event at JGMS. This year was no
exception! One added bonus was the free child care provided by ASB
students. It gave involved parents the opportunity to visit with their childs
teachers and familiarize their selves with the school free from worry about
their little ones.

Thanks Mrs. Penny and ASB!

We hope you were able to get the most out of Back To School night
and remember, our doors are always open and our teachers are
always here for any questions, concerns, or recommendations you
may have on how we can ALL work together to enhance the JGMS
experience for our parents, teachers, and especially our students!

REDHAWK NEWSLETTER | Issue #1

Community Project JGMS taking

community service to
the next level!
This year, all JGMS students will
be participating in a community
project. This is a service learning
project where students will identify
a need in a community, perform
research, develop a plan to meet
the need, and carry it out. After
the action has taken place,
students will then develop a slide
presentation to share the impact
made on the need or community
as well as themselves. Research
and planning involved in the
project and documentation of
service will also be shared, as
well as reflections upon on their
own personal growth in
collaboration, communication,
critical and creative thinking skills.

Currently, all students are

participating in a schoolwide
project to save the Salton Sea
through the eyes of Red E.
Redhawk our mascot, so that
they become acquainted with
the components of the project.
This will culminate in a walk-athon in November. In addition,
there is a pilot group of students
who are currently working on
their own project, and they will
offer support to those students
who begin in January.
All of the wonderful volunteering
that students have done in the
past is still something that we
encourage students to continue,
and volunteering provides a
great way to see needs.
Students who are currently
volunteering in various places
should start exploring what the

needs are in that given

community. Once the students
see a need, this becomes the
basis of their project.
This project is facilitated by
students' ASAP teacher. For
each progress report period,
ASAP teachers report whether
students are making progress
"P" or need progress "NP" for
their grade in ASAP. In order to
promote with Honors, students
need to maintain a GPA of at
least 3.0 or above for all three
quarters with no Ds or Fs. In
addition, the students score on
the Community Project (based
on the rubric) must be at
least: for sixth grade - 4, for
seventh grade - 5, and for eighth
grade - 6. To promote with High
Honors, eighth graders must
earn at least 3.5 or above with
no Ds or Fs on the report card
plus a Community Project score
of 7 to receive recognition at the
Academy Awards. All eighth
graders who do not complete the
Community Project, may not be
able to participate in the end-ofthe-year activities.

The Salton Sea

is worth saving!

Why SAVE THE SEA?

Seasonal Kayaking

For more information, see the

Community Project page of the
JGMS website:
http://cms.dsusd.k12.ca.us/educ
ation/components/scrapbook/def
ault.php?sectiondetailid=70139&
We are excited to see the
students of JGMS making an
impact!

Sanctuary for Birds

From Mrs. Middlebrook

Its beautiful

REDHAWK NEWSLETTER | Issue #1

The Biggest FUN-raising Event at JGMS is

coming soon! Be a part of our Walk-a-Thon!

WALK-A-THON
Its coming! November 20, 2015 JGMS Walk-A-Thon!

Our Walk-a-thon funds will be used to close the achievement

gap in technology by purchasing items our students desperately need:
Chrome books, Elmos, PCsetc. The JGMS Walk-A-Thon is the
primary fundraiser for our students and usually one of our biggest
successes. Please encourage your child to participate. This fun-filled day
is one of the memorable days our children will reminisce about for years
to come. We believe every student should have access to the internet.

PARENTS are WELCOME!

Come for the Walk-a-Thon, stay for the Turkey Bowl!

Staff Vs 8TH Graders

Activities will include tennis, golf, games of stamina and endurance, as

well as something akin to a WWF style wrestling match. Some special
guests will include our neighborhood friendly Sheriffs and Fire
Departments as well as a surprise drop in visitor from above.

Afterwards, stay for our annual Students vs Staff Turkey

Bowl. This long awaited re-match will be a feather ruffling clash you will not want to miss!

REDHAWK NEWSLETTER | Issue #1

More UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WONT WANT TO MISS!!

The theme is
Renaissances first rally is Friday, November 13
RENAISSANCE RALLIES: A nationwide movement designed to promote academic
excellence. Renaissance Rallies are different from traditional assemblies or pep rallies. The
Renaissance Rally is a school wide celebration energizing the student body and faculty with
the same passion and excitement of an athletic pep rally, while recognizing students and
faculty for academic excellence and performance as well as exceptional behavior, kindness,
and character. Traits every JGMS is encouraged to strive for.
The mission of Renaissance is to acknowledge the educational achievements and
outstanding contributions of students and staff members through a process of recognizing
and rewarding REDHAWKS who are always Ready, Respectful and Reaching out!
For more information see Mr. Perez

JGMS Halloween SpooktacularDance & Carnival

Friday, October 30th, 2015 2:10-3:15 p.m.
Only $5.00! Price includes dance and unlimited
carnival games with prizes!
Bring extra $$$ for drinks, snacks, face painting, and photo booth.

Tickets on sale in the Student Store at lunch

October 27th October 3oth
*Bring permission slip, money, and ID card.
*Students must have a 2.0 gpa+, less than 30 demerits, and no Fs. Come dressed
in your Halloween Costume *No masks (you cannot cover your face),
weapons, etc. Costumes must follow dress code.
For more Information see Mrs. Penny

REDHAWK NEWSLETTER | Issue #1

10

Help wanted

Okay, maybe not Bobby Fischerbut

someone to help out with our chess
club!
We need mentors to help turn our young
players into Masters.
Remember, were always
looking for volunteers to help
out at our school and PTO
events.
If you wish to help out
contact:

Whether youre a professional, an

amateur, or simply have a love for the
game, youre perfect for our
students! If you can help out our
Chess Club contact Tina Burr
at John Glenn Middle school.

Joe Barrow
PTO President
@ 760-899-4423
joerbarrow@gmail.com

John Glenn Middle School of International Studies

Redhawk Nation Newsletter

79655 Miles Ave.

Indio, CA 92201
If you have an idea for a story or a special announcement to contribute please contact
Joe Barrow
Email: joerbarrow@gmail.com Ph: 760-899-4423