Oglethorpe County Middle School

Have a minute? That’s all it takes to share about our Oglethorpe County MS Patriot Color Run and help us raise $5,000! Go to MyBooster.com and share through email, text, and on social media with just a click! 💻📱🙌 Your new challenge for tonight is… any NEW state that gets a donation TONIGHT will be one pie in a mystery person’s face!

Mrs. Barnes’ 8th graders in the Careers Class participated in mock job interviews this week. Students were asked several job related questions and presented the interviewer with their job application. Thank you to our community members who volunteered their time to help with the interviews.

The OCMS Patriot Color Run Fundraiser kicked off today! If you haven’t registered your student yet, visit MyBooster.com (Register under your first academic block teacher on M/W) to join the fun & help us get funds to support a new outdoor shade structure, club activities, student behavioral incentives, & much more for our school! Students will need to raise $10 in order to participate in the Color Run on event day. Those that sign up tonight at MyBooster.com can wear pajamas Tuesday! Students were warned of consequences for those that wear PJs without signing up. Thanks for your help & support!

Last Thursday, ten of our 8th grade FCCLA members from the Food, Nutrition & Wellness class had an amazing day at the Region 3 FCCLA Meeting and UGA tour!  They explored Dawson Hall—the heart of Family and Consumer Sciences—visited the McFall Child Development Center, checked out the state-of-the-art science labs, and got the latest FCCLA updates. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with students from across the region and get a real taste of college life and career possibilities. #FutureLeaders #CollegeBound #FCCLA #CareerReady #UGATour #FamilyConsumerSciences #NextGenScholars

We recognized our 8th grade volleyball players Wednesday night at our last game of the season. OCMS is proud of our volleyball players & coaches!

We recognized our 8th grade softball players Wednesday night at our last home game of the season. Our softball team plays two more regular season games away over the next two weeks. The team has worked hard all season and showed a lot of improvement. OCMS is proud of our softball players & coaches!

We appreciate our amazing IT Staff!

Seven students from OCMS attended DISCOVER Training in Covington, GA to prepare for their roles as officers and leaders in FCCLA.  Students networked with other members from all over the state while participating in interactive sessions about essential leadership skills like communication, responsibility, teamwork, and more.

OCMS is excited to announce that our Teacher of the Year is Mrs. Kristin Byce & our Classified Employee of the Year is Ms. Alicia Kirk!!! Mrs. Byce is a dedicated 6th grade Math, Science, & Gifted teacher of 23 years total with 16 years at OCMS. She was nominated for “working tirelessly to support her students while teaching them math with enthusiasm and rigor.” As a 6th grade Team Leader, Mrs. Byce’s “calm demeanor promotes a happy and safe environment.” Ms. Kirk has served as a paraprofessional at OCMS for the past five years and also coaches our middle school volleyball team. When nominated, it was said that Ms. Kirk “demonstrates unwavering dedication to students and staff by ensuring that every task is handled with accuracy and professionalism.” Regarding Ms. Kirk, it was also said that she “is known for her reliability, strong work ethic, and willingness to step in wherever needed throughout the school.” OCMS is proud to have them both as part of our OCMS Family!

Our Food, Nutrition & Wellness classes participated in mock interviews last week as a part of their Career Connection unit. They learned about professional dress, first impressions, communication skills, basic interview questions, and more.

Congratulations to our OCMS Football team, cheerleaders, & coaches on their 30-6 win over Apalachee Wednesday night!

OCMS PARENTS--Mr. Baldwin sent an email this morning (Monday, 9/8) a little after 9:00 AM. Please check your junk mail or email Mr. Baldwin at mbaldwin@oglethorpe.k12.ga.us with your child's name if you didn't get it so that your email can be added/checked. Thanks

Congratulations to our OCMS Volleyball Team on their wins at Banks County Wednesday night! The A-Team won in 2 of 3 sets & the B-Team won both their sets! **Our OCMS Football Team plays at HOME at OCHS Thursday night vs. Banks County. This game was moved to be a home game. Kickoff is at 5:30.

Today in Mrs. Bridges’ classes, students made a scaled model of the solar system using toilet paper to represent the relative positions of the planets from the sun. Because many of the pictures students see of the solar system are not to scale, this gave them a better understanding of an abstract concept in Astronomy.

The OCMS XC team had an exciting night at North Oconee THURSDAY NIGHT! In the Open race, Reeves finished 9th for the boys and Reagan finished 10th for the girls. In our "A" team race, all five racers completed the 3k in under 15 minutes earning many Personal Bests. Congrats to all of our runners!

Congrats to our OCMS Football players & Cheerleaders on their big 22-6 win at East Jackson! Enjoy more pics from our home game two weeks ago on our Facebook page.

NEW CONSEQUENCES FOR VAPES
Even though school has just started back, vapes have continued to be a major issue. In an attempt to prevent the amount of time it takes our administrators to deal with vapes daily, we will be instituting new procedures.

If a student is caught in possession of a vape, or having used one during the school day or at school-sponsored events, a juvenile complaint will be filed with the possibility of the following consequences (which are at the discretion of the prosecutor and are out of our control):

1. The student and parent/guardian will have to meet with the prosecutor.
2. Parents will face a fine ($75).
3. The student will be required to complete community service.
4. The student will be required to take a class on the dangers of vaping.

If there is a second offense, the student will go to juvenile court to face the judge.

Please talk to your child about vaping, the dangers of vaping, and the changes that are being implemented. We do not want to see any of our students in trouble with the law. A note for parents – juvenile court is extremely time consuming. It is held on a rotating basis between Elbert County, Madison County, and Oglethorpe County, and can take most of the day!

We will once again partner with Cancer Pathways, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide pathways of support, education, and community to anyone facing cancer – whether it’s before, during, or after a cancer experience. Because vaping is in the same category as cigarette smoking and has now been linked to serious health risks, cessation programs are now included in the services offered by Cancer Pathways.

If any parent or student feels as if they have an addiction or need help to stop vaping and would like to voluntarily seek help, please email blevine@oglethorpe.k12.ga.us and we can put you in touch with the organizer of the class.

Our OCMS Cross Country Team had a great first run at the Northeast Georgia Championships at ACS this past Saturday!

Athletics is off & running at OCMS! Our football team put on a great showing at Malcolm Bridge Middle School last Thursday for a pre-season scrimmage and our volleyball team got game time exposure at their pre-season jamboree Saturday. All of our teams have official season games/meets this week. Our football team has the first OCMS home event of the year this Wednesday at the OCHS football stadium at 5:00 vs. Social Circle. Also on Wednesday, volleyball travels to Social Circle and Softball travels to East Jackson. Our Cross Country team runs at the NEGA Championships at Athens Christian on Saturday. Come out and support our OCMS Athletes! Check the Facebook post for more pictures.