Lion's Ledger 14

Posted Date: 11/10/25 (08:17 AM)

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Lion's Ledger

Vol.1 /Issue 14

November 10, 2025

Principal's Corner

Dear Glenridge Families,

Believe it or not, this week our teachers will be posting the second quarter progress report grades. Reminder, these will not be sent home, they will only be available in Skyward next week. Skyward continues to be the most accurate way to monitor your student's progress.

Our 7th grade students should have brought home a permission slip to attend an assembly on Friday put on by the Holocaust Center. Students can only attend if they have a signed permission slip.

As we head into the Thanksgiving break, we have several opportunities for our families to help others in our community. Please look through our newsletter to get more information.

Leadership Team

Mr. Daniel Kempinger- Principal

Dr. Kimberly Bispott- Assistant Principal

Mr. Nigel Hames- Assistant Principal

Camile Cassara- 7th grade Dean/8th grade A-L Dean

Patrick ODonal- 6th grade Dean/8th grade M-Z Dean

Dwayne Noble- School Counselor A-L

Jayne Ness-Lee- School Counselor M-Z

Meredith Huebner- Staffing Specialist

Amanda Burchins-Testing Coordinator

Mellisa Livingston-Taylor- Safe Coordinator

Brianna Johnson- Social Worker

Mariela Rojas- Math Coach

Shanna Gefter- Literacy Coach

Hurricane Relief Effort

As we all saw last week, Jamaica was impacted severely by Hurricane Melissa. We have staff on campus that has family on the island and they will be collecting items on campus to send over to Jamaica. They are looking for new or gently used clothing, blankets, and toiletries. If you have anything that you wish to donate, please bring them to the front office, or have your student drop it off in the front office throughout next week.

Student Services

Please take a look at two neighborhood opportunities that have been shared with us.

One-Act Play

Title goes here

Thank you to everyone that came out to see Family Album. Our theater troupe will now showcase this performance at the district competition!

Athletics

Volleyball Season

Girls Coach: Sydney Kuykendall

Boys Coach: David Stock

This week we have only one game, and it's HOME- Wednesday against College Park

Come out and cheer on our Lions.

Tickets are $3 for students; $5 for adults

Records:

Boys: 3-0

Girls: 2-1

Volleyball Schedule This Week

The girls and boys will have two away games this week: Monday against Audubon Park Middle and Wednesday against Union Park.

Current record:

Boys= 1-0

Girls= 0-1

Counselor Corner

As we begin the second quarter and move into the holiday season, we know this time of year can bring both joy and challenges for many families. We want you to know that you’re not alone—there are many resources available to offer care and support whenever it’s needed.

Here are a few you may find helpful:

OCPS Community Connect: communityconnect.ocps.net
A one-stop resource to help families and community members find social services and support programs. The site can be translated into more than 100 languages.
Resiliency Resources: PUBLIC resiliency Canvas course link
Families can explore the public Resiliency Canvas course, which includes helpful national, state, and local resources focused on building emotional strength and well-being.
Mental Health Services: ocps.net/mental-health-services-home
Access important information and hotlines, including:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 9-8-8
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
Wellness Handouts:
Tips for Caregivers and Educators on Preventing Suicide Tips for Caregivers and Educators
Tips for Families and Caregivers on Supporting Mental Wellness Tips for Families and Caregivers

If you or your child need additional support, please reach out to your school’s Student Services team—including school counselors, school social workers, SAFE coordinators, school psychologists, or licensed mental health counselors. They are here to listen and help.

A colorful poster displays the word THINK, with each letter representing a question to consider before speaking.

Deans' Den

Greeting, Lions!

This week we have some reminders for the little things:

1.) Attendance and Punctuality are important!

Being absent from school negatively impacts your learning achievements!

Miss 1 Day = .315% proficiency lost
Miss 2 Days = .63% proficiency lost
Miss 5 Days = 1.57% proficiency lost
Miss 10 Days = 3.15% proficiency lost
Miss 20 Days = 6.3% proficiency lost
Being tardy to a class 5 times is the same as being absent for a day!

This means that every absence can affect whether or not a student will pass the FAST or EOC tests and the class!

2.) Cellular Devices are not permitted during school hours!

Students are so used to having their phones, earbuds, and headphones that they forget (or ignore!) the rules.
Students who have a device confiscated 3 times will receive a written referral. The consequences will increase with each confiscation. These do not reset until the end of the year!
More and more, we are seeing bullying and harassing behavior happening through texts, gaming chats, and social media. This includes recording fights or sending threats and insults.
Students who record fights will face suspension and possibly expulsion depending on the severity of the fight.
The THINK rules also apply to social media and chats. A threatening or insulting message sent in the moment could lead to severe consequences, and the internet never forgets!

Parents and teachers: Please help us teach students to be kind and responsible citizens. Peer pressure can be positive when we all try to do what is right.

Christmas Toy Giveaway

Mens Closet, in partnership with its non-profit organization MC Community Care, is proud to host it’s annual “Christmas Toy Giveaway” on Sunday, December 14th, from 12 PM to 3 PM at Mens Closet, 5510 W Colonial Dr Orlando FL 32808.

We’ll be providing:

🎁 Free toys for children of all ages

🍔 Hot meals and holiday treats for families

🎅 Photos with Santa Claus

🎨 Fun kids’ activities and crafts

🎶 Live music and entertainment

💝 Community resource vendors

This free, public event for all families and we are dedicated to helping families in need as they prepare for the holiday season.

DISCLAIMER: Tickets do not guarantee toys. Toys will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to one per child. Children must be present with a parent or guardian.

Our goal is to bring together community support and local leaders like yourself to ensure that children and families across our community can experience the joy of the holidays and the true spirit of giving.

EVENT LINKS:

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-toy-giveaway-tickets-1781921708799?aff=oddtdtcreator

Glenridge Middle Happenings

Glenridge Student Building Homes

Luke Rosen Joined a mission trip to Ensenada, Mexico last month. His mother writes, "Our trip was organized by the YYAM organization through their Homes for Hope program . We built a home for the Soto Flores family. They are a family of four whose parents only have a middle school education and daughters Evelyn and Kimberly, ages 12 and 9.

This family was sleeping on cement, one mattress and not a suitable roof. A new home provides the long term benefits of economic stability, education, health and safety.

Luke was amazed that we could build a house in 1.5 days! Having a great building team, strong leadership, a helping community of neighbors, a positive attitude and hard work, we got it done!"

We are so proud of our Lions!

PTSA News/Lion's Pride News

I want to thank the PTSA for sponsoring our 1st Quarter Lion Leaders event celebrating our outstanding students on Friday.

Join the PTSA

Support our students and teachers by joining the Glenridge PTSA — no volunteering required! 💛💚 Your membership helps fund teacher grants, student celebrations, teacher appreciation, and more. Sign up here: https://glenridgeptsa.givebacks.com/shop.

🏐 Up Next - Volleyball Shirts! PTSA will also donate half the proceeds back to the volleyball teams. Pre-order yours here!

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Lion's Pride

Thank you to all of you who showed up for our kick off event. Here is a link to support our initiatives this year. All support is tax deductible and greatly appreciated.

Lion's Pride General Fund

Lion's Pride Theater Lighting Special Project Fund

SAC Updates

Our next SAC meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 18 in the media center beginning at 5PM. All community members are welcome to attend.

Testing News

Looking ahead, Here are our testing dates for semester 2:

December 2: FAST ELA

December 4: FAST Math/Algebra 1 and Geometry PMA 2

December 5: FAST ELA makeups

December 8: FAST Math makeups

December 9-10: Civics and Science PMA 2/CFEs

December 11-18: Makeups for all testing as needed

Academics

🧮 Math Support Sessions Begin Tuesday!

We’re excited to offer Math Support Sessions to help students strengthen their skills and prepare for end-of-year assessments. These sessions will run weekly until testing concludes.

📍 Location for All Sessions: Room 626

🌅 Morning Sessions

Days: Tuesday through Friday

Time: 8:45 AM – 9:25 AM

Entry: Students should enter through the front office.

🌇 Afternoon Sessions

Days: Tuesdays & Thursdays

Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

These sessions are a great opportunity for students to receive extra help, ask questions, and build confidence in math. We encourage all students who need support to attend!

After School Clubs

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