And so it begins....

Welcome to the first post of "Excelling at GMS".  My name is Joy Bess and I am the newly hired social studies teacher on the Excel team at Gentry Middle School.  I come to Gentry with 15 years experience across town at Lange Middle School.  I loved Lange and literally 'grew up' there.  I entered it's doors as a brand new teacher named Joy Jackson.  I left it as department chair Joy Bess, wife of Chris and mother of three.  I am grateful for all I learned at LMS and for the amazing students & colleagues with whom I worked.  But after 15 years, it was time for  a change.  The main reason for that change are my three beautiful children.  Anna, 10, will be a 5th grader at Rock Bridge Elementary next fall.  Brooke, 7, will be entering the 2nd grade.  And Jack, my little 4th of July firecracker, will soon be 5 and will enter kindergarten.  So, since one day soon they will all be Gentry Jaguars, I decided I might as well too!

I am excited to begin my tenure at GMS and look forward to communicating with parents and colleagues through this blog.