Family memo

Good afternoon Groton Dunstable Middle School Families.  I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine has been filled with holiday parties.  It is so nice to get together with friends and family again after last year, carefully, of course.   Please find our latest news and reminders for this coming week.

Covid Update, I am going to remove this portion of the memo because as a district we report out to families at all school levels  on Thursday mornings.

New Topics to be aware of:

  • Book fair

  • Holiday concerts.  The high school is coming to the middle school to give our students a holiday concert and an insight to what Chorus and Band look like at the highschool level. 

    • December 17th Choir, 8:20-8:40 5th and 6th, 8:50- 9:10 7th and 8th

    • December 23 rd Band, 8:20-8:40 5th and 6th, 8:50- 9:10 7th and 8th

  • We are continuing the 20+ year fundraising that the middle school does for Project Mitten.  This week Grade 7 raised just over $2,000 for our local families . 

  • Best Buddies' December meeting will be on Tuesday December 21st in the North Cafeteria until 3:30. If you have not yet officially joined our chapter but wish to- please sign up using this link: www.bestbuddies.org/join . Reach out to Ms. Franceschi or Ms. Blydenburgh if you have any questions!  

  • We ran our first ALiCE drill this week.  Our students and staff did a great job locking down in their classrooms.

  • Please ask your children to check in the lost and found in their school buildings. We have a lot of lunch boxes, water bottles, and sweatshirts. These things will be thrown away or donated at the end of the month.

Important reminders: 

  • Parents with winter coming please remind your children that they need to have sneakers for PE.  Boots, Uggs, etc are not allowed on the gym floors.  Thank you

  • GDRMS Yearbook '22 will meet every Tuesday afternoon in the North Library. Students from any grade can come and contribute to making this Yearbook an awesome publication! Parent permission forms are available in both offices, libraries, or you can see Mrs. Keras or Mrs. O'Neill.

  • Sarah Rudner is the SEPAC liaison for the middle school.  If you have any questions or need any assistance with Special Education or related services I can connect you.

  • Cell phones, The current rule is Off and Away.  Parents and Guardians please help us with this.  If you call the school we will get your student the message.  If your student calls or texts you ask them where they are.  They should only be calling you from an office phone.  This is very important.  We may need to change our cell phone policy in the very near future. Data is showing that students are using their phones in the bathrooms, they are getting texts and texting home when they are sick rather than going to the nurses office and they seem to be becoming a distraction in school.  

  • If your child is applying to another school for next year, please read this information about our process for requesting teacher recommendations and school transcripts.

  • Information about 8th grade transitions can be found on the GDRMS counseling website.

  • For all 8th grade parents - On November 5, a representative from Nashoba Valley Technical High School was at our school to speak with all 8th grade students.  For families who are interested in learning more about Nashoba Tech, you are invited to attend their open house.  Registration is required to attend.  For more information about 8th grade transitions, please refer to the GDRMS counseling department website.

  • GDEF, Groton Dunstable Educational Foundation, would like you to sign up for their  mailing list?  The link is https://form.123formbuilder.com/5995194/form   They  are about to launch their Annual Giving Campaign, and want to ensure we reach as many families as possible.

HOLIDAYS ARE FAST APPROACHING!  The Commissioners of Trust Funds would like to remind families with school aged children who are experiencing financial difficulties, the Community Children’s Fund can help with food, gifts, winter clothing, etc.  If you would like to experience the joy of giving during the holiday season, the Community Children’s Fund offers several different gift giving options.  To participate in either of these holiday traditions, either giving or receiving, please contact Karen Tuomi at 978-877-6787 or email trustfunds@grotonma.gov.  Confidentiality is strictly maintained. 

Sincerely, your Groton Dunstable Regional Middle School Principal Ms. Wendy Salvatore