Hello Middle School families,
I hope you had a great weekend.
What does community look, feel and sound like? Today’s answer is sponsored by Mr Coronis’ Advisory- Community is accepting others, being yourself and making others happy.
There is a lot of new information this week. Again, I tried to bold the key words for easier scanning.
New Information:
Our fundraising for Project Mitten is in full swing. So far the middle school has raised close to $3,000.00. Thank you to all the families that have been able to donate and support the community.
The Building Friendships Through Sports program had a successful first session and will be offering session two from January 10th through February 9th on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Games will include corn-hole, cup-stacking and kickball. Sign up for one or both days and have some fun with friends! https://www.familyid.com/programs/building-friendships-through-sports
Attendance Calls: Thank you for your patience as we hit a few bumps with this on Wednesday. We have made a switch for our attendance notifications to Apptegy/Thrillshare. There are a few changes/updates. There will be NO VOICE CALL at this time. Voice Calls are not part of the recurring alert setup. Messages will be sent via text and email. More information was shared on our website.
Grade 6 Families:
If you did not see my email sent on Thursday evening this is a link to the letter sent to the grade 6 families about our Second Step Bullying Prevention Curriculum.
Counseling Corner
While this time of year may be a time for togetherness and joy, it can sometimes bring unwelcome guests, like stress and grief. If you, or your student, are experiencing a mental health emergency, immediately dial 911 or go to your local emergency room. You may also find more resources here.
If you ever have any questions, please reach out to your child's counselor.
Grade 8 Reminders
If your 8th grade student is interested in applying to NVTHS (Nashoba Tech) or GLTHS (Lowell Tech) for high school, please click here for the most updated information.
If your student has already applied to Nashoba Tech, you will be getting an email from Ms. Zwicker once there is a date from Nashoba Tech about student interviews, during the day at GDRMS. She will also be sharing some practice interview questions with students and families.
If your student is applying to a private school for next year, please click here for the most updated information. Also, the school counselors fill out both the principal or counselor recommendation form, as well as the transcript form. If your student is in 8th grade, please be mindful that Ms. Zwicker is very busy with this process so it’s important to send her the information as soon as possible since most schools have a January 15 deadline.
General Reminders:
Project 351, Our current 8th grade ambassadors in partnership with last year's ambassadors are running a food drive to collect nonperishable goods for Loaves and Fishes. Anything your family can contribute would be greatly appreciated. We have boxes in both the North and South lobbies.
The YearBook Committee will begin January 20th. They will meet on Tuesdays. We will have announcements in our morning announcements for your students to see. There is no fee.
Drinks, Students should only have water in school. Monster drinks, Dunkin’s, smoothies, soda and soda water is not something we allow in school. Empty cans and containers left in lockers can lead to ants or mice, and smelly or sticky spills. Also, as a school we should only be allowing our students to drink liquids from the A-List Healthy school snacks. You can find this list on our district website. We would appreciate your partnership with this.
The Groton Dunstable Education Foundation (GDEF) is looking for your support! Please visit the GDEF website if you are interested in making a year-end donation to the Annual Giving Campaign, or, support GDEF with the purchase of a Teaching Star. Teaching Stars are the perfect way to recognize a Teacher, Administrator, or other Staff/Community Member for their hard work and the impact they’ve had on your child. They say "Thank You" while helping to enrich the schools in the form of a donation to GDEF. Certificates are great holiday gifts! https://www.gdefinc.org/teaching-star
Scholarships and Clubs. We want to make sure that all families know that if you wish for your student to participate in an afterschool club there is always opportunities for assistance. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or your student’s school counselor if you need some financial assistance. We would never want a student to not play because of cost.
SEPAC:
The workshop scheduled for 12/8 has been rescheduled to 1/12. Please see the updated information and flyer on our website. https://www.gdsepac.com/meetings-events
SEPAC is hosting a workshop with the Federation for Children with Special Needs on January 19th, 2023 at 7pm . Please see the flyer on our website for additional information and register for the event using the registration link noted on the poster. If you have any questions, please email gdsepac2@gmail.com.
Upcoming Middle School Concerts - In the PAC
Chorus Concert Tuesday December 20, 7 - 8:30pm
Band Concert Thursday December 22, 7 - 8:30pm
Fall and Winter assistance - If you are a family that could use some assistance during this upcoming season please see the Assistance letter. All letters should go to your student’s school counselor.
Dates to remember:
For term 2 teachers will be updating their grade books on 11/18 12/2 12/16 1/6
Friday December 23rd is a full day of school and the start of winter break. Students return to school Tuesday January 3rd.
Sincerely your Groton Dunstable Regional Middle School Principal
Wendy Salvatore wsalvatore@gdrsd.org