Weekly Memo

Hi Middle School families,  I hope you had a great weekend and that you stayed warm with no frozen pipes.  

What does community look, feel and sound like? Today’s answer is provided by Mrs. Lefebvre’s 5th grade Advisory: Community is kindness, compliments and apologies when needed.

New Information:

  • Best Buddies will meet this Wednesday, February 8 from 2:30 - 3:30 pm. We'll meet in the Middle School North cafeteria for a snack and conversation, then go to the gym for some games.

  • School Spirit day,  Tuesday February 7th is the 100th day of school.  We are encouraging staff and students to wear their GD gear or colors.  Please remind your middle schooler and ask them if they feel 100 days smarter :)

  • We have a pretty solid plan for MCAS testing

Grade 

ELA

Math 

Science

5

April 5 & 6

May 2 & 3

May 16 & 17

6

April 5 & 6

May 2 & 3

7

April 10 & 11

May 9 & 10

8

April 10 & 11

May 9 & 10

May 16 & 17

Most make up sessions are immediately following the testing dates.

  • Get ready for volleyball tryouts or just come for fun! Varsity coach Heather Barlow and the GD varsity team will  be offering a two-week middle school volleyball clinic for boys and girls, starting March 7 (Tues, Thurs, Fri). Practices will be immediately after school in the North gym—2:45-4:15. Dates: March 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17. T-shirt included. Register today! https://www.familyid.com/organizations/groton-dunstable-athletics

  • Social Media reminder;  Hi families it was brought to my attention last week that there was a TikTok account created with pictures of our students and myself.  At the moment the account seems to be gone.  I did email our 6th,7th, and 8th grade students this week   reminding them that what you do online can be just as hurtful as what you do face to face.  Please have a conversation with your students about social media and the pros and cons.  Thank you

Reminders: 

  • Cafe information,  As we try to move to be a more recycling community we are doing things ala cart in the cafe to avoid all the waste.  Students will get their lunch and all that comes with it.  However we have noticed that some students will get a second lunch so they can get the chips or the cookie so in an effort to avoid this we are going ala cart with the extras.  These are the prices so that you are aware.  

  • second lunch $3.25

  • Extra Entree $2.25

  • Chips $1.00

  • Cookies $1.00

  • Lg Water $1.00

  • Sm Water $0.50

  • Milk $0.60

  • Kindness Week will be in February, starting 2/13. What is Kindness Week?

    • This is a new tradition in middle school and our second annual Kindness Week! We believe Kindness Week is an opportunity for students across the middle school to practice kindness to each other, staff members, and the community. The counselors have been planning some fun optional daily activities and themes to promote kindness. Kindness Week will be celebrated during the week of February 13th. 

  • WRITER’S CLUB sign ups are live on the Community Ed website. Students will meet with Mr. Coronis and Ms. Blydenburgh in room 212S on Tuesdays afterschool from 2:30 - 4:00 for 7 weeks, starting January 24.

  • Middle School MONTHLY Get Togethers ~ Math Challenges or Games 

These get-togethers meet on the second Wednesday of each month from 2:30-3:30 pm

  • Math Challenges Group Get-Together:  Students can work with their peers on challenging math puzzles, competition-type problems, and math-focused games. Those who attend should plan on working with others who enjoy learning new problem-solving strategies. The focus will be on a willingness to take on new challenges using perseverance.  Meeting Location: MS South Library Please email Mrs. Gartland at kgartland@gdrsd.org to RSVP for this event.

  • Games Group Get-Together:  Participants in Grades 5-8 will have the opportunity to engage in logic and problem-solving games such as Tsuro, Zombie Dice, Sushi Go!, Blokus, and more!  Meeting Location: MS North Library Please email Mr. Fleming at cfleming@gdrsd.org to RSVP for this event.

  • 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 are 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: No SEPAC news at this time.

Dates to remember:

  • Quarter 3 has begun,  teachers will be updating SchoolBrains on 2/3  2/17  3/10  3/24

  • Kindness week starts Feb 13th

  • ½ day February 17th

  • February Vacation is February 20-24

  • MCAS will begin the 1st week of April

Sincerely your Groton Dunstable Regional Middle School Principal

Wendy Salvatore wsalvatore@gdrsd.org