Welcome to semester 2. In PLTW, 7th graders are making bridges out of 100 wooden coffee stirrers and glue. I wish to thank the Groton-Dunstable Education Fund for providing all the materials to make this project so successful. Once bridges are complete, we will test them for strength.
Half-day Fridays are for problem solving in PLTW. 7th graders were asked to design and construct the tallest flag tower to support a custom-designed flag. Students were given 2 sheets of scrap paper, 1 index card, 2 paper clips and 24" of painter's tape. Tower had to be free standing.
Looking for something for your student to do over February break? See flyer below for a Knitting/Crochet workshop being offered at The Tangled Thread! www.thetangledthread.com
Ceremonies were held this week to distribute perfect attendance and OAK awards for Quarter 2. OAK award recipients are nominated by teachers and presented to students who reflect our Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School Core Values of OWNERSHIP (own your space, own your learning, own your behavior), AWARENESS (be aware of yourself and others, be aware of your surroundings, and be aware of your impact), and KINDNESS (be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and be kind to your surroundings.) Congratulations to all recipients!
Our Square 1 Art fundraiser is back! Please see flyer below for details.
Through the generosity of the Groton-Dunstable Education Fund (GDEF), 8th grade PLTW students were able to make working motors.
Is your middle school student missing their sweatshirt, snow pants, boots, water bottle or mittens? Here is just a sampling of some of the lost and found items in the Stoddart building (there are more in the North!) Unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of this week, so if you notice anything familiar, please feel free to come take a look or have your student collect it. You can also contact Sarah Dutton or Lynette Fisher and we can put the item aside for you. Many thanks!
Here are some examples of our Middle School students spreading kindness and filling each other's buckets. Some 7th grade students spread positive messages and cheer this month by leaving mini ducks around the North building. The 7th grade also decorated their doors taking inspiration from a goal word they chose for 2026. Take a look!
Registration is now open for the second annual Middle School Science Fair! The fair will be held in the MS North Gym on Saturday, March 28th. Students in grades 5-8 are invited to participate. Space is limited to 75 students and the deadline to register is February 13th. For questions, please contact gdrmssciencefair@gmail.com
After finishing the Therapeutic Toy project for PLTW, 7th grade students were asked to look at classmates' solutions to the challenge. They also got the opportunity to play with the toy to see if it met the challenge criteria. The Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Therapeutic Toy project is a design and modeling challenge where students apply the engineering design process to create, sketch, model, and prototype a custom toy for a child with cerebral palsy or similar motor skill needs. The project emphasizes empathy and innovation.
Our 8th-grade Project Lead The Way (PLTW) engineers are officially "touching down" on the Red Planet!
Using a specialized inventory of "aerospace materials"—including balloons, cardstock, straws, and string—students are tasked with designing, prototyping, and testing custom Mars Landers. This hands-on challenge pushes them to think like NASA engineers as they balance structural integrity with aerodynamic precision.
Using a specialized inventory of "aerospace materials"—including balloons, cardstock, straws, and string—students are tasked with designing, prototyping, and testing custom Mars Landers. This hands-on challenge pushes them to think like NASA engineers as they balance structural integrity with aerodynamic precision.
We wanted to share some photos of a few fun things happening at the Middle School lately! Project Mitten, Fill Your Bucket, Comfy Feet Friday and a new Winter oak tree.
Mattie and Emma, two high school students, are hosting a Winter Food Drive with Project 351 to benefit Loaves and Fishes! Donation boxes are outside of the main offices of the North and Stoddart buildings until Friday, January 23rd. If you'd like to donate, please see flyers below for items needed.
7th grade students in PLTW are working collaboratively on a Therapeutic Toy to help a child with cerebral palsy (CP) improve specific motor skills. The project emphasizes applying the engineering design process to a real-world, community-focused problem. #PLTW #STEM #STEAM
We had an exciting visit today from Rob Surette of Amazing Hero Art! Rob is a speed-painter who has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Tonight Show. This morning, students watched as he created giant works of art in minutes, accompanied by powerful and inspirational videos and music. Thank you to The Groton Trust for sponsoring this uplifting and extraordinary full school event! www.amazingheroart.com
In PLTW, 8th graders are learning about Universal Systems Model by making working motors. Once completed, the students then have to identify the input, process, output and feedback of their motor. I would like to thank the G-D Education Fund for sponsoring this activity.
In PLTW, 7th grade students have created wooden puzzles with 27 wooden cubes. Once completed, they were to ask various classmates to put the puzzles together.
Join us March 28th for the GDRMS Science Fair! Grades 5-8 are welcome to participate. Register by February 28th, see flyer below for more information!
Happy Holidays Middle School Families! Students had a door decorating contest this month in the Stoddart building, take a look at their creative and festive doors!
7th grade students were challenged to design and construct a three-dimensional puzzle cube made from 27 wooden blocks. They began their puzzle using plastic interlocking cubes, allowing them to experiment with structure, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving before committing to a final design. Once their designs were finalized, students recreated each puzzle piece digitally using TinkerCAD. After completing their digital designs, students built their final puzzle cubes using wooden blocks. #PLTW, #STEM, #STEAM
