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Garfield Gazette
November 2023 Newsletter
Drama Club's Fall Performance was a hit!
Attendance + Engagement = Success!
Ohio schools must report student absences as part of House Bill 410. Schools are required to
develop Absence Intervention Plans for students who exceed absence limits outlined in the law.
Families will receive auto generated letters as notifications from the district indicating the number
of hours your child has missed in accordance with these laws. Absences exceeding 38 hours in a
month, or 65 hours in a year will require medical documentation in order to be considered excused.
Should you have an ongoing medical concern, please contact our office.
Excessive Absence is defined as (1) absent 38 or more hours in a month with or without an excuse
or (2) absent 65 or more hours in a year with or without an excuse
Habitual Truancy is defined as (1) absent 30 or more consecutive hours without a legitimate
excuse, (2) absent 42 or more hours in one month without a legitimate excuse, or (3) absent 72 or
more hours in one year without a legitimate excuse.
*Hours also include total number of minutes tardy to school and early dismissal.
If your student is absent or running late, please call our attendance line at 216-529-4310.
Important Dates
Winter Sports
🏀 7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball
11/1 vs. Hillside MS (@ Harding)
11/6 @ Greenbrier MS
11/8 @ North Olmsted MS
11/13 TBD
11/15 @ Bay MS
11/21 vs. Fairview (@ Garfield)
11/27 vs. Rocky River (@ Harding)
11/29 @ Westlake MS
🤼 7th/8th Wrestling
Practice begins November 17th
Other Important Dates
11/7 Election Day - No School for Students
11/10 PTSA Reflections Contest Entries Due
11/14 Marco's Pizza Night
11/15 PTSA Meeting @ 7:00 in the LRC
11/16 H2O Meeting
11/17 8th Grade Washington DC Trip Registration Due (see information below)
11/17 Burritos for a Cause
11/20 Picture Re-take Day
11/22-11/24 Thanksgiving Break - No School
11/28 Listen & Learn with the Superintendent, 9:15 am, Cove Community Center
Fall Pep Rally Fun
Clubs
Game Club meets Thursday’s after school from 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm in rooms 201 & 202.
If you have any old gaming consoles we are looking for more! Please contact Amber Rykaceski at amber.rykaceski@lkaewoodcityschools.org if you are able to help support this club.
8th Grade Washington, DC Trip
Information & Registration
Dates: May 8 - May 10, 2024
Planning for the 2024 trip to Washington D.C. has already begun. Students should have received an information package containing all the necessary details about the trip to bring home.
The total cost of the trip is $605, which covers transportation, eight meals, two nights of lodging, all admissions, two t-shirts, nighttime security at the hotel, and a tour guide throughout the trip.
This year, the sign-up process is different from previous years at GMS. To register for the
trip, you must visit the tour guide's website at www.nowaktours.com. Please note that you
must register and pay an initial deposit of $150 before November 17. Failure to do so will
result in your child being left off the trip. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity!
Please check your email for more details. If you have any questions please reach out to Ben Branco at ben.branco@lakewoodcityschools.org
PTSA Update
Please join us at the November PTSA Meeting on November 15th at 7pm in the LRC. We would like to be in a position to vote in a new President and 2nd VP (Fundraising) at that meeting. If you are interested in either of those positions, please reach out to garfieldmsptsa@gmail.com ASAP. There is one interested party in Fundraising but she would like a co-chair! The wheels are already in motion for the March fundraiser but we still need someone to take the lead! Please reach out if you have questions!
Dine & Donate
The PTSA is sponsoring several Dine and Donate events over the course of the school year. Marco's Pizza Nights will happen once per month. The next one is November 14th. Order by phone or online!
This month the PTSA is also sponsoring "Burritos for a Cause" from Ohio City Burritos on November 17th, dine with Ohio City Burritos and 20% of your purchase will support our PTSA. That includes dine-in or carry-out. Show the flyer below OR just mention the Fundraiser at the time of purchase.
Spirit Wear
Garfield Spirit Wear is in! If you ordered spirit wear, please have your student stop by the main office to pick it up!
Membership
We are currently at 235 PTSA members, including students, parents & staff! A sincere THANK YOU to everyone who has joined this year, helped at an event, and donated time or goods for meals and dances! We are small but mighty!
It's not too late to join the PTSA! Your $7 membership will help us provide opportunities for students and staff at GMS. To join, please visit: MemberHub
Picture Re-takes
Picture Re-take day is November 20th in the morning only.
Save time and pre-order your photographs online by clicking on the "Order Online" Button below. This online ordering option is available only to students who plan to have their picture taken on Retake Day and will be purchasing for the first time.
*If you are not satisfied with your photos from the original Picture Day, return the entire package to receive your retake photos.