GMS Weekly News and Notes
Weekly Updates
It was a great honor to welcome 8th grade families as well as other important community members to the Civic Action Project showcase on Thursday. Our 8th grade students did an excellent job with their presentations, and inspired all of us to get directly involved in sustainability efforts related to land, sea, and air. In the process, they got to showcase all of the academic skills they've developed as they prepare for high school. We're very proud of our students! See below for more highlights.
This week, our 8th graders are participating in a number of celebratory events leading up to the promotional ceremonies on Thursday. Here is the schedule for the week ahead:
Monday, June 10th: Harbor Cruise on the Spirit of Boston
Tuesday, June 11th: Class trip to Level 99
Wednesday, June 12th: Class trip to Canobie Lake Park
Thursday, June 13th: 8th Grade Promotional Ceremonies (see below for more details)
Thank you to GMS CAPT for the incredibly generous support of these events!
Please note that Monday, June 10th is the last day that the late bus will be available. Any student who stays after school for any reason next Wednesday or Thursday must arrange to be picked up.
8th Grade Promotional Ceremonies
2024 GMS Grade 8 Promotional Celebration
Thursday, June 13, 2024
Grade 8 Promotional Celebration
Team Green - 9:00 am
Team Silver - 10:30 am
Team Maroon - 12:30 pm
Outdoor at GMS - students seated with team by X-Block
Parents/families are requested to arrive no more than 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.
Chairs provided for families
Once the ceremony is concluded, parents are asked to please depart in a timely manner.
Students may be dismissed after the ceremony - we will have a sign out desk for dismissal.
*In the event of predicted inclement weather, the ceremonies will take place in the gymnasium. This decision will be made at least 24 hours in advance.
June Stars of the Month
Congratulations to all of our Stars of the Month for June! These students were recognized for academic excellence, work ethic, and being supportive of others, and having a positive attitude. Well done, everyone!
Campus Highlight: All That and a Wall of Chips
Ms. Carr’s 7G English classes kicked off their final unit by studying color connotations and creating their own symbolic paint chip poetry.
A colorful way to end the year!
Supernovas Super Trip
6th grade Team Supernovas visited Maplewood Camp on Monday. Our students had a great day of adventure, and rounded out another successful 6th grade field trip season.
Campus Highlight: Civic Action Showcase
From Mr. Natale:
On Thursday, June 6th the 8th graders presented their Civic Action Projects at our yearly "Showcase" event. The students tackled the question, "What can I do to have a positive impact on the environment and how can I use my voice to influence others to do the same?" We had over 150 community members attend our "Showcase." Our guests included family members, state representative William C. Galvin, and a number of district administrators. The students' dedication, creativity, and hard work are truly commendable, and we couldn't be prouder.
Thank you to the entire 8th grade teacher team for coordinating and supporting this wonderful community event.
Summer Reading Reminder
As we excitedly anticipate summer vacation, it’s important to remember that the Canton Public Schools requires summer reading at all grade levels. This practice helps to keep students’ reading volume high while preventing the notorious summer slide. The summer reading letters and lists are attached for our rising sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Any questions should be directed to Dr. Kristen Morgan at morgank@cantonma.org. Enjoy the summer and happy reading!
Residency Re-certifcation Reminder
This letter from Superintendent Folan was sent to all CPS 5th and 8th grade families on Thursday. It is re-printed here for anyone who might have missed it.
June 6, 2024
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Good afternoon. We hope the end of a successful school year is an exciting time for your family. Summer is almost here!
You are receiving this email because your child has a big transition coming up as well -- either moving to 6th grade or 9th grade. As part of that transition, there is some important paperwork that needs to happen.
In alignment with School Committee policy, we require families to recertify residency as students enter 6th grade and 9th grade. The purpose of this process is to ensure our students can demonstrate accurate and appropriate Canton residency documentation.
We are extending the deadline for this residency recertification documentation to Sunday, June 30, 2024. Here is the RESIDENCY RECERTIFICATION LINK with the instruction and the forms.
We wanted to give you a little more time to get it done, while also wrapping up the process before July 1. If we do not receive the required paperwork by June 30, a CPS staff member will be reaching out to you individually.
Please use the emails listed in the residency recertification document if you have any questions.
We appreciate your attention to this process, and we always are grateful for your support.
Sincerely,
Derek Folan
Superintendent
Bulldog Nurses' Blip
Hello GMS Families,
This will be our last nursing bulldog blip for this year. We wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy summer!
Medication Pick Up
Medication pick up- Epipens and inhalers will go home on the last day of school. Please remind your child to stop by the Health Office and pick up their medications.
Controlled medications such as ADHD medications, Anxiety medications and seizure medications must be picked up by a Parent or Guardian. These medications cannot be sent home with students or on the bus. Medications that are not picked up on Friday June 14th will be discarded. No medication may stay here over the summer break. Thank you for your attention and cooperation.
Summer Safety Tips
Beach Safety
Learn how to reduce the risks so your family can enjoy swimming in open water, such as the ocean and large lakes:
Watch the weather and get out of the water at the first sign of lightning or the rumble of thunder. Stay indoors and away from water for 30 minutes after the last lightning flashes or thunder roars.
Swim only at a beach with a lifeguard, within the designated swimming area. Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards and ask them about local condition
As when swimming or relaxing in a pool or hot tub, always designate a “water watcher” whose sole responsibility is to keep a close eye and constant attention on everyone in and around the water until the next water watcher takes over
Children, inexperienced swimmers, and all boaters should wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets.
Protect your neck – don’t dive in headfirst. Walk carefully into open waters. Watch out for and avoid aquatic life.
If you are caught in a rip current, stay calm and don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. Then, turn and swim to shore. If you can't swim to shore, float or tread water until you are free of the rip current and then head toward shore. Draw attention to yourself by waving and calling for help.
Local Swim lessons
Free swim Lesson here!!- https://www.boston.gov/human-services/swim-safe-boston
Canton-https://cantonma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29389
Stoughton- https://oldcolonyymca.my.site.com/s/registration?category=aquatics
Pride Month
June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. This month-long celebration demonstrates how LGBTQ Americans have strengthened our country, by using their talent and creativity to help create awareness and goodwill. The first Pride March in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
Pay and Ride Applications
Please check your emails for the 2024-25 Pay and Ride Forms. An electronic form was emailed for each student, to one household member. Please check with other household members and your spam inbox if you do not see this email.
The Pay and Ride form must be completed every year whether your student will require transportation or not. The cut-off date for the 2024-25 Pay and Ride form is June 7th. Please complete the electronic form as soon as possible.
Incoming Kindergarten Pay and Ride forms were completed at the time of registration. You will not receive an email for your incoming 2024-25 Kindergarten student.
More information regarding the Pay and Ride Program, including fees and payments can be found HERE. Payment is not due at this time. Applicable invoices will be sent by MySchoolBucks by the end of June.
If you have questions or did not receive the 2024-25 Pay and Ride email, please email transportation@cantonma.org with your student’s name and school of attendance.
For 8th graders heading to CHS next year:
GMS CAPT Corner
Many of the programs and activities highlighted in this newsletter throughout the year would not be possible without the support and partnership of GMS CAPT. I want to thank CAPT President Lindsay Weber for her leadership. I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our CAPT Treasurer, Jennifer Brathwaite and our CAPT Secretary, Ann DiRosario for their dedicated service to the GMS community over the years. We have been able to offer our students unique learning opportunities and a number of special celebrations because of your partnership!
Please check out the GMS CAPT website for updates.
Important dates to note
Monday, June 10th: Last day of late bus availability
Thursday, June 13th: 8th Grade Promotional Ceremonies (by team, a reminder email will be sent this week)
Friday, June 14th: Last day of school for students, early dismissal day
William H. Galvin Middle School
Courtney Gaboury, Administrative Assistant
Jim Spillane, Assistant Principal
Karim Gibson, Dean of Students
Ginny Martin, Student Services Team Chair
Email: mulhernj@cantonma.org
Website: https://www.cantonma.org/gms/index
Location: 55 Pecunit Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: 781-821-5070