GMS Weekly News and Notes

Happy New Year! We open 2025 by recognizing our December PAWS and Specialists stars of the month. These students were leaders among their peers as we closed out 2024. Congratulations to all!

The new calendar year presents a great opportunity to make adjustments to routines and commit to trying new things. One of the most important factors in ensuring a healthy work/life balance for students is having a set schedule for weeknights. It's helpful to designate times for homework, practices, activities as well as a consistent bed time. Keeping a calendar in a central place at home is a great way to maintain consistency.

Along the same lines, we strongly recommend a phone/screen cutoff time for each weeknight. Students in middle school still need 8-10 hours of sleep per night, and ensuring that they don't have access to screens and devices overnight maximizes their chances of getting that amount of sleep consistently.

As we approach the mid point of the school year, we are introducing some academic support programs to supplement the extra help sessions so many of our teachers already offer. We are very pleased to host a team of CHS student tutors every other Wednesday this winter. Please see the flyer below for more details.

Later in the month we will be bringing back Math Buddies, a peer math tutoring program which runs every Tuesday and Thursday during X Block. More details to come soon!

Finally, in the spirit of trying new things in the new year, we encourage all of our students to consider signing up for an after-school club. Participating in clubs allows students to learn new skills, and make connections with other GMS students from each grade level. It's a great way to connect with the community in a deeper way!

Sign-up for winter clubs will be open on Friday, January 3rd at 2:30PM.

The Winter Club season will officially begin on Monday, January 13th. We look forward to another great club season in our building!

We are incredibly grateful to the Canton community for moving the GMS Building project forward, officially. We are beyond excited to be able to start planning our transition to a new building! Thank you, Canton, for all of your support!

To learn more about the GMS Building Project, please visit www.galvinmsproject.com.

This week's fact comes to us from the World Languages department:

During a study, MRI scans of brains of participants learning a second language increased in size, while the brain sizes of the other group remained the same. (whitbyschool.org)

This week during professional development, the GMS Nurses took a more in depth look at sleep disorders with Northeastern School Health Academy. It’s pretty incredible how far kids are from getting adequate sleep. Children in middle and high school should get 8-10 hours of sleep every night. If they do not get adequate sleep, they can present symptoms differently than adults. This can include hyperactivity, agitation, and difficulty concentrating.

Winter break is a time to remember that routine is key for successful re-entry back into school in January. Try to keep the same sleep patterns and screen time limitations during the time at home.

Sleep Tidbits

• Children that get adequate sleep are less likely to develop depression

• Sleep is a critical time for physical growth and can be impaired if the child is chronically sleep deprived

• Earlier bedtimes promote longer durations of sleep (duh- but it helps people stay asleep longer!)

• Supportive environments help maintain better quality sleep. For example, quiet, dark bedrooms without electronics or distractions.

Nothing screams routine and healthy habits like the holiday times and vacation- we got this!

Lindsey Coppola, RN
(508) 584-1070 x3110

Tara Medeiros, RN

(508) 584-1070 x316

The next GMS CAPT meeting will take place on Monday, February 3rd at 6:10PM in the GMS Library. We invite all interested parents and guardians to attend!

Monday, January 6th: GMS School Council meeting, 5PM in the GMS library

Monday, January 13th: Winter Club season starts

Monday, January 20th: All CPS schools closed in observance of Martin Luther King Day

Wednesday, January 29th: Early dismissal day for students, dismissal at 11:05AM

Check out the latest events from around town!

At a Glance - New Event(s)

• Mary E. Wentworth Recreation Facility Master Plan & Feasibility Study

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