

Garfield Gazette
December 2024/January 2025 Newsletter
Winter Weather Safety Reminders
As winter weather sets in, safety becomes an even greater priority. With increased numbers of students being driven to school during bad weather, please follow these important reminders to keep everyone safe:
Drive Safely and Be Alert
- Drive slowly in and around the school.
- Pay close attention to the crossing lane, as bad weather may cause students to rush and be less cautious than usual.
Follow Drop-Off Lane Guideline
- Use only the lane closest to the school for dropping off students.
- The lane closest to Detroit is a drive-through-only lane, students should never be dropped off in this lane. Crossing over an active lane of traffic to enter the school is extremely dangerous.
- Traffic flows smoothly when everyone is courteous and patient. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and efficient process.
- Throwing snowballs is strictly prohibited, as it poses safety risks.
- Snowballs can unintentionally injure bystanders or cause students to run into traffic to avoid being hit.
- Please remind your student not to throw snowballs on their way to or from school.
Thank you for helping keep everyone safe here at Garfield. Your attention to these guidelines is greatly appreciated!
April Patton
Principal
Words from Mr. Smith
Greetings,
As the first semester quickly comes to a close, we want to take a moment to remind you about the importance of maintaining high expectations for your child at GMS.
We've had a positive start to the year, and we want to ensure that our students continue to have positive and productive learning experiences. To achieve this, we’ll be placing a strong emphasis on:
- Common Area Expectations: We expect all students to conduct themselves respectfully and responsibly in common areas, such as the hallways, cafeteria, and library.
- Academic Expectations: Students are encouraged to strive for academic excellence and to seek help when needed.
- Citizenship Expectations: We value positive behavior, respect for others, and a strong work ethic.
Please take some time to discuss these expectations with your child and reinforce the importance of making good decisions. Remember, school is a balance of social and academic experiences. By maintaining good grades, your child can make the most of their school years.
We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season filled with rest, relaxation, and quality time together.
Win The Day!
Ouimet Smith
Assistant Principal
Lost & Found
Our Lost and Found is overflowing with jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, lunchboxes, and more!
If your student is missing any items pictured below, please remind them to pick these up from the Lost and Found located in the cafeteria. All unclaimed items will be donated after Winter Break.
Infinite Campus
Annual Update
We currently have over 170 students whose parent/guardian do not have an active user account in Infinite Campus. Having accurate and up-to-date information is essential to ensuring the success and safety of our students.
To address this, a reminder email will be sent every Tuesday and Thursday throughout December to families who have not completed this important update. If you receive this email, please take a moment to complete the process promptly.
Your cooperation is vital, and we appreciate your attention to this matter. Let’s work together to ensure every student’s information is current and accessible.
Report Cards
As a reminder from first quarter, we will no longer be mailing home report cards unless requested. Report cards can be accessed by logging in to Infinite Campus and navigating to “Documents” on the left side, then selecting “Secondary Report Card.”
If you do not have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account, you will receive the email reminder mentioned above. The email will be titled "Lakewood City Schools Infinite Campus Account Activation." This email will walk you through the steps of creating your account and this email will contain your activation key.
If you have any questions or need assistance in creating your account, please contact ICHelp@lakewoodcityschools.org.
Important Dates
Winter Sports
🏀7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball
12/5 @ Rocky River
12/10 vs. Westlake (GMS)
12/12 vs. Greenbrier (HMS)
12/17 @ Hillside
12/19 vs. Buckeye (GMS)
🤼♂️ 7th/8th Grade Wrestling
12/7 @ Huron (7:30 am)
12/11 vs. Buckeye (at LHS)
12/18 @ Greenbrier
12/21 Tournament (TBD) (at LHS)
1/15 vs. Hillside (at LHS)
1/22 (TBD) (at LHS)
1/29 @ Shiloh
🏀7/8th Grade Boys Basketball
1/14 vs. Rocky River
1/16 @ Harding
1/21 vs. Westlake
1/23 vs. Greenbrier
1/28 @ Bay
1/30 @ Shiloh
Other Important Dates
December
12/5 Holiday Open House - 6:00 pm - Cafe
12/6 BRIDGES Field Trip to City Hall
12/6 Sounds of the Season Concert - 7:00 pm - Civic
12/7 Light Up Lakewood
12/9 Video Game Club (6th Grade) 3:00 - 3:45 pm - Room 202
12/11 7th Grade Winter Concert - 7:00 pm - Civic
12/12 H20 - 3 - 4:30 pm - Cafe
12/12 LHS & 8th Grade Choral Concert - 7:00 pm - Civic
12/13 8th Grade Court in the Classroom
12/13 BRIDGES Field Trip to Beck Center
12/16 Video Game Club (7/8th Grade) 3:00 - 3:45 pm - Room 202
12/17 8th Grade Instrumental Concert
12/18 6th Grade Winter Concert - 7:00 pm - Civic
12/19 8th Grade Walking Field Trip to local nursing homes
12/19 BRIDGES Bites going to Case Western University
12/19 End of Quarter 2
12/20 Professional Day for Teachers - No School for Students
12/20 Winter Break begins - No School for Students
January
1/6 School Reopens
1/15 PTSA Meeting - 7:00 pm - LRC
1/16 Pasta Night Fundraiser, Washington DC - 5:30 pm - LHS Ranger Cafe
1/20 Martin Luther King Day - No School
1/25 Lakewood Project Concert - 7:00 pm - Civic
Winter Concerts
Celebrate the season with the incredible musical talents of our middle school students! Don't miss the chance to support our young musicians and experience an evening of joy and creativity.
- 12/11 7th Grade Winter Concert
12/12 LHS & 8th Grade Choral Choir Concert
12/17 8th Grade Instrumental Concert
12/18 6th Grade Winter Concert
Tickets can be purchased at the link below:
BRIDGES Bites
BRIDGES Bites is taking its snack shop to Case Western Reserve University on December 19th. BRIDGES Bites will be providing and manning the concession stand at the CWRU women’s basketball game as they take on the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Bobcats.
Our BRIDGES Bites associates will be using their vocational skills to provide a much needed service in our community. Our students will be practicing orientation and mobility skills by navigating their community, social skills, communication skills, math skills and their exceptional customer service skills. The CWRU Spartans are excited to have our Rangers not only work the concession stand, but cheer them on to victory!
We are extremely grateful to our GMS Reimer-Winkelfoos family for making this experience a possibility.
Club Updates
Drama Club
Auditions for the Garfield spring musical Something Rotten Jr will be Friday, January 10 AND Monday, January 13 from 3:00-4:15pm. Students must attend BOTH days of auditions. Details will be distributed during drama club and posted on the google classroom. Sign up for Crew on Monday, January 6 during the drama club meeting.
Ski Club
Students interested in participating in Ski Club were provided the attached information at yesterday's meeting. This program is for advanced skiers and snowboarders, beginners who have never done this before in their lives, and everyone in between!
Ski Club starts on Tuesday, January 7th, and will run for 5 consecutive weeks ending on February 4th. Students participating will depart from GMS immediately at the end of the school day each Tuesday and will return to GMS between 8 and 8:30 pm. Due to this, students are to bring all that they will need in the morning and we will securely store the items/equipment during the school day.
Please see the documents below for cost, registration, rentals and all other important information. Registration closes December 15th!
If you have any questions, please reach out to Ron Giermann ron.giermann@lakewoodcityschools.org.
We look forward to a fun season on the slopes!
Pasta Night Fundraiser
Mark your calendars for a special Pasta Night on January 16 at Lakewood High School!
Enjoy a delicious meal featuring pasta, salad, rolls, dessert, and a drink— all prepared by the talented chefs from the Westshore Culinary Program. Proceeds from the evening will help fund the Garfield Middle School 8th-grade trip to Washington, DC.
Bring your friends and family for a great meal and an even greater cause.
To purchase tickets scan the QR Code or use this link: https://www.payschoolsevents.com/events/details/37130.
We can’t wait to see you there!
8th Grade Updates
8th Grade Washington DC Trip
Reminder for all students attending the Washington, DC Field Trip in May. The Second payment of $214 is due January 10th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ben Branco at ben.branco@lakewoodcityschools.org.
Court In the Classroom
On December 13th, all 8th grade students will have the opportunity to participate in the Court In the Classroom experience in collaboration with the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
How does it work?
We create a courtroom in the school’s cafeteria. The Judge has a table in the center while the defense and prosecuting attorneys have tables to either side. The Judge brings two cases (usually a plea change, sentencing or a probation violation) that would resonate with a group of 8th graders. The Judge holds the hearing just as they would in their courtroom with prosecutors and defense attorneys presenting their cases.
We also have two Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Deputies on hand, along with the Judge’s bailiff,
probation officers and a licensed Court Reporter.
Why we do it?
The goal of this program is to provide students with a firsthand look at the legal process in real time. They see the consequences that poor choices can make on their lives. Often they get to hear from the offenders about what landed them in front of the Court. Some of these statements have been extremely powerful. The legal system at work is truly fascinating!
Fun Fact: The very first Court In The Classroom was held at Garfield Middle School in February 2014.
Parents if you do not wish for your student to participate in this experience please email Mrs. Patton (april.patton@lakewoodcityschools.org) prior to December 13th.
PSAT 8/9 Results
8th grade students who took the PSAT 8/9 in October will be given a hardcopy of their individual student scores on Friday. Please ask your student to share this information with you.
The video link below will help explain how PSAT results can be used:
The attached documents will assist in understanding student scores as well. In addition to providing a numerical score, the results show a skills insight and career insights snapshot. Finally, students can access free, personalized practice for the SAT through Khan Academy.
Community Events
Elementary Community Conversations
There is still one final meeting scheduled for December 11th at Hayes Elementary starting at 6:30 pm regarding the work of our Elementary Planning Task Force.
Learn more about the work of the Elementary Planning Task Force on the District website.
Light Up Lakewood
Each year, District music ensembles from elementary to high school participate in Light Up Lakewood with performances. This year, the performances for the Dec. 7 event will take place at Lakewood High School in the gym and cafeteria from 11 am - 3 pm.
View the flyer linked below for more details. Don't miss this Lakewood holiday tradition!
PTSA News
The PTSA is in the process of forming a Nominating Committee to help find volunteers to fill any open positions for the 2025-26 school year. The committee will be made up of 3-4 people who will find and present a slate to the Board in February. Are you interested in helping find people to fill the open roles? Are you interested in one of the open positions?
Please reach out to garfieldmsptsa@gmail.com if you would like to be part of the Nominating Committee or would like to have your name thrown in for one of the open roles.
The open roles include the following:
- President (current President – Katie Collins - willing to share responsibilities with a Co-President)
- 2nd VP, Fundraising
- 3rd VP, Membership
- Corresponding Secretary
LAST CHANCE SPIRIT WEAR!
Did you miss out on the sale or are looking for that perfect Christmas gift for your student? We have a few items left and ready to sell at a discount! Send an email to garfieldmsptsa@gmail.com if you are interested in any of the following pieces:
Garfield Design
- 1 short sleeve, adult M, PURPLE $10
- 1 long sleeve, adult L, WHITE $15
- 1 hoodie, adult L, LIGHT GREY $20
- 1 hoodie, adult XL, DARK GREY $20
Lakewood Rangers (with Rangerman)
- 1 short sleeve, adult L, PURPLE $10
- 1 long sleeve, adult XL, WHITE $15
Lakewood Rangers (Block “L”)
- 1 short sleeve, adult L, DARK GREY $10
- 1 long sleeve, adult XL, WHITE $15
- 1 hoodie, adult XL, DARK GREY $20
Pajama Pants $25
- 1 youth XL
- 1 adult M
SCHOOL SUPPLY WISH LIST
Keep an eye out in the new year for a special School Supply Drive for the teachers at Garfield. Every year, the PTSA fulfills grant requests for teachers who submit a description of the project they are hoping to fund and a description of how the money will be used to benefit the students. This year was no exception and the PTSA will be awarding over $1,000 to teachers for their grants! But, what we discovered in this process is that many teachers are requesting funds for basic school supplies
and comforts for their classrooms. Supplies like science books, board games, alternative seating and even dry erase markers and crayons. The PTSA would like to create a “Happy New Year Wish List” for the teachers at Garfield to help fulfill some of these needs in the new year!
Stay tuned for more information on how you can help!
8th GRADE FORMAL – CALLING COMMITTEE MEMBERS!
Do you have an 8th grader and are interested in helping plan the spring 8th grade formal? We are currently seeking volunteers to help plan this annual tradition in conjunction with the Harding PTSA. The tentative date for this combined event is May 9th and planning will begin in January!
Reach out to garfieldmsptsa@gmail.com if you’re interested.
Mark your calendars for the upcoming events!
NOTE: There is no PTSA meeting in DECEMBER! Have a wonderful winter break!
January 15th Dine to Donate at Immigrant Son Brewery
If you mention Garfield when ordering (dine in or carry-out), Garfield PTSA will receive 10% of the sales! We rely on these small fundraisers throughout the year to fund teacher grants, staff appreciation events and dances.
January 15th Monthly PTSA Meeting at 7pm
Join us in the Garfield LRC for the monthly meeting. Come hear from Principal Patton and other Board Members about upcoming events and ways to get involved!