East Weekly

It was so much fun seeing students dressed up on October 31st! Their creativity and excitement really brought our school community together.

I’ve been receiving many emails from families curious about clubs and activities for the winter season. To help answer your questions, I’ve attached a list of MSE clubs and activities below. In addition, I’ve linked our activity calendar, which includes upcoming clubs and home athletic events, for easy reference.

Have a wonderful weekend! And a quick reminder: there is no school on November 8th.

Take Care,

Megan Kirsten

November 1: Boys Basketball Tryouts

November 8: No School for students

November 11: Veterans Day Program

November 15: 7th/8th Grade Fun(d) Night
November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break - No School

The fall 7th & 8th Grade Fun(d) Night will be held on Friday, November 15th! This Fun(d) Night will host 7th and 8th graders from 6:00- 7:30 at MSE.

The event is run by the student council, but you can help by signing up to chaperone here.

7th Grade Power of the Pen: We will meet on Monday from 3:50 - 4:30 in Mrs. Maynard’s room (room 1)!

7th Grade ELA: Students will begin their second book club book for our characterization unit. Ask your student about the second book they got! We will also begin our minor unit of a nonfiction article deep dive next week.

Q2 Policy Updates

ALL 8th GRADE PARENTS: Please read the note from Principal Kirsten about the reinstatement of book signatures in 8th grade. Thanks!

Math 8 - For Quarters 2-4, the requirement for ST math will be 50 puzzles each week. It will also be a weekly grade instead of one final grade. If your student did more than the required 50, they still need to complete 50 the following week. (We will be doing incentives for students that do more than 50).

Spanish (Learman) Highlight: Día de los Muertos is a celebration of loved ones who have passed away that is widely celebrated in Mexican culture. Students are learning about its traditions and watching the movie Coco this week, paying attention to the significance of cultural symbols in the movie. They also got to try Pan de Muerto, a typical sweet bread that is placed on the ofrenda during Dia de Muertos. Ask your child to share more about it!

ELA Classes: Students will be exploring the Dystopian Book clubs next week. Please be on the lookout today for an email from your student’s ELA teacher about book choices. Students will rank books and based on their request be given a book next week on Tuesday or Wednesday to read with their club members.

Families who believe they may qualify for Free or Reduced-Price Meals can now complete the application online through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. A step-by-step tutorial is available to help guide you through the process, with additional tutorials offered in Somali, Spanish, French, and Nepali.

You can also submit a paper application, which is available for download. Complete the form and return it to any school office, the Central Office, or by email or fax. Once submitted, you will be notified of your child’s eligibility through the Parent Portal under the Messages tab.

Please remember, only one application per family is needed, and eligibility is based on household size and total household income. For further details, including how to access applications in other languages, visit the USDA website.

For more information, feel free to contact us. Refer to the website below for applications and more FAQs.

The Panorama survey window will be open from October 14th through November 1st, and students will complete the survey during their science class. While opt-out options were provided from the district on October 7, we encourage participation, as the survey offers valuable insights to help MSE better support your children and foster a stronger sense of community. Student feedback is highly valued and plays a crucial role in our continuous improvement efforts.

This year on Veterans Day we are excited to honor those who have served our country. To recognize Veterans for their contributions we will hold a Veterans Day Breakfast & Assembly on Monday, November 11, 2024.

We encourage students and family members to invite a veteran in their lives—whether it's a family member, friend, or neighbor—to be a special guest at the breakfast and assembly presentation.

Please RSVP by November 1, 2024 to help us plan for this meaningful event.

Thank you for your support as we honor those who have served!

The veterans in attendance on Monday November 11, 2024 will be invited to a breakfast in the Library followed by an introduction by their MSE student at a whole-school assembly. The assembly will last until about 10:30 AM.

For veterans who can attend, I ask that you confirm their attendance by completing the form below on or before November 1st. An invitation will be emailed as a followup to completing the form.

For veterans that cannot be in attendance, we still want to recognize them! Please complete the form below, by November 1, 2024 to include in a picture for the slideshow presentation.

If you have questions about your veteran’s participation, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail. Thank you for your help as we show our students the importance of honoring those who have served our country in this manner.

To report an absence, please call the front office at (614)478-5550 or email fischerj@gjps.org by 9:10am if possible.You also have the ability to login into Infinite Campus and mark your child's absence there. Please ONLY do this if your child will be absent for the entire day.

The Heart and Pride Award recognizes two outstanding staff members each month who make a profound impact on our students and Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools.

The Heart & Pride Nomination Form will remain available year-round and is open to any member of our staff, regardless of position.

PTA meetings take place on the 2nd Monday of each month in the GMSE library at 7:00pm. All are welcome!

Meeting dates:

• November 11

• December 9

• January 13

• February 10

• March 10

• April 14

• May 12

Help support and fund numerous initiatives for students and staff throughout the year. Stay tuned to our Facebook page, “GMSE Parents” (new members be sure to answer the questions to be admitted), and upcoming newsletters for more information about what we do and how you can help.

Please consider joining the Middle School East PTA.

Nov. 8, 2024: PD Day - No School
Nov. 27-29, 2024: Thanksgiving Break - No School
Dec. 23, 2024-Jan. 2, 2025: Winter Break - No School
Jan. 3, 2025: Staff Work Day - No School
Jan. 20, 2025: Martin Luther King Day - No School
Feb. 14, 2025: PD Day - No School
Feb. 17, 2025: Presidents Day - No School
Mar. 10, 2025: Staff Work Day - No School
Mar. 31-April 4, 2025: Spring Break- No School
April 18, 2025: Comp Day - No School
May 2, 2025: PD Day - No School
May 23, 2025: Last Day of School for Students
May 24, 2025: Class of 2025 Commencement