GVMS Weekly Update

Garnet Valley Middle School Community,

Garnet Valley Middle School competed in the MathCounts competition on Saturday, February 3rd. Garnet Valley Middle School won the Delaware County Chapter competition. Four of our students will head to Harrisburg for the Pennsylvania State competition in March. Our GVMS Mathletes also won awards for achieving high scores among 79 other students.

The following five GVMS Mathletes made it into the Top 10:

1. Ekantika Chaudhuri Rank #1 in Delaware County chapter competition.

2. Daniel Wu Rank # 2 in Delaware County chapter competition.

3. Jerry Huang Rank # 4 in Delaware County chapter competition.

4. Prajjwal Dey Rank # 5 in Delaware County chapter competition.

5. Jason Shen Rank # 10 in Delaware County chapter competition.

We are very proud of all of our Mathletes and their accomplishments. Congratulations again to our amazing group of students.

Tonight, we look forward to our 7th graders having fun during their Winter Funtime. It is from 6:30 to 8:30pm. It is $20 cash at the door. The students must have been in school today to attend tonight’s event. Students should be dropped off at our front entrance. For pick-up, enter off of Smithbridge Road and begin to line up along our sidewalk. We ask that students remain on the sidewalk where it is lit and wait for your car to arrive near the front entrance.

As we approach February 10, we want to wish all who celebrate a Happy Lunar New Year. This holiday marks a vibrant and joyous occasion also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. This significant holiday is not only a cornerstone for Chinese communities around the globe but is also warmly embraced by Vietnamese, Korean, Tibetan, Mongolian, and other cultures, each bringing unique traditions to the festivities.

Lunar New Year is a time of reunion, reflection, and renewal. The celebrations extend over approximately 15 days, from the evening of the new moon to the full moon, enveloping celebrants in a spirit of togetherness, joy, and hope.

This year, celebrants welcome the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of strength, fortune, and transformation in Chinese culture. Each culture celebrates with its own set of rich traditions, from vibrant parades and family feasts to meaningful rituals that honor ancestors and invite good luck for the coming year. These events are a wonderful opportunity for family, friends, and community members to come together, learn from each other, and experience the joy of this special time. We wish all who celebrate a wonderful Lunar New Year!

We hope you are able to enjoy the nice weather streak we are having and can get outside this weekend. Whether you are a football fan, commercial ad watcher, or music groupie, we hope you enjoy Super Bowl LVIII! Go…!

Sincerely,

Dr. Lisa Stenz, Principal

Mr. Rick Martin, Assistant Principal

Dr. Gerry Weinhardt, Assistant Principal

Did you know that nearly 30% of all high school students are involved in the high school music program in some way? You can participate even if you have a busy schedule! GVHS Music students are involved in multiple activities, from sports, to AP classes, to student council, science clubs, and much more. There are many options to fit your schedule, from ZERO after school commitment, to more involved musical activities. LEARN ALL ABOUT IT here: www.gvhsmusic.org/join

Garnet Valley Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year will open on January 8th. There will be a Kindergarten informational night on April 18th at 6:00 PM. Parents with children attending Bethel Springs Elementary will attend the information night at Bethel. Parents with children attending Concord Elementary will attend the information night at Concord. To attend the informational session, your child must be registered by April 4th, 2024. Thank you and we look forward to meeting our new Kindergarteners!

Please click here to access the GVSD registration page.

GVHS Mini-THON is hosting a Valentine Babysitting Night for parents to enjoy a romantic evening, worry-free! The event runs from 5-8pm with a $20 fee for the first child and $15 for any additional child. All proceeds benefit GVHS Mini-THON to fight childhood cancer. The cost will cover food, games, and crafts. There will be adult supervision, along with the Mini-THON leadership team members, at this event. Please click HERE to register.

If you have any questions, please contact Anh Vu (anhvu@garnetvalley.org) or Ally Hoyt (allisonhoyt@garnetvalley.org).”

If you have general questions regarding scheduling, course selection, conferences, or questions about our counseling department, you can contact Ms. Rosalee Rosado at 610.579.5106 or rosador@garnetvally.org.

Click here to visit our GVMS School Counseling webpage, which has contains a variety of school and community resources.

We are excited to welcome our new students and welcome back our returning students for the 2023-2024 school year!

Mrs. Marisa Mahon: Students with the last names A-Em. mahonm@garnetvalley.org

Ms. Wendy Xanthopoulos: Students with the last names En-Ler. xanthow@garnetvalley.org

Mr. Matt Bradshaw: Students with the last names Les-Rom. bradshm@garnetvalley.org

Mrs. Christy Francart: Students with the last names Ros-Z. francac@garnetvalley.org

This year, the HSA will be offering spirit wear as a fundraiser. You can shop by clicking the image below.

• Membership Drive - Thank you to everyone that contributed to our membership drive! If you are interested in contributing, there’s still time!

• Venmo - @GVMSHSA

• Cash/Check - Drop at the school office, marked “GVMS HSA”

• Mark your Calendar - Mark your calendar for the individual grade-level events for this year!

• Winter

• 6th Grade Winter Fun Night - February 2nd @ 6:30

• 7th Grade Winter Fun Night - February 9th @ 6:30

• 8th Grade Winter Fun Night - February 23rd @ 6:30

• Spring

• 6th grade Spring Fun Night - May 3rd @ 6:30

• 7th grade Spring Dance/Fun Night - May 17th @ 6:30

• 8th grade Spring Semi-Formal Send-off Dance - June 7th @ 6:30

Click here to view the various student clubs we offer throughout the school year.

Click here to access a curated list of social emotional wellness parent resource list. This list includes books, websites, and parent trainings. Please check back throughout the year as we will be continously reviewing and updating the list of resources.

1. Physical Exam - Students entering 6th grade are required to have a Physical Exam completed within the last year according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health and submitted to the school nurse. Please click HERE for a physical form if needed. Your child’s physician may use their own form as well.

1. Dental Exam: Students entering 7th grade in September are also required to have a Dental Examination form submitted to school. Please click HERE for a Dental Examination form if needed.

Click here to access and learn more!

This eBook contains tips and tricks for navigating the transition to middle school as well as how to best support your learner in their quest for agency and growth toward independence. The contents express the ideas of teachers, caregivers, students, and administrators who understand what life is like "in the middle."

Remember to trust in your learner's resilience and embrace the opportunity for growth!

We know that there is so much information shared at the beginning of the school year. Please access Garnet Valley's parent portal, which keeps all of our information in one place. Click here to access the parent portal. To get direct access to some of our services please click the following links.

• Alma - Garnet Valley's Student Information System
• Schoology - Garnet Valley's Learning Management System
• My School Bucks - Register your child for our school lunch program
• Safe Arrival - Report an absence
• GVSD Parent Tech Support - Issues with district technology.
  

Garnet Valley will continue to partner with federal programs to allow Grades K-8 to serve free breakfast options for all of our students.

Lunch will continue to be available for purchase as well. My School Bucks is a secure online platform that allows parents to easily manage and monitor their child's school-related expenses. With My School Bucks, you can make online payments for school meals, view your child's account balance, and set up automatic payments for recurring expenses. Access or setup your MySchoolBucks account.

More information on our Food Services can be found here.

Our Technology Team is asking all end-users to submit any device issue and login question through our new Tech Support ticketing system called One to One Plus. This system allows our Technology Team to better track issues, create reports, and ultimately, better serve our end users.

Click here to access additional information.

Video - Alma Navigation for Parents

Click here to find information regarding our morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal procedures. Our dismissal procedures are the same as last year. We will have two bus locations at the end of the day and only one parent pick-up area.

Email: stenzl@garnetvalley.org
Website: https://www.garnetvalleyschools.com/gvms
Location: 601 Smithbridge Road
Phone: 610-579-5100
Twitter: @GarnetValleyMS