Hello GBS Bobcats;

This is it! It's finally here!
Spirit Week,
and February Vacation,
are very near!

As many of you may be aware, it is GBS Spirit Week! That means that, starting today, the students and staff are encouraged to join in the fun and festivities by dressing up, with a theme for each day. Those themes are as follows:

Monday: Pajama Day

Tuesday: Matching Day

Wednesday: Decades Day

Thursday: Sports / Jersey Day

Friday: Hawaiian Day

Obviously, the regular dress code and expectations still apply. We look forward to an exciting and enthralling week, which will culminate in a student assembly on Friday afternoon, Feb. 24th. And of course, the following week, Monday, Feb. 27th - Friday, Mar. 3rd is February Vacation, so there will be no school that week as well. We hope that you stay safe and enjoy the time off.

Thank you again for all that you do as part of the GBS community. Each of you is appreciated and valued.

Have a wonderful week;

- Joe Wright, Assistant Principal

“To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart.”

– Eleanor Roosevelt

This past Friday, February 17th, the 8th graders from GBS traveled to ConVal HS and toured the ATC and visited a Career Fair. The students had lots of fun, and enjoyed the experience immensely.

There will also be an online information meeting for 8th graders heading to ConVal HS today on Monday, Feb. 20th, via Zoom at 6 PM. An emailed letter has been sent out, but you can also read that letter here.

Also, ConVal HS Counselors will pay GBS a visit this week on Tuesday, February 21st in the morning to provide some additional info on classes, opportunities at the HS, etc., before Freshman Class Registrations begins (that same day). This registration will continue through March.

The Awesome Potatoes were indeed awesome this weekend, competing in the NH/VT Robotics State Championship. Not only did they win a trophy, but they were also notified that they were finalists as one of the 6 invitations available to MS teams from NH/VT to the VEX IQ World Championship in Dallas, as well as the Dave Kelly Commitment to Excellence Award *.

Even if they don't end up going to the World Championship however, they have had an amazing year, and we are so glad that they represent the GBS community.

*Special Note: re: the Dave Kelly Commitment to Excellence Award (a $1200 award created to help fund the cost of attending the World Championship event)

Dave Kelly was a robotics mentor for both FIRST and VEX Robotics for over 30 years. He passed away in 2022 after a long battle with ALS. One of his goals was to raise enough sponsorship money for the NH/VT State Championship to help reduce the cost of the VEX World Championship for teams that qualify. This year the Dave Kelly Commitment to Excellence Award was created, which will pay the registration fee for the award winners. The MCC Robotics program has many goals for this upcoming year, but they couldn't achieve them without generous financial support, like the funds that made this award possible.

Roller Derby: This weekend, Monadnock Roller Derby competed and had an amazing, fun match, with the home team winning a very close match. Several of the players hail from GBS, and we are proud of their efforts.

NWEA Testing: Testing was completed this past week. Thank you all students and teachers for your best efforts in this! This provides valuable data that we can utilize to plan additional focus for our students in assisting them in meeting their academic goals and objectives. Well done!

8th Grade HS Trip: Students toured the ConVal HS ATC and participated in a Career Fair (see above for more info).

Robotics Competition: Our robotics team competed in the NH / VT state competition this past Sunday, Feb. 19th, 2023. They competed hard, and might have a chance at advancing to the next stage. Regardless, they had an amazing year, and deserve kudos for their efforts! Great Job, "Awesome Potatoes!"

NH State Wrestling Championship: Our GBS wrestling team competed at the state competition this past weekend as well, and they fought hard, with most of the athletes winning at least a few of their matches. If you see any of the wrestlers this week, give them some congratulations for their efforts!

Spirit Week: See above or click here

8th Grade Parent Orientation: Monday, Feb. 20th: Zoom meeting to discuss the transition to High School. More to follow.

HS Counselor Visit: Tuesday, Feb. 21st: HS Counselors will visit GBS & meet with 8th graders.

Field Trip to the Harris Center: Wednesday, Feb. 22nd: 8th Grade students will be paying a visit to the Harris Center to learn more about the natural world around them, especially here in NH.

Cornucopia Cooking Class: Happening once a month, this class will teach you how to cook for yourself, with lots of yummy treats. The next class will be held Wednesday, Feb. 22nd, at 2:30 PM.

Roller Skating: Happening this Friday, Feb. 24th, from 6:30-8 PM at GBS.

Yeti Club: If you enjoy the outdoors, especially during these cooler months, then this is the place for you. These will be happening every Tuesday, starting at the end of March. More details to come.

Summer School Info: For more info about upcoming summer school opportunities for middle schoolers, see this letter.

Save the date! GBS, SMS and CVHS are joining forces in a Mattress Fundraiser. Please note: this fundraiser does not have the students or parents/guardians needing to sell or attend an event.

If you, friends, neighbors or family members buy a Mattress and say who referred you, that student (8th through 12 grade) or school (GBS, SMS or CVHS) will receive the profits!

8th through 12th Grade music students will receive fundraising money in their school account and go towards a Music Disney Trip next spring! The high school cafeteria will be turned into a Mattress showroom and the event coordinators will take care of everything.

More details to come! || Help support our music programs! || Here is an event page - Click Here

The Mission of the Great Brook School community is to foster the growth of creative thinkers and confident learners who see the world through a compassionate lens.

The Vision of Great Brook School is to collaborate to create an inclusive, caring, and responsive environment that provides innovative and rigorous opportunities for learning and personal growth.

If you are looking for outpatient mental health services for someone in your family, LifeStance provides behavioral health services in our area. They have clinicians based in Peterborough, as well as other offices throughout New Hampshire, and can provide services via telehealth. They are also bringing on new clinicians regularly, so may have immediate availability to see new patients.

Website: https://gbs.convalsd.net/
Location: Great Brook School, School Street, Antrim, NH, USA
Phone: (603) 588-6630
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatBrookSchool