August 19 - The First Day of School

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Summer is here! To some, summer means sunshine, vacations, concerts, ice cream, and lazy pool days. But to me, summer comes with the stark reality that my children will be living in my home full time. And when I say "children," please know that I'm referring to any human between the ages of 5 and 22 because what I'm about to share can be applied to any child within this age group. I'm confident that these tips will provide you with some peace, and they just might prevent you from faking your own disappearance.

Surviving Summer: A Parents' Guide

1. Stock up on snacks like you're preparing for a zombie apocolypse because your child will be "starving" 89 times per day.
2. Accept that "bedtime" doesn't exist. Your child is nocturnal from June to August and doesn't care about your normal sleep cycle. Therefore, expect to hear the slamming of the refrigerator, pantry, and microwave doors any time beween 1:00-4:00 AM daily.
3. Laundry is forever. Even though your child wears the same sweatpants most days of the week, there will still be never ending laundry. Science can't explain this.
4. Congratulations you are now an Uber driver, and your customers will never tip you, but they'll always give you a bad review because your music is the worst.
5. Expect to be called out or made fun of for doing normal things. Your children believe they are superior to you, and you will never meet their standards. Don't bother trying.
6. Your children will say, "Mom, I'm bored" at least 25 times a day. When this happens, be prepared to respond, "Hi Bored. I'm Mom." I promise, they will stop.
7. You will be annoyed about the increase in your child's screen time. Just remember that if you follow through on that threat to chuck the phone out the window, you'll eventually end up having to buy another.

Hopefully you found this summer survival guide helpful. And remember, there's only 76 days until the first day of school. You've got this!

Dear Gregory Middle School Community,

As I reflect on the past six years, I want to take a moment to share what a true honor and privilege it has been to serve as the principal of Gregory Middle School.

Getting to know your families, supporting your children, and witnessing their growth, both academically and personally, has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career. This building is more than just a school; it’s a community filled with heart, family, and pride. Gregory will always hold a special place in mine.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your story. I leave here a better person and a stronger leader because of the experiences we’ve shared together.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Leslie Mitchell

PTA is offering Gregory Champions T-shirts to the Girls Soccer Team. Commemorate your winning season with a "Gregory Champions T-Shirt"! Players, Moms, Dads, Brothers, Sisters, Grandparents, all fans can show their pride on a successful season. T-shirts are available for order now through June 3rd at 11:45 PM. Orders will be delivered approximately 3 weeks after the order deadline. You will receive a text when your order is ready for pick up at my house in Ashbury since the shirts will not be ready before school is out for the summer.

Questions? Please email sarodebaugh@aol.com or text 630-423-1028

Thank you to our families for partnering with us and prioritizing daily attendance. Let’s keep the momentum going and finish the year strong!

To support planning for next year, the 2025–26 school calendar is HERE. We highly encourage scheduling vacations and appointments outside of school hours whenever possible. Together, we can keep building great habits and set our students up for success—every day counts!

This summer, as a captain of the Neuqua Valley computing team, I, along with the other captains, am organizing a computer science summer camp designed specifically for middle school students. The camp will offer a fun and engaging introduction to computer science, covering topics such as basic programming, problem-solving, and computational thinking. Our goal is to inspire young students to explore the world of technology and consider future studies and careers in this dynamic field.

To gauge interest from students, I was wondering if you would be able to share a short message on the morning announcements, or more preferably, the Google Classroom stream for students in STEM courses:
“The Neuqua Valley computing team will host a computer science summer camp this year. This camp provides an opportunity for students to engage in coding and problem-solving. Participants will learn from experienced high school students, gaining valuable technical skills and insights into potential career pathways in technology. The camp is tentatively scheduled to run from June 17th to June 28th, with meetings on all weekday afternoons on Zoom. Meetings will be composed of lessons, practice and fun contests! We strongly encourage all interested students to fill out our interest form, as it will allow us to gauge interest and finalize the structure of the camp. This is an excellent occasion to enhance your knowledge and prepare for a future in the ever-evolving field of technology.

Please fill out our interest form here: https://forms.gle/amhYpVinEho413K79