GVMS Weekly Update

Garnet Valley Middle School Community,

Happy Friday and first week of June! How did we get to this point in the school year so quickly? Can you believe it?

Our 6th and 7th grade enjoyed their grade-level Fun Days with outdoor and team activities. Thank you to our GVMS HSA for generously supporting these days by hosting Magician Ran’D Shine

and the Ice Cream social. You could hear the cheers of disbelief bursting from the auditorium and feel the energy reverberate across the grade as they enjoyed their sweet treat.

Today, we welcomed our Garnet Valley High School Seniors. Congratulations to the Class of 2024 and we wish you all the best as you take on the world. Our middle schoolers eagerly celebrated our Seniors knowing that in just a few years, they will be walking these halls again.

Tonight, our 8th graders will be coming together to celebrate their Semi-Formal Dance where they will embrace the "Jungle" theme. Thank you to all of our parents for planning, creating, implementing, and hosting such a special evening for our students. We could not do these events without the amazing support of our families. We all remember our middle school dances where we dressed up and anxiously waited for someone to get out on the dance floor to create that synergy where all jumped in and danced too. How time flies...Enjoy the pictures from this evening!

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Dr. Lisa Stenz, Principal

Mr. Rick Martin, Assistant Principal

Dr. Gerry Weinhardt, Assistant Principal

June

• 6/10 - GVHS Graduation

• 6/12 - 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony

• 6/13 - Last student day (early dismissal)

We are thrilled to announce that we will celebrate our 8th Grade Class with a Promotion Ceremony on Wednesday, June 12th. Just like last year, each of our 8th graders will walk across the stage and receive their promotion certificate from our administrative team.

We invite our 8th-grade students’ families and friends to join us. This event will take place in our new gym. There is no need for tickets for this event. It is a ceremonial walk as a family. It provides every familiy the opportunity to take pictures, for our students to receive their 8th Grade Promotion Certificate, and for our students to receive a gift from GVMS Administration.

The 8th-grade students will not be attending school on Wednesday, June 12th for this special event. They will be marked as an excused absence for a school activity. The 8th graders may use this day to turn in any remaining work for the final marking period grades.

Our 6th and 7th-grade students will be following their regular in-school schedule on this day. *If a sibling wishes to attend and walk with the family, please send a school note to Mrs. Intenzo in the main office with the time that your family is expected to attend.

We will divide each of the four 8th grade teams into 80 minute blocks of time (SCHEDULE HERE). The team teachers will be there to greet and celebrate their students’ success.

If you and your family cannot make the designated team time or would like to come with other GVMS families and friends, you may come at a time that is convenient for your family. Just note that you may not be able to see your child’s team teachers.

We wanted to provide you with a few details to make it a pleasant experience,

• Park in the GVMS Pool Parking Lot (There will be Handicap spots marked)
• Walk to the Marked Entrance and enter the hallway
• Drop off your Chromebook and any other school materials
• Walk the length of the Hallway Entrance (marked)
• Enter the “New Gym” (marked) on the left and walk along the curtained path
• Stop at the Photobooth Station (there will be 2 Photobooths) for pictures
• Walk to the Stage and stand in front of the stage to take pictures
• Your child will be directed to the stage steps to meet the Administration Team and receive their promotion certificate
• Parents and family members stand directly in front of the stage and take pictures as students walk across the stage
• Students will exit the Stage and both students and families will proceed to the center of the gym to greet their teachers and continue to take photos and mingle
• Stop by the photo table to take your printed picture and commemorative gift
• Exit the Gym back to the parking lot

We look forward to seeing our 8th graders and their families take a ceremonial walk to commemorate all of their hard work and accomplishments over the last three years.

Congratulations Class of 2028!

Garnet Valley Middle School

Please be aware that all over-the-counter or prescription medications that have been brought to the nurse's office during the school year must be picked up before the end of the day on Friday, June 14. Medications not picked up by Friday afternoon will be discarded. Also please remember that the school medication policy requires that parents supply a new doctor's order (dated July 1st or after) and medication consent form at the beginning of each school year in order for medications to be dispensed from the nurse's office. Contact the nurse's office with any questions or concerns.

All 6th grade students were given a Dental Examination form today in school that must be completed for 7th grade. Please have your Dental provider complete the form and return to the school Nurse.

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

Below are a few suggestions for helping your family navigate the ever-increasing presence of technology:

PA Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force - Safety Tips & Resources

https://onlinesafety.com/#

American Academy of Pediatrics Family Media Plan

https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/family-media-plan-promotional-materials/

Common Sense Media - age recommendations for games, apps, movies, books and more

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

Shape the Sky Parent App guide

https://shapethesky.org/app-guide/

Caron's Prevention Connection: Your Resource for Building a Culture of Substance Free Youth

Cannabis Resources:

• Cannabis 101 Series for Parents and Caregivers – This video series offers tips and strategies for parents to have open and honest conversations with their child related to substance use, specifically marijuana.
  
  
• Cannabis Fact Sheet - This fact sheet provides research-based information to help lessen some confusion and help children make educated decisions about what they put into their bodies.
  
  
• Conversations that Matter Podcast– Cannabis – How it Affects the Behavioral Health of Our Youth Learn why our children and teens are more at risk and how cannabis impacts the developing brains and bodies of our youth.

Upcoming Events: For teens

Virtually CONNECTED - Free 5-session virtual (via Zoom) support group to help teens quit or reduce their vaping or other nicotine use. A new session begins March 27th.
Register HERE

With Spring right around the corner, we wanted to share some important dates and information related to upcoming HSA events. The HSA will host a grade level event for each grade in the spring, which is held at the school from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The cost for all events is $20 per student. Grade specific details are below.

7th Grade Dance

Date: 5/17/24

Event Details: At this dance, students will be treated to a DJ for dancing, along with games and other activities. The old gym will be set up with basketball and volleyball. Chick-fil-a and other food will be served.

Attire: Dress to impress while having fun. Examples from past years include short dresses, dress pants, button-up shirts and ties. Many students opt for sneakers!

8th Grade Semi Formal

Date: 6/7/24

Event Details: At this semi formal, students will be treated to a themed experience that includes a DJ for dancing, raffles, prizes and more. Chick-fil-a and other food will be served.

Attire: Semi Formal Examples from the past years include dresses, suit coats, button-up shirts and ties. Most students wear dress shoes.

If you are interested in helping with any of these events, please take a moment to complete this survey. https://forms.gle/XhBixzYsGYUmsY1k9

If you have any questions, please email Jennifer at jennifertront@gmail.com

Thank you! ~ GVMS HSA Board

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