Garfield Gazette

As we settle into the rhythm of the school year, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the incredible partnership between our school and our families. October is a wonderful time to reflect on the progress we've made so far and look ahead to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

Parent-teacher conferences are a great time to meet and discuss your child’s progress, celebrate their achievements, and collaborate on ways to support their continued growth.

Don't forget to join and become an active member of Garfield’s PTSA. The PTSA is always looking for volunteers to help out at school events and welcomes all parents to join this great organization. Look for more information in the 'PTSA Update' section on ways to support the Garfield PTSA.

Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. Together, we can make this school year an enriching and successful experience for all students.

April Patton

Principal

Parent-Teacher conferences will take place on October 23, 24, and 25.

We are looking forward to the opportunity to share your student's growth thus far. Conferences are in person. However, if you would prefer a zoom option, please email your student’s teacher to request this option and obtain a link. Either option for your conference requires you to utilize the PTCFast system to secure the time slots for your parent-teacher conferences.

The link for parents to sign up for Parent-Teacher conferences is open:

https://ptcfast.com/schools/Garfield_Middle_School

Using the link above choose the teachers you would like a conference with and follow the directions providing the basic information requested. Once submitted you will receive an email with the subject header "Select Date/Time for Teacher Conference Now". Use the link included in this email to select open time slots for your conferences. PTCFast will send a confirmation email with your conference times.

🏈 7th/8th Grade Football

10/1 vs. Greenbriar

10/8 @ Westlake

🏐 Girls Volleyball

10/2 CWC Play-ins (away TBD)

10/5 CWC Playoffs (away TBD)

👟 Cross County

10/5 @ Firelands College BGSU

10/12 @ Buckeye (CWC Championships)

10/19 @ LCCC (OHSAA District)

10/26 @ Boardman (OHSAA Regionals)

11/2 @ Fortress Obetz (OHSAA State Meet)

🏀 7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball (games start at 4:45)

10/29 vs. Rocky River

10/31 @ Westlake

11/5 @ Greenbrier

11/7 vs. Hillside

9/30- 10/4 Spirit Week

10/3 Orchestra Pops Concert @ 7:00 p.m. in Civic

10/4 Homecoming Parade 5:30 pm (from Lakewood Park neighborhood to LHS)

10/6 Last day to order PTSA Spirit Wear

10/7 Board of Ed Meeting @ 7:00 p.m. - Harrison Elementary Cafe

10/11 NEOEA Day - No School

10/11 Lakewood Ranger Marching Band 8th Grade Night - 5:00 p.m. - LHS Stadium

10/16 End of the 1st Quarter

10/16 PTSA Meeting 7:00 pm in the LRC

10/23 PSAT 8/9 (8th grade students only)

10/23 Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00 - 8:30 pm

10/24 Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00 - 4:00 pm/5:00 - 8:30 pm (No School for students K-8)

10/25 Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00 - 11:00 am (No School for students K-8)

10/29 8th Grade Field Trip- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

11/1 Halloween Dance 6:30-8:30 pm

Our fall play cast and crew are busy preparing our fall production of “Romeo and Winifred”. Come check out the show on Thursday, November 7 and Friday, November 8 at 7:00 pm in the Garfield Cafetorium. Presale tickets will be available a couple weeks before the show. Donations accepted at the door.

Email Mrs. Blasko with any questions (lisa.blasko@lakewoodcityschools.org)

Thanks to a generous grant from the Lakewood Rangers Educational Foundation (LREF) and parent donations, Garfield 8th graders encompassed the Vision of a Lakewood Ranger while simultaneously having a hands on learning experience at Nelson Ledges. It was a very special day which created life long memories for our students!

Students will have an opportunity to participate in an Art to Go program in collaboration with the Cleveland Museum of Art on November 7th and 8th during their social studies class.

The program encourages students to examine authentic artworks from ancient Greece and Rome. Through close observation and group discussions led by trained volunteers, students are prompted to think critically and act as archaeologists exploring primary sources. This program is made possible through a generous grant from the Lakewood Rangers Educational Foundation (LREF).

On Thursday, October 17th, qualifying 6th-grade students can participate in our Quarterly Positive Behavior Incentive. This quarter’s incentive is bowling at Mahall’s.

For a student to qualify for our first Quarter Positive Behavior Incentive, they must have 3 or fewer behavior strikes and no severe disciplinary behaviors resulting in out-of-school or in-school suspension. The cost of the trip will be $4.00, no refunds. The students will eat their lunch at school. No food or beverages will be available for purchase at Mahall’s.

We’re going rain or shine, so please dress accordingly and wear comfortable shoes for walking.

Permission slips & money must be turned in to your child’s Social Studies teacher no later than Friday, October 11th. Please contact your student’s Social Studies teacher if you have any questions.

On Tuesday, October 8, the morning choir classes will begin the Stop the Hate: Youth Sing Out. The classes alternate each year, so last year it was the afternoon classes. For this program, a guest artist/singer/songwriter from the Cleveland area comes to our choir classes to help each class write an original song. The lyrics to each class song will be written by the students in that class to identify something hateful in our society and what we can do about it to improve things for the future. The students write the song, learn it, and record it in 5 class periods. The recording is submitted for the competition portion of the program. If a class wins the competition, Garfield will receive Grant money and the winning class will perform at a special awards ceremony in the spring.

Good luck to our morning choirs!

All 8th grade students must have this form signed before beginning Health class. If your student has Health quarters 2-4, please complete this form as soon as possible.

https://forms.gle/KzR5bZECqEztyUzS9

The PSAT 8/9 will be administered for all 8th grade students in attendance on October 23rd. Additional information regarding the PSAT 8/9 was emailed home earlier last week.

Please remind your student to charge their school-issued device nightly and to ensure they have the device with them for the assessment on October 23rd. Students arriving late to school may not be able to join the assessment in progress and may spend the remaining time of the assessment in a study hall setting. If your student will be picked up early on October 23rd for an appointment, please notify the school attendance line as soon as possible.

The planning for the exciting 2025 Washington D.C. trip is underway, and we’re thrilled to get started! Each 8th-grade student has received an information packet with all the essential details about this fantastic adventure.

If your child has not received a packet or brought the packet home, then please reach out to Mr. Branco for a copy of the information.

The total cost of the trip is $642, which includes transportation, eight meals, two nights of lodging, all admissions, two t-shirts, nighttime security at the hotel, and a tour guide throughout the journey.

To secure your spot, please visit the tour guide's website at www.nowaktours.com. Be sure to register and pay an initial deposit of $214 by November 1 to guarantee your child's participation. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity for an unforgettable experience!

Important Dates

November 1, 2024: Registration and deposit of $214 due at www.nowaktours.com

January 10, 2025: Second Payment of $214 due at www.nowaktours.com

January 16 2025: GMS Pasta Night Fundraiser @ LHS

March 14, 2025: Final Payment due at www.nowaktours.com

May 7, 2025: Mandatory Student/Parent meeting @ GMS Café

May 14, 2025: Students report to GMS at 6am to leave for trip

May 16, 2025: Trip returns to GMS by 9pm

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact Mr. Branco at ben.branco@lakewoodcityschools.org. We look forward to an incredible trip!

Please mark your calendars for the Garfield Middle School Pasta Night Fundraiser on January 16, 2025, at Lakewood High School. Additionally, look out for more details about sponsoring the event and the upcoming DC trip!

Many of our after-school clubs are already underway, and it's not too late for students to join in on the fun and learning. New members are welcome at any time! To see a full list of our current and upcoming clubs, please check out the link below.

Garfield Music Crew:

The first rehearsal for the after school auditioned choir GMC will be Wednesday, October 2 from 3-3:30pm and meet every Wednesday from that point forward.

To learn more about H2O visit their website: https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/h2o/

The students in the BRIDGES classrooms are gearing up for another year of delivering mid-day treats to staff. 'BRIDGES Bites' the vocational training program at Garfield Middle School, will kick off the season on Thursday, October 17th. Students will prep the store, take inventory, restock shelves and coordinate orders leading up to the 2024-25 re-opening. We have some surprises planned for this year's store!

Our 'BRIDGES Bites' team looks forward to serving you this year!

Come share your thoughts, ideas and concerns about the Lakewood City Schools with Superintendent Niedzwiecki at her first Listen & Learn session of the school year on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 6-7 pm in the Ranger Cafe at Lakewood High. Enter at the flagpole entrance in front of the school. Treasurer Kent Zeman will join the superintendent to provide a brief financial update on the District. These sessions are informal one-hour discussions and community members may drop in any time during the hour.

The District's Elementary Planning Task Force will be holding Community Conversations at our seven elementary schools over the next few months to gather input on a potential redistricting and repurposing of our elementary boundaries and buildings. We hope you can attend one of the conversations. Learn more about the task force on the Elementary Planning Task Force page of the District website.

Greetings from the PTSA!

Thank you to all who came to the September PTSA meeting – it was great to see familiar faces as well as a lot of new ones! Read on for more info on how to get more involved with the PTSA!

• VP Membership: The main responsibility of this position is to maintain the online membership database.
• VP Fundraising: We are in need of someone to help lead a fundraiser in the Spring.
• Staff Appreciation Chair: Looking for someone to take charge of the meals that the PTSA provides the Garfield staff as well as to support the staff during a teacher/staff appreciation week in the Spring

More details will be sent out in a separate email.

Our annual Holiday Open House is quickly approaching! As you start going through your holiday decor (ANY holiday), consider donating your unwanted items to our event at Garfield! Many of our families who attend our annual holiday open houses are able to stay warm throughout the winter with the donated winter gear (coats, hats, gloves, boots, & scarves) as well as decorate their homes with holiday decor they otherwise would not have. How awesome is it that items we may no longer need could easily serve other Garfield families?

The event date is Thursday, December 5th from 6-7:30 pm in the GMS cafeteria. Please drop your donations off at Garfield’s Main Office or if you are a staff member at Garfield please place your items on the stage to the left. Thank you in advance for any and all donations!

NOTE: Please DO NOT send in other clothing (warm gear only as mentioned above) as we do not have the laundry or storage facilities to host an event with clothing. Other holiday items are welcome as it is a Christmas-heavy event but not limited to such. Toys are also accepted, as the kids LOVE choosing items/gifts for siblings as their parents shop around! If you donate toys with pieces please have them bagged separately as we will not have time, or the storage, to piece together items appropriately.

THANK YOU to our amazing Lakewood community...start that cleanout!!