Dr. JP Orman, Principal
Hello PGMS Families and Happy Fall!
We have had a great first quarter of school, and we will move into Fall Break with our second House Day on Friday, October 4th. October is always an exciting month at the Grove full of breaks, fundraisers, sports, and more. This month we will have Soccer, Softball, Baseball, Basketball, and Cheer events. You will also start hearing about our Fall fundraiser. Thank you so much for all your support to get this year off to a great start. We are looking forward to an amazing Fall break and second quarter. Lastly, PGMS will be participating in the Franklin Special District Open House. Please see more information below under special events.
Dr. Josh Bracamontes, Assistant Prinicipal
Each year, Tennessee law requires all school districts to conduct a remote learning drill to ensure that schools, students, and parents of students can easily transition from in-person to remote learning in the event of an emergency. We will conduct this Remote Learning Drill on Tuesday, October 22. There is no change to the school day as this will be a regular day of instruction. For the “drill”, students will be asked to complete a simple online activity with their Chromebook to fulfill the state’s requirement. We wanted you to know the upcoming date and why we do a Remote Learning Drill.
10/1 - Boys Lacrosse Registration Opens
10/1 - Softball Tryouts
10/2 - School Picture Retakes
10/3 - 7th Grade Spanish Class Field Trip
10/3 - Fall Choir Concert
10/4 - Early Dismissal/Pride Time/House Day
10/7-10/11 - Fall Break
10/14 - Fall Fest Kick-Off
10/16 - 7th & 8th Grade STEM Class Field Trip
10/16 - Family Night with Author at FMS 6pm
10/18 - Report Cards
10/21 - Board Meeting at LES 6:30pm
10/22 - Remote Learning Drill
10/23 - PTO Meeting 7:45am
10/23 - PSAT for 8th Graders
10/25 - Fall Fest
Dusti Bowling, Author
Author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, our FSD 5-8 All-In Read, will be visiting PGMS on Wednesday, October 16th for a during-school presentation for students. She will also give a presentation for ALL FSD FAMILIES on Wednesday, October 16th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the FMS Gym. Bring your whole family to hear Dusti Bowling talk about her experiences as an author and how to inspire the love of reading in children. For more information about Dusti Bowling and her books, visit her website https://www.dustibowling.com/
Invest in PGMS!
Each year Poplar Grove Middle School depends on its annual fundraiser to help provide for the needs of our students, teachers, and staff. This year is no exception, and we are asking you to Invest in PGMS. Whether you donate $10 or $2,000, 100% of your tax-deductible donation stays at PGMS directly benefiting your student. This year’s fundraising dollars will go towards updating and improving outdoor recess spaces.
Help us reach our $10,000 goal by October 25, 2024! Use the QR Code to donate!
More information on Individual Prizes & School-Wide Incentives will be shared soon.
The more money we raise, the more fun we will have at Fall Fest!
STUDENTS:
Collect donations from family, friends, neighbors, and other trusted contacts. The fundraising collection period runs from October 14th - October 24th.
The Teacher Experiences Web Store will launch soon to purchase this year’s special experiences and adventures hosted by our teachers and staff! Every purchase counts towards a student’s individual fundraising total.
Bring in any amount of money to earn House Points.
Shop the Bake Sale during lunch on 10/25.
Dress up for Spirit Week during the week of 10/21.
Yearbook Ads!
You can now make your 24-25 yearbook even more special this year by placing a yearbook ad. Click on the link below and use our school code: 26290. Yearbooks are available to purchase now. There will be a price increase in January. If you would like to share any of your photos at any of our events, you can either click on this link to share photos yearbookshare.com and the school code is PGSLIONS or email me directly at herreroand@fssd.org. Thank you, Andrea Herrero
House Captains
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to be our 24-25 house captains this year!
Almitas: Trace Kindred and Amara Elliott
Coraticus: Bristol Cox and Seth Perry
Reverentum: Britney Watt and Max Von Dreele
Sapenta: Sophia Demumbran and Ellison Chesak
Our next house day is Friday, October 4th!
Caitlin Otto, Guidance Counselor
Hello PGMS Families!
As autumn settles in and the leaves begin to turn, we are excited to share what’s happening in our school counseling program this October. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness week, we’re focusing on strategies to promote emotional well-being and resilience. One big way we can support our students is making sure that they practice self-care by participating in hobbies and passions that fulfill them. Encourage students to set aside time for activities that they enjoy and that help them relax whether it’s reading, drawing, listening to music, spending time outdoors, or joining new clubs. Engaging in these kinds of hobbies can significantly reduce stress. Let’s work together to make this month one of support and positivity!
Warm regards,
Caitlin Otto
Renee Ives, Nurse
Cold and Flu Season is approaching!
Here are a few ways we can limit spread and exposure:
Wash Your Hands Frequently: Regular hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs. Be sure to wash hands after coughing, sneezing, using the bathroom, before and after eating, and after sharing items. When in doubt, wash your hands!
Prioritize Sleep: Establish consistent bedtimes and limit screen time before bed.
Stay Hydrated and Eat Well: It's easy to forget to drink water when it’s cold.
Stay Home When Sick: Check out the FSD Illness guidelines for when you should stay home. https://www.fssd.org/departments/finance-administration/student-health-services
Limit Social Activities When Sick: School isn’t the only place kids interact closely and spread illness.
Choir
A couple of weeks ago, the 7th and 8th grade girls choir gave a beautiful performance of the "Star-Spangled Banner" at a lunch event called "State of Our Schools", where lots of principals and district administration were present. The girls not only sang well, but behaved amazingly! Well done!
Our next choir event is the October 3rd choir concert in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Students should arrive at 5:15 for a quick rehearsal before the concert begins at 6:00. 5th/6th grade will wear all black and 7th/8th will wear choir dresses and black pants/white shirt/vest/tie. (Mr. Strelecki will give out the vests/ties).
We're looking forward to entertaining you with lots of different styles of music, even some in foreign languages!
5th Grade
Our fifth graders have been learning about States of Matter in Science. We have watched balloons magically expand and get really cold! Math has been all about place value with decimals. In ELA, the students continue to read ESPERANZA RISING and have been learning about similes, metaphors, and analyzing a character reaction paragraph. We all are looking forward to FALL BREAK!!!
WPGS News
Our WPGS News Crew, sponsored by Mrs. Holz, is hard at work bringing daily announcements, House & PBS updates, sports news, teacher interviews, student recognition, and much more to our students, faculty, and staff every morning at 7:30 to start our day. The Crew enjoys leading our student body in a moment of silence and the pledge every morning and recognizing student and faculty birthdays! There are 21 students on the WPGS News Crew. The 5th - 8th grade teams take turns each week being anchors and producers to run the live broadcast. The WPGS News Crew looks forward to building community and school spirit as they continue sharing important announcements and news throughout the school year.
