Family Info

December 1, 2021

 

Dear Groton Middle School Community,

Recently, GMS has seen a rise in reports of biased language that has been homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, racist, and ableist. While these behaviors have targeted a relatively small number of individual students, the impact and the negative effects on our school climate cannot be underestimated. 

Research shows that students who experience high feelings of safety, support, and connectedness perform better in schools. Robert D. Barr & Emily L. Gibson in their book Building A Culture of Hope write, “The hallmark of such a school atmosphere is respect between and among students, teachers, and parent(s) - an essential requirement for effective learning.” Respect towards others, in of itself, is both “morally and unconditionally required.” Thus, there is nothing more important than a safe and welcoming school environment. To rephrase Barr and Gibson, a positive school climate is associated with achievement.  We recognize that solely addressing and attempting to remedy at the individual level is not sufficient. Thus, we are committed to school-wide initiatives that foster inclusion and respect.   

We encourage students and families to immediately report any incidents of this nature to school staff immediately. When these incidents are reported they are fully investigated by the administration following the board policies. We recognize that biased language may have been the result of ignorance rather than due to hate or hostility. However, regardless of the intent, the impact on the individual and the community as a whole is the concern. Consequences for the behavior will align with board policy. Helping offenders recognize their impact on others and take ownership of their behavior is key to increasing empathy.  Hence, restorative practices and education will also be an integral part of remedying the behavior. 

In addition, we are working with staff and students to garner school-wide initiatives and strategies to ensure a safe and inclusive school environment for all members of our learning community. These initiatives will foster our goal of ensuring a school climate that is safe and supportive of all regardless of race, gender, sex, religion, ability, or any other identity marker. To assist us in fulfilling this goal, we need your help at home.  We encourage you to have open and honest conversations with your child about diversity and inclusion, and the importance of respect. Through our partnership, a consistent message of empathy will be shared among our learning community. As a result, every member of our diverse learning community will be valued and welcomed and have the opportunity to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.  This reflects our mission of creating “a unified, inclusive, and safe learning which meets the needs of all learners.”  

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.

 

Sincerely,

The Groton Middle School Administration

A Message from Mr. Bass

Dear GMS Parents and Guardians,

For those of you who drop off your children prior to the start of the school day and / or pick up your children at the end of the school day, I have some important updates.

Arrival

1. Student drop off begins at 7:35 AM and ends at 7:50 AM.
2. School begins at 7:50 AM. Students with three or more tardies (arrivals after 7:50 AM) may be assigned after school detentions.
3. If you find that dropping your child(ren) off by 7:50 AM is a challenge, I would encourage you to consider having your child(ren) ride the bus.  Here is the link to the GPS bus schedule webpage: https://www.grotonschools.org/parent-and-students/transportation
4. Please observe the stop / slow sign which is now being utilized by the staff member who is directing traffic.

Dismissal

1. School dismisses at 2:30 PM.  Our dismissal pick up usually averages about 10 minutes in length, typically with all students being picked up by about 2:40 PM.  Again, if this presents a challenge for you, I would encourage you to consider having your child(ren) ride the bus.
2. For safety reasons, parents / guardians may no longer line up in their vehicles in the school parking lot prior to 2:20 PM.  This begins immediately.
3. All traffic must enter the main driveway from the Fort Hill entrance and then proceed through the parking lot in front of the main entrance to the school.  Vehicles may NOT be driven around the back of the school to access the student pick up area.
4. Please observe the stop / slow sign which is now being utilized by the staff member who is directing traffic.
5. Please drive with caution and use your directional signal lights to merge toward and away from the curb.
6. Students may only enter their pickup vehicle when it is pulled up to the curb / sidewalk. 

Thank you for your cooperation and support to get students to school on time and to keep everyone safe!

Sincerely,

Peter Bass

Principal

GROTON MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2021

 Greetings from Principal Bass ➨➨ 

 

Dear Groton Middle School Community Members, 

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the GMS Newsletter.  We anticipate that this newsletter will become an every other month publication to help parents and guardians stay informed of what is happening at GMS.  If there are important announcements that need to be shared between newsletters,  I will continue to update you via email.  Also, our website is a great resource for information about all things GMS (www.grotonschools.org/gms).

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that long time administrator, Mr. Jeff Kotecki, will be retiring at the end of this month.  He will be sorely missed by the students and staff of GMS.  Mr. Kotecki has served in multiple teaching and administrative positions over the course of his career.  During his time in Groton, Mr. Kotecki started as the assistant principal at West Side Middle School in November of 2006 and served as the principal of West Side from September of 2017 until its closing in June of 2020.   As you probably know, Mr. Kotecki has worked with our current group of 8th grade students at GMS since our school opened.  He has been an integral part of Groton Public Schools for over 15 years and was instrumental in the bringing together of all of Groton’s middle school students at Groton Middle School.  As Mr. Kotecki has been an active, avid, and highly competitive athlete his entire life, we wish him all the best in his future triathlons and a very healthy and happy retirement.  Best wishes, Mr. Kotecki!  

Parents of 8th graders will be updated soon regarding the new 8th grade assistant principal.  

Sincerely,

Mr. Bass

      Important dates to remember:

 

December 14:  6th Grade Winter Concert at Fitch High School

December 16:  7 & 8th Grade Winter Concert at Fitch High School

December 23: Early Dismissal

December 24-January 2: No school (Winter Holiday Recess)

January 17: No school (Martin Luther King Day)

January 18: TLI - Early Dismissal

Click the link below for the full 2021-2022 school calendar

School Calendar 2021-2022

 

 More important links:

Click HERE for bus routes.

What’s for lunch? Click HERE for the menu!

Is your student interested in athletics, intramurals, or clubs? Click HERE for more information.

 

 PTO News

We have an AWESOME PTO that has been working hard for our students! Please consider helping them out by attending a meeting or volunteering your time to help out with fundraisers and such! Please email our PTO at grotonmspto@gmail.com for more information.

Trivia Night

The PTO has started planning for a late winter/early spring Adult Trivia Night.  Please email grotonmspto@gmail.com if you are interested in helping.  We need help with silent auction, food, and planning.

8th Grade Committee

Please email grotonmspto@gmail.com if you would like to be notified of the meeting date. (Meetings will be held on Zoom).

Amazon Smile

Another great way to support Groton Middle School while you shop. Visit smile.amazon.com and choose Groton Middle School PTO.  Whenever you shop on smile.amazon.com, then GMS PTO gets a portion of the sale. https://smile.amazon.com/ch/85-2036614

Subscribe and stay connected with PTO alerts.

https://www.remind.com/join/gmspto2020 

Find out who we are and what we do.

https://sites.google.com/view/grotonmiddleschoolpto/home?authuser=0 

See what we do for and with our community. https://www.facebook.com/Groton-Middle-School-PTO-101912238299977

Student Council

Student Council’s next spirit week will start Thursday, December 16th with Throwback Thursday and continue through Thursday, December 23rd.  Stay tuned for daily themes and other winter activities leading up to winter break!

 

Winter Weather Clothing “Accessory” Drive

December 1st is here and so is the cold weather.  In an effort to help local community members in need stay warm this winter, GMS is holding a cold weather accessory drive; accessories will then be donated to Groton Family Services.  Come one, come all!  Think WARMTH- bring in socks, gloves, mittens, scarves, hats (and any other accessory you think might keep a person warm) NO LATER THAN December 17th. The items can be given to your homeroom/advisory teachers OR dropped off in boxes outside the Guidance Office.  All items must be new...not necessarily fancy, but new!  Let’s bring warm love and support to our community by showing how Falcons SOAR with pride.

 

What’s going on in class?

 

6th Grade 

 

In 6th grade science we started the year learning about lab safety, common materials used in science class, and routines and procedures.  Then we moved into our first unit Weather and Climate.  We had a fabulous lab with Project Oceanology focusing on the layers of the ocean.  Currently, we are studying the cycling of water through Earth's systems and how it is driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity. There is an emphasis on the ways water changes its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of the hydrologic cycle. Next we will learn about ocean currents and air masses. 

 

 Happy November! 

This month in our grade six English Language Arts classes, we continue on with our reading unit, Deep Study of Character. In our unit, we continuously sharpen our characterization, inferring, and citation skills, along with diving deeper into character’s emotions, actions, and pressures. Simultaneously, we continue exploring the fantastic world of personal narratives. Students will generate multiple possible personal narrative topics, create many flashdrafts, and will finally generate their  very own personal narrative masterpiece!

 

7th Grade

Over the past month or so, students have been investigating chemistry at a microscopic level! They have determined the phase of matter of oobleck, identified physical and chemical properties of candy corn, and created different types of matter using marshmallows and toothpicks. The exciting use of food and demonstrating different concepts in chemistry isn’t going to stop there, in the near future, students will determine physical and chemical changes while creating s’mores! Stay tuned for more exciting science news in the months to come.                                                                                                         

Team Michigan

 In Ms. Panucci’s Social Studies/Individuals and Societies classes, students have been fully immersed in the geography and culture of Africa. Students started the year learning about Africa’s major physical features. Students learned about Africa’s many different cultures and created beautiful illustrations. For the past 2 weeks, we have been learning about the many struggles African Americans have overcome with injustice. African Americans have a fascinating story to tell and so much we can learn from… the many struggles they have faced to achieve equality and how their story has been told many ways.  The Blues and Beyond narrators have taught and demonstrated how music reflects their story and changes the course of American history.  At the present time, students are working on an MYP, interdisciplinary unit with Math. In Social Studies, students are creating rectangular flags that represent multiple aspects of his/her personal culture. Students will draw and design illustrations with written reflections. We are off to a wonderful journey and so excited to be exploring African cultures and our own cultures.

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

7th grade math: Students in 7th grade just finished up the math part of their interdisciplinary flag project with social studies. We will be studying rational numbers and integers next and then will move into our work with ratios and proportions.

 

8th Grade

Science Team Tautog

We are finishing up our Physics Unit on Forces and Motion. We made Newton Scooters that traveled 3 meters using Newtons Third Law to move. We are getting ready to start our next unit on Astronomy and Space.

 

 Updates from 8th Grade Social Studies Mr.Ilvento- Team Nautilus | Mr. Cook

 Team Finback

 We are excited to have everyone

back in the classroom learning and working together again after a very

challenging school year. This year we have complete our unit on the Development

of the 13 Colonies in which students learned about challenges and successes in

the development of the colonies. We covered topics such as the key

people/groups, economics, geography, government, and social aspects of the time

period. We are currently learning about the Pre-Revolutionary Era and students

have started their group projects in which they will work collaboratively to

learn about and analyze causes of the revolution and create a presentation to

teach their topic to the class. We wish everyone a great upcoming holiday

season as we look forward to enjoying time with our families and friends again

this year.

 

Students in ELA on team Nautilus recently completed personal narratives or memoirs. We are now working in book clubs, reading and responding to contemporary classics. Your child should have a reading calendar that maps out their reading assignments throughout the unit. Ask them about their reading.

 

Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow

As the school year gets under way, we want to take a moment to remind parents and caregivers about the importance of regular school attendance. Attendance magnets are being distributed this week to all students to assist families in accessing the 2021-2022 school calendar. New this year, are two mental health wellness days that are available to students in kindergarten through grade 12. The days are counted as an excused absence when parent documentation is provided to the school. These days may not be taken consecutively and will count towards chronic absenteeism if a student misses 10% or more of the school year or approximately 2 days per month.                

                             

 

 

 What can you do as parents and caregivers to support your child’s school attendance?

Ø  Set a regular bedtime and morning routine

 

Ø  Lay out clothes and pack back packs the night before school for younger children

Ø  Try to schedule non-COVID 19 medical appointments and extended trips for when school is not in session

Ø  If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers and school counselors for advice on how to help your child feel comfortable

Ø  Talk about the importance of going to school every day with your child

Ø  Promote healthy habits for your child and family

Ø  If your child has to stay home due to illness or quarantine, contact the school for resources to continue learning at home

 

MUSIC

Concerts are coming!

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our upcoming music concerts.  On December 14, Sixth Grade students in Band, Chorus and Orchestra will perform our Holiday Concert at Fitch High School.  On December 16, Seventh and Eighth Grade students in Band, Chorus and Orchestra will perform at Fitch High School.  Both concerts begin at 7:00 pm.

 

Concert Attire:

We believe that in a concert situation, the appearance of the performers is a very important part of the performance itself.  Therefore, we are strongly encouraging students to adhere to the following dress code guidelines:

*All performers are asked to wear black and white performance attire. Plain white shirts/blouses and black pants/skirts. *Orchestra members have the option of wearing all black.

*Please do not wear:  low cut blouses/shirts, leggings (unless under a skirt), sweatpants, shorts or extremely short skirts.

 

Symphony Band Performs:

On October 23rd, the Symphony Band performed the Star Spangled Banner for the opening of the Fitch High School Marching Band Home Show.

 

Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band:

Jazz Band auditions were held on Wednesday, Nov.10.  In addition, Mr. Berdensey will begin a Wind Ensemble which will meet once a week after school. Information regarding auditions for this group will be forthcoming..

 

Eastern Region Music Festival:

The Connecticut Music Educators Eastern Region Music Festival has asked students to audition by video this year.  Select students from Band, Chorus and Orchestra will submit videos by November 23 in hopes of being selected for the March 2022 festival.  Break a leg to all of our auditioning students!

 

World Drumming:

Students have been doing a great job learning and playing rhythms of West Africa! We were fortunate to have special guest drummers Carnival Trio here last month. They performed on various percussion instruments to share the music of Cuba and Trinidad with us. It was very inspiring! In other news, we have just begun a collaboration project which allows students to create and play their own rhythms in conjunction with a modern song of their choice. We are having fun!

 

Music Technology:

Students have been composing melodic ideas, drum tracks, and songs with various sections. What a talented group of people! Our next project will require students to write songs collaboratively while incorporating all that they’ve learned. I can’t wait to hear the results! These songs will be shared with parents and guardians.

 

Guitar

Students have been working on reading and playing a variety of chords. They have begun to use these skills to play songs, and this is where the real magic begins! Students are encouraged to play songs that inspire them. Next we will look at TAB notation, blues progressions, and soloing.

 

The GMS Library Media Center has been a busy place since the beginning of school. We are thrilled to welcome students back in person to our beautiful space. In September, the LA classes came through for orientations. Students have been excited to check out books again. We are happy to see the books in students’ hands, where they should be! 

 

 

Our October book displays featured scary books, books to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, and own voices books. We love our students to find themselves in the story. At the end of the month we kicked off Wednesday Book Tastings during all the lunch waves. Students get a pass to eat lunch in the library, to listen to, recommend, and talk about books. Jessa Franco, teen librarian from the Groton Public Library (GPL), will be joining us soon. She will be encouraging students to sign up for the GPL challenge, “50 Books Before High School.” 

 

 

We love to hear from parents. Please feel free to contact us at ljohnson1@groton.k12.ct.us (Lizanne Johnson) and vstrickland@groton.k12.ct.us (Veronica Strickland). We also welcome book donations. If you need suggestions, please be in touch! Happy reading and research!

For the month of December, Groton Middle School has the pleasure of displaying the following paintings in our Media Center.

  What an honor!

       PARJE - Edmund Pettus Bridge At Juneteenth Celebration Norwich 2021

 

Nancy Gladwell is working on the left side of diptych, showing the Edmund Pettus Bridge as it was on Bloody Sunday in 1965, Jasmine or Jas Oyola- Blumenthal is working on the right side of the diptych, a more impressionistic painting of how we hope the bridge will look sometime in the future when we’re all working together to overcome systemic racism. These two paintings, both about 2 feet by 3 feet will be hinged together in a wooden carrying case that can then travel between schools, libraries, faith communities, museums to teach what it means to be engaged in “good trouble”. The hinges that connect these paintings might also be seen as significant.  It’s important that the 2 paintings not be seen as “before” and “after” images, that we still have a long, long way to go, “miles to go before we sleep”, much work to build the “beloved community” if we’re ever to realize the peaceable kingdom on the far side of that bridge.  It doesn’t take too much observation to see how horribly “unhinged” the world is at the moment. The hinge is a type of lever, and so even as we contemplate the paintings on the left and on the right, we can ask ourselves, how we can be the “hinge”, how we can provide the leverage so necessary at this time? As the Greek philosopher Archimedes said, “Give me a lever, and I can move the world!”  May we live in that hope and that confidence!

 

 International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at Groton Middle School

 

Hello everyone and welcome back to “in person” learning at GMS.  It is so good to see the children’s faces again.  (well, at least half their faces!)  During last school year, teachers worked diligently to increase their technology skills in order to provide instruction for their students.  As you may have discovered, disruption leads to innovation and our teachers have become really innovative. 

 

My name is Kathy Wilson and my position here at GMS is the MYP coordinator.  MYP is the International Baccalaureate program for students grades 6-10 (also known as levels 1-5).  The mission of all IB programs is “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better world through intercultural understanding and respect.”  You may hear your student talking about the Learner Profile traits.  All IB learners strive to be inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective.  You may also hear your student discuss a different kind of classroom experience.  Teachers are moving into the role of facilitators while a good amount of work is being required of the students.  We are no longer the distributors of facts but are connecting the learning to real world experiences.  You may hear that your science student is working through a lab and is expected to hypothesize and test a theory.  Your math student may be creating a template for a flag in a culture unit with Social Studies (now referred to as Individuals and Societies).  Your physical education student may be creating strategic playbooks as a way of incorporating critical thinking into sports. 

The MYP program also teaches students the skills for learning.  If your student has a class that is called Approaches to Learning, Strive for Success or Calm the Chaos, you will notice that the work is skills based.  Students will learn communication skills, research skills, self-management techniques, critical thinking skills, and social skills.  We are teaching “how to learn” versus “what to learn”.  This is an exciting transition from the traditional school model and we look forward to becoming an authorized IB/MYP school in January 2022.  If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the MYP, please feel free to contact me at kwilson@groton.k12.ct.us.

 

Here is a video from the GPS web page. 

https://www.grotonschools.org/gms/our-school/our-steam-theme

 

 

GMS STEAM Magnet Theme

Hi everyone, I am Leslie Forbes and the STEAM Magnet Coordinator/coach at GMS. This is my 37th year of teaching and my fifth year as the magnet coordinator. STEAM integration is science, technology, engineering, performing & visual arts, and mathematics integrated throughout the curriculum.

This year, we have already brought some great programs to our students working with our community partners. Project Oceanology has worked in grade 6 science classrooms using hands-on activities to learn how ocean currents are affected by variations in salinity and temperature. Mystic Seaport is also collaborating with Project Oceanology to bring an interdisciplinary unit entitled, Natural History Explorers, to all grade 6 students with both in school and onsite field trips planned for the spring.

A professional actor from Arts For Learning, CT spent 6 weeks with one of our theater teachers,  Ms. Macijauskas, teaching improvisation to students in her theater classes. Also from Arts for Learning, CT,  a Caribbean steel drum trio, called Caribbean Carnival Trio, spent a week in Ms. Mitchill’s World Drumming classes working with students and also performing for all students during the four lunch waves.

Grade 7 is working with the Blues & Beyond program to integrate social studies, ELA, math, music and art to learn about American history and culture. The culminating project will integrate math and social studies as students will create flags using geometrical shapes that represent their family’s cultural heritage. Some students may also choose to create personal masks that symbolically represent themselves and/or family heritage as well.

The UCONN Girls in STEM conference, originally scheduled for the fall, was rescheduled for the spring to encourage more in-person participation. We are excited to have our 8th grade females who are interested in STEM participate again this year.

STEM classes at GMS continue to grow and excite students with the many hands-on, real-world challenges. These classes have proven to be very popular amongst both students and staff and truly strengthen students’ critical thinking and collaboration skills which are so necessary in today’s world.

Stay tuned for many upcoming, exciting STEAM events. There are two theater performances this year with one in the winter and the musical theater performance in the spring. More information will be forthcoming.

Parents/guardians, if you have any skills or talents that you would like to share, please contact me to discuss your ideas at lforbes@groton.k12.ct.us.

 

A Letter From GMS Administrators Regarding Biased Language and a Safe Learning Environment

Dear Groton Middle School Community,

Recently, GMS has seen a rise in reports of biased language that has been homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, racist, and ableist. While these behaviors have targeted a relatively small number of individual students, the impact and the negative effects on our school climate cannot be underestimated. 

Research shows that students who experience high feelings of safety, support, and connectedness perform better in schools. Robert D. Barr & Emily L. Gibson in their book Building A Culture of Hope write, “The hallmark of such a school atmosphere is respect between and among students, teachers, and parent(s) - an essential requirement for effective learning.” Respect towards others, in of itself, is both “morally and unconditionally required.” Thus, there is nothing more important than a safe and welcoming school environment. To rephrase Barr and Gibson, a positive school climate is associated with achievement.  We recognize that solely addressing and attempting to remedy at the individual level is not sufficient. Thus, we are committed to school-wide initiatives that foster inclusion and respect.   

 

We encourage students and families to immediately report any incidents of this nature to school staff immediately. When these incidents are reported they are fully investigated by the administration following the board policies. We recognize that biased language may have been the result of ignorance rather than due to hate or hostility. However, regardless of the intent, the impact on the individual and the community as a whole, is the concern. Consequences for the behavior will align with board policy. Helping offenders recognize their impact on others and take ownership of their behavior is key to increasing empathy.  Hence, restorative practices and education will also be an integral part of remedying the behavior. 

In addition, we are working with staff and students to garner school-wide initiatives and strategies to ensure a safe and inclusive school environment for all members of our learning community. These initiatives will foster our goal of ensuring a school climate that is safe and supportive of all regardless of race, gender, sex, religion, ability, or any other identity marker. To assist us in fulfilling this goal, we need your help at home.  We encourage you to have open and honest conversations with your child about diversity and inclusion, and the importance of respect. Through our partnership, a consistent message of empathy will be shared among our learning community. As a result, every member of our diverse learning community will be valued and welcomed and have the opportunity to thrive socially,emotionally, and academically.  This reflects our mission of creating “a unified, inclusive, and safe learning which meets the needs of all learners.”  

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

The Groton Middle School Administrators

Groton Middle School Newsletter

February/March 2022

 

From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Groton Middle School Community Members, 

We’ve begun the second semester of the school year and we have lots happening at GMS both during and after the school day.  Our various clubs and sports teams have been engaging many students in productive activities after school.  Black History month is underway with themes for each week of this month which are described later in this newsletter.  Report Cards are now available and the list of our Honor Roll students will be posted on our website by the end of February.

Two other items to which I’d like to draw your attention are that we recently received work from the International Baccalaureate Organization that our school has achieved the status of completing all the requirements to be officially recognized as a Middle Years Programme School.  This is the result of years of hard work by our teachers - bravo!  You can find more details about this in Ms. Wilson’s MYP Update found in this newsletter.  Lastly, we are wishing Ms. Klaudija Ljubicic, secretary, a healthy and happy retirement.  She will be leaving us at the end of February.  We welcome Ms. Kimberly Spader as the new secretary on the fourth floor.  

As always please contact us with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Mr. Bass

 

Important dates to remember

Friday and saturday, February 11 &12:  GMS Drama Club presents “The super non-heroes” play at Fitch high school - 7pm showtime

Tuesday, February 15th:early  dismissal @ 12:17pm-tli

Monday & tuesday, february 21st & 22nd: no school-president’s day recess

Friday, march 11th: no school- regional professional development

Tuesday, march 15th:early dismissal @ 12:17pm-tli

Thursday, March 31: parent/teacher conferences (after the school day)

Friday, april 1st: early dismissal @ 12:17pm-(elementary & middle school only)

Friday, april 15th:no school-good friday

Monday, april 18th-Friday, april 22nd: no school-spring recess

Tuesday, april 26th:early dismissal @ 12:17-tli

Please click here to view the full 2021-2022 school calendar.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS

SCHOOL BUS SCHEDULE

&

    LATE BUS RUNS

     BREAKFAST & LUNCH MENU

        ATHLETICS, INTRAMURALS, AND CLUB INFO

                  VISITING GMS- WHAT TO EXPECT 

           ATTENDANCE MATTERS

 

PTO Meeting

Join us for our next PTO meeting on Tuesday, February 15th at 6 p.m. via ZOOM.

If you have previously requested the ZOOM information for a PTO meeting, then you should be able to access the ZOOM information, draft minutes and agenda for the meeting in the google drive previously provided. If you have not joined us before and would like to join us, please send an email specifically requesting the ZOOM information to grotonmspto@gmail.com. You can always find the draft minutes, final minutes, and meeting agendas when available on the PTO website.  

Staff vs Student Basketball Game

A staff vs student basketball teams game is being planned at Fitch High School.  More information to come soon about that event.

Trivia Night

A date has been picked for trivia night.  It will be April 8th.  The PTO is working on all the details for this event and could use your help.  Please email grotonmspto@gmail.com if you are interested in helping.  We need help with silent auctions, food, and planning.

8th Grade Committee

Please email grotonmspto@gmail.com if you would like to be notified of the meeting date. (Meetings will be held on Zoom).

Amazon Smile

Another great way to support Groton Middle School while you shop. Visit smile.amazon.com and choose Groton Middle School PTO.  Whenever you shop on smile.amazon.com, then GMS PTO gets a portion of the sale. https://smile.amazon.com/ch/85-2036614

Subscribe and stay connected with PTO alerts.

https://www.remind.com/join/gmspto2020 

Find out who we are and what we do.

https://sites.google.com/view/grotonmiddleschoolpto/home?authuser=0 

See what we do for and with our community. 

https://www.facebook.com/Groton-Middle-School-PTO-101912238299977

 

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY

 

 

---

WE CELEBRATE BY EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS ON SOME IMPORTANT FIGURES IN 

BLACK HISTORY

 

In 2022, we will focus our attention on black figures who have had an impact on health & wellness, WOMEN IN STEM, arts & music, and poetry.

Teachers can incorporate these themes into writing activities, workshops, storytelling, art projects, performances, music, and dance. Instead of centering on all four, teachers may select only one or two themes. In addition, the district will be involved with several community-based activities. To support teachers, we have curated several resources. The DEI committee is looking forward to sharing more activities over the coming weeks.  If you have questions or would like to share additional ideas / resources, please contact Mr. Davis at jdavis@groton.k12.ct.us .

 

DID YOU KNOW?

The celebration of Black History Month began as  “Negro History Week,” which was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, publisher, and educator. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

 

GMS STEAM Update

February is an exciting month as we continue to celebrate and honor Black History at GMS. We have incredibly talented professionals in our community that will be visiting a variety of classrooms to share their narratives & talents with our students. We are excited to welcome the following people to GMS:

Feb. (TBD), Mr. Marvin Espy, local artist who is part of PARJE, the Public Art for Racial Justice Education organization. He will work with Ms. Whitchelo’s and Ms. Cady’s art students.

Feb. 23, Mr. James Jackson, euphonium horn player with Coast Guard Band will work with Mr. Berdensey’s concert and symphonic band classes.

Feb. 24, Mr. Myles Bradley, track athlete and director of  CT Dialysis Center, will talk with students in Mr. Magee’s Health, Wellness, & Fitness classes.

Feb. 24, Tarishi “M.I.D.N.I.G.H.T” Shuler, an award winning spoken word poet, will work with Ms. Delaporta’s, Ms. Mokrzewski’s, & Ms. Reinhold’s ELA students.

Feb. 28, Ms. Tracee Jackson, dance & fitness instructor from the International Dance & Fitness Studio in Groton, CT to present to Ms. Anderson’s dance class.

Feb, TBD, Black Engagement Council from Electric Boat members. We are in the planning stages to have professionals from EB  speak with Mr. Mortali’s & Ms. Plourde’s students in their STEM, Design & Modeling classes.

 Congratulations to Drama directors, Mrs. Macijauskas & Mrs. Strickland and the GMS Drama Club students for the production of  The Super Non-Heroes. Everyone’s hard work and dedication  led to a great performance especially considering the limitations with COVID protocol! Way to go GMS Drama Club!

 

International Baccalaureate (IB) 

Middle Years Programme (MYP) Update 

 

Hello, GMS families.  We have some exciting news!  Groton Middle School is now an International Baccalaureate World School in partnership with Fitch High School.   After four years of training and hard work, GMS is now an authorized Middle Years Programme (MYP) school.  What that means for our students is a continued change in the way teaching and learning happens, which has been gradually changing over the past four years.  MYP is an inquiry based, international minded, student centered instructional  framework.  Students will be given real world problems and use critical thinking skills to solve them.  They are essentially learning how to learn. You will be hearing them talk about the Learner Profile which are the ten traits that students need to be successful in an ever changing world.  We are preparing students for jobs that we do not even know exist yet. Classes such as ATL (Approaches to Learning) work on the skills that students need to be successful in any career.  Social skills, communication skills, research skills, creative and critical thinking skills and self-management skills are the five clusters they will be working on.  Your child will experience project based learning and have deep academic discussions about international issues that affect us at home.  At some point, the grading system will also change and we will prepare you for the standards based grading that will be a true measure of what your student has learned during the middle school years.  You will also be hearing of service in action as your students work on ways to help the community at large.  Keep a look out for more MYP information on our new Groton Public Schools Facebook page and keep checking on the school web page for updates and ways we show off our students' hard work.  You will be amazed!!  Reach out to Kathy Wilson at kwilson@groton.k12.ct.us if you would like more information.   

 

6th Grade

The 6th grade scientists have just finished up the unit on weather and climate.  They examined several aspects of weather and climate including Earth’s large-scale system interactions and the roles of water, temperature, and human activity  Students explore the factors that impact weather, the water cycle, the major factors affecting regional climate,  the relationship between air masses and changes in weather conditions, how ocean water circulation affects regional weather, and how humans affect Earth’s systems.

In February we will start a physics unit and learn about thermal energy. Students will understand that temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present.  We will also explore that energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones. Finally, the last concept we will explore is  the amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depending on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment. 

Sixth graders are continuing their Deep Study of Character. They are working on inferring, analyzing, and developing their close reading skills.  Students also took the Lexia RAPID Assessment for the second time this year, we are striving to build their reading stamina. 

Book Clubs, always an exciting time of the year, are starting. Students will get to select from several titles and then read and discuss their books with other club members.  

 

7th Grade

Mr. Masterjoseph’s, Mr. Panucci’s, & Mrs. Irace’s 7th Grade Math Happenings Newsletter

February 2022

NOTE TO PARENTS OF STUDENTS IN GRADE 7

Parents & Guardians,

We would like to thank all parents for their ongoing communication and support.  We truly appreciate your help as we work as a team to make sure your scholar continues to have a successful year in mathematics. Please continue to urge your scholar to follow up with their teacher when they miss class due to illness or extracurricular responsibilities.

Math 7: Congratulations to Math 7 scholars who have been working hard with our on-going study of operations with integers and the rational number system.  They have also been studying order of operations, and how important they are for school and the real world.  Understanding of integers is a critical foundation for interpreting and solving inequalities, expressions, and equations.  A few of the activities scholars have completed to help learn these abstract concepts has been Wipe – Out, Battleship, and Matho.  As part of our efforts to link these ideas to real-world authentic concepts, scholars have made connections with integers in relation to the number line, credit, debit, elevation, and temperature.                   

Advanced Math 7: I am proud to announce that Scholars excelled on their first unit project affiliated with unit one and the first assessment in unit two “Accentuate the Negative”.  Scholars in the Advanced 7 Classes have truly been working hard this year and I’m so impressed with how they have adjusted to the challenges of an advanced course.  Many have been seeking extra help without the encouragement from any adults which I believe demonstrates a great deal of maturity.  Scholars in Advanced 7 also took their unit assessment for “Accentuate the Negative” and are moving into their third unit of study which is “Stretching and Shrinking”.

Mr. Masterjoseph has all assignments posted in class and on google stream.   I will continue to keep homework assignments short.  Any students requiring additional help are urged to arrange after school time with Mr. M.

 All are welcome!

7 Advanced & Math 7 Scholars:

The next unit in your scholar’s mathematics class this year is Stretching and Shrinking: Understanding Similarity. Its focus is geometry.  It teaches scholars to understand and use the idea of similarity.  Scholars explore what it means for shapes to be mathematically similar.

In this unit, scholars will find relationships among figures that have been stretched or shrunk.  They will analyze the resulting changes in properties of the figures, such as area and perimeter. Similarity will also be used to find the heights of real objects (such as buildings and flagpoles).  The problems are designed to help scholars begin to reason proportionally.  By the end of this unit, your scholar will know how to create similar figures, how to determine whether or not two figures are similar, and how to predict the ratios of the lengths and areas of two similar figures.  The next unit develops proportional ideas in numerical contexts.

Students develop and use all of the Standards of Mathematical Practice throughout the curriculum.  In this unit, students practice constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others as they make conjectures about the similarity of figures and justify their responses to others.  This unit focuses on the Geometry, Ratios & Proportional Relationships, and Expressions & Equations domains in the Common Core State Standards.

We are always available for communication with parents.  Feel free to contact us at school or via email at mmasterjoseph@groton.k12.ct.us, rpanucci@groton.k12.ct.us or lirace@groton.k12.ct.us

7 Advanced & Math 7 Scholars:

The next Unit in your Scholar’s mathematics class this year is Comparing and Scaling: Ratios, Rates, Percent’s, and Proportions. Scholars work within many different problem situations to make comparisons using ratios, fractions, percent’s, and rates. Scholars explore these concepts by making sense of surveys, scaling recipes for different numbers of people, analyzing prices for better deals, and calculating commissions from the selling prices of cars. This will include applying these skills to determine similarity, Proportional relationships of model cars vs. real cars, and comparing costs of products using unit rate sold at Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. 

 

Unit Goals: This Unit has two broad goals. One is to help scholars develop the ability to compare quantitative information by using ratios, fractions, decimals, rates, unit rates, and percents. Another is to encourage scholars to use those comparisons to scale rates and ratios up and down.

Additionally, in this Unit scholars will learn different ways of reasoning in proportional situations, as well as how to recognize when such reasoning is appropriate.

While all of the Standards of Mathematical Practice are developed and used by students throughout the curriculum, this Unit focuses on reasoning abstractly and quantitatively. Students attend to finding the meaning of quantities, not just computing them. Comparing and Scaling focuses on the Ratios and Proportional Relationships domain.

As students explore ratios, rates, percents, and proportions, several standards from the Expressions & Equations domain are also addressed.

Important vocabulary for this unit includes the following:

Ratio is a comparison of two quantities and can be written in several forms.

There are two types of ratios. Ratios can be part-to-part or part-to-whole comparisons. Part-to-whole comparisons can be written as fractions or percentages. Part-to-part comparisons can be written in fraction form, but do not represent a fraction.

Proportion is a statement of equality between two ratios.

Rate is a comparison of measures with two different units.

Scaling Ratios (and Rates) is finding a common denominator or common numerator to make comparisons easier.

Unit Rate is a rate in which the second quantity is 1 unit.

Proportional Relationship is a relationship in which you multiply one variable by a constant number to find the value of another variable.

On the CMP Parent Website, you can learn more about the mathematical goals of each unit.   See the glossary, and examine worked-out examples of ACE problems. https://k12integrations.pearsoncmg.com/ca/teacherDashboard.htm

 Tips for parents:

• You can help with homework and encourage sound mathematical habits as your scholar studies this unit

• Look at your scholar’s homework; make sure all questions are answered and explanations are clear.  

•  Review appropriate vocabulary

Ms. Panucci - Social Studies

HAPPY FEBRUARY! Ms. Panucci’s Social Studies students deserve a BIG Congratulations on the beautiful, elaborate Cultural Flags they created for their Interdisciplinary projects. The detailed reflections demonstrated their understanding of cultural features and geometric shapes. We are about to embark on our journey of the fascinating, culturally-rich continent of Europe and the country of Russia. Happy New Year to our GMS families!

8th Grade

8th Grade Social Studies  

Mr. Ilvento, Team Nautilus; Mr. Cook, Team Finback

In 8th Grade Social Studies, we have concluded our study/analysis of the Declaration of Independence. Our next topics will be the American Revolution. In this unit we will look at the key figures, moments, tactics and strategies used during the Revolution that lead the Americans to victory. Additionally, we will work to analyze the outcomes of the war and their impact on shaping history.

Students on Nautilus are working on argumentative writing in ELA. A big focus of our unit is how to frame evidence. We are using the ICE method (introduce the evidence, cite it, and explain how it connects to your main idea) to help ourselves get familiar with framing evidence correctly. We are reading non-fiction articles during this unit for our papers, but we also continue to read independently selected reading books in class too. Ask your child about their reading and their reading goals. 

Clubs and Activities

French Club

The French Club has gotten off to a great start. We have worked on our French identities with flags and coats of arms. Students have learned how to play Go Fish in French. We explored the meanings behind the famous Madeleine cookie and its connections to sensory memory.  We also dipped Madeleine cookies in Chocolate and enjoyed a wonderful snack with enough to take home for the holidays.   

Recently, the French club has been exploring "bandes dessinés"--French comic strips and the animation that has evolved from these culturally significant commentaries. Some of the "bandes" we explored included: Asterix, TinTin, Babar, Madeleine, Marsupilami. We are preparing for Mardi Gras during our February Meetings.  

The French club meets twice a month. Students interested in learning about French culture and its importance around the world are always welcome to join and bring a friend. Please see Madame Stover or Madame Clark for more information.  Laissez les bons temps rouler!!

Drama Club

GMS Drama Club cast has been diligently rehearsing for their upcoming production of “The Super Non-Heroes.”  Our crew has also been very busy building set pieces and managing props and costumes.  Show dates are Friday, February 11 and Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Fitch High School.  The show will also be filmed.  

Music

The music department sends their congratulations to the following students who auditioned and were selected to participate in the Eastern Region Music Festival, in March, at Enfield High School:  

Orchestra:  Regina B, Mary M, Holden S, Zoe M, Myra C, Sarina A, Divya V

Band:  Lillian G, AvaLynn B, Lucy D

Chorus:  Bobby C, Kendall B, Khloe B, Katarina P, Coriana L, Joseph V, Hailey S, Lexi O, 

Lily J, Elizabeth G, Ethan B, Winter D

These students will be learning 3-4 selections to be performed with students from other middle schools in Eastern Connecticut. The orchestra will include winds, brass, and percussion, just like a professional symphony orchestra. On Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5, the students will rehearse with a top area conductor. Saturday afternoon, the students will perform the selected songs in concert featuring the ERMS Band, Mixed Choir, Treble Choir, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble

Welcome:  On December 2, 2021 GMS welcomed Kathryn Morse to the Music department.  Kathryn, a professional French hornist,  joins us from ACES/Wintergreen in Hamden with over 20 years experience in music education.  Presently she is co-teaching chorus and  music technology, as well as working with our Seal academy. 

 

Willy Wonka, Jr.

The GMS Players will be performing the musical, Willy Wonka, Jr., in May. This production, based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was written by Roald Dahl. The production is directed by Mrs. Celey and Mrs. Morse. Auditions for the musical were held on January 19.  Congratulations to all of the students who auditioned!

We Need Your Help with Willy Wonka, Jr.

To make our musical a success, we need your help.  We are looking for adult volunteers to help with set building, painting, costumes, make up, hair and general supervision backstage.  If you are available to volunteer, please email Mrs. Celey at rceley@groton.k12.ct.us.

Groton Middle School Newsletter

April-May 2022

 

From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Groton Middle School Community Members, 

We are wrapping up the third quarter of the school year.  April 12th is the first day of the fourth quarter.  We will be rotating the order of classes one final time for the school year on April 12th.  You can view the regular fourth quarter schedule here.  As you are probably aware, there will be no school from Friday, April 15 through Friday, April 22.  Students will return to school on Monday, April 25.  

We have lots happening with our students in and out of the classroom this spring, from clubs and intramural sports to interscholastic softball for girls and track and field for girls and boys.  SBAC testing will take place during the second week of May.  The SBAC schedule will be posted on our website in the near future.

As we look forward to the month of June, we know eighth grade parents and guardians are wondering when promotion will be held.  We will be finalizing this information and sharing it with parents when we return from April break.

Thank you for your continued support of our staff and students!

Sincerely,

Mr. Bass

 

Important Dates

 

Friday, April 15th-Friday, April 22nd-NO SCHOOL-Spring Recess

Tuesday, April 26th-Early Dismissal @12 :17-TLI Day

Tuesday, May 17th-Early Dismissal @12 :17-TLI Day

Tuesday, May 24th-Chorus and Orchestra Concert at FHS Auditorium-7PM

Wednesday, May 25th-Concert/Symphony Band Concert-FHS Auditorium-7PM

Monday, May 30th-NO SCHOOL-Memorial Day

Friday, June 17th-FHS Graduation

Tuesday, June 21st-LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

 

Please click here to view the full 2021-2022 school calendar.

 

MORE HELPFUL LINKS

   SCHOOL BUS SCHEDULE

&

 LATE BUS RUNS

 BREAKFAST & LUNCH MENU

 ATHLETICS, INTRAMURALS, AND CLUB INFO

VISITING GMS- WHAT TO EXPECT

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

 

AWARDS CORNER

Three students in Ms. Macijauskas’ Strive for Success class have won state writing awards in the annual Connecticut Student Writers contest at the University of Connecticut.

The students are:

Sarah G, Grade 8, for her poem “I Hope He knows.” Sarah has won at the platinum level and her poem will be published in the Connecticut Student Writers Magazine!

Adriana H, Grade 7, for her poem “Beyond the Light (Illuminations on growing up in a Navy town)”. Adriana has won at the silver level.

Maxson D, Grade 8, for his poem “Reflected Upon”. Max has also won at the silver level.

Congratulations to all three winners. 

Glimpses from the Classroom

Sixth Grade

In 6th grade science we are finishing our thermal energy unit.  Students are using all their knowledge of heat energy to create insulators then testing to see how well they function.   They will then be given a chance to redesign and test again.  Our next unit will be the growth and reproduction of plants and animals.  What a great unit for spring!

 

We are  also taking a trip to Project Oceanology.  Students will imagine they are natural historians.  They will complete an expedition on an island on Long Island Sound.  Students will be studying the geology, human Impacts, plants, seaweed, and animals on the island. Once we return to school students will create a natural historian journal displaying the information they have learned.  

 

7TH GRADE

 

 Happy Spring! 

Ms. Panucci’s Team Michigan, grade 7 Social Studies students are eagerly creating their MYP/IB summative assessment for the European Country he/she has chosen. Students are researching their country’s location, bodies of water, physical features, climate, vegetation, natural resources and cultural characteristics (P.E.R.F.E.C.T.L.Y.). Students will create an exhibit with props and researched information to persuade their audience that their chosen country’s unique culture will enhance one’s quality of life. Students will answer the following compelling question:

 How does where you live affect how you live?

 

7th Grade Science – Ms. Fiore, Ms. Condron, & Mr. Browne

April will bring our students to the third and final major unit of seventh grade. Before we get there, the students will be wrapping up their ecology unit projects.  Students will be researching and creating ways to display the ecosystems they’ve selected. After seeing the students’ creativity over the school year, we can’t wait to see their upcoming projects.

Then, students will be exploring how earth’s surfaces are constantly changing through tectonic movement, weathering, and erosion. This unit is full of tasty, hands-on experiments for students including the opportunity to observe how tectonic movement creates different landforms.

Patch Up Poverty

 

Students in Mrs. Fedeli’s Poverty in the World class are running a toiletry drive to benefit the Groton Food Pantry.

Students met with Lisa Carney and Lisa Fredsbo from Groton Human Services to learn  how they help out our Groton Community.  Items are specific to the grade level.  Items will be collected for the month of April.

 

6th Grade- Mouth                            

                                                                                             

• Toothpaste 

• Toothbrush

• Mouthwash

• Floss 

• Chapstick 

 7th Grade- Skin 

 

• Sunscreen 

• Bandaids

• Lotion

• Deodorant 

• Shaving Cream 

 8th Grade- Hair 

 

• Shampoo

• Conditioner

• Hair Ties

• Hairbrushes

• Detangler 

 

 

Teachers-  Paper Products 

 

• Toilet Paper

• Paper Towels 

• Kleenex 

• Baby Wipes

 

8th Grade

 

In Language Arts on team Nautilus we are finishing up our Dystopian Book Clubs. Our culminating project will explore the connections between the real world and our novels. We will close the year with an SBAC review and creative writing with a focus on Poetry. As always, it is expected that your child is reading nightly to build their stamina.

 

Student Council

Student Council has added several new videos to our Reading with a Councilor library for our elementary schools! We are getting ready to update our raised bed tire gardens now that spring has arrived. Thanks to Superintendent Austin, we will also have two sets of portable desks that classes can sign out to use during nice weather. Student Councilors will be helping in the Groton Beautification Committee’s spring cleanup to benefit our community. We are looking forward to all the events and celebrations that come with the last quarter of the year!

 

Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!  French Club at GMS

 Students in the French Club have been immersed in the traditions of Mardi Gras. 

 We began our explorations by looking at pictures and videos about Mardi Gras in Nice, France. Madame Clark was very generous in compiling a slideshow of pictures from her time in France visiting the Mardi Gras parade in Nice. Students then planned and created artful versions of Mardi Gras masks.

 It was then time to explore the foods of Mardi Gras. Students participated in decorating cupcakes with decorative colored frostings, sprinkles and edible glitter. In the old French tradition, a bean was placed in some of the cupcakes. This tradition became the Mardi Gras "king cake" tradition that is still practiced today. Of course, after the work of decorating, students (and teachers) had a tasty snack! Mardi Gras beads were worn, and those who found a bean in their cupcakes were rewarded with a Mardi Gras crown.

 Part of Mardi Gras is a parade that includes "les grosses têtes" (big heads) that are part of parade floats or parade revelers. French culture loves satire, so the "têtes" have exaggerated features. The 2022 Mardi Gras theme is animals. Students in the French Club will begin working with peers to make "les grosses têtes" in an animal theme at our next French Club meeting on March 30th. We are looking forward to showing off our work with a display in school. 

 Merci beaucoup et laissez les bons temps rouler!!!

 

Dr. Michael Graner Library Media Center

 

Dr. Michael Graner Library Media Center is thrilled that we are steadily receiving new books from our fall order in spite of supply chain issues. Students have been asking for many graphic novels, and we have done our best to add new ones as well as fill in the missing titles in some of the popular series we already have. We have also received some wonderful titles due to the generosity of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative in Groton Public Schools. Even more books by Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds for One District, Two Authors came in from Central Office as we celebrated Read Across America. The library is a happy place filled with displays of a wide variety of books that reflect our diverse student body. 

You may be wondering when your student can come to the library to get books. Frequently the LA classes come to the library just for that reason. Other teachers prefer sending small groups or individual students with a pass. Encourage your offspring to come check out the new titles!

We have been promoting the Connecticut Nutmeg nominees in both the intermediate and middle school categories. There are ten titles in each category, selected by Connecticut librarians and students who  read hundreds of titles to find the ones they think students will like.  This year’s books are all amazing! In April any student may vote for their favorite. All they need to do is stop by the library and fill out a ballot. We can’t wait to find out which ones will win! We love knowing that Connecticut’s students exercise their right to vote for the winner. Past winners continue to be popular. 

In closing, you and your student may have received an email reminder for overdue books. We are doing our best to save paper and ink. We also appreciate new book donations.  

If you have any questions, please be in touch! 

Ivery Stakely istakely@groton.k12.ct.us Lizanne Johnson ljohnson1@groton.k12.ct.us Veronica Strickland vstrickland@groton.k12.ct.us 

 

MYP

 (Middle Years Programme)

There are all kinds of exciting things happening in the MYP world that is Groton Middle School.  In Mr. Larrow’s Individuals and Societies class, he will be having a Human Rights Marketplace after introducing his students to the fact that all humans have some basic natural rights that they are entitled to. His students are learning to think globally and are realizing that not all humans are afforded those basic rights.   In grade 7 Language and literature, the students are reading nonfiction texts and researching topics that they are passionate about.  They will then write a spoken word poem about their topic to perform at a poetry slam.   Grade 8 math students are determining which type of car is a better financial investment over time based on hybrid or gasoline use.   As you can see, the learning at GMS is connected to authentic real world issues and many of the projects the students do are integrated with the STEAM theme.  On April 13, grant evaluators will be visiting GMS to see all this in action.  They will also be looking at the state of the art equipment that the grant has afforded GMS to purchase.   We are excited to show off all the progress that teachers and students have made since moving into GMS.  - Kathy Wilson, MYP Coordinator

 

GMS STEAM Update

Grade 6 Teams, Dolphin, Turtle, & Sunfish are participating with Project Oceanology and Mystic Seaport through both on-site field trips as well as in class experiences which support the interdisciplinary unit on Natural History Explorers. In March, students visited the Seaport to learn what life was like for a natural historian aboard a sailing vessel in the age of exploration. Now, students are participating with Project Oceanology as natural historians in an expedition on Long Island Sound aboard the R/V Envirolab.

 

Fitch High School Robotics Team visited GMS in March and did a fantastic presentation for grade seven and eight students.  They shared the robot they built and talked about their experiences competing and meeting other competitors from not only the U.S. but from other countries around the world. This presentation excited many of the students. Groton Middle School has a fantastic STEM program offering a variety of Project Lead the Way classes. When choosing courses, students should keep this in mind if they want to pursue more STEM experiences.

 

Master African drummer, Bolokada Conde, will work with Ms. Mitchill’s music students April 27th -29th. We have had the opportunity to work with him in the past and it is truly an amazing experience for students. Besides being a master drummer, Bolokada is a true humanitarian bringing water, electricity and just recently building a medical facility for his village in West Africa. Students will learn about this as well as drum and learn an African dance. We are very excited to welcome him for the first time to Groton Middle School.

 

Dance Club has restarted and members meet every Thursday after school. Students are taught by dance instructor, Tracee Jackson, and with Sadie Gordon, a senior from FHS, assisting. Everyone is working diligently preparing for their first dance performance in May. I have been really impressed to see the growth of  these students as dancers and how well they work together.

At this time, due to the upcoming performance, Dance Club is not open to new members.

More information to follow about the performance.

 

Musical theater students have also been working hard preparing for their upcoming performance of Willy Wonka in May. Ms. Celey is the director and we are really looking forward to the performances which will be held at FHS auditorium. These productions take extensive practices and preparations so we are very thankful to Ms. Celey and her team for the work they are putting in for a successful show and experience for drama students.   - Leslie Forbes, STEAM Coordinator

 

It’s Concert Time!

It’s that time again!  Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our upcoming concerts.  Students are expected to attend their concert.  Concerts count as an assessment for the class.  Any student who has an unexcused absence from the concert will be required to complete a make–up assignment.  Also, concerts end at approximately 8:00pm.  If you are unable to attend, please make sure your student is picked up on time.

Chorus and Orchestra Concert

Tuesday, May 24, Fitch Auditorium; 7:00pm

Concert/Symphony Band Concert

Wednesday, May 25, Fitch Auditorium; 7:00pm

 

Willy Wonka, Jr.

 

The GMS Players will be performing the musical, Willy Wonka, Jr., on May 5 and 6 in the Fitch High School Auditorium. This production, based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was written by Roald Dahl. The production is directed by Mrs. Celey and Mrs. Morse. The performances feature many talented students as performers, set designers, sound and light engineers and stage crew.  The production is free; however, donations will be accepted at the door.

 

Congratulations Ms. Mitchill and Ms. Morse                                   

Thanks to a very generous grant from FUND FOR TEACHERS, Ms. Mitchill and Ms. Morse will be traveling to Trinidad and Tobago this summer to learn the art of Steel Drumming!  Their proposal:  Research in Trinidad and Tobago, music rooted in the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade to create strong historical connections and deeper cultural understanding for students, teachers and parents alike, as we discover the many commonalities within our diverse cultural mix through music,  was awarded $10,000 for study and travel at the University of Trinidad and Tobago.  

 

Orchestra Preview

On Thursday April 14, about 60 fifth grade string players from all five elementary schools will visit Groton Middle School. Current seventh and eighth grade students will perform two of our favorite songs from our concert program (A-flat and Bringer of Joy) then play a few tunes with the fifth graders. Current orchestra students from all grades have been making videos sharing what they enjoy about orchestra. We hope to inspire the rising sixth grade students to continue making music with us in middle school.

 

Trip to the Opera

On May 16, Mrs. Gray’s Concert Orchestra, General Music students, and select 6th grade Chorus students of Ms. Morse and Mrs. Celey will be traveling to the Garde Performing Arts Center in New London to see the opera La Cenerentola by Rossini. It is based on the story of Cinderella and will be sung in English with piano accompaniment. This fully staged and costumed production is put together by the Salt Marsh Opera Company. While this is an optional field trip, it’s not to be missed!

 

 GMS PTO NEWS

Duck Race certificates

Purchase your ducks for the 22nd Annual Pawcatuck Duck Race from the GMS PTO 8th Grade Committee! Ducks are $5 each. Duck Race packets were sent home with students, if you did not receive one please email grotonmspto@gmail.com. See attached flier.

8GC Duck Race.pdf 

PTO Meeting

Join us for our next meeting Tuesday, April 12th at 6 p.m. via ZOOM.

If you have previously requested the ZOOM information for a PTO meeting, then you should be able to access the ZOOM information, draft minutes and agenda for the meeting in the google drive previously provided. If you have not joined us before and would like to join us, please send an email specifically requesting the ZOOM information to grotonmspto@gmail.com. You can always find the draft minutes, final minutes, and meeting agendas when available on the PTO website.  

PTO Elections

The PTO will hold elections at the May 17th PTO meeting.  Are you interested in being more involved in the GMS PTO? All board positions are up for re-election each year and consist of the following: Co-Presidents, Co-Vice Presidents, Co-Secretaries, and Co-Treasurers.  Details about each position can be found in the bylaws on the PTO page.  If you are interested in running for a board position, please email Stacy Popp at spopp@groton.k12.ct.us and Kelly Winter at kwinter@groton.k12.ct.us by May 6th with what you are interested in. 

 

Staff vs Student Basketball Game

The Staff vs Student Basketball Game on March 11th was a success! The PTO would like to send out a HUGE thank you to all friends, family, volunteers, staff members, and students who were able to come out and show their support. We couldn’t have done it without you, and we can’t wait to do it again next year! 

8th Grade Committee

The 8th Grade Committee is raising funds to host the students' end of year Activity Day, please see the flier for ways to support them!

8th Grade EOY Fundraiser.pdf 

Amazon Smile

Another great way to support Groton Middle School while you shop. Visit smile.amazon.com and choose Groton Middle School PTO.  Whenever you shop on smile.amazon.com, the GMS PTO gets a portion of the sale! https://smile.amazon.com/ch/85-2036614

Subscribe and stay connected with PTO alerts.

https://www.remind.com/join/gmspto2020 

Find out who we are and what we do.

https://sites.google.com/view/grotonmiddleschoolpto/home?authuser=0 

See what we do for and with our community. 

https://www.facebook.com/Groton-Middle-School-PTO-101912238299977

 

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Interested in coaching GMF Football? 

Click the following link for more information: Coaching link