Spring Activities at Glen Meadow Middle School

Dear Parents and Guardians: 

Here are some school highlights happening at Glen Meadow Middle School…

 

Dear 2020: Memoirs From Middle School

Spring Musical: Our students continue to work on a Glen Meadow Original Dear 2020: Memoirs From Middle School. This musical is unique to our school, as the Glen Meadow Middle School theater students are the creators and performers of the show. “Dear 2020” centers around the emotions and feelings of our very own students during the past year. It includes music from various genres: Broadway shows, musicians, movies, and television shows, while the stories are real and from the heart. It is a reminder that We’re All In This Together and You Will Be Found because You’ve Got A Friend. It is a reminder that Any Dream Will Do, if you Think Positive even if you can’t find your Corner Of The Sky right now! Additionally, the students share their appreciation and are using this opportunity to remind adults that they are doing a Good Job, and they share in their gratitude. Keeping in mind that positivity and kindness are what unite us as a community, our musical will explore the perspective of these difficult and uncertain times through the lens of middle school students: Friends, isolation, positivity, group chats, and quarantine: Dear 2020: Memoirs From Middle School will share all of this and more. The Glen Meadow Middle School musical will be performed live on Friday, May 14, 2021. While seating is very limited, it will also be filmed so everyone can see it after it has been edited.

 

Special Zoom with famous author Jodi Picoult: On Thursday, May 6, Ms. Sandler’s theater students will have a rare opportunity to talk with novelist and playwright Jodi Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald in a live Zoom, as the GM theater group prepare to perform their original musical production Dear 2020: Memoirs From Middle School. On this night, Breathe opens worldwide and releases their cast recording. These shows’ parallel themes examine the impact of the pandemic, only from two different lenses. Dear 2020, provides students’ experiences, while Breathe explores the adult realities. The GM theater group is very fortunate to be able to speak with a famous author and playwright. The students listened intently as Jodi Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald explained how they wrote the musical about the Pandemic during the Pandemic. The GM theatre group was so surprised to listen to how their musical was so similar to the Broadway musical!

 

 

Thank a Teacher: The first week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week. GMMS teachers were treated by having an ice cream truck come to the school and selecting a sweet treat to thank them for all they do. Here’s your chance to thank a teacher, too. Honor a special teacher who deserves extra appreciation by completing out the form in this link! You will have the opportunity to tell what your teacher has done to go above and beyond during such an unconventional school year, and what makes this teacher truly special. You can nominate more than one teacher.

 

 

Congratulations to our 3^rd Marking Period Honor Roll Students!

 

Frog Dissection: Mr. Sorensen’s biology students are learning about body systems. In the pictures below, you will see students learning how to dissect a frog to identify the organs of its body.

 

 

Rocket Launches in Science:

Students are learning about the Engineering Design Process in 8th-grade science.  Students learned the steps of the design process by first researching different kinds of launchers such as catapults, slingshots, and cotton ball launchers.  Next, students designed/drew a labeled picture of their launcher.  Students were very creative as they were permitted to use items that were in or outside their house. Students used items such as toilet paper rolls, plastic cups, pieces of wood, sticks from outside, elastic bands, PVC pipe, Popsicle sticks, plastic spoons, etc. Then students built their launcher and tested it.  The activity was summed up by having students reflect on their launchers and the effectiveness – what worked, what didn’t work, what you would change about your launcher.  Students really enjoyed this activity!

 

 

Therapy Dog to Visit GMMS: Buxton is a certified therapy dog and will be visiting GMMS on May 18th during all lunch periods. We are looking forward to his visit. Having therapy dogs has been a very popular event at schools across the county. We are excited to meet Buxton!

 

 

Mindfulness for Students: The Vernon Township School District has been very fortunate to have Mindfulness trainer Mindfulness is a practice of training the mind to pay attention to whatever comes up in the present moment.  In our society, children are often asked to, “pay attention”, “calm down”, “be kind”, and/or “be grateful”; yet, they’re not exactly taught how to do this.  Mindfulness and Mindful Movement can change the neuropathways of our brain allowing us the space to be responsive instead of reactive when in a triggered situation.  This is a way to help children and teens learn self-regulation, how to change their mindset from one of un-comfortability and disease to a place of control and being centered.  Below are the next installments of Mr. Thomasberger’s training for our students with the Zoom link provided:

Link for May 13th @ 3:45 – 4:30 pm      Meeting ID:  899 3207 2421   Passcode:  546673

Link for May 27th @ 3:45 – 4:30 pm      Meeting ID:  853 2730 8391   Passcode:  000754

Link for June 10th @ 3:45 – 4:30 pm      Meeting ID:  863 2742 1829   Passcode:  598394

 

Don’t forget that our SCA meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 9:45 am. This month we will be meeting on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 9:45 am, IN PERSON. The GMMS SCA will begin planning the 8th-grade dance and more.

 

 

Upcoming Events

• GATE Showcase: Tuesday, May 27, at 6:00 pm, at GMMS
• GMMS and VTHS Spring Concert on the VTHS football field: Wednesday, May 26, at 6:00 pm (rain date Thursday, May 27)
• Jazz at the Flats: Wednesday, June 2, at 6:30 pm
• Field Day will take place as follows:
  • 6^th Grade: Monday, June 7, periods 5 through 9
  • 7^th Grade: Tuesday, June 8, periods 5 through 9
  • 8^th Grade: Wednesday, June 9, periods 5 through 9
  • Field Day rain dates: Thursday and/or Friday, June 10-11
• 8^th Grade Dance: Friday, June 11, 6:00 to 9:00 pm
• Early Dismissal Days (12:30 pm): Monday, June 14-Friday, June 18
• 8^th Grade Advancement Ceremony: Thursday, June 17, 5:00 pm, at VTHS
• Last Day of School: Friday, June 18

Sincerely,

Rosemary Gebhardt              Eric Kosek, Ed.D

Principal                           Assistant Principal

 

Principal’s Blog

Principal’s Blog

May Message From VTHS Administration

Glen Meadow Spring Highlights

 

Dear Glen Meadow Parents and Guardians:

We are so happy to see so many of our Glen Meadow students that have returned to school from virtual learning. Students have been enjoying their lunchtime with so many of their friends and getting reacquainted. If you would like your Exclusively Virtual learner to return to in-person learning, please reach out to the main office or your child’s counselor. We have three outdoor classrooms that teachers have been taking advantage of during the day. Check out how our students are enjoying their time outside…and don’t forget…

Every Monday is School Spirit Day at Glen Meadow!

Students are encouraged to wear their “Class of” t-shirts every Monday

 

 

 

Glen Meadow Book Fair: Here is a link to learn more about the Scholastic Book Fair that will be held in the Glen Meadow library from April 19-23. On Wednesday, April 21, the Book Fair will be open from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

 

 

National Junior Honor Society: Congratulations to the newest members of The National Junior Honor Society that were inducted last week.  30 7^th and 8^th graders met the strict criteria to be selected for this organization. Students are selected on the basis of the five pillars of the NJHS…Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Citizenship, and Character. Here are some pictures of students taking their oath in their homes.

 

Spring Carnival: The Vernon Board of Ed Student Life Committee is planning a Spring Carnival for students in grades 5, 6, and 7 that will take place on Friday, April 30, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm, at Vernon Township High School. There will be many inflatable games for your child to enjoy at the carnival. If you would like to volunteer at this event, here is the Sign-Up Genius link to select a time for this event. We also need parent volunteers for Saturday, May 1, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for preschool through 1st grade and 12:00 to 2:00 pm for 2nd, 3rd, and 4^th grade.

 

 

Congratulations to our Students of the Month for each academic area: Teachers nominated their students in all academic areas in our school for demonstrating great learning and scholarship skills. 20 Glen Meadow students have been given an official certificate and will have their pictures on our TV screens in the building. We are very proud of all of our Students of the Month. Congratulations on your hard work and being great students!

 

 

Chorus Receives a Special Letter: Miss Petrucci and her choral students have been privileged to meet the arranger, Lisa DeSpain, of one of the pieces they will be singing at the spring concert entitled, “Hamilton Highlights”. Lin-Manuel Miranda is a famous American actor, singer, songwriter, director, producer, and playwright who created and starred in the Broadway musicals “In the Heights” and “Hamilton”. Our students in the Glen Meadow Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Chorus are doing a medley of music from the Broadway musical “Hamilton”. Our students have worked so incredibly hard on this piece and have done such a wonderful job learning it. This 25-page piece is very advanced and requires a lot of energy and singing technique. The students have taken on this piece and have been successful in learning and executing it. Miss Petrucci decided to share all the work her 7^th and 8^th grade did in an email with Lin-Manuel Miranda. After a number of emails, Mr. Miranda wrote back to our students with a handwritten letter. He expressed his support and love for what we are doing in class. He also signed the letter himself. The students were so thrilled to receive this letter! It is being framed and will be hung in our chorus room for all to see! Receiving this letter made our students so proud! Here is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s letter…

 

 

Mr. Myhren’s Mini-Lessons: Math is best taught in small chunks that we call the “mini-lesson”. Mr. Myhren, a 6th-grade math teacher at GMMS, has developed an incentive for his students to earn a “Mr. Myhren Mini-Lesson” t-shirt. Students who completed all their homework and attended all Zoom lessons earned a custom-made Mr. Myhren t-shirt. Students are very proud of their math accomplishments.

 

 

 

Spring Musical: Our students continue to work on a Glen Meadow Original Dear 2020: Memoirs From Middle School. This musical is unique to our school, as the Glen Meadow Middle School theater students are the creators and performers of the show. “Dear 2020” centers around the emotions and feelings of our very own students during the past year. It includes music from various genres: Broadway shows, musicians, movies, and television shows, while the stories are real and from the heart. It is a reminder that We’re All In This Together and You Will Be Found because You’ve Got A Friend. It is a reminder that Any Dream Will Do, if you Think Positive even if you can’t find your Corner Of The Sky right now! Additionally, the students share their appreciation and are using this opportunity to remind adults that they are doing a Good Job, and they share in their gratitude. Keeping in mind that positivity and kindness are what unite us as a community, our musical will explore the perspective of these difficult and uncertain times through the lens of middle school students: Friends, isolation, positivity, group chats, and quarantine: Dear 2020: Memoirs From Middle School will share all of this and more. The Glen Meadow Middle School musical will be performed live on Friday, May 14, 2021, at 6:30 pm.

 

 

Builder’s Club Thank Atlantic Health: The Builder’s Club has been focusing their efforts all year on our essential workers. This group was just featured in the Vernon Advertiser for recognizing the efforts of The Tracks Deli where they have been making lunches for our senior citizens and some of our families for over 13 months! This month, The Builder’s Club thanked Ms. Ash, our school nurse, as an essential worker. In addition to being our school nurse, Ms. Ash also works at Chilton Hospital. The Builder’s Club surprised Ms. Ash with a bouquet of balloons and an official certificate of appreciation.

 

 

Themed Comic Strips: Ms. Grimaldi’s, Mrs. Brady’s, and Mrs. Ramirez’s Language Arts students studied the concept of “theme” using a nonfiction article in Scope, Magazine, and then they were asked to create a short story with a strong message (theme). Students were given a list of options, such as “Hard work pays off”, and “Be kind to others and they will be kind to you”. The next step was to take the story and turn it into a cartoon, so students had to look for the most important details to create a six- or eight-panel cartoon, keeping with the same theme. Below are three creative examples of students’ work from Riley, Ian, and Kiehra. Click on each picture to enlarge to read the text.

 

 

Sussex County Salute to Veterans- Design a Pin Contest: Sussex County Senior Services is inviting all 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders to participate in their Design a Pin Contest. The pin must include the words Sussex County on it. The pin must be hand-drawn, not computer-designed. The pin selected will be made into a 1” by 1” pin. The student whose pin is selected as the winner will receive a $200.00 check and be honored at the November 2021 Salute to Military Veterans’ Parade at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.

 

Sussex County Library Offering FREE Tutoring: The Sussex County Library is offering free tutoring from BrainFuse. This program provides LIVE tutors for kindergarten through college students with a Sussex County Library card. In addition to live tutors, BrainFuse also offers FAFSA assistance, an interactive writing lab, language lab, study area, and other useful features for students. The Sussex County Library currently has access to BrainFuse until June 15, 2021. Click the flyer below for details.

 

Don’t forget that our SCA meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 9:45 am. This month we will be meeting on Thursday, April 22, 2021, at 9:45 am, IN PERSON. The GMMS SCA will begin planning the 8th-grade dance. The SCA is inviting any parents interested to join in the planning for this event. All are invited to this missing.

 

Mindfulness for Students: The Vernon Township School District has been very fortunate to have Mindfulness trainer Mindfulness is a practice of training the mind to pay attention to whatever comes up in the present moment.  In our society, children are often asked to, “pay attention”, “calm down”, “be kind”, and/or “be grateful”; yet, they’re not exactly taught how to do this.  Mindfulness and Mindful Movement can change the neuropathways of our brain allowing us the space to be responsive instead of reactive when in a triggered situation.  This is a way to help children and teens learn self-regulation, how to change their mindset from one of un-comfortability and disease to a place of control and being centered.  Below are the next installments of Mr. Thomasberger’s training for our students with the Zoom link provided:

Link for April 29th @ 3:45 – 4:30 pm     Meeting ID:  853 2574 1150   Passcode:  003667

Link for May 13th @ 3:45 – 4:30 pm      Meeting ID:  899 3207 2421   Passcode:  546673

Link for May 27th @ 3:45 – 4:30 pm      Meeting ID:  853 2730 8391   Passcode:  000754

Link for June 10th @ 3:45 – 4:30 pm      Meeting ID:  863 2742 1829   Passcode:  598394

 

Hidden in Plain Sight– Hidden in Plain Sight will be featured virtually on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at 7:00 pm, all parents and guardians are invited to attend. Presented by the Coalition for Healthy and Safe Communities, this presentation is suitable for parents and other adult community members who work with or care about young people to prevent youth drug misuse.

Did you recently find a vape in your child’s pocket or read a text about pods or puff bars and wondered what that’s about? Seemingly “innocent” items commonly used by youth could actually indicate a substance use problem. This awareness presentation will allow adults to be more proactive in helping a young person who might be using alcohol or other drugs. Hear from prevention specialists and law enforcement including Captain Seamus Geddis, Drug Recognition Expert, and Sussex County Prosecutor Francis A. Koch, about local drug trends, how to prevent youth substance use disorders, and understand resources available to help keep youth healthy.

Would you be able to recognize signs of use and intervene before they become impossible to ignore? This “Hidden in Plain Sight” presentation will equip parents and community members with the knowledge to look past the obvious and become aware of the signs and symptoms of drug misuse. This program is provided by the County of Sussex and Sussex County Municipal Alliances. For more information please contact Tina at CFPC at 908-747-1152 or email tina@centerforprevention.org; PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. ADULT PARTICIPATION ONLY.

A few dates to remember:

Grades for Marking Period 3 will open on Monday, April 19, in the late afternoon

The Spring Carnival will be held for grades 5-6-7 on Friday, April 30, 2021, at Vernon Township High School from 6:00 to 8:30 pm.

The GMMS Spring Musical will be held on Friday, May 15, at 6:30 pm, in the gym.

Gift and Talented Showcase for K-8 will take place at GMMS on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 6:00 pm under our tents

The 8^th Grade Dance will take place on Friday, June 11, 2021, at 6:00 pm

The 8^th Grade Advancement will take place on Thursday, June 17, 2021, at 5:00 pm, on the football field of Vernon Township High School

Sincerely,

Rosemary Gebhardt                   Eric Kosek, Ed. D

Principal                                  Assistant Principal

Special Announcement 4/13

Attached is a letter from Ms. Karen D’Avino, Superintendent of Schools and Dr. Charles McKay, Assistant Superintendent regarding Covid cases in our district.

Click here to read more

Principal’s Blog

The faculty and staff of Rolling Hills are excited to welcome you back full time on Monday, April 12th!

 

Although it might be an adjustment for some as we head back into the school building every day, we are confident that you will ROCK IT!!!  As part of our return to school, Mrs. Benz would like for each student (both in person and virtual learners) to decorate a flower for our main hallway. Our Spring Forward Theme will be “When We Learn We Grow.” Be creative and have fun! Color your flower, add decorations, draw pictures on the petals, or even add positive quotes or words to your flower. Please have your flower completed and turned into your homeroom teacher on Monday, April 12th so we can create our Rolling Hills Garden!

 

To go along with our spring theme, Sodexo will also be providing students with a picnic style lunch on Monday, April 12th. The lunch will include a corn dog, raisins, baby carrots, pretzels, and milk.

 

Parents/Guardians please note the following:

• Students that have been virtual all year will be assigned a different teacher when they return to in person learning.
• Students will still be required to wear masks the entire school day, with the exception of when they are eating.
• Social distancing in the classrooms will be to the best extent possible.
• Students will continue to use their own supplies.
• We will continue with 4 lunch periods with the library and garden area being utilized as an auxiliary café. (The library/garden schedule will rotate on a weekly basis).
• Please allow additional time for parent drop-off and pick-up as it will take longer due to the number of students coming back into the building.
• We will continue taking temperatures.
• Hand sanitizing will be required before and after lunches and recess.
• If you travel over Spring Break please notify the school and follow quarantine guidelines established by the State of New Jersey when you return.

 

All the best for a safe and healthy Spring!

 

Dr. Stumper

April Message from VTHS Administration

April Blog

Dear Cedar Mountain Parents and Guardians,

 

I am hoping that this letter finds you all well. In preparation for Monday April 12th, when the Blue and Gold teams combine, please take note of the following:

 

1. Students that have been virtual all year will be assigned a different teacher, should they choose to switch to in person learning.
2. Students will continue to be required to wear masks the entire school day, with the exception of when they are eating.
3. In addition to wearing masks students will be working behind an individual desk shield, unless social distancing guidelines can be observed.
4. Social distancing in the classrooms will be to the extent as is reasonably possible.
5. Students will continue to use their own supplies.
6. We will continue with 3 lunch periods with half of each lunch period eating in the lunchroom and the other half eating in their classrooms. (This lunch schedule will rotate on a weekly basis.) Allergy aware classrooms are still in place.
7. We will continue to take temperatures. Parent drop-off and pick-up will take a little longer due to the increase in students. Thank you in advance for your patience.
8. Students quarantining after school break will complete asynchronous lessons found on their teacher’s Schoology page.
9. If you travel over Spring Break you must follow the quarantine guidelines listed below.

 

Quarantine Guidelines:

 

Please be reminded that quarantining is required if traveling outside of our area.  That includes all states other than New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware.  Quarantine requirements are as follows…

• 10 days quarantine without Covid-19 testing (may return on day 11)
• 7 days with negative Covid-19 result on day 5-7 (return on day 8). Results MUST be received by the school district before your child can return to school.

 

ATTENTION PRESCHOOL PARENTS:  Due to the increase of students during drop-off, you will not be able to park in the parking lot prior to 9:30am. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Edwina Piszczek

Principal

Lounsberry Hollow News

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