Cedar Mountain Blog

6th Grade Orientation Mini-Series and School Supply lists at GMMS

Glen Meadow Middle School Mid-Summer Blog

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Happy summer! I hope that your family is well, enjoying the season, and you are finding time to relax, and most importantly staying healthy and well. Below is some mid-summer Glen Meadow Middle School information. Please note that the 2020-2021 school supply list can be found in this blog post.

 

There have been many important podcasts created by our Superintendent, Ms. D’Avino, and our Assistant Superintendent, Dr. McKay, regarding our return-to-school plan. To watch any of these podcasts, subscribe to VTSD Studios, as all are found at this YouTube site. To read our district’s Reopening Plan FAQs please click this link; this link can also found on the banner of the main page. 

Speaking of podcasts…a group rising 8^th grade school leaders, many who are in the National Junior Honor Society, have produced a mini-series of videos for our rising 6^th graders to welcome our new students to the building and help our rising 6^th graders learn about their new school. You can find all the episodes at VTSD Studios. Below are the first three episodes that we have sent to our families through School Messenger. We hope you enjoy our production. Thanks to…Noelle, Tina, Emma, Cat, Amanda, Darius, James, Kaylie, and Jack for all of their hard work! The students produced this mini-series using WeVideo. Glen Meadow is very fortunate to have a WeVideo account for all students this year.

 

 

 

In preparation for the 2020-2021 school year, a School Messenger email has been sent to you that lists the general school supplies your child will need this year. Please do not buy anything special that is not on the list. In the letter, you will note that we are requesting that students bring a string backpack to school this year. As our rising 7^th and 8^th graders know, typically, we do not permit students to carry backpacks during the school day. At the start of this year, we are suggesting that students bring a string backpack to school because we are not issuing lockers in September. Here is the letter and list for each grade level.  The school supply list was also sent to you via School Messenger. You can always reference this list on the Digital Backpack under Glen Meadow. In addition to this letter, there are other important letters that you may need throughout the school year. Please note, due to health reasons, we are highly recommending that students DO NOT share any materials.

 

If you have not already done so, please complete the parent survey in Genesis to let us know if you will be sending your child/children to school in September (called Hybrid Learner) or if you will be having your child/children learning at home (called Exclusively Virtual). We are also asking if you will be driving your child/children to school. Thank you for doing so by Wednesday, August 5, 2020. If you need any help accessing your Genesis account, please call Glen Meadow, we’ll help you! Here is the BLUE and GOLD schedule for Marking Period One. 

 

The Genesis Portal will be open on the afternoon of August 10, 2020. At this time, you will see your child’s busing information and the color “team” your child or children are on for the first marking period that being either Blue or Gold. If you feel there is an error on your busing information, please call Mrs. VanGilst at (973) 764-4344. On August 20, 2020, you will see your child’s schedule. You and your child are welcome to come to school and “walk through” your schedule after the portal opens. As a reminder, whenever you come to any school in the Vernon Township School District, please wear a mask.

 

 Mask Endurance: As you have heard Ms. D’Avino, our Superintendent, she is encouraging all students to build up “mask endurance” in preparation for the coming school year. As a reminder, all students will be required to wear a mask on the school bus, in all hallways, and bathrooms. When appropriate, and when social distancing can be maintained, teachers will permit students to take a brief “mask break” from time to time. 

 

 

Reminder to our entering 6^th grade parents… As per mandatory requirements set forth by the State of New Jersey, all children entering the 6th grade will need the following immunizations for admittance to school for the 2019-2020 school year:

 

• Tdap booster
• Meningococcal vaccine

 

In order for Ms. Ash, our school nurse, to receive your child’s updated immunization schedule, please consider the following:   

 

• Hand deliver to the main office during July or August
• Have your child deliver to the nurse’s office in September
• Send via email to our school nurse at sash@vtsd.com
• Send via fax to our school nurse at 973-764-0851 or 973-764-3295.

 

A copy of your child’s most up to date annual physical and/or sports physical is also encouraged.

If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Ash at sash@vtsd.com.

 

Back to School Night- All schools in the Vernon Township School District will be holding this program virtual. Glen Meadow will hold our Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, September 1, beginning at 6:00 pm. All teachers will place information about their class in Schoology. The information will always be available for parents and students to reference throughout the fall.

 

 

Here is the 2020-2021 School Calendar for reference

 

Thank you for following this blog to stay up-to-date with Glen Meadow news and information. We are working very hard to prepare for the new school year. While we know there are still many unknowns, our focus is consistently on the health and safety of ALL students, faculty, and our staff. Please contact either of us if you have any questions as we ready for the new year.

Yours in Education…

Rosemary Gebhardt                           Eric Kosek

Principal                                                Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cedar Mountain Blog

Principals Blog

July 2020

 

 

Dear Parents and Guardians:

 

 

I am hopeful this mid-summer communique’ finds you and your families well!

 

Due to our concerns for the health of our students, faculty and staff, as well as social distancing guidelines, Lounsberry Hollow School faculty members are requesting the following supplies for their students, as materials will not be shared between students and teachers this year.

 

If additional class-specific supplies are requested, teachers will share that information with students when the school year begins, however the lists that follow encompass the basic necessities that will be required for most classes.

 

**In addition, due to remote learning also in place for LH students as we open the school year, please have additional supplies available at home to replace and, or, support the supplies that may be used up or lost throughout the school year when children are in school.

 

My best regards to all of you for a relaxing and rewarding upcoming month in August.

 

 

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Mudrick

Grade 4- General Supply List

Please pack all of the following labeled supplies in a large Ziploc bag with first and last name written on the front.

• supply of #2 pencils (Ticonderoga preferred)
• small pencil sharpener
• 1 box of colored pencils
• 1 box of crayons
• 1 standard eraser
• 1 highlighter – any color is fine
• 1 pair of child-size scissors
• 2 glue sticks
• 1 pack of sticky notes
• 1 pair earbuds/headset in a labeled case or bag
• 2 dry erase markers (any color)
• 1 ruler
• 1 small pack of tissues
• 1 small protractor (optional)

 

 

Grade 5- General Supply List

• Pencils- continuous supply
• Pencil sharpener (silent, enclosed to collect shaving)
• Large eraser or a supply of pencil topper erasers
• Pencil Case
• Highlighters- 2 or 3
• Crayons
• Glue Sticks
• Scissors
• Tissues
• Earbuds or Headphones
• Folder(s):

Option1- One folder for each subject

Option 2- One folder for all subjects (one side stay in school, one side take home)

Option 3- Teacher may suggest an additional folder to keep in school for classwork

• Notebooks- 4 marble composition type

Glen Meadow Middle School 2019-2020 8th Grade Advancement Ceremony

Dear Parents and Guardians:

July 20, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

2020 Graduation Info

Dear Class of 2020 and Families:

All of the details about the upcoming graduations for the Class of 2020 are attached in this document: Graduation 2020

Please take some time to review it. A copy of this letter has also been mailed via the U.S. Postal service to each graduate’s parents/guardians.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation,

Pauline F. Anderson, Nicholas M. Demsak and Jacquelyn M. Van Orden

Glen Meadow Summer Blog

 

Dear Glen Meadow Families,

What a school year! Welcome to a well-deserved summer! Thank you, as always, for partnering with all of us at Glen Meadow as our students’ learning experiences abruptly changed this spring. I am very proud of how hard students worked remotely to complete assignments and demonstrated their knowledge in new and innovative ways. I am very grateful for the dedicated teachers at Glen Meadow and all of their efforts on behalf of all of our students!

 

The Caring Award

I would like to congratulate exiting 8th-grade student, Morgan Gandy, for receiving the annual 8^th Grade Caring Award. This prestigious award is given to one 8^th grade student per school district in Sussex County. Morgan’s teachers recommended her to be the recipient of this award because of her outstanding citizenship, leadership, and her kind spirit she consistently demonstrated to others while a student at Glen Meadow School. Morgan’s counselor, Ms. Regan, had this to say about Morgan, “Morgan is an amazing young lady who has a heart of gold.  She is a person that every teacher would want in his or her classroom; not only because Morgan is an excellent student, but because she cares about all those around her and will go out of her way to make sure everyone is included in the class.  Morgan always puts others first, and whenever you see her in the halls she greets you with a smile and hello. Outside of school and the classroom, Morgan is involved in the Art Club, Builders Club, Peer Tutoring and the spring plays. Morgan is vice president of the National Junior Honor Society and is a Student Ambassador. In the community Morgan has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten, is an Irish Step Dancer and she is an altar server, lector, and CCD assistant for her church”.  Congratulations, Morgan, we are all very proud of you!

 

While our students have a long summer ahead, there is lots of time for rest, relaxation, reading (the 3 Rs of summer!), and opportunities for learning! We hope our students don’t lose the speed and momentum in the education process while home this summer. Here is a great opportunity to take a variety of courses for FREE, 53 courses, to be exact, written by undergraduates and graduates at The University of Pennsylvania (U Penn). The topics span every imaginable area, math, science, technology, history, culture, the arts, and more. Listen to some of the FREE classes that begin on July 6^th: “To the Stars and Beyond”, “Around the World in Film”, “Physics: Introduction to Mechanics”, “How to Change the World: Introduction to Public Policy”…there is something for EVERYONE. Check out the site Wave Learning Festival. Sign up now for the courses that begin on July 6^th. Whether you want to maintain skills, practice skills, or learn about something that has always interested you, you have to check out this site! Please open the informational flier.

 

Yearbook pick up will take place for 8^th graders beginning on Friday, June 26, from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Yearbook pick up will begin for 6^th and 7^th graders on Monday, June 29, from 8:30 to 12:00 pm.  While you are picking up your yearbook, don’t forget to look through our assortment of lost and found clothing. 6^th and 7^th graders, as a reminder, your gym clothing is waiting for you. All gym clothing is located in the parent pick up area.

 

8th Grade Advancement

8^th Grade Advancement Ceremony information will be mailed home in July and will be updated on this blog as well as sent home via School Messenger. Our Advancement Ceremony will take place on Monday, August 3, 2020, at 9:00 am, at the Macerino Stadium, at Vernon Township High School (rain date is August 4, 2020, at 9:00 am). As of this writing, 6-23-20, the maximum number of guests for an outside gathering stands at 250 persons per Governor Murphy. Updated information on gathering outside is available at https://tinyurl.com/y7ucp4g2. You will be receiving one yellow parking pass. Every 8th-grade student (and guests, if permissible) will need to arrive in one car this year at 8:30 am, as we can allow only one car per family on campus. You will also receive one “green” guest ticket.

As we move closer to the August 3rd Advancement Ceremony more details about the number of guests per 8th grader will be made available.

 

 

Enjoy the summer months, stay safe and healthy!

Rosemary Gebhardt                                            Eric Kosek, Ed. D

Principal                                                                Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Blog

The Sussex County Library is getting ready for Summer Reading 2020!!  While the buildings are still closed to the public keeping staff and patrons safe, you can still participate online! This year’s theme is “Imagine Your Story,” and the library is busily getting the summer reading website ready and compiling reading lists that are comprised solely of material that you can borrow online with your Sussex County Library card. 

Don’t have a library card? Get ready for summer reading right now and get one online!

Summer Reading 2020, registration begins Monday June 22nd!

All children, tweens, & teens, who are Sussex County Library Cardholders, OR have a parent or guardian with a library card, are invited to register for the Summer Reading Program. Age ranges are:

Pre-K = ages 0-5 (baby to entering pre-K)

Children = ages 5-10 (entering Kindergarten to entering 3rd grade)

Tween = ages 10-13 (entering 4th grade to entering 6th grade)

Teen = ages 13-17 (entering 7th grade to 12th grade)

1.  Register online only this year — registration begins June 22 and ends August 22.
2.  Win points for every minute you read (or listen to an audiobook, or be read to). 1 minute       = 1 point
3.  Points are also earned by completing missions (50 points each) and attending programs (50 points each).
4.  Every 150 points, the participant goes up a level. With each level earned, the participant earns one more entry into the prize drawing.
5.  The goal for completing this year’s Summer Reading program is 1,500 points.
6.  The prizes this year are one random winner per branch, per age group (pre-K, Children, tween, teen) of an Amazon gift card.
7. Prize winners will be notified during the week of August 24.

 

Adults age 18+

Adult Sussex County Library Cardholders are also invited to register for the Summer Reading Program.

1.  Register online only from June 22-August 22.
   *Choose “Adult 2020 Imagine Your Story”
   *Must have an SCLS library card

 

1. To participate, win points for each minute you read (or listen to) – 1 point per minute of reading/listening, so 60 minutes = 60 points.
2.  For more points and more fun: complete missions (reading incentives) for 50 points and earn 50 points for each program you attend.
3.  The participant with the most points at each branch will win a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card.
4.  Every 150 points, the participant goes up a level. With each level earned, the participant earns one more entry into the grand prize drawing: a Samsung Galaxy Tablet.
   *All registered participants who earn at least one entry are eligible for the grand prize
   *Winner will be selected randomly
5.  Prize winners will be notified during the week of August 24.

EARNING POINTS: if it involves reading it counts!

When you have earned 1500 points, you have completed the summer reading challenge! Every 150 points moves you up a level. With each level, you not only unlock new games, you also get an extra entry into the drawing of grand prizes! 

There are several ways you can earn points in this year’s summer reading program. 

 

•  READING o 1 minute = 1 point.  

•  When you log reading in a family account, you can choose who you’re logging the reading for. For example if you read a picture book to your 2 children, all 3 of you can log it as reading minutes.

• Remember this also includes non-book items: newspapers and magazines, listening to.

 

 

This year Summer Reading will be entirely online through READsquared, courtesy of the New Jersey State Library. 

HOW TO REGISTER 

 

REGISTER:  Access Summer Reading site from the Summer Reading page on the library website. 

 

Click on Register Now on the right. You can register yourself (all ages) or yourself and children. 

 

REGISTER YOURSELF AND CHILDREN 

 Provide your age first, you will register your children after registering yourself 

 All fields with a * are required 

 Once you register yourself add your children one by one 

 Choose age of child, and complete all required (*) fields 

 For children in a family account, usernames and passwords are NOT required but can be used if desired 

 Click “Continue” to go on to next child, click “Done Adding Children” 

 

PLEASE NOTE: If you choose to receive reading recommendations, you should know that they come from READsquared not Sussex County Library. This means that there is not necessarily a guarantee that the library will have a copy of the recommended book(s) available. 

 

DASHBOARD:  Once you register you’ll be taken to the dashboard. You can customize your (and your children’s) avatar. If you have a family account you can toggle between family members’ accounts with the drop down menu on the left side. 

 

ATTENDING PROGRAMS: All library programs will be virtual this year (Zoom, Facebook, etc). Find programs on the events calendar in READsquared AND in the events calendar on the library website (you must register to attend an event).

During the event a secret code will be revealed:

On your READsquared dashboard, under your progress bar at the top of the page, is a button that says “Enter Code”.

– Choose who to redeem the code for (if a family account) and enter the code to earn 50 points (select programs will be worth 100 points).

 

HELP:  If you need help with anything, ask a question with the icon on the bottom right of your screen. You can also contact the library directly or send them an email. 

 

Dorothy Henry branch (Vernon) (973) 827-8095 

 

Sussex-Wantage (Wantage) (973) 875-3940

A Message from the VTHS Admin Team

 

Last Week of School Information at Glen Meadow

Dear Glen Meadow Families:

To close out the year, I thought you would enjoy seeing the work of Mrs. Stigler’s students that created a video using WeVideo to send positive messages of encouragement to all of us. Please enjoy the video…

 

 

As Dr. Kosek and I are saying goodbye virtually to our students this week, this is certainly not the ending any of us could have imagined. As this year comes to a close, I would like to thank our parents and guardians that have been very supportive of the educational process more than they ever expected, as parents became in-home tutors to their children as many of us worked remotely. You will hear in my 8th-grade message at our Virtual Advancement Ceremony on Tuesday, June 9^th, at 5:30 pm, that parents and guardians are a child’s first and best teachers….and I think that is true now more than ever!  We appreciate the time, effort, and commitment that you made to ensure that your child(ren) stayed on track and connected with us. 

 

Here is important information for families of 8th-grader children:

 

This is an important week for you, not only is it the last week of school, there are many presentations that have been prepared for you as well. Tell all of your family and friends!

 

8^th Grade Virtual Awards Presentation:  Please check the main page of our website, vtsd.com, on Tuesday, June 9th.  At 12:00 pm, there will be a link under Recent News for our 8th Grade Virtual Awards Presentation.

 

8^th Grade Virtual Advancement Ceremony: Again on Tuesday, June 9th, at 5:30 pm, please check the main page of our website for a posting to view the 8th Grade Virtual Advancement Ceremony.

 

Special 8^th Grade Presentation: Finally, on Wednesday, June 10th, in the morning, there will be another link sent to you in Schoology for a special presentation for all 8th graders that you will be sure to enjoy. 

 

8^th Grade Modified, In-Person Advancement Ceremony: Will be held on Monday, August 3, 2020, at 9:00 am, held at the Macerino Stadium, at Vernon Township High School. Please continue to check back on this blog for updated information as we wait for the Governor to continue to provide guidance on events such as this that are held outdoors. We will also be sending a letter home which will outline how we will hold this event. Our rain date for this event will be on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, at 9:00 am. Please note, this event can only take place outdoors, there will not be an indoor event if there is inclement weather. 

 

8^th Grade Dance: SAVE THE DATE: Friday, August 7, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, in the parking lot of Glen Meadow Middle School. Our rain date is Saturday, August 8^th. You will be receiving details on this event in the coming weeks.

 

For all students: There is still a lot of personal locker items that have not been picked up. You are welcome to come to Glen Meadow any day to pick up your materials. It would be helpful if you would call ahead so we can find your things that have been placed with your homeroom. Distribution of all 6th and 7th grade physical education locker materials will take place next week. You will be receiving a School Messenger alert with details. As your 6th or 7th grade child had to share a PE locker, your child will have to look through the bag of PE locker items to find his or her own belongings. Names of students sharing a locker are clearly marked on all bags. We do not have a delivery date of yearbooks. Again, once yearbooks arrive, you will receive a School Messenger alert to come to Glen Meadow to pick up your yearbook. 

Thank you to our School and Community Association! We would like to thank our officers:

President: Mrs. Lally

Treasurer: Mrs. Pych

Corresponding Secretary: Ms. Piper

Unofficial Recording Secretary: Mrs. McCann, who also serves as the Executive SCA President

This month, the GMMS SCA donated $1500 in gift cards from ACME, Shoprite, and Pochuck Valley Farms to the local food pantries in Vernon – St Francis, Vernon United Methodist Church, and Holy Counselor Lutheran Church. We thank the GMMS SCA for the programs that they bring to our school and for their countless volunteer hours spent at our school. We welcome back the same team of officers for the 2020-2021 school year. Please follow the GMMS Facebook page to stay current with SCA events. 

 

As we close for the year, Dr. Kosek and I would like to extend our congratulations to the 8^th Grade Class of 2020. Though these last few months have been anything but ideal, we hope is that it doesn’t define your memories of Glen Meadow Middle School that you leave behind. The 8^th grade class of 2020 has a uniqueness like no other, as they are sharing this experience with those all over the world, and this will always identify you in a special light.

 

This summer our will be working on plans for the fall and will keep you updated as decisions are made. Thank you for reading this blog and watching district podcasts that will keep all of us up to date with all happenings in the Vernon Township School District.

Please take care of yourselves, stay healthy, stay safe, and stay connected with us! Have a great summer!

 

Sincerely,

Rosemary Gebhardt        Eric Kosek

Principal                     Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

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