Dear Glen Meadow Parents and Guardians:
It’s SPRING, and Glen Meadow Middle School is ready to Spring Ahead! There is so much to look forward to as we round out the third marking period and finish the year strong. Dr. Kosek, our teachers, and I are looking forward to the merging of the Blue and Gold Teams that will take place on Monday, April 12th right after our spring recess, and we are especially excited to welcome back our Exclusively Virtual students whose parents have indicated that they would like their child to resume in-person learning. Parents of Exclusively Virtual students, you are reminded that if you would like your child to resume in-person learning, please call the main office at 973-764-8981, if you haven’t done so already. We have many activities that are taking place at Glen Meadow this spring that we are excited to share with you in this next installment of the Glen Meadow Blog.
VTHS Winter Carnival: We thank the Board of Education Student Life Committee for organizing a fun Winter Carnival on Saturday, March 13th for all 8th through 12th graders. The Glen Meadow 8th graders had lots of fun playing various blow-up games and hanging out at a huge bonfire. The most fun many students said they had was reconnecting with their Exclusively Virtual and opposite team color friends and spending an afternoon together. Students won great prizes, too!
Student Council: This week, the Student Council is sponsoring school spirit days. Students are asked to wear GREEN on Monday and Friday, March 15th and March 19th in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and Spring!
Langston Hughes Poetry Unit: Mrs. Grimaldi’s 6th-graders are learning about the poetry of Langston Hughes and specifically studied three of his poems, including “Mother to Son” which is the one the class tried to mimic by creating original poems in this style. Below are a few examples of poems the students wrote.
Mother to Daughter
by Casandra Cruz
Daughter, let me tell you something:
Life for me ain’t been no summer vacation
It’s been harsh oceans
Full of great danger and defeat
Brutal Boardwalks with growin’ weeds
Poison ivy springing out of an abandoned ice cream store
But I’m still standing
Even though the weeds are still growin’
I cut through em’
When the harsh oceans hit
I don’t swim away
I run into it and face danger head on
So I tell you to never give up
Face the waves
Push through the weeds and the poison ivy
And remember
Life for me ain’t been no summer vacation
Sister to Brother
byJordyn Dearolf
Well, brother, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t no walk in the park
It has holes in it,
And cracks,
And bumps,
And places with no path on the ground.
But all the time
I´ve been walking on,
And going up hills and down
And changing paths in every direction
And sometimes walking with no end in sight.
So brother, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you sit down on that bench
‘Cause you finds the path is ruff.
Don’t you stop now-
For I´m still goin’ on, brother
I´m still walking,
And life for me ain’t no walk in the park.
Friend to Friend
by Christina Ferry
Friends let me tell you something,
Life for me ain’t no Pretty Picture of kindness
It’s being mean, getting so old that the picture is now cracking away
This picture is what only bad people draw on
They think they are so cool because they are being selfish
They are always there pushing you around
I might not like the way they act
But I am still going and I am still livin’ on
That is not stopping me from goin’
I am still walking the neighborhood
That person won’t get in my way
They don’t bother me
Don’t let them bother you
So don’t you go into your room and start cryin’
Be grateful for what you have and get
You have to get back up and keep walking those halls
Your friends and family love you, don’t forget that!
Everyone can be going through the same thing, you are not the only one I am sure of it
So remember friendy life for me ain’t no Pretty Picture
Sister to Brother
by Sarah Horler
Well, brother, I’ll tell you
Life for me ain’t been no magic spell
It’s had broken wings
Poisoned apples that turn into an endless sleep
Or going from boy to frog
And never able to go the easy way
But all the time
I have healed wings
I’se been waking up
getting human again
So brother don’t you turn back
Don’t set down your wand
For I’se still goin’, brother,
I’se still castin’
And life for me ain’t been no magic spell
…and here is a video of Casey Costa reading her poem…
National Junior Honor Society: The NJHS new inductees are just receiving their letters of acceptance and we are looking forward to soon publicly announcing their names. The NJHS Induction Ceremony will take place online on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at 5:30 pm. Members of the National Junior Honor Society are producing the video using WeVideo for this year’s ceremony. The current members of the NJHS are videoing themselves using screencastify as they read children’s storybooks that will be shared with students at the primary level. Check out Emily and Kailey reading two beloved childhood stories.
Battle of the Books: Ms. Yost, Librarian and Media Specialist, is training the students in the Battle of the Books Club. Students are reading a myriad of the classics as well as contemporary books across all genres. During “Battle” sessions, students are talking about the books they are reading, writing practice questions on the books, and taking notes on the books to help students remember different details for this year’s competition. This year’s late spring competition will be virtual but will run in a similar format to other years.
Coding and Robotics Club: Mr. Bruno, VTHS Technology teacher, is the Coding and Robotics Club advisor this year. To provide club members with a rich experience, Mr. Bruno is holding his after school club at VTHS so students can experience the technology lab they may be in when they attend VTHS. Mr. Bruno is teaching students how to code and build a training vehicle utilizing Lego Mindstorms kits. Also, students will construct their Lego modules for this year’s competition First Lego Robotics track. Students will simulate preparing for a competition in the 2021-22 school year.
Later this spring, students will code using the Arduino microprocessor units and then have the students use the laser cutter/3-D printers to fabricate a device control by the microprocessor.
Parents of students who are taking Mr. Bruno’s class next year, check out Mr. Bruno’s video about the Introduction to Engineering and Design class that he teaches at Vernon High School. 
Volleyball News: We will begin Volleyball Intramurals beginning on March 16, 17, and 18, 2021! Students who are interested in joining must have a completed physical prior to beginning our intramural program. If your child needs a physical, please click this link that will bring you to the Athletics page. Information can also be found on the GMMS Schoology page.
Track and Field: Our Track and Field program will begin with virtual workouts led by Coaches Davenport and Galante. It is important for students to participate in these trainings to build endurance and strength. Formal practices will begin right after the spring recess on April 13, 2021, from 3:00 to 4:15 pm. Mrs. Davenport and Mr. Galante will be providing specific information for our athletes on the Track and Field Schoology page.
Glen Meadow Blood Drive: Thanks to the many people of the Vernon community that came out to support our Blood Drive this month. As you can see by the poster below, the blood donated has the ability to save 195 lives! We thank Mrs. Schmidt who has organized blood drives at GMMS (now being held at St. Francis DeSales Church) for many years!
Pi Day: Everyone knows that Pi Day is on March 14th! Students of Mr. Myhren’s 6th-grade classes were given the challenge of memorizing and reciting the first 50 digits of Pi. Students that were successful were given the opportunity to give Mr. Myhren a “Pi” in the face! Students shared their techniques to memorize the first 50 digits of Pi; some clustered the numbers into phone numbers, others sang a song to help them recite all 50 digits, and others plan-old memorized the digits. This certainly was a memorable day in Mr. Myhren’s classroom!
Mindfulness for Students: The Vernon Township School District has been very fortunate to have a 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 March 25th @ 3:45 – 4:30 pm Meeting ID: 897 3054 3263 Passcode: 548230
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
Egyptian Choiceboards: Mrs. Roth’s 7th-grade social studies students chose various topics and their own way to present the information they researched about Egypt. Click the link below to check out their great work!
Egypt Choiceboard Project Samples
Vaccination Poster Contest Winners: Congratulations to Melody Buccieri and Cecilia Sajban who are state finalists in the NJ Health Department, 3ForMe Vaccine program contest. Ms. Ash, School Nurse, collaborated with Mrs. Hirkaler, art teacher, to promote this contest. On March 16th, voting will take place for the public to select the winning poster for this year, at www.ProtectMeWith3.com. Get ready to cast your vote for Melody and Cecilia!
Builder’s Club: Our Builder’s Club students are very civic-minded doing so many great things for our community and recognizing the great work of people in our community. The next activity of the Builder’s Club is sponsoring a fundraiser for the Glenwood Pochuck Volunteer Ambulance Corp. If Glen Meadow donates $50, the school can have a Hat/Crazy Hair Day; $75, a Pajama Day; $100, volunteers from our faculty and staff will get a pie in the face; and if we collect $150, Mrs. Gebhardt, Dr. Kosek, Ms. Grimaldi, and Mrs. Lopez will sing a quartet! Students are collecting donations in the labeled containers in our cafeterias.
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 Saturday, May 15, 2021, and will also be available online.
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 March 17, 2021, via Zoom. You will find the Zoom link on the Parents Group/SCA Link on the GMMS page. In addition, you will find a lot of other SCA information for Glen Meadow and all other VTSD schools. As a reminder, the Gertrude Hawk Spring Fundraiser can be picked up at Glen Meadow on Monday, April 29, 2021, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
In closing, thank you for working together with us in this challenging school year…as a reminder, all VTSD schools will be closed on Friday, April 2 through Friday, April 9, 2021, for our Spring Recess. Students will return to the Blue and Gold team coming together for full-day instruction on Monday, April 12. Parents and guardians of Exclusively Virtual students are reminded to call GMMS if you would like your child to resume in-person learning. Monday, April 12th is also the last day of Marking Period 3. Marking Period 3 grades will be open for parents to view grades on Monday, April 19, 2021.
Happy Spring!
Rosemary Gebhardt Eric Kosek, Ed. D
Principal Assistant Principal
