Mid May 2020
Dear Glen Meadow Families:
Happy Memorial Day…while we cannot traditionally celebrate and commemorate those who have died in military service for our country this year, it is still important to remember this special day in our history. Thank you to all those who serve and those who have gone before us in the name of liberty and freedom. Enjoy this famous poem entitled “In Flanders Field” by John McCrae about poppies given on Memorial Day. Its references to the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers resulted in the remembrance poppy becoming one of the world’s most recognized memorial symbols for soldiers who have died in conflict.
In Flanders Fields
BY JOHN MCCRAE
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
In celebration of Memorial Day, all Vernon schools will be closed on Friday, May 22, and Monday, May 25, 2020. Our last day of school is Wednesday, June 10th, it is important for students to continue completing all online work. Please check each teacher’s Schoology page every day to be logged in for attendance purposes. Work will be posted on Schoology until the last day of school, June 10th. Students, please continue to answer emails from your teachers and attend Zoom and Google Hangout meetings. Staying connected is very critical as we continue through the fourth marking period. Your grades matter and teachers will continue grading students until the end of the year. Please also remember that your counselors, Dr. Kosek, and I are available to talk to you if you need any help. Parents and guardians, a lot of information will be sent through School Messenger and this blog, please check back regularly and watch your in box.
This quote sums up what is important as we end the year…
Glen Meadow is also planning all end-of-the-year activities such as the National Junior Honor Society Ceremony that is airing on Monday, May 18th, at 5:30 pm. Please join us for this virtual celebratory event that Mrs. Amato, Advisor, has planned for us. A link will be found on the main page of the VTSD website. The 8th Grade Awards Assembly will air on Tuesday, June 9th, at 12:00 pm. As you have read from my notices as well as from our Superintendent, Ms. D’Avino, the 8th Grade Advancement Ceremony will be virtual and will air on Tuesday, June 9th, at 5:30 pm. A live link will appear on the main page of the VTSD website under Recent News, minutes before each of these events. As per the Governor’s Executive Order for social distancing, we are organizing all of these events to be virtual celebrations. We are working very hard to make these events as close to the actual experience as possible.
We know these events are very important to our students and our families and we are working diligently to make these programs special for our students. We know how much our 8th graders look forward to their Advancement and the 8th Grade Dance. Dr. Kosek and I are working to make this a reality. At this time, we do not have a date set for either event; however, when local, state, and federal experts deem it safe for schools to host large, in-person events, Glen Meadow will have a belated Advancement Ceremony and 8th Grade Dance for the Class of 2020. We anticipate this will take place sometime in August 2020. The SCA is working very hard on the plans for our dance. Please continue to follow this blog for updated information.
All schools in the Vernon Township School District are working on plans to close out the school year. All schools are following State guidelines to keep all of us safe during this Pandemic. Glen Meadow will be sending out specific notification and details that will clearly outline how we will return and receive student materials (which will include band instruments), all will be done with great care for the health and safety of the staff that will be working with us to do so. The process of giving and receiving materials will take place during the first week of June.
Yearbook distribution will take place later in the month of June. We are still waiting for a delivery date that is tentatively set for the second week in June. You will receive the details of when yearbook pick up will take place.
Mountain Creek Drive Up Food Pantry: Mountain Creek is sponsoring a Drive-Up Food Pantry on Tuesday, May 19th, from 1 to 4 pm. Please share this important information with anyone in need. 
From our Virtual Hallways…
Reflections Magazine Goes Online:
REFLECTIONS SUBMISSIONS!
LAST CALL FOR REFLECTIONS!
Please submit your writing and/or art work to Reflections Magazine.
THE SUBMISSION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, MAY 22.
What is Reflections?
Reflections is Glen Meadow Middle School’s Literary and Art magazine.
How can students submit their poetry, short stories, and essays?
Students can simply share their document or their art JPEG file with Ms. Cleary via email (mcleary@vtsd.com).
What subject areas are highlighted in Reflections?
ALL SUBJECTS 🙂 Students in the past have submitted pieces from all curriculum areas (even math poems)!
What is the deadline for submissions to Reflections?
UPDATE: IT IS NOW MAY 22, 2020
How will a student know if his or her work was selected for publication?
Once the magazine has been designed, it will be posted on various Glen Meadow sites for download. Due to distance learning constraints, no physical books will be printed this year.
PE Friday Workouts: Keep looking out for the Glen Meadow Momentum workouts! This last video directed and produced by Mr. Killeen is worth watching over and over! Click below for another laugh! Keep watching for more Mr. Killeen productions!
Monday Morning Message: Every Monday Ms. Dignan-Corbutt and Mrs. MacDougall, our Ethics Counsel Advisors, create inspiring messages for our students. The Monday, May 18th message is so inspiring. Click below to hear the message.
Mrs. Schmidt continues to build writers’ muscles as she conferences with her students live via Google Hangouts. Through screen-sharing, students receive the necessary feedback to improve and enhance the content, form, and use of written language. Mrs. Schmidt’s class has been reading The Outsiders by S.E Hinton this spring, but while they’ve been reading The Outsiders, everyone has become “The INSIDERS”!!! Mrs. Schmidt’s students are uploading a photo or a video that showcases each student! This activity enables students to share their story. Students are telling stories with the special, challenging, successful, enlightening or uplifting, courageous, and kind things they are doing. Students are reporting on such things as creating a poster to honor our healthcare workers, helping a sibling learn at home, perfecting a jump shot, adopting an animal, writing an original poem, learning how to play a killer guitar riff, cooking, or baking, or helping out a neighbor, finishing a 1000 piece puzzle, starting a garden, and working with a parent on a house project like painting a room.
Storyboard That! Teachers continue to be creative with delivering lessons online and use techniques to engage and keep students motivated for learning. Mr. Manis has taught his students how to use Storyboardthat.com to tell stories of what they are learning and about their lives. Here are two clever storyboards created by CJ and Karissa. Click on the image and it will enlarge so you can read the text…enjoy!
Time capsules and Scavenger Hunt: Mrs. Mitchell’s students enjoy her Zoom meetings where they discuss what they are learning, have Book Talks, and exchange ideas. Mrs. Mitchell noticed that her students were feeling a bit down one day, so to liven spirits, Mrs. Mitchell began a spontaneous game of Scavenger Hunt! Mrs. Mitchell’s students had so much fun, her class hadn’t laughed so hard since they were together in March! Mrs. Mitchell had students find common household items. She then asked her students to grab someone from their family. Some of them were literally carrying younger brothers and sisters into the camera!! It was fun and lightened the mood. Mrs. Mitchell received positive feedback from parents, one parent said, “thank you, we had such a great laugh!” This proves that when you’re in a Pandemic, you have to find creative ways to have fun! Mrs. Mitchell’s students are also creating a time capsule of what their life is like during this Pandemic. They are recording what life is like now that they are sheltering in place. They are telling stories of how they are commemorating special events in their lives, ways that they are staying safe (we are not stuck at home, rather we are safe at home), ways they are helping their community (hanging rainbows in windows, for example), and how they are feeling about this time in living history. Students are journaling, drawing pictures, and including photographs.
Mrs. Stigler’s Tech Classes: Students from Mrs. Stigler’s classes completed Earth Day projects and Pass the Positive Message project. Take a look at some of the projects completed by students.
Ms. Yost’s Book Clubs: Ms. Yost continues to host book clubs on Monday and Thursday mornings at 10:00 am (reading The Ugliest Dog) and Wednesday and Friday afternoons at 2:00 (reading Because of Winn Dixie). Check out her Schoology group for details. If you are a Harry Potter fan, Ms. Yost is reading the series live. Check it out every day at 1:00. She just finished book one: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Join her for book two starting this week: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
In closing, thank you, it has been almost ten weeks at home. We all appreciate all that you are doing to support the learning process at home. We know this is not easy, many of you are working outside of your home or working at home while helping all of your children. You deserve a pat on the back for being great parents and guardians!! Dr. Kosek, all Glen Meadow teachers, and I thank you for all that you do!!
Sincerely,
Rosemary Gebhardt Eric Kosek
Principal Assistant Principal
