East Weekly

This week was Counselor Appreciation Week, and we want to take a moment to celebrate our amazing Counselors and Mental Health Specialist at Gahanna Middle School East! Their care, compassion, and constant support make a huge difference in the lives of our students (AND STAFF!) every single day. We are so grateful for the work they do to support the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally. Please join us in sending them some love and appreciation!

Reminder for Families: There will be no school on FRIDAY, February 13, due to staff professional development.

Have a great weekend!

Take care,

Megan Kirsten

We invite you to support an event that directly benefits our students and schools — the Gahanna Gala, the Gahanna-Jefferson Education Foundation’s (GJEF) premier fundraising event!

Your support of the Gahanna Gala helps:

• Fund innovative classroom grants across all GJPS buildings

• Support student programs and unique learning opportunities

• Provide resources beyond traditional school funding

• Strengthen educational experiences for all GJPS students

Ways your family can get involved:

• Sign up to volunteer before, during, or after the Gala — many hands make light work! Gahanna Gala Volunteer Sign Up

• Buy raffle tickets to support your school’s PTO/PTA. Use the QR Code and indicate the school you are supporting.

• Donate items from our AMAZON WISHLIST to help make the event a success

• Attend the Gala in person for an evening of food, fun, and celebration www.gjef.org

• Participate in the virtual auction — registration is free! www.gjef.org

Every level of support makes a meaningful difference. Thank you for being such an important part of the GJPS community and for supporting our mission to promote excellence in education.

Thank you so much!

Dianna and Tricia

Our Gahanna Lincoln Girls Basketball Program is excited to host a Father–Daughter Dance on Saturday, February 7, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the new Gahanna Lincoln High School. This event will be a wonderful opportunity for our young students and their families to enjoy a memorable evening together while supporting the basketball program. The event is open to elementary, middle school, and high school students.

The winter 7th & 8th Grade Fun(d) Night will be held on Friday, February 20th! This Fun(d) Night will host 7th and 8th graders from 6:00- 7:30 at MSE. Tickets are available for purchase during lunch for $5.00 - or can be purchased at the door for $7.

The event is run by the student council, but you can help - here is the link to the Sign up Genius!

February 12 - Parent/Teacher Conferences

February 12 - Berwick- Taste of Italy Tour!

Feb. 13, 2026: PD Day - No School

Feb. 16, 2026: Presidents Day - No School

February 20- The winter 7th & 8th Grade Fun(d) Night

The Fitness Fundraiser team is asking for your help.

We would love a number of themed prizes from families to raffle off to students. Can you help by donating a $25-$50 gift? See the SignUp Genius description for more details.

Thank you!

2/9/26 @ 7pm

3/9/26 @ 7pm

4/13/26 @ 7pm

5/11/26 @ 7pm

The Eastland-Fairfield Career Center is hosting a no-cost summer camp on June 2nd and June 3rd for students entering grades 6-8. Registration opens on Monday, February 9th: Eastland-Fairfield website (Registration will end on April 10th). For more information, check out this flyer!

It's FUTURE FRIDAY!

We should all have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C for our futures. We will be talking to you about some ideas. Don't forget... it is ok to grow and change your mind as new things interest you. If you have an idea for a career for us to showcase, fill out the google form attached :)

This week’s career focus is…Lawyer!

Check out the links and videos below to learn more about being a lawyer!

• Types of Lawyers and What They Do

• Law Students Answer Questions About Law School

Lawyers are licensed professionals who provide legal advice and represent individuals, businesses, or organizations in legal matters such as contracts, disputes, criminal cases, and family issues. They work in law firms, government agencies, corporations, and courts, using their knowledge of the law, research skills, and critical thinking to advocate for their clients. Lawyers often meet with clients, prepare legal documents, negotiate settlements, and argue cases in court while following strict ethical standards. Becoming a lawyer typically requires about 7 years of education, including a bachelor’s degree, law school, and passing a state bar exam. Job opportunities vary by specialty and location, and the average yearly salary is about $90,000 to $130,000, with potential for higher earnings depending on experience and field.

We hope you learned something new about this career this week! Fill out the google form above to have a career you are interested in highlighted during Future Friday! Thank you to all of you who suggested amazing career ideas!! We'll be sure to get your ideas featured here on Future Friday!

Have a WONDERFUL Weekend!!

-Mrs. Upchurch & Mrs. Williams

You can check out the new website here. Below are directions on how to obtain the correct app.

The GJEF Raffle Ticket deadline is approaching on 2/12/26!! The GMSE Choir Program has the opportunity to earn 50% profit from each ticket sold. Find the order form HERE

Upcoming Choir Concert Dates:

March 2, 2026 - ( all choirs) 7:30 p.m. @ GMSW

*students may leave at the conclusion of the concert

Call times to Choir Room:

6:45 8th Grade

7:00 7th Grade

7:15 6th Grade

April 27, 2026 - (6th and 8th Grade Choirs) 7:30 p.m. @ GLHS

*students may leave at the conclusion of the concert

Call times to Choir Room:

7:00 8th Choir

7:15 6th Choir

7th Grade Musical - Title and Audition sign -ups (during WIN) to be Revealed on 3/3/26!!!

May 4, 2026 7-9 p.m. @ MSE (soloist and speaking characters only)- Dress Rehearsal

May 5, 2026 7-9 p.m. @ MSE FULL CAST DRESS REHEARSAL

May 7, 2026 7:30 p.m. Performance @ MSE Cafeteria - Call time to choir room: 7:10 p.m.

8th grade-Students have started a sewing project in collaboration with some kindergarten artists! Ask them about it!

7th grade- We are finishing our clay containers

6th grade- We have started our creative clay tic-tac-toe boards!

6th Grade Robotics Club- If interested in robotics, please Click ROBOTICS INFO & SIGN UP HERE

Chess Club: The final chess club date of 2/13 will now be 2/12 8:15am-9am in Mr. Merrick’s Room 105

Ace 7/8: Students are learning about simple and compound interest. Ask your student about the book The King’s Chessboard.

The winter 7th & 8th Grade Fun(d) Night will be held on Friday, February 20th! This Fun(d) Night will host 7th and 8th graders from 6:00- 7:30 at MSE. Tickets are available for purchase during lunch for $5.00 - or can be purchased at the door for $7.

The event is run by the student council, but you can help - here is the link to the Sign up Genius!

Chess Club: The final chess club date of 2/13 will now be 2/12 8:15am-9am in Mr. Merrick’s Room 105

7th Grade Science - (Merrick) Energy Transformation Assessment 2/12.

Math 7: Students will have an upcoming assessment on solving 1 and 2 step equations, as well as writing and graphing inequalities.

Social Studies: We are wrapping up our unit on Feudalism and the Middle Ages over the next couple of weeks! In Social Studies, students have been working hard on their Charlemagne projects. For this assignment, students were given four different project options to choose from. Be sure to ask your student which option they selected and what they learned. If their specific social studies class has not started yet, they will be soon!

Ace 7/8: Students are learning about simple and compound interest. Ask your student about the book The King’s Chessboard.

The winter 7th & 8th Grade Fun(d) Night will be held on Friday, February 20th! This Fun(d) Night will host 7th and 8th graders from 6:00- 7:30 at MSE. Tickets are available for purchase during lunch for $5.00 - or can be purchased at the door for $7.

The event is run by the student council, but you can help - here is the link to the Sign up Genius!

Chess Club: The final chess club date of 2/13 will now be 2/12 8:15am-9am in Mr. Merrick’s Room 105

8th Grade (In General): With cold/flu season in full swing, 8th grade teachers are in search of more Kleenex! If you are able to donate a box or two, we would greatly appreciate it. Send it in with your student and they can give it to their House/WIN teacher. Thanks in advance!

Caudill’s American History: Dear Parents and Guardians,

As part of our upcoming Black History Month project, students will be using trifold posters to showcase their work. It would be ideal if students had their poster board by February 2nd to allow ample time for their research and creativity. They can bring in their poster board for me to store in the classroom between January 26 and February 9.

I will send another email soon with more details about the project, including an invitation for you to join us at the showcase event to see their hard work on display. Here is a document that contains links to reasonably priced trifold boards from various stores! Please note, if at all possible, students need the full size trifolds, not a mini one.

American History (Schlabach): We are wrapping up our unit on Westward Expansion! Over the past few weeks, students have been learning about the concept of Manifest Destiny and have completed assignments and class discussions analyzing the effects of America’s growth and expansion. Next week, we will begin our new unit on the 1850s and sectionalism, which will set the stage for our upcoming Civil War unit.

We want our staff to be happy and enjoy coming to work every day. Below are just some of the ways that you can celebrate and recognize our amazing staff at East!

• PTA/Families spoil us!- Click here to join PTA!
• Student and/or family shout outs- Click here if you want to send a shoutout to a staff member!
• Heart and Pride Award- The Heart and Pride Award recognizes two outstanding staff members each month who make a profound impact on our students and Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools. The Heart & Pride Nomination Form will remain available year-round and is open to any member of our staff, regardless of position.

We’re always looking for ways to connect classroom learning to the real world or allow students to explore the future—and we’d love your help! If you're open to sharing your job title and a brief description of what you do, we’d love to learn more. We’re gathering a list of parents and guardians who might be interested in speaking to students about their careers, allowing students to shadow for a day, or participating in a future career fair.

If this sounds like something you'd consider, please take a moment to fill out this quick google form. Thank you for helping our students dream big!

Feb. 13, 2026: PD Day - No School

Feb. 16, 2026: Presidents Day - No School
Mar. 9, 2026: Staff Work Day - No School
Mar. 20, 2026: Conference Comp Day - No School
Mar. 30-April 3, 2026: Spring Break- No School
May 1, 2026: PD Day - No School
May 22, 2026: Last Day of School for Students
May 23, 2026: Class of 2026 Commencement