East Weekly

PTA is spoiling our staff this week with 90s themed Teacher Appreciation Week! We want the students to participate by dressing up for spirit week!

May 11: PTA Meeting

May 13: Fitness Fundraiser Pancake Reward Breakfast

May 13: 6th and 8th grade Rewards Night - invitations were sent via snail mail

May 14: Fitness Fundraiser Ice Cream Reward (8th grade) during school

May 14: 7th grade Rewards Night - invitations were sent via snail mail

May 15: Awards Breakfast or Lunch Out -invitations were sent via snail mail

May 16: Whits Ice Cream Fundraiser

May18: 8th grade success fair- during school

May 19: 6th grade field trip /7th grade Hero Speeches- during school

May 20: 6th grade field trip / 7th grade Field Trip /8th grade success fair- during school

May 21: Talent Show!- during school

May 22: 8th grade clap out / Last Day of School

GMSE PTA Monthly Meeting will be virtual this month!

Monday, May 11 7–8 PM
Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/zzr-dgpu-ksf

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…Criminologist!

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

• Why Study Criminology? | College Majors | College Degrees | Study Hall
• Top 10 Criminology Jobs
• My Job in 60 Seconds - Crime & Intelligence Analyst

Criminologists are professionals who study crime, criminal behavior, and the causes of crime in order to help make communities safer. They research patterns in criminal activity, analyze why crimes happen, and work with law enforcement, courts, and government agencies to develop ways to prevent crime and improve public safety. Criminologists may interview offenders, study crime statistics, examine social trends, and use psychology and sociology to better understand human behavior. Unlike detectives who solve individual cases, criminologists focus on the bigger picture of why crime happens and how society can respond to it. Becoming a criminologist typically requires a college degree in criminology, criminal justice, psychology, or sociology, and some careers may require advanced degrees for research or specialized positions. Strong skills in communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and research are important in this field, and salaries generally range from about $50,000 to over $100,000 per year depending on education, experience, and job setting.

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!!

-GMSE School Counselors
Shayla Upchurch and Loni Williams

If you are planning to play a Fall Sport in Gahanna Middle Schools this fall. Please follow the following steps:

1. Create your account in Final Forms, or if you have one already then select the Fall Sport you want to play in the Fall of 2026.
2. All students are able to signup and select their 2026-27 school year sports in Final Forms beginning May 1.
3. Coaches of the Fall Sports will send information about student, and parent interest meetings through Final Forms. Also, they will send summer conditioning dates, and practice dates through Final Forms.
4. First official practice for all Fall Sports is August 1, 2026.

* May 14, 6:30pm GMSE Cafeteria - GMS 7TH Grade FB Student/Parent Interest Meeting

* May 20, 5:30pm GMSW Cafeteria - GMS 8th Grade FB Student/Parent Interest Meeting

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

FinalForms will be available to incoming 7th graders May 1, 2026. Families will be able to create accounts and complete any forms at that time.

8th Grade Band: Field Trip to Capital University

Please make sure your permission forms are turned in to Ms. Smallwood ASAP. We will leave MSE at 10:30am on Wednesday and return around 1pm. Wear your band uniform (you can bring and change at school) and pack a lunch in case we return late.

Summer Band Opportunities

Gahanna Bands Summer Lesson Program

Gahanna Bands Summer Kickoff Camp 8/3-8/6 @ GLHS

Capital University Winds and Percussion Camp - June 8-12: 9:00am-3:00pm

Ohio State Middle School Concert Band Academy - June 21-26: Sunday 3:00pm-6:00pm; Monday-Friday 8:30-3:00pm

To celebrate their incredible creativity and hard work, we are hosting Artist Alley on May 14th during Language Arts classes here in the Middle School East Library!

🚀 Robotics Applications Are OPEN!

Ready to build, compete, and take on the challenge?

Join the Gahanna Middle School Robotics Team and design a robot for next year’s VEX game: OVERRIDE.

From brainstorming ideas to competing on the big stage, students will develop real-world skills in:

• ⚙️ Engineering & Design
• 🧠 Problem Solving
• 🤝 Teamwork & Leadership
• 🎤 Communication

Limited spots. Highly competitive.
Open to 7th & 8th graders (East, West, South)

Questions: Contact Mr. Merrick at merrickd@gjps.org

ACE 7/8: Students are finishing Chapter 5 - Probability and Statistics. Then we will work on a project that involves finance and budgeting.

Upcoming Field Trip: We are missing a few COSI permission forms! You would have received an email regarding this (here is the form again as well). Please make sure to reply if you received this email, as we want everyone to be able to attend! Also, students were asked to complete this form regarding lunch. Please remember that students either need to bring a disposable lunch from home OR purchase one from the cafeteria. Purchasing a lunch from COSI will not be an option during the time we are there! Thanks for the support!

Math 7: Students are finishing Chapter 8, and will begin a real life application project next week where we explore careers that align with survey interests, education/training, salaries and budgeting! Next week, make sure to ask your student what their career and salary are! It is always eye opening to them to develop a real life budget with the constraints of their salary and obligations!

ALL ELA: Students have spent the week practicing giving their hero speeches. To help them feel confident for speeches on 5/19, they should be practicing at least once a night at home until then. When heroes are preparing to come to the building that day, plan on arriving a little early, as there will be a sign in at the door. Please reach out to your student’s teacher if you have any questions!

ACE 7/8: Students are finishing Chapter 5 - Probability and Statistics. Then we will work on a project that involves finance and budgeting.

🚀 Robotics Applications Are OPEN!

Ready to build, compete, and take on the challenge?

Join the Gahanna Middle School Robotics Team and design a robot for next year’s VEX game: OVERRIDE.

From brainstorming ideas to competing on the big stage, students will develop real-world skills in:

• ⚙️ Engineering & Design
• 🧠 Problem Solving
• 🤝 Teamwork & Leadership
• 🎤 Communication

Limited spots. Highly competitive.
Open to 7th & 8th graders (East, West, South)

Questions: Contact Mr. Merrick at merrickd@gjps.org

Hi 8th grade families & students,

It's hard to believe we're almost at the end of the year! We're excited to celebrate our 8th graders as they wrap up their middle school journey with our Clap Out on Friday, May 22.

You can find all the details in our Smore newsletter here.

This is always such a special moment-full of cheers, smiles, and a few happy tears. We hope you're able to join us in celebrating this big milestone!

Thanks for helping us give this class a great send-off!

Take Care,

Megan Kirsten & Amy Hilbert

Admin Team

Middle School East

Students received Pool Party Permission slips for our last day of school celebration at Foxboro Pool. Please sign the permission slip and send it in with your student to give to their House teacher by Friday May 15th. An online copy of the permission slip can be found linked HERE.

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!

May 1, 2026: PD Day - No School
May 22, 2026: Last Day of School for Students
May 23, 2026: Class of 2026 Commencement