PANTHER PROWL

Hi Panther Families,

The first few weeks of school have been fantastic! It has been wonderful to see our students settling into routines, building connections, and bringing such great energy to campus.

As we look ahead to September, there is so much to be excited about. Students are diving deeper into their learning, our fall home games are about to begin, and we’re gearing up for our first Spirit Week and school dance of the year. Clubs will also be starting soon, giving students even more opportunities to get involved. Our 8th graders will take part in Point Break later this month—more details will be shared soon. We are also looking for parents to serve on our School Site Council. The first meeting will be on September 16th in room D4. If you are interested in joining, please complete this form to indicate your interest in being considered for School Site Council.

I also want to remind families that after-school tutoring is now available Tuesdays through Fridays. This is a great resource for students who want extra support with their learning.

Thank you for your continued support in making GEMS such a positive and thriving community. I look forward to all the growth and fun this month will bring!

Go Panthers!
Jessica Fernandez
Principal
Glen Edwards Middle School

Hello Panther Families,

The past two weeks have flown by and we are settling into the school year! There are lots of awesome activities that are happening in our classes and if you haven’t seen it you can check it out on our instagram page @glenedwardsmiddle_wpusd.

During the short time we have had your students this school year we have gone over The Panther Way (School wide behavior expectations), practiced our first evacuation drill, and built relationships with staff members and students. It’s always great to be able to walk around the campus to see the fun things that your students are participating in. While we have many positive, productive, and professional panthers out, there we need to share a few reminders.

If a student forgot something at home, or is being brought something and it is dropped off in the office for them it will be placed on a cart for the student to pick up. Items left on the cart are not monitored by our office staff as there are times where their duties will take their focus elsewhere. The office staff is not responsible for items that are left on the cart. While we will do our best to ensure items go to the correct student we cannot guarantee that will happen while we complete our job related duties.

At lunchtime GEMS has sporting equipment for students to check out. Students are not allowed to bring their own sports equipment on campus. They will be asked to place their equipment in the office and they will be able to get it at the end of the day. While we do allow students to play two hand touch football and soccer on the blacktop we ask that students play appropriately and are not too rough with one another (i.e. pushing hard, tackling, purposefully kicking high, or throwing equipment hard at one another). If students play rough and do not follow instructions of our campus monitor the equipment or ability to participate in those activities at lunch will be taken away. Additionally there have been instances where some of our students are not being respectful to our staff and Campus Monitors. Please have a conversation with your student regarding the appropriate way to address adults and the proper responses when a staff member is providing an instruction/ asking them to move from a prohibited area during lunchtime activities.

Thank You

We are committed to the health, safety, and academic success of every student at Glen Edwards Middle School. Our health office is here to support students with medical needs during the school day. However, we’ve seen an increased number of students visiting the health office during the 24/25 school year that may be more about avoiding class than genuine illness or injury.

To ensure that students don’t miss valuable learning time, our staff is working to support minor needs (like water, or a short break) in the classroom when appropriate without needing to leave the classroom. Of course, students who are truly unwell or injured will always receive immediate care in the health office.

We encourage you to talk with your students about the importance of staying in class when they’re feeling well and using classroom support first when they’re having a tough moment. Together, we can help our students stay engaged and make the most of every school day.

Thank you!

When bringing your student(s) to school or picking them up, please use only the two designated lines:

1. Front of the school – entering from 3rd and L

2. Side of the school – 3rd Street heading toward L

🚗 Important reminders:

• If you are in the drop-off/pick-up lines, you must remain in your vehicle and be ready to move forward when the line advances.

• There are no other approved drop-off or pick-up areas.

• Parking lots on either side of the school may only be used if you are parking and walking your student in/out of school. They may not be used as additional drop-off/pick-up lines.

• 🚍 Do not enter the bus zone. This causes delays to our bus routes and creates safety concerns.

Thank you for following these procedures to keep all students safe and traffic flowing smoothly!

August Recap:
Student Leadership kicked off the year with a summer retreat, giving students the chance to connect, build teamwork, and prepare for the year ahead. Students also planned and ran 6th Grade Orientation and first-day activities to welcome everyone back to school. To top it off, Student Leadership hosted the first rally of the year, bringing the whole school together with fun games and activities to build school spirit and a strong sense of community right from the start.

Looking Ahead:

• First Dance of the Year – Friday, September 12th

• 6th Grade Dance: 3:30–5:00 PM

• 7th & 8th Grade Dance: 5:30–7:00 PM

• Tickets: $5 (sold during lunch, Sept. 8–12)

• Parent signature required to purchase tickets.

• Please note: No in-and-out privileges—students must stay until the end of the dance.

Spirit Week – September 8–12
Celebrate school spirit all week long! All School Rules apply. Check out the flier below for each day’s theme and details.

We are excited to share opportunities for students to get extra academic support and connect with peers through fun activities after school!

Tutoring

• Days: Tuesday – Friday

• Time: 3:05 – 4:35 PM

• Location: Library

• A great place for students to complete homework, study, or get academic help.

Hello Parents,

Fall Picture Day was this past week on Wednesday, August 27th during PE classes. Make ups are scheduled for 9/29/25 and will be during PE time. This will be the last opportunity to have an image included in the yearbook.

VIEWING/ORDERING WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER PICTURE DAY:

-Parents will receive a link via email and text once images are available online.

-There will be a 72-hour window of free shipping starting once the images are available online.

FOR ORDERS PURCHASED:

-We will mail orders directly to the address input when ordering.

-Order Questions?:

Call (916) 749-1026 and select Option 1 or email services@billsmithphoto.com

The link is live and open for all parents of WPUSD students to update their student emergency contact information and e-sign waivers on-line. https://powerschool.wpusd.org/public/

Please take a few moments to confirm, update and submit each module of information . There are new modules that have been added this year.

FAILURE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION WILL LEAD TO EXCLUSION FROM STUDENT EVENTS SUCH AS THE WELCOME BACK DANCE ON 9/12/25 AND APPROVAL OF ANY TRAVEL STUDY REQUESTS

We strongly encourage parents to complete this form through their PowerSchool Parent Portal during the Annual Registration Update process.

Directions for Parents to Complete the Form
Here are the steps:

• Click HERE to access the Parent Portal
• Sign in to the portal
• Click on "Forms" on the bottom left side of the screen.
• Select the "Enrollment" tab at the top.
• Complete the Funding Formula Data Collection Form.

This form is very important to the District, as it directly impacts funding for many essential programs, including: Supplemental school and district funding, Title I funds, Food services programs, Eligibility for waiving certain testing fees, After School program scholarships (e.g., STAR).

Paper Form Option

As in past years, if a parent is unable to complete the form online, a paper version is available.

Our office staff may also complete the form on your behalf we just need you to inquire.

Thank you for helping ensure all students and schools receive the resources they need.

OUR 24/7 GLEN EDWARDS MIDDLE SCHOOL Sideline Store is up and running. Stop reading and start shopping to score the latest fan wear and accessories.

*PLEASE NOTE: THESE CLOTH ITEMS WILL NOT MEET PE UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS. DO NOT PURCHASE FOR PE CLOTH FROM HERE.

MEETINGS:

We encourage All Parents, Teachers & Students (APTS) to attend our meetings. This is a great way for everyone to be a part of the GEMS community. Our meetings are the 2nd Tuesday of every month in the school's library at 5pm. We hope to see you there! Our next meeting is coming up soon on Tues, Sept 9th @5pm.

UPDATE:

THANK YOU TO everyone who donated items for our staff's Hydration Station on the first day of school. Because of you our staff stayed hydrated and focused on day 1!

Also, another huge THANK YOU TO those who participated in our first dine out event at Panda Express. Your participation is truly appreciated. We were able to raise $50.27 (Woo Hoo)!! Our next dine out event is scheduled for Wed, Sept 17th at Red Robin (see flier below)

UPCOMING:

We are putting together a Staff Wellness Bar on Friday, September 22nd to show our amazing staff how much we appreciate all they do! It's also a fun way to kick off Fall!

We’re looking for donations such as:

• Sparkling water & flavored waters
• Fresh fruit & healthy snacks

If you’d like to contribute, please drop items off at the front office by Sept. 21st. Monetary donations are also welcome! Let’s come together to keep our staff refreshed, energized, and feeling the love from our school community! Sign up!

For more ways you can help support APTS and our ONGOING FUNDRAISERS check out the GEMS Website for details.

CONNECT:

Any questions, comments or concerns be sure to email us at GemsApts@Gmail.com

Be sure to follow us on Facebook @GemsApts

Visit the APTS website : Click here!

Check out the flier below. There are several ways to report absences. We hope you find it useful!

• When you receive a message that your student was absent, you can respond easily by clicking on the link within the message to report your student's absence.
• 7th period is actually the students PAW period and the first class of the day Tuesday - Friday.
• ALSO NOTE: There will be NO TRAVEL STUDIES approved if the Annual Registration Update is not completed.
  

Our morning news show is hosted at youtube.com/gemstv916 and produced by the Advanced Broadcasting class. Shows are expected to begin in late September or early October, airing every Wednesday and Friday.

Panther Press is our online school news site, created by students in the Journalism class.
New content is expected by late September or early October. Bookmark it now: www.pantherpress916.com

Yearbooks are currently on sale for $55. Prices will increase on September 12th, so order now at jostensyearbooks.com.

Destinations: Washington, D.C. · Philadelphia · New York City

• Student Meeting: August 26th at 3:00 PM – Room 105

• Parent Meeting: August 26th at 7:00 PM – Room 105

Questions? Email jnoonan@wpusd.org

Interested in playing Boys Basketball this October?

Attend the informational meeting on September 17th at 3:00 PM in Room 105.
Open to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.

Questions? Email jnoonan@wpusd.org

IF your student wants to participate in any athletic capacity be sure you have an account created in Final Forms and physical clearance by a physician.

• Parent AND Student must create their own account, fill out and submit information via FINAL FORMS
• All students must have a current PHYSICAL on file with the school (current means within the past year).

NO CHILD WILL BE ALLOWED TO PRACTICE OR PARTICIPATE WITHOUT THE PROPER FORMS. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE GRANTED.

Learn more about our food service program HERE and visit the food services website HERE for daily menu options.

Don't forget to follow our GEMS Facebook Page to stay on top of all the fun things we are doing around campus! Click this link or the picture below to follow!