East Weekly

Good Morning,

Welcome to August! I hope you and your family are continuing to enjoy a wonderful summer.

August 3 marks the return of our school counselors to the building, and next week officially kicks off implementations of the preparations for the new school year. We have many meetings scheduled (PBIS/House Team, Building Leadership Team, etc.) as we finalize plans, prepare for staff professional development, and get everything ready for the first day of school. '

While many of our procedures and routines will remain familiar, some plans will continue to be refined and implemented throughout the year. As any expectations or procedures are updated, we will communicate those changes with families as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience during this busy planning season and look forward to welcoming our students back very soon!

Thank you for those families reaching out with your questions about bookbags for the upcoming school year.

At this time, all 6th and 7th grade students are expected to use their assigned lockers throughout the school day and not carry full-sized bookbags from class to class. This expectation aligns with the practices at the other middle schools in our district.

Students are welcome to carry a small bag, no larger than a Chromebook, between classes. The purpose of this small bag is to carry essentials such as a pencil pouch, corded headphones, charging cord, or other loose items.

We recognize that using lockers is a new experience for many students, especially our incoming 6th graders. Our teachers will intentionally work with students during the first few weeks of school to help them develop routines and determine the most appropriate times to visit their lockers. This support is designed to build organization, planning, and other important executive functioning skills while helping students feel confident navigating their day.

Our decision to continue this practice is based on many factors:

• Creating safer, more organized classrooms by reducing large bags in walkways and learning spaces. Even hanging on the backs of chairs creates congested classrooms which makes it more difficult to move safely during instruction, collaboration, and classroom activities.
• Keeping hallways safe and less congested when all three grade levels transition at the same time. Large backpacks can also become a temptation for horseplay, such as pulling on or grabbing another student's bag, which can lead to accidents or injuries.
• Helping students build independence and organizational habits through regular locker use.

Because of the later start to the school year, I will be meeting with our Building Leadership Team in the coming weeks to review several building procedures and expectations. If any adjustments are made to our current policies, we will communicate those changes with families as soon as possible after that meeting.

Thank you for your partnership and support as we prepare for another great school year. We look forward to welcoming our students back soon!

Take care,

Megan Kirsten

As we prepare for another exciting school year, we're also celebrating the many professional opportunities our staff members have embraced. Several members of our team have accepted new roles within GJPS, while others are taking on new grade levels or subject areas here at MSE. Although we'll miss seeing some familiar faces in their previous roles, we're proud to support their continued growth and know they will make a positive impact in their new positions.

We are also excited to welcome new staff members to our Lion Pride as we continue building an outstanding team for the 2026-2027 school year.

Aug. 13: Schedule Pickup

The online parent registration window is OPEN!

To help everything run smoothly on schedule pick-up day, we’re asking all families to complete the required Annual Information Update in Infinite Campus before arriving. This must be done through the Parent Portal in order for your student to receive their schedule.

⚠️ Important reminder: If a student comes without a parent/guardian and this step isn’t completed ahead of time, they will not receive their schedule. So please be sure it’s taken care of before Thursday, August 13.

We’ve linked step-by-step directions from last year below to help guide you through the process. You should also have received an email from the district with additional details once the update went live.

Thanks for getting this done — we can’t wait to welcome everyone back!

🔗 Instructions – Instructions for completing the Annual Information Update

Aug. 20: First Day of School

Aug. 26: 6th grade Open House/Curriculum Night

Sept. 1: Student speaker during the school day!

Sept. 7: Labor Day - No School

MAP Testing- date TBD

Sept. 18: 6th grade Adventure Day-- more info to come

Oct. 6: Parent Teacher Conferences (6th grade families ONLY)

Oct. 8: Parent Teacher Conferences (ALL grade levels)

Oct. 13: Parent Teacher Conferences (ALL grade levels)

Oct. 16: End of Q1

Oct. 19: Conference Comp Day - No School
Oct. 20: Staff Work Day - No School for students

Sixth Grade 2026-27 Supply List (PDF) -- updated 7/27

***All 6th grade students are asked to obtain a copy of The Outsiders by Monday, August 24.

Seventh Grade 2026-27 Supply List (PDF)

Seventh/Eighth Grade 2026-27 Related Arts Supply List (PDF)

Eighth Grade 2026-27 Supply List (PDF) -- updated 7/16

***Update for 8th grade ELA supplies

• 8th grade ELA students needs CHASING SPACE: YOUNG READER’S EDITION BY LELAND MELVIN (PURCHASE OR LOCATE A COPY); NEED IT FOR THE START OF THE YEAR.
• 8th grade ACE ELA (Accelerated) needs Tuesday with Morrie by Mitch Albom.

ESS or FSS - Support Services 2026-27 Supply Lists (PDF)

PTA meetings take place on the 2nd Monday of each month in the GMSE library at 7:00pm. All are welcome!

Meeting dates:

• Dates coming soon!

Help support and fund numerous initiatives for students and staff throughout the year. Stay tuned to our Facebook page, “GMSE Parents” (new members be sure to answer the questions to be admitted), and upcoming newsletters for more information about what we do and how you can help.

Please consider joining the Middle School East PTA.

Thank you to all of the parents who have reached out since the most recent athletic infoirmation was shared. Per the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), students are not eligible to participate in school-sponsored athletics until 7th grade. While our incoming 6th grade students won’t be able to join school teams just yet, they’ll have many exciting opportunities to get involved at East through a variety of clubs and activities — see the 25-26 list included below.

Families, we encourage you to create an account in Final Forms and select ALL sports that your student may be interested in throughout the school year. Doing this early helps avoid the need to re-sign forms later and ensures they receive important updates from coaches and the athletic Department regarding conditioning, tryouts, and other key information.

Below is the link to Final Forms as well as an instruction page.

Thank you for your help in preparation for the upcoming season year!

Final Forms

Final Forms - Parent Instructions

ALL 6th Grade ELA Heads Up!

As a way to help build our classroom community in 6th grade ELA, students will read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton at the beginning of the year. Students will spend the first two weeks of school addressing literacy skills such as character traits, relationships, types of inferences/references and motifs. Students will also work to set up their reading notebooks which they will use throughout the year to deepen their reading lives.

Students are asked to obtain a copy of The Outsiders by Monday, August 24. Books can be purchased, checked out from the library, or downloaded on e-reader. Additionally, 6th grade teachers do have a limited number of copies available for students to borrow on a first come first served basis. If you would like to have your child borrow a copy, please let your child's ELA teacher know once schedules are released.

We are looking forward to an amazing start to the upcoming school year. Thank you in advance for all of your support.

The 6th Grade ELA Teachers

To report an absence, please call the front office at (614)478-5550 or email fischerj@gjps.org by 9:10am if possible.You also have the ability to login into Infinite Campus and mark your child's absence there. Please ONLY do this if your child will be absent for the entire day.

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.

PTA meetings take place on the 2nd Monday of each month in the GMSE library at 7:00pm. All are welcome!

Meeting dates:

• Dates coming soon!

Help support and fund numerous initiatives for students and staff throughout the year. Stay tuned to our Facebook page, “GMSE Parents” (new members be sure to answer the questions to be admitted), and upcoming newsletters for more information about what we do and how you can help.

Please consider joining the Middle School East PTA.

September 7, 2026: Labor Day - No School

September 21, 2026: PD Day - No School
October 19, 2026: Conference Comp Day - No School
October 20, 2026: Staff Work Day - No School
November 9, 2026: PD Day - No School
November 25-27, 2026: Thanksgiving Break - No School
December 23, 2026-January 1, 2027: Winter Break - No School
January 4, 2027: Staff Work Day - No School
January 18, 2027: Martin Luther King Day - No School
February 15, 2027: Presidents Day - No School
March 8, 2027: Staff Work Day - No School
March 9, 2027: PD Day - No School
March 26, 2027: Conference Comp Day - No School
March 29-April 2, 2027: Spring Break- No School
April 30, 2027: PD Day - No School
May 27, 2027: Last Day of School for Students
May 28, 2027: Staff Work Day - No School
May 29, 2027: Class of 2027 Commencement