Family Update

Hello families! Starting this week, I will be sending you our weekly Friday Family Update newsletter. Some weeks will bring quick, high-level updates; other weeks may include more detailed information. Either way, you'll find everything you need right here. I encourage you to read the newsletter together with your student—it’s a great way to spark conversations and stay connected as a family. I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks and sharing in all the exciting things ahead!

Mark your calendars — the online parent registration window is now open!

We’ll send out a reminder as soon as it’s live, so keep an eye on your inbox.

To help the day run as smoothly as possible, families must complete the yearly Infinite Campus update through the Parent Portal before arriving for schedule pick-up. This step is required in order to receive your student’s schedule.

If you're unable to complete it ahead of time, no worries — you’ll be able to take care of it on-site before getting the schedule.

We’ve included a link below with step-by-step instructions to help you once it is live on Friday, and you should also receive an email from the district with more information once it is live.

Thanks for knocking this out — we can’t wait to welcome everyone back!

Link to directions from last year for the Annual Information Update are located here.

We will hold schedule pick up on August 7th from 9-12 and 1-6. Please make sure you have your students information updated in Infinite Campus to receive their schedule.

Open House for 6th graders is August 12th at 5PM

7th/8th graders will begin at 6PM

School pictures are on Monday August 18th. Students will be called down from their Math classes.

Chromebooks for incoming 6th graders and new 7th and 8th grade students will be issued on the second day of school.

To help maintain a secure and organized environment, each student will be assigned a locker for their personal use. Lockers are available in all GJPS middle schools, however, each building will determine the level of use and how lockers are assigned. In the event a student utilizes a district-provided locker, it should be noted that lockers and their contents are subject to inspection by authorized school personnel at any time. Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools are NOT responsible for lost or stolen items and students are responsible for promptly reporting problems with lockers to the main office.

Please review the following guidelines regarding locker use:

1. Locker Assignment: Each student will receive an assigned locker. Lockers are school property and able to be searched at any time.

2. Combination Lock: Students are required to provide their own combination lock to secure their locker. This is essential for ensuring the safety of personal belongings. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

3. Combination Submission: For emergency or safety purposes, students must submit their locker combination to their house teacher. This can be done through a Google Form that will be provided at the beginning of the school year and during schedule pick-up. Failure to submit your combination may result in your lock being cut-off.

4. Access Times: Students may access their lockers at the beginning of the day, before and after lunch, and/or at the end of the day. *This is subject change depending on grade level teams.

Please adhere to these guidelines to ensure a smooth and secure locker experience. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to your House teacher or school administration.

**We kindly ask that you do not decorate the outside of your locker. Feel free to customize the inside (NO STICKERS-- unless removable)!

The district released the following communication earlier in July (It has been edited to show information needed after July 23):

Upcoming Changes to Fee Payments through Infinite Campus

July 10, 2025

Dear Gahanna-Jefferson Families,

We want to inform you of an important update regarding the Infinite Campus Payment Portal. Beginning this month, Infinite Campus is transitioning to “Stripe” as its new merchant service provider. This change affects how online payments are processed for food service accounts and student fees (including instructional, athletic and technology fees).

To help you prepare, please review the important dates and action steps below.

Action Required

Portal Reopens: July 23

When the payment portal returns, you'll need to update your payment information and re-enter any recurring payments, as your previous data will not carry over.

Add Payment Method(s): Payment methods are used for both food service and school fees. Your current payment information will not be transferred. For security reasons, you must manually re-enter your payment methods.

You can add:

• Credit/debit cards
• Bank accounts
• To validate bank accounts:
• Automatic Validation: Log into your bank to confirm.
• Manual Validation: A 24-48 hour delay for confirmation.

Steps to Add a Payment Method:

• Go to "Food Service" in the Infinite Campus menu.
• Click on "My Accounts."
• Select the "Payment Methods" box.
• Click the blue "New" button, enter your info, and hit "Save."

Re-establish Recurring Food Service Payments

Recurring payments will not carry over for security reasons. You must reconfigure them using your newly established payment method.

Steps to Set Up Recurring Payments:

• Click on "Food Service" in the Infinite Campus menu.
• Select "My Accounts."
• Click the "Recurring Payments" box.
• Under "Food Service," click "View."
• Set your frequency, amount and payment method.
• Click "Save."

For more detailed instructions, including screenshots, please see the attached document. There are no other changes to the way you experience online payments.

We appreciate your attention to this important update. If you have any questions or need help, please fill out the Infinite Campus Help Form.

How to Add Fee Payments to Infinite Campus

Thank you,
Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools

House Bill 410 is an Ohio law aimed at promoting consistent school attendance by addressing chronic absenteeism and tardiness. Schools are required to closely monitor attendance and implement intervention strategies to improve attendance patterns.

To report an absence, please call the front office at (614)478-5570 or email monna@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.

Aug. 14, 2025: First Day of School

Sept. 1, 2025: Labor Day - No School

Oct. 2, 2025: PD Day - No School
Oct. 3, 2025: Conference Comp Day - No School
Oct. 20, 2025: Staff Work Day - No School
Nov. 10, 2025: PD Day - No School
Nov. 26-28, 2025: Thanksgiving Break - No School
Dec. 22, 2025-Jan. 1, 2026: Winter Break - No School
Jan. 2, 2026: Staff Work Day - No School
*Jan. 5-8, 2026: High School Schedule Altered for New Building Opening
Jan. 19, 2026: Martin Luther King Day - No School
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

August 7th- Schedule Pick up

August 12th Open House (6th grade 5PM and 7th/8th grade 6PM)

August 14th- First Day of School

August 18th- Picture Day