Weekly Update - Middle School South
February 9, 2026
Nothing pairs with Wintertime and mountains of snow better than refreshing flavored ice! Kona Ice is BACK this week, as it is the second Wednesday of every month.
As in months past, students will have the option to PRE-ORDER their Kona Ice treat by clicking on the link below.
Due to Professional Development for all staff on Friday, and Presidents' Day on Monday, our students get to enjoy a LONG, 4-day weekend!
I hope your families will enjoy it!!
THIS IS IT!! On Thursday, February 12, our Student Leadership Team will be hosting its annual DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT after school. Student can form teams of 6 players, and each team will come up with its own school-appropriate team name.
In order to participate, all players on the team must have a completed permission slip.
Click below to check out the forms, and if you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Libby Grubb (grubbl@gjps.org) or Mrs. Julie Baldwin (baldwinj@gjps.org).
This past weekend was the Power of the Pen's district tournament where our creative writing team shows rigor and perseverance throughout three rounds of writing. At the beginning of each round, the writing prompt is revealed and writers have 40 minutes to brainstorm and write a short story.
We are pleased to announce that in 7th grade, Raegan Fullerton earned 5th place and in 8th grade, Daniela Sarabia earned 3rd place! We will find out this week who qualified for Regionals, which will be held at Dublin schools on February 28th. We are extremely proud of ALL of our writers!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Over 400 pop tabs have been collected and will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House at Nationwide Children's Hospital! Every little bit helps. The Ronald McDonald house collects these pop tabs and recycles them, the funds from which help Ronald McDonald houses all around the country keep operating.
Our 8th Graders will be visiting the Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical School next week, Wednesday, February 18. This is a rescheduled field trip from Thursday, January 29.
I send along this reminder so that in case your student has not turned in a permission slip to participate, we need these ASAP.
Thank you for double-checking with your student to make sure this permission slip is turned in!
Big thanks to the students who suggested this week’s career: Welding
Welders use special tools and high heat to join metal together. They help build and fix bridges, buildings, cars, bikes, rockets, and more. Welders work with their hands, follow plans, and use problem solving skills to make strong, safe projects. Most welders need a high school diploma and may attend trade school, complete an apprenticeship, or get on the job training. Depending on where they live and what they work on, their average salary is around $55,000 a year.
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
How to Know if School is a GO!
As we have entered the colder months of the year, we wanted to share our preparations for the potential impact of inclement weather on our school day. In the event of inclement weather, at approximately 4:15 a.m., a team of District administrators will begin the process of making a decision concerning students safely arriving to school. The group of administrators will analyze the weather, current community conditions and receive updates from the Gahanna Division of Police, with the goal of making a decision for delay or closure by 5:30 a.m.
If a delay or closure is deemed necessary due to the weather conditions, families will be notified by:
A phone call, text message and email
A post on Gahanna-Jefferson social media pages
A pop-up alert on the GJPS website, www.gahannaschools.org.
The following media outlets will also be notified: WCMH NBC4, WBNS 10TV, WSYX ABC6, WTTE FOX28, Spectrum News 1 and WTVN/WNCI.
If you are unsure, please be sure to check any variety of these platforms for an official announcement if there is a closure or delay.
Text Y to 67587
If you do not currently receive text messages for school closures or delays and would like to sign up, please text a message of "Y" or "Yes" to 67587.
Is there a Staff Member out there you believe is deserving some praise?!
Let us know about it!
Click on the button below to send some positive vibes to a staff member so that we can celebrate that person, too!
Mark your calendar for the following dates...
Friday, February 13: Professional Development Day -- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
Monday, February 16: Presidents' Day -- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS OR STAFF
Monday, March 9: Teacher Work Day -- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
Monday, March 30 - Friday, April 3: Spring Break -- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS OR STAFF
