Gahanna Middle School South

In partnership,

Kris Fuller

MSS Principal

Only 7th & 8th Graders are able to participate in middle-school athletics. The above handbook applies specifically to those student athletes.

All students and families are invited to come into the building on TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, to pick up student schedules, get their school photo taken, get access to their locker, and to walk the building.

Schedule pick-up will take place from 9:00AM - 12:00PM and from 1:00PM - 6:00PM. (Building closed for lunch from 12:00PM - 1:00PM)

If your family cannot attend schedule pick-up, you may stop by the building at any of the following times to complete this process:

Wednesday, August 12: all day

Thursday, August 13: all day

Friday, August 14: all day

Monday, August 17: 12:15PM - 4:00PM

Tuesday, August 18: all day

Make-up student photos for those who miss August 11th will be taken on Friday, August 28th during the school day.

You do not need to do anything before August 11th. However, if you're looking for a more efficient experience on the 11th, consider updating your [parent] Personal Information (including your child's EMA - Emergency Medical Authorization) and paying fees in Infinite Campus! Below is the message you should have received from the District over the summer about how to complete this process, which needs to be completed every year.

MESSAGE FROM THE GJPS TECHNOLOGY TEAM:

26-27 ANNUAL PARENT PORTAL UPDATE

Welcome to the Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools 2026-2027 School Year! Parents/Guardians now have access to complete this year's ANNUAL INFORMATION UPDATE in their Infinite Campus Portal.

To ensure we have the most up-to-date information, it is important that all families complete this process by August 31, or sooner, as instructed by your building principal. To help simplify the process for you, we have populated some previously received information, but a ew areas still require an annual update.

***Due to legal requirements, failing to complete the annual information update could impact a student's ability to participate in some school events.**

To complete the annual information update, simply log in to your parent portal:

1- Log in to your parent portal

2- You will not be able to move on without starting the Annual Update

3- Click "OK" then click on "Start" under "Existing Student Registration"

** Please do not use the New Student option to update information.**

Please note that your Infinite Campus Parent Portal Account is intended for use only by parents/guardians and will allow you to access information about all students in your household.

All students in grades 6-12 will also receive their own personal student accounts, which will allow them to access only their own information. Students should use their personal student accounts rather than a family/parent account to ensure data privacy.

Parents and guardians also have the option to recover their username and password. They are located below the username and password fields.

* For more information about the Parent Portal, click on Portal Help at portal.gjps.org

* If you are having difficulty accessing your Parent Portal, you can submit a request for help using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal Help Request <see email for link>

Have a great school year!

GJPS Tech Department

For your convenience, consider taking advantage of our Yubbler School Supplies Program. Yubbler.com is making our school-supply lists available for online purchasing at a discounted price. The best part is that Yubbler will donate 50% of the profits back to our school!

To use the Yubbler platform, follow these steps:

(1) Find the supply list for your child's grade by clicking on the link below. Please note: the link takes you to the 6th-grade supply list by default, but you can access the other grades' supply lists in the column on the left.

(2) Click on the purchase button ("Add Full List"), then, enter your shipping and billing information.

(3) You can customize your cart in Checkout by removing or adding items.

(4) You're done!

Please note that ordering supplies through Yubbler might take up to two weeks to arrive!

Please note: the is the same bell schedule as the 2025-2026 school year.

The bell schedule above reflects an exciting change for our District that began last year: all three Middle Schools -- South, East, and West -- transitioned to a common bell schedule in order to align instructional practices and student experiences across the District.

"WIN" -- "What I Need":

All students have a WIN Block build into their day. WIN is a structured period where students will work individually to enrich or reinforce current content, and staff can work with students individually or in small groups to:

• offer targeted interventions based on MAP and OST assessment data
• enrich current content
• support executive functioning skills (organization, time management, etc.)
• provide specially designed instruction for students with specific learning needs

The WIN Block ensures that all students receive the personalized academic support and enrichment they need without missing core instruction.

8TH GRADE ROTATION PERIOD:

In 6th and 7th grade, students have blocked ELA and Math classes, meaning each subject spans two class periods. However, in 8th grade, students no longer have these blocked classes due to the addition of a world-language course as a daily part of their schedule. With ELA and Math returning to a single-period format, ROTATION was created to allow for additional flexibility in the day.

Rotation gives core content teachers an opportunity to meet with students one additional time each week.

Rotation is a flexible period used to:

• reinforce or extend classroom content
• conduct lab work or small-group collaboration
• dive into problem-based or project-based learning
• adapt instruction based on student needs and interests for the specific class

At Middle School South, Rotation takes place during 7th Period each day, following this weekly schedule:

Monday -- students see their 2nd or 3rd Period academic teacher (whichever is NOT a Related Arts period)

Tuesday -- students see their 4th Period teacher

Wednesday -- students see their 5th Period teacher

Thursday -- students see their 8th Period teacher

Friday -- students see their 9th Period teacher

This change was made through a thoughtful and collaborative process that included Building Principals, Curriculum Directors, Instructional Coaches, Team Leaders, and Staff.

Here at South, we are incredibly fortunate to benefit from a strong Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) that helps fund and support so many student-centered teacher initiatives and programs. The best part about our PTO is that there's always room for more support!

This year, our PTO will convene on the first Thursday of every month (beginning in September), at 6:00PM in person in the MSS Library. We're looking forward to welcoming guest speakers all throughout the year and on a wide variety of topics.

Mark your calendars now so that you can join us, and we'll look forward to seeing you there!

Typically, buses begin arriving at MSS at around 8:30AM.

STUDENTS WHO WISH TO EAT A SCHOOL BREAKFAST are permitted to enter the building at 8:40AM. Our rule is that you "must have a tray to stay!" Students eating breakfast must remain in the cafeteria until 8:50AM. Those eating breakfast are not allowed to invite friends into the building with them to "hang out" during breakfast; every student in the building from 8:40AM - 8:50AM must be eating breakfast.

ALL OTHER STUDENTS are permitted to enter the building at 8:50AM.

Students will be directed to make their way to their classrooms at around 8:57AM, and all students are expected to be in their WIN classroom by 9:00AM.

As you can imagine, morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up can be hectic times. These are times where routines and heightened vigilance are crucial considering the amount of students, staff, and parents entering/leaving campus in vehicles, on bicycles, and on foot.

For this to work, please study the Drop-Off/Pick-Up Map below very carefully.

All families must abide by this flow in order for drop-off & pick-up to work as safely and as efficiently as possible for everybody.

Please note:

• cars enter in the service driveway & loop that will take them AROUND LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Please DO NOT enter the staff parking area.
• NO TRAFFIC IS PERMITTED IN THE BUS LOOP IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL before or after school.
• Bike racks are located on the sidewalk near the staff parking lot

Keeping with a practice that began in the 2025-2026 school year, we will again be extending the opportunity for 8th Graders ONLY to carry around backpacks during the school day. Unfortunately, we can't allow all students (6th and 7th graders) to do so due to space limitations in the hallways during transitions and in the classrooms, but we are happy to extend this privilege to 8th graders - especially as they "practice" for the transition into High School, where this is the norm.

8th-grade students who would like a locker may request one in the Main Office.

Being able to carry backpacks requires awareness and a sense of responsibility. 8th-grade students who demonstrate that they cannot be responsible with their backpacks will have this privilege taken away!

The use of personal technology, including cell phones, smart watches, and headphones/earbuds is severely restricted at all middle schools.

While these items are permitted to be at school, but they must remain powered off and put away at all times during the day. This includes in class, at lunch/recess, and in the hallways.

Headphones/earbuds may NOT be worn in the hallway. If a teacher has instructed a student in 6th or 7th Grade to bring headphones to class for an activity, students must CARRY their headphones to the class. 8th Graders must keep their headphones/earbuds in their backpack at all times while in the hallways as well as during class unless explicitly directed by a teacher to use them for an activity.

Students are permitted to use cell phones while riding the bus.

Smart watches are also permitted, but should only be used as a clock while at school.

Students are not permitted to send or receive text messages or calls on cell phones or smart watches during the day. Additionally, photos may not be taken with cell phones or smart watches at school. On state testing days, smart watches are not permitted to be worn.

Infractions may result in a student’s device being taken by building staff and kept in the office until the end of the day. Multiple infractions of these policies will result in the parent/guardian of the student having to come retrieve the device in the main office as well as progressive discipline for the student.

If a parent/guardian needs to reach their student during the school day, they should call the school office.

The school is not responsible for cell phones or smart watches that are lost, stolen, or damaged.

Tuesday, August 11: Schedule Pick-Up (9A - 12P; 1P - 6P) 📅

Tuesday, August 11: Student Photos (during Schedule Pick-Up) 📸

Thursday, August 20: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS! 🎉🥳

Thursday, August 20: 6th Grade Open House (5:30P - 7P)

Wednesday, August 26: 7th & 8th Grade Open House (5:30P - 7P)

Monday, September 7: NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

Wednesday, September 23: Family Conferences (4P - 8P)

Tuesday, September 29: Family Conferences (4P - 8P)

Thursday, October 1: Family Conferences (4P - 8P)

2026-2027 GAHANNA JEFFERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS CALENDAR

In addition to the "Important Dates" listed above and in addition to the GJPS District Calendar linked above, I have also created an in-house Middle School South Month(s)/Year at a Glance for easy editing and consultation by you.

This "Month(s) at a Glance" is a very fluid document. Right now, the document is rather barebones, but as the year evolves, I will regularly update this document with things like Field Trips, Spirit Weeks, sporting events, concerts, adjusted schedules, and the like. Stay tuned to this document as another organizational tool!

Kris Fuller -- Princpal (fullerk@gjps.org)

Andy Bonath -- Assistant Principal (bonatha@gjps.org)

Debbie Hensler -- Secretary (henslerd@gjps.org)

Nikki Gervais - Attendance/Records (gervaisn@gjps.org)

Ashley Artis - School Counselors, last names beginning with A - K (artisa@gjps.org)

JJ Lubinski - School Counselors, last names beginning with L-Z (lubinskij@gjps.org)