Gahanna Middle School South

For planning purposes...

Our PTO works tirelessly behind the scenes to enrich our school community, from funding classroom projects & student initiatives, to special programming, school-wide events, incentives, and so much more. Today marks the official launch of our annual PTO Fundraising Campaign! This year, we are excited to partner with Adventure Zone to reach our goals. Please note that we will not be hosting our traditional "Color Splash" event this fall. Instead, students can look forward to a special in-school celebration on Friday, October 16.

Earlier today, I sent a separate email with details about the fundraiser kick-off!

In short, the mission for tonight is to collect 10 email addresses from friends, families, and neighbors -- anyone who might be interested in becoming a school support.

10 email addresses = PRIZES TOMORROW!!! 🏆🎖️ That's it! No donation needed at this time to receive cool prizes...

To keep the best pulse of everything going on with our PTO, please consider joining us THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8th, at 6:00PM in the Middle School South Library for our next PTO Meeting.

This week's guest will be our esteemed Assistant Principal, Mr. Andy Bonath, who will be talking about the subject of "DISCIPLINE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL" Mr. Bonath will cover the most common types of behavioral concerns we experience in the Middle School and our [administrative] responses to them. He will also plan to take questions from anyone in attendance about the student handbook and how we handle infractions of the handbook.

Can't join us in person? Consider joining us virtually by clicking on the link below!

...for SKATING!!!

Our PTO (yet again!) is organizing a Middle School South Skate Night on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20th, from 5:00PM until 9:00PM at SKATE ZONE 71.

The PTO will be passing along more information soon, but go ahead and book the date now!

We appreciate your partnership as we work together to support your student's education.

This week's career is Plumber.

A plumber is a skilled professional who installs, repairs, and maintains pipes, fixtures, and systems that carry water, gas, and waste in homes and businesses. Plumbers may work on everything from sinks, toilets, and water heaters to larger plumbing systems in commercial buildings like the airport or COSI. Most plumbers learn through an apprenticeship, which combines hands-on training with classroom instruction. Check out the links to learn more!

6th Grade Fun Night- Parent Volunteers Needed! 6th Grade Fun Night is Thursday, October 15 from 4:00-5:30pm. The Student Leadership Team has planned lots of fun, FREE activities for 6th graders, and we could really use some parent volunteers to make the afternoon run smoothy. If you are interested, please complete the SignUpGenius below!

Current Gahanna 7th graders are invited to attend Western Field Studies annual field trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. The trip will depart on June 1, 2027 and return on June 9, 2027. The link below has information about the trip and the evening parent meetings you can attend to get more specific information. This is not a school sponsored trip; however, it is chaperoned by current and retired Gahanna teachers.

8th Grade Quarter 1 Incentive Celebration: At the start of the school year, our 8th graders were introduced to the goals needed to earn our end-of-quarter celebration. As Quarter 1 draws to a close, here is what students need to know to join in on the fun: Eligibility Criteria (Deadline: Monday, October 12) To earn a spot at the event, students must have: Academics: A 70% or higher in all academic classes. Behavior: 1 or fewer after-school detentions.

EVENT DETAILS

When: Friday, October 16 | 10:15 AM – 1:00 PM

Activities: Basketball, crafts, video games, football, soccer, 9-Square, Spikeball, and the game room! Treats: Sofi's Mini Donut Truck will be on-site! They've put together a special menu with items priced at $5 and under for our students to purchase. Students who do not meet the criteria this quarter will spend this time working on class assignments.

The good news? Every student gets a fresh start to work toward the Quarter 2 incentive celebration! Please check in with your student on their current grades to help them finish the quarter strong.

Every year, GMSS has the privilege of honoring the members of our South family who have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces. Veterans Day is a day of memories, commemoration, and above all, giving thanks. Please, let us honor the veterans in your families by completing the following Google Form as accurately as possible.

Please save the date for 11/11/26 with an approximate start time of 9:15 for our ceremony - our doors and library will be open at 8:30 for all veterans and families to come in an enjoy a cup of coffee and donuts while we wait to start!

If you have any questions about a particular club, please reach out directly to the advisor for more information!

Thursday, October 8: October PTO Meeting, Middle School South Library, 6:00PM

Thursday, October 15: 6th Grade "Fun Night," 4:00PM - 5:30PM

Friday, October 16: End of Quarter 1

Monday, October 19: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS -- Conference Compensation Day

Tuesday, October 20: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS -- Teacher Work Day

Wednesday, October 21: First day of the 2nd Quarter

2026-2027 GAHANNA JEFFERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS CALENDAR

To check out what's coming down the pike here at South, including this week's Athletics Events, check out the "Months at a Glance" document linked below!

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)