Stingray Updates

Stingray Families,

I don’t think we could have asked for a better back-to-school week! In my 20 years in education, this has truly been an opening week to remember. Your partnership with GRMS is incredibly important and valued. From the smiles at student drop-off to the fist bumps and high fives in the hallways, our Stingrays have brought such positive energy back to campus!

This week, students participated in our Single School Culture presentation three times, attended the SJCSD/SJSO Safety Presentation, and participated in our Quarter 1 Behavior Traditions Assembly. They have done an amazing job learning and modeling our expectations, and you should be proud of them!

Students have walked their schedule all week and practiced getting to class on time. Tardies officially start on Monday, August 17th. See Policy Here!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for McDonald’s Spirit Night! GRMS will receive 30% of sales from 3:00-6:00 PM, and we appreciate our families for coming out and supporting our school.

As we head into Week 2, academics will begin to pick up, and it is important that our Stingrays continue demonstrating our PBIS values of Growth, Respect, Mindfulness, and Safety each day. Parents, please also familiarize yourselves with Schoology, where you can find classroom information, assignments, resources, and what is happening throughout the week.

Thank you for an incredible start and for trusting us with your Stingrays. It’s a great day to be a Stingray!

New Information to share:

1. FAST PM1 Parent Notification

2. Club Fair Coming Soon - August 31st

3. Lunch in the Courtyard Opportunity

4. Single School Culture Presentations

5. School Photo Day - Friday, September 4th

Previous Information:

1. Dress Code. We will be following the dress code policy set forth by SJCSD. Please make sure your student understands this policy as it will be strickly enforced consistently on August 10th and each day after. Thank you for your partnership!

2. Cell Phone Tradition. Cell phones are not allowed on campus according to House Bill 1105, all electronic devices (cell phones, tablets, and smart watches) are to be turned off and put away. Students must place them in their book bag until they are in the vehicle that takes them to and from school.

3. PTO Membership Link - Join here!

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All student pick-up and drop-off times and locations will be provided exclusively through BusPlanner.

Families who have not yet logged in to the BusPlanner website or the Chipmunk app are strongly encouraged to create an account before the end of the school year. This will help ensure that you are able to access your child’s 2026-2027 bus schedule when schedules are released during the last week of July 2026.

Detailed instructions showing how to login to BusPlanner and Chipmunk, and how to access your child’s bus schedule, are now available on the school district website.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with your BusPlanner account, please contact Routing Specialist Tiffany Bravo at tiffany.bravo@stjohns.k12.fl.us or (904) 547-8076.

When a student rides a bus, they must ride the bus the Transportation Department has assigned to them. Bus drivers are authorized to issue referrals for rule infractions which could result in disciplinary action, including a bus suspension. Parent requests or complaints regarding bus service should be directed to Transportation at 904-547-7810.

Lunch traditions have been explained and taught to students the first week of school. We will continue to help our Stingrays show success in the cafeteria.

Did you know that as a Title I school, our students have breakfast and lunch options for free! Other items are optional at a cost.

To deposit money into your student's lunch account, you will use PayPams. Click here to see the information: https://paypams.com/

What do the Dean's do?

• Set and teach GRMS Behavior Traditions
• Enforce positive behaviors.
• Issue consequences for violations against the code of conduct.
• Communicate with parents if concerns arise.
• Collaborate with school counselors, teachers, and other staff members to assist with personal and/or academic concerns.
• Work with our school resource office to ensrue studnet and staff safety.
• Advocate for students.
• Use restorative discipline strategies to encourage reflection on behaviors and learning from mistakes.

GRMS is excited to announce that we will be using the PBIS App to celebrate students who continue to model the traditions of a Gamble Rogers Middle School Student! Students will get a QR code to place on their planner that will be used to earn Stingray Bucks and use them in the PBIS Store.

6th Grade Trip: TBD

7th Grade Trip: TBD

8th Grade Reward: Formal, Gradbash, and Promotion Ceremony

1. Students who earn more than 2 days of ISS in any quarter will not be able to go on the reward trip.
2. Students who receive OSS during 2nd, 3rd, or 4th quarter will not be eligible for the grade-level reward trip.
3. Students with 15 or more unexcused absences will not be able be eligible for the rewards trips.
4. Students must have passed all courses 1st semester and currently passing courses currently up until the last school day.
5. For 8th grade students, these requirements also apply for the 8th grade Formal and 8th grade Promotion ceremony.
6. Once a reward trip has been paid for, we will not be able to give refunds or transfer reservation to another student's name.
7. Students who receive a level 4 infraction during any part of the school year will not be eligible for any PBIS incentives or trips.

NEXT PTO Meeting: September 3, 2026