The Mustang Message

Let's Celebrate 2025-2026

At the annual GDM Success Parade, I had the opportunity to share with the students some of the many successes of this year that I am so proud of. Here is a little peak at all the hard-work Morse did this year:

Community Building & Activities:

GDM Student Council ran fundraising, spirit days, K-2 Egg Hunt, 3rd & 4th Grade Stay and Play, and 5th & 6th Grade Social
Drama Club had an amazing performance of "Seussical"
GDM Service Club created a digital Lost and Found
Dance Club performed a beautiful celebration of dance
GDM BLT created posters that highlighted non-fiction books and ran a 3-Week Geometry Game
Language Club learned about Spanish, French, and Italian language and culture
GDM Music Department performed a Winter, Spring, and 4th Grade Band and Chorus Concert.
We had over 50 students present at the 2nd Annual Passion Fair
Our amazing PTA hosted so many events including Trunk or Treat, Book Fair, Holiday Store, Holiday Craft, Tall Small Ball, and Staff Appreciation Luncheon.

Academics:

In ELA on iReady, we had 65% of students reach their typical growth this year and 36% of students reached their stretch growth for the year. Our strongest ELA area on iReady was high Frequency Words with 86% of students on grade level!
In Math on iReady, we had 56% of students reach their typical growth this year and 25% of students reached their stretch growth for the year. Our strongest Math area on iReady was Numbers and Operation with 65% of students on grade level!

Attendance:

We had 82% of student present at least 162 days this year which is an increase of 13 students over last year!
We had 8 students who didn't miss a day of school for the 2025-2026 school year.
We have 2 students who didn't miss a minute of school for the 2025-2026 school year.

GDM Summer Learning Challenge

As we wrap up another incredible school year, we want to take a moment to celebrate the amazing academic growth our students have achieved! Through hard work, perseverance, and the support of their families and teachers, our students have made tremendous progress in both literacy and mathematics. We are so proud of all they have accomplished and excited to see them continue growing as learners.

Summer is a time for relaxation, fun, and family memories—but it is also a wonderful opportunity to keep young minds active. Even a few minutes each day can help students maintain the skills they worked so hard to develop throughout the school year.

This summer, we invite all students to participate in our Summer Reading Challenge and Summer Math Challenge. Every completed challenge helps students stay prepared for the new school year—and brings us closer to a special school-wide celebration! If 20% of our students (55 students) complete the Summer Reading Challenge and/or Summer Math Challenge, we will celebrate with a School-Wide Family Movie Night this fall! Packets were sent home with students the last week of school. Please contact the main office, 845-247-6960, if you need a summer learning challenge packet.

Together, let's show what our school community can accomplish when we continue learning beyond the classroom. Thank you for your partnership throughout the year. We wish you a safe, relaxing, and fun-filled summer!

Keep reading. Keep thinking. Keep growing.

Have a wonderful summer!

Make Math Part of Everyday Life!

Play board games and card games that involve counting and strategy.

Let children help measure ingredients while cooking.

Compare prices and calculate savings while shopping.

Estimate totals, distances, or travel times on family outings.

Track scores during sports and games.

Create a summer budget for a special family activity.

Keep Reading All Summer Long!

Read together for 20 minutes each day.

Visit your local library and participate in summer reading programs.

Create a family book club and discuss favorite stories.

Listen to audiobooks during car rides.

Write postcards, letters, or a summer journal.

Read recipes and help prepare family meals.

Take turns reading signs, menus, and maps while exploring new places.

"Ice Cream Summer" by Peter Sis

In response to a letter from his Grandpa, Joe is happy to convince his grandfather that he deserves a special trip planned for later in the summer. He is definitely not forgetting about his schoolwork. Joe is reading, writing a book, solving word problems, studying history, and even learning cartography. What he doesn't mention is that he is learning all of this through his fascination with ice cream. Joe eats it and draws it, builds it and dreams it, and even knows the ins and outs of how it came to be. When Joe finds out where they are going on their special trip, it is the cherry on top of a fantastic summer. (from School Library Journal)

I hope that your summer is filled with learning, growing, and fun!