GHMS ~ In the News

Spring has officially arrived at Great Hollow Middle School, and with it comes a renewed energy that is palpable throughout our halls. April has been a whirlwind of achievement, creativity, and community spirit, and we couldn’t be prouder of the "wins" our students and staff have secured this month.

We kicked things off by celebrating our Spring MVTP Award winners and our incredibly talented Artists of the Month. It is truly inspiring to see the diverse ways our students shine, whether through academic excellence or their stunning visual contributions to our school culture.

Our 6th graders had the unique opportunity to learn from Long Island author Brian Heinz during National Library Week, while our 8th graders took to the trees for an unforgettable (and high-energy!) trip to Adventure Park. We also stood tall as a community on April 29th to welcome over 100 new members into the National Junior Honor Society, honoring those who embody the pillars of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship.

As we look toward a very busy May—filled with concerts, field trips to the DNA Lab, and the final stretch of the school year—I want to encourage everyone to keep "spreading kindness" as highlighted in our Caught Being Kind initiative.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making Great Hollow such a vibrant place to learn and grow. Please take a moment to review the upcoming calendar below so you don't miss a beat of the action!

Mr. Scomillio, Mr. Macaluso, and Mr. Olsen

To celebrate National Library Week, Mrs. Jakubowsky invited Long Island Author, Brian Heinz, to Great Hollow to speak to our 6th graders. Mr. Heinz, the author of more than 19 books, shared his stories, his experiences, and his writing tips with our ELA classes. Students and teachers were engaged by Mr. Heinz's presentation and we will all use his techniques in our writing!

National Library Week, April 6-12, 2025, is a celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. To kick off our celebration, Long Island author, Brian Heinz visited GH Library to conduct a writer's workshop with our 6th graders.

Students will also be working with Mrs. Jakubowsky on special poetry projects, book trailers, and novels-in-verse projects, through the month of April, highlighting the importance of the school library program.

We held our Spring MVTP Awards breakfast on April 15, 2026. Congratulations to all of the students who were recognized! You can view highlights from the ceremony by clicking the MVTP Awards video button below.

Congratulations to our Artists of the Month for April! Our artists are:

6th grade: Shane Mc Cord

7th grade: Sophia Sartory

8th grade: Quinnlyn Boyce

Beautiful work by our talented artists!

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is an organization that recognizes outstanding middle school students for their scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. It's a way for middle schools to honor students who demonstrate excellence in these areas and to foster the development of these skills.

On April 29, GHMS held their NJHS ceremony to celebrate the achievements of over 100 students who displayed the qualities and characteristics of the 5 pillars of NJHS. Special thanks to our NJHS coordinators, Mrs. Putnam, Ms. Casale, and Ms. Kopf, for all their hard work and dedication to the organization.

On April 23 and April 24, our 8th graders enjoyed their field trip to Adventure Park. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year's trip a huge success!

Congratulations to our students who were CAUGHT BEING KIND during the month of April! Keep spreading your kindness all around!

May 1 Popcorn Friday

May 4 Grade 5 Parent Orientation, 7pm Amphitheater

May 5 Cinco de Mayo

May 6 NYS Science Assessment, Grade 8

May 6 Chorus Concert, Mrs. Putnam/Mr. MacArthur 6:30 pm, Amphitheater

May 10 Mother’s Day

May 11-15 Police Appreciation Week

May 11 Band Concert, Mr. Lippman, 6:30 pm, Amphitheater

May 13 Star Student Breakfast, 8:30 am Cafe East

May 13 PTA Meeting, 5:30pm, Library

May 13 Band Concert 6/7, Mrs. Jurlando, 6:30 pm, Amphitheater

May 18 Band Concert 6/8, Mr. Margolin, Chorus 7/8, Mr. MacArthur, 6:30 pm, Amphitheater

May 20 Orchestra Concert, Mr. Roth, 6:30 pm, Amphitheater

May 21 Family Connect Night

May 22 No School

May 25 Memorial Day- no school

May 26 Grade 6 Team D Field trip to CSH DNA Lab

May 27 Grade 6 Team A Field trip to CSH DNA Lab

May 28 Grade 6 Team B Field trip to CSH DNA Lab

May 29 Grade 8 Event

May 29 Smithtown Public Library visit for Grade 6