East Weekly

We hope all of our families have a wonderful weekend! As we head into the last week of the year, please remember to turn in all field trip permission forms and money as soon as possible. Thank you for your support—we are looking forward to some fun experiences with our students!

May 16: Whits Ice Cream Fundraiser

May18: 8th grade success fair- during school

May 19: 6th grade field trip /7th grade Hero Speeches- during school

May 20: 6th grade field trip / 7th grade Field Trip /8th grade success fair- during school

May 21: Talent Show!- during school

May 22: 8th grade clap out / Last Day of School

Why This Matters:

Boys today are facing increasing mental and behavioral health challenges—often without the tools or space to talk about them.

During the school year, these challenges can show up as:

• Difficulty focusing

• Behavioral issues

• Emotional shutdown or outbursts

• Struggles with peers and relationships

Summer is a critical opportunity to slow down, reflect, and build the skills needed to return to school more confident, focused, and emotionally prepared.

SIGN UP HERE

Common Challenges We Address:

Middle School Boys (11–13)

• Anger and frustration

• Anxiety and worry

• Peer pressure and fitting in

• Emotional expression (not knowing how to talk about feelings)

• Confidence and self-esteem

High School Young Men (14–18)

• Depression and emotional withdrawal

• Anxiety about the future (school, life, identity)

• Relationships (friends, dating, communication)

• Anger, stress , and pressure

• Motivation, discipline, and focus

What Your Son Will Gain:

• A safe space to talk openly and honestly

• Tools to manage anger, anxiety, and stress

• Improved communication and relationship skills

• Increased confidence and emotional awareness

• A community of other males working toward growth together

Each participant will also receive:

• Individual psychiatric evaluation & Individual Counseling Sessions

• Structured group support and skill-building

We should all have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C for our futures. We will be talking to you about some ideas. Don't forget... it is ok to grow and change your mind as new things interest you. If you have an idea for a career for us to showcase, fill out the google form attached :)

This week’s career focus is…Orthodontist!

Check out the links and videos below to learn more about being an Orthodontist!

• What Is An Orthodontist?

• Life as an orthodontist

Orthodontists are dental specialists who focus on diagnosing, preventing, and correcting misaligned teeth and jaws to improve both oral health and appearance. They evaluate how teeth and jaws develop and treat issues such as crowding, overbites, underbites, and spacing problems using tools like braces, clear aligners, retainers, and other appliances. Orthodontists examine X-rays, take impressions or digital scans, and monitor patients’ progress over time, making adjustments as needed while also teaching proper oral hygiene during treatment.

Unlike general dentists who provide routine dental care, orthodontists specialize specifically in alignment and bite correction. Becoming an orthodontist typically requires a bachelor’s degree, dental school, and several additional years of specialized training. Important skills include attention to detail, communication, manual dexterity, and problem-solving, and salaries generally range from about $120,000 to over $250,000 per year depending on experience, location, and type of practice.

We hope you learned something new about this career this week! Fill out the google form above to have a career you are interested in highlighted during Future Friday! Thank you to all of you who suggested amazing career ideas!! We'll be sure to get your ideas featured here on Future Friday!

Have a WONDERFUL Weekend!!

-GMSE School Counselors

Shayla Upchurch and Loni Williams

If you are planning to play a Fall Sport in Gahanna Middle Schools this fall. Please follow the following steps:

1. Create your account in Final Forms, or if you have one already then select the Fall Sport you want to play in the Fall of 2026.
2. All students are able to signup and select their 2026-27 school year sports in Final Forms beginning May 1.
3. Coaches of the Fall Sports will send information about student, and parent interest meetings through Final Forms. Also, they will send summer conditioning dates, and practice dates through Final Forms.
4. First official practice for all Fall Sports is August 1, 2026.

* May 14, 6:30pm GMSE Cafeteria - GMS 7TH Grade FB Student/Parent Interest Meeting

* May 20, 5:30pm GMSW Cafeteria - GMS 8th Grade FB Student/Parent Interest Meeting

You can check out the new website here. Below are directions on how to obtain the correct app.

FinalForms will be available to incoming 7th graders May 1, 2026. Families will be able to create accounts and complete any forms at that time.

The final string orchestra concert of the school year will happen on Thursday, May 21st at Middle School West. Students should arrive at 7:00pm for tuning. The concert will start promptly at 7:30pm.

• Gahanna Bands Summer Lesson Program
• Gahanna Bands Summer Kickoff Camp 8/3-8/6 @ GLHS
• Capital University Winds and Percussion Camp - June 8-12: 9:00am-3:00pm
• Ohio State Middle School Concert Band Academy - June 21-26: Sunday 3:00pm-6:00pm; Monday-Friday 8:30-3:00pm

Please remind your young artists to get their artwork to take home! I still have some things from earlier in the year too!

6th Graders have TWO outdoor field trips next week on Tuesday, May 19th & Wednesday, May 20th.

• Every student will need to bring a packed, disposable lunch labeled with his/her first and last name as well as a labeled water bottle.

• Remind your child to wear one of their HOUSE shirts each day to help us with organization as we venture away from MSE.

• We will be outside the entire day, so please make sure your child dresses for the weather. There is a shelter house available for lunch on both trips, but students will be outside on both days.

• We will leave school on the bus at 9:15 am and will return at approximately 2:15 pm. Kids will dismiss at the normal 3:50 school dismissal time.

ACE 7/8: Students will be working on a budgeting project. Throughout next week, ask them about their career and other options they had to decide.

🚀 Robotics Applications Are OPEN!

Ready to build, compete, and take on the challenge?

Join the Gahanna Middle School Robotics Team and design a robot for next year’s VEX game: OVERRIDE.

From brainstorming ideas to competing on the big stage, students will develop real-world skills in:

• ⚙️ Engineering & Design
• 🧠 Problem Solving
• 🤝 Teamwork & Leadership
• 🎤 Communication

Limited spots. Highly competitive.
Open to 7th & 8th graders (East, West, South)

Questions: Contact Mr. Merrick at merrickd@gjps.org

COSI Field Trip: Just a reminder, we will be going to COSI on Wednesday, May 20! We will leave shortly after 9am and return around 2pm. (here is the form again as well)

A few reminders:

1. We are still missing many payments for the trip. Please make sure to either make the payment in Infinite Campus or send in $14 to the office. (A reminder email was sent today at 1pm for any students missing payment. If you received this email, we need your payment in Infinite Campus or Check/Cash to the office prior to Tuesday as our final payment is due).

2. Your student needs a disposable lunch packed and sent with them OR purchase one from the school cafeteria PRIOR to leaving school.

3. Students are NOT permitted to go to the gift shop or Cafe at COSI. With other schools being on field trips at the same time, we need to remain consistent with the schedule set. Thank you for your support and understanding!

Math 7: Students worked on a real life application project. Ask them about their career, their budget, and where they decided to live or the car they “purchased.” It was eye opening for many students as they were faced with the costs aligning with their salary.

ACE 7/8: Students will be working on a budgeting project. Throughout next week, ask them about their career and other options they had to decide.

ALL ELA: All students should be practicing their hero speeches! We are looking forward to seeing heroes and guests on Tuesday! Reach out to your student’s teacher if you have any questions! Double check that there aren’t any library or school books around your home!

🚀 Robotics Applications Are OPEN!

Ready to build, compete, and take on the challenge?

Join the Gahanna Middle School Robotics Team and design a robot for next year’s VEX game: OVERRIDE.

From brainstorming ideas to competing on the big stage, students will develop real-world skills in:

• ⚙️ Engineering & Design
• 🧠 Problem Solving
• 🤝 Teamwork & Leadership
• 🎤 Communication

Limited spots. Highly competitive.
Open to 7th & 8th graders (East, West, South)

Questions: Contact Mr. Merrick at merrickd@gjps.org

ELA Update: Success Fair is next Monday and Wednesday. All are invited! Your student knows when they are presenting. Please see the attached flyer for specific times. Invite

Math 8/Algebra/Geometry: Friday 5/15 was the last day to turn in missing work.

We are still missing several Pool Party Permission slips for our last day of school celebration at Foxboro Pool. Please sign the permission slip and send it in with your student to give to their House teacher ASAP. An online copy of the permission slip can be found linked HERE.

Hi 8th grade families & students,

It's hard to believe we're almost at the end of the year! We're excited to celebrate our 8th graders as they wrap up their middle school journey with our Clap Out on Friday, May 22.

You can find all the details in our Smore newsletter here.

This is always such a special moment-full of cheers, smiles, and a few happy tears. We hope you're able to join us in celebrating this big milestone!

Thanks for helping us give this class a great send-off!

Take Care,

Megan Kirsten & Amy Hilbert

Admin Team

Middle School East

We want our staff to be happy and enjoy coming to work every day. Below are just some of the ways that you can celebrate and recognize our amazing staff at East!

• PTA/Families spoil us!- Click here to join PTA!
• Student and/or family shout outs- Click here if you want to send a shoutout to a staff member!
• Heart and Pride Award- The Heart and Pride Award recognizes two outstanding staff members each month who make a profound impact on our students and Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools. The Heart & Pride Nomination Form will remain available year-round and is open to any member of our staff, regardless of position.

We’re always looking for ways to connect classroom learning to the real world or allow students to explore the future—and we’d love your help! If you're open to sharing your job title and a brief description of what you do, we’d love to learn more. We’re gathering a list of parents and guardians who might be interested in speaking to students about their careers, allowing students to shadow for a day, or participating in a future career fair.

If this sounds like something you'd consider, please take a moment to fill out this quick google form. Thank you for helping our students dream big!

May 1, 2026: PD Day - No School
May 22, 2026: Last Day of School for Students
May 23, 2026: Class of 2026 Commencement