East Weekly

We can hardly believe it but the first day of school is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to welcome your children back next week! Our teachers and staff have been busy getting classrooms ready, planning lessons, and making sure everything is set for an amazing start to the year.

In this newsletter, you’ll find all the key info you need, including:

• Important August & September dates

• How to pick up or adjust schedules

• 8th grade World Language information

• First day of school details

• Drop-off and pick-up reminders

• Chromebook distribution info

• School supply updates

• Locker and bookbag policy changes

• New bell schedule and WIN/Rotation period details

• Attendance guidelines

• Opportunities to share your career with students

• A full calendar of no-school days and events

We’re looking forward to a great year!

Take care,

Megan Kirsten

GMSE Principal

August 11: Student schedules will be posted on Infinite Campus on Monday, August 11th for students to access electronically.

August 12: Missed schedule pickup? You can stop by Middle School East from 9AM to 11AM on to pick up your student's schedule in our main office.

August 14: First Day of School

August 14: Back to school burger night! - see flier below

August 21: 6th Grade Open House @ 6:00-7:30

August 26: 7th Grade Curriculum Night @ 5:30-7:00

August 26: 8th Grade Curriculum Night @ 6:00-7:30

September 5: 6th Grade Adventure Day (during school hours!) -- More information coming!

You can stop by Middle School East from 9AM to 11AM on August 12th to pick up your student's schedule in our main office. Student schedules will be posted on Infinite Campus on Monday, August 11th for students to access electronically.

If you need to request a schedule change, please complete the Schedule Change Request Form as soon as possible. Forms must be submitted for any necessary adjustments to your schedule. Please note: We are not able to process requests for teacher changes or lunch period switches. Thank you for your understanding as we work to finalize schedules for the start of the year.

Schedule change requests are due by 8:30AM, on August 11th.

School begins Thursday, August 14, and your high school class will also start that day. You may either have a family member drive you to the high school (see drop-off image below) or ride the high school bus that picks up students in your neighborhood each morning. Please confirm on “Here Comes the Bus” that you are assigned to a high school bus in the morning.

Your class begins at 8:35 a.m.

When class ends, a bus will be waiting outside Lincoln Hall (north end of the building near Havens Corners Road) to take you back to your middle school. A staff member will be there to help you locate your bus. You will return to East in time for 1st period!

• Middle School East – Bus 63

Two-Hour Delay Reminder: If there is a two-hour delay, 8th graders will not attend their first-period high school class and should report to their middle school instead. You can get coursework from your high school teacher on the next class day.

Your teacher is excited to meet you on the first day! For questions, please contact hollimant@gjps.org.

We’re excited to welcome students back on Thursday, August 14! Here’s what to expect on the first day:

• Breakfast: Students eating breakfast at school may enter the building at 8:45 a.m. Buses will release students for breakfast at the same time.

• General Entry: All other students may enter the building at 8:55 a.m.

• Where to Report:

  • 7th & 8th Grade – Report directly to your HOUSE. Signs will be posted to help students find their location if they forget their schedule.

  • 6th Grade – Report to the gym.

• Schedules: Hard copies of student schedules will be provided on the first day.

• Typical Day Reminder-- not first day: All students are expected to be in class for school news by 9:00 a.m. to prevent hallway roaming. Attendance will be taken at 9:05 a.m.

• Parent Drop-off & Pickup: Please follow all posted and shared procedures to ensure safety and smooth traffic flow.

We can’t wait to see everyone and start the year off strong!

• You must enter from Clotts Rd.

• Use the entire loop as shown.

• Pull up tight to the person in front of you in our pick up line.

• If you would like to park in the basketball lot and wait for your student, that also works, but make sure the outer loop is free from parked cars.

• After your student is loaded, exit via Clotts Road.

• Lastly, BE CAREFUL! There are a lot of students and cars in the lot!

Chromebooks for incoming 6th graders and new students will be issued on the first day of school.

We've had a few questions come in about school supply lists, so we wanted to clear up some confusion. There are two programs within our school community—ESS and FSS—with separate supply lists. Families in these programs are already aware of their specific needs. If you're unsure what ESS or FSS refers to, then your student is not part of those programs, and you should simply follow the general grade-level supply list.

If your student is in ESS or FSS, please purchase only the supplies listed for that program—not the grade-level list.

You're welcome to bring your supplies to schedule pickup and place them directly into your assigned locker. Just a reminder... we do not provide locks, so if you plan to store items in your locker that day, be sure to bring a combination lock.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me or our office secretary. We’re happy to help!

This year all three grade levels—6th, 7th, and 8th—will be in the hallways at the same time. To help keep our hallways safe, clear, and easy to navigate, we are making an adjustment to our locker and bookbag policy (which is now aligned with the other middle schools as well).

• 6th and 7th Grade: Students are assigned lockers and expected to use them during the school day. Bookbags should be stored in lockers, not carried from class to class. Your teachers will work with you to plan the best time to stop at your locker throughout the day!

• 8th Grade: Students are assigned lockers but are not required to use them. Eighth grade students are allowed to carry bookbags during the school day similar to the high school.

Why this change?

• Safety & Space – With all grade levels in the hallway at once, removing large backpacks helps reduce congestion and prevents accidents.

• Organization – Locker use encourages time management and planning skills.

• Clutter-Free Classrooms – Keeping bags out of the aisles and off the floor makes classrooms safer and more functional.

What can be carried between classes?
A small pouch, binder, or string bag is fine for carrying essentials such as a Chromebook, pencil pouch, and folders.

To help maintain a secure and organized environment, each student will be assigned a locker for their personal use. Lockers are available in all GJPS middle schools, however, each building will determine the level of use and how lockers are assigned. In the event a student utilizes a district-provided locker, it should be noted that lockers and their contents are subject to inspection by authorized school personnel at any time. Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools are NOT responsible for lost or stolen items and students are responsible for promptly reporting problems with lockers to the main office.

Please review the following guidelines regarding locker use:

1. Locker Assignment: Each student will receive an assigned locker. Lockers are school property and able to be searched at any time.

2. Combination Lock: Students are required to provide their own combination lock to secure their locker. This is essential for ensuring the safety of personal belongings. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

3. Combination Submission: For emergency or safety purposes, students must submit their locker combination to their house teacher. This can be done through a Google Form that will be provided at the beginning of the school year and during schedule pick-up. Failure to submit your combination may result in your lock being cut-off.

4. Access Times: Students may access their lockers at the beginning of the day, before and after lunch, and/or at the end of the day. *This is subject change depending on grade level teams.

Please adhere to these guidelines to ensure a smooth and secure locker experience. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to your House teacher or school administration.

**We kindly ask that you do not decorate the outside of your locker. Feel free to customize the inside (NO STICKERS-- unless removable)!

We’re excited to share an important update that will take effect for the 2025–2026 school year: all three Gahanna-Jefferson Middle Schools—East, South, and West—will transition to a common bell schedule.

Our Goal:
To align instructional periods across all middle schools in the district.

Why This Matters:
It is important for all GJPS students to have the same opportunities and access to instruction and intervention regardless of which building they attend. This schedule alignment ensures a more equitable and cohesive student experience across East, South, and West.

What’s New for Students:

In addition to aligning daily schedules, we have added two key components to enhance student learning and support: a WIN Block for all students and a Rotation period for 8th grade students.

WIN Block — “What I Need”
All students will have a WIN Block built into their day. WIN is a structured period where students will work individually to enrich or reinforce current content and staff can work with students individually or in small groups to:

• Offer targeted interventions based on MAP and OST assessment data

• Enrich current content

• Support executive functioning skills (organization, time management, etc.)

• Provide specially designed instruction for students with specific learning needs

The WIN Block ensures that all students receive the personalized academic support and enrichment they need without missing core instruction.

8th Grade Rotation Period
In 6th and 7th grade, students have blocked ELA and Math classes, meaning each subject spans two class periods. However, in 8th grade, students no longer have these blocked classes due to the addition of a world language course as a daily part of their schedule. With ELA and Math returning to a single-period format, this creates additional flexibility in the day which led to the creation of the Rotation period.

In addition to WIN, 8th grade students will also have a Rotation Period, giving their core content teachers an opportunity to meet with students one additional time each week.

Rotation is a flexible period used to:

• Reinforce or extend classroom content

• Conduct lab work or small group collaboration

• Dive into problem-based or project-based learning

• Adapt instruction based on student needs and interests for the specific class
  
  

At Middle School East, Rotation will take place during 3rd period each day, following this weekly schedule:

• Monday – Students see their 1st or 2nd period academic teacher (whichever is not a related arts class)

• Tuesday – 4th period teacher

• Wednesday – 5th period teacher

• Thursday – 7th period teacher

• Friday – 8th period teacher

The options for Rotation are infinite and will be shaped by the unique needs and goals of each class.

How We Got Here:
This change was made through a thoughtful and collaborative process that included:
→ Building Principals
→ Curriculum Directors
→ Instructional Coaches
→ Team Leaders
→ Staff

We believe these updates will strengthen instruction, increase opportunities for support and enrichment, and ensure every middle school student in GJPS is set up for success.

As always, thank you for your continued partnership and support!

House Bill 410 is an Ohio law aimed at promoting consistent school attendance by addressing chronic absenteeism and tardiness. Schools are required to closely monitor attendance and implement intervention strategies to improve attendance patterns.

To report an absence, please call the front office at (614)478-5550 or email fischerj@gjps.org by 9:10am if possible.You also have the ability to login into Infinite Campus and mark your child's absence there. Please ONLY do this if your child will be absent for the entire day.

Tardies to School:

• Tardies to school are now tracked separately from tardies to individual classes.
• Students who arrive after 9:07 AM (start time is 9:05!) will be marked tardy to school.

Progressive Interventions for Tardies:

• 1st tardy to school: The student will receive a book signature (warning!)
• 2nd tardy to school: The student will receive a book signature (warning!)
• 3rd tardy to school: The student will serve an after-school detention.

*This cycle will repeat after each after school detention. Tardies will be checked bi-weekly and the student and parent will be notified via email.

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!

Aug. 14, 2025: First Day of School

Sept. 1, 2025: Labor Day - No School

Oct. 2, 2025: PD Day - No School
Oct. 3, 2025: Conference Comp Day - No School
Oct. 20, 2025: Staff Work Day - No School
Nov. 10, 2025: PD Day - No School
Nov. 26-28, 2025: Thanksgiving Break - No School
Dec. 22, 2025-Jan. 1, 2026: Winter Break - No School
Jan. 2, 2026: Staff Work Day - No School
*Jan. 5-8, 2026: High School Schedule Altered for New Building Opening
Jan. 19, 2026: Martin Luther King Day - No School
Feb. 13, 2026: PD Day - No School
Feb. 16, 2026: Presidents Day - No School
Mar. 9, 2026: Staff Work Day - No School
Mar. 20, 2026: Conference Comp Day - No School
Mar. 30-April 3, 2026: Spring Break- No School
May 1, 2026: PD Day - No School
May 22, 2026: Last Day of School for Students
May 23, 2026: Class of 2026 Commencement