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Principal's Message

GTMS Families!

Although November is a shorter school month, it is filled with many exciting events and opportunities for our students and families! Be sure to keep an eye on our school calendar for upcoming Veterans Day celebrations, Family STEAM Night, fall sports banquets, and, most importantly, Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are a wonderful opportunity for families to come into GTMS, connect with their child's teachers, and have meaningful, in-person conversations about their child's progress. The middle school years are some of the most important years in a child's development, and your involvement during this time truly matters. We encourage all families to take advantage of this opportunity. When our students see their families and teachers working together, it reinforces the message that we are partners in their success. Together, we can provide the support, guidance, and encouragement they need to navigate these important middle school years and prepare for all that awaits them in high school.

Thank you for continuing to support our students, our school, and our shared commitment to Respect the Paw.

Paula Junker
Principal

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November 9: Schoolwide Flag Event in remembrance of our Veterans

November 11: Veterans Day Breakfast / Speaker & Fall Sports Banquet

November 13: Bassetti Make-Up Picture Day / End of Marking Period 1

November 16-20: American Education Week

November 16: Student of the Month Luncheon / National Jr. Honor Society Induction

November 17: FSA Meeting at 7pm

November 19: Family STEAM Night at 6pm

November 20: Role Model of the Month Luncheon

November 23 /24: Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 25: Early Dismissal

November 26 / 27: School is Closed

December 2 / 3 : Parent-Teacher Conferences

Athletic Information

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GTMS Sports Management - APP (3).pdf

26-27 Sports Physical Packet (2).pdf

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A huge thank you to Mission Tiger and ShopRite for partnering to provide GTMS with an incredible $15,000 DonorsChoose grant to support our athletic programs! Although Tony was unable to join us for the presentation, we are so grateful for the continued support of our community and the organizations that invest in our Grizzlies. We look forward to sharing throughout the school year how this generous grant is making a difference for our athletic department and creating even more opportunities for our student-athletes. Thank you for supporting GTMS!

GTMS Activities & Clubs

Student of the Month

Ezrah Antoine

Arshil Aarav

Kingston Beauford

Zara Gazaryan

Wyatt Wiegand

Lucy Baerman

Rudy Caffarelli

Cait Smail

Alexa Buck

Liam Vivero

Alana Bell

Nina Byers

Ryan Costello

Wilson DeBoy

Jordyn Ireland

Kalila Abdur-Rahmann

Kaymani Johnson

Role Model of the Month

Gianna McGahn

Eva Resmerowski

Maia Eason

Paige Boland

Lily Nahas

Addison Molnar

Charlotte Gilly

Avery Gill

Grizzlies Caught Being Awesome!

A little teamwork and some impressive handyman skills! Josh and Ryan took the time to put together a large classroom loom for Ms. Tafeen, and she couldn't be more appreciative of their help. Thanks for stepping up and lending a hand, guys! We love seeing our Grizzlies helping others!

Grizzlies Supporting our Preschool!

A special shoutout to our Step Team, Drama Club, Multicultural Club, and GROW for volunteering their time to support our Preschool Fall Festival once again this year! 💙🖤 From picking pumpkins and playing games to arts and crafts, our Grizzlies loved spending time with our youngest friends and making sure they had the best time ever! We are so proud of our students for giving back, spreading smiles, and showing what it means to be a Grizzly!

GTMS CORE VALUES

Do you know what it means to be a GTMS Grizzly?

At GTMS, being a Grizzly means more than just showing up to school—it’s about embodying our core values and “Respecting the Paw” in everything we do.

So, what does that look like?

Cell Phone Reminder!

District Guidelines

☀️ Shoutout to Ms. Derry! ☀️

She is always bringing the sunshine to our mornings at GTMS! Whether it’s a question of the day, a fun challenge, or a game of PLINKO, she finds ways to make sure our students start each day with a smile and a positive attitude! 💙🖤

Today, students had the chance to win a special treat, a squishy, an ice cream from the cafe or even a mystery bag! So much fun and so many smiles!

Thank you, Ms. Derry, for always going the extra mile to make our mornings a little brighter! We are lucky to have you! 🐻☀️

#GrizzlyPRIDE #WeAreGrizzlies #GTMS #PositiveStarts

Galloway EMTs & Health Class

Our Health classes had a special visit from the Galloway EMTs! Students learned important lifesaving techniques and basic emergency response skills. A great hands-on learning opportunity that reminds us how important it is to be prepared and how we can all make a difference in an emergency. A big thank-you to our Galloway EMTs for sharing their time and expertise with our Grizzlies!

Mrs. P. Junker, Principal on Instagram: "💙🖤 Annual Respect the Paw Tie-Dye Day!! 🖤💙 Our Grizzlies had the opportunity to design their very own T-shirts that they can wear throughout the year to show their school spirit and pride! But these shirts represent so much more than just our school colors. They are a reminder to Respect the Paw by being kind, thoughtful, and respectful to ourselves, others, our school, and our community. A HUGE thank-you to all of our amazing family volunteers who gave their time to help our Grizzlies bring their shirts to life! We may have gotten a little messy along the way, but the memories, smiles, and sense of community we continue to build are what make this tradition so special! Stronger Together! We are Grizzlies! 💙🖤🐻"

34 likes, 0 comments - gtms.pj.checkin on November 1, 2026: "💙🖤 Annual Respect the Paw Tie-Dye Day!! 🖤💙 Our Grizzlies had the opportunity to design their very own T-shirts that they can wear throughout the year to show their school spirit and pride! But these shirts represent so much more than just our school colors. They are a reminder to Respect the Paw by being kind, thoughtful, and respectful to ourselves, others, our school, and our community. A HUGE thank-you to all of our amazing family volunteers who gave their time to help our Grizzlies bring their shirts to life! We may have gotten a little messy along the way, but the memories, smiles, and sense of community we continue to build are what make this tradition so special! Stronger Together! We are Grizzlies! 💙🖤🐻".

instagram.com

Road Cleanup

Our Student Council members are making a difference beyond the walls of GTMS! 💙🖤 Our Grizzlies took part in a community road cleanup in Galloway, showing their pride in our town and their commitment to giving back. We are so proud of our students for putting Respect the Paw into action and helping keep our community beautiful

Grizzly Go Getters!

Our Grizzly Go-Getters brought the pumpkin patch to us! 🎃 Theo was busy selling pumpkins made by him and his classmates to our GTMS staff. We loved having this little traveling pumpkin patch visit us!

Respect the Paw - Football Incentive Game

Mrs. P. Junker, Principal on Instagram: "💙🖤 What a great day to be a Grizzly! 🐻 We loved celebrating all of our students who continue to be caught doing the right thing around GTMS at our Respect the Paw Football Incentive! A huge shoutout to Kona Ice, the Builders Club for the sweet lemonade, our Student Council for the candy cart, our amazing band for providing the music, and our Step Team for an AWESOME halftime performance! Keep making positive choices, showing your Grizzly PRIDE, and being a positive influence around GTMS. We can’t wait to see you at our next incentive game in December! #RespectThePaw #GrizzlyPRIDE #CaughtDoingTheRightThing"

💙🖤 What a great day to be a Grizzly! 🐻 We loved celebrating all of our students who continue to be caught doing the right thing around GTMS at our Respect the Paw Football Incentive! A huge shoutout to Kona Ice, the Builders Club for the sweet lemonade, our Student Council for the candy cart, our amazing band for providing the music, and our Step Team for an AWESOME halftime performance! Keep making positive choices, showing your Grizzly PRIDE, and being a positive influence around GTMS. We can’t wait to see you at our next incentive game in December! #RespectThePaw #GrizzlyPRIDE #CaughtDoingTheRightThing - @gtms.pj.checkin on October 31, 2026

instagram.com

PBIS: Respect the Paw Incentive! 💙🖤

Our Grizzlies had a great time celebrating at our Respect the Paw Football Incentive! At GTMS, we recognize students who demonstrate respect for themselves, others, their school, and their community.

Now the countdown is on for our next incentive! Students who demonstrate these values and earn NO office referrals from October 30 through our December Incentive Day will earn an invitation to participate in our Grizzly Volleyball Incentive Game!

Keep making great choices, Grizzlies! Respect the Paw!

FSA 2025-2026

President - Katherine Mutschler Pauro

Vice President - Christine Boland

Treasurer - Nelie Yee

Corresponding Secretary - Jennifer Alvardo

Recording Secretary - Jennifer Keeney

Meeting Dates

September 22nd 2026 at 7pm In Person GTMS Library

October 14th 2026 at 7pm Virtual – Google Meet

November 17th 2026at 7pm In Person GTMS Library

December 15th 2026 at 7pm Virtual – Google Meet

January 20th 2027at 7pm In Person GTMS Library

February 17th 2027at 7pm Virtual – Google Meet

March 17th 2027at 7pm In Person GTMS Library

April 13th 2027at 7pm Virtual – Google Meet

May 21st 2027at 7pm In Person GTMS Library

June 2nd 2027at 7pm Virtual – Google Meet

FSA Facebook

Resources for Parents/Guardians

NJ4S: Acenda

Acenda Integrated Health is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing industry-leading prevention, treatment and wellness services to ensure that every individual, family and community member, achieves their greatest potential. Acenda is at the forefront of community-based services, providing 100+ health and social service programs at 60+ locations throughout a 12-county region in New Jersey.

Available Workshops

Harassments, Intimidation & Bullying (HIB)

It is imperative that we continue to teach our students the effects that bullying has on others and a community. Every student deserves a safe and supportive learning environment, free from fear and harassment. Any instance of bullying should be promptly reported to the administration or staff member, who will take immediate and appropriate action to address the situation. By fostering a culture of kindness, empathy, and respect, we can create a school community where all students feel valued and accepted.

Learn More:

GTMS Second Step Program

Antibullying Site

Keeping Our Grizzlies Safe Online!

The digital world is a big part of our students’ lives, which makes internet safety an important part of keeping them safe, informed, and responsible online. As parents and caregivers, staying informed about social media trends, online challenges, apps, and privacy settings can help us guide our children and have important conversations about their digital choices.

We encourage our GTMS families to take a few minutes to explore the resources in this flyer, including information about social media trends, dangerous online challenges, app safety, and parental controls and monitoring tools.

Technology changes quickly, but one thing remains the same: our students need us to be present, informed, and talking with them about their online experiences. Together, we can help our Grizzlies navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. 🐻💙🖤

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