newsletter
Welcome Back! - September 2025
Dear GTMS Families,
As we move into October, I want to share my heartfelt appreciation for our students, staff, and community for supporting such a smooth start to the school year. Our students have settled into the daily routines and expectations here at GTMS, and we are enjoying each day with our young Grizzlies.
With a strong focus on student attendance, we are already seeing the positive impact that regular school attendance has on learning and growth. Over 96% of our students maintained good attendance this month, which allows us to provide a supportive environment filled with engaging and challenging lessons. This consistency also helps our students build self-esteem, grit, and perseverance—skills they can rely on to overcome challenges both in and out of the classroom.
This month, we also celebrate The Week of Respect and School Violence Awareness Week, which align beautifully with our school motto, Respect the Paw:
Respect yourself, respect others, respect the school, and respect the Galloway community.
These events give us meaningful opportunities to continue reinforcing the importance of respect, kindness, and making positive choices every day.
Thank you for your continued partnership in helping our students grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Together, we are creating a school culture where every Grizzly feels valued and empowered to succeed.
With gratitude,
Mrs. Paula Junker
Principal, GTMS
GMTV NEWS
GTMS WEBSITE
Student Council
💙 Saluting Our Veterans
Our Student Council proudly represented GTMS at the Salute the Veterans ceremony, honoring the brave men and women who serve our country and showing support for our Galloway community.
John Horrocks, Liam Jerome, Lily Genovese & Juniper Sidwell
Ryder Mooney
For being respectful in the CAFE!
Sephora Conserve
Paige Boland and Jacob Gorneau
Positive in class and helping others.
Start with HELLO week
Team B students participated in Start With Hello Week by showcasing their student activities and engaging with their peers. Start With Hello Week encourages students to reach out and connect with others by simply saying “hello” to someone they may not know. Through this initiative, Team B highlighted the importance of inclusion, kindness, and building positive connections within the school community.
PAWSOME STUDENTS!
🎟️🐾 The Attendance Ballot Box is OPEN! 🐾🎟️
September streak complete? Amazing! 💪 If you missed it—no worries, just hit the reset button and start fresh. October has 21 school days, which means 21 chances to keep your streak alive!
Each month, students with perfect attendance earn a coupon to drop into the ballot box. At the end of the year, several lucky Grizzlies will be drawn for a Grand Prize—so keep showing up, day after day! 💙🖤
CAMFEL PRODUCTIONS
Seventh and eighth grade students participated in the RESPECT THE PAW Kickoff, where Mr. Dalon and Ms. Bridgers outlined expectations and shared key messages on integrity, trust, and accountability. Students were encouraged to get involved in sports, clubs, and activities to enrich their middle school journey. Our Grizzlies are ready to start strong and proudly embrace the RESPECT THE PAW program and school motto.
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?
Ms. McKenna’s class
Grizzlies in Ms. McKenna’s class took a gallery walk to review figurative language, sharing their ideas and learning from each other along the way. 🖼️✨
It was a walk to remember as they spotted similes, metaphors, and more—proving that teamwork makes language come alive! 🐻💡
Student Council Induction
Our newly inducted Student Council is ready to lead the way at GTMS! 🌟🐻
This amazing group of Grizzlies is excited to spark school spirit, plan fun events, and make sure every student’s voice is heard. 💙🖤
Ms. DeFilippis’ class
Students in Ms. DeFilippis’ class turned review time into a sweet carnival challenge! 🍦🎯
Working in small groups, they tested their skills by tossing bean bags to knock down ice cream cones while showing off what they know—learning has never been so cool! 🐻💙
Mr. Adams & Mr. Ford's Engineering Design
A GTMS engineer in the making! 🐾🔧
This young Grizzly proudly tested the mousetrap car he designed in Engineering & Design, proving that creativity and problem-solving can really move things forward. 🚗💡
Ms. Wigglesworth’s class
Love was in the cell tonight! 💕🔬
Students in Ms. Wigglesworth’s class went “speed dating” to learn about cell organelles, sharing quick facts and making connections as they discovered how each part works together. 🧬🐻
Pretzel Tuesday
🥨💙 Pretzel Tuesday is back! 💙🥨
Our Student Council is selling warm, delicious pretzels to their fellow Grizzlies every Tuesday for just $1.
Grab a snack, show your school spirit, and support GTMS! 🐻🖤
GTMS Renegade Pride!
💙🏈 GTMS Renegade Pride! 🏈💙
Our Grizzly football players and cheerleaders who are part of the Renegades community team got a special Friday warm-up and cheer session before their big game. Nothing makes us prouder than celebrating our student-athletes and their unstoppable team spirit! 🐻🎉
Mr. Tatur’s class
Vocabulary on the Move!
Students in Mr. Tatur’s class took their vocabulary review to the courtyard hallway, collaborating in lively discussions, stretching their legs, and even sneaking a peek at the chickens while they learned.
GTMS Morning Magic!
🎥 GTMS Morning Magic! 🌟
Our incredible GMTV Crew makes the magic happen every morning—bringing the news, sharing updates and events, and starting each day with smiles and Grizzly pride across every homeroom.
Ms. Tripician’s class
🔑🕵️♂️ Mystery Solvers in Action! 🕵️♀️🔑
Students in Ms. Tripician’s class worked in small groups to uncover the hidden objects inside a mystery box. To solve the challenge, they had to listen carefully to the sounds the box made when they shook it—and a few clever Grizzlies even discovered the key to the puzzle! 🐻✨
