MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

 MIDDLE SCHOOL PTA

February 2026 Newsletter

Happy February and congratulations to our students on completing the first two quarters of the year.  We are halfway through!

GC Cares-a-Thon

It was wonderful to see so many of our middle school families at the GC Cares-a-thon on Friday, 1/30.  The event was jam packed and a huge success.  Our students spent countless hours preparing stations to inform the community about their chosen causes and charities, and their hard work was apparent on Friday.  I am so grateful to the parents and student volunteers who were instrumental in making sure the event ran smoothly.  Thank you to the teachers and middle school staff who coordinated the event and provided help and guidance to the students on Friday, and throughout the past few months.  And our MVP of the night, Dr. Greenwald, who is the driving force behind the event.  Dr. Greenwald dedicates countless hours working with our students through every step of the process.  She inspires our students to think about how to support not only the middle school community, but also the larger Garden City community and beyond.  She gives up countless hours, lunches and her office to allow them the space to make their vision a reality to share with all of us.  We cannot thank you enough for what you do for our children.

PTA Dinner

The GC PTA is planning our Annual PTA Dinner to be held on March 31st at the Garden City Hotel.  This year's dinner theme is "I Belong - Just As I Am." Not only is this event always a fun occasion, it generates money the PTA uses to fund many wonderful things in our school community.  

Each grade at the Middle School will donate a basket to be raffled off at the Dinner.  We are suggesting $15 per family.  Please consider donating to this wonderful event!  Donations can be made via venmo to:

6th Grade:  Maria Pepicelli  @Maria-Pepicelli (last four 9332

7th Grade:  Liz Cendan @Elizabeth-Cendan (last four 3485)

8th Grade:  Beth Foley @Beth-Foley-6 (last four 7392)

Additionally, if you would like to make a donation directly to the Annual Dinner, please contact Deborah Donaghy and Janalyn Pomeroy at dinner@gardencitypta.org or Lauren Fitzpatrick at dinnerdonations@gardencitypta.org.  We are looking for donations of exciting raffle baskets ($250+ value) and enticing silent auction items ($500+ value) to help make the evening a success! Please consider joining together with your family, friends, neighbors or club and donate a raffle basket or silent auction item. If you have a connection to sports tickets, concert venues, vacation properties or experiences, please consider donating as these make very exciting prizes. Donated items will be on display at the dinner and listed in the evening's program.

PTA Meetings

It was wonderful to see so many of you at our January hybrid PTA Meeting.  For all who missed it, our PTA Meeting was jam packed. We were thrilled to welcome Michael Davola and Nadine Wenger, who gave a fantastic presentation on Navigating the Net:  Guiding Your Middle Schooler Through Online Safety and Media Literacy.  A copy of the presentation is available here.

We were also thrilled to welcome a last minute addition to the meeting, Mrs. Stefankiewicz, Assistant Principal at GCHS, who walked us through the transition from 8th to 9th grade.  I know we have many families anticipating this transition and her presentation provided so much great information.  Mrs. Stefankiewicz presentation and so much more are available on the High School Guidance Website.  

Recordings of all of our meeting are available here.

Our next PTA meeting is an All Schools PTA Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, 7:30 pm at the Garden City Middle School (in person and zoom).  

And mark your calendars for meetings through the rest of the school year:

• March 10, 9:30 am, High School and Middle School Joint Meeting,  in person and zoom
• April 9, 7 pm, Middle School PTA Meeting, zoom
• May 6, 7:30 pm, All Schools PTA Meeting, GCMS in person and zoom

I sincerely thank you for your continued support of the PTA and look forward to our continued work together this year.  Please feel free to contact me at middleschool@gardencitypta.org if you have any questions or concerns.   

Tara Kelly

Middle School PTA Director

www.gardencitypta.org

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