MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

January 2026 Newsletter

Happy New Year!  We hope that everyone had a fun and restful holiday break.  

December was a month of celebration at Garden City Middle School.  The month kicked off with the addition of amazing winter decor, designed and coordinated by our Middle School Beautification Committee.  It was the perfect way to get us all in the holiday spirit.  Thank you to the Committee for all your planning and work.  We also enjoyed concerts from the Middle School chorus, band, jazz band and orchestra.  The talent of our students under the direction of our wonderful teachers is a joy to watch.

Updates:

PTA Meetings

PTA meetings provide parents with school updates from our principal and teachers, as well as from our guest speakers. The meetings are a great way to learn what is going on in and around school.  Our January Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 15th at 9:15 am (in person and zoom).  We are thrilled to welcome Michael Davola and Nadine Wenger who will present on Navigating the Net:  Guiding Your Middle Schooler Through Online Safety and Media Literacy.

Minutes and recordings from our past meeting can be found here.

Please see below for a list of this year’s remaining meetings.  We look forward to seeing you there.

• January 15th, 9:15 am, in person and zoom
• February 10, 7:30 pm, All School PTA Meeting, in person at GCMS and via zoom
• March 10, 9:30 am, Joining MS and HS Meeting, location TBD
• April 14, 7 pm, MS PTA Meeting
• May 6, 7:30 pm, All School PTA Meeting, in person at GCMS and via zoom

High School Open House for 8th Grade Students and Families

The High School Open House for 8th Graders is scheduled for Thursday, January 29 from 4 - 5 pm.  This is an opportunity for students and their families to walk the halls of the High School, as well as to chat with teachers and guidance counselors.  We encourage families to attend!

GC Cares-a-Thon

The PTA is thrilled to partner with SEPTA and the Middle School for another year of the GC Cares-a-Thon.  GC Cares-a-Thon is an interactive event designed to open students' minds to local and global causes, and generate ideas on how they can make an impact.  Homebases, teams, clubs and individual students are already in the process of developing ideas on how to help others in need (food drive, toy drive, writing inspirational notes, greeting cards for senior citizens, thank you cards to veterans, and much more).  These ideas are then made into student run tables along the halls of the middle school, where attendees can choose how they would like to make a difference.  Each attendee receives a punch card at the event and are asked to complete activities at a certain number of stations in order to receive two hours of community service.  They can use this community service for school requirements such as National Junior Honor Society, or for other organizations they are involved in.  We can’t wait to see how our children make an impact this year!  The GC Cares-a-Thon will be held on Friday, January 30th from 6:30pm-8:30pm.  The sign up genius to participate will be coming out next week.  Stay tuned!

Board Games Drive

The middle school is seeking new or gently used board games to make available for our students during homebase.  We hope that the games will provide an opportunity for students to socialize, work together and have some fun.  A few donations have already rolled in and I’m told that they are a huge hit.  Homebase is a short period of time so think games that can be played quickly.  If you want to purchase new and need ideas, check our wish list.  Gently used games are equally appreciated.  Please just make sure they are in good shape and contain all the pieces.  Games can be dropped outside the front doors of the Middle School in the bin labeled ‘Donations’.  

Reflections 

We are so proud of all our MS Reflections participants.  Congratulations to the 2025-2026 Middle School Reflections Winners below!!  First and second place winners will be advancing to the Nassau County level competition.  Thank you to the Reflections Committee for all their help, and to the Middle School staff for supporting the program!  

Ethan Cheng - Film Production 1st Place

Emma Hughes - Literature 1st Place

Juliette Anci - Literature 2nd Place

Natalie Yu - Literature 3rd Place

Morgan Van Schoick - Literature Honorable Mention

Grace Li - Photography 1st Place

Grace Li - Photography 2nd Place

Leyla Vitale - Photography 3rd Place

Caitlin O’Mullan - Photography Honorable Mention

Natalie Yu  - Visual Arts 1st Place

Daisy Tang - Visual Arts 2nd Place

Grace Li - Visual Arts 3rd Place

Emma Jin - Visual Arts Honorable Mention

Charlotte Hook - Music Competition 1st Place

The awards ceremony will be held this spring.  We look forward to celebrating these accomplishments!

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

Sincerely,

Tara Kelly

Middle School PTA Director

www.gardencitypta.org

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