Greetings Garden City Middle School Family!

March comes "in like a lion and out like a lamb." That's what they told us when I was a kid and I hope it pans out! We had some chilly winds in the early days of the month, but the weather has started to warm up and it's just in time. As we shake loose the frozen shackles of winter, we look ahead to the excitement of spring and all that comes with it!

This March, we've been thinking about Into The Woods Jr. What an incredible show! Our actors and singers, dancers and stage team did such a phenomenal job of transporting their audiences into the dark reaches of the beautifully designed woods and back in time to the fairy tales that populated our childhoods! It was a great show, and we are blessed to have such talented teacher leaders in charge of the event. Thank you to Ms. Aguilo, Ms. Menges, Mr. Camilleri, Dr. Greenwald and Ms. Danielo! Putting on a musical is no small feat, but this team has faced a number of curveballs and hit each one of them out of the park!

We had our Bingo Night this month, too, and a special shout out goes to Dr. Greenwald, Ms. Colavito and our partners in the PTA and SEPTA. It was an absolute blast and while not everyone had a winning bingo card, I know that a good time was had by all and that means that we're all victors! And, while we're offering our thanks to the PTA and SEPTA, I'd be remiss if we didn't also highlight the incredible Indian dance performance that the PTA Arts In Education Committee brought to our sixth grade. If you haven't seen it yet, check out the video! It's included in this month's newsletter.

March also means that we're heading into testing season and the month will end with our 3-8 ELA assessments. The math assessments will be just around the corner in April. These sorts of assessments don't spark the same brand of joy that we get out of our musical or our athletic teams, but there is tremendous value in the experience. Beyond helping our students gain experience with lengthier exams, these assessments will help us to better understand both our individual students and their needs, but also paints for us a more global picture of our student body--it helps us to highlight strengths and to identify where our work as a school should be focused. So, with that in mind, I say bring it on! It's just information, and information is power!

April is just around the corner and with it comes the real beginning of spring. We'll have baseball (Let's Go Mets!), we'll have more opportunities to be outside, we'll have warmer weather, windows open and a chance to stretch our legs. Homestretch, GCMS! Let's keep the good energy up!

Warmly,

Matthew Samuelson

Principal

The NYS Math Assessment will be administered to students on Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27, 2022.

🌷Spring Concert I (Band/PM Jazz) will be on Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

🌷Spring Concert II (Chorus) will be on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

🌷Spring Concert III (Orchestra/AM Jazz) will be on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

All Spring Concerts will be held at Garden City High School

Proper supervision is critically important, and we want to make sure that all of our students are engaged, safe, and supervised early in the morning. The following process is in place for the beginning of the school day:

• At 7:00 a.m. for students participating in the school AIS program;

• At 7:20 a.m. for students looking to take advantage of our Math Lab/English Studio/Executive Functioning Program;

• At 7:30 a.m. for students looking to participate in a teacher-led activity (extra-help, clubs, intramural sports);

• At 8:05 a.m. for any other students. Students who are not attending a teacher-led activity must report directly to the cafeteria upon arrival.

As of March 14, 2022 and for the remainder of the school year, all students will be dismissed at 3:17 p.m. If you are picking your child up from school, please be sure to collect him/her at a curb location. The parking lot is a dangerous place for students to meet parents as there are many cars moving during dismissal.

The Organization Station gives students the opportunity to work with a teacher to help organize a messy bookbag or binder, develop a system for time management, figure out a good path through a challenging academic bind, or develop a system for managing academic workload.

Please see the schedule of dates and locations below.

Both English Studio and Math Lab will be offered by grade level from 7:20 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. Monday through Thursday mornings.

Please see the schedule of dates and locations below.

Students will now return to one cafeteria seating and will see a more densely population cafeteria than they have seen in the past. If you haven’t already downloaded the Choosi app, please take a moment to do so. It will allow you to pre-order your child’s meal so that it is ready when they enter the cafeteria. Find more information about the lunch program here.

New students are always welcome in the Makerspace. Sign-up daily in the library from 8:05 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. The Makerspace is open every day but Wednesday. Students are also encouraged to use the library for independent work/study and book selection every day before school and Monday afternoons until 3:45 p.m. New shipments of books are arriving soon so be sure to swing by and check them out!

Make-up tests can be completed Monday through Friday at 7:45 a.m. in the Testing Room (room 112). Students should be dropped off at the front door of the building. Please be sure students come prepared for taking a test which includes a pencil for math and a calculator (dependent upon grade level). A pen and/or Chromebook is necessary for all other subjects.

Garden City Teachers' Association's (GCTA)

13th Annual “GC For A Cure”

Saturday, April 9, 2022 — Rain or Shine

5K (3.1 mile) Timed Run/Walk — 9:00 a.m.

1 Mile Untimed Fun Run/Walk — 8:30 a.m.

Start/Finish at Garden City High School

170 Rockaway Avenue, Garden City, N.Y.

🍍Pineapple Race Series:

Participants of ALL three races, will receive a Medal/T-Shirt at GC for A Cure!

2021 Garden City Turkey Trot 5 Mile

2022 St. Joseph's Run for Tomorrow's Hope 5K

2022 GC For A Cure 5K

Registration is open for the 2022 SCOPE Summer Enrichment Program! Session 1 is July 5-15, 2022 and Session 2 is July 18-29, 2022. All courses will be held at Garden City High School. Registration deadline is June 1, 2022. Registration is available online only. For more information contact Dan Seid, the Summer Enrichment Program Coordinator at 631-873-8338 or dseid@scopeonline.us. Click here to register. View a catalogue of the programs being offered.

Looking to help out in your community? If you are a student entering grades 9-12 in September of 2022, sign up to be a volunteer helper at the Summer Enrichment Program! You will learn leadership skills, communication skills and child-care skills while helping out classroom teachers. Volunteers will earn community service hours and receive a letter of recommendation upon completion of the program. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/KyUW9f8Snic2B57PA

ABC will be having an Anti-Bullying Egg Hunt on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13, 2022. The club will hide 12 eggs each day. Students who find an egg with an anti-bullying message should stop by room 151 to receive a prize. One egg per student, please!

SAVE THE DATE!

PAY IT FORWARD DAY is Thursday, April 28, 2022

Students should wear blue or their student-designed Pay It Forward t-shirt. The shirts can be purchased for $12. Checks should be made payable to Garden City Middle School, and can be dropped off to Ms. Whiston in Guidance. Order forms were mailed home and are also available in the Guidance office. All proceeds from the sale of the shirt will benefit The Cancer Center of Mineola and the Anti-Bullying Club.

Pay It Forward Day is a global initiative that exists to make a difference by creating a huge ripple of kindness felt across the world. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can literally change the world for the better! For this year’s international Pay it Forward Day, the organization is aiming to inspire over 10 million acts of kindness around the world. Imagine the difference that would make! Here at Garden City Middle School, staff and students are going to do their part and pay kindness forward on this day and every day. If you would like to learn more about Pay It Forward Day or find suggestions about how you can spread kindness, click here.

Congratulations to the winners of the district-wide SSEP Mission Patch Competition, Maggie Rogers, grade 5, and Sophia Cresciullo, grade 7. Their patches will to be sent to the International Space Station! Over three thousand K-12 students participated in the competition, and the winning designs were voted on by teachers, administrators, and staff members. See their amazing artwork below!

We already shared that one of our student's experiments studying the effect of microgravity on the germination of tomato seeds was selected to be sent to the International Space Station. The experiment was designed by Bridget Coviello, Isabelle DeNoto, Samantha Racich and Elsie Ross (7th grade). We just learned that two more Garden City Middle School teams earned Honorable Mentions for their Spaceflight science experiments! The team of Merrick Fang, Aidan Eddelson and Colleen Irwin (teacher Ms. Petersen) were recognized for their project: The Effects of Microgravity on the Hardening and Strength of Concrete. The team of Riley Hansman, Eric Morales and Ashley Ryker (teacher Ms. Lebenns) were recognized for their project: How will microgravity affect germination of broccoli Brassica Oleracea var. italica seed?

The official T-shirt logo for the GCMS Space program was designed by seventh grade student Olivia Vendetti (science teacher Ms. Petersen). Her design was selected by her peers and worn by them on the seventh grade field trip to the Cradle of Aviation in December.

On March 8, 2022, Dr. Sinha, Dr. Cascio, Dr. Cannone and Ms. Lebenns honored all of the students who played a major role in the SSEP program. Each student was awarded a Certificate of Recognition.

The ‘Sally Ride Essay Contest’ will be open to all students in grades 6-12. In Spring of 2022 a statue of astronaut Sally Ride will be installed in front of the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, NY. One student from Garden City will be selected to unveil this monument during a ceremony that will honor the first American woman to fly to space and women’s contributions to space exploration.

On March 22, 2022, the GCMS Debate Team debated Mineola Middle School. It was their first live debate tournament since February 2020! The three teams were: Jennifer Roller and Amanat Jain; Everett Lehnert and Taylor Maguire; and Sarah Phinney and Sara Shamail. The alternates were Audrey Pressoir and Jonathan Yin.

There were three judges: Mr. Jack Fenty from Mineola, Mr. Matthew Samuelson, principal of Garden City Middle School, and Mr. Richard Connolly, Executive Director of the American Debate League (totally impartial).

All students from both teams were very well prepared, having spent many hours both during club time and at home researching and writing both sides of the resolution. Hours were also spent making sure they stood properly at the podium and made eye contact with the audience.

The topics debated were:

• Resolved: The U.S. Senate should eliminate the filibuster. GCMS was on the affirmative and won a unanimous three judge decision.
• Resolved: All schools should have armed guards. GCMS was on the negative and won a close two to one majority judge decision.
• Resolved: Social media is beneficial for society. GCMS was on the affirmative and won a unanimous three judge decision.

In the end, Garden City swept the tournament winning all three debates! Congratulations to the team!

Students are nominated for the “Kindness Counts” Award when they are caught in the act of committing a random act of kindness.

Congratulations to February's recipients: Jack Tricarico, Chiara Fascilla, Sonakshi Arora, Madelyn Gebhard, Michael Ragas, Aaronvir Johal, Elderver Sena, Regan Backer, Juliana Lago, Mihir Goyal, William Curley.

The Challenger Basketball Team was thrilled to be back on the court for the 2022 season. The team, comprised of middle and high school students, prides itself on sportsmanship, team work, and having a blast on the court.

This year, two new athletes, Alex Dickey and Jack Tricarico, joined the team from the Middle School. Both Alex and Jack were strong defensive players, who tracked back on defense and quickly grabbed rebounds. Each player could also be seen dribbling down the court on offense and making baskets. Alex and Jack also represented our school with huge smiles and team work at each game. We look forward to their next season on the team!

A highlight of the team this season was the annual Hoops for Hope game, held on March 9, 2022. The game ended with a buzzer-beater victory, but the real win was in the kindness displayed by both Garden City and Lynbrook on the court. The community support at this game was phenomenal and the packed stands meant the world to the players.

This game was a fundraiser organized by the Menges and the O’Hanlon Families to raise money for the I’m Not Done Yet Foundation. The I’m Not Done Yet Foundation was founded in memory of Bobby Menges, an active member of the GCHS Class of 2015 who lost his battle with cancer in 2017. The event and website donations raised $25,821 to help adolescent and young adult cancer patients live their lives as fully as possible.

Coaches Pappas, Goodwin, and Going would like to congratulate the entire team on such a fantastic season!

Students in Ms. Rupes’s 6th grade class got to sample some German desserts.

The students researched German desserts and learned why they were important to the German culture as well as their origin. The students shared their research before sharing the delicious desserts with the class. Some items brought in were Franzbrotchen, Streusel Cake, Schwarzwalder, Kirschtorte and more.

Grade 7 student Oliver Gibson is the winner of the "Six Word Love Story Contest" hosted by the Garden City Public Library. Oliver was awarded a $25 Amazon gift card for his six-word love poem, You were always what I needed.

The fourth meet of the Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary & Middle Schools (MOEMS) was held on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

5 students had 4 correct.

Tejas Bera, Owen Baker, Colby Wenk, Christian Roddini, and Ciaran Olcott

The numbers in the chart below are based on a total of 65 students participating in this meet.

Congratulations to all Math Olympians!

The next (and last) meet is Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Sixth graders at the Middle School were treated to a fantastic dance show performed by the Nritya Manch Dance Company on March 9. The assembly aligned with the sixth grade curriculum as students are currently learning about the history and culture of India in their social studies classrooms. Students and teachers were thrilled to have the opportunity to make curricular connections. Additionally, the Dances of India presentation helped students develop their knowledge and understanding of different cultures and heritages of the world.

Student Council members pose next to the NEW Student Suggestion Box located outside the cafeteria. A special thanks to Mr. Caputo for building it!

Students in the German Club got the hands-on experience of making their own marzipan. Marzipan is an almond-based dessert. The students had a fun time making the marzipan and then shaping it into fun shapes such as animals, monsters, and other creations. They first watched videos, viewed pictures, and learned about marzipan before making their marzipan creations, and finally enjoying the marzipan. The invention of marzipan is usually attributed to Lübeck, Germany. Legend has it that during a 15th century famine, when flour for making bread became scarce, the senate of Lübeck ordered bakers to create a replacement. Using eggs, sugar, and stores of almonds, the clever bakers came up with marzipan. A fun time was had by all!

Grade 7 students are all smiles on a recent day in the GCMS cafeteria.

Order your Garden City Sportswear today! The last day for online orders is Friday, April 29, 2022. Pick up will be June 4, 2022 at Garden City Middle School. The ship-to-home option is also available. All net proceeds benefit our programs and schools.

Orders are now being accepted for the PTA's annual school supply sale for students in grades K-8.

Follow the steps to order online today!

1. Log into www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks

2. Enter School ID: GAR054 (three letters, three numbers)

3. Follow the instructions to order online.

4. If the pack you are looking for is not listed, please email epi@misschocolate.com
and you will be contacted with payment information.

5. Please order for the grade your child will be in September 2022.

6. Deadline to order is Friday, April 15, 2022.

Please note: This is a general starter kit for each grade level. Additional supplies may be required by individual teachers. Please note kits do not include binders or calculators, which can be purchased separately via the site.

All school supplies ordered through the PTA sale will be ready for pick-up at Garden City Middle School in early June. Emails will be sent to all families who ordered packs with additional details as the date nears.

Visit the PTA site for more information.

On Thursday, April 21, 2022, Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism will be hosting a night of family fun at Adventureland. Individuals with autism, and their families and friends, will have unlimited access to the entire park with little waiting time. Best of all, the park will be filled with people who love, care for, and embrace individuals with autism. The park will be closed to the public for this event. Adventureland is located at 2245 Broad Hollow Road, Farmingdale (631-694-6868).

Advance purchase of tickets is highly encouraged to help reduce wait times at check-in on the night of the event. Advance purchase sales closes on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Tickets are $30.00 per guest. Children aged 2 and under do not require a ticket to enter. Tickets include unlimited access to all attractions.

RAINDATE: Monday, April 25, 2022 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Please note: It is the park's discretion if the event is rained out. Ticket holders will be notified via email, and updates will be posted on NSSA's social media pages.

Learn how to play the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons by participating in one of our monthly Dungeons and Dragons Meet-Ups on Thursday, April 7, 2022 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.

Beginners are welcome! Each meet-up will feature a new self-contained, one-shot adventure and players will be assigned premade characters to play.

Please register via Eventkeeper to participate in this program. Registration begins Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.