GMS Weekly News and Notes
Weekly Recap
On Wednesday, we began the fall after-school club period. A record number of GMS students signed up and participated, which was wonderful to see. Some of our first week highlight photos are included below.
On Friday, we wrapped up our annual Fit 4 Funds event with a terrific day of activities with our staff and students. Keep reading for more highlights from that event as well. In general, it has been wonderful to see the academic, creative, and athletic talents of our GMS students on full display over the past couple of weeks. It has been equally wonderful to see so many of our teachers and other staff members volunteer their time and energy in support of programs that allow our students to shine in any number of ways.
Please note that our first GMS school council meeting will take place Monday, October 3rd at 5pm in the library. It will be followed by our first GMS CAPT meeting of the year at 6:30. All GMS parents and guardians are welcome!
Finally, please note that all CPS schools will be closed this Wednesday, October 5th in observance of Yom Kippur. We wish a good holiday to all members of our community who observe.
Exploring History through the Arts
After-school club highlights!
CPS Equity Audit
Dear CPS Families,
We are extremely pleased to launch our Canton Public Schools Equity Audit, which is a top priority in the 2022-23 District Action Goals. Canton Public Schools has hired Public Consulting Group (PCG) to conduct the Districtwide Equity Audit.
The goal of this Equity Audit is to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the educational experience of Canton Public School students. Upon completion of the audit, CPS will receive recommendations on how we can move towards achieving successful outcomes for each student in our community. An essential component of this work is hearing a wide range of voices from across our District.
As a part of the Equity Audit, PCG is conducting a Student Voice Survey. Students at GMS and CHS will be asked to provide their perceptions of their experiences at CPS. Topics such as teacher and student relationships, student voice, and student learning will be addressed.
The survey will take place during school for no more than 15 – 20 minutes. The survey will be anonymous, and participation is not required. Students have the option to opt-out of the survey through a parent/guardian opt-out letter or non-participation on the day of survey administration.
We appreciate your participation and support as we work towards identifying and addressing practices, policies, and communications that may contribute to inequities across our District. We are committed to building a high-performing School District in which each and every student achieves one’s full academic and personal potential in safe, welcoming, equitable, and inclusive learning environments.
You can learn more about the Equity Audit through the Equity Audit FAQ.
Sincerely,
Derek Folan
Superintendent
Canton Public Schools
Fit 4 Funds!
I want to express my deep gratitude to our families and community members for their generosity in sponsoring our students. I also want to express special thanks to GMS CAPT president Catherine Hoberg for all of her help in planning, organizing, and supplying Fit 4 Funds. We raised more than $35,000 in two weeks! These funds will all be put back into special events and programs for our GMS students, ensuring that we will be able to offer unique and fun extracurricular activities for all. What a great way to close out the first month of the school year!
Breast Cancer Awareness T Shirts
The Student Leadership Council will be selling t-shirts for breast cancer awareness with all proceeds benefiting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Short sleeve t-shirts will be $15 and long sleeve t-shirts will be available for $20. Attached is the order form and all orders must be placed by Friday, October 7th. Please reach out to Ms. Dineen (dineenj@cantonma.org) or Mr. Fuller (fullerj@cantonma.org) with any questions.
GMS Bulldog Scholar-Athletes of the Week
Congratulations to Allison Carty '29 and Minh Hong '27 from the GMS cross-country team for being named Bulldog Scholar-Athletes of the Week!
Two notes about lunch
We have noticed a trend in the last week or so where students are challenging one another to eat a brand of extremely spicy potato chip during lunch. The chips are not sold at GMS, and while they are not illicit, we have found that the spice sticks to fingers and gets into eyes. Our nurses have seen an uptick in visits related to these kinds of mishaps. I ask, with respect, that parents refrain from sending students to school with these extremely spicy chips.
GMS CAPT Corner
Canton Association of Parents and Teachers (CAPT) is the non-profit parent/teacher organization at GMS. Our families help to provide and enriched educational experience for our students by supplementing their daily curriculum with in-school programs, curricular and extra-curricular field trips, and cultural celebration activities. All of this is accomplished through small annual membership dues, active family fundraising efforts, and our team of dedicated volunteers. CAPT needs YOU to volunteer, so please join our first meeting if you can.
First GMS CAPT Meeting: Monday, October 3rd at 6:30PM in the GMS library.
If you have any questions, or are interested in volunteering ,please reach out to galvincapt@gmail.com
Important dates to note
- Monday, October 3rd: School Council Meeting, 5pm @ GMS Library. All are welcome.
- Monday, October 3rd: CAPT Meeting, 6:30pm @ GMS Library
- Wednesday, October 5th: CPS schools closed in observance of Yom Kippur
- Thursday, October 6th: Math Team informational meeting, 2:15 in Room 308
- Monday, October 10th: CPS schools closed for Columbus Day
Canton Community Calendar
William H. Galvin Middle School
Courtney Gaboury, Administrative Assistant
Jim Spillane, Assistant Principal
Amy Muldoon, Special Education Team Chair
Karim Gibson, Dean of Students
Email: mulhernj@cantonma.org
Website: https://www.cantonma.org/gms/index
Location: 55 Pecunit Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: 781-821-5070
Twitter: @GalvinMiddle