Rocketeer Newsletter
Goddard Middle School - Home of the Titans
State Testing - CRUSH THE CAASPP!
Dear Goddard Students:
We have State testing this Wednesday and Thursday and then again next Wednesday and Thursday. We will be CRUSHING THE CAASPP English Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) this Wednesday and the Math Performance task test on Thursday.
Remember the following:
Be on time to school each day for testing because you will be checking into your Period 1 class on testing days for only ten minutes to take attendance and to receive information from Dr. Akhverdyan. You will then be dismissed to report to your Period 3 class, which is your testing period. All of us are going to be testing in our Period 3 class unless you receive a slip telling you to report to another room.
Bring your fully charged chromebooks with your chargers daily.
Bring headphones if you want to use your own (no Airpods or bluetooth devices). If you don’t have a headphone, we have plenty and will provide you with one.
Keep your apple watches or smart watches and cell phones in your backpacks during testing time.
When taking the test:
Read each question and the directions carefully and take your time as you answer the questions.
DO NOT RUSH IT SO YOU CAN CRUSH IT! State tests are UNTIMED tests. If you need more time on the test, Dr. Akhverdyan will call you out to the library to finish.
Before taking the test:
Titans, you got this! You’ve been learning all year long and now it is time to celebrate that learning and knowledge.
Eat some breakfast so you have plenty of energy. The cafeteria will have breakfast as usual.
Get a good night's sleep so that you are rested!
Don’t stress out or overthink this. You’re going to do just fine.
2024 GHS Incoming Freshman Football Parent Meeting
The Glendora High School football program will be holding a parent information meeting on Thursday, May 9th at 6:30 PM in the GHS Little Theater and will provide information and expectations for the 2024 GHS Football season. We encourage all parents to attend this very important and informative meeting. Please note: Prior information sent out to Freshman families included May 7th as the meeting date. This has been updated due to the Ross festival. We appreciate all your assistance.
Current Grade 8 Students: Join Choir Next Year at GHS!
Calling all Future Tartans,
Do you like to sing and dance?
Do you want to be a part of a supportive community that encourages you to be the best version of yourself?
Do you want the opportunity to get your elective AND PE credit in the SAME CLASS?
Do you want the opportunity to perform at festivals and competitions all over the country?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Glendora High School Show Choir is the place for you! This is your opportunity to join an award-winning program where you will learn how to be incredible singers, dancers, and performers and will create lifelong friendships that you will cherish forever.
Please follow us on Instagram at @glendorashowchoirs for more information.
Click Here to watch an informative video on choir with student testimonials.
Here is the audition schedule:
Auditions will take place in the choir room (Room 10) at Glendora High School
- Monday, April 22, 3:30 to 5:30 PM - learn the audition dance
- Tuesday & Wednesday, April 23-34, 3:30PM to 5:30 PM - dance workshops with current members of Royal Stewarts. A safe, risk-free place to practice the dance with current choir members as well as an opportunity to chat about what being in choir is like. These sessions are optional, but highly encouraged
- Thursday, April 25, 3:30 to 5:30 PM - Dance audition. Once you finish your dance audition, you are free to go
- Friday, April 26th, 2:45 PM to 6:00 PM - Singing audition with Mr. Davis. For the singing audition, please prepare 30 seconds to a minute of any song. You can sing acapella (without accompaniment) or with a karaoke track played on your phone, but please don't sing with anything that has words on it.
No experience is necessary to join choir and any students who are interested are welcome and encouraged to apply. If you have any questions at all, please email Mr. Davis at mdavis@glendora.k12.ca.us. We can't wait to meet you auditions!
READ MORE! Have you done your 10+ pages today?
Titans: Be sure to do your 10+ pages of reading daily. Remember, if you read 10+ pages a day, that’s over 70+ pages a week, which adds up to 280+ pages a month. THAT MEANS you’re reading one novel a month, which is pretty amazing if you think about it.
Remember, great things and big things all have small and humble beginnings. Big achievements always start with small steps. Keep on reading your 10 plus pages a day!
Parents: Consider buying 2-3 copies of the same book and read as a family and then come together during dinner time to discuss the book. It's a great way to encourage reading and to spend some quality time with the family. Read, read, and read some more!
GUSD Musical Double Feature! - Orchestra & Band May 7 & 8
Thank You Parents and Students
I have received amazing projects! Thank you so much for taking the time to complete these. If you still need more time to complete them, please turn them in next week!
Parents as Partners Project
Robert H. Goddard Middle School is dedicated to collaborating with Parents as Partners in their child’s education. There are several ways to actively participate in events and activities at Goddard through the PTA, School Site Council, English Learner Advisory Committee, and more. However, we also want to acknowledge and celebrate the efforts of our Titan parents/guardians in their endeavors outside of school, which greatly contribute to the engagement and education of our students. Parent involvement in schools extends beyond participating at the school itself. Everything you are doing at home with your children directly influences the choices your children make at school and in life. We want to recognize and celebrate all the amazing ways you are contributing to both the academic and social emotional growth and development of your children. Please complete and turn in the coupons below along with other requested materials to Dr. Akhverdyan by Friday, April 12, 2024. In the end, you should have a beautifully designed booklet with all the coupons, reflections, photos, pamphlets, and tickets compiled together. Students/parents who turn in a completed booklet, will receive a “Parents as Partners” school engagement award at the end of the school year. You must complete at least 15 coupons and each coupon may only be used once to qualify for an award. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Akhverdyan directly. Have fun with this!
Tdap and 2 Varicella Immunizations for Current Grade 6 students - URGENT
RE: Immunizations for Current Grade 6 students. Please see email and important links below from our District Nurse. Connect with our Goddard Health Clerk, Mrs. Jeckell, if you have additional questions by emailing her at pjeckell@glendora.k12.ca.us
Dear Goddard Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
As you may be aware, the State of California requires all incoming 7th graders to show proof of Tdap and 2 Varicella vaccines (or valid medical exemption through CAIR-ME) prior to attending 7th grade. See below for detailed information regarding Tdap and Varicella, as well as answers to frequently asked questions. If your student has not yet received these immunizations, please contact your child’s medical provider right away.
In order for your child to receive a schedule for the 2024/2025 school year and start 7th grade, you will need to do one of the following before school begins:
Provide documentation showing that your child has all required immunizations.
Submit a medical exemption from CAIR-ME for any missing immunizations See Shots For Schools for more information.
What is a medical exemption? A medical exemption is statement from a physician (M.D. or D.O.) licensed in California which:
Is filed through the CAIR-ME online system.
Names the specific nature of the physical condition or medical circumstances of the child for which a licensed physician does not recommend immunization.
Each specific required vaccine that is being exempted.
If the medical exemption is permanent or temporary.
If the exemption is temporary, an expiration date no more than 12 calendar months from the date of signing.
If you do not have a medical provider or do not have insurance, please contact Jackie Rojas, jackierojas@glendora.k12.ca.us, for a list of community based clinics.
This is also a good time to discuss any other immunization needs. Although Tdap and 2 Varicella are required for school entry, it is recommended that your child also obtain Meningococcal and HPV vaccines in this age group. If you have any questions regarding these vaccines please contact your child’s medical provider.
Students entering 7th grade who do not meet the immunization requirements will NOT be able to attend school and Parent/Student will NOT be able to pick up schedules/books during the summer schedule pick-up days.
Please upload your child’s immunization record(s) or valid CAIR-ME exemption to this GOOGLE FORM - CLICK HERE. If the school site or district needs further information you will be contacted.
Please complete this by May 31, 2024
Thank you for helping us keep your child, our school, and our community safe and healthy.
Sincerely, Sonia Dell’Aquila,
District Nurse
Important Notice Regarding Student Pickup Times
Dear Goddard Parents,
We have observed an increasing number of students being picked up later than 4:00 PM, extending to 4:30 PM and even 5:00 PM. Our school dismissal times are 2:37 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 12:32 PM on Thursdays. We kindly request your support in picking up your students promptly every day. If your child is walking or biking back home, it’s important they do so right away. Please keep in mind that we do NOT have supervision after school. Glendora Unified also offers Extended Day Care. Please CLICK HERE to learn more about that.
Quick Links
Emergency Contact Information/Student Release Authorization
Goddard Parents/Guardians:
Please make sure that you have all of your emergency contact information and student release authorizations updated on Aeries. This information is very important in the event of an emergency when we have to release students to parents/guardians and/or emergency contacts/authorized contacts for student release. Individuals listed under the emergency contacts should be at least 18 years of age. Regularly update this information to include the most updated names and contact information. Please also try and include multiple people on this list.
EDITING CONTACTS IN YOUR PARENT PORTAL
Click on Student Info
Click on Contacts
Click on the +ADD button to add a new contact OR Click on the pencil to edit a contact
You will be able to edit all fields within the contact
Homework Club
Homework Club is Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 2:45-3:45pm in the Goddard Library. There is NO Homework Club on Thursdays, on Fridays, or on any minimum days. Please arrange for timely pickup with your student on the days that they decide to stay for Homework Club. Very few students stay for the entire hour and most students actually spend between 25-35 minutes at Homework Club so please make sure you are checking in with your student each time they decide to stay. Our amazing Goddard teachers, Mr. Summers and Mrs. Sullivan, will be the two lead teachers running Homework Club. Students can also log into Paper online tutoring during this time and get support from Paper tutors.
The Goddard Way
Titans:
All of us at Goddard, from our teachers, counselors, and teacher aides to our administrators and office staff, believe in you and we believe in your ability to excel academically in all of your classes and to contribute to the Goddard Way of helping your fellow classmates, showing love and compassion for everyone on campus, and to respecting and cooperating with your teachers and peers by following our school rules, exemplifying positive behaviors, and always putting your best effort in everything that you do!
We are already proud of you and we expect and even DEMAND only great things from each and every one of you. We know that you can all achieve great things if you work hard and believe in yourself! It’s the only way to do it!
Goddard is Excellence, Pride, Tradition, Community, and Family.
Make good decisions. Be kind. Learn, love, and have an amazing Goddard Day, Titans!
WeTiP
Glendora Unified School District is committed to providing a safe, secure, and healthy environment that allows every student to be learning in every classroom, in every subject, every day. We believe that our students and staff have the right to be free of bullying, threats, intimidation, and harassment while on our campuses or participating in or being associated with any school/district related activity. That is why Glendora Unified School District is committed to partnering with our families, students, staff, and community to provide an effective way to take action.
In our District, we encourage our community to “Anonymously Submit a Tip” if you have witnessed bullying, are a victim of threats or bullying or are aware of or concerned about threats or bullying incidents that might take place. Please report the information in one of the ways described below.
For emergencies, please call 911.
You may file a report using our online Incident Reporting System, by calling the school or district, or by reporting in person to any staff member.
When you make a report using the online Incident Reporting System, you can remain anonymous, or you have the option to identify yourself and communicate with the administration.
Incident reports are received by administration when they are filed and are reviewed as soon as possible. All reports are taken seriously and are acted upon in a timely manner. As each incident is different, each will warrant a different reaction and timeline for action.
By submitting this online report, you declare under the laws of the State of California that your enclosed statements are true and correct.
Bicycle Safety
All students who use the bicycle rack in front of the school need to lock up their scooters and bikes daily. We are seeing many bicycles and scooters unlocked on a daily basis.
If you have a child who is riding their bike to school, please also talk to them about bicycle safety. Refer to the DMV page to learn more about bicycle safety by clicking here.
Protect yourself. Wear a helmet. Make sure your helmet is properly fitted, and wear it according to manufacturer directions. Helmets provide protection from potentially life-threatening head injuries.
Safety Concerns Regarding Student Bicycle and Scooter Usage
Dear Goddard Families,
I am writing to address a growing concern regarding the safety of our students while riding bicycles and scooters to and from school. It has come to our attention that there is a noticeable increase in students engaging in erratic and dangerous riding behavior, which is putting their safety at risk.
Many students are not wearing helmets while riding, which is an important safety measure.
Additionally, students are not obeying basic traffic safety rules, further endangering themselves and others. This behavior has become particularly problematic with the increasing number of students opting for electric/motor scooters and bicycles.
Specifically, we have received teacher and staff reports about students riding on the streets, especially on Loraine and Sierra Madre, at high speeds and in an unsafe manner. This poses a significant risk to their safety and the safety of others on the road.
Mr. Zernickow, our assistant principal, has been actively monitoring these situations and will be speaking to individual students when specific instances are observed. He will also call parents to inform them about their specific student. However, we need the support and cooperation of all parents to address this issue effectively.
We kindly request that you talk to your children about bicycle and scooter safety. Emphasize the importance of wearing helmets (properly) at all times, following traffic rules, and practicing safe riding habits.
It is our collective responsibility to create a safe environment for our children, both within and outside the school premises.
Refer to the DMV page to learn more about bicycle safety by clicking here.
Please Drive Safely: Our Students - Your Children - Are Walking
Goddard families:
Let us please recommit to safe driving practices in and around our schools. Drop-off and pick-up at schools is never fun, can oftentimes be stressful, and traffic is usually an issue, but we really must slow it down to keep our students safe.
Safe Driving Pledge
Residents who make the “Safe Driving Pledge” are entered into a drawing, and the winner(s) will be announced by the Glendora Police Department in spring 2024. Prizes will be donated by community organizations. Residents are not eligible for a prize if they have received a traffic or parking citation in the school zones during the school year.
Goddard Middle School
Website: www.GoddardTitans.Net
Location: Goddard Middle School, Sierra Madre Avenue, Glendora, CA, USA
Phone: 626-852-4500