Good Evening Panther Families,
We hope everyone stayed dry and safe this weekend with the tropical storm in the area. It was a pleasure to see many of you at our Open House last week. Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to have a great year together in supporting our student’s growth.
Upcoming events: Tomorrow, 9/25, is an A day for exploratory classes.
New Period 5 classes starting on Monday: All students will have new period 5 classes starting on Monday as we begin our Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports for students. Teachers will go over the new sections with students tomorrow. The MTSS sections will provide students the opportunity to go deeper in activities around Math, reading, & social/emotional learning.
First Fall Sports Games: Home field hockey & soccer games on Wednesday 9/27. Games start at 3:30 PM; GO PANTHERS!
Family Connections: (like a Parent/Teacher Organization) meeting on 9/28 from 5:30PM-6:30PM
District Calendar: The school district calendar for the 23-24 school year is linked here:
New Updates:
YMCA Partnership: The Bear-Glasgow Family YMCA is excited to offer a fall program for middle school students. The WOW program provides students with experiences focusing on health active living through fitness, sports, team building and volunteer opportunities. Please see the link here for more details and how to sign-up!
Updates from Grade Level: Please see updates from our grade level administrators and staff here:
6th Grade: 7th Grade: 8th Grade:
Fall Sports & After School Activities: Co-ed Soccer and girls field hockey are underway! For questions about sports, please contact our athletic director, Mr. Brelick via email, here:
Field Hockey Schedule of Games Soccer Schedule of Games
Link for Code of Conduct & Colonial Expectations for Dress: Please see link for a reminder for our district expectations for dress and this year’s code of conduct. Please remind students about our cellphone expectations of devices being away while at school. Students are able to use YONDR pouches and/or have phones remain in their bags. A brief presentation about our cellphone expectations is linked here: Also, student horseplay is not appropriate at school. Students are to keep hands/feet to themselves.
Theatre Arts: Many families inquired about our Theater program at Open House. I am hopeful to share an update in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for your patience.
Health and Wellness: In the wake of the recent “one chip challenge” we want you to be aware that students of all ages are being influenced to participate in numerous “social media challenges” some of which pose significant health risks up to and including hospitalization. We encourage you to discuss these challenges with your children and discourage them from engaging in risky behaviors.
DEMA Siren Test: On October 3rd at 10:45am, DEMA will be conducting a “Full Blown Siren Test” of the sirens within the 10 mile radius of the Salem-Hope Creek Generating Stations. This will consist of steady 3 – 5 minute soundings of the emergency sirens. This test affects the areas around Southern, Wilbur, and Gunning Bedford.
Rolling Updates
End of Marking Period Dates: Marking Period 1: 11/1/23: Marking Period 2: 1/24/23: Marking Period 3: 3/21/23: Marking Period 4: 6/6/23
Health Office Information: Our school nurse is Ms. Taylor & her email is: olivia.taylor@colonial.k12.de.
Car Rider Drop-off and Pickup Details: If your student is being driven to school, please review the images linked before on where drop-off and pick-up is located. am and pm. AM is in the front of the building, PM is on the side of the building. Staff will be present to support in building the routine with students and families. Please be patient with students, staff and our fellow families as we learn together. Our doors open at 7:55AM each day. Please be mindful of dropping off students before than as staff are not outside. In the afternoon, car rider dismissal begins at 2:37PM on the side of the building. Families will pull into the parking lot on the side of the building and form a line that goes up and around the lot. Please follow the directions of staff supporting the dismissal to ensure a safe dismissal for all.
Breakfast & Lunch for students: All students at Gunning Bedford get free breakfast & lunch each day. Students can pack their breakfast or lunch as well. Students are not able to have any outside delivery food for lunch time; For example no Door-Dash or UberEats delivery. The lunch times for students is:
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11:05-11:35 |
8 lunch |
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11:47-12:17 |
6 lunch |
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12:27-12:57 |
7 lunch |
The district Nutrition website is linked here: https://www.
New Main Entrance: This summer, there was construction completed at Gunning Bedford to our main entrance. Families and visitors will now use a new entrance that goes directly into the office instead of the hallway. Please follow the signage and newly laid sidewalk to enter the building.
Support Links for Families: –Please use this link for more information & FAQ about Home Access Center –To update the contact information you have on file please fill out the form linked here:
Grade level Administrators & Counselors: The names and contact emails for our grade level assistant principals, student advisor and school counselors are listed below. They are your go-to contacts for supporting your student. Dr. Stoffa will be the 7th grade administrator and Ms. Payne-Miller will be the administrator for the ILC for the rest of the school year.
Administration School Counselors
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6th Grade AP: Dr. Thomas-Brown |
6th Grade: Ms. Sheppard |
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7th Grade Student Advisor: Dr. Stoffa |
7th Grade: Mr. Arent |
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8th Grade AP: Mrs. Nowell |
8th Grade: Ms. Pine |
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ILC Administrator: Mrs. Melissa Eger |
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Principal: Mr. Johnston |
No Chorus at this time: At this time, Gunning Bedford does not have a chorus teacher. The position is vacant and a job posting is up. We hope to be able to fill the position as soon as possible.
Upcoming events around the district:
William Penn Homecoming Day: 10/7/23: Would your organization or group like to walk in our 2023 parade as we celebrate homecoming for William Penn High School? We would love to have you join us! Visit https://bit.ly/wpparade23 to let us know! Want to be a vendor at the 2023 Fall Festival? Crafters, Businesses, Organizations. Would you like to have a table representing your organization or company. We would love to have you join us at our festival!. Visit https://bit.ly/wpffvendors to register! *Limited spaces available, ** Restrictions Apply
Where’s the Bus Application: CSD is now offering the “Where’s the Bus” app to provide parents and students with timely information about the location of your child’s bus. Using GPS technology, this app will show you and your child how many more miles your bus is from the bus stop.
Change of Address/information Documents: Link in Spanish: Link in English:
If you have updated your address or contact information, please use the link below, to complete the form so that the office is aware of the change, and we can update your student’s file as soon as possible. Please note that in order to update or change your address you need to provide proof of residency and below is the list of acceptable documents for this: Utility Bill: Electric, Water, Sewer, Lease/Deed/Mortgage *Please note these bills need to be in the parent or guardian’s name.
Have a great rest of the day and remember, you can’t hide that Panther Pride!
Sincerely,
Mr. Johnston
Principal
Gunning Bedford Middle School