Good Evening Panther Families, we hope everyone has had a fantastic Spring Break. Whether you were at home or out of town, we hope you are feeling rested, excited for the last chunk of the school year, focused to continue to encourage our students demonstrating their learning on the end of year assessments, and looking forward to end of the year activities & trips.
Upcoming Dates/Events:
Monday 4/28/25 is an A Day for exploratory classes
District Calendar: The school district calendar for the 24-25 school year is linked here:
New Updates
Math DeSSA this Week: This Tuesday & Wednesday, students will be taking the math portion of our Delaware state assessment. We have worked hard as a community this year, and we have seen a lot of progress and growth in all students. Please encourage your child to get a good night’s sleep and show their best effort to demonstrate their learning. We’ve got this! The assessment will occur from 8:20-10:20 on Tuesday & Wednesday. Afterwards, we will follow an adjusted class schedule for the day. Please view video about assessment security with your student here from the Delaware Department of Education:
Panther Sports: Upcoming games/meets are here: https://www.panthers-sports.com/
Wednesday: Home games/meets on Wednesday vs McCullough.
Student Kudos: 7th Grade Desmos spring break activity in Mrs. Kalb’s Math class. Also, the students that participated in Spring Break Math Zoom with Mrs. Hayden
Field Trip this Week: 7th Grade students to the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, students & staff leaving @ 9:15 & returning @ 1:30.
6th Grade Career Day: Friday afternoon, on May 2, from 1:15 to the end of the day, 6th grade students will engage with community members in a career day. 6th Grade Career Day 5/2/25
Colonial Compass this Week: Thursday is Colonial Compass Day instead of Wednesday. Students will report to their Compass classroom for period 5 on Thursday.
Upcoming 6th & 7th Grade Dance: Get ready to dance at our Spring Fling Dance! 🌷🎶
Who: 6th & 7th Grade Students, What: Spring Fling Dance, When: May 2nd from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm , Where: Gunning Bedford Middle School Cafeteria
Come ready for a night of music, dancing, snacks, and fun with friends! 🎈🍿🎵
Please see the flyer here for more details: May 2nd 2025 6th & 7th Grade Dance.png
Updates from 6th grade teachers: Please see weekly update here for 6th grade families: document will be updated each week by 6th grade staff:
Updates from 7th grade teachers: Please see weekly update here for 7th grade families: document will be updated each week by 7th grade staff:
Update from Grade Level Administrators:
Update from 6th grade assistant principal, Dr. Thomas-Brown:
Update from 7th grade administrator, Mr. Sopkanich:
Update from 8th grade assistant principal, Mrs. Nowell
Rolling Updates
One School, One Book Final Project Completed: Thank you so much for your support during our One Book, One School program this year. As a recap, the students and staff of Gunning Bedford read the novel LINKED by Gordon Korman. Please view the summary of the final project here:
Colonial School District March/April Math Family Newsletter: It is linked here with lots of great resources and information! Please check out!
IXL Math Club: IXL Math is a great way to sharpen your math skills through engaging, interactive lessons that help you improve at your own pace. By joining the IXL Math Club, you’ll not only boost your math abilities but also have the chance to participate in fun field trips and earn Hayden Bucks, which can be redeemed for rewards. Participation takes place in-person on Thursdays after school, with after school buses available, or virtually for added flexibility. Please see linked fliers IXL Club Flier 24-25 SY.pdf IXLMathClubRegistration.pdf or contact Crystal.braxton@colonial.k12.de.us Lozetta.hayden@colonial.k12.de.us
2024-2025 Yearbook Order Information: Order a yearbook for your student Link to order is here:
William Penn Cheerleading Tryouts for 8th Graders: Any 8th grader interested in trying out for the William Penn Cheer team. The links are below with the information. https://www.colonialssports.com/page26352 https://forms.gle/Sxy5o7UNe6cqes8c9
Colonial Compass: Colonial Compass continues this week on Wednesday during period 5. Colonial Compass is a Colonial designed high school and career-readiness course for middle school students. The goal of Colonial Compass is to increase career exploration at the middle school level. The course is designed to be implemented for 30 minutes, once a week. The course curriculum is being used by all three middle schools for 24-25 SY. The vision for the Colonial Compass program is for middle schoolers to leave middle school prepared for high school, college, and career. We want to empower students to better understand themselves and discover their greatest potential. Our vision is that students will leave middle school with an actionable plan to help them reach their high school, college, and career goals.
Car Rider Drop-off and Pickup Details: Parents/guardians, please stay in your car during pickup. It ensures a safe experience for students, families, and staff. 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. Our doors open at 7:55AM each day. Please be mindful of dropping off students before then 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.
Health Office Information: Please view a letter from our school nurse, Mrs. Taylor: GB 2024-2025 Greetings from Nurse Taylor.docx Please coordinate any medication drop-offs with Nurse Taylor, medication must be brought to school by a parent/guardian.
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:
Early Dismissal Procedure: We must check the ID of the persons picking up before releasing the child. Please ensure early dismissals are completed prior to 2:00 PM.
Breakfast & Lunch for students: All students at Gunning Bedford get free breakfast & lunch each day. 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 are:
| 8 lunch: 11:05-11:35 | 6 Lunch: 11:47-12:17 | 7 Lunch: 12:27-12:57 |
Student cellphone expectations: Please review the letter and research linked here on our cellphone expectations for students. We have an expectation for a cell phone use free experience for students during the school day. When students arrive at school, their phones are to be out of sight and not in use. After School Activities Pick-Up Details: Please do not park in the first 5 bus slots or along the sidewalk outside of the auditorium. Both areas are noted in the map below by a blue ‘X.’
Student Lockers, Coats, Cellphones, & Expectations for Dress: Students are to use their lockers to store their coats and bags each day. Students have access to their lockers multiple times during the school day to pick-up/dropoff items. Students are to not wear backpacks or coats during the school day. Students are to use their own lock on their lockers. Students are to not wear hats, hoods, or sunglasses inside the building. Link for Code of Conduct & Colonial Expectations for Dress:. Also, student horseplay is not appropriate at school. Students are to keep hands/feet to themselves.
Change of Address/information Documents: Link in Spanish: Link in English:
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 *The bills need to be in the parent or guardian’s name.
Grade level Administrators & Counselors: The names and contact emails for our grade administrators and school counselors are listed below. They are your go-to contacts for supporting your student.
Administration School Counselors
| 6th Grade AP: Dr. Thomas-Brown | 6th Grade: Ms. Sheppard |
| 7th Grade Administrator: Mr. Sopkanich | 7th Grade: Mr. Arent |
| 8th Grade AP: Mrs. Nowell | 8th Grade: Ms. Pine |
| ILC Administrator: Mrs. Eger | |
| Principal: Mr. Johnston |
Have a great rest of the day and remember, you can’t hide that Panther Pride!
Sincerely,
Bill Johnston
Principal
Gunning Bedford Middle School