Welcome to Gotha Middle School!
Update - Week of 1/20/2025
Hello Gotha Families!
Report cards went home last Thursday, January 16th. Those grades are also available on Skyward Family Access. If you have questions about your student’s grades or progress, please reach out to their school counselor or teachers.
Next week, January 27th - 31st, we will participate in Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! We have a spirit week planned that includes theme days, opportunities for kids to read, compete in reading competitions with their teachers, and tap into their creative side to win prizes! Please consider donating to our wishlist of small giveaways. This year’s theme is Building Literacy: Constructing the Foundation for Success.
Our visits to feeder elementary schools began last week. If you know rising 6th grade families please let them know our Parent Step Up Information Night is Tuesday February 4th at 6:30 PM. We also anticipate having open seats for transfer students once again next year. If you know families of rising 6th, 7th or 8th grade students who want to be a part of our Grizzly Community, they are welcome to attend. We will also have a separate Gotha Transfer Night on February 18th.
On Wednesday we are hosting this month’s superintendent town hall at 6:30 in the media center. We will welcome Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez and Board Member Anne Douglas who will be answering your questions in a town hall forum.
Time is running out! Yearbooks and 8th grade ads are available for purchase. The ads must be designed, submitted, AND APPROVED by midnight on January 31. To purchase, go to store.shopyearbook.com/gotha. If you have any questions, reach out to Mrs. Miller at [email protected]. Don’t miss your chance to highlight your 8th grader in this year’s yearbook!
LITERACY FOCUS OF THE WEEK
Here are this week’s roots. Make sure your student knows that if they find me and use a root in a word and can tell me what the root means, they can get a Bear Buck! Several students have been taking advantage of this opportunity to show what they know!
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1/20/25
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Root
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Meaning
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Examples
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kinesis
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movement
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Kinetic, photokinesis
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lev
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To lift
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Levitate, elevate
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log
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thought
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Logic, apologize, analogy
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logos
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Word, study
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Astrology, biology, theologian
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manu
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hand
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Manual, manicure, manipulate
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SCHOOL WIDE EXPECTATIONS
From time to time, group chats and social media posts that happen outside of school spill over into the school day. Please consider monitoring your student’s electronic devices. Some research shows that excessive use of social media platforms can lead to a lack of student motivation and negative student behavior both toward peers and educators. Talk to your student about who they are chatting with and how they are feeling. If you have concerns, please reach out to us.
As always, the code of conduct can be found here.
THIS WEEK AT THE SCHOOL
Monday 1/20 - NO SCHOOL: Take a moment to read about the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Tuesday 1/21 - Elementary Visit @ Windermere ES
Wednesday 1/22 - Grizzly Great Celebration; Superintendent’s Town Hall @ 6:30pm
Thursday 1/23
Friday 1/24 - Elementary Visit @ Frangus ES
Follow us on social media, as we post frequently to Facebook and Instagram. Encourage your student to make choices that are confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged, and as always, it’s a GREAT day to be a Grizzly!
Monica L. Emery
Principal
Gotha Middle School
2024 LipDub!
Facebook - Gotha Middle School
Instagram - gotha_middle_school
Reminders:
FORTIFY FL APP
FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials. Students have access to the app through LaunchPad.
WHO’S WHO
Need to know who to contact with questions? Check out our Who’s Who for 2024-25.
SCHOOL COUNSELORS
Ms. Soper - 6th grade and 7th grade A-K
Ms. Lewis - 7th grade L-Z and 8th grade
TALKING POINTS
Instructions on how to get the app can be found below.
English
Spanish
Portuguese
Haitian Creole
PARKING
When you come on campus, you may see some beautifully decorated parking spaces! As part of a fundraiser, some staff members have purchased a spot. We appreciate your effort to not park in any labeled, blocked off or painted parking spot.
YEARBOOKS
Yearbooks are already on sale and can be purchased for $40 on our school website by clicking on “Students” and then “Yearbook”. Ads can also be purchased for 8th grade Grizzlies for an additional charge. You can reach out to Mrs. Miller at [email protected] if you have any questions.
GOTHA PTO
I encourage all of you to join our WONDERFUL Gotha PTO. With our PTO, you can choose your level of involvement, but it’s a GREAT way to always be in the know with all things Gotha. Go to https://gothapto.ptboard.com/home to register. You can also purchase Spirit Wear for your student. Every Wednesday is Gotha Spirit Day and we encourage all things purple and teal!
ATHLETICS
Aktivate Athlete Registration Guide/Tutorial- English Click Here
Aktivate Athlete Registration Guide/Tutorial- Spanish Click Here
Athletic Physical Packet Click Here
Deadline Dates for completed Athletic Packet submitted
Track- Deadline is February 27th @ 11:59 P.M.
Contact Info: [email protected]
www.ocps.net
Office Hours
8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m., Mon-Fri
School Hours
9:30a.m. - 4:04p.m. (MTRF)
9:30a.m. - 2:54p.m. (W)