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Gotha Update - Week of February 16, 2026

Posted Date: 02/15/26 (06:30 PM)
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Gotha Update

2025-2026 be the ONE.

Week of February 16, 2026

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend. As a reminder, there is no school on Monday February 16th in observance of Presidents’ Day. The office is also closed. We will reopen on Tuesday February 17th.
 

8th Grade Updates and Reminders

The 8th Grade Dance is February 21st. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at https://gothapto.ptboard.com/home ONLY. The last day to purchase tickets is Monday February 16th. We are looking for volunteers that can help set up at the school that morning any time during 8:00 and 12:00. We also need help at the conclusion of the dance to help break things down from 8:00 - 9:30. The more of us who can help, the faster it will go. Please reach out to our 8th Grade Dance Committee @ https://gothapto.ptboard.com.

Do you want to celebrate your 8th Grader? 8th Grade Yard Signs can be purchased at https://gothapto.ptboard.com/home - $20 if you can pick it up at the school or $25 if you need it delivered.

For your planning purposes, 8th Grade Gradventure tickets will be on sale February 22nd - March 23rd for $140 through Schoolcash.

Middle to High Transition Night is Tuesday the 17th @ 6:00pm. High school is a major transition, and we want to ensure you have the "real deal" before your student steps onto the Olympia High School campus. Join us for an essential parent and student night designed to decode the next four years.

Event Details:
Location: Gotha Media Center
Date: Tuesday, February 17
Time: 6:00 pm

We will cover much more than just picking classes. This session is designed to give you the insider secrets and hacks needed to navigate high school successfully and ensure your student is prepared for the post-secondary plan of their choice.

Olympia High School Counselors will be at Gotha on Friday the 20th to help students pick their classes for next year.
 

Gotha Celebrates Black History Month

Throughout February, we have proudly celebrated Black History Month as a school community — and now it’s time to finish strong!

On Friday, February 20th, we’re inviting all students and staff to show their pride by wearing their HBCU gear and dressing in green, red, yellow, and black as we celebrate the close of a tremendous month of learning, reflection, and celebration.

Let’s fill our halls with school spirit, culture, and community pride as we honor the legacy, achievements, and impact of Black history together. We can’t wait to see everyone showing up and showing out!

 

Track Tryouts

Track tryouts are coming up soon! Please review the information sheet and checklist available on Gothams.ocps.net for full details. It is important to complete all required steps to ensure your athlete is approved in time for tryouts. Missing signatures, missing physician stamps, or submitting an incorrect or outdated form (7/25 or 2/25) will result in the physical being rejected.

If your student is interested in trying out for the Grizzly Athletics Track Team, they must be signed up online (Aktivate) by February 23 at 11:59 p.m.

Tryout Dates:
March 5, 6, and 9
From dismissal until approximately 5:45–6:00 p.m.

Students who are not signed up or who have missing information will not be able to participate in tryouts. Please note that track is a tryout-based sport, and participation in tryouts does not guarantee placement on the team.

For specific questions about practices and schedules, please contact the coaches listed below.

Thank you for your support!

For more information:
Visit Gothams.ocps.net and click on Athletics. All information, physical forms, and checklists are available on the website.

Girls Coach: Shantel.Johnson@ocps.net
Boys Coach: Cathy.godboldte-hazzard@ocps.net
Athletic Director: Michelle.Davis2@ocps.net
 

Literacy News

All OCPS students, employees, families, and community members are encouraged to participate in the Let’s Read OCPS! challenge by individually reading at least 500 minutes throughout the challenge, which is only about eight total hours of reading in 94 days. Participants are encouraged to read whatever they choose for enjoyment and to log their minutes in Beanstack, a LaunchPad application that motivates and rewards students for reading.
Reading Challenge
 
PBIS

OCPS Code of Student Conduct Updates

As always, the OCPS Code of Student Conduct can be found HERE.

As a school, we will soon be implementing a new school-wide system to track minor infractions such as tardies, disrespect, being out of area, and other small violations of the code of conduct. This proactive approach will help us support students early and prevent small concerns from becoming bigger challenges.

SchoolMint Hero is a digital behavior management platform designed to track student tardies, discipline, and positive behavior (PBIS) in real-time. It eliminates manual, paper-based tracking by allowing staff to scan IDs, log incidents in seconds, automatically notify parents, and analyze data to improve school culture and reduce tardiness. 

  • Rapid Tardy Tracking: Staff can scan student ID cards, or search for names in a web/mobile app to log tardies instantly, often reducing tardiness by over 50%.
  • Automated Consequences & Notifications: The system can trigger automatic notifications to parents via email or app, and issue pre-configured consequences (IE: lunch detention) based on the number of infractions.
  • Digital Passes: Generates instant digital "back to class" passes to reduce disruptions.
 

This Week at the School

Monday - No School
Tuesday - High School Night @ Gotha 6:00pm
Wednesday - Gotha Spirit Day!
Thursday -
Friday - EXTREME HBCU Day; Olympia returns to meet with kids 1:1
 

Have a GREAT Week!

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!

Facebook - Gotha Middle School
Instagram - gotha_middle_school

Monica L. Emery, M.Ed.
Gotha Middle School
9155 Gotha Rd.
Windermere, FL 34768
407-521-2360
It’s a GREAT Day to be a Grizzly
 
 

Gotha Reminders

Buy Your Yearbook NOW school code: 382901