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Gotha MS Update - Week of September 7, 2026

Posted Date: 09/06/26 (06:30 PM)
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Gotha Update

2026-2027 Bring your “A” game!

Week of September 7, 2026

What a great week to be a Grizzly! 💜🐻 We continue to be grateful for the support of our families and community, especially everyone who has helped keep our Grizz Store stocked. Our students LOVE spending their hard-earned Bear Bucks, and your generosity helps us celebrate their positive choices and hard work!

As we head into another busy week, please remember that there is no school on Monday in observance of Labor Day. We hope our Grizzly families enjoy the long weekend, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday, rested and ready for another great week at Gotha!
 

Cambridge Students of the Week

Congratulations to our Students of the Week, who were nominated by their teachers for demonstrating innovation! These Grizzlies stood out for thinking creatively, approaching challenges in new ways, sharing original ideas, and finding solutions. We are proud to recognize students who aren’t afraid to think differently and bring their ideas to life. Way to go, Grizzlies!

Tyler McCullom
Delilah Colvin-Skipper
Juliana Serna Paz
 

FAST PM1 Testing This Week

Students will take the FAST PM1 ELA assessment on Tuesday and the FAST PM1 Math assessment on Thursday. We will be on an altered testing bell schedule both days to provide students with the time needed to complete their assessments. While PM1 is a diagnostic assessment, it is still very important! The results help our teachers identify any learning gaps between last spring’s assessments and this year’s new grade-level content so we can provide students with the support they need. Please help your student do their best by getting a good night’s sleep before testing. And remember—if there isn’t time for breakfast at home, breakfast is FREE for all students at school! 
Bell schedule
 

NFL Kickoff Friday

Football season is here! This Friday, Grizzlies are invited to celebrate NFL Kickoff by wearing gear from their favorite NFL team! Jerseys, T-shirts, hats, and team colors are all welcome. Rep your team and show us who you’re cheering for this season!
NFL
 

Literacy News

Reading for pleasure is one of the simplest ways middle school students can continue building their literacy skills. Regular reading helps strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, background knowledge, writing skills, and even performance across other subject areas. As texts become more complex in middle, students who read regularly also build the stamina needed to tackle longer and more challenging material.

Encourage your Grizzly to find something they actually enjoy reading—novels, graphic novels, sports books, mysteries, biographies, or whatever keeps them turning the pages! Even a little reading each day adds up. And don’t forget: students can access books through our Media Center and the Orange County Library System and should continue logging their reading minutes in Beanstack through LaunchPad.
 

OCPS Code of Student Conduct Updates

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

Our first Quarter 1 Incentive Day is October 9—just four short weeks away! Please remind your student that the choices they make each day matter. Students who have no repeated low-level infractions and no discipline referrals will be eligible to participate in this special day of fun and celebration with their classmates. We want EVERY Grizzly to be there, so now is the time to stay focused, make positive choices, follow expectations, and finish the quarter strong. Four weeks to go! 
 

This Week at the School

Monday - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
Tuesday - FAST ELA PM1
Wednesday - Gotha Spirit Day!
Thursday - FAST Math PM1
Friday - NFL Kickoff Day - support your favorite NFL team!

UPCOMING DATES
September 7: NO SCHOOL: Labor Day
September 8: FAST ELA PM1
September 10: FAST Math PM1
September 17: Progress Reports Q1 
September 21: Picture Day
September 21-25: Start with Hello Week
 

PTO Updates

🎉 PTO NEWS + A LITTLE VIP TREAT 🎉

A BIG thank you to everyone who joined the PTO during our membership drive! Your support helps us do more for our students, teachers, and school. 💜

🏆 And our winners are…
🎟️ Membership Drive Winner: Leigh Andrus!
🍎 Faculty Membership Gift Card Winner: Coach Davis!

Didn’t win? No worries! You can STILL join the PTO and support Gotha Middle School. And the best part? No volunteering required! 🙌

👉 Join here: https://gothapto.ptboard.com/

🚗 Want to feel like a VIP every time you pull into school? We have just 3 VIP parking spots left! That’s three more chances to park like you own the place. 😉 You can even split the cost with a friend!

Check out the VIP parking and ALL the other VIP membership perks here:
👉 https://gothapto.ptboard.com/formvw?store=7915&form=1

SAVE THE DATES!
🪩 9/25 - Silent Disco FUNdraiser Kickoff
📣 10/02 - Next PTO Meeting

Thank you for continuing to show up and support our Grizzlies! We have some FUN things coming, and we can’t wait to do it with you! Want to get involved? Email us! We’ll get you plugged into something that you’re passionate about! Info@gothapto.org🐻💜
PTO
 

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.
Principal
Gotha Middle School
9155 Gotha Rd.
Windermere, FL 34768
It’s A GREAT Day to be A Grizzly
 
 

Gotha Reminders