PARENT RESOURCES

 

GatorBytes is the school's and PTA's combined weekly newsletter sent via email every Friday afternoon during the school year. It contains information on events, the school community; the office, guidance counselors, clubs on campus, sports, and much much more!

The purpose of our newsletter is to bridge the gap between school and home while providing parents and families insight to what is happening at EMS and opportunities to get involved.

Occasionally emails/eblasts are sent out to specific grades regarding field trips, dances, enrichment, and other events. Make sure you have registered on EMSPTA.COM and in our database to receive these important emails.

EMS PTA Advertising & Marketing Policy and use of Communication Tools:

In conjunction with District Policy, information in our weekly newsletter, as well as emails communicated to our parent body and general PTA Meetings, are specific to Eastern Middle School and approved events from Greenwich Public Schools and affiliated educational non-profit organizations of the district.

All requests from groups or individuals must receive approval by the District, through the Office of the Superintendent. Please contact Linda Valentine at the District for more information on the approval process. Only after Superintendent’s approval and posting to the Community Calendar, will it be considered for posting in the Community Events section of GB with a link to the Calendar for more information. Please note that requests from only non-profit organizations are approved.

Non-For-Profit Organizations with approved district events and activities will be posted on the District's Community Web Calendar for access by anyone in the Greenwich Public School system. In addition, organizations interested in advertising in EMS newsletter must also meet the following criteria:

• Information and materials must be approved by the District
• The organization sponsoring the event or activity must be a nonprofit
• The proceeds of the event or activity must have a benefit for all students in the EMS community and not only for a specific group of students/families in the school community
• The advertisement cannot permit potential financial gain for the sponsoring organization

Questions regarding submissions can be emailed to VP of Communications.

Submissions must be received by the Editor on Wednesday by 3pm of the week to be published in the week's Friday newsletter and be approved by the VP of Communications.

Greenwich Public Schools provides each child with access to computer technologies including the Internet. Access to the Internet enriches children’s educational experiences and provides necessary skills in order for them to collaborate, research and communicate in our global society. Within this context, Greenwich Public Schools makes every effort to provide a safe and appropriate experience for your child.

Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the District's Internet Procedures and Guidelines, which can be found here.

CHROMEBOOKS

All students received a Chromebook along with digital citizenship lessons, instructions on basic use and care; including the Chrome browser, Google Apps for Education, Schoology, Aspen, and features of the device itself.

The GPS Digital toolbox is focused primarily on instructional tools and resources to facilitate teaching and learning.  The toolbox is focused on tools approved for student use.  The GPS Digital Toolbox can be found here.  

USE OF TECHNOLOGY AT HOME

Looking for tools to help you manage use of devices and applications? 

Try this Screen Time and Family-Use Contracts to begin the dialogue with your student on what your family rules are for technology at home.

• Screen Time Contract
• Family-Use Contract

Helpful Tips & Information

 

• Join the PTA! For those of you who are new to the American school system, PTA stands for Parent Teacher Association. This group is made up of parent volunteers who work with the school’s teachers and administration in various committees to enrich the learning experience and help the school function. The PTA has raised money to supply things such as the Smartboards, computers, special speakers, and even air conditioning for the classrooms! You can volunteer and/ or give a donation which will add value to each and every student’s experience at school. Click here to join today. Receive a directory with a minimum donation! The directory is essential for students who want to contact other students for planning school group projects outside of school or for organizing get-together with classmates.
• Read GatorBytes. GatorBytes is the weekly school E-newsletter that is delivered each Friday to the email you have already provided to the school. There are many important events and deadlines highlighted in each newsletter. To add an additional email to our mailing list or update a current email address contact VP Communications.
• Check the Eastern Middle School website regularly. Daily announcements are shared with the students in the morning. Announcements include sports try-out dates, club activities, intramurals, musical opportunities, and much much more. Please be familiar with these announcements and help encourage your child to participate in the many offerings at EMS.
• Come to Open House in September. This is one of the only opportunities to meet your child's teachers and experience a mini version of his/her day; attending classes and quickly switching classrooms.Grade 6 parents and ALL grades of NEWCOMERS meet at 6:30pm in the auditorium/Grade 7 & 8 parents meet in their child's AB room at 7:30pm. Parking is difficult, so get there early to allow time to find a spot and be on time. Parking also available at the nearby Riverside School.

• Sign your child up for 6th Grade Social Dance! Details can be found online. Students dress up in formal attire and learn ballroom dancing and line dancing. Your children will complain and not want to go...just send them! This is a great time to learn ballroom dancing, as all the peers are doing it together. The 6th graders are becoming more social, yet they are still shy with each other and can meet new people while dancing. For more information on 6th Grade Social Dance Program click here.

• Chorus, Eastmen & Treble Choir. Voice checks are required for all interested students. In addition to the chorus there are the two gender specific singing groups; Eastmen for the boys and Treble Choir for the girls. Auditions take place the first few weeks of school. Students need to sign-up for audition times ASAP. *Please note that chorus practices are during AB.

• Talent Show. If your child is interested in performing in the talent show, signed permission slips and contract forms are required. These forms will be available in the office. Audition dates and Talent Show information will be announced during AB and in GatorBytes. Talent show is typically in the fall. The event usually sells out in advance, so encourage your child to buy tickets early. Tickets are assigned a seat in the auditorium and sold in seat order.

• Clubs and Intramurals are drop-in organized sports. Your child can go once a week or every day! This is a great opportunity to participate in a supervised activity while "hanging-out" with friends and classmates. Clubs and Intramurals end in time for your child to take the late bus home. Click here for more information and a schedule of activities.

• Competitive team sports tryouts for fall soccer, field hockey, and volleyball (to be announced). If your child is interested, please make sure you have turned in a Competitive Sports Participation Form! The practices/ games will extend later than the late bus, so pick up would need to be arranged. For more information click here.

• Lunch time in the middle school. Lunch is short, so many children choose to bring their own lunch. This is especially helpful for the social child who talks a lot and forgets to eat or is a slow eater. Students can also bring money to buy lunch or you can setup a lunch account through the district. You will need your child's student ID# in order to register. This information is found on the districts website.

• Late Table. While we are encouraged to let our children learn by their making own mistakes during these middle school years, there are times that we want to help them out by bringing the forgotten item to school. This can be an instrument, lunch, the homework planner, a book, or perhaps a note for the gym teacher (but you are able to email the gym teacher if a child needs to miss gym due to an injury). You may leave the item with a clearly displayed name on the item in the office, yet in order for your child to know you have dropped the item off, you MUST write your child's name on the eraser board outside the office. EMS students are great at letting their peers know when their name is on the board during the class rotations.
• Bus Passes. Bus passes will go on sale in September. Passes are limited & purchasing is "first come first served". Passes are sold to those who live too close to get an automatic free seat on the bus. It is handy for those parents who work or need their child to take the bus home directly after school. Call the EMS office if you have any questions.
  • The late bus is for all students (even those without a bus pass), yet ONLY if that student remains on the EMS property with a teacher, coach, someone in the media center, or anyone with authority at EMS will that child be able to board the bus. That adult will write a note that will allow the non-pass student on the late bus. The student will then take whichever bus that has a regular stop closest to home.
  • NOTE: If a student leaves EMS campus at any time after school and comes back for the late bus, he or she will NOT be allowed to get on the bus.
  • If a student is going home with another student on the regular or late bus, a permission note from his/her parent needs to be shown at the front office in order to get a bus pass. If the bus has too many regular passengers, the additional student will not be able to go on the bus. The school will know exactly how full a bus will be once the lottery has taken place.
• The English as a Second Language (ESL). The ESL Director, Jennifer Harvey, will help organize buddy families for those who have language issues. She is most likely already working with those students during school, so she will be the one to contact. This is a wonderful opportunity to create new friendships.
• Community Opportunities. Visit Greenwich Area Newcomer's Club website, www.greenwichnewcomers.org or send an email to greenwichnewcomers@gmail.com for varies opportunities to meet families in our area. The Newcomers Club provides a support network for those new to the area. They have monthly coffees, trips, and events for the whole family.

• Community Answers is an organization with a wealth of information to answer the who, what, where, and when in Greenwich: www.communityanswers.org. Everything is online. They are truly the “go to” source for events and activities in our area.

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Please read GatorBytes and check the EMS website for Daily Announcements to be IN THE KNOW.

Questions? Contact Trish Clark for more information.