April 27 Gator Tales—during lunch hours

May 1 Art Club—3:05-4:15

Coding Club—3:00-4:00

May 4 Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

New Student Orientation—6:00-7:15

May 8 Art Club—3:05-4:15

Coding Club—3:00-4:00

May 12 Early Release—11:20

Talent Show

ROCKS Lock-In—Badger Sports Park—10:00 PM-6:00 AM

May 15 Art Club—3:05-4:15

Coding Club—3:00-4:00

Spring Concert—6:00-8:00

May 29 Memorial Day—No School

May 30 Coding Club—3:00-4:00

June 6 Chromebook Turn-In

8th Grade Recognition—6:00-8:30

June 8 Class Trips

Last Day of School

April 26

2017 Gator Bytes Learning, Leadership and Laughter...The JRG Journey

J.R. Gerritts Middle School * 545 S. John St. * Kimberly, WI * 920-788-7905

Spinners No Longer Allowed at JRG As of Monday, April 10, “spinners” will no longer be allowed to be out during the school day. This means that students will have to put the spinners away once TLC begins, and will not be allowed to use them again until the school day has ended. This ban has been put into effect due to the distraction they have become to many students.

Staff Appreciation Luncheon, Thursday, May 4 In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we need your help thanking the fantastic staff at JRG! On Thursday, May 4, we will be hosting our annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon. Please consider signing up to provide a dish to pass (with recipe) on May 4. Please click here to be taken to the SignUp Genius page which has detailed information concerning the luncheon and available options for dishes and assistance. You may also complete and return the form found on page 3.

13 Reasons Why As we all know as parents, there are many choices in media (video, social media, books, etc.) for our children to consume. Children in middle school also cover a wide range in terms of their understanding of different materials and their maturity levels in processing what they see, hear and read, and different families have different expectations and values related to these materials. Because of that wide range, we don't often share information about specific books or TV shows with parents. Recently, however, the book and now the Netflix series Thirteen Reasons Why has become popular among our students and on social media. Because the plot and content offer elements parents should be aware of, we wanted to provide parents with an overview of the book and TV show, and links to some related resources. The Netflix series, based on a book by Jay Asher, tells the story of a girl who has committed suicide. After her death, characters discover that she has created audio tapes that point to specific people and situations that the girls feel have contributed to her death. The series depicts several sensitive topics including sexual assault, drunk driving and drug use, bullying and mistreatment, and suicide. While the intention of the show, according to producers, was to deter youth suicide, some experts are concerned that it may inadvertently put students further at risk if they are sensitive or vulnerable to such content and are unable to access resources and support. The National Association of School Psychologists has released a guide with resources for educators and parents to help students process this series if they have watched, are watching, or plan to watch the show. This guide can be found here: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/preventing-youth-suicide/13-reasons-why-netflix-series-considerations-for-educators This discussion also provides us with an opportunity to remind parents of the mental health resources available in our area. The Kimberly Area School District also provides a list of mental health resources for parents on our website at: http://www.kimberly.k12.wi.us/departments/mental-health-resources, and parents or students also have access to other sources of support listed below:

24/7 Crisis Intervention Resources Text “HOPELINE” to 741741

Outagamie County Crisis Information - (920) 832-4646

Calumet County Crisis Information - (920) 849-9317

Winnebago County Crisis Information - (920) 233-7707 or (920) 722-7707

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - (800) 273-8255 If you have concerns about your child’s mental health for any reason, our counselors are available to help your child increase their success at school and point you in the direction of other resources. Please feel free to reach out.

Emergency Medications Please be aware that emergency medications that are provided for use during the school day will not be accessible before or after school hours. Parents and students must plan ahead to have emergency medication available during school activities such as clubs and sports. If an emergency arises and a student does not have their emergency medication available, 911 will be called.

Mandatory Sports Meeting for Incoming Freshman Kimberly High School will be hosting a mandatory 2017 Fall Sport Sign Up Night for all incoming Freshman on Sunday, May 21 at 6:00 PM in the High School auditorium. All incoming freshmen athletes, new/transfer student athletes, as well as any student fall athlete who is a first time participant in athletics at Kimberly High School, along with a parent, MUST attend the Athletic Orientation Meeting in the Kimberly High School auditorium on Sunday, May 21st at 6:00 PM.

The Kimberly Area School District does not discriminate against pupils on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability or handicap in its educational programs or activities. Federal law prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of

age, race, color, national origin, sex, religion or handicap.

J. R. Gerritts Middle School 545 S. John Street s Kimberly, WI 54136

(P) 920-788-7905 (F) 920-788-7914 (E) JRG@Kimberly.k12.wi.us

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Stay Updated on Community Events Remember to go to the Kimberly Area School District Website and click on Community Events for more great opportunities, activities, programs and events!