As the music group Europe says, “It’s the Final Countdown”!! Everyone take one big deep breath, and then be ready for me to tell you all to exhale in one week! We can all do this! We have endured this new way of life and school for the past 13 weeks, and there is only one to go! There is a lot going on around JGW in the final week! Here is all of the big news:

8th GRADE PROMOTION: Our 8th grade promotion is set for Thursday, June 18th. There will be a livestream broadcast on YouTube from 5pm-6pm (see further information below). The ceremony will be as close to the real thing as possible, with awards, certificates, a special slide show of our 8th graders, and of course a farewell speech by me!

The livestream will be followed by a car procession, “right of passage” through the front drive way of J.G. Whittier from 6:30-8:00pm.

Please pay close attention to these directions for the procession.

-Only 1 car per family will be permitted.

-We ask students/families to decorate a sign with the student’s name on it to display in your window to help us identify which 8th grade student is arriving. (Be creative with your signs)

-We ask that ALL cars approach JGW from the NORTH AVE side so that you are taking a right into the parking lot. There will be staff to direct you through the parking lot and into the front driveway.

-You will pull down to the gym where your 8th grade teachers will be waiting to distribute your student’s promotion certificate, yearbook, and any awards that they have received.

JGW Staff will be taking photos of our students/families in their cars as they are presented with their certificates.  We would like to capture this moment for you. They will then be printed and mailed out to you. Making memories is what it’s all about!

-Once you have received your promotion certificate/yearbook, etc. we ask that you proceed out onto Concord St. by taking a right toward Kenoza. This will really help with traffic flow and we appreciate your cooperation with this.

Please do not stop or get out of your cars! Safety is still our number one priority!

8th GRADE FRIENDS & FAMILIES:

This year’s 8th grade promotion ceremony will be broadcast on YouTube to celebrate the promotion from middle school to high school. To view this broadcast, you can visit whittier.haverhill-ps.org at 5pm on Thursday, June 18th. The car procession that is planned to happen at 6:30pm will be pre-recorded/video taped and uploaded along with the promotion ceremony. Please be aware that if you are bringing an 8th grade student to the car procession, the event will be video taped and broadcast online.

Finally we recognize that our 8th grade students want their dance and want to celebrate with their friends. It is our intent to hold a celebration as soon as possible by hosting a cookout/dance for our 8th graders as soon as it is safe to do so. Please stay tuned for that.

YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION AND CHROMEBOOK COLLECTION: For any students in grades 5-7, the yearbooks have arrived!! We are going to be distributing those yearbooks on Friday, June 19th from 1-5pm at the school. The procedure will be much like it was for chromebook distribution. Speaking of chromebooks, this will also be the time for any student who is not continuing at JGW, HHS, or any other Haverhill Public School to return their chromebook to the school. So this means if there are 8th graders going to Whittier Vo-Tech, Essex Tech, or any other highschool, or if a younger student is moving out of Haverhill for the next school year, that their chromebook needs to be returned between 1-5pm on Friday, June 19th.

All other students who will continue at JGW and move on to HHS who have school distributed chromebooks can hang on to them for now. Thank you.

GRADING: All final Trimester 3 grades will be posted on school brains through the student/parent portal on Friday, June 19th at 4pm. Please remember that we were operating on a “credit”/”no-credit” basis for the final trimester due to our remote learning curriculum based on COVID-19. Please make sure to get all remaining work in to your teachers as soon as possible to ensure you receive credit!

PTO: The JGW PTO had a meeting Wednesday, June 10th using the Zoom platform.  Please click on the link to view the notes from the meeting:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PKEPZf3AI4ZeNdm1qOj71I-88wyv9zhGcLdl6umHSvE/edit?usp=sharing

Good news! AmazonSmile is now available in the Amazon Shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones. You can use the copy and assets below to share the news with your supporters.

AmazonSmile customers can now support John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School PTO in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.

1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
3. Tap ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process

If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, update your app. Click here for instructions.

To see the impact of your marketing, visit the AmazonSmile Metrics Dashboard for John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School PTO. Simply log in at org.amazon.com and click the “View metrics” button.

Please see below for our staff’s most up to date news and information for this week in and around our school.

GRADE 5 NEWS:

Mr. Marinella:

Hello everyone, please continue to check Google and your emails for updates. History is working on a Tuesday/Thursday schedule, and English is Monday/Wednesday/Friday. I am encouraging all students to be reading everyday and Orange English will be posting their notes on those days. Please remember to attach or share your work with me. Assignments are generally due on the Friday of that week, but if any more times is needed or any questions arise please just ask via email or comments! 

ELA is finishing the year by writing a letter to incoming 5th graders. Reminisce with your student about their favorite memory of this year, what should every new student know, and how they feel about moving on to grade 6! There are many more questions to help with this letter writing on Google Classroom!  

History is planning on finishing the Civil War very soon and looking at the lasting effects of that war (if there is time!) I encourage students to do some supplemental reading from Ducksters.com, History.com if they want some extra history!  

History Shoutouts: Analia Rivera and Ryan Hatch 
ELA Shoutouts: Ava Moscaritolo and Gabe Durand  

You have all been working hard and I am extremely proud of all of you! I will miss you all so much, this has been an amazing year! 

Ms. MacDonald:

Science: Congratulations on making it to your last week of remote learning! We’re almost done! This week, you will explore some virtual exhibits from the Museum of Science Boston. Choose 1 to explore, and answer the questions that go with the activity. Students will also complete an end-of- year survey. Thank you to all the parents and families at home for taking on the challenge of remote learning with us, we couldn’t have done it without you! 
Math: We finished all of our math work! You do have an end-of-year survey to complete and then you will be able to choose from a couple of virtual field trips. Make sure you answer the questions that go with it. We did it!!!! 

Ms. Simes: I want to give a “BIG SHOUT OUT” to the following students who completed all of their Week 8 ELA assignments and are my “ELA Superstars of the Week”: Jaeden A., Connor A., Eve F., Autumn G., Dylan G., Ryan H.,Madeline J., Saniyah M., Kaelie M., Aiden M., Dale P., Angelina R., Aurora A., Sophia B., William C., Dillan D., Kayleigh D., Cameron F., Shannon G., Maria G., Joseph L., Cash M., Jonah N., Jude O., Mason P., Jayden Q., Jonathan R., Colby S., Lauryn C., Schylar G., Ethan G., Liam G., Adriel H., Brodie M., Christopher M., Baylee P., Analia R., Yilliannis R., Zenia R., Katherine S., Jeremy S., and Enmanuel V.  Our final Google Meets will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week, the link is located on the front page of your student’s classroom page.  Students will be working within their weekly folder of “Week of 6/15 – 6/19.”  They will be sending/sharing their persuasive letter to our principal, Mr. Betty and write a Grade 5 Reflection piece.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at michele.simes@haverhill-ps.org.  Have a great weekend.

Ms. Sanguedolce:  Congratulations to the following students for completing all of their work last week: Joseph, Jadelyn, Maya, Giovanni, Christopher, Sophia, Anderson, and Riley in Orange; Dillan, Kayleigh, Cameron, Shannon, Jude, Mason, Jayden, Jonathan R., and Colby in Red; Lauryn, Schylar, Ethan, Liam, Adriel, Brodie, Baylee, Yilliannis, and Jeremy in Yellow. This week the students have been working on a series of fun challenges. They are reviewing quadrilaterals, triangles, measurement, decimals, fractions, ratios, percents, multiplication, division, and estimation. Next week the students will work on Part 2 of these fun challenges. 

Ms. Lees: There is only one week left – so hard to believe. Fifth grade reading groups will write reflections on their year and complete assignments which will hopefully engage and challenge them to explore museums on line. They will continue their good work with LexiaCore5. Google Meets continue on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for both Math and ELA. Students are encouraged to join all of these as well as to check in with Ms. MacDonald, Mrs. Sanguedolce, and Mrs. Simes during Conference Hours. Additional teacher conference time to support students’ work completion will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 – 11:00. Parents are encouraged to reach out with any questions they have for the end of the year progress (alees@haverhill-ps.org). Progress reports will be sent by email next week as well as a letter with suggestions for staying connected to learning for the summer. I am so proud of so many students who worked so very hard and held onto such positive attitudes in their last trimester of fifth grade– learning from home.

GRADE 6 NEWS: 

Ms. Delong:

Science and Social Studies (Red/Blue/Purple): Congratulations to both students and parents on successfully navigating remote learning!  I am so proud of ALL of my students for the hard work they put in during this difficult time.  It wasn’t easy but you all adapted and rose to the challenge.  I wish you the best of luck next year in 7th grade and will miss you all. It was a pleasure to have these students this year!
This week I’m wrapping up my classes with a Meme Challenge.  Students will post a meme that best represents our class and the time we spent together this year/what they learned.  They will then write a short summary of why they chose the meme and what it means to them.  They may also want to include a favorite memory.  
I will have Google Meets on Monday and Wednesday from 12-1pm.  Monday’s meet will be a Kahoot trivia game since they have been asking to do that.  Wednesday will be a chance to say goodbye and wrap up the year.

Ms. Aylward: This week students finished up reading Percy Jackson. They tried to beat Mrs. Aylward’s sons in a Percy Jackson kahoot game (currently in 11th and 20th place). They also went on a virtual field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. At the end of the week, students will take a Kahoot about how well they know their teachers and classmates.

Ms. Rubera:

Thank you all for working so hard to learn and grow as summer vacation nears.  I know it is challenging, but I am so proud of you for participating and doing your best work.  Monday, June 8th is a special day- World Oceans Day!  This week, students had the opportunity to explore a Google site about the ocean and the creatures that make the ocean their home.

• Ocean literacy:  https://sites.google.com/haverhill-ps.org/oceanliteracy/home 

 In math, students attempted to solve a riddle about crossing a river.   Students also developed a list for incoming 6th graders about what to expect in math class with Mrs. Rubera and Ms. Sargent.  

Mr. Taylor:

ELA- Congrats! The end of The Giver is this week. Along with an analysis on where Jonas has come from and where he ends up in the book.
SS- The compare and contrast essay using the notes and exemplary projects is due at the end of the week. 

Ms. Sargent:

Hi Grade 6 Math,It was so great to see so many of you on our Google Meets this week.  One more week to go until you are all officially 7th graders…WOW.   I look forward to seeing you on our meets in the upcoming week.

Ms. Guisti: Mrs. Guisti, Mrs. Cronin, and Ms. Blanchette all want to thank our sixth grade students.  Thank you for attending our google meets, completing work, and participating in remote learning.  You all are amazing! Please join us this last week for our google meets and help us end the year strong!

GRADE 7 NEWS: 

Ms. MacKinnon:

We have made it to the last week of remote learning!!! You all have been rock stars through this process!!! This week their is going to be three virtual field trips that the kids can check out and an activity on homemade ice cream. This goes with the thermal energy unit. Again, if you do not have the supplies don’t worry about it. I hope everyone has a great summer!!!! I’m going to miss everyone of your children!!! It has been a pleasure having them for the time I did in class. Thank you for everything

Ms. Berthiaume: This is it, everyone: the homestretch!  There will be an assignment during our last week, but something extra special awaits you–a challenge!  I recently awarded a gift card to Dollar Tree for a spur-of-the-moment contest. Look for details on Monday for this next one!  Good luck with your last week of school!  I’m so proud of you for getting through this “unique” way of learning this spring!

Ms DiGloria: Well done to all grade 7 students who came out and gave it their best during remote learning this year! All work was submitted by Friday, June 12th, and Report Cards will be issued on Friday, June 19th. Next week, in our final week of school, students will have some enrichment activities to participate in. With such a new experience, everyone did a great job at putting their best foot forward and participating in their social studies learning!

Ms. Marciano: We’re almost there!!! This week, there will be a Google Meet scheduled for each class – please watch the weekly update video posted on Google Classroom for days/times for each meet. Students will also have an end of the year reflection to complete.

Mr. LeGrand: Thank you everyone for participating in remote learning.  For this week, get all your make up work in and Mr. Legrand and Mrs. Trombly will be in touch with you about Kahoot this week.

Ms. Trombly: Thank you everyone for participating in remote learning.  For this week, get all your make up work in and Mr. Legrand and Mrs. Trombly will be in touch with you about Kahoot this week.

Ms. Bilmazes: It’s hard to believe the school year is coming to an end. Just one week to go! Time to get in any last minute work. As always, reach out if you need help. I wish you all a wonderful, restful summer. 

Ms. Senior: Catching up with assignments is the motto for this week!  The work is coming in from all corners of the world!  Please remember to read for pleasure whenever you can.  One more week to go!

GRADE 8 NEWS: 

Mr. Harris:

Blue & Purple Math – we are at the end of the year!  For this week, there will only be one assignment, due by Thursday 6/18.  I would like for each student to write a reflection, answering the following questions.1) How do you feel this year went in math class, both before and after remote learning?2) How do you feel math went for you through your middle school career?  Include highlights and struggles.

Yellow & Orange Civics – we are at the end of the year!  For this week, there will only be one assignment, due by Thursday 6/18.  I would like for each student to write a reflection, answering the following questions.1) How do you feel this year went in civics class, both before and after remote learning?2) How do you feel social studies went for you through your middle school career?  Include highlights and struggles.

Ms. Deblasis: Lesson 16 Assessment is due today, Friday, June 12.  Next week will be a make up week for any student who still needs to complete any assignments.  Please check my Google Classroom for all of the assignments. Next week, I will be holding Google Meets on Monday 12-1 and Wednesday 12-2. Please check in with me at my Google Meet or via email to make sure all of your work is completed.  Thank you for an outstanding school year, especially for all of your hard work during this time of remote learning.  I wish all of you a Happy Summer and Best of Luck in high school. 

Mr. Blaustein:

*All Assignments are due by 6/17*I will add Newsela articles next week for any one who wants to do them

• Last Google Meet Wednesday 6/17 from 1:00-1:30
• See you at Promotion Thursday 6/18 from 5:00-7:30 Look for Mr. Betty’s email

Ms. Sullivan:

All 8th grade science assignments will be posted on google classroom.  I have google meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-12and office hours Tuesday from 1-2. I hold them to either answer questions or to do the assignment together.  Students should be checking their google classrooms for daily updates.For the blue group the civics assignments will be posted on google classroom.  I have google meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-1 and office hours Tuesday from 1-2. I hold them to either answer questions or to do the assignment together.  Students should be checking their google classrooms for daily updates.

Mr. Yanoff:

The grade 8 accelerated math /Algebra 1 class has not only finished their entire book but had the highest percentage of students passing the Algebra 1 final in the city. I am proud to say we had 100% participation since March!To put this in perspective, our students had more pass the exam than other schools with over 20 students.Thank you PRINCIPAL Betty and Ms. Juranovits for  giving me the opportunity to teach at JGW!

Mr. Lewis: This week we finished up reading The Outsiders and started to explore some ideas about staying gold, staying young throughout our lives. We also talked about how we should not judge by race, income, or the clothes we wear, but the strength of our character and heart.

Ms. Kaiser: Wow! Grade 8, You made it! With a spirit of cooperation and camaraderie you rose to the challenge that faced you, using your talents to finish up your school year in the midst of the pandemic. In the words of Henry Ford, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” We teachers and support staff witnessed as you “took off” against what was assuredly the most prevailing of winds. And we watched you soar. We are very proud of all that you have accomplished this year, and wish you all continued success in high school! And, as you go on to those other destinations, don’t forget, JGW Poets, that yours is a unique story to tell, and who better to tell that story than you? I will see you soon at Promotion!

Ms. Brown: Hello grade 8.  Well, we are almost there.  Simply put, I just want to congratulate all of you for what you have accomplished this term.  I want you to know, that a “very long time ago”,  I super excited to be leaving “Parker Junior High School” , and finally getting to high school.  I have heard from many of you, that you too, are very excited as well, and are looking forward to the future. Perhaps I will see you next week, at our Grade 8 celebration.  Thank you, for going through this term gracefully and with humor with me, and I will forever cherish some of our conversations. 

SPECIALIST NEWS: 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (Mr. Demarais): We will continue with our weekly workouts and challenges.  I hope all students continue with these workouts this summer.  It it so important to incorporate a solid and consistent workout routine into your daily activities!  Have a great and safe summer! 

HEALTH (Ms. Reynolds): one last lesson on summer safety tips for everyone! Have a wonderful and safe summer.

ART (Ms. Boulger): All assignments for grades 5-8 art classes are posted in Google Classroom in Required Assignments. There is no need to buy any art supplies, all art assignments will focus around only using recycled materials that can be found at home. 

SUPPORT STAFF NEWS: 

GUIDANCE (Ms. Vlahos): You made it to the final week!  I am so proud of each and everyone of you for your ability to adapt so quickly and thrive in many ways during such an unusual time.  Congratulations to every student, especially the 8th grade students who are headed to high school!  I  wish you all a healthy, safe, fun and relaxing summer vacation.  I hope you continue to take good care of yourselves and get outside and enjoy fresh air each day. I am available by email at jvlahos@haverhill-ps.org.  

STUDENT SUPPORT CENTER (Ms. Greenwood): Students have worked hard and done a great job! The SSC will have one final Google meet on Tuesday at 1:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

MSSP (Mr. Diffin): This is a shout out to the 4 MSSP 8th Graders, Ryan D, Jesus Q, Paul S, and Noah T. They have all been outstanding students and citizens while attending J. G. Whittier. The future looks bright for all, and look forward to seeing them succeed in the future. I will miss you all!

SPEECH (Ms. Ostrovskaya):

It’s hard to believe we’ve come to our our last week of the year!   We have just ONE more Meet left per group, and ALL STUDENTS, regardless of how much work you’ve completed or if you’ve attended in the past, are VERY STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO COME NEXT WEEK! We will share our recent videos and assignments, look forward to next year, play a game, and present awards!  I want to remind students who haven’t had a chance to do so yet to complete your Show and Tell Video and Favorite Memory assignments.  Remember, there are no wrong answers with these FUN projects – this is your chance to share your favorite things and memories with your teacher and friends!  Students are also welcome to turn in any other outstanding work, and will never be penalized for late submissions.  Students who’ve completed all or most of the work this spring will be getting an award on the last day!!!
Congratulations to all our Speech students – we’ve almost made it, and you’ve all done a great job so far!
I hope to see you all next week!

READING INTERVENTIONIST/COACH (Ms. Forrest):

Hello families and students. This is it, we made it through these last few months and now we can take some time to reflect, relax and enjoy the summer! What better way to do that than to dive into some great books?

Here are some helpful links:

• Haverhill Public Library Card Registration
• Goodreads – Meet Your Next Favorite Book
• Scholastic’s Best Books for Middle Grade Readers
• Common Sense Media
• 37 Children’s Books to Help Talk About Racism and Discrimination

I hope you all have a wonderful summer and I can’t wait to see you again in the fall.

Happy Reading!

STUDENT SUPPORT COORDINATOR (Mr. Newell): I am available Monday through Friday by email. Please contact me with questions, concerns or just to say hello.

STUDENT ADJUSTMENT COUNSELOR (Ms. Midolo):

So this year is coming to an end, and you will all be moving up to the next class.  Although we were faced with some struggles, and a new way of learning, it has been a great year. I have enjoyed every moment working with you and looking forward to what next year brings. 
To my 8th graders: You’ve kept me  busy and it has been such great fun. I hope you feel the same and you will take what you have learned throughout your years with us and build on it as you continue your studies.  
Don’t forget us at JGW,  and visit often! 😉
Each one of you has a bright future ahead of you. Stay focused and work hard. 
Have a wonderful Summer!

SUPPORT & COMMUNITY RESOURCES:

Here is a reminder of some resources that could be useful to your family or others that you know:

For Technology: Basic login support for students and parents should always start with the classroom teacher.  Then if there is something the teacher can not assist with please visit this webpage: https://sites.google.com/haverhill-ps.org/athome/   At the bottom of the webpage there are instructions on how students and parents can submit tickets for support. All you have to do is go to the Student Support Ticket system by visiting the HPS LaunchPad > ClassLink > HPS Tech Support and you can submit a ticket for support.

For Community Resources: The city has a 311 number https://www.cityofhaverhill.com/news_detail_T30_R35.php that can help families connect with services.

There is also information updated on the HPS website under community resources. https://www.haverhill-ps.org/haverhill-community-programs/. This includes food pantry and other resources as well as weekly updates on available therapeutic resources in the community including wait lists.