STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

These students were selected by their teachers for the honor of Students of the Month. The students and their invited teachers receive a complimentary lunch at the Paoli Wendy’s or the Frazer KFC/Taco Bell, or compli-mentary breakfast at the Frazer McDonald’s.

March honorees were:

Grade 8:

Sana Mian perseveres when work is difficult, demonstrates extreme conscientiousness in regard to all of her academics, demonstrates a strong desire to learn, and always works to do her best.

Kara Bergman has a positive attitude and is hard working. She is very curious, always volunteers in class, and always tries her best. She is a pleasure to teach.

Sarah Greene is a very hard worker and goes beyond minimum requirements. She has great character, is well rounded in academics as well as culture. She has come along way this year.

Grade 7:

Marc Daubert has a positive attitude and really wants to succeed.

Mallory Byrne is a wonderful student and person! She always give 110%, is polite, helpful, and conscientious. She is an absolute pleasure to teach.

Kate Sullivan is a high achiever and works well with others. She has shown the most improvement in class participation and always has some wonderful thing to add to this class. She is an outstanding student.

Grade 6:

Mike Moore is extremely enthusiastic, consistently demonstrates academic strength and responsibility. He actively participates in class and has a true love of knowledge.

Victoria Perla is a pleasure to have in class, organized, responsible, sensitive, and hard working. An awesome young lady.

Jason Emery is a hard worker who stays very focused in class and is kind to other students.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP

We want to thank Mrs. Carol Davis for all the time and effort she gave in setting up parent/teacher conferences in March. We greatly appreciate Mrs. Davis for all of her hard work.

STUDENT COUNCIL UPDATE

The Student Council has accomplished many goals over the past couple of months. The Father-Daughter Dance and the Mother-Son Breakfast were both great successes! We had the teachers hand out forms for the Krispy Kreme fundraiser. The Student Council’s goal is to sell a thousand boxes. The top sellers of Krispy Kreme donuts will win a trip to the Hard Rock Café Philadelphia in a limo. The money raised for this will go toward the Eighth Grade Dinner Dance. The chosen theme for the eighth grade dinner dance is California Dreaming. We have a dance committee that is broken up into different groups to help prepare for the dinner dance.

GREAT VALLEY IDOL

The following students were the five finalists in the First Annual Great Valley Middle School Idol Competition. The competition took place during half time of the GVMS Staff-Student Basketball game. Over 450 people showed up for the big extravaganza.

There were over twenty middle school students who qualified for the competition. The Great Valley judges narrowed it down to five and the Great Valley Community selected Heather Tabb as their GV IDOL. Congratulations to all of the contestants...the IDOL competition was a huge success.

Anna Weng (Grade 7)

Angela Abel (Grade 8)

Raija Madsen (Grade 8)

Samantha Leonetti

(Grade 6)

Heather Tab (Grade 7)

VIRGINIA CHALLENGE / USA WRESTLING MIDDLE SCHOOL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Great Valley Wrestling Team extended their wrestling season and competed in the Fourth Annual Virginia Challenge / USA Wrestling Middle School Nationals. The tournament was held at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, VA from March 12 – 14. Wrestlers came from seventeen states. Our Great Valley Team had the opportunity to meet and wrestle with people from New Mexico, Maine, Washington, Florida, and Iowa. The Great Valley Wrestling Team included Mike Praplaski, Domenic DeRobertis, Tim Boate, Kyle Liberato, Tony Pisciella, Neil Willis, Scott Schretzenmaier, Ian Meakim, Hunter Smith, Myles Tornetta, Carl Buchholz, Ricky Pisciella, Casey Haines, Erik Buchholz, and Tyler Haines. Mr. Owen Brown coaches the Great Valley Wrestling Team.

Thirteen of the fifteen team members placed in the top eight of their weight class and earned All-American. The following wrestlers earned All-American: Carl Buchholz placed eighth, Neil Willis and Tim Boate placed seventh, Kyle Liberato placed sixth, Domenic DeRobertis and Tyler Haines placed fifth, Ian Meakim placed fourth, Mike Praplaski placed third, Tony Pisciella, Casey Haines, and Hunter Smith placed second. All of these wrestlers should be congratulated for an awesome performance and two days of outstanding wrestling.

At the conclusion of the two-day tournament, two Great Valley Wrestlers were crowned as Middle School National Champions – congratulations to Scott Schretzenmaier and Erik Buchholz for winning National Championships. Scott and Erik are the first two Great Valley Wrestlers to win the Virginia Challenge / USA Wrestling National Championships.

The Great Valley Wrestling Team led the State of Pennsylvania to a Third place Team Award in the seventh and eighth grade division and a third place Team Award in the fifth and sixth grade division. A special thank you to all of the parents who supported our team during extra practices, travel to Virginia, and coaching at the event. This was a great weekend of wrestling and building friendships with people from all over the country.

SECOND ANNUAL BOOK DRIVE UNDERWAY

After last year's very successful book drive, the Great Valley Middle School community has done it again. From March 29th to April 16th, students, parents, and staff members have donated books (Pre-K to 8th grade level) in good condition for our annual book drive. All books collected will be donated to needy schools and organizations in the greater Philadelphia region. Last year, over 3000 books were donated to the Coatesville Area School District. Great Valley Middle School was recognized by the Penn State College of Education Alumni Society for its participation in this National Service Week Project.

Mrs. Roula Matsiras, GVMS parent, has been instrumental in this project's success. Teachers Mrs. Lisa Freeman and Mrs. Heidi Capetola will oversee the collection and distribution of books at the middle school. After all the books are collected, they will be distributed this spring.

Thank you to everyone who has donated books this year. What a wonderful gift to share - the joy of reading!

SLEEPY HOLLOW

From the Directors:

We would like to thank the administration for having us back this year. Both working with youth and the theater are passions of ours, and incorporating the two give us great satisfactions. The students of Great Valley are fabulous.

It never ceases to amaze us how quickly young people pick things up. They are like sponges, the more you pour into them, the more they absorb. Directing young people tends to be easier than directing adults, as they are much more open to suggestion. It’s also fun to watch them grow. We plant the seeds and they flower, giving us more than we could have hoped for. Thank your, cast and crew, for that gift.

Once again, it’s important to thank our parent volunteers who are the heart and soul of this program. Without your help, it could not have been possible.

Also, we would not want to forget the wonderful custodial staff at GVMS. They are always there to help in any way…thank you gentlemen.

Thank you for all your continued support. Directing Sleepy Hollow was great fun – enjoy the show!

Clem and Wendy Mirto

THE CAST AND CREW

Hannah Alpert, Zehra Alsarraj, Katelyn Bianchini, Leah Bodek, Mary Boyce, Erica Buchholz, Brittany Cabot, Madison Callaro, Holly Cooper, Jessie Cooperstein, Sammy Cooperstein, Alina Crisi, Renae Curless, Kristen D’Isidoro, Jenna Desmarais, Erin Devine, Daniel Dietrich, Leslie Drinkwater, Hannah Eagle, Ian Eck, Jack Fields, Blaise Forcine, Haley Friis, Christine Garrard, Nicole Gatta, Garrett Gay, Nick Gaynor, Caroline Gimmillaro, Christopher Gimmillaro, Peter Gorman, Sarah Greene, Katharina Grinjuks, Jennifer Gu, Katie Haines, Evelyn Harbison, Rebecca Hasz, Melissa Hoffman, Ryan Holleran, Seth Houston, Forrest Hudes, Mahroh Jahangiri, Julie James, Katie Kelly, Kristy Kingan, Leah Knauer, Nicole LaBarge, Samantha Leonetti, Lindy Li, Christina Lipson, Kirsten Loose, Elliott Madden-Cox, Brigham Madden-Cox, Raija Madsen, Chris Marroletti, Meghan Marsters, Paul Matsiras, DJ McCrory, Jack McGrath, Brendan McKinley, Natalie McQuiston, Anthony Miller, Jamie Miller, Jaclyn Mouras, Ryan Nessle, Patrick Norton, Katherine Offutt, Kirsten Petrocelli, Luke Pierce-Lolla, Kimberly Purtle, Katie Quindlen, Siva Reyna, Robert Rinaldo, Brian Robbins, Lisa Rosenkrans, Misty Rosso, Taylor Saia, Ben Shackleton, Dan Shackleton, Gwyn Sharer, Drew Sherry, Aditi Singh, Madeline Smith, Gabrielle Stahl, April Stanke, Kate Sullivan, Heather Tabb, Jessica Thal, Maria Tuchinsky, Andrew Vassallo, Thomas Wagner, Jillian Walsh, Yan Wang, Alison Weltman, Anna Weng, Alexandra Wicke, Nate Wicke, Christopher Yake, and Carissa Ziegler

PRODUCTION STAFF AND PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Nilessa Alpert, Stephanie Callaro, Bob Cooper, Natalie Cooper, Kathleen Curless, Patricia D’Isidoro, Lee Drinkwater, Earline Eck, Margery Fields, Marylouise Forcine, Caroline Gimmillaro, June Gorman, Anita Greene, Barbara Holleran, Hal Holzer, Lisa Hudes, Nat Jones, Kelley Kelly, Jean Kingan, Anita LaBarge, Jean Leonetti, Mary Ann Loose, Christine Macedo, Pete Marroletti, Tammy Marroletti, Deana Metz, Marian Nakada, Colleen Nessle, Mike Nessle, Chris Nystrom, Sue Petrocelli, Nazlou Poursanidis, Sharon Rinaldo, Anita Robbins, Barbara Rosenkrans, Adam Search, Lynne Shackleton, Amy Smith-Moniz, Nancy Stahl, Donna Strohmetz, Trish Vassallo, Diane Weltman, Karen Wicke, and Denise Wisneski.

WORLD LANGUAGES UPDATE

Magistra Zarfos’ eighth grade Latin 1 class took the National Latin Exam just before the famous Ides of March. The results will be posted at the end of the year during our Academic Awards ceremonies.

Magistra Zarfos and the eighth grade Latin 1 class are also preparing for the celebration of Rome's birthday next month by creating their springtime mythological frescos. The class just finished their Ides of March skit concerning the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Mlle. Zarfos' eighth grade French class just began their maps of Parisian monuments for this year. Each student creates ten monuments and researches them during the spring.

Señora Witczak just had another great Spanish-only day to allow students to think in Spanish during their eighth grade classes.

Frau Ostien's eighth grade German class and Señora Berryman's eighth grade Spanish classes are performing skits concerning school and the marketplace.

THE GVMS SKI CLUB ENDS ANOTHER GREAT SEASON

At the beginning of our ski season, one of our illustrious chaperones said that he regretted that he “had but one life to give to his skiing addiction!” Truly, our club slogan, “…So many trails, so little time…” reflects his sorrow and has been proven true once again this year. After all, how exactly does one cover all of the 279 trails on all of the mountains we went to this past year in only eight weeks?

The GVMS Ski Club once again enjoyed a great season thanks to all of the help from the chaperones, high school mentors, parents who made sure their kids were at school at the early hours of 5:30 or 6:30 on a Saturday morning and then there to pick them up on time at the end of the day, and also from the responsible students themselves who seemed to have loads of fun on our trips.

But unfortunately for the die-hard skiers, spring will soon be here and the skis, poles, snowboards, snow blades, boots, helmets, and all that other gear will all take their place collecting dust in the back of the garage, basement, attic, or closet to await yet another season. However, before the dust settles and the flowers do start to bloom, I would like to say thank you for all of you who helped make this season another positive memory for the Great Valley Middle School Ski Club chaperones and myself. We had a terrific season consisting of eight trips including our overnight Vermont trip. There were no broken bones or trips to the hospital considering we took about 85 students on each trip except the Vermont trip. In all, we had over 188 total students attend at least one of our trips and they all ran very smoothly. Your cooperation and enthusiasm for the Ski Club continues to help maintain its positive reputation.

Even though the snow is melting and flowers will soon be blooming, the Ski Club will still be conducting some activities. Some of you have asked about the sale of t-shirts and sweatshirts. I realize it is now after the season, but unfortunately we had a late start on this initiative and we will in fact be selling t-shirts and sweatshirts this spring. Listen for announcements to follow. We will also be trying a new activity at the end of this school year…we are planning a trip to Camelback Ski Area where, in the summer, they turn the ski resort into a water park. The date for the trip is Saturday, June 5 and flyers/registration materials will be posted shortly. The trip is open only to those who went on at least one GVMS Ski Club ski trip this year. We hope to see you there!

The Ski Club continues to receive positive accolades from the ski resorts and businesses we patronize. I have also had a number of parents and some students verbally comment on how much they have enjoyed the program. It does take a lot of effort to create and run a program such as this, but it is one that I thoroughly enjoy when we have well behaved and well mannered kids who, along with their parents, take the time to let us know that they appreciate the Ski Club. We are encouraging people to write to us so that we can use short testimonial clips in future advertising in letters, registration forms, presentations, or perhaps on the Internet. Thanks again for a great season!

Mr. Fitzmier

GVMS Ski Club Advisor

PARENT EXCHANGE FORUM

Do you have a child whose educational needs seem to fall outside the traditional curriculum? Has your child been struggling in school? Is your child bored in school? Would you like to connect with other parents in the same situation? If you answered yes or even maybe to any of these questions then please join in an evening of informal exchange and discussion among parents on Wednesday, April 21st from 7-9 pm at the GVSD District Offices at 47 Church Road in Malvern. It will be an opportunity for parents to get together and exchange information and ideas regarding special educational needs, whether it be the gifted program or special education. It is designed as an open format allowing parents to connect with others who may have a similar situation so that you don't have to feel like you are doing this alone. Seasoned parents offer insight into special programs available throughout the entire spectrum of special education and gifted programs in all the Great Valley Schools. Parents "in the trenches" brainstorm with others on daily struggles and planning for the future. Come share you ideas and ask your questions. ALL ARE WELCOME!

The Great Valley Drama Guild presents…

THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, a giant of a musical created by Frank Loesser, who also created Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. In keeping with the tradition of the Great Valley Drama Guild, THE MOST HAPPY FELLA promises to delight and amaze its audiences. The story line revolves around the complications that arise when Tony, a middle-aged Italian vineyard owner, proposes by mail to Rosabella, a young waitress who once served him in a San Francisco restaurant. Rosabella has no recollection of Tony, but accepts his proposal…largely because he has sent her a picture of Joe, his handsome young ranch foreman. Imagine the plot twists that arise?

Students, staff, parents and community volunteers have been preparing for this difficult enterprise since December. Expect a company of gifted Great Valley student vocalists, actors, dancers, instrumentalists, innovative staging and eye-catching costumes. As always, you are guaranteed a memorable theatre experience.

Performances at the Great Valley High School auditorium are scheduled: Friday, April 23^rd and Saturday, April 24^th, Friday, April 30^th and Saturday, May 1^st at 8:00 PM. In addition, the traditional Sunday matinee is open to all, but free of charge to all senior citizens, on April 25^th at 1:30 PM. All seats are $9 and are General Admission. To reserve tickets or obtain information, please call Dolores Hunter at 610-651-8185 or Anne LaPlante at 610-647-8420. The Gold Card is honored, with a reservation, at all Drama Guild productions for all performances.

BECOME A PATRON OF THE ARTS!

Please include my name in the programs for the evening performances and accept my tax deductible donation for: ____$15 _____$25 _____$50 _____$100 ____Other

Please make checks out to GVCEF and mail to: Great Valley Community Education Foundation, 47 Church Road, Malvern, PA 19355

Thank you for supporting the arts and helping bring school performances to the children of Great Valley School District.

SCHEDULING OUR STUDENTS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

For the benefit of parents new to the middle school and to clarify for everyone, here’s an overview of the middle school scheduling process.

Student Placement

The process of placing students begins in April with teachers making their initial recommendations for language arts and math levels to the middle school administration. Placement is based on teacher recommendation, performance in class, report card grades, district assessments, and standardized tests, when available.

There are three levels of language arts -- high (level 1), high average (level 2) and average (level 3). Approximately one third of the students are in each level. There is flexibility to move between the levels during the year. In practice, students remain in the same level until at least the end of the first marking period, in order for the teacher to better know the student’s ability.

In sixth grade there are three levels of math: advanced pre-algebra; introduction to pre-algebra; and sixth grade math. In grade 7 there are four levels: algebra 1, algebra 1A, pre-algebra and seventh grade math. In grade 8 we offer honors algebra 2, algebra 1B, algebra 1A and pre-algebra. Admission to the top math classes is by achievement test, teacher recommendation, & parent approval. Fifth graders take these tests in May.

At each grade level and on each team there are learning support classes for learning different students.

Eighth graders choose their foreign language (French, German, Latin or Spanish) or Reading class in May of seventh grade after the start of their final foreign language survey class.

Sixth graders continue in Spanish that they’ve taken since 2^nd grade. They have it 2 days a week. It’s required of all students, and a beginners Spanish is also offered. In seventh grade these students will rotate through the French, German and Latin survey courses, as well as more Spanish; and in eighth grade they will choose French 1, German 1, Latin 1, Spanish 2, Spanish 1 or a developmental reading course. Opportunities exist at the high school to begin a new language too.

Teachers fine-tune their recommendations in May. The middle school administration then notifies 6^th & 7^th grade parents of the assigned language arts, math levels and music selections in early June, prior to the end of the school year. (5^th grade parents this information in August via their schedule.) In mid-August all parents receive their child’s actual schedule showing the teachers and subjects. Two weeks before the start of the school year, students may come in and check out their rooms and lockers.