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John Winthrop Middle School

Ignite your Spark

JW Charger Chatter - September 18, 2026

Posted Date: 09/18/26 (02:19 PM)
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Charger Chatter

September 18, 2026

Principal's Corner

Good afternoon, JW Families,

This week, we held our first advisory meeting! Students and staff gathered in small, mixed-grade groups to get to know one another and begin building connections across our school. Advisory helps us create a community where every student feels known and supported.

A few reminders for next week:
  • Monday: No school in observance of Yom Kippur.
  • Friday: Picture day. We look forward to seeing our students’ smiles!

Next week also brings our first Town Hall assembly of the year. This is a chance to celebrate our students and staff and strengthen our sense of community.

Thank you for being part of our JW community. Have a wonderful weekend!

Carolyn Gbunblee

2026–2027 Required Annual Notifications

The 2026-2027 Required Annual Notifications to Parents and Students are now available. Families are asked to review the notifications and complete the brief acknowledgment survey by September 30, 2026.


Families with children attending more than one of our schools will receive a notification from each school and should complete a separate acknowledgment for each. Paper copies are also available in the JWMS Main Office, and an electronic copy will be available on the district website. Thank you for taking a few moments to review this important information and confirm receipt.

Message from the Superintendent

We invite you to complete this survey to share your perspectives on your child's technology use at home, as well as your experiences and beliefs about how technology is being integrated into learning at school. Your feedback will play an important role in helping us make thoughtful, informed decisions as we continue this work. The survey should take approximately 2–5 minutes to complete. If you have children in multiple schools or grade levels, we encourage you to complete a separate survey for each child so we can better understand the unique experiences across our district.  The survey will remain open through Friday, September 18, 2026.

Student Agreements

This year, our 7th and 8th grade students worked with their teachers to create Student Agreements for our school community. Students discussed what they felt was important to help everyone feel welcome, safe, respected, and ready to learn. The agreements were created using the students’ own words and ideas.
The agreements are posted in teachers’ classrooms and throughout the 7th and 8th grade hallways for students to reference throughout the school year. We are excited to share these student-created agreements with our families and look forward to continuing to build a positive school community together.

Thank you,

John Woitovich
Dean of Students
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Advisory

This week, our 7th and 8th graders had the opportunity to jump into Advisory!
 
Advisory gives students the chance to meet new people, connect with staff, and build relationships in a smaller group setting. Throughout the year, we’ll use this time to strengthen connections between students and staff members they may not always get the chance to interact with during the school day.

During our first Advisory lesson, students participated in some fun “getting to know you” activities, learned more about what Advisory is all about, and wrapped things up with a game! We received lots of great feedback from students, especially about the web activity, which was a big hit. 

We’re excited to continue building connections, creating community, and having some fun together throughout the year! 
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Library Update

8th graders who checked out books for summer reading should return them to the library as soon as possible. Students were reminded last week, and the deadline for returns is the end of September. Books not returned by then will be billed as lost. Please contact Sarah Minor (sminor@reg4.k12.ct.us) with any questions.

🚌 Bus Change Reminder 🚌

For the safety of all students, any changes to a student’s regular bus or bus stop must be communicated to the school office in advance. This includes requests for a student to ride a different bus or get off at a different stop.
All bus change requests must be received by the office by email, phone call, or written note from a parent/guardian.
Please note that students may not make after-school transportation plans while at school and then call home to request a bus change. Bus changes cannot be arranged by students during the school day.
We appreciate your help in ensuring that all transportation changes are communicated properly and in advance so we can keep our students safe. Thank you for your cooperation!

📸 Next Friday Picture Day 📸

Picture Day at JWMS will be held on Friday, September 25, 2026.
Ordering information has already been sent home with students. Please make sure your child is prepared and ready for their photo!

🏫 Important Reminder: Please Use Our New Front Entrance

During the school day, please use the new FRONT entrance for:

  • Visitors
  • Students arriving late
  • Early student pick-up
  • Dropping off items for students

For the safety of our school community parents/guardians picking up or dropping off students or items should remain in the vestibule. Office staff will assist with student pick-up, deliveries, and messages.

Only visitors with scheduled meetings may enter beyond the entrance. Thank you.

Region 4 Music Boosters

WELCOME MUSIC BOOSTERS 

If you have a student in band, choir, or theater, you are a Music Booster!  Be on the lookout for the Music Booster Welcome letter, calendar of all musical functions for the year, a volunteer questionnaire, and our annual "Unfundraiser"  that was sent home this week to all Band and Chorus students.  We would love your involvement in any capacity this year!   Follow us on social media for updates and info. Any questions, please reach out to Celeste Wright,  917-284-1343 or reg4musicboosters@gmail.com.  

BROADWAY NIGHT at SCOTCH PLAINS TAVERN FUNDRAISER
Join us on Wednesday, September 23rd for a spectacular “Broadway Night” at Scotch Plains Tavern! VRHS students and alumni will present an Ellen’s Stardust Diner experience while you dine. Scotch Plains is donating a portion of the proceeds to Region 4 Music Boosters.
There will be two seatings: 5:15 PM and 7:00 PM. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by calling Scotch Plains, 860-662-4032. Seating is limited and tables are filling fast. See our social media pages and flyers around town for more information.  Come enjoy a night of Broadway show tunes fit for the whole family and support our talented stars!
  
PIES! PIES! PIES! ONE WEEK LEFT!
  VRHS Music Program is selling pies from Lyman Orchard until September 18th! There are pumpkin, sky-high apple pie, berries, and a variety of cream pies.  Snag a VRHS music student and sign up now to get your pies for Thanksgiving! 

REG 4 MUSIC BOOSTER BOARD MEMBERS for 26-27'
President, Celeste Wright
Vice-President, Maureen Connelly
Secretary, Caroline Porter
Treasurer, Miriam Morrissey
Committee Members: Susan Holt, Melissa Ozols

FOLLOW US
Facebook: Region 4 Music Boosters
Instagram: @reg4musicboosters
Email: reg4musicboosters@gmail.com

John Winthrop Middle School Athletic Updates

Girls Soccer: Girls soccer lost a tough game at home vs a strong Strong Middle School. Back at home on Tuesday vs HK and then away at Westbrook on Thursday!!

Boys Soccer: The JW Boys Soccer team played a gritty game against Strong Middle School and walked away with a hard fought 2–1 victory! It was a great win and a great example of the team’s determination and teamwork. Coach Aguiar and Coach I

Next week, we have two more games:
⚽ Tuesday 9/22: HK
⚽ Thursday 9/24: Westbrook

Cross Country: Congratulations to the boys and girls cross country teams, who had a fantastic first meet against Hale Ray and Lyme-Old Lyme on Wednesday.  Every runner gave their all out on the 1.9 mile course and each person ran a personal best pace.  Owen Graham placed first in the boys race and Emma Lopez was the overall winner for the girls race.  The girls team finished in 1st (Emma), 2nd (Kathleen Dailey), 5th (Avery Freeman), 6th (Emme Dowling-Moreno) and 12th (Kaya Lowden), beating both Hale Ray and Lyme-Old Lyme with their team score.  The boys team had 5 runners in the top 20, including Owen, Daniel Giacobbe (8th), Ian Morris (12th), Jack Vermeer (13th) and Dylan Bonneau (18th).  Special shout out to Colin Comerford who was the most improved runner of the meet, taking 1:34 off his pace per mile from the time trial. Next up is a meet next Wednesday, Septemeber 23 against H-K and North Brandford.   

Field Hockey: Field Hockey is finding their stride as a team.  Tuesday’s home game against H-K resulted in a 2-0 win. On Thursday, the girls continued to improve their skills in their game versus North Branford. Goalie Cora P had 13 saves. Next week the girls play Eliot at home on Tuesday.   

JWMS Athletic Forms and Information 


JW FALL SPORTS MEDIA DAY PHOTOS  📷 
The Fall Media Photos are now available for purchase!
Visit →  Steady Photography at https://my.photoday.com/g/PGTR36624 
** Access Code: PGTR36624 **

Charger Sideline Store
Looking to show your Charger spirit this season? Check out the JWMS Sideline Store for a variety of gear and apparel available!  
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Get Involved with the JWMS Parent Council!

The John Winthrop Middle School Parent Council is a great way for parents and families to stay connected, share ideas, and support our students and staff. We meet with Principal Carolyn Gbunblee to hear school updates, discuss ideas, and help plan activities throughout the year.

Meetings will be held from 6:00–7pm in the JWMS Media Center on:
September 30 • December 2 • February 3 • April 7
We are excited to continue some of our favorite events while also welcoming new ideas and opportunities for our school community. There are many ways to help, including volunteering, organizing events, sponsoring activities, donating supplies, or simply sharing your ideas.

📎 Please read the attached PDF to learn more about the ways you can help and sign up to get involved!

To join our JW Parent Council, please email our JW Secretary, Adele McAndrew: amcandrew@reg4.k12.ct.us

Lyn Majors – Lead Parent Council lynmajors@comcast.net
Click Here to Get Involved at JW

Important Dates

  • September 21 - NO SCHOOL, Yom Kippur
  • September 22nd - Town Hall Tuesday
  • September 25th - Picture Day
  • October 12th - NO SCHOOL, Columbus Day
  • October 22nd & 23rd - Early Dismissal @ 12:12pm - Parent Conferences

Lost & Found

Please remember to check our Lost & Found! Labeling jackets, lunchboxes, and other personal items makes it much easier for us to return them to students. Thank you for your help!
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* Attendance Email *

Please email all attendance correspondence to:
 
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