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John Winthrop Middle School

Ignite your Spark

JW Charger Chatter - October 23, 2026

Posted Date: 10/23/26 (02:36 PM)
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Charger Chatter

October 23, 2026

Principal's Corner

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Good afternoon, JW Families,

We had a wonderful time at our Halloween dance last Friday! It was a joy to see our school community come together for an evening of fun and celebration. Thank you also for making time to attend parent conferences this week. We appreciate the opportunity to connect with you and work together to support your children.

Looking ahead, we will have a fire drill on Tuesday morning to help students practice our safety procedures.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership!

Carolyn Gbunblee

👻 JWMS Halloween Dance! 👻

Our Halloween Dance Was a Spooktacular Success! 🎃
Our annual Halloween Dance was a fun night filled with great music, dancing, and time spent with friends! Students enjoyed showing off their costumes, hitting the dance floor, grabbing snacks and drinks, and making great memories with their classmates. It was wonderful to see everyone having such a great time and enjoying the chance to celebrate Halloween together outside of the classroom. A big thank-you to all the students who attended and to everyone who helped organize and support the event. Your participation helped make the night a success, and we look forward to our next school dance!

Want to See Your Teacher Dress Up Like a Turkey?! 🦃

We are excited to announce the JWMS Holiday Food Drive! From Monday, November 2nd through Friday, November 20th, we will be collecting nonperishable donations to support our Local Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry.  To add some friendly competition, the homeroom that brings in the most items will win a special prize: their teacher will dress up like a turkey!

Thank you for helping us support our local community this holiday season! If you have any questions, please contact John Iacobellis at jiacobellis@reg4.k12.ct.us or call 860-526-9546 ext. 1202.
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JW Clubs

Mock Trial

If any students missed Tuesday’s information meeting but would like to join, they should see Ms. Minor as soon as possible. Our first meeting will be Monday, 10/26, after school in the library. While we do not yet have a competition date, it is generally a weeknight in the middle of March.

Winter Sports Club Informational Meeting

Interested in skiing or snowboarding this winter? Join us for an informational meeting on Thursday, October 29th at 7:25am in the JW Auditorium.

If you’re unable to attend, please see Mr. I with any questions!

Tech Ed

This week students showcased their code.org games! It was fun to watch our JW community support these coding game designers. Students in Tech Ed have been learning to code and about Design Thinking. Each student was tasked to empathize with a “client” and create a game to help them improve their skills in math, reading, ancient civilizations, government, and science. The last step in the Design Thinking process is to Test their Prototype and implement any feedback they might receive. Thanks to all who provided useful feedback and tested these games at the Gallery!

JW Musical

We had a great info meeting for the JW Musical, Footloose, this week!  We need a big group of talented students to put on this incredible, fun musical!  If your student is interested in being part of the cast, they should see Mrs. Traver for audition materials ASAP.  Auditions are Nov. 9, 10, 11, 12 (details on Google Classroom).  Important deadline: Cast contracts are due by Nov. 6th in order for them to be able to audition.  
If your student is interested in being part of the crew, those sign-ups will happen in February.
More info can be found on the JW Drama 2027 Google Classroom and also this website:

Region 4 Music Boosters 🎶

Reg4 Music Boosters: WREATH SALE - Thank you for supporting the Wreath Fundraiser!  Any last minute orders should be communicated ASAP to reg4musicboosters@gmail.com, as the order is being placed Monday. 

**Wreath Pickup: MANDATORY on DEC 2nd at VRHS** 2-4pm Let’s make this season merry and bright—one wreath at a time!

Vote for VRHS Student Singer!
One of Region 4's very own is involved in a Broadway vocal competition and needs your votes!!  Kajsia Wright, VRHS Class of 2027, is competing to win scholarships and training sessions with Broadway performers and casting directors, including the chance to perform at the famous 54 Below in NYC. 
You can vote once per day!
Kajsia Wright
Find her under high school entries, alpha order by first name.

A Message from Nurse Emily

Information Regarding Local Flu Shot Clinics
With an increase in influenza cases in Connecticut and nationally, now is a great time to consider getting a flu shot. In addition to local doctors offices and pharmacies, there are options in our area that offer low cost or free flu shots: 
For further information or to locate a nearby vaccination location, please visit the Connecticut Department of Public Health Flu Vaccination and Clinic Information website.
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❗Picture Retake Day — November 6❗

Picture Retake Day will be held on Friday, November 6th for students and staff who would like to have their school picture retaken. 

  • If your student is interested in retakes, they do not need to purchase another package if they already did so on the original day. We ask that the student return their picture package on picture day to the photographer and get their photo taken.
     
  • If your student was not photographed on the original day and you would like to pre-purchase a package, you may do so with the new picture day code. Order pictures online at mylifetouch.com  Re-take Event number: EVTNRNVBZ 

💙💙 Parent Council Updates 💛💛

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Here Comes Halloween! 🍬
No tricks, just treats! JW is looking for some fun non-edible favors and candy donations for Dr. Gbunblee to hand out to students and staff on Friday, October 30th. If you are able to donate a bag of assorted candy or fun Halloween non-edible favors, please email JWMS School Secretary Adele McAndrew:  amcandrew@reg4.k12.ct.us.  Thanks for your support and generosity! 

JW Scholastic Book Fair – Still Looking for a Volunteer to Lead! 📚
We’re excited to bring a Scholastic Book Fair to JW during the first week of March! We’ve had several families offer to help, which we truly appreciate, but we are still in need of someone willing to take the lead in coordinating and organizing the fair.

If you’re interested or would like to learn more, please email amcandrew@reg4.k12.ct.us.
Thank you for your continued support and for helping us make this a great experience for our students!

John Winthrop Middle School Athletic Updates

Cross Country 🏃‍♂️:  The boys and girls cross country teams traveled to Berlin on Saturday morning for the McGee Invitational, where 18 teams competed on the 2.3 mile course.  There were many great performances in each of the races, but the 3 runners who ran their fastest paces of the season, on the longest course so far, were Sam Kolb, Colin Comerford and Kaya Lowden.  Two days later, the teams traveled to the Old Saybrook Invitational on Monday afternoon, where the runners enjoyed a flat, fast 1.8 mile course.  The top finishers for our team were Emma Lopez, who placed 2nd out of 185 girls, and Owen Graham, who placed 5th out of 174 boys.  A huge congratulations to the girls team who placed 3rd out of 13 teams - check out their plaque in the school’s front lobby.  

Next up is their last home meet against H-K on Wednesday, October 28th - hope to see you there with your cowbells!


Girls Soccer ⚽: The girls played an awesome game against Strong Middle School and lost 2-1 to the top team in the league. We went up 1-0 in the first half thanks to Ashlyn Graham’s 17th goal of the season and fought really hard against the Spartans. The girls last game will be on Tuesday the 27th against HK at HKMS! 
Our end of season exit interviews and jersey collection will be held on Thursday the 29th and our pizza party will be the following Wednesday. 

So proud of our Lady Chargers! 

Boys Soccer ⚽: The JW Boys Soccer team played a gritty, nail-biting game against Strong Middle School yesterday and fought hard for a 1–0 victory!  It was a great win and an excellent example of the team’s determination, teamwork, and perseverance!

A special thank-you to the coaches and players from the Valley Regional Warriors boys soccer team for coming out to support the JW Chargers, and your future Warriors! We and our players appreciate seeing you all there! ~ Coach Aguiar, Coach I

One More Game Next Week!

⚽ Tuesday, 10/27: vs. HK at home

Let’s finish strong, Chargers! ⚡

Field Hockey🏑: Field hockey is wrapping up its first interscholastic season.  This week they had a win against HK Middle School.   The last home game was also this week, and the competitive season ends with an away game Tuesday.   The girls have shown so much growth and improvement.   They have much to be proud of.    The coaches look forward to many more seasons to come.  

Upcoming Games:
10/27 JW @ Eliot

❄️🏐 Winter Sports - Stay Tuned! 🏀❄️
The VRHS/JWMS Winter Newsletter will be sent out via ParentSquare NEXT WEEK - this will include registration information, season start dates & more! 

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.
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Important Dates

  • October 22nd & 23rd - Early Dismissal @ 12:12pm - Parent Conferences
  • October 26th - 8th Grade Vinal Presentation
  • October 27th  - Town Hall Tuesday
  • October 29th - Winter Sports Club Meeting 7:25am⛷️, Auditorium & 8th Grade VOAG Presentation (Revised Date)
  • November 2nd - 20th -  JWMS Holiday Food Drive
  • November 6th - Picture Retake Day
  • November 25th - 27th - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL

Lost & Found - Is Piling Up!

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! 

All unclaimed items will be donated at the end of Trimester 1! 
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