Hello Gilbert H. Hood Families,
A huge lift up to all the families who participated in our Family-Teacher Conferences this past week. Approximately 470 families attended conferences on Monday, which represents about 72% of our student enrollment. What an amazing turnout! A special lift up goes out to our amazing PTSA who provided a delicious dinner for our staff on that day. Thank you!
In addition, another lift up this week to the students from Mr. Velez’s Modern Music classes who presented at a recent School Board Meeting. They did a great job sharing about their music video project. Well done!
Some important information and reminders for the upcoming weeks:
Morning Drop Off
Please be extremely cautious during the morning arrival process, especially in the car drop off line around the school. Mornings can be hectic for everyone, and sometimes we all feel the pressure of running late in the morning. Even during those harried moments, please be aware of your car speed around the school. The safety of our students, staff, and families must remain our top priority. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Military Holiday Card Challenge
Students from the National Junior Society finalized their community-wide project of writing and collecting holiday cards to our troops. Through their efforts, combined with support from schools across the district and the greater Derry community, they will send 2,650 holiday cards to military personnel across the world. Thank you to all who contributed to this amazing project! A special thank you and lift up to the dedicated NJHS students who spearheaded the project.
Annual Food Drive - November 3-21
We continue to collect donations for the End 68 Hours of Hunger food drive. Donations are being collected in each team area through November 21. End 68 Hours of Hunger is a volunteer effort to combat the approximately 68 hours of hunger that some school children experience between the free lunch they receive in school on Friday afternoon and the free breakfast they receive in school on Monday morning. All donations go directly back to students in need right here in Derry, NH. Please refer to the flyer for a list of suggested items. (Flyer: End 68 Hours of Hunger Food Drive)
Yearbook Cover Competition - due December 1
Interested GHH students are invited to enter an original drawing into our annual Yearbook Cover Competition. The winning artwork will be displayed on the front or back cover of this year's yearbook. Two winning entries will be selected, one for the front cover and one for the back cover. More information is provided on this flyer: 2025 Yearbook Cover.
PTSA Reflections - due December 5
The annual PTA Reflections program is under way. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students in pre-K through grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-created theme. This year’s theme is “I Belong”. Entries are due December 5. For more information, packets are available in the office. If you have questions, please email kassiatessier@gmail.com. (Flyer: 2025 Reflections)
Assignment Completion Report
We’re excited to share a helpful feature in PowerSchool. Parents can generate a report showing all missing, late, or incomplete assignments across classes. To access the report:
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On the left side menu, click Student Reports.
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Under the heading Currently Published Reports, choose T1 Assignment Completion Report.
See this video for further assistance: GHH Parent Video
You can also find your child’s archived reports here, including learning reports (report cards). We email you when new reports are published, but they’ll also remain available in this section.
Community Resources for Derry Families
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Derry Strong Website: https://sites.google.com/sau10.org/keep-calm-carry-online/home
Pinkerton Event: C.T.E. Career Awareness Program (CAP) Night - November 20
Pinkerton Academy is inviting eighth grade students and their families to an informational night on Thursday November 20 from 5:00-6:30pm (at Pinkerton). This event is designed to share information about their CTE Career Awareness Program.
Annual Information Update
If you have not already done so for this school year, please complete your child's Annual Information Update through PowerSchool. This must be done every year for ALL NEW and RETURNING STUDENTS. Here is a link to the PowerSchool Parent Portal sign in page: https://sau10.powerschool.com/public/home.html Please call the office if you have questions or need assistance: 603-432-1224.
Annual Head Lice Information
View the annual update from the Derry School District regarding Head Lice prevention, procedures and resources.
Information about Pinkerton Academy
For current eighth graders who plan to attend Pinkerton Academy, please check out their revamped website specifically designed for you.
In addition, please make note of these upcoming events for current eighth graders:
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January 6,: Pinkerton Academy 8th Grade Preview Night, 6:00 pm, Stockbridge Theatre (live stream, recorded, and in-person)
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January 15: Pinkerton Academy 8th Grade Course Night, 5:30-8:00 pm, Academy Building (snow date: January 22)
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January 26: Pinkerton Academy 8th Grade Electives Information Day (during school day)
(Flyer: Pinkerton Academy 8th Grade Events)
Upcoming Dates:
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November 18: Team 7-4 visit to Derry Public Library
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November 24: School Board meeting, Derry Municipal Center, 6:30
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November 25: Team 7-3 visits Derry Public Library
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November 26-28: No School (Thanksgiving Break)
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November 29: Nutfield Holiday Parade, 1:00, GHH Marching Band participating
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December 1: Trimester 2 begins
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December 1-5: GHH Book Fair
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December 5: Grade 7 Field Trip; Pinkerton’s A Christmas Carol
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December 9: Trimester 1 Learning Reports to families
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December 9: PTSA meeting, 6:00 in the library
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December 10: Early Release Day, dismissal at 11:45
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December 15: Music Assemblies
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December 15: GHH Chorus Concert, 6:00-7:30
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December 16: GHH Band Concert, 6:00-7:30
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December 22-January 2: No School (Holiday Break)
**To keep up to date on the daily happenings at GHH, be sure to check our daily announcements that are posted on our school website under the “Resources” tab. The Morning Meeting Notices spreadsheet is constantly updated and available for reference.
On-Going Reminders
Reminders about Morning Drop Off Procedures
If you are driving in the morning car rider line behind the building, please wait to drop off your child(ren) until you are in the drop-off zone and signaled by a staff member to do so. The drop-off zone is between the crosswalk near the dining hall doors (Door 16) to the corner of the building. When students are dropped off before that zone, it affects the safety and efficiency measures put in place. Your attention and cooperation in this process is greatly appreciated.
Student Pickup from Afterschool Clubs
Many of our after-school clubs dismiss at 3:00 pm, or soon after. Keep in mind that the Derry Early Education Program (DEEP) may still be dismissing their students around that same time. DEEP families form a double car line along the front of the building to pick up their children. Please do not attempt to go around these cars, which can cause a serious safety issue. You are welcome to use the middle staff parking lot or wait for the DEEP pick up line to subside. Thank you for your cooperation as we work together for the safety of all students in our school community.
Afterschool Enrichment Program
The Gilbert H. Hood Middle School Afterschool Enrichment program is a FREE program that runs September 2, 2025 to May 28, 2026 every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 2 to 5:30 pm . Students enrolled in this program are expected to attend 3 days a week. Students can ALSO attend any clubs or sports offered at the school. Further details are provided on the attached flyer. The program is FUN, keeps students safe, provides engaging activities, and positive social interactions with a long-term goal of increased community engagement. To register: https://bit.ly/AfterschoolEnrichment
Afterschool Clubs & Activities
Students should pay attention to the announcements during Morning Meeting to get information about clubs they may be interested in joining. These daily announcements are also posted on our school website under the “Resources” tab. The Morning Meeting Notices spreadsheet is constantly updated and available for reference.
Derry Cooperative School District Free & Reduced Lunch Application
We invite you to watch this informative video regarding filling out the free and reduced lunch application: https://youtu.be/V6Y8kMqapgc