Good evening Githens families,
I hope you had a great weekend. Please review this email in its entirety for our weekly updates at Githens.
Calendar
Monday, October 27th is a Teacher Workday. There will be no school for scholars.
Tuesday - Friday October 28th - October 31st is Spirit Week
Spirit Week
Our tradition at Githens is to host a Spirit Week to celebrate the End of the Quarter! Please see the Spirit Week Flyer HERE. It is also posted on our GMS website. Students will be allowed to wear costumes on Friday, Oct. 31st but props including masks, head coverings, fake weapons, etc are prohibited. Inflatable costumes are also prohibited. Please support our staff and ensure these items stay at home.
Immunizations
Parents/Guardians of 7th grade scholars, please visit the immunization link listed HERE to ensure your scholar’s immunizations are up to date. There will be individual notifications sent home in the form of a letter for scholars that are impacted by this.
Raider Store
The Githens Raider store is in need of donations. Please visit our Amazon Wishlist HERE. We appreciate all donations as this helps support our mission and vision of students modeling The Raider Way.
Give to Githens 2025: Annual Fundraiser Coming Soon!
Mark your calendars! Githens Middle School’s Annual PTA Fundraiser kicks off November 2–17, 2025. This is your chance to support the incredible students, educators, and staff who make our Raider community special. Your tax-deductible donations help fund Teacher stipends and classroom grants, school-wide events and enrichment activities—and more! Stay tuned for more details and thank you for helping us make a difference!
School Dance
The GMS PTA will host a Harvest Dance on Friday, November 21st from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. In order to attend, students must have no disciplinary major referrals from Monday October 20th to Friday November 21st. Please review our GMS Dance Policy HERE. Students will receive a copy of the permission slip during report card distribution. Also, our GMA PTA would love to have your support and help with the Dance. Please use the Sign up Genius to volunteer.
Transportation (Carpool and Buses)
Carpool: 6th grade car riders are dismissed at 3:20pm followed by 7th grade car riders being dismissed at 3:30pm. No students will be dismissed between 3:00pm - 3:20pm and ALL carpool scholars must be picked up no later than 4:15pm daily.
Buses: To help you stay informed, we encourage you to use the Edulog app to track your scholar’s bus and receive real-time updates about delays or changes. Transportation information and guidelines can be found HERE. If you have any questions regarding buses, please contact Mr. Carter, james_carter@dpsnc.net. Thank you for your patience and support as we work to ensure safe and efficient transportation for all students
Athletics
The Fall Awards Program will be held on November 3rd at 6pm at Githens. Winter Sports Ticket to Play dates, Tryouts dates, and Sports Schedule will be shared in the near future. Please be on the lookout for that information.
Soccer
The Raiders will compete in the District championship game on Tuesday, October 28th at 5:00 pm
The game will take place at Durham County Memorial Stadium. The Raiders will take on the Cougars of Carrington. Tickets will be available for online and point of sale (POS) purchase only through GoFan. NO CASH. Tickets will go on sale at 9 am the morning of the event.
Ticket Price - $10 + $1 surcharge Ticket Link - DAC Boys' Soccer Championship - Soccer - Oct 28, 2025
Ultimate Frisbee
Anyone interested in participating in Githens Winter Ultimate Frisbee should plan on attending the interest meeting. It will be held after school on Tuesday October 28th in the media center. The meeting will end promptly at 4:00pm. Parents should pick up scholars in the front of the school. If you have any questions or cannot attend the meeting, please contact the team manager, Sarah Woodruff at sarah@hwoodruff.com.
Please see review the Guidelines for DPS Sporting Events Attendance
1. Clear One Bag Limit: Guests (spectators and students) will be limited to one bag that is clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and less than 12" x 12"x 6” exceptions will be made for medical and baby needs. Guests must adhere to the Department of Athletics' clear bag policy.
2. No Reentry: Spectators that voluntarily leave an athletic contest may not be allowed reentry into that contest.
3. Elementary & Middle School Students: All elementary and middle school students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when attending athletic competitions.
Tickets for Sporting Events can be purchased at GoFan. https://gofan.co/app/school/NC13663
If you have any questions regarding athletics, please contact Mrs. Shlisa Stackhouse at shlisa_stackhouse@dpsnc.net or Mr. James Carter at james_carter@dpsnc.net
Community Events:
The Superintendent's Art Showcase will take place on Tuesday, October 28th at the DPS Staff Development Center from 6:30pm to 7:00pm. Our scholars’ beautiful art will be displayed. Please come out to support our students!
Infinite Campus & Rooms Information
Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, Durham Public Schools is transitioning to a new student information system, NCSIS powered by Infinite Campus . This system will replace PowerSchool as your one-stop-shop for grades, attendance, and other important school information. Watch this video to preview the new system. You can stay connected via the Campus Parent app, which can be downloaded through the links below or by visiting the App Store or Google Play on your smartphone.
Download from the Google Play Store
This year, Durham Public Schools will launch a districtwide two-way messaging tool that will make communicating with families easier and more efficient. The new tool, called Rooms , is part of the same platform that runs the district website and app, which will integrate and streamline the process for teachers and district leaders to communicate with families. From now on, communication from our schools will all exist in one place: The DPS district app. Parents and guardians can also receive messages from their teachers via text and email or can check notifications via a web browser.
Download from the Google Play Store
Our goal at Githens is to keep a strong connection between home and school. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
For 6th grade inquires - Mr. Carter
For 7th grade inquires - Mr. Goble
For 8th grade inquires - Mr. France interim for Mrs. Major
Raiders, I will see you on Tuesday, let’s make it the best week!