Cecil E. Gray Middle

📣 Join Us for Our PTO & SAC Meeting!

Parents, guardians, and community members — you’re invited to our next Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting on Thursday, March 26th at 6:00 PM in the Media Center.

Come learn how the PTO and SAC support our students, discuss upcoming events, and stay connected with what’s happening at our school. Your voice and participation make a difference.

The GMS Symphonic Band has earned superiors from all 3 judges as well as the sight reading room for the 3rd year in row. This is the first time in school history the Symphonic Band has had 3 straight years of superior ratings at the annual Music Performance Assessment. Gray Middle School and South Lake High School Wind Ensemble were the only schools to earn straight superiors at the March 12 Music Performance Assessment. We are so very proud! Thank you, Mr. Briggs, for your dedication to our Gators! https://youtube.com/@graymiddleschoolbands?si=m3dHRKGa6syJjSXy

Our 8th graders did awesome with a difficult lab making fresh pasta then using the pasta to make Carbonara. We are proud!

We are celebrating our students hard work in Gator Aid. Go Gators! 🐊

Great things are happening every day in our ELA classrooms at Gray Middle, and this week students are taking their close reading skills to the next level. You’ll see students annotating closely, collaborating with peers, and using accountable question stems to push each other’s thinking further. This lesson brings together the powerful combination of: Reading closely, Writing with text evidence, Thinking critically, and Talking through ideas with peers. After discussing their texts, students apply their thinking by answering evidence-based questions and responding to open-ended prompts that require clear explanations supported by the text.   This kind of classroom learning reflects what we strive for at Gray Middle: engaged students, thoughtful discussion, and meaningful literacy work. We are so proud of our incredible students and grateful for the dedicated teachers who create learning experiences like this every day!

Please take a moment to view this Mental Health Newsletter.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAHBsllblsw/PYrMt55ZlnvEiPrbRf_PSQ/view?utm_content=DAHBsllblsw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h29add0c724

Hello Gator Families,
Today, during Thrive Time, students were taught a PBIS Lesson on Digital Citizenship. The information in this lesson can have a great impact on how students conduct themselves online. Please take a moment to talk to your child about what he/she learned about this important topic!

Thank you for your support of PBIS!

Congratulations to our Gators of the Month! Keep up the great work! 🐊

Today we proudly celebrated Global Inclusion Day by signing the Special Olympics Inclusion Banner!
By adding our names, our students and staff made a powerful promise — to choose kindness, include others, use respectful language, and stand up for one another. Together, we’re building a community where everyone feels valued, seen, and supported.
As Special Olympics reminds us, “Inclusion is not just an act. It is an attitude.” Through the global movement of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, our school and schools around the world are proving that when young people lead with acceptance and respect, they create lasting change.

When you’re Testing Coordinator creates a Camp Testing PD to train the teachers on testing policies. With dirty soda and s’more snack snacks! Amazing! 🐊

We had a great start to the day in The Swamp! We enjoyed Ms. Frana's Famous Hashbrown Casserole while learning about reading strategies to incorporate into the classroom. Afterwards we celebrated our Teachers and Support Staff of the Month - Ms. Doner, Mr. Tarquine, and Ms. Vollmer.

We are hiring for a Teacher Assistant position - come join our Gator Family!

We enjoyed seeing so many families come out to Gator Expo! Thank you for your support. We have a lot of good things happening in The Swamp! 🐊

🐊 Gator Expo is TOMORROW! 🐊

Gray Middle School families — we can’t wait to welcome you to campus tomorrow evening for our annual Gator Expo!

Join us on Tuesday, March 3rd from 5:30–7:30 PM to explore classrooms, see student work on display, learn about academic pathways, and enjoy live courtyard performances by our talented band and theater students.

This schoolwide showcase highlights the incredible learning happening at Gray — and it’s a great opportunity for current and future Gator families alike.

📍 Gray Middle School
⏰ 5:30–7:30 PM

We look forward to celebrating our Gray Gators with you tomorrow!

Dear Parent or Guardian,
Great news! Our school has partnered with Big Smiles to provide dental care right at school. Best of all, in most cases there is no cost to you if your child is insured with Medicaid or CHIP. Private insurance and affordable self-pay options are also available.
Easy and Convenient
Having your child seen by the dental team at school saves you valuable time. High-quality care is provided by local, licensed dental professionals in the familiar and comfortable setting of your child’s school.
Keep Your Child Healthy
Untreated dental problems can lead to pain, missed school days, and long-term health concerns. Regular dental care helps keep your child healthy, learning, and thriving. Services may include dental exams, cleanings, X-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, and cavity treatment, if needed.
Sign Up Today!
Watch for a permission form from the school, or sign up online now at www.MySchoolDentist.com.
Don’t wait—make sure your child is registered and ready to see the dental team at no cost to you (for children with Medicaid or CHIP).
Thank you!

Our girls basketball players really made us proud! They played in the championship game on Thursday and although they didn't win, they played hard and brought home a trophy. 🏆 🏀🐊 We also wanted to thank our law enforcement officers that helped guide our players and fan bus out of town. We appreciate you! 🚔

Today we celebrated students that earned All A Honor Roll! We are proud of your accomplishments. Keep up the great work!

Are you interested in being part of the AVID Program? AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a K-12 college readiness system designed to close the opportunity gap and prepare students for higher education and career success by teaching critical thinking, organizational, and academic skills. Included is our application for the upcoming school year. The AVID application is included https://forms.gle/1hWHeNChdx9ZX9XU9

We are incredibly proud of our Gator Girls Basketball Team! They played an undefeated season and will play in the Championship Game against Carver Middle tomorrow, Thursday 2/26/26, at Leesburg High School. Doors will open at 5:30 PM and tip off will be at 6:00 PM. The cost to enter the game is $5.00. There is a fan bus available to students for the cost of $5.00 as well. Those seats are filling up so we only have a few spots open. Students will need to bring in the permission slip that was passed out during lunches as well as $5.00 to Coach Ramirez in room #207 no later than 12:00 PM Thursday 2/26/26 to be considered for the bus. We look forward to seeing you there supporting our Gators!

Gray Middle Families — It’s Book Fair Time!

The Scholastic Book Fair opens TOMORROW and runs February 25 through March 4, and we are so excited for our Gators to shop.

Reminder: Per Lake County Schools policy, students may NOT visit the Book Fair without parent permission. Parents, please check your Focus Messages for the digital permission slip.

Want an easy, cash-free option? Set up a Scholastic eWallet so your student can shop safely. Family and friends can even add funds.
Visit the GMS Book Fair page here: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/cecilgraymiddleschool

Bonus: Families can shop together during Gator Expo Night on March 3.

Let’s get our Gators reading and ready to shop. Happy Book Fair Week!