Welcome to Gowanda Middle School!
Dear Gowanda Middle School Families and Community,
Welcome to a brand-new school year! The first days of school are always filled with energy, excitement, and maybe even a few nerves — and that’s okay. At Gowanda Middle School, we believe in the power of growth and resilience, and we will be reminding our students that “you can do hard things.”
Middle school is a time of challenges and big changes, but it’s also a time of incredible discovery. Our job is to support students through those hard things — academically, socially, and emotionally — and to celebrate their successes along the way. We want every student to know that they are not alone on their journey.
This year, we’re focusing on keeping communication clear and open. Families, your partnership is so important, and we invite you to stay connected with us. When home and school work together, our students thrive.
Most importantly, we’re looking forward to a year filled with both fun and learning. From classroom experiences to extracurricular activities and community events, there will be many opportunities for students to grow, connect, and shine.
Thank you for being part of our Gowanda Middle School family. Together, we’ll make this a year full of learning, laughter, and reminders that we can all do hard things — and do them well.
Principal Silleman
To Parents/Guardians of 5th grade, 9th grade, and new students:
The Gowanda Central School District, like many schools and communities across the nation, is engaged in a constant effort to keep its students healthy, safe, and free of the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. Surveys show that kids who stay drug-free cite parental disapproval as the main reason they abstain. Unfortunately, too few kids report having had meaningful discussions with their parents about alcohol and other drugs.
To educate parents about the growing concerns of students using and experimenting with drugs and alcohol, our strategy is to require that one parent or guardian attend our District’s Drug & Alcohol Parent Forum. The Drug & Alcohol Parent Forum is a 90 minute program that addresses recognition of drugs and drug paraphernalia, signs and symptoms of abuse, health risks associated with abuse and your liability as a parent for hosting and/or purchasing alcohol and other drugs. The Drug and Alcohol Forum notice date is mailed home annually in the summer and occurs in August of each year.
Attendance is mandatory for all parents/guardians of students entering grade 5 and grade 9, as well as for parents/guardians of students new or re-enrolling at Gowanda Middle School and Gowanda High School. You must attend the forum to allow your child to participate in any MS/HS special events. Special events include, but are not limited to: athletic teams, musicals/plays, school clubs and organizations, school dances (for middle school and high school), field trips (related to music, athletics, and classroom activities), and the Junior/Senior Prom.
One adult per household is required to attend one session. Once met, this requirement is valid for the remainder of your child’s career in each school.
For an appointment and if there are questions, please contact the high school at (716) 532-3325 (x6002) or the middle school at (716) 532-3325 (x5002).
Click Here to open the Student Family Handbook in a new page.
Gowanda
Middle/High School
Student Family Handbook
2026-2027
To print a list, click the link below and press Ctrl + P.
Darlene Silleman
Principal Grades 5-8
(716) 532-3325 ext. 5001
(716) 995-2127
Wendy Luce
Assistant Principal Grades 5-12
(716) 532-3325 ext. 5101
(716) 995-2127
DID YOU KNOW?
• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.
• Frequent absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.
• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
• By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
• Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, can affect a student’s academic success.
.
Resources:
