Friday, June 6, 2025

June 6, 2025





Griffin Memorial School News

At GMS, We THRIVE

June 6, 2025

GMS Families,  

           Well here we are at the last newsletter of the 24-25 school year. It is hard to believe we are here. Looking back it is amazing to see the growth and change in the students over the last year. The best part of this time of year is the chance to celebrate the accomplishments of all throughout the year. 

           As we prepare to send our fourth graders off to LMS, it is hard to not think of them as Kindergartners back in 2020. They have met the challenges, shown the growth, and are now ready for what comes next. We will miss them, but know they are on to great things. We hope they come back and visit and remember that they are always a member of the GMS community. On Monday, we will formally recognize them at our Fourth Grade Recognition Ceremony. 

             For the last day of school on Thursday, we will have an early release. This means dismissal will be three hours earlier than normal. The dismissal times will be as follows:

Pink 11:45

Yellow 11:52

Blue 12:00

Buses 12:10

There are usually far more parent pick ups than normal on the last day, so we ask that you arrive as close to your time as possible. Early arrivals may ended up clogging up the traffic. We appreciate your cooperation with this. 

       It has been an honor and a privilege to go on the journey of this year with all of you. We appreciate your support and hope you felt ours. As we move into Summer, we wish you all a restful, relaxing, and amazing time. We will be ready and waiting to get started with 25-26 and all that that year has to offer.     

Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE,

Dan Mitchell, Principal

Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates

June 9, 2025

Fourth Grade Recognition 9:30

First Grade Field Trip- SEE Science Center



June 10, 2025Field Day

June 11, 2025Relay Recess

June 12, 2025Last Day of School- Dismissal begins at 11:45

July 19, 2025Litchfield Night at the Fisher Cats


GMS News

Relay Recess

Our school is participating in our 13th annual Relay Recess health awareness and fundraising event on June 11th. Through Relay Recess our school has chosen to walk around the school grounds to honor those affected by cancer.

We are asking each student to collect donations as part of their participation in Relay Recess. Each student has been provided a donation envelope and our Relay Recess fundraising program will run from now until June 5th. Please have checks made out to American Cancer Society, not GMS. If you are in need of another sun/moon or bag, let your child’s classroom teacher know and we will be sure to get you another. Please include your child’s name and their teacher’s name on the envelope when it is turned in.

To register and fundraise online, please follow these steps. 

Go to https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?pg=entry&fr_id=99425 . You will be routed to the Greater Manchester/Concord event page. Click on Join This Relay. Create an account or use the account from last year if you have fundraised online in the past. Then join team GMS Tigers. If you are registering with your name, please send me an email with your child’s name so that I can give he/she credit for the fundraising.

Thank you! Mrs. Quimby

squimby@litchfieldsd.org

News from the Counselors

There is a new editions of the Counselors' Corner Newsletter available. Click the link below for news from the Student Support Suite

Counselors’ Corner Newsletter

Litchfield Night at the Fisher Cats

Join us as we celebrate the Town of Litchfield at the Fisher Cats. The Litchfield Veterans Association is hosting Litchfield Night on July 19. In addition to the game there will be prizes, special events, and opportunities for the kids. The Veterans Association will also donate to the school that has the best participation. So come on out and have some fun with your friends and neighbors, celebrate this great town, and maybe even help out the school. 

You can purchase tickets HERE or by following the QR code below.

Campbell High School Skills and Drills Basketball Camp

Coached By Justin DiBenedetto

1st-12th grade Boys and Girls are Welcome

June 23rd-27th 9:00AM-11:30

July 7th-11th 9:00 AM - 11:30

July 21st-25th 9:00 AM - 11:30

July 28th-August 1st 9:00 AM - 11:30

Price is $10 a day or $50 for the week

Payments can be made in cash or check

Sign up Link HERE

Summer Fun Runs

The Litchfield Middle School cross country team is hosting a Summer Fun Run! Donations will help support timing equipment and warm up jackets! We are inviting the town, their families and friends to participate each Wednesday July 9th- August 13th starting at 5:30pm at Campbell HS. Email jen17c@hotmail with questions. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/XXdhmvxY8y9GgF8y7

More Info can be found HERE

News from the PTO

THANK YOU!
As this school year wraps up, the PTO would like to thank the GMS community for their continued support in helping to make this year a success! We hope you all have a wonderful summer and we look forward to seeing you in the fall! 

News from the Community

Note from the Cutler Library:

Summer Reading is happening at the Cutler Library! From June 24th – Aug 2nd.  We have exciting FREE & FUN events for kids ages 0-12 including storytimes, and STEM & Arts! We are kicking off events on June 25th at 10:30 am with Mr. Aaron Live in Concert! And Wildlife Encounters returns July 22rd at 10:30 am with 7 new animals to meet. All of this will be happening outside in the pavilion! Earn prizes and treats just for reading: ice cream, pizza and more! Plus there are weekly drawings like Chucksters, Chunky’s Cinema and Xtreme Craze Inflatable Air Park!!!!

Registration is now open: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/e/1FAIpQLSfm0-Mq67vi9GS-vZBiXhRT_ce_vFgONUnOsT7XooD7hhASvg/formResponse

Or use the QR codes attached.

Contact Alexis Britton, Children’s Librarian, at acml_childrenslibrarian@comcast.net about registration and more information. See the two-page brochure HERE.

Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association

The Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association (MRYHA) is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to providing competitive and affordable youth hockey opportunities for children ages 4 to 18 in the greater Manchester area.  Please see below to learn about our Learn to Skate, Learn to Play, and our Rec teams. More information can be found on our website: https://mryha.org

Learn to Play

Learn to Skate

Rec League

Litchfield Flag Football

The Litchfield Flag Football League will be running upcoming clinics. More information can be found in the flyer below:

Litchfield Flag Football

Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know

Kindergarten Pre-Registration is Open.

           Go to the Litchfield District Web page and click the "Student Registration" icon in the middle of the page. There are a number of documents required as part of the process. The documents should be emailed to:   jwilcox@litchfieldsd.org        

          If your child is currently enrolled in our 4yr old PK program, you do not need to re-register for Kindergarten. Please be sure to share this with any family that you know has a kindergartner for next year but may not already be connected to GMS.

Pre-Registration for the 25-26 Preschool program will begin March 17th.

Absence Reporting 

At Litchfield School District, one of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all our students arrive safely at school each and every day. 

To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, we now use a more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival.  This  system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences. 

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these 3 convenient methods:

  1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

  2. Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

  3. Call the toll-free number 1-833-516-0370 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.  Future absences can be reported at any time. 

In addition, we will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents whose child is absent when the absence was not reported in advance. The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents at multiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, office staff will follow up. 

If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT receive these notifications.

SafeArrival Sign Up

SafeArrival FAQs

SafeArrival Report an Absence

From Nurse Alexa

·         Please do not send your child to school if they are experiencing

o    a fever (>100.4°)They must be fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications

o   Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

o   Continuous coughing not relieved by cough medicine

o   Are overall not feeling well (headache, stomach ache, fatigue, etc.)

·         Practice hand washing

·         Practice covering a cough and sneeze

·         Drink lots of fluids

·         Get plenty of rest

Linked below is a resource for helping prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. As always, you can reach out to the school nurse with any questions or concerns.

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html

End 68 Hours of Hunger and the Litchfield School District 2023-2024

The End 68 Hours of Hunger Program and Litchfield Schools are pleased to inform you about a free, confidential food program which provides students with meals from Friday after school until they return to school on Monday morning.  If meeting the weekend nutritional needs of your child is challenging at this time, we would like to help meet that need.  All food is non-perishable and easy to prepare.  If your child has any food allergies, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate this need.  Nut products are included for those who are not allergic, but children are informed that they are not to open the bags until a parent can review the contents. 

Each week, bags containing food will be provided to students at school.  Students will bring the bag home on the bus or by whatever mode of transportation they have at the end of the day.  If you prefer, parents may pick up the bag at school. 

If you’d like to sign up for the program or need additional information, please contact Taryn Staples, School Social Worker, at tstaples@litchfieldsd.org

Morning Drop Off Procedures

During the morning drop off, both buses and cars will utilize the big loop. As vehicles pull in please pull as far forward until all cars have stopped. Then you can let your child out of the car. Please then wait until the cars in front of you move before pulling forward. Please DO NOT pass a stopped car or stop at the front door if there is space in front to pull forward. We also ask that you avoid parking in the parking lot and walking your child to the door, this adds pedestrian traffic to car traffic. Our attempt is to make this a safe and fluid process. We understand that some back ups do occur, but this procedure ensures safety of all and limits the length of any delay.

Pick Up Procedures

Those utilizing parent pick up are asked to fill in the large loop at the designated time. Please have the colored pick up slips that were sent home, as these act as verification for our staff. If you arrive early for your designated time, you will be directed to a waiting line in the parking lot until your group time.

Pink Group (Last Names A-E): 2:45

Yellow Group (Last Names F-N) 2:52

Blue Group (Last Names O-Z) 3:00

Buses: 3:10 targeted departure 



229 Charles Bancroft Hwy. Litchfield, NH 03052

(603) 424-5931

Past Editions of the GMS School News can be found at: https://griffinnhnews.blogspot.com/


                                                                                                




















                                                                                                                     

Friday, May 30, 2025

May 30, 2025

 





Griffin Memorial School News

At GMS, We THRIVE

May 30, 2025

GMS Families,  

            It is hard to believe that tomorrow we turn the page to June... It is hard to believe that we have less than 10 days left... It is hard to believe that this is the second to last newsletter of the year. We have made it this far, and it is hard to believe all of the growth, progress, and learning that has taken place. Thank you for your support this year and the support you will give in these final two weeks. 

            At this point the third and fourth graders have mostly finished their NHSAS assessments and all grades have done iReady. They have truly shown what they can do and what they have learned. We are so proud.

             For the last day of school, we will have an early release. This means dismissal will be three hours earlier than normal. The dismissal times will be as follows:

Pink 11:45

Yellow 11:52

Blue 12:00

Buses 12:10

There are usually far more parent pick ups than normal on the last day, so we ask that you arrive as close to your time as possible. Early arrivals may ended up clogging up the traffic. We appreciate your cooperation with this. 

             In these final few weeks, we are chockful with fun events by class, grade, and school. Please be sure to click on the link below to a list of these events and pay attention for specific classroom communication about class happenings.

Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE,

Dan Mitchell, Principal

Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates

June 4, 2025Grade 3 Field Trip- Strawberry Banke

June 5, 2025

Grade 4 Step Up Day to LMS



June 9, 2025Fourth Grade Recognition 

June 10, 2025Field Day

June 11, 2025Relay Recess

June 12, 2025Last Day of School- Dismissal begins at 11:45

 Please also see a list of all upcoming activities for the end of the school year below:

End of Year Activities List

GMS News

Relay Recess

Our school is participating in our 13th annual Relay Recess health awareness and fundraising event on June 11th. Through Relay Recess our school has chosen to walk around the school grounds to honor those affected by cancer.

We are asking each student to collect donations as part of their participation in Relay Recess. Each student has been provided a donation envelope and our Relay Recess fundraising program will run from now until June 5th. Please have checks made out to American Cancer Society, not GMS. If you are in need of another sun/moon or bag, let your child’s classroom teacher know and we will be sure to get you another. Please include your child’s name and their teacher’s name on the envelope when it is turned in.

To register and fundraise online, please follow these steps. 

Go to https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?pg=entry&fr_id=99425 . You will be routed to the Greater Manchester/Concord event page. Click on Join This Relay. Create an account or use the account from last year if you have fundraised online in the past. Then join team GMS Tigers. If you are registering with your name, please send me an email with your child’s name so that I can give he/she credit for the fundraising.

Thank you! Mrs. Quimby

squimby@litchfieldsd.org

News from the Counselors

There is a new editions of the Counselors' Corner Newsletter available. Click the link below for news from the Student Support Suite

Counselors’ Corner Newsletter

Campbell High School Skills and Drills Basketball Camp

Coached By Justin DiBenedetto

1st-12th grade Boys and Girls are Welcome

June 23rd-27th 9:00AM-11:30

July 7th-11th 9:00 AM - 11:30

July 21st-25th 9:00 AM - 11:30

July 28th-August 1st 9:00 AM - 11:30

Price is $10 a day or $50 for the week

Payments can be made in cash or check

Sign up Link HERE

Summer Fun Runs

The Litchfield Middle School cross country team is hosting a Summer Fun Run! Donations will help support timing equipment and warm up jackets! We are inviting the town, their families and friends to participate each Wednesday July 9th- August 13th starting at 5:30pm at Campbell HS. Email jen17c@hotmail with questions. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/XXdhmvxY8y9GgF8y7

More Info can be found HERE

News from the PTO

Monthly Newsletters - May

Be sure to read our monthly newsletters where we will highlight important dates and upcoming events, and we'll introduce you to our Executive Board and Coordinators. 

**All of this information and more may be found on our Facebook Page: GMS PTO NH 2024-2025.**

News from the Community

Note from the Cutler Library:

Summer Reading is happening at the Cutler Library! From June 24th – Aug 2nd.  We have exciting FREE & FUN events for kids ages 0-12 including storytimes, and STEM & Arts! We are kicking off events on June 25th at 10:30 am with Mr. Aaron Live in Concert! And Wildlife Encounters returns July 22rd at 10:30 am with 7 new animals to meet. All of this will be happening outside in the pavilion! Earn prizes and treats just for reading: ice cream, pizza and more! Plus there are weekly drawings like Chucksters, Chunky’s Cinema and Xtreme Craze Inflatable Air Park!!!!

Registration is now open: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/e/1FAIpQLSfm0-Mq67vi9GS-vZBiXhRT_ce_vFgONUnOsT7XooD7hhASvg/formResponse

Or use the QR codes attached.

Contact Alexis Britton, Children’s Librarian, at acml_childrenslibrarian@comcast.net about registration and more information. See the two-page brochure HERE.

LYSL Travel Soccer

Registration is now open for Fall 2025/Spring 2026 Litchfield Youth Travel Soccer Tryouts!  LYSL travel soccer is an annual program and this tryout creates teams for the fall and spring. To register, please use this link:  https://system.gotsport.com/programs/3911220J2?reg_role=player

Tryouts will be two nights - players should attend both nights of evaluations, however players are required to attend at least one to be considered for a roster spot.

Location: Sawmill Park

Check-In: Please arrive 15 minutes early for your scheduled session and Check-in under the pavilion.

What to wear/bring:
All players must wear soccer cleats and shin guards.
Bring age appropriate size ball: Size 4 ball (2014 - 2018); Size 5 ball (2011 - 2013)

Requests: Please understand soccer divisions are based on birth year NOT school grade.  We get a lot of requests for children to play with a specific group because they are in the same grade.

Tryout Days/Times: Tuesday, June 3rd & Thursday, June 5th (rain date Monday June 9th if needed). Birth years 2011 through 2018.

  • Girls tryout will be 5:00 – 6:15

  • Boys tryout will be 6:30 – 7:45

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Zach Duprey (zduprey@comcast.net). See you soon!

Zach Duprey
LYSL Travel Coordinator

Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association

The Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association (MRYHA) is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to providing competitive and affordable youth hockey opportunities for children ages 4 to 18 in the greater Manchester area.  Please see below to learn about our Learn to Skate, Learn to Play, and our Rec teams. More information can be found on our website: https://mryha.org

Learn to Play

Learn to Skate

Rec League

Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know

Kindergarten Pre-Registration is Open.

           Go to the Litchfield District Web page and click the "Student Registration" icon in the middle of the page. There are a number of documents required as part of the process. The documents should be emailed to:   jwilcox@litchfieldsd.org        

          If your child is currently enrolled in our 4yr old PK program, you do not need to re-register for Kindergarten. Please be sure to share this with any family that you know has a kindergartner for next year but may not already be connected to GMS.

Pre-Registration for the 25-26 Preschool program will begin March 17th.

Absence Reporting 

At Litchfield School District, one of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all our students arrive safely at school each and every day. 

To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, we now use a more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival.  This  system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences. 

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these 3 convenient methods:

  1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

  2. Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

  3. Call the toll-free number 1-833-516-0370 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.  Future absences can be reported at any time. 

In addition, we will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents whose child is absent when the absence was not reported in advance. The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents at multiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, office staff will follow up. 

If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT receive these notifications.

SafeArrival Sign Up

SafeArrival FAQs

SafeArrival Report an Absence

From Nurse Alexa

·         Please do not send your child to school if they are experiencing

o    a fever (>100.4°)They must be fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications

o   Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

o   Continuous coughing not relieved by cough medicine

o   Are overall not feeling well (headache, stomach ache, fatigue, etc.)

·         Practice hand washing

·         Practice covering a cough and sneeze

·         Drink lots of fluids

·         Get plenty of rest

Linked below is a resource for helping prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. As always, you can reach out to the school nurse with any questions or concerns.

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html

End 68 Hours of Hunger and the Litchfield School District 2023-2024

The End 68 Hours of Hunger Program and Litchfield Schools are pleased to inform you about a free, confidential food program which provides students with meals from Friday after school until they return to school on Monday morning.  If meeting the weekend nutritional needs of your child is challenging at this time, we would like to help meet that need.  All food is non-perishable and easy to prepare.  If your child has any food allergies, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate this need.  Nut products are included for those who are not allergic, but children are informed that they are not to open the bags until a parent can review the contents. 

Each week, bags containing food will be provided to students at school.  Students will bring the bag home on the bus or by whatever mode of transportation they have at the end of the day.  If you prefer, parents may pick up the bag at school. 

If you’d like to sign up for the program or need additional information, please contact Taryn Staples, School Social Worker, at tstaples@litchfieldsd.org

Morning Drop Off Procedures

During the morning drop off, both buses and cars will utilize the big loop. As vehicles pull in please pull as far forward until all cars have stopped. Then you can let your child out of the car. Please then wait until the cars in front of you move before pulling forward. Please DO NOT pass a stopped car or stop at the front door if there is space in front to pull forward. We also ask that you avoid parking in the parking lot and walking your child to the door, this adds pedestrian traffic to car traffic. Our attempt is to make this a safe and fluid process. We understand that some back ups do occur, but this procedure ensures safety of all and limits the length of any delay.

Pick Up Procedures

Those utilizing parent pick up are asked to fill in the large loop at the designated time. Please have the colored pick up slips that were sent home, as these act as verification for our staff. If you arrive early for your designated time, you will be directed to a waiting line in the parking lot until your group time.

Pink Group (Last Names A-E): 2:45

Yellow Group (Last Names F-N) 2:52

Blue Group (Last Names O-Z) 3:00

Buses: 3:10 targeted departure 



229 Charles Bancroft Hwy. Litchfield, NH 03052

(603) 424-5931

Past Editions of the GMS School News can be found at: https://griffinnhnews.blogspot.com/


                                                                                                





Friday, May 23, 2025

May 23, 2025

 





Griffin Memorial School News

At GMS, We THRIVE

May 23, 2025

GMS Families,  

       We have reached the unofficial start of Summer, but we all know there are still a few more weeks of learning to go before we get there officially. Those weeks will be filled with special events, field trips, recognitions, learning, and growth. We are already seeing signs of it with the learning opportunities taking place every day. 

         Next week the field trips really begin to ramp up. If you have expressed interest in chaperoning and have not completed the volunteer training, there is still time. We will be running two more trainings this year. More information can be found below. 

           One of the many special traditions we have here at GMS is our participation in the Relay Recess. This is coming up on June 11. Information on participating was sent home this week and can be found down below. Let's see if we can beat last year's numbers!!!

        With the day off on Monday we take a moment to remember those that have been lost in service of our town, state, and nation. We thank them for their ultimate sacrifice and remember them in a special way this weekend. 

Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE,

Dan Mitchell, Principal

Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates





May 26, 2025

No School- Memorial Day



May 27 & 29Volunteer Trainings (see below for times and information)

May 30, 2025Field Trips- Kindergarten and Grade 3

 Please also see a list of all upcoming activities for the end of the school year below:

End of Year Activities List

GMS News

Relay Recess

Our school is participating in our 13th annual Relay Recess health awareness and fundraising event on June 11th. Through Relay Recess our school has chosen to walk around the school grounds to honor those affected by cancer.

We are asking each student to collect donations as part of their participation in Relay Recess. Each student has been provided a donation envelope and our Relay Recess fundraising program will run from now until June 5th. Please have checks made out to American Cancer Society, not GMS. If you are in need of another sun/moon or bag, let your child’s classroom teacher know and we will be sure to get you another. Please include your child’s name and their teacher’s name on the envelope when it is turned in.

To register and fundraise online, please follow these steps. 

Go to https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?pg=entry&fr_id=99425 . You will be routed to the Greater Manchester/Concord event page. Click on Join This Relay. Create an account or use the account from last year if you have fundraised online in the past. Then join team GMS Tigers. If you are registering with your name, please send me an email with your child’s name so that I can give he/she credit for the fundraising.

Thank you! Mrs. Quimby

squimby@litchfieldsd.org

News from the Counselors

There is a new editions of the Counselors' Corner Newsletter available. Click the link below for news from the Student Support Suite

Counselors’ Corner Newsletter

Volunteer Training

As we prepare for Field Trip season we know that many parents would like to be considered for chaperoning. In order to chaperone, parents must be volunteer trained and then reverified each year. Please make sure your paperwork is up to date for consideration. We had low turn out for the previous trainings so we will be offering a few more:

May  27 7:30 PM (Remote)

May 29 7:30 AM (In Person)

If you would like to attend one of these trainings please let Mr. Mitchell or Mrs. Clinton-Jones know. Remember that all of the reading must be done and the forms must be completed before the training. A link to the directions on where to find the online reading and forms that have to be filled out can be found below.

Volunteer Orientation Directions

News from the PTO

Monthly Newsletters - May

Be sure to read our monthly newsletters where we will highlight important dates and upcoming events, and we'll introduce you to our Executive Board and Coordinators. 

**All of this information and more may be found on our Facebook Page: GMS PTO NH 2024-2025.**

News from the Community

Memorial Day

Litchfield’s Memorial Day Parade and Program will be on May 26. 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Groups or individuals are invited to march in the parade. Marchers will meet at the Litchfield Middle School parking lot at 9:30 a.m. The Parade will begin at the Litchfield Middle School and end at the Historical Society Building. The Memorial Day Program will begin at this time. The Scouts with perform the Presentation of Colors. The Campbell High School Chorus and Band will be performing. The Program will end with the placement of Wreaths and the playing of TAPS. All are welcome to view the Parade and stay for the Program. This year we honor the 250 th Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775) and the Battle of Bunker Hill and those who served from Litchfield (June 17, 1775). The Historical Society Building will be open.

LYSL Travel Soccer

Registration is now open for Fall 2025/Spring 2026 Litchfield Youth Travel Soccer Tryouts!  LYSL travel soccer is an annual program and this tryout creates teams for the fall and spring. To register, please use this link:  https://system.gotsport.com/programs/3911220J2?reg_role=player

Tryouts will be two nights - players should attend both nights of evaluations, however players are required to attend at least one to be considered for a roster spot.

Location: Sawmill Park

Check-In: Please arrive 15 minutes early for your scheduled session and Check-in under the pavilion.

What to wear/bring:
All players must wear soccer cleats and shin guards.
Bring age appropriate size ball: Size 4 ball (2014 - 2018); Size 5 ball (2011 - 2013)

Requests: Please understand soccer divisions are based on birth year NOT school grade.  We get a lot of requests for children to play with a specific group because they are in the same grade.

Tryout Days/Times: Tuesday, June 3rd & Thursday, June 5th (rain date Monday June 9th if needed). Birth years 2011 through 2018.

  • Girls tryout will be 5:00 – 6:15

  • Boys tryout will be 6:30 – 7:45

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Zach Duprey (zduprey@comcast.net). See you soon!

Zach Duprey
LYSL Travel Coordinator

Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association

The Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association (MRYHA) is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to providing competitive and affordable youth hockey opportunities for children ages 4 to 18 in the greater Manchester area.  Please see below to learn about our Learn to Skate, Learn to Play, and our Rec teams. More information can be found on our website: https://mryha.org

Learn to Play

Learn to Skate

Rec League

Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know

Kindergarten Pre-Registration is Open.

           Go to the Litchfield District Web page and click the "Student Registration" icon in the middle of the page. There are a number of documents required as part of the process. The documents should be emailed to:   jwilcox@litchfieldsd.org        

          If your child is currently enrolled in our 4yr old PK program, you do not need to re-register for Kindergarten. Please be sure to share this with any family that you know has a kindergartner for next year but may not already be connected to GMS.

Pre-Registration for the 25-26 Preschool program will begin March 17th.

Absence Reporting 

At Litchfield School District, one of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all our students arrive safely at school each and every day. 

To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, we now use a more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival.  This  system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences. 

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these 3 convenient methods:

  1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

  2. Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

  3. Call the toll-free number 1-833-516-0370 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.  Future absences can be reported at any time. 

In addition, we will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents whose child is absent when the absence was not reported in advance. The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents at multiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, office staff will follow up. 

If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT receive these notifications.

SafeArrival Sign Up

SafeArrival FAQs

SafeArrival Report an Absence

From Nurse Alexa

·         Please do not send your child to school if they are experiencing

o    a fever (>100.4°)They must be fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications

o   Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

o   Continuous coughing not relieved by cough medicine

o   Are overall not feeling well (headache, stomach ache, fatigue, etc.)

·         Practice hand washing

·         Practice covering a cough and sneeze

·         Drink lots of fluids

·         Get plenty of rest

Linked below is a resource for helping prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. As always, you can reach out to the school nurse with any questions or concerns.

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html

End 68 Hours of Hunger and the Litchfield School District 2023-2024

The End 68 Hours of Hunger Program and Litchfield Schools are pleased to inform you about a free, confidential food program which provides students with meals from Friday after school until they return to school on Monday morning.  If meeting the weekend nutritional needs of your child is challenging at this time, we would like to help meet that need.  All food is non-perishable and easy to prepare.  If your child has any food allergies, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate this need.  Nut products are included for those who are not allergic, but children are informed that they are not to open the bags until a parent can review the contents. 

Each week, bags containing food will be provided to students at school.  Students will bring the bag home on the bus or by whatever mode of transportation they have at the end of the day.  If you prefer, parents may pick up the bag at school. 

If you’d like to sign up for the program or need additional information, please contact Taryn Staples, School Social Worker, at tstaples@litchfieldsd.org

Morning Drop Off Procedures

During the morning drop off, both buses and cars will utilize the big loop. As vehicles pull in please pull as far forward until all cars have stopped. Then you can let your child out of the car. Please then wait until the cars in front of you move before pulling forward. Please DO NOT pass a stopped car or stop at the front door if there is space in front to pull forward. We also ask that you avoid parking in the parking lot and walking your child to the door, this adds pedestrian traffic to car traffic. Our attempt is to make this a safe and fluid process. We understand that some back ups do occur, but this procedure ensures safety of all and limits the length of any delay.

Pick Up Procedures

Those utilizing parent pick up are asked to fill in the large loop at the designated time. Please have the colored pick up slips that were sent home, as these act as verification for our staff. If you arrive early for your designated time, you will be directed to a waiting line in the parking lot until your group time.

Pink Group (Last Names A-E): 2:45

Yellow Group (Last Names F-N) 2:52

Blue Group (Last Names O-Z) 3:00

Buses: 3:10 targeted departure 



229 Charles Bancroft Hwy. Litchfield, NH 03052

(603) 424-5931

Past Editions of the GMS School News can be found at: https://griffinnhnews.blogspot.com/


                                                                                                





Friday, May 16, 2025

May 16, 2025

 





Griffin Memorial School News

At GMS, We THRIVE

May 16, 2025

GMS Families,  

       The days slowly tick closer to the end of the school year. We are now less than 20 school days and 4 weeks away from Summer. There are still many events, activities, and moments before then, so please make sure to check out the end of year activities list below.

         Today we welcomed our incoming Kindergartners and their families for an Orientation. We look forward to having these learners be part of the GMS community. They seemed eager and ready to learn and we can't wait to see what they can do. This also makes us realize that soon we will say farewell to our current fourth graders. It is hard to think of them as Kindergarteners, but also amazing to see what they have become. They will do amazing things and they are ready for the world of LMS. 

        This week we celebrated the work of our Tiger Tribe. This program is all about relationships and connections. It was a wonderful time together and a testament to the dedication of the many who give of themselves to make this program possible and so special. 

Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE,

Dan Mitchell, Principal

Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates

May 20 & 22Volunteer Trainings (see below for times and information)

May 26, 2025

No School- Memorial Day



May 30, 2025Field Trips- Kindergarten and Grade 3

 Please also see a list of all upcoming activities for the end of the school year below:

End of Year Activities List

GMS News

News from the Counselors

There is a new editions of the Counselors' Corner Newsletter available. Click the link below for news from the Student Support Suite

Counselors’ Corner Newsletter

Volunteer Training

As we prepare for Field Trip season we know that many parents would like to be considered for chaperoning. In order to chaperone, parents must be volunteer trained and then reverified each year. Please make sure your paperwork is up to date for consideration. We had low turn out for the previous trainings so we will be offering a few more:

May  20 7:30 AM (in person)

May 22 7:30 PM (Remote)

If you would like to attend one of these trainings please let Mr. Mitchell or Mrs. Clinton-Jones know. Remember that all of the reading must be done and the forms must be completed before the training. A link to the directions on where to find the online reading and forms that have to be filled out can be found below.

Volunteer Orientation Directions

News from the PTO

Monthly Newsletters - May

Be sure to read our monthly newsletters where we will highlight important dates and upcoming events, and we'll introduce you to our Executive Board and Coordinators. 

**All of this information and more may be found on our Facebook Page: GMS PTO NH 2024-2025.**

News from the Community

Memorial Day

Litchfield’s Memorial Day Parade and Program will be on May 26. 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Groups or individuals are invited to march in the parade. Marchers will meet at the Litchfield Middle School parking lot at 9:30 a.m. The Parade will begin at the Litchfield Middle School and end at the Historical Society Building. The Memorial Day Program will begin at this time. The Scouts with perform the Presentation of Colors. The Campbell High School Chorus and Band will be performing. The Program will end with the placement of Wreaths and the playing of TAPS. All are welcome to view the Parade and stay for the Program. This year we honor the 250 th Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775) and the Battle of Bunker Hill and those who served from Litchfield (June 17, 1775). The Historical Society Building will be open.

LYSL Travel Soccer

Registration is now open for Fall 2025/Spring 2026 Litchfield Youth Travel Soccer Tryouts!  LYSL travel soccer is an annual program and this tryout creates teams for the fall and spring. To register, please use this link:  https://system.gotsport.com/programs/3911220J2?reg_role=player

Tryouts will be two nights - players should attend both nights of evaluations, however players are required to attend at least one to be considered for a roster spot.

Location: Sawmill Park

Check-In: Please arrive 15 minutes early for your scheduled session and Check-in under the pavilion.

What to wear/bring:
All players must wear soccer cleats and shin guards.
Bring age appropriate size ball: Size 4 ball (2014 - 2018); Size 5 ball (2011 - 2013)

Requests: Please understand soccer divisions are based on birth year NOT school grade.  We get a lot of requests for children to play with a specific group because they are in the same grade.

Tryout Days/Times: Tuesday, June 3rd & Thursday, June 5th (rain date Monday June 9th if needed). Birth years 2011 through 2018.

  • Girls tryout will be 5:00 – 6:15

  • Boys tryout will be 6:30 – 7:45

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Zach Duprey (zduprey@comcast.net). See you soon!

Zach Duprey
LYSL Travel Coordinator

Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know

Kindergarten Pre-Registration is Open.

           Go to the Litchfield District Web page and click the "Student Registration" icon in the middle of the page. There are a number of documents required as part of the process. The documents should be emailed to:   jwilcox@litchfieldsd.org        

          If your child is currently enrolled in our 4yr old PK program, you do not need to re-register for Kindergarten. Please be sure to share this with any family that you know has a kindergartner for next year but may not already be connected to GMS.

Pre-Registration for the 25-26 Preschool program will begin March 17th.

Absence Reporting 

At Litchfield School District, one of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all our students arrive safely at school each and every day. 

To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, we now use a more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival.  This  system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences. 

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these 3 convenient methods:

  1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

  2. Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

  3. Call the toll-free number 1-833-516-0370 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.  Future absences can be reported at any time. 

In addition, we will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents whose child is absent when the absence was not reported in advance. The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents at multiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, office staff will follow up. 

If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT receive these notifications.

SafeArrival Sign Up

SafeArrival FAQs

SafeArrival Report an Absence

From Nurse Alexa

·         Please do not send your child to school if they are experiencing

o    a fever (>100.4°)They must be fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications

o   Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

o   Continuous coughing not relieved by cough medicine

o   Are overall not feeling well (headache, stomach ache, fatigue, etc.)

·         Practice hand washing

·         Practice covering a cough and sneeze

·         Drink lots of fluids

·         Get plenty of rest

Linked below is a resource for helping prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. As always, you can reach out to the school nurse with any questions or concerns.

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html

End 68 Hours of Hunger and the Litchfield School District 2023-2024

The End 68 Hours of Hunger Program and Litchfield Schools are pleased to inform you about a free, confidential food program which provides students with meals from Friday after school until they return to school on Monday morning.  If meeting the weekend nutritional needs of your child is challenging at this time, we would like to help meet that need.  All food is non-perishable and easy to prepare.  If your child has any food allergies, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate this need.  Nut products are included for those who are not allergic, but children are informed that they are not to open the bags until a parent can review the contents. 

Each week, bags containing food will be provided to students at school.  Students will bring the bag home on the bus or by whatever mode of transportation they have at the end of the day.  If you prefer, parents may pick up the bag at school. 

If you’d like to sign up for the program or need additional information, please contact Taryn Staples, School Social Worker, at tstaples@litchfieldsd.org

Morning Drop Off Procedures

During the morning drop off, both buses and cars will utilize the big loop. As vehicles pull in please pull as far forward until all cars have stopped. Then you can let your child out of the car. Please then wait until the cars in front of you move before pulling forward. Please DO NOT pass a stopped car or stop at the front door if there is space in front to pull forward. We also ask that you avoid parking in the parking lot and walking your child to the door, this adds pedestrian traffic to car traffic. Our attempt is to make this a safe and fluid process. We understand that some back ups do occur, but this procedure ensures safety of all and limits the length of any delay.

Pick Up Procedures

Those utilizing parent pick up are asked to fill in the large loop at the designated time. Please have the colored pick up slips that were sent home, as these act as verification for our staff. If you arrive early for your designated time, you will be directed to a waiting line in the parking lot until your group time.

Pink Group (Last Names A-E): 2:45

Yellow Group (Last Names F-N) 2:52

Blue Group (Last Names O-Z) 3:00

Buses: 3:10 targeted departure 



229 Charles Bancroft Hwy. Litchfield, NH 03052

(603) 424-5931

Past Editions of the GMS School News can be found at: https://griffinnhnews.blogspot.com/


                                                                                                





June 6, 2025

Griffin Memorial School News At GMS, We THRIVE June 6, 2025 GMS Families,              Well here we are at the last newsletter of the 24-25 ...