February 12, 2021

 

Griffin Memorial School News

February 12, 2021 Dear GMS Families,                                                                                                  Today was a special day here at GMS. It is always fun to celebrate a holiday with the students. The treats and parties were just a bonus to the youthful energy that filled the halls. Red, pink, and white were seen anywhere you looked. It truly was a day filled with love and appreciation for each other, made all the more special in light of the realities of this year. Any chance for kids to enjoy and celebrate is all the more special. On this occasion, we want to express our deepest appreciation to all of our families for getting through this year. We recognize how much you have sacrificed and worked to make this year possible. We couldn't do it with out you.           With the end of February coming up, this is also the time that we want to give parents the option to switch their child's mode of instruction. As we did a few weeks ago, we are asking that parents make a commitment of four weeks (from the return of vacation until March 26). If you would like to make a change, please fill out THIS SURVEY by Tuesday at 9:00 AM. Again you only need to complete the survey if you will be changing the mode.         We know that February vacation will bring the opportunity to travel. While we recognize that many of you will not be traveling during this pandemic, if you do plan to travel outside of New England you will be required to quarantine for 10 days upon your return. If you will be traveling and requiring a quarantine, please let your classroom teacher know as soon as possible, so that they may have the time to properly prepare your child for a switch to remote. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.         Don't forget that next week is Read Across America. The reading choice boards were sent home but they are also on our website. Each day has a special theme, that students will be reminded of during Morning Announcements.Monday is hat day.We can't wait to see all of our hats on both our in person and remote learners.           Please remember to look for more information on the parent series that will be starting next week with the topic of anxiety.  More information including the date, times, and topics will be forthcoming.  We look forward to virtually seeing you all. Happy Valentine's Day, Be Well and Be Curious, Dan Mitchell, Principal Maura Clinton- Jones, Assistant Principal Upcoming Dates February 15 -February 19 Read Across America Week February 22- February 26 Vacation March17,2021  12:00- 2:00 Litchfield Child Find GMS News Weekly COVID Numbers Currently we have One positive case associated with the school community.  We continue to monitor the situation and will communicate out when necessary.  Read Across America Week Read Across America Week is coming starting the week of Monday, February 15th.  Papers were sent home with your child.  If you need further information, please see the link below or the GMS website. Parent-Letter 2021 single page.docx Read Across America Reading Choice Board 2021 News from the SAU/ Superintendent Decision Matrix - I have received several questions about the metrics we are currently using to determine our instructional model.  As we have from the start of the year, we are following guidance from NH-DHHS which refines guidance from the CDC.  Please note that this guidance has changed each month since our reopening plan was adopted in August.  Those changes reflect the tremendous knowledge gained about how to safely operate schools during the pandemic.  We also meet every school day to review our local situation and post our numbers to our website for public review. The current guidance (updated 1/26/21) can be found here (linked on our district website).  Based on this plan, our current Litchfield community COVID spread is "Moderate" (5.1%) and the impact in our schools is low (considering staffing, student attendance and school spread).  This means that the in-person model is appropriate, and this is supported or needed by the vast majority (75%-87% by school) of families who are sending their children to our schools each day.  We intend to continue to offer "Family Choice" in the instructional model for the remainder of the year (in-person or remote) by employing the blended synchronous model of instruction. February Break - At this time, we are planning to operate both in-person and remote instructional models (Blended Synchronous teaching) returning from the school vacation week on Monday, March 1st.  We have few reports of staff traveling during break who will need to quarantine, but the impact on each school is minimal.  Families who leave New England over the break are reminded that students who travel will need to be quarantined for 10 days upon return.  If you know this will impact your child, please contact teachers and copy the school principal no later than Wednesday, February 24th to make a solid plan for the transition from in-person to remote learning. News from the PTO The PTO is working hard to continue to support both the school and families this year. This month, they have created a fun newsletter full of activities that you can do together as a family. Please click the link below for plenty of things to do as a family this month. PTO February Fun Activities News from the Community If you are looking for a fun camp experience for your child this summer. Please click the link below for more information from our friends at Camp Invention. Camp Invention Information Repeated News and Announcements A Note from Mrs. Seabrook The children are having tons of fun playing at recess, either in or out of the snow. As a result, their masks are getting quite wet and often need replacing after recess.  If possible could each student have an extra mask in their backpack to provide a replacement if necessary after recess? I do have paper masks here, but children are always more comfortable in their own masks. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Child Find Litchfield School District will be hosting our annual "Child Find Program"  Wednesday  March 17, 2021 from 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM. This program is open to all Litchfield residents regardless of enrollment at GMS. If your child is between the ages of 2 1/2 to 5 years 11 months, and you have concerns about their development, vision, hearing, coordination or speech, please reach out to Courtney Beach  to schedule an appointment by calling 603-424-5931 x 1120 or emailing cbeach@litchfieldsd.org. From the Learning Commons I am excited to announce that the Litchfield School District now has the SORA app available to all students.  This is a library of ebooks and audiobooks that can be borrowed from any computer, tablet or Smartphone. I have included a couple of videos to get you started. SORA overview Parent Information If you search using Litchfield's zip code (03052), you can add two collections to the Litchfield School District one:  NH State Library and NH Schools Shared Digital Collection.  Please help your children to be able to take advantage of these book borrowing opportunities.  They could find the SORA app in their Google apps as well and will need to log on using their Litchfield School District Google account.  If you have any questions, please let me know by contacting me at mprevelturmel@litchfieldsd.org. Enjoy! Melina Prevel-Turmel A Message for Families This past year has certainly presented many challenges that may be difficult for adults and this can be even more true for children. Although we may work hard to insulate our children from troubling events happening in our world, they are perceptive and can be impacted by things they do not fully understand. The National Association of School Psychologists offers the following tips on Helping Your Child Cope with Challenging Events. If you would like any additional support for your family, the following resources are available: Jennifer Hayes, GMS School Counselor (424-5931 x1106) Marie Polichronopoulos, GMS School Psychologist (424-5931 x1160) Waypoint Family Services (603-518-4000) LifeStance Health (603-883-0005) NH Substance Misuse & Addiction Helpline (1-844-711-4357) Crisis Text Line (Text 741741) If you or a family member is showing any of the Warning Signs of Suicide, please get help as soon as possible by calling the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or Crisis Text Line (Text 741741). Absence Reporting Email The GMS office now has a dedicated email address to use to report your child tardy or absent:  GMSabsences@litchfieldsd.org. You can also find it on the Griffin Memorial School homepage, on the top, left side under “ABSENCES”. When you send an email please include the following information:                 *Child’s first and last name                 *Teacher                 *Reason for absence If you would prefer to leave a voicemail message when your child is absent or tardy you are still welcome to call 424-5931 and then hit “6” when you hear the automated message. Please remember to include the above information in the voice message. Please note that when you email or leave a voice message saying that your child “will be out” then the absence is recorded as unexcused. Please tell us the reason for the absence so it is documented correctly. Don't forget to join the GMS SEL classroom with Mrs. Hayes and Ms. Poli.  Click the link  to join  https://classroom.google.com/c/MTQyODg4MjYzNDIy?cjc=333dr33 Music Google Classroom We ask all students to please go on and accept the invitation for the Music Google Classroom. All students must do this regardless if you have had music already, are currently having music, or haven't yet had your music block. Once all students are enrolled in the Classroom, we will then be able to synchronize with the publishers online platform. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. End 68 Hours of Hunger 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 on Monday morning. The program is sponsored by “End 68 Hours of Hunger,” a local, private food program whose mission is to help families feed their children over the weekends. 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 as well as easy to prepare and we do our best to accommodate food allergies when necessary. Guaranteeing your child’s confidential participation in the program is also a top priority. For additional information or to sign up, please contact Jennifer Hayes, GMS School Counselor, at 424-5931 x1106 or jhayes@litchfieldsd.org. Powerschool Parent Portal This summer we switched our Student Information System to Powerschool. As part of Powerschool, you are able to access the Parent Portal in the Unified Classroom feature of this system. Please follow the link below to set up you parent portal account. Please contact the main office if you have an issues creating an account. For Parents - Directions for Parent Access

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/