February 19, 2021

 

Griffin Memorial School News

February 19, 2021 Dear GMS Families,                                                                                                 Well here we are, we made it to February Vacation. It is a well deserved vacation for all. Everyone has worked so hard this year, and we couldn't be any more proud. The students have been amazing in following all protocols, focusing on learning, and still finding ways to be kids. They are our inspiration. It was nice that this week we could celebrate Read Across America. Seeing the joy and creativity that came along with it was truly amazing. Both our in person and our remote populations got in on the celebration. HERE is a slideshow of all the photos that were sent in to share this fun and amazing week. Have a great week off, rest up, and we look forward to welcoming you all back in March. ​​​​​​​ Be Well, Be Safe, and Be Curious, Dan Mitchell, Principal Maura Clinton- Jones, Assistant Principal Upcoming Dates February 22- February 26 Vacation February 9, 2021 No School - Town Elections 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.  A message from Ms. Poli and Mrs. Hayes Mrs. Hayes and Ms. Poli would like to thank all of the parents who joined them yesterday for the conversation on managing anxiety in kids.  You can join them again after vacation on Thursday March 4 at 10:30 am or 6:30 pm for a conversation about working with challenging behaviors.  We hope to see you there and have a wonderful vacation week. News from the SAU/ Superintendent We have been doing a great job as a school community keeping positive COVID-19 cases out of our schools (February chart).  As the Governor starts to order all schools in NH to return to in-person learning, our Litchfield School District is a beacon of light to other districts!  Working together, we have done an amazing job keeping students in classes while providing quality remote lessons for those who are more comfortable learning from home.  I want to remind Litchfield families who are traveling over break to follow travel quarantine guidelines.  With new mutations and variants on the rise, even those who are recovering from COVID or who have been vaccinated can carry infection back to our students and staff.  With our remote learning option available to all students, there is no need to jeopardize our good health record with a hasty or misguided decision.  When in doubt, consult with our school administrators or nurse. Please enjoy a restful and relaxing Winter Recess doing the things you enjoy as a family.   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 PTO Sponsored Blood Drive The GMS and LMS PTOs would like to host a blood drive in town in May in conjunction with the Red Cross. Let us know if you have interest in donating blood here in Litchfield by filling out this quick survey. Eligible students, staff, parents, guardians, and members of the community are all invited to participate. Those who fill out the survey will be given first priority to sign up once the date has been decided. Thank you! Interest Survey Link: https://forms.gle/Z2tP1veogFcmSzcT8  News from the Community Upcoming Junior Class Fundraiser  The Junior Class of Campbell High School is holding a district-wide fundraiser on Thursday, February 25, during the February break. We have teamed up with Rocco’s Bar and Grill for a dinner donation night. If you order from Rocco’s on Thursday night, a  portion of your check will be donated to the junior class. The flyer below will have to be presented to the restaurant indicating you are participating in the fundraiser so some of the proceeds can go towards the Junior Class. This can be done with ordering in, pickup, and even delivery services. Any and all participation is greatly appreciated in order to support events for our class, such as prom. The event starts at 4:00pm and runs until 9:00pm, and is welcome to anyone! FLYER 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/