Well the weather certainly made things interesting this week... Though as the internet will remind us, at least we don't have to worry about alligators.
Today the excitement of the elementary school field trip finally returned. Our fourth graders ventured off to Concord to visit the State House and New Hampshire Museum. They represented GMS with pride and even got to meet the Governor! Thank you to the many parents who volunteered to help bring back this special moment for our fourth graders.
This Tuesday will be the third Reimagining GMS Community Forum. The first two sessions have focused on collecting ideas from all of you. In this third session, our team hopes to show what some of those ideas may start to look like. We continue to need and want your input and feedback as we embark on this very important and vital project. Please join us in the GMS Gymnasium this Tuesday at 6:30 PM.
Finally, please read below for changes and updates to our COVID-19 protocols and procedures.
Be Well, Stay Warm, Stay Curious, and Enjoy the Long Weekend,
COVID Update
At this time we are reporting 31 positive cases within our school community. To track daily numbers you can always check HERE where the district lists our daily impact. Please continue to be extra vigilant when it comes to mitigation strategies such as distancing, hand washing, and masking. With our current high number of positivity, we feel it is helpful to show the breakdown in terms of grade impact:
Pre K | 3 |
Kindergarten | 6 |
First Grade | 2 |
Second Grade | 7 |
Third Grade | 4 |
Fourth Grade | 9 |
Other/ Non Grade Specific | 0 |
GMS News
FIRST Lego League Applications are due by 1/20/2022. Lego League is an opportunity for students to learn about problem solving and teamwork through hands-on building opportunities, research and coding. Applications are open to students in grades 2-4. Application can be found at this link:
https://forms.gle/qY387KdHMYJvXeRn7
Teams are limited to 6 members, because there are limited spots available team members will be chosen by lottery. Families will be notified by 1/24/2022. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Meetings will start 1/27/2022 for Thursday groups and 2/1/2022 for Tuesday groups. Please direct all questions to Kristin Starrett at kstarrett@litchfieldsd.org
Chorus Information
GMS Chorus will resume for a spring session beginning Thursday January 20th. If your child was not a member of winter chorus, but would like to sign-up for the spring session, please fill out the Google form as soon as possible!
Thank you!
https://forms.gle/ZKa5NuJbssFGm2b76
From The Superintendent: On behalf of our nursing staff and administrative team, I am pleased to announce that we have adopted new COVID-19 protocols that are consistent with recent CDC and NH-DHHS guidelines. It is important to note that returning to work or school after 5 days is packaged with a masking requirement. While this is currently covered by our masking requirement due to high impact in our schools and community, when we move back to a "personal responsibility" status, masks will be required for those returning from isolation, quarantine or illness.
Our new protocols can be found HERE and they are effective when we return to school on January 18th. We anticipate having our COVID resource website updated soon. Please note that we have developed a new Form for parents to complete prior to a student returning from school.
Please note that our COVID cases at school, in Litchfield and in our immediate area of NH are trending upwards. State officials tell us that we are in a several week "Omicron Surge" and predict that we will see numbers peak around January 31st. Please be extra cautious: wear a mask, maintain physical distancing from others and use hand sanitizer.
Be Well & Enjoy the Long Weekend! Mike
News from the PTO
4th Grade Yearbook
Only current 4th grade students can be included in the photos submitted for the yearbook. These will NOT be shared online and will only be used for the 4th grade yearbook. Please only submit photos from this year using this form.
https://forms.gle/8G4oDWrPixEAufzY9
News from the Community
Upcoming Blood Drive
Date: February 1st, 2022
Time: 1:00pm - 6:00pm
Address: Open Doors Christian Fellowship in Litchfield, NH
Contact Info: Phone - 603-493-6452 Email - sdemos1234@gmail.com
Donating Sign Up Link: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time
Here are some eligibility requirements for donating blood:
Whole Blood Donation:
Donation frequency: Every 56 days*
You must be in good health and feeling well**
You must be at least 16 years old in most states
You must weigh at least 110 lbs
Power Red Donation:
Donation frequency: Every 112 days, up to 3 times/year*
You must be in good health and feeling well**
Male donors+ must be at least 17 years old in most states, at least 5'1" tall and weigh at least 130 lbs
Female donors+ must be at least 19 years old, at least 5'5" tall and weigh at least 150 lbs
General Guidelines for Blood Donation:
Be in good general health and feeling well.
Maintaining your iron level is an important part of being a healthy donor. We encourage you to learn more about iron and donating blood
Be at least 17 years old in most states (16 years old with parental consent in some states).
Weigh at least 110 lbs. Additional height and weight requirements apply for donors 18 years old and younger and all high school student donors.
Have not donated blood in the last 56 days.
Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know
New COVID-19 Resource - To help ensure clear and consistent communication, our three school nurses, Ms. Vail-Naylor (GMS), Ms. Chambers (LMS) and Ms. Boucher (CHS), have created a new web resource for students, families and staff. This resource contains up to date information about preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our school community. It also offers guidance on testing including a list of current testing centers. This resource is linked on the district website, and the website of each school.
End 68 Hours of Hunger
End 68 Hours of Hunger 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. The bags are delivered to schools and students will take the bags home with them on the bus or at parent pick-up. If you would like to pick up the bags yourself, arrangements can be made for pick up at the front office.
If you are interested in joining the program or learning more, please contact Elin Pelland, School Social Worker, at 424-2133 x 2215 or at epelland@litchfieldsd.org.
Powerschool Parent Portal
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
Bus Routes
Bus Routes for the upcoming year can be found here: Bus Routes
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 “2” 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.
Griffin Memorial School News At GMS, We THRIVE August 15, 2024 GMS Families, As Green Day once said "Summer has come and p...
Griffin Memorial School News At GMS, We THRIVE August 23, 2024 GMS Families, Monday brings the beginning of the 24-25 school year...
No comments:
Post a Comment