This past Tuesday for the first time in over two years, we were able to gather together in celebration of the Arts in our schools. CHS was displayed with many fantastic art pieces created by our students and our Chorus performed beautifully for a packed gym. It was a wonderful evening and celebration for all who attended. Yesterday brought the excitement and energy of St. Patrick's Day, while we always maximize time for learning, it is also important that we take some time to have some fun and yesterday was just that. Monday, March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day. It's celebrated on this day because people with Down Syndrome have 3 copies of the 21st chromosome. It is a day where the Down Syndrome community creates a single global voice advocating for the rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down Syndrome. On this day, we ask that you wear crazy or mismatched socks in support of the D.S. community. The idea is that as you look Down at your Different socks, you should remember that we are all Different, and that being Different is a good thing to celebrate, and everyone wants to be included and accepted, regardless of their differences.
This spring, the GMS Student Council will be completing a service project to benefit the Save the Children Emergency Relief Fund to provide assistance to children in Ukraine. To make this happen, they are selling "GMS Cares" vinyl stickers for $3 each that can be put on water bottles, notebooks, agenda books, and more! All profits from the sale will go directly to the Children's Emergency Fund. The sale will run from March 21-April 1 and order forms are being sent home with students today.
Please continue reading for more information about Girls on the Run, Kindergarten registration, Notes from our Nurse, and the Bright Futures Survey.
At this time we are reporting 3 positive cases within our school community. To track daily numbers you can always check HERE where the district lists our daily impact. Additional information about updated protocols will be coming soon from the Superintendent's Office.
Pre K | 1 |
Kindergarten | 0 |
First Grade | 0 |
Second Grade | 2 |
Third Grade | 0 |
Fourth Grade | 0 |
Other/ Non Grade Specific | 0 |
GMS News
From the Health Office
Spring is approaching and with that comes allergies for some of us. You may already know many of these symptoms crossover with COVID. If your child has been previously diagnosed with seasonal allergies by their medical provider, please make sure that you get a letter from them to document this and send it in to the school for us to have on record. While we still need you to keep your children home when they are sick, our goal is not to exclude them if we don’t have to. That is why this documentation is important for us to have here at school.
Thank you to those of you who have donated water bottles for the kids, it is appreciated. I hope the warmth of today is here to stay and we can all enjoy a little more fresh air!
Girls on The Run
The Spring session of Girls on the Run will begin soon. Sign Ups start on February 21st. For more information about the program or signing up please check out THIS FLYER. The Spring Session begins on April 4th.
Kindergarten Registration Has Begun!
Please register your child as early as possible. It is very important for our planning for appropriate class sizes and staffing needs. To attend Kindergarten, your child must be 5 years old on or before September 31, 2022.
All Student registrations are a 3 part process.
To Begin, click on the following link: https://ecollect.accelaschool.com/litchfield
1) After you complete and submit the preregistration information, it will need to be verified. Once verified, an email with further instructions will be sent to the address included in the preregistration. If you don’t receive the email within 3 school days, please check your spam or junk mail.
2) Follow the instructions from this email and complete the information on several additional registration forms.
3.) Bring Proof of Residence, an Original Birth Certificate, Proof of immunizations and a recent physical to the school. These items will be photocopied and your original paperwork returned to you. A list of acceptable items can be found here: Required Documents .Registration is not complete until all forms and documents have been verified. You will be notified via the email you provide when registering if there is missing or additional information needed.
Children who already attend Griffin Memorial do not need to re-register for the next school year.
Bright Futures Survey
The New Hampshire Department of Education wants to hear from staff, families, and community members in your school community! The 603 Bright Futures Survey is available now through April 29th.
The 603 Bright Futures Survey is also how schools will gather their Special Education Family data in support of the NHDOE's federal reporting for Indicator 8. This year, all schools and families are eligible to participate.
Survey Links: To access the surveys, please visit the appropriate link(s) beginning Monday, March 14, through Friday, April 29, 2022
* Please note that "Community Members" are those who do not have students enrolled in New Hampshire public schools. Those who do should complete the family surveys instead..
News from the PTO
Upcoming Spring Events!! More information on these events will soon follow! If you are interested in helping out, please email Jenny Eisenbeis at JEisenbeis@gmail.com. We would love to have your help!!
Sweetheart Dance: Friday, May 6th
Boys Night Out: Friday, May 13th
4th Grade Yearbook INFORMATION
We are working hard on the 4th grade yearbook!
Important reminders: Only current 4th grade students can be included in photos submitted for the yearbook. These will NOT be shared online and will only be used for the 4th grade yearbook. If you have not already given permission for your child to appear in the yearbook, individual forms will come home to those families to confirm or deny their child's appearance in the yearbook. If you have difficulty with the forms or have any questions, you can email: gmsyearbook2022@gmail.com.
• BABY ADS - DUE March 25th!
Please use this form to submit a baby ad for your 4th grader! Choose a photo of your little cutie and leave a brief message.. We will not share these online. Baby Ads are FREE and OPTIONAL. Kids love to read these sweet messages! If you want to leave a message only, and no picture, please fill out the form and we will feature your message. Please, only parents/guardians submit an "ad" (not intended for extended family members).
• 4th grade Photos - DUE May 13!
Please only submit photos (from this year) using this form. You can include sports and activities from outside of GMS if you would like.
• "Through the Years" Photos - DUE May 13!
Please use this form to submit pictures of your 4th grader from their earlier years at GMS.
News from the Community
The Litchfield Lacrosse Association is happy to announce that registration for the Spring 2022 season is now open for girls and boys grade 1-8. Please see the attached flyer for more details.
Lacrosse Registration
Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know
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
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.
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