Friday, April 22, 2022

April 22, 2022

 


Griffin Memorial School News
April 22, 2022
GMS Families,

            We can not thank you all enough for who well everyone handled the situation this morning. We could not have asked for a better response to a very unfortunate situation. We are truly lucky to be part of such a caring community of parents, students, and staff.

          So it is that time of year again...FIELD DAY!!!! Get ready for a full-day of traditional favorites mixed with some new activities. The kids will enjoy a combination of high energy outdoor fun combined with indoor creativity! However, like in the past, this day can not run smoothly without your support! We have compiled two separate lists of purchased supplies and recycled items that we need to make this day a success! Please take a moment and see if there is something your family would be willing to contribute from the GMS Field Day website. No donation is too small! Additionally, each item purchased from the Field Day AmazonSmile list also benefits the PTO with their continued support of the GMS community. We are hoping to have as many of the items purchased and/or received by Monday, May 9th. The field day committee thanks you in advance for all your support for this event!

           Please read below for information about placement for next year, 3rd and 4th Grade Assessments, News from the Learning Commons, and more important information. 

            We wish you all a safe, healthy, and restful April Vacation. May this time provide us all with the fuel and energy needed to get through this final stretch of school. There are many exciting events and opportunities that take place during this time and we know that it will all lead to a great end of the year and culmination of a year of great growth and learning.

          
Be Well, Be Curious, 

Dan Mitchell, Principal
Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates
April 25 - April 29, 2022April Vacation
Week of May 2Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6, 2022Sweetheart Dance
May 13, 2022Boys Night Out
May 25 - June 1Grade Level Family Arts Nights

COVID Update

At this time we are reporting  4 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

0

Third Grade

1

Fourth Grade

0

Other/ Non Grade Specific

2

GMS News

Parent Input for Next Year

Believe it or not it is already time to start thinking about next year. Soon we will begin the placement process that will build our next year's classes. If you have information about your child that you feel is important to be considered in this process please complete THIS FORM. Please refrain from requesting specific teachers, but information that will lead to your child's success is always helpful and greatly appreciated. If you have more than one child, please complete a form for each.

From the Learning Commons

Attention Fourth Graders!   If you have read any of the New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award Nominees for this school year, please make sure that you remember to cast your vote for your favorite by the end of April.  The voting form is in your Library Google Classroom.  Every vote counts!  The winner will be announced in May. 

Upcoming Third and Fourth Grade Assessments

Starting the week of May 9th, the third and fourth grade will participate in the NH SAS assessments. These assessments evaluate proficiency in the areas of math, reading, and writing. There results are crucial in identifying areas that will lead to the best educational experience for all students. More information can be found by clicking on THIS INFORMATIONAL LETTER.

Family Arts Night

The Unified Arts team presents Family Arts Night for grades 1-4

Save the dates:

May 25, 2022 - Grade 3

May 26, 2022 - Grade 4

June 1, 2022 - Grade 1

June 2, 2022 - Grade 2

This will be a night of performances, exposure to the arts and interactive activities. The event will begin at 5:00pm on those dates, each class will be assigned to a different start time to eliminate large crowds.  More details will be emailed in the coming weeks

News from the SAU/ Superintendent

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

Spring Events!! If you are interested in helping out, please email Jenny Eisenbeis at JEisenbeis@gmail.com. 

  • Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week: May 2nd - 6th. See attached flyer! 

  • Sweetheart Dance: Friday, May 6th  See attached flyer!

  • Boys Night Out: Friday, May 13th See attached flyer!

Sweet Heart Dance Flyer

Boys Night Out Flyer

Teacher Appreciation Week Flyer

4th Grade Yearbook Photos - Due Friday, May 13!

• 4th grade Photos: Use this form. You can include sports and activities outside of GMS if you would like.

• "Through the Years" Photos: Use this form to submit pictures of your 4th grader from their earlier years at GMS!

Be Sure to Check Out the April Newsletter HERE

News from the Community

Jack Perri Basketball Camp
Youth Clinics - Our youth clinics are designed to improve skills & fundamental development for kids regardless of experience level.  We pride ourselves working with kids of varying backgrounds, be it a beginner or elite level. 
​Youth Summer Camps - Our youth camps provide a fun and competitive environment for kids of all ages and abilities. 
​Team Camps - Our team camps provide local programs the chance to work with college coaches in a competitive environment.  It will give teams the opportunity to build team identities and compete against other programs in the area. 
​Elite Camps (click here)- Our elite camps will offer an opportunity for prospective student-athletes to spend time with the SNHU men's basketball program and be given the chance to showcase their abilities against other elite campers. 

www.JackPerriBasketballCamp.com

Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know

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.

Upcoming Child Find

Litchfield School District will be hosting our annual Spring Child Find Program on Friday May 6th 2022 from 12:00-2:00 PM.

If your child is between the ages of 2 1/2 and 5 years 11 months, and you have concerns in the area of vision, hearing, speech, coordination/ motor or development, please contact Courtney Beach at cbeach@litchfieldsd.org or 603-424-5931 x 1120  to set up an appointment for screening. No child will be seen without an appointment.

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.


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/


             

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