Friday, May 6, 2022

May 6, 2022

 


Griffin Memorial School News
May 6, 2022
GMS Families,

         We hope you all had a great vacation week. Everyone returned seemingly ready to take on this final stretch of the school year. It was also nice to return to Staff Appreciation Week. This staff is truly the best around. Between the PTO events and the many gifts and gestures that came in from homes, we are certainly feeling the love from our students, families, and community. From all of us to all of you, we are truly grateful. 

           Over the last year, staff and parents have been involved in the important work of recreating the school's Mission and Vision. After much work and many drafts we are now proud to introduce our new Mission and Vision:

Mission: 

GMS is a community of curious learners, striving for excellence, while aiming to create an encouraging and safe space for all to thrive.

Vision:

At GMS we:

T     Targeting resources and practices to maximize the                   potential for all 

H     Honoring Individuality 

R     Recognizing and harnessing all opportunities for high               levels of learning 

I     Involving Community 

V     Valuing tradition while visualizing the future 

E     Engaging together in learning

Over the next few months we will be engaging parents and community members to gain feedback and insight on these statements. It is our hope that every member of the Litchfield Community can find ownership and purpose in these statements and act as collaborative partners in the success of our school. If you have initial thoughts or interest in this work, please reach out to Mr. Mitchell. More formal opportunities will come in the near future so keep an eye out for those.

         Finally, to all of our mothers and those who are like mothers, we wish you a happy, peaceful, and quiet Mother's Day. You truly deserve it!!!!!!   

Be Well, Be Curious, 

Dan Mitchell, Principal
Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates
May 6, 2022   Sweetheart Dance
May 13, 2022       Boys Night Out
May 25 - June 1          Grade Level Family Arts Nights
June 13, 2022Fourth Grade Celebrations (More Info Coming Soon
June 14, 2022Field Day

COVID Update

At this time we are reporting  9 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

0

Kindergarten

2

First Grade

2

Second Grade

0

Third Grade

1

Fourth Grade

4

Other/ Non Grade Specific

2

GMS News

Field Day

    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!

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

Appreciation - As the week of educational appreciation winds to a close, I want to thank and acknowledge all of the teachers, support staff and administrators who make Litchfield a special place to learn.  The daily energy and commitment to learning is felt throughout our schools, and our students benefit from the wisdom and dedication of our staff.  Whether working with a preschooler or a student about to graduate, our staff is always ready to Persevere, Adapt, Communicate, Demonstrate Integrity and Think Critically.  For that, I am grateful!

Parent Volunteer needed - We are looking for a parent volunteer to serve on a newly created Website Committee.  This will be a standing committee that will be tasked with upgrading our district and school websites over the summer and making sure content stays fresh and accessible into the future.  If interested in serving, please send a brief letter of interest including experience with website communication to meflynn@litchfieldsd.org.

COVID Update - We are seeing an uptick in illness, including confirmed cases of COVID-19, in our schools.  Please remember to complete the Daily Health Screener and to follow the Quarantine and Isolation Protocols.  Washing hands, keeping a physical distance from others and wearing a mask are all effective strategies to protect against transmission of illnesses.

News from the PTO

Upcoming Spring Events!

  • Sweetheart Dance tonight from 6-8pm!

    • Contact: Katie LaBrie at bardsleykatie@gmail.com

    • Don’t forget to complete your photo form and bring with you to the night of the event. And, bring some money for raffles!

  • May GMS PTO Meeting on Tuesday, May 10th on Zoom! 

    • We will be discussing 4th grade graduation and holding elections for the following open positions: president, vice president, and a co-fundraising position.

    • The Zoom Link can be found on our GMS PTO page! 

  • Last Griffy Store on Friday, May 13th! All items will be 25¢. Limit 2 items per student. 

  • Boys Night Out on Friday, May 13th, 6-8pm!

    • Sign-up for Donations and Volunteering! 

    • Contact: Amanda Lessard at bmanda1979@hotmail.com

    • Please consider donating and volunteering so we can run these fantastic events for your littles! Don’t forget to complete your photo form and bring with you to the night of the event. And, bring some money for raffles!

  • 4th Grade Yearbook Photos - Due next 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!

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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