GMS Families,
Well here we are... the beginning of another school year. Our staff has been working hard the past few days to get the school ready for all of you. We are excited to see what 23-24 has in store for us. This afternoon we welcomed our new families and Kindergarteners. It was a nice boost of energy and excitement into the building.
For our new families, this newsletter will come out each Friday at 5:00. It will be sent by email and text as well as on our School Facebook page. For this first week, we have included a description under each section so that you may know what to expect each week.
As we prepare for Monday, we felt it was important to highlight our drop off and pick procedures for our new families and as a reminder to our returning ones. If you haven't experienced our drop off or pick up, it is unique, but it does work. Please take note of these details. We will be there to guide you through them and keep everyone safe and focused on learning.
Morning Drop Off Procedures During the morning drop off, both buses and cars will utilize the big loop. As vehicles pull in please pull as far forward until all cars have stopped. Then you can let your child out of the car. Please then wait until the cars in front of you move before pulling forward. Please DO NOT pass a stopped car or stop at the front door if there is space in front to pull forward. We also ask that you avoid parking in the parking lot and walking your child to the door, this adds pedestrian traffic to car traffic. Our attempt is to make this a safe and fluid process. We understand that some back ups do occur, but this procedure ensures safety of all and limits the length of any delay. Pick Up Procedures Those utilizing parent pick up are asked to fill in the large loop at the designated time. Please have the colored pick up slips that were sent home, as these act as verification for our staff. If you arrive early for your designated time, you will be directed to a waiting line in the parking lot until your group time. Pink Group (Last Names A-G): 2:45 Yellow Group (Last Names H-O) 2:52 Blue Group (Last Names P-Z) 3:00 Buses: 3:10 targeted departure Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE, Dan Mitchell, Principal Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal
Upcoming Dates | August 28, 2023 | First Day of School | | September 1 & 4, 2023 | No School- Labor Day | | September 19, 2023 | Open House Grade PreK, K & 1 | | September 21, 2023 | Open House Grade 2,3,&4 |
GMS News
Information directly related to or from GMS will be featured in this section. This information could be about upcoming events or initiatives. There may also be important information that require a parent response. Oftentimes our nurse or others programs will use this section to convey important items. News from the SAU/ Superintendent This section is where you will find regular updates from our Superintendent or other SAU offices. News from the PTO This section is where you will find weekly updates from our PTO about upcoming events or information. News from the Community This section is where you will find information and updates from our many community partners and organizations. You can check here for information from Scouts, Rec Sports programs, etc. Kids and Adult Clothing Thrift Sale On Saturday, August 26th, there will be a Kids and Adult clothing sale at the Litchfield Community Church Presbyterian located at 259 Charles Bancroft Highway. It will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the downstairs hall. All new or gently used clothing will start at $1.00 per item. As children out-grow their clothing before they out-wear them, this is a good time to shop for those new sizes before school begins. Come and see the collection of styles and sizes available. Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know Information that may need to be repeated for a short time or is important to have always accessible will be featured in this section Hannaford Helps Do you shop at Hannaford? If you do then please help Hannaford support GMS by just doing your regular grocery shopping!! Shopping In-Store SHOP – Look for shelf tags on over 1,500 participating products. CHECK OUT – Collect your School Dollars from an associate at checkout. DEPOSIT – Drop your School Dollars in the Hannaford Helps Schools collection tower in-store. Hannaford To Go SHOP – Look for the apple icon on over 1,500 products online. CHECK OUT – Receive your School Dollars with your receipt. DEPOSIT – Drop your School Dollars in the Hannaford Helps Schools collection tower in-store, or send them to school with your child.
Pick Up Procedures Those utilizing parent pick up are asked to fill in the large loop at the designated time. Please have the colored pick up slips that were sent home, as these act as verification for our staff. If you arrive early for your designated time, you will be directed to a waiting line in the parking lot until your group time. Pink Group (Last Names A-G): 2:45 Yellow Group (Last Names H-O) 2:52 Blue Group (Last Names P-Z) 3:00 Buses: 3:10 targeted departure 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. | 
