GMS Families, Well the first week is in the books. Thank you to everyone for making it a safe, fun, and productive one. We even got our first indoor recess out of the way... As we continue to get back in the groove of the new year our drop off and pick up procedures will get smoother. We thank you for your patience as these processes work themselves out. Again, we ask that you please follow the car line and not pass anyone. We know that sometimes cars back up onto the road, but we work very hard to make that momentary while keeping it as safe as possible for the students. While it may seem like a good option to park in a spot and walk your child to the building, this adds pedestrians to the car line and adds a new traffic pattern to control, so we ask that you refrain from doing this except in rare or specific cases. Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation to make this part of the school day run as smoothly as possible, despite some obstacles and restrictions. Please make sure to keep up to date with this newsletter for information about upcoming events. Picture Day is coming up soon, as are our Open Houses. The dates are listed below and more specific information will be coming out soon once it is finalized, but we thought you could at least "pencil them in." We wouldn't be able to do what we do without the support and help from our parents and volunteers. We hope you would consider joining the PTO and helping out where you can. There first meeting is coming up (see below for details) and we will be running our Volunteer Trainings and Annual Sign Offs at our Open House. If you think you would like to volunteer in any capacity (room parent, field trip chaperone, class party helper, etc.) now is the time to get that training and verification completed. Everyone has worked so hard for four days, so we wish you a great, relaxing, and refreshing four days off. We hope that they are whatever you may need them to be for you in order to make this a great year.
Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE, Dan Mitchell, Principal Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal
Upcoming Dates | September 1 & 4, 2023 | No School- Labor Day | | September 19, 2023 | School Picture Day | | September 19, 2023 | Open House Grade PreK, K & 1 | | September 21, 2023 | Open House Grade 2,3,&4 |
GMS News
Girls on the Run - Fall 2023 We believe that every girl is inherently full of power and potential. As the leaders of their lives, these are the girls that will change the world. At Girls on the Run, we inspire girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. Each session is led by trained volunteer coaches who guide and mentor the girls through dynamic discussions, activities and running games. Lessons are fun and engaging and teach specific skills and strategies such as how to manage emotions, help others, make intentional decisions, and resolve conflict. Girls can then use these strategies at home, at school and with friends. The program culminates with all participants walking or running a celebratory 5K event, which gives them a tangible sense of accomplishment, as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. The 10-week program is for girls in 3rd, and 4th grades of all fitness abilities. Practice Times: Mondays and Wednesdays 3:00 - 4:30 PM Start Date: week of September 11 Location: Griffin Memorial School 5K Celebration Event: November 18 (Concord, NH) To learn more about Girls on the Run, registration or financial assistance, please visit our website: https://www.girlsontherunnh.org/ Program lottery registration will open on August 7. No girl will be turned away for financial reasons. GOTR-NH is a 501© 3 organization. Contact Rachel Maynard: 603-778-1389 or 117 Water Street, Exeter, NH 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 Pumpkin Festival Planning Meeting The 6th annual Pumpkin Festival is scheduled for Friday, October 27th from 6pm - 8pm. Join us for the first planning meeting on Wednesday, September 6th at 7pm via Zoom. We'd love your help as we plan a fun night for the GMS community! First PTO Meeting of the School Year Please join us for our first meeting on Monday, September 11th at 6:30pm via Zoom. Come meet the board and learn about the PTO! At this meeting we will be reviewing the dates for the upcoming year and voting on the proposed budget. A link will be provided on the PTO FB page (GMS PTO NH 2023-2024). We look forward to seeing you! *Please note our meetings are typically on the second Tuesday of the month, unless otherwise noted. Due to scheduling conflicts, this first meeting will be on a Monday. PTO Forms Friendly reminder, please be sure to fill out the following forms by September 8th: Please note the directory will NOT be posted on Facebook - only those who sign up will be emailed a link. For those who fill out the forms by midnight tonight (September 1st), your name will be entered into a raffle to win one of three raffle prizes; family admission to Strawberry Banke good until 10/31/23, 4 tickets to the Polar Caves good for the 2023 season, and 4 trail passes to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center good until November 1, 2023. Winners will be notified early next week. GMS Back to School Family Fun Night Join us on Saturday, September 16th as the Fisher Cats take on the vs Somerset Patriots. First pitch at 6:35pm. Exclusive on the field experience for GMS students! Please click here for tickets and more information! Monthly Newsletters Be sure to read our monthly newsletters where we will highlight important dates and upcoming events, and we'll introduce you to our Executive Board and Coordinators. PTO September Newsletter News from the Community Join the Healthy Kids Running Series at Roy Memorial Park for a fun and easy run series. The fall runs will be on Sundays at 4pm starting on 9/17/23 and running to 10/22/23 with one break for Columbus Day Weekend. Participants can start as young as 2 years old, and distances are determined by age. Sign up at: https://runsignup.com/hkrslitchfieldnh
Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know 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. 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 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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