Friday, November 8, 2024

November 8, 2024

 





Griffin Memorial School News

At GMS, We THRIVE

November 8, 2024

GMS Families,  

         This morning we had the privilege of welcoming and honoring our local Veterans at our Annual Veterans Day Ceremony. We were able to hear and be inspired by two of our local Veterans, Teresa Baker-Opland and Adam Gannon. We thank them for their service and their stories. They were impactful to all. The Wall of Heroes is now up in our main hallway and will stay there for the month of November. Please take a moment to visit and recognize the service of over 175 local or connected Veterans.

        Earlier today, parents, in Grades 1-4, should have received two emails. The first included an attachment that had a code and the second email included your child's First Quarter Report Card.  Please reach out to Mr. Mitchell if there was a glitch in either of these emails getting to you. While we just had conferences, we also know that these report cards serve as an important way of informing you of your child's progress and keeping us all connected in their learning. Please take a moment to review these reports, and let us know if we can be of any further assistance.  

         We hope you all have a restful, long weekend. At today's ceremony we drew attention to the town's new Veterans Park at Town Hall. We hope you are able to visit it this weekend in recognition of the service and sacrifice of those in town and beyond.     

Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE,

Dan Mitchell, Principal

Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates

November 11, 2024

No School- Veterans Day

November 21-22, 2024Lions Club Vision Screenings
November 27-29, 2024No School- Thanksgiving Break


GMS News

Facilities Improvement Survey

        The District Facilities Improvement Committee is still looking for input from the Litchfield community in regards to the school facilities in the district.  I encourage you to take a few moments and complete the survey found HERE.  Responses from this survey will greatly help the committee determine the right steps for the schools and the community. Paper copies are also available at each school and Town Hall. Thank you in advance for your input and help. The deadline has been extended until 12/4, though we encourage you to submit it sooner rather than later.

Counselors' Corner

Be sure to read the first monthly issue of Counselors' Corner to find out all the news from Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. Perkins, and Mrs. Carroll.

Counselor’s Corner

SKI CLUB 2025 is here! 

We are pleased to announce that we will be doing both Pat’s Peak on Fridays AND Crotched on Tuesdays! Kids can sign up for one or both programs! As we are not affiliated with schools, all Litchfield kids are able to attend, grades K-12! Both mountains are 37 miles from GMS and approximately 50-55 minutes. Both have a nice learners area, and a nice bar/restaurant for parents to visit while children are skiing or boarding! Full Pricing and details in comments

Pat’s Peak Sign Up –  https://www.patspeak.com/plan-your-visit/lessons-rentals/learn-to-ski-ride-program/

Code is GMS2024 for Griffin, LMS2025 for LMS, and CHS2025 for Campbell

Crotched Sign Up – https://www.crotchedmtn.com/plan-your-trip/ski-and-ride-lessons/products/slope-days

Code is LIT2025 for all kids.

Ski Club Coordinators:

GMS Coordinator - Melissa Feeley - mkfeeley@gmail.com

LMS/CHS Coordinator- Brian Stafford - brian.s.stafford@gmail.com

    News from the PTO

    November PTO Meeting

    Please join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, November 12th at 6:30pm via Zoom. We hope you will join us as we hear updates from Mr. Mitchell and Mrs. Clinton-Jones as well as updates about the PTO events and happenings! Looking forward to seeing you there!

    Polar Express

    Come join us for dinner and our own private showing of the Polar Express at Chunky’s in Manchester on Tuesday, December 3rd or Wednesday, December 4th! Ticket sales will go live at 6pm on Wednesday, November 13th. Limited tickets will be sold, so be sure to mark your calendars! The cost will be $12 per person plus the cost of food and drink. Your ticket includes a golden ticket, bell, and hot chocolate for children! Pajamas are encouraged!

    Volunteering at GMS

    GMS has partnered with the Lions Club for a free KidSight vision screening for our students on November 21st and 22nd, and we’re looking for volunteers! Volunteers will assist by walking students from their classrooms to the gym for their screenings and back.  We would love to have 2 volunteers who can commit to the full day, but if you are only available for part of the day, your help would still be greatly appreciated! Volunteer Training is required. Please reach out to Trixy Gardner at gardnerfamilynh@gmail.com with any questions.

    Monthly Newsletters - November

    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. 

    Calling all 4th Grade Families!

    It is time to start thinking about the 4th grade yearbook. We are starting to collect photos for fall activities from past years and the current year. Please click on the flyer for more information. 

    Yearbook Advertisements

    Each year the GMS PTO is proud to present each of our graduating fourth graders with a yearbook that captures memories from their last elementary school year at no cost to families. If you are interested in partnering with us for the upcoming publication, please fill out the sponsorship form. Please contact the yearbook coordinators at GMSyearbook2025@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you for your consideration and support!

    **All of this information and more may be found on our Facebook Page: GMS PTO NH 2024-2025.**

    News from the Community

    The CHS Spanish National Honor Society will be hosting a movie night featuring Coco on Saturday, November 2nd from 5:45 pm to 7:45 pm in the CHS Learning Commons. Students of all ages, particularly elementary aged students, are invited to attend for a suggested $5 donation per child (all proceeds go to Spanish NHS).  Supervision will be provided so families do not have to stay for the movie (but can if they want). Refreshments provided!

    The CAL (Campbell Athletic Leaders) are hosting a 5k Turkey trot on Nov 30th) they are looking for baskets to raffle off at the end but mostly runners! If you are interested in donating a basket from your business or personally please let me know and I will let the CAL club know. Here is the link to sign up for the run/walk if you’re interested. They are hoping to have runners signed up by 11/15 so they can order the shirts in time. The money raised will go to the NH mental health and sport organization in support of November being mental health awareness month. All runners will receive a free shirt. There will be a limited amount of shirts for anyone that wants to purchase one at the event that is not running. All proceeds from the shirts also go to the organization. The cost to run/walk is $30 cash/check can be brought race day or can be mailed to Campbell high school (please put Turkey trot in the notes) so the school knows what the money's for.


    Kids’ Clothing Thrift Sale

    On Saturday, October 26th, there will be a Kids’ Clothing sale at the Litchfield Community Church Presbyterian located at 259 Charles Bancroft Highway. It will run from 10:00 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, this is a good time to shop for those new sizes and the new season. Come and see the collection of styles and sizes available.

    Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know

    In order to balance out our bus routes, some adjustments have been made. Please see the updated lists below. 

    Back to School Paperwork

    • Back to School forms are available and need to be completed on the portal. These forms MUST be filled out EVERY YEAR
    • Here is a link to the PowerSchool Parent Portal 
    • Here is a link  to the Portal Quick Reference Guide
    • Chromebook insurance can now be paid through Titan (same for lunch) or by check (Please add student name and "CB Fee" on check memo so that it is applied to proper student)
    • Gr 1-4 Chromebook usage fee is $5
    • Gr 5-12 Chromebook insurance fee is $20 and free/reduced is $10

    From Nurse Alexa

    Hello GMS families!

    Back to school is a wonderful time of year, but it also means sharing more than just stories from our summer time vacations. Your students, and the staff, also begin sharing germs! And as we enter the cooler months, the more germs we begin to share. So I wanted to share a few friendly reminders to try and keep everyone healthy;

    ·         Please do not send your child to school if they are experiencing

    o    a fever (>100.4°)They must be fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications

    o   Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

    o   Continuous coughing not relieved by cough medicine

    o   Are overall not feeling well (headache, stomach ache, fatigue, etc.)

    ·         Practice hand washing

    ·         Practice covering a cough and sneeze

    ·         Drink lots of fluids

    ·         Get plenty of rest

    Linked below is a resource for helping prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. As always, you can reach out to the school nurse with any questions or concerns.

    https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html

    End 68 Hours of Hunger and the Litchfield School District 2023-2024

    The End 68 Hours of Hunger Program 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. 

    Each week, bags containing food will be provided to students at school.  Students will bring the bag home on the bus or by whatever mode of transportation they have at the end of the day.  If you prefer, parents may pick up the bag at school. 

    If you’d like to sign up for the program or need additional information, please contact Taryn Staples, School Social Worker, at tstaples@litchfieldsd.org

    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-E): 2:45

    Yellow Group (Last Names F-N) 2:52

    Blue Group (Last Names O-Z) 3:00

    Buses: 3:10 targeted departure 

    Absence Reporting 

    At Litchfield School District, one of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all our students arrive safely at school each and every day. 

    To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, we are introducing a new, more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival.  This new system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences. 

    With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these 3 convenient methods:

    1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

    2. Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.

    3. Call the toll-free number 1-833-516-0370 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

    These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.  Future absences can be reported at any time. 

    In addition, we will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents whose child is absent when the absence was not reported in advance. The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents at multiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, office staff will follow up. 

    If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT receive these notifications.

    Starting March 4, when we return from Vacation, please report absences in advance using SafeArrival instead of sending notes or calling/emailing the school.  

    Starting March 4, staff will begin using the SafeArrival notifications to let you know if your student is absent (when you haven’t reported the absence in advance).  

    Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we implement this new system.

    ***Please Note that Sign Up may not be available until early next week***

    SafeArrival Sign Up

    SafeArrival FAQs

    SafeArrival Report an Absence




    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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