Friday, February 7, 2025

February 7, 2025

 





Griffin Memorial School News

At GMS, We THRIVE

February 7, 2025

GMS Families,  

        We experienced our first Remote Learning Day yesterday. Thank you for your patience and the students' hard work as we got through the glitches that always come along with the first of the year. We hope that everyone was able to enjoy the slower pace that these days can bring and look forward to getting back to the progress everyone is making. 

       Apparently Mother Nature wasn't aware that we had planned an amazing Winterfest this past week. We'll forgive her this time, but hope she is aware that we have rescheduled for February 20. All of the great opportunities will still take place just a bit later than we thought.  We are still looking for entries so if you have a delicious chili that you want to enter into our chili cook off, click the link below to register.  Prizes will be awarded to the 1st and 2nd place winners! 

Chili Entry

       Tomorrow is the School Deliberative Session. This will be held at 10:00 in the CHS Auditorium. Please come out to participate in the process of next year's school budget. There are many important items on this year's Warrant and we look forward to everyone's part in setting our school and district's future.     

Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE,

Dan Mitchell, Principal

Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates

February 10-14, 2025Great Kindness Challenge Week
February 20, 2025GMS Winterfest Try Again 5:00- 7:00 PM
February 24-28, 2025Winter Vacation



GMS News

Counselors' Corner

Please click below for the January/ February Edition of Counselor's Corner from our School Counselors Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. Perkins

Counselors’ Corner

Special Olympics

The Special Olympics of NH will be attending the upcoming SNAP meeting. Please click HERE for more information. 

News from the PTO

Volunteer Opportunities - Coordinators Needed!

Kids N’ Canvas Coordinator 

Have you thought about getting involved in the PTO, do you like to plan events, want to start small and work your way up to a larger event or role? In this role you will organize an after school painting program for students.

Boys Night Out Coordinator(s)
In this role you will lead a planning committee as well as generate ideas, coordinate and plan the event, and act as the point person should people have questions. 

4th Grade Yearbook Designer
In this role you will work in conjunction with the yearbook coordinators to coordinate, organize, and meet deadlines, organize, manage, and obtain the submissions for baby ads, "about me" entries, and all other photo submissions. Once photos and information are collected, the yearbook designer will work on the layout and design of the yearbook (templates will be provided). Having some experience with design programs, especially Canva, is strongly recommended.

All of these positions will have a point of contact from the Executive Board who will be available as a resource and for guidance. If interested, please reach out to Trixy Gardner or Erica Ruggles at ptonhgms@gmail.com. 

February PTO Meeting

Please join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, February 11th 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. We hope to “see” you there!

Monthly Newsletters - February

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 winter 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


Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know

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 now use a more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival.  This  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.

SafeArrival Sign Up

SafeArrival FAQs

SafeArrival Report an Absence

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

·         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 





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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