Friday, September 12, 2025

September 12, 2025

 





Griffin Memorial School News

At GMS, We THRIVE

September 12, 2025

GMS Families,  

             Well our first five day week is finally complete. We are so proud of the resilience shown by everyone. We are sure that there is some exhaustion this evening, but the work done this week was remarkable. 

               Next week is certainly a busy one. We will have our Fall Picture Day happening on Tuesday. Flyers went home recently or more information can be found HERE.

              We can't wait to see all of you at our Open Houses this coming week. We welcome PreK, K and 1 on Tuesday Night and Grades 2-4 on Thursday Night. Students are welcome to join you for this evening starting at 6:00 PM. As a reminder we will be holder Volunteer Orientations beginning in the Gym at 5:45. We hope to see you all there. 

Be Well, Be Curious, and THRIVE,

Dan Mitchell, Principal

Maura Clinton-Jones, Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates

September 16, 2025Student Picture Day

September 16, 2025GMS Open House- 6:00 PM PreK, K, Grade 1

September 18, 2025GMS Open House- 6:00 PM Grades2-4

October 6- 10, 2025GMS Great Kindness Challenge Week

October 13, 2025No School- Columbus Day









GMS News

As a reminder, we require our volunteers to be complete an initial orientation and then complete annual assurance paperwork in order to volunteer at school events. In order to streamline this process we will offer volunteer orientation and have these assurance available to sign at our Open Houses coming up on September 16th and 18th. The Orientations will take place at 5:45 and 6:30. Please read below for the steps to follow prior to participating in the initial Orientation: 

All adults volunteering at GMS must complete or have completed Volunteer Orientation. Please do the following before attending the Orientation at GMS.

1. Go to the Litchfield School District webpage: www.litchfieldsd.org and click on District.

2. Go to the Volunteer and Student Teaching section.

3. Read the Volunteer Guidelines.

4. Read the Volunteer Handbook.

5. Print out and complete the Volunteer Confidentiality Statement.

6. Print out and complete the Volunteer Assurances Form.

7. Read the following policies: Sexual Harassment, Anti-Fraternization, Volunteers Policyand Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention (Bullying).

8. Print out and complete the Volunteer Policy Acknowledgement Form.

9. Read the District Safety Plan.

10. Complete the Safety Pledge.

You must bring the completed forms above (4 total) when you attend an orientation session.

Please contact the office if you need these forms in hard copy prior to your orientation session.

PTO News

GMS Back to School Family Fun Night – TOMORROW NIGHT!
Join us tomorrow night as the Fisher Cats take on the Chesapeake Bowie Baysox. First pitch at 6:35pm. Exclusive on-field experience for GMS students! Please click here for tickets and more information. 

Pumpkin Festival Planning Meeting
The 8th annual Pumpkin Festival is scheduled for Friday, October 24th from 6pm - 8pm. Join us for our next planning meeting on Wednesday, September 24th at 7:30pm via Zoom. We'd love your help as we plan a fun night for the GMS community!

Griffy Store

The first Griffy Store of the year is right around the corner on Friday, 9/26. The store will open outside during recess with a variety of items for the students to shop for 2 items (e.g.  educational tools, classroom supplies, and more). Inventory forms will be sent home with students prior to the store opening, so stay tuned. To keep the store running, we need VOLUNTEERS during recess times. Please consider volunteering for one of the slots. You can sign up here!

September Newsletter
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

**All of this information and more may be found on our Facebook Page: GMS PTO NH 2025-2026.**

Community News

Travel Basketball Try-Outs (Grades 3–8)
Litchfield Travel Basketball will be holding tryouts for boys and girls in grades 3–8 the week of October 5th. Players must be registered by October 4th in order to participate.  Player Registration: https://lrbl.sportngin.com/register/form/184485487.

If you have any questions, please reach out to
 Derek Gardner by phone at 603-858-0255
 or email at lrbl.travelcoord@gmail.com

Rec basketball information will be announced soon, so stay tuned


Repeated News/ Long Term Info to Know

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.

From Food Services

Please see the attached links in regards to our food services. They explain the meal prices for this year as well as qualification and application information for the free and reduced meal program.

2025 NH Public Release

Food Services Letter

Free and Reduced Instructions (English)

Free and Reduced Application (English)

Free and Reduced Application (Spanish)

News from Tech

The parent portal in now open on Powerschool. Please see below in the News from Tech section, for instructions about completing your annual verification. As a reminder, these must be completed EVERY YEAR. MUST UPDATE AND CONFIRM POWERSCHOOL INFORMATION ANNUALLY.Please click the links below for updated information regarding powerschool and Chromebook information. A reminder that all parents

PowerSchool Portal Information for Parents

Back-to-School and Chromebook Insurance

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, cut through the parking lot,  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 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

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 



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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