Swallow Union Update
Week of June 12th, 2023
Here we are on the last day of the 2022-2023 school year. It has been truly amazing getting to know everything about Swallow Union from my students, families, and staff. As I reflect on this year, there are so many wonderful things that come to mind that have made my onboarding so positive. To begin, our faculty has been so supportive and welcoming. They are outstanding - dedicated, compassionate, highly qualified, and holistically teaching and caring for our students. Our PTO and family involvement - it is unparalleled and is a major contributing factor to the health and success of our school. With these components in place, leading has been the highlight of my professional career thus far and I am proud to serve alongside my colleagues in Groton Dunstable.
As a thank you to our dedicated and highly supportive PTO, Amy Codyer created this video on behalf of all of the faculty to thank you for all you do. We had an incredible year! Video Link
The highlights of this year for me (aside from getting to know everyone) have been our work to improve student outcomes and their learning experiences. The revision of our Core Values, implementation of school-wide behavioral expectations, Tiger Cards, the beginning of some new traditions with School Spirit Weeks and the 4th grade clap out, as well as supporting our PTO-funded programs both in and outside of our classrooms. As we move into next year, we will continue with these efforts moving forward with a new curriculum shift in ELA, Second Step bullying prevention instruction, and a new health and physical education curriculum.
This year also marks the celebration of some of our highly decorated educators who are ready to begin a new chapter - retirement! We wish Katie Vargeletis, Phyllis Hamel, and Lisa Mitchell much health and happiness ahead.
In addition to these changes, I am also pleased to share that in the fall Amy Codyer will be joining our 2nd-grade team, Erin Mulligan will be joining our Kindergarten team, and Andrea Wilson will be headed over to GDRMS where she's excited to teach art full time and is looking forward to reuniting with our former SU students.
This is my final weekly newsletter of this school year; however, I work most of the summer and will be checking my voicemail and email regularly. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime with any questions or concerns at jjarvis@gdrsd.org.
Wishing you all a safe, fun, and slow summer vacation ahead!
Highlights
Fire Drill
On Tuesday, we completed our final safety drill of this year - a fire drill. Our students are pros at listening to their teacher and getting out of the school as quickly as possible and waiting quietly outside for direction from their teacher. Our Fire Department has praised us for our efficiency with these drills!
Flag Day
Mr.Kimpton has returned again this year to share with our students the importance of recognizing our American Flag and the meaning of Flag Day. Please check out the Live Feed section of our website for some pictures.
Whole School Move-Up Day
On Thursday, our K through 3rd-grade students “moved up” to their next grade level and had a chance to visit all of the classrooms and teachers in that grade. They were greeted by the new grade-level teacher teams, had a chance to ask any questions, and spend some time getting a feel for what next year will look and feel like! Please check out the Live Feed section of our website for some pictures.
All students and families will be informed of who their teacher for next year will be in the first week or two of August. This will be announced and you can go onto School Brains at that time - we also plan to have new teacher welcome letters mailed out to you at that same time.
4th Grade Clap Out
We began a new tradition this year by introducing to our school a “4th Grade Clap Out” a personal favorite of mine. Our entire school body lined the halls of Swallow Union, “This is Me” blasting over the intercom, while we clapped for our 4th graders as they walked through the hallways visiting prior teachers, siblings, and staff. We wish you all the best of luck in middle school! Video Link
4th Grade Moving On Ceremony
In keeping with tradition, on Friday morning we held a “Moving On” celebration for our 4th graders. The weather has been challenging this spring and thank you to everyone for their flexibility to shift with setup! The morning began with a wonderful breakfast in the cafeteria - thank you, parents, for organizing this - always great when we can make moments like this happen for our students. The celebration was a memorable one with a short welcome speech from Mrs. Jarvis, followed by student speakers representing each of our three 4th-grade classrooms. Well done! Our students received a 2023 t-shirt signed by all as a token of accomplishment from their teachers. Pictures are posted to the Live Feed Section.
Thank you to Richard Angell, Madelyn and Lincoln Gannon’s Grandfather, for donating this year’s class gift! He built a Lost & Found cubicle system that was installed near the cafeteria - without a doubt a very useful gift that will help keep lost articles organized for years to come. Many thanks for your time and dedication to your craftsmanship!
Final Whole School Assembly
We were very lucky to have found a wonderful new Music Teacher who came out to Swallow Union this afternoon to see our students in our final school assembly. Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Sara Mohan.
Bubbles Send Off on the Last Day!!!
Happy summer!!
Parents/Guardians this is just for fun!!
Enjoy your summer and we look forward to seeing all of our beloved students back in August!
Summer Resources & Fun - Keep their minds going!
Math
Looking for fun board games, puzzles, practice websites, and more for your children this summer? We have compiled into one resource for you to access lots of fun ideas for making math practice enjoyable this summer.
Here is the link: Summer Math Website 2023
Reading
GDRSD Summer Reading and Literacy Website:
https://sites.google.com/gdrsd.org/gdrsd-summer-reading-literacy/home
Important Dates:
June 20th - Summer Vacation Begins
August 28th - Welcome to Kindergarten Night 6- 7 pm
August 30th - First Day Grades 1-12
August 31st - First day PreK & Kindergarten
Message from GDEF
GDEF is fundraising with Mabel's Labels! Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for Groton Dunstable Education Foundation. Purchase personalized labels for your child (or yourself!) and they ship right to your door! Email amy.wheeler-sutton@gdefinc.org with any question
Groton Dunstable Community Education is proud to offer a variety of Summer Programs for all ages:
Click here to view our catalog.
Visit our website here for details and registration..
Have any program ideas? We would love to hear from you. Please contact the GDCE office.
LOOKING FOR A HOST FAMILY
The high school has a foreign exchange student registered for the 23/24 school year. Shengqi was born in China but has resided in England since he was five years old so his English is excellent. He will be a freshman and he loves basketball and football. He is looking for a family to host him on his journey here. If you would like more information about hosting an international student contact Mary Cain, mcain@gdrsd.org.
Flag Football Clinic 2023
Hosted by the GD Football Program
When: June 19,20,21
Register:
https://www.familyid.com/organizations/groton-dunstable-athletics
Where: Groton-Dunstable Middle School
Who: Students entering grades 2-6 in fall of 2023
Time: 6-8pm
Cost: $50 cash
What to Bring: T-Shirt, Shorts, Water Bottle, Sneakers or Cleats.
Includes: Camp is organized and coached by Groton-Dunstable Football staff and players. Our mission is to have Groton-Dunstable players teach young athletes the fundamentals of football, including running, passing, and throwing while providing a fun and competitive playing atmosphere. All proceeds go to the GD football program.
SEPAC Events
G-D Special Education Parent Advisory Council - click here for upcoming events