Week of December 4th, 2023
Important Dates:
December 15th - Half-Day 12:15 pm Dismissal
December 25th through January 1st - Winter Break - No School
January 12th - Half-Day 12:15 pm
January 15th - MLK Jr. Day - No School
January 19th - Half-Day Dismissal
Highlights
Thank you to our PTO and the parent volunteers who were able to bring the Winter Store back to our school for our students!
Ti-GRRR Awards
G ~ We believe that one can develop a GROWTH mindset and learn new things.
R ~ A RESPECTFUL school community member is considerate of others.
R ~ A RESPONSIBLE school community member takes care of themselves, others, and their environment.
R ~ A RESILIENT school community member takes on challenges, learns from mistakes, and experiences growth through this process.
Mallory Klane (3K) has demonstrated Growth and resilience by working extremely hard when given several challenging activities back to back. She showed perseverance with a positive attitude! Good for you Mallory!
Charlotte Cotton (3D) stepped in to help a friend who had spilled water on the gym floor during dismissal. Way to be Responsible and help a friend out!
Holden Fotino (1A) works hard every day and never gives up! He shows what it means to be Resilient and has a positive attitude in all he does!
Declan Malone (1C) shows what it means to be Respectful and kind. Instead of running straight to the playground at recess, Declan noticed that a classmate needed help with her gloves. He stopped to help her.
Ben Thomann (KL) showed growth through his perseverance in accomplishing a challenging task. He believed in himself and did not give up!
Go Ti-GRRR’s!
Holiday Help - Community Agencies
Once again, the Groton Commissioners of Trust and the Masons are offering to help families in need this holiday season. They want to assist any of our families by giving them holiday meals and gifts. If you know any families that might be able to use some help this year please feel free to let us know or fill out this form and return it to the Swallow Union Health Office or it can be emailed to the nurses directly (email links are on the form attached HERE). The deadline for Holiday Meals is December 8th.
Loaves and Fishes
This is not just a place where you get a few cans of soup and a box of pasta. Here are a few key points that our GDRSD Nursing Coordinator, Lorinda Dishington Ortiz, M.Ed., BSN, RN, learned when she recently spoke with them.
They serve both Groton and Dunstable - last year only 3 Dunstable families came, but there are surely more in need. So we want to get the word out.
There is no income requirement - this is great for families that do not qualify for food stamps, but are still struggling to make rent/mortgage, car payment, or other bills. By coming to the food pantry the families get an average of $400-$500 worth of food a month. That frees up a big chunk of change to put towards other expenses.
They want to reach people before they are in crisis - if a family is struggling to get bills paid they want them to come in before they have a late payment or are facing eviction/foreclosure.
It's OK to come even if you have a nice house and fancy car. Things can happen to anyone that can tip the scale in the wrong direction - reduced work hours, unexpected emergencies like a furnace needing replacing, an unexpected medical bill that insurance didn't cover.
It's really good food. They often include meat, cheese, eggs, produce, bread, toilet paper, paper towels, pads/tampons, diapers, formula, Ensure. They even have toothbrushes, toothpaste, and sometimes pet food. There are gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options as well. They really work with people to get them the food they like and the things they need.
What they have asked of us is how can they help reach our school community? What barriers do you see or suggestions that you have that I can pass along to them? Would a presentation to staff be helpful? Please let me know if you have some suggestions!
Their website is here https://loavesfishespantry.org/
School Start Time
The school day begins right at 8:55 am and both bus and parent drop off areas are completed at this time as well. If you bring your child to school after this time, please park in the parking lot and walk your child into the office to be signed in. Please do not drop your child off at the front door alone and please refrain from parking in the fire lane for safety reasons.
Absences
If your child(ren) will be absent for any reason, parents/guardians are responsible for notifying the school by calling in the absence. All student absences must be reported by 8:55 am by calling (978) 649-7281, choose option #1 and provide your child(rens) name, teacher, and reason for absence. Anyone who calls after this timeframe may receive an automated call regarding your child’s absence from school without notification. This is in place to ensure all students are accounted for either at home or in school.
Wellness Policy
Below please find the District’s Wellness Policy that we follow in order to ensure we are reinforcing healthy habits as well as student allergies. Teachers will be working with their Room Parents, School Administration, School Nurses and our PTO to ensure food that comes into school for school sponsored events (not including PTO sponsored events) such as special classroom events and school-wide gatherings, adhere to this policy. Thank you in advance for helping us with this throughout the school year.
SEPAC Events
G-D Special Education Parent Advisory Council
Community Education Fall Offerings
Groton Dunstable Community Education is proud to offer a variety of Fall Programs for all ages and interests:
-Click here to view our catalog.
-Visit our website for details, account creation and registration.
-Have any program ideas? We would love to hear from you. Please contact the GDCE office