Week of December 11th, 2023
Important Dates:
Week of December 18th - Winter Spirit Week
December 19th - Term I Grades available in SchoolBrains
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
Principal for the Day
On Thursday, Mr. Max McLane, Winner of the PTO Prize Principal for the Day. He joined me as we greeted students, and assisted with morning announcements and walkthroughs to each classroom. He had the opportunity to attend lunch and recess periods and support students in those spaces. We had a special assembly yesterday and Mr. McLane accompanied me as we welcomed the GDRHS Band to perform their Winter Concert in front of our student body.
One of the most important responsibilities of being a School Principal is ensuring all students and staff are cared for. Mr. McLane was a welcomed addition to the leadership team yesterday - he was genuine, supportive, and enthusiastic as he helped co-lead Swallow Union. He even made the decision, after conducting a school-wide poll, to play a movie during lunches - The Polar Express. When he announced the poll results and the movie choice, there was a wave of cheering through the halls. Well done, Mr. McLane - this was certainly a favorable decision!
PACH Food Drive
Thank you to our Ti-GRRR Families for your generosity and to Will Lippman and our Student Council for leading a successful food drive! This food drive collected 644 lbs. of food that will help fill 130 holiday baskets. PACH Outreach is a volunteer-staffed, community-based non-profit organization that provides short-term assistance to Pepperell and Dunstable residents.
HS Band & Chorus Performances
On Thursday and Friday, we had the High School Winter Concerts back at Swallow Union! Each year they tour our school district to share their love of music with our students in the hopes of inspiring many. Thank you to Mr. Timothy Savoy, GDRHS Music Director & K-12 Fine Arts Coordinator for keeping to tradition and bringing the talents of our high school students to Swallow Union!
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.
Kayleigh Knight (2C) has exceptional enthusiasm and engagement in class! Her readiness and excitement for learning are inspiring and contagious and brightens her classroom. Even when things get tough as we learn new things, she never gives up! Way to be Resilient!
Congrats to Harper Breslin (KO) for showing Respect and Resilience for working to build her independent learning skills and focus as a Kindergartener. Keep up the great work!
Showing Growth is exactly what Tessa Brock (2R) demonstrated by thinking of others and finding a way to contribute to the school community. She donated some of her fidget spinners that she no longer uses to her teacher and our school counselor so that others can use them. Thank you, Tessa!
Loaves and Fishes
This is not just a place where you get a few cans of soup and a box of pasta. Here's 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