Week of January 22nd, 2024
Important Dates:
January 26th - PTO Tiger Twist 6-8 pm
February 19th - 23rd - No School - February Vacation
2024 MCAS Dates
April 9th and 11th - Grade 3 ELA
April 8th and 10th - Grade 4 ELA
May 14th and 16th - Grade 3 Math
May 13th and 15th - Grade 4 Math
Highlights
On Tuesday evening, we held an informational meeting for our Groton families to discuss the transition to Florence Roche. The administrative team at FloRo presented on:
Current updates with the building project
What the new building will offer instructionally with state of the art facilities
Projected completion date
Q & A session.
During this time, families and administration engaged in a thoughtful discussion on ways to best support our students with this transition.
Thank you to all who came out to participate in this very important discussion. Stay tuned for updates as we plan to offer additional ways to connect with the administration and increase communication. Here is the slide deck presented by Brian O’Donohue, Principal of Florence Roche, and Laura Taylor, Assistant Principal.
In-House Presentations
Swallow Union PTO was gracious to help acquire and fund the amazing Sheryl Faye, an actress who has a passion for both history and the stage. Her portrayal of a variety of historical women is an educational experience and she often performs for schools, libraries, historical societies, and senior centers to name a few.
Her performance as Abigail Adams was for grade 3.
The reviews from our third graders are in!
She was an amazing actress and I learned so much about an inspirational historical woman that helped shape the birth of our country!
She was awesome!
The music, outfits, video, but most importantly I just loved all her different voices!
I never knew anything about Abigail Adams before and I am so impressed!
Can she come back every year?
Her performance as Helen Keller was for our 2nd graders.
Second graders delved into Helen Keller's life, culminating in a remarkable show on Tuesday. Through a unique narrative from Helen's perspective, they witnessed her journey from childhood to becoming an author, learning how she communicated using Braille. This special program inspired our students to appreciate diverse abilities and embrace their own talents.
Message from Sara Mohan about the new SU Music website:
This website (which will continue to evolve throughout the year) was created for three reasons: to streamline communication, give parents a window into the music classroom, and to give students access to a fuller range of learning materials.
As a busy parent of two kids with full schedules, I know it can be challenging to keep track of important dates and details. I will try to include everything you need to know on the concert page, but if you do need more information, please call or email me so that I can add information (there's a good chance someone else shares your question)!
If you haven't produced a concert yourself, you may not be aware of how we get to the finished product. Our weekly music classes look different from rows of children standing and singing at a concert. With Tiger Radio and the K-4 General Music page, I wanted to give parents a sense of the steps along the way to a performance, as well as the non-performance aspects of our class.
Finally, I want students to benefit from the music technology that exists today. When I was a child learning violin, all I had between lessons was a piece of paper. For my own students, I can add guided practice sessions and accompaniments so that their own practice can be self-paced and multi-faceted. Third and Fourth graders will still receive paper sheet music, but the materials on the website will enhance their home practice.
Please check back throughout the year as the website grows, and please reach out if you have questions or comments!
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.
Will Reinhart (2R) showed Responsibility for his learning by actively listening to his teachers and participating in class discussions. He shows Respect by using kind and polite words when speaking to his classmates and teachers.
Hailey Petka (3D) has been working very hard in math - she always attempts a problem and perseveres if it's challenging. Keep up the determination and hard work!! #Growth #Resilient
Tristan Doherty (1C) stayed behind to help his friends put their snow gear on instead of rushing out to play at recess. Way to show kindness and friendship! #Respect
Gavin Baker (1C) has been persevering during math and working diligently on using his math tools and strategies. And it shows! Good job Gavin showing it what it means to have a Growth mindset!
Emilie Custodio (4J) was so determined to finish her recommended IXL skills that she used the first 10 minutes of her recess time to reach her goal! Having a work ethic like that is how you Grow as a learner. Way to go!
Axel Attabay (KO) shows what Respect means when he noticed a friend was feeling sad and he went over and offered her a hug to help her feel better. #kindnessinkindergarten
Marlowe Cullingford (1A) shows what it means to be a Respectful Ti-GRRR by always showing kindness to her classmates and checking in on them to make sure they are feeling happy.
Mila McLead (KM) follows directions and keeps working even when things are tough - she is a true Ti-GRRR!
GD Senior Girls Team Captains - Visit Swallow Union
Students were given a sticker to wear to the game Friday night and they will get in for free!
Host Families Needed:
Dear Members of the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District:
Each year the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District invites international students to attend GDRHS. This exciting initiative is part of the school district's efforts to expand its global education program. For the past nine years these dynamic international students have engaged our community and formed relationships that go well beyond our school building.
To make this program a success, we need local host families for these students during the 2024-2025 school year. Welcoming an international student into your home is like gaining a son or daughter! The relationship you build with your student can last a lifetime as you become their “home away from home.” It’s hard to teach children important life lessons such as acceptance, tolerance, and the power of diversity. Hosting an international student is a great way to fill your home with joy and laughter while realizing that what makes us different can also bring us together.
To attract host families, we are working with Educatius Group, our corporate partner on this program. Eucatius encourages all families to apply to become host family – families with young children, no children, and/or high school-age children. To ensure that this initiative is a success, Educatius provides the following resources:
A generous monthly stipend is paid to all host families. (Each family can host up to two international students, they can share a bedroom)
An orientation program for the international students and host families
Host family and student support, available twenty-four hours a day
We are very proud that each year students select GDRHS and we appreciate the community embracing these children too!
Our International Students:
Are fully insured
Are between ages 14 – 18
Have their own spending money
Speak English
Maintain strong GPA
To meet our goals, we now need your help. If you are interested in providing a culturally enriching experience for your family, our international guests, and the students at GDRHS, please contact mcain@gdrsd.org or call her at 508-243-7094.
SEPAC Events
G-D Special Education Parent Advisory Council
Groton Dunstable Youth Softball Registration and Open House
Registration for the 2024 Spring Softball season is now open for grades PreK-10.
Registration can be found on our website at http://www.gdysl.com
If you are new to softball or would like to learn more about the game, GDYSL is also hosting an Open House at the Peter Twomey Youth Center on Sunday, Feb 4:
Grades PreK-2: 1:30pm-2:30pm
Grades 3-6: 3pm-4pm
Come join us for softball skills and learn about our league!
Any questions about the Open House or Spring Softball, please contact don@gdysl.com
Message from GDEF ~ Please consider a donation.
The Groton Dunstable Education Foundation (GDEF) is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting innovative and inspiring grants to enhance the quality of our students’ education. In the last academic year, GDEF awarded 12 grants across district schools totaling over $16,000 (information about all funded projects can be found here). If you or any loved ones are looking to make a year-end donation that will have an impact on your children's education, please consider donating to GDEF here. Your donations are directly returned to the hands and minds of students in the form of science, arts, technology, math, literacy, social-emotional learning, and civics programming.
Thank you for your support, The GDEF Board of Directors
The GDEF recently and graciously granted us funding to buy 16 wordless picture books for each of our Kindergarten classrooms. These books are an example of all the ways GDEF supports our students! Thank you for enriching our learning community!
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.
