Dear GCS Families,
The second month of the school year is drawing to a close, but not without a lot of learning, fun, and celebration. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect last week for our annual rededication of our Peace Pole. We had a heartwarming ceremony and are so appreciative to those that were able to attend. We continually strive to include peace, kindness, and bucket filling in our curriculum throughout the year, but this is our most special event each year.
GCS Legacy Walk
We are so excited to have our newly installed walkway that meanders its way across the front of the school. It adds a delightful visual, but it’s also so much fun to watch as families and children walk in search of familiar names. It was definitely a labor of love. Many have expressed sadness that they missed out on this opportunity, but have no fear. The engraver will do a separate run if we send him a minimum order of 30 additional bricks. Be on the look out for more information if you are interested, and we can make it happen once next spring arrives.
Loaves & Fishes
Along with ghosts, skeletons, spooky music, and festive snacks here at GCS, the hallways are also lined with golden baskets & decorative boxes that have been filled with your generous food donations. We have been collecting breakfast items to be donated to Loaves and Fishes, a local food bank in Devens. Thank you for helping us to teach your children about compassion for others who might not have the simplest of foods to start their day. Most of us here at GCS have so much; this is the perfect time to instill the spirit of giving in your child and caring for others.
Fall Phone Calls
The month of October is also a time for families to have a brief, touch-in phone call with your child’s teacher. Communication is so important to us, and we are grateful for the opportunity to build relationships and hold more personal conversations that allow us to share how your child has settled into the year, as well as goals, successes and answering any questions that families may have. A big thank you to our GCS teachers for their energy and willingness to take these on, as they often use their own personal time to catch families outside of the work day.
Fire Safety Week
Thank you to the Groton Fire Department for their generous trips to GCS during fire safety week. As always, they were so patient, allowing the children to see, touch, and climb on both a firetruck and an ambulance. It was really helpful to meet the fire fighters up close as they dressed in protective gear and showed what to do in an emergency. We are so grateful for their attention and time. A special thank you to GCS dad, Chris Quigley, for being part of this wonderful crew (Liam is in Kindergarten & Logan is in the Full Day Aqua Room).
Curriculum Day Training
Given some of the events in the news as of late, last week’s Curriculum Day was of significant importance and especially welcomed. We hosted Pro-Active Response Group for the entire morning to share their knowledge of emergency plans and crisis intervention. While the topic isn’t one of ease or enjoyment, we are always learning, practicing, and assessing our facility and our action plan to keep GCS safe should an emergency arise. While serious events can’t be forecasted, we can anticipate our needs and ensure our staff are as well trained and prepared as possible should an emergency arise. We also had a working lunch and shared an exciting activity to complement our theme, Together We’re Stronger. Did you happen to see our levitation activity on FB (https://fb.watch/n-M3kzVFbe/)? You don’t want to miss it! And finally, we worked in teams to focus on our NAEYC Accreditation Portfolios in preparation for our upcoming re-accreditation visit. We know that these days can be difficult to navigate for families with all of the varying schedules, and we are so very grateful for your support. Curriculum Days are actually one of the few times during the school year that the entire staff can be together for development and team building.
Fall Fix-Up
A big cheer to our Board of Director’s Building and Grounds Co-Chair, Laura Hankins, who corralled a group of hardworking volunteers over this past weekend to work on our playground. They weathered the rain and the cold to help with some much-needed tasks of power washing, mulch fluffing, and edging. Thank you to Hao Cai, Jesse Cotter, Laura Hankin, Karla King, Jason Lambert, Brian Simakauskas, Melissa Sulprizio, and Seth West. We’d also like to thank the families who donated snack items for the volunteers, as well: Meagan Doyle, Laura Hankin, Karla King, Molly Laurano and Alinyeg Silva.
Congratulations
Congratulations to the Richard family on the birth of their son, Ryder (sister, Raelynn, is in the AM Pre-K class) and also to the Patton family on the birth of their daughter, Margaret (brother, Theo, is in the FD Yellow Room class).
Thank You!
We are grateful to the MacGregor family for their donation of a beautiful dollhouse & table which will be a lovely addition to our Community Room when it is complete. Emily, Sarah and Megan MacGregor are all alum of GCS. Thanks, too, to the Kuczer family for a donation of books for our children’s library.
The Staff are well fed, thanks to October’s “stock-the-fridge” families: The Akers family, the Babin family, the Borek family, the Fredette family, the Giangregorio family, the Laurano family, the Lucot family, the Nuccio family, the Tito family, the West family, the Whitney family, and the Yao family. The snack contributions each month are always appreciated — GCS families are the BEST!
Wishing you all a Happy Halloween!
Linda Kosinski
GCS Director
Dates to Remember:
October 30th & 31st
PJ Days & Breakfast Food
Collection for Loaves & Fishes
Friday, November 10th
Veteran’s Day Observed
No School
Monday, November 13th
Board of Director’s Meeting
7:30 PM
November 22nd – 24th
Thanksgiving Break
No School
