October 29, 2021
Dear Families,
There certainly has been some tumultuous weather over the course of the past several days. We are so grateful not to be one of those hard-hit communities that is still without power. While our fun on the playground has been unpredictable with all of the rain, classes have found short periods of time to enjoy the fresh air outside, and many have been getting some exercise taking part in “rain runs”!
FALL PHONE CALLS
October has proven to be quite a busy time here at GGS. We began the month with Fall Phone Calls (or Zooms) with families. Communication is so important to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to connect and share developmental goals and accomplishments with you, as well as any concerns. This connection is even more important as we are still unable to invite families into our classrooms where so many personal conversations usually occur. Please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time during the school year for questions, thoughts or conversation.
HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS
While things do still look quite different with the health concerns that continuously lurk around us, it is always great fun for children and staff to wear their pajamas in school as a way to invite some Halloween fun. We have also been celebrating with some fabulous literacy activities, delicious treats (and perhaps tricks), and classroom décor of lights, pumpkins, and other festive surprises. Special thanks to the Logiodice Family and Patenaude Farm in Dunstable for donating many pumpkins from their patch to our GCS classrooms! In terms of GCS traditions, we hope to continue our annual GCS food pantry collection of breakfast items at another time. It is always a great opportunity to share lessons with children that, while many of us are privileged with treats on Halloween, healthy food – especially to start off our day – is something that not everyone is fortunate enough to have each morning.
GROTON COMMUNITY TOUR
I hope you were one of the fortunate families that were able to take part in our exciting Groton Community Tour scavenger hunt earlier this month. It was an amazing day of fun and adventure; decoding clues, locating special spots, and perhaps bumping into friends along the way. It was so nice to see so many familiar faces at the school, even if you weren’t able to tour! The hot chocolate was delicious, as were the many baked goods for sale, and there was some unique shopping with local artisans and vendors. Thank you to all of you, our families, for creating so many amazing baskets for the event. A list of the lucky winners is posted in the front entrance for those with inquiring minds. We are so grateful for all the contributions and our extraordinary Board of Directors who have been working and planning since mid-summer to bring this fun day to the community. While the final numbers are still being calculated, the tour brought in just about 15K toward the school’s fundraising goal.
FIRE SAFETY WEEK
Thank you to the Groton Fire Department for their wonderful visit earlier this month. I am sure you have heard a few stories from your child, perhaps, about trying out the “bed” in the ambulance and watching a firefighter dress in his protective gear. Classes were also able to learn about some of the tools that are used to keep firefighters safe and see and touch various parts of a firetruck. It was really helpful to meet – up close, in person – firefighters and EMTs in a friendly atmosphere, so that they are familiar in the event that an emergency ever arises. We are so grateful to the Groton Fire Department for their time, energy, and rapport with the children, making repeated trips so each and every class could learn about fire safety!
FALL FIX-UP
With a new month around the corner, we also have our Fall Fix Up coming soon! Please sign up to join us on Saturday, November 13th from 9 AM to 3 PM for playscape and grounds maintenance, as well as some special outdoor projects. We will be reinstalling our GCS Peace Pole, adding our new “Whizzy Dizzy” spinners, and adding a patio for our new mud kitchen. With many hands, even for a short time – it is amazing what we can accomplish together!
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to the Brokaw family on the birth of their daughter, Maeve (sister, Maddie, is in the TTh PM Blue Room) and to the Jackson family on the birth of their son, Henry (sister, Maddie, is in the 5 Full Day Aqua Room).
THANK YOU!
We’d like to thank the following families for their various donations to GCS: The Bellorado family for rolls of chance tickets, the Dewing family for spare clothing, puzzles & Pull-Ups, the Farrington & Halloran families for spare clothing, the Peters family for toys & curriculum materials, and the Wilder/Wills family for big books & puppets.
Wishing you all Happy Halloween weekend with your families!
Sincerely,
Linda Kosinski, Director
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Monday, November 8th Board Meeting – 7:30 PM
Thursday, November 11th Veteran’s Day – NO SCHOOL
Saturday, November 13th Fall Fix-Up – 9 PM to 3 PM
Wednesday – Friday,
November 24th – 26th Thanksgiving Recess – NO SCHOOL
