Heartfelt Appreciation

On Board Newsletter

Summer 2026

Happy Summer!

As we enjoy the summer months after the close of another wonderful school year, we want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all of our GCS families for the many ways you contributed to our community throughout 2025–2026. Whether through attending events, volunteering your time, sharing your talents, or supporting classroom and school initiatives, your involvement helped make this year such a success.

A special thank you goes to our Room Parents and to all of the families who donated their time, resources, and energy to enrich the GCS experience for our children and staff. Your generosity and partnership make such a meaningful difference.

We would also like to recognize and celebrate our outgoing Board of Directors members: Bri Borek, Public Relations Co-Chair; Justine Mannix, Secretary; Mai Tirella, Member-At-Large; Samantha Wall, Parent Representative Co-Chair; and Catherine West, Fundraising Co-Chair. We are deeply grateful for the leadership, commitment, and countless contributions each of you has made to GCS over the years.

Thank you for helping make GCS the special community it is. We wish you and your families a joyful and restful summer!

With gratitude,

Kaitlyn Brokaw
Board of Directors President

Want to have fun and help GCS grow? Join the Board!

The GCS Board of Directors supports daily school operations and assists the staff in creating a strong community for the entire school. Members play an important role in fundraising efforts and spearheading many fun events. Get an inside glimpse at how it all works, experience a stronger connection with the staff and teachers, and make some great new friends!  Interested?  The Board of Directors is always looking for new members to join our team!  Feel free to speak with any Board of Directors member, or join us at our upcoming meetings in August and/or September. We have a positive, fun group of parents/guardians happy to jump in and welcome you on board. Please reach out anytime!

Buildings and Grounds Update:

The 2025-2026 school year was a great success for Buildings and Grounds efforts, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our community. A big thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time as part of the Fall Fix Up, Spring Spruce Up, and the greenhouse crew! With your help and muscle we were able to tackle a laundry list of items that ultimately saves money for the school and helps keep the playground and outside spaces fun and engaging. We can’t thank you enough!

We take great pride in making sure the playground is fun and safe. If you are interested in pitching in or have new ideas for projects, please reach out to buildingandgrounds@grotoncommunityschool.org. We would love to hear from you!

Parent Representative Update:

 

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the 2025-2026 Room Parents and the many volunteers who helped make our GCS community shine.
From coordinating thoughtful Teacher Appreciation celebrations, stocking the staff room with treats and essentials, and lending a hand whenever needed, your generosity and dedication have made a lasting impact. These acts of kindness help create a supportive environment where our teachers, staff, students, and families all feel valued.

Thank you to everyone who gave their time, energy, and talents throughout the year. Your commitment is a big part of what makes GCS such a special community. We are truly grateful for all you do!

Questions? Reach out to our Parent Representative at:
parentrepresentatives@grotoncommunityschool.org

Fundraising Update – Every Bit Counts!

A sincere thank you to all GCS families for your eagerness to volunteer your time and participate in our fundraisers. They not only help balance our budget and keep our tuition rates affordable, but they also provide meaningful opportunities to participate in your child’s educational experience. We had a very successful year in large part to our online Auction held last November. The final tally for all fundraisers came to $23,913! We couldn’t have done it without your continued support and generosity.

2026-2027 Board of Directors

Kaitlyn Brokaw, President
Melissa Sulprizio, Vice President
Linda Kosinski, Director
Lisa Stafford, Assistant Director
Kristina Hepburn, Treasurer
Bethany Reis, Secretary
Abbey Lambert and *Open Position*, Public Relations
Jesi Clinton and *Open Position*, Buildings and Grounds
Danielle Recco and *Open Position*, Fundraising
Luella Simakauskas and *Open Position*, Parent Representative
Deanna Kass and Gloria Johnson, Members-at-Large

Contributors to the 2025-2026 Annual Fund

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the generous contributions to this year’s Annual Fund. Your donation makes a difference for every child at GCS. This year’s donation is directed to our Exceptional Teacher’s Fund!

The 2025-2026 Annual Fund runs through Aug. 31. 

ALUMNI
Anna MacDonald Cabrera
Joshua Kosinski
Ryan Kosinski
Molly* and Rocco Laurano
Chris* and Marisa MacDonald
Elizabeth Reeves
Thomas A Stone
Jennifer* and Jared Tramontozzi

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Borek Family
Kaitlyn* and Scott Brokaw
Jesi* and Ryan Clinton
Scott and Kristina* Hepburn
Jason and Abbey* Lambert
The Mannix Family
Brian and Luella* Simakauskas
Melissa* and Steve Sulprizio
Catherine* and Seth West

CURRENT FAMILY
Jack and Chrissy Carlson
Charles and Rhenise Lucot
Stephen Marchand and Adriana Sanchez Correa
The Nitti Family
Brian and Cathy Wong

FRIEND
Anonymous
Kenneth Chung and Katherine Sao
Scott and Kimberly Johnson
Karen Keogh
Tim and Rowe Luca
Jodi-Joy and Matt O’Keefe
Gerard Tarpey and Linda Luca

GRANDPARENT
Anonymous
John and Virginia Bates
Robert and Donna Halloran
John and Janet O’Brien
Juliana Perrisionotto
Mary B. Wills

MATCHING GIFT
Agilent
Apple Inc.
BAE Systems
Microsoft
RTX Corporation
Spark

PAST BOD
The Belcher Family
Laura Cummings* and Joe Walch
Louis and Sharon* DiMinico
The Ellerkamp Family
Cynthia Maxwell
Agnes McKinney
Stacie* and Geoff Moeser
The Neff Family
Eric and Catherine* Pauly
Paul and Hannah* Pugh
Kelly and Susan* Roberts

PAST FAMILY
Anonymous
Jonathan Blandford & Rosanna Yuen
The Carlson Family
Ray Ciemny
Daniel Courcy and Amanda Callahan
Steve and Kate Engstrom
The Gagnon Family
Lori and Jim Herberich
The Herzog Family
Pete and Kelli Hnath
Thomas and Christine Horsman
Priyanki Thakore & Mihirraj Joshi
Karla, Cassidy, Keston, Caiden & Kaia King
Cliff Maxwell
Earl and Kerry McKennon
Raj and Priya Palakkal
Andrei Peters and Fay Raynor
Bob and Becky Pine
Mike and Martha Resch
David and Pamela Stone
Steven and Jennifer Stone
Virgil and Caitlin Valliancourt
Alfred and Kristen von Campe

PAST LEARNING EXPRESS BOARD
Clay and Susan* Yost

PAST STAFF
Jean* and Tom Brady
Larry and Shelley* Grove
Sandy* and Dan Irvin
Lorrie* and Jon Morgan
Paul and Inga* Nuccio
Bruce and Jolene* Zukauskas

PAST TRUSTEE
Robert Collins
John Conner
Steve Lane
Rob* and Laura Moore

STAFF
Jennie* and Steve Fitzkee
Laura* and Monty Hankin
Linda Kosinski
Miss Heidi May
David and Katy* Niose
Lisa Stafford
Bonnie Stanton* and David Quintin

TRUSTEE
Diane and John* Amaral
Randall* and Kathleen Barron
Tod & Caroline* Bouris
Stephen* and Paula Janes
Scott and Betsy* Kehoe
Deborah* and Scott MacDonald
Peter* and Andrea Myette
Bryan and Natina* Perrotti

*Indicates past or present service to Groton Community School