FAMILY UPDATES

Good afternoon everyone, I am writing with an important update for families. Extra Help Sessions: Extra help days at GV are on Mondays and Wednesdays. The sessions go from dismissal time to 4:05 pm. Most grades' sessions are By Invitation, which means that students will be selected to attend extra help based on their level of academic need on a week by week basis. This allows for the teacher to prepare for the session in advance and maintain a manageable group of students during the session. If you are concerned about your student's progress, and yet your child has not been identified to receive extra help, please reach out to his/her teacher(s) to request an extra help session and/or discuss your concerns. Here are the details by grade level: Grade 1- By invitation: Mondays- Clark, Prentiss; Wednesdays- Casimiro, Paulhus Grade 2- By invitation: Mondays- Cust, Laferriere, Londo; Wednesdays- Royce, Stephens Grade 3- By invitation: Mondays- Hurley; Wednesdays- Olson, Nobbs, Begnoche Grade 4- By invitation: Mondays- Ellis, Ms. Cardin; Wednesdays- deVarennes, Nash Grade 5- By invitation: Mondays- Greene, Hudak; Wednesdays- Bauman, Champagne Grade 6- Mondays- Siddle, O'Malley, Hamilton; Wednesdays- Dreher, Sama, Stello Grades 1-4 Special Education: By invitation - Mondays: Londo, Ducharme; Alternating Mondays/ Wednesdays: Hanson Specials- To be determined Parent Teacher Conferences: There will be a HALF DAY FOR STUDENTS ON 10/20/20!! Conferences will be held virtually with parents and caregivers on the afternoon of October 20, 2020 between 12:30pm- 5:00pm. Meetings are held in 15 minute increments. Your student's teacher will be communicating with you about how to sign up for a conference time. Grading Information: Grades in all classrooms will be updated each Tuesday for parents to access. If you are unable to access the portal, please reach out to your child's homeroom teacher for assistance. In grades 3-6, student grades are derived by using the following percentages: 45% - Tests/Quizzes combined 45% - Classwork 10% - Exit tickets /Homework Student Manipulatives Kits and Locker Belongings Pickups: ALL students in grades 1-6 are being provided with a Manipulatives Kit this year. This is in addition to the materials we handed out at the beginning of the school year. Additionally, MANY students still have their belongings collected from their lockers last spring remaining in the school. We are desperate to get these materials out of the building and in your possession before students return to the building on 10/19/20. Many families were unable to collect materials last week due to Thursday's district closure. Therefore, we are extending the pick up times for families to swing by and collect their students materials into the upcoming week! Here are the dates and times: Tuesday, 10/13-- 9:00 am-2:00 pm Wednesday, 10/14-- 9:00 am- 2:00 pm and 4:30 pm- 6:30 pm Thursday, 10/15-- 9:00 am- 2:00 pm Please contact 413-267-4155 if you have a transportation issue impacting this request that we can assist you with. Any student belongings remaining in the building after 10/16 will be donated to Goodwill. A small (yet important!) request from our teachers-- For parents, siblings and any other caring adults who are supervising students while they are learning remotely: Please refrain from sharing out the answers to questions while students are receiving wait time (time to think!) after being asked a question. Students need to be given an opportunity to engage in a cognitive struggle (time to mentally wrestle with a concept or question) before answering. It is ok for them to experience not knowing the answer-- the teacher will scaffold (support) them to get to the answer(s). The teacher may ask follow up questions, provide a prompt or comparison to something else they have been learning, etc. This is all part of the learning process and it allows students to develop cognitive resilience. Please allow the space needed for this to occur. We are most appreciative for your consideration of this request. WOW! We have received confirmation that we have been selected to participate in the Early Grades Literacy Grant for the fourth consecutive year! This year's focus is Foundational Reading in grades K-3. The award amount is $59,200 and will cover stipends for 16 teachers, a PLC book study, 275 direct literacy consultant hours, and the purchase of updated reading screening materials. Other Brief Announcements: * We are still accepting volunteers to participate in our GV School Council. We will meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month (except for Nov and Dec when it is the 3rd Wed.) from 3:30-4:30 pm. Email me at wattsk@monsonschools.com if interested. * Arrangements are still being worked out for fall picture day-- we apologize for the unavoidable delay and I will send out info as soon as possible. * Later this week, we will be sending out student Drop off and Pick up information for the beginning of next week's in-person school sessions. Please review these directions with your student prior to next week. * The PTSA has donated a wonderful assortment of school supplies for students in need of them. Please email me or call 413-267-4155 if you would like to request some supplies for your student. Sincerely, Kate Watts and Joe Trivisonno