GMS Principal's Corner
November 20, 2020
Dear Galvin Families,
I believe in the practice of gratitude all year long. I believe in its power to bring happiness, to overcome hard things, and to build strong relationships. I once heard that it's impossible to be angry when we are being grateful. I have since tried to find something to be grateful for when I'm upset or angry. I'm not always good at it, but it does help when I remember to do it. And, when I don't remember to do it, I remember that gratitude is a practice and I need to keep practicing!
Thanksgiving is a time where we slow down enough to mindfully thank those important to us and to be grateful for what we have. This morning the Galvin CAPT hosted a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast and it was wonderful! We greatly appreciate the thoughtfulness of our families, good food, and being in community together. Right now, there are very few opportunities for us to share space and good company. This morning we were able to do that (and still follow COVID guidelines). Thank you, especially to Sarah Pirrera and Noreen Rowland who coordinated the event, and to all of the parents and caregivers who donated drinks, snacks, and more! Thank you also to A Cut Above Deli for delicious breakfast sandwiches and bagels!
Thank you to the Galvin students. We know that this year is hard. That it's different and that you want things to be "normal". We appreciate that you come to school - whether in the building or remotely - ready to learn and appreciating the opportunity to attend school. Thank you, also, for your mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing - it's making a difference and keeping our community safe!
Thank you to each of you who has a hand in raising our students. Thank you for being involved, for your partnership and for your support. Yesterday and today I've had so many teachers stop me to share how appreciative you were during parent conferences. You made their day! I know it's hard to parent right now. You are trying to balance keeping your children safe and healthy, socially connected, and on top of their school work. And, you're doing all of this while managing your own life too. It is not easy! Let's keep building our partnership and working together. Reach out when you need to (I've included a new graphic about who to call when here and below). We're here to support you!
Thank you to the Galvin staff - the teachers, the educational assistants, the custodians, and the cafeteria and office staff. Wow! What a year it's been already. To each of you, thank you for your dedication to your students and to your work. It's absolutely amazing to see how much you've learned and grown in the last few months. I appreciate your collaboration, your creativity, your growth mindset and your resilience! You are doing hard and amazing things and always keep your students as your priority!
As we head into next week and aThanksgiving that is more than likely different from what we're used to, I, for one, am extremely grateful to be a part of the Galvin Community and wish you a happy and restful Thanksgiving break.
With gratitude,
Sarah
GMS Report Cards: Term 1
Term 1 Report Cards were added to your student's E-Locker on the portal on Wednesday, 11/18/2020.
To access your report card on the portal:
STUDENTS: Log in to your portal and click on the E-LOCKER located in the green menu bar at the top of the portal page. You will find a PDF of your Term 1 Report Card dated 11/18/2020. Click on the BLUE download button and your report card will open.
PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Log in to your portal and select your student. Click on the E-LOCKER located in the green menu bar at the top of the portal page. You will find a PDF of your student's report card dated 11/18/2020. Click on the BLUE download button and your report card will open.
Should you experience any difficulties accessing your student's report card, please reach out to Courtney Gaboury at 781-821-5070 Ext. 3101 for assistance.
Great Galvin Reminders!
Things to Remember:
Dress for the weather ~ We Love Recess!
Pack your Chromebooks, chargers and headphones each day you come to school!
Dates To Know
- Wednesday, Nov 25 is a true Early Release Day; dismissal is at 11:30am
- Thursday & Friday, Nov 26 - 27 Canton Public Schools will be closed for Thanksgiving
- Monday, November 30 - OUR NEW SCHEDULE BEGINS!
- Monday, November 30 - VIRTUAL CLUBS BEGIN!
- Wednesday, December 23 is a true Early Release Day
- School will be closed for winter break from December 24 through January 3. Classes will resume on Monday, January 5, 2021.
How Google Classroom & Plus Portal: Helping Parents Support You Child's Academic Success During Remote Learning
While this workshop is designed to be a live event, we will record one of the sessions and share the recording with families in the December 4 Principal's Corner.
Please join us by registering for the event here. Those who register will receive an email with the Zoom link for attending before the event. Thank you.
Parent reviews from last week's session:
*** I very much appreciated this help. It cleared quite a bit of confusion and should relieve quite a lot of stress.
*** I really appreciated Ryan’s demeanor, humor, and humility.
*** Ryan did a fabulous job. I truly appreciate the time he took to answer questions and showed us all the aspects of the portal I had no idea existed.
Thanksgiving Guidance - A Request
As you saw earlier this week, our CPS Nursing Department shared the district's guidance regarding Thanksgiving gatherings and travel with all families and staff. I know that Thanksgiving is typically a time for gathering together and that it's hard to not do that. Each year, I gather with my extended family - about 35 of us in total! This will be the first time (ever!) that I am not able to be with them. As a collective, we've made the decision to follow the state guidance and to stay within our own immediate families.
Our Galvin community has done an amazing job keeping one another safe. We have not had any school-based incidents of COVID transmission. Staff and families are following our health protocols and are making decisions that are for the greater good. We are so appreciative of this and ask that you continue to do the same during this holiday season. Below are a couple of highlights from Nurse Pushard's email to the community detailing the CPS Thanksgiving Guidance.
- The Massachusetts Department of Public Health offers public health guidance for families to consider in order to have a safe holiday celebration. Please click on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Thanksgiving during COVID to learn more about low- and high-risk celebrations and activities to avoid.
- If you plan to travel out of state for Thanksgiving, we want to remind you of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Travel Order which went into effect on 8/1/2020. The Travel Order states that if you visit a “high-risk” state and return to Massachusetts, you are required to quarantine for 14 days unless you provide proof of a negative COVID test. Much more information on this order, including a list of low-risk / high-risk states and testing, can be found here: Travel Order Information
Thank you for continuing to keep Canton and the Galvin safe and enjoy your Thanksgiving.