Gator Bites
March 2, 2023
Summer Camp is COMING!!!!!!!
This year's summer camp for all of Gateway's students GOING INTO Kindergarten -10th grade NEXT YEAR will start on Monday, July 10th and go until Thursday, August 10th. This year camps will be five weeks with tons of summer fun at both the Jr. Explorers (going into K - 4th grade) and Explorers Camps (going into 5th -10th grades). There are some changes this year. One of the main changes is that our Explorers Camp (grades 5 - 10) in no longer a drop-in weekly camp. This is a 5-week program camp. Of course, we understand that vacations are planned and that's fine. We just ask for advance notice. Please see the flyer above or click on the Camp flyer link below. To register for either Jr. Explorers and/or Explorers camp click here: https://forms.gle/9AbQfXvLsURNRB5n7
If you have questions, please contact Martha Clark at: mclark@grsd.org or 413-685-1003
Upcoming Events at Gateway!
Tuesday, March 7 - Half day for students and Professional Development Half Day for staff
(if there is a snow day, late start, or early dismissal, the PD half day will move to March 14)
Thursday, March 9 - ASVAB testing for students in grades 10,11 and 12
Thursday, March 9 - Open House
- Chester and Littleville Open House will take place from 5-6:30pm.
Middle and High School Open House will take place from 6-7:30pm.
Our high school will be hosting current students and prospective students for our vocational programs at this time!
March 9 Open House Night - A Community Event for Everyone
Everyone is invited to come and visit our schools on March 9th where you'll be able to learn about our programming, see our schools, meet our staff and visit our new and state of the art Welding shop at the high school.
At our elementary schools, see our fantastic programming for all students.
At the middle school, visit our classrooms, meet our teachers, and learn about not only our academic programs but our What I Need, enrichment and after school programming as well.
At the Gateway Regional High School, come and learn about our Vo Tech programs, our new Career Training Tracks, our College Prep academic programs, sports teams and our after school options like clubs, Wright Flight aviation program, Golf and more.
Open House Times are as follows:
Chester and Littleville Elementary Schools - 5:00pm - 6:30pm
Gateway Middle School and High School. - 6:00pm - 7:30pm
We hope to see you!
Gateway Middle and High School participate in Honor Band
Honor Band this weekend which took place at UMass. In the group photo, from left to right we see:
Theo DeAngelis-Page, August Assarian, Jeffrey Antonellis, Nancy Mueller, Rachael Austin, Lizzie Kadzik, Eliza Mueller, Olivai MacIver, Jesse Balboni, and Justin Rucki. Not pictured in that, (but he was participating, and is on the big stage shot) is Evan Forgue.
They had a great time and performed an amazing concert!!
Students from our Spanish Class Travel to Costa Rica
¡Hola! From February 16th-February 24th, Gateway High School students,including me, traveled to Costa Rica to learn about the country and of course practice some Spanish! Led by an incredible tour guide from Costa Rica, we visited incredible sights and places including volcanoes, waterfalls, and absolutely breathtaking views while zip-lining. For many of us, this was the first time we had traveled on a trip away from their loved ones and experienced the unique opportunity of exploring a new culture with a group of people we might not normally find ourselves spending time with. One extra fun highlight was that we visited a school in Monteverde. Here, we saw and learned some traditional Costa Rican dances from students our age. We also brought a little Hilltown spirit with them and taught the students in Costa Rica the Cotton Eye Joe. From exotic fruits, to hot spring pools, to learning about how coffee goes from being a bean to the way everyone starts their day, and the excitement of the occasional monkey or toucan, we got to embark on a once in a lifetime adventure. We were able to see places we never dreamed of and we got to do a little of "exploring in the world!" Thank you to Mrs. Batra who was a fearless and amazing leader, as well as Mr. Batra, Mrs. Blume, and Katy Wilkinson who assisted in chaperoning and making sure everyone was having fun Also, thank you to all the students, families, and friends who made this trip possible and sent well wishes to the group during their travels. Most importantly, we thank our tour guide Chris, bus driver Beto, and the people of Costa Rica for their kindness and generosity to our group. As they say in Costa Rica, “Pura Vida!”
Littleville Elementary School's Family Valentines Dance a HUGE success!
Leadership News at Littleville
There have been some changes to the leadership team at Littleville Elementary. Andrew Samuelson has resigned from his position as Principal for personal reasons. I wish him well on the next chapter in his journey!
Mark Folta, retired administrator from the Hampshire Regional District, will be assuming the position as Interim Principal. Mark was Interim Principal at Littleville before, and when we walked around late last week, he was met with cheers and hugs from the students (and staff!).
Additionally, Melissa McCaul will be stepping into the role as Student Support Leader for Littleville. Littleville has the highest student to admin ratio as well as the highest student to counselor ratio in the district (1 to 307)--this move makes sense to support Littleville's needs for the rest of the school year.
I am excited that Mark and Melissa will be stepping into these leadership roles at Littleville--they will make a great team!
Chester Elementary School Celebrates World Kindness Day
Littleville's First Grade celebration
Littlville's First Grade celebrated the completion of their unit on Early American Civilization. They learned about the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca civilizations and cultures. To celebrate, family members in to share were invited to share in fun activities! Students created emperor/empress headdresses, chinampas (floating islands), maize, and sculptures.
It's kindergarten Screening Time for the 2023-24 School Year
Chester Elementary School: https://forms.gle/BQPwidUh8v3hwXUy7
Littleville Elementary School: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSceUUHAO2IHxE8p4tEKsf4tAClkJrJlrlYbuKFyTeG4t7MgDQ/viewform
PLEASE CONSIDER ADVOCACY FOR RURAL AID FROM THE STATE FOR OUR BUDGET
Gateway Regional is in the process of planning for its FY24 budget. Our goal is to offer strong programming and appropriate staffing levels at all of our schools while still maintaining a reasonable request to local towns to ensure this can occur.
One game changer that will have an enormous impact on our budget is if the state approves the funding of rural aid. Rural Aid has been provided to districts that meet a certain criteria to support those schools to offer competitive programming that their suburban and urban neighboring districts can afford.
A recent report was published with recommendations to support rural schools. I have attached the report for your review if you wish.
There is currently a bill on the senate floor in Massachusetts to fully fund rural aid. If this bill passes, then the district will receive over one million dollars to support staffing, programming, and services. It would allow us to continue to move forward without any interruption of support to students.
It would be incredible if our local legislators heard from students and families about the importance of fully funding rural aid. For your convenience, I have attached a sample letter that you can copy and paste. There is a section you can personalize, or you can just send it as is. Here are some legislators' contact information as well.
rep.smitty@mahouse.govJacob.Oliveira@masenate.gov
Here's a sample letter you can copy and paste:
Dear Senator or Representative [insert name],
My name is [insert your name] and I am from [the community you live in], which is part of the Gateway Regional School District. I am writing today to request that you support fully funding Rural School Aid as presented in the Rural Schools Report.
With the recalculation of the Chapter 70, communities in rural areas were hopeful that this new formula would allocate funding to rural schools. The Student Opportunity Act certainly accommodated those from suburban and urban districts, but rural schools are still at a significant disadvantage. Because Gateway’s communities are economically under resourced and the school has a declining population, our district only received an increase of 0.4% last year, while neighboring districts like Longmeadow (12.8%), Chicopee (11.4%), and Agawam (10.1%) received an 10-15% increase in educational state aid. These districts can roll their ESSER funding into their increase in SOA to sustain the programming they put in place after the pandemic to support students, where rural schools like Gateway are unable to maintain the vital programs implemented for students.
Fully funding rural aid will give students at schools like Gateway the resources they need to be able to compete with their peers from across the state. Rural aid is necessary for districts to be able to offer AP courses, the arts, extracurricular activities, and special programming for students with disabilities. With our ESSER money, we have been able to create new college and career pathways, a strong and engaging after school program, and provide necessary mental health and academic intervention supports for students. Rural aid would allow these programs to continue instead of being cut when ESSER expires in 2024.
[Add any other personalized information you wish here!]
I urge you to support Rural School Aid to be fully funded for Gateway Regional and all the schools that are impacted by this bill. Students at Gateway and from all rural schools deserve to have the same academic and extracurricular opportunities as their peers who live in areas that have more robust tax bases. It should not matter where a student lives for their ability to receive a high-quality education.
I am happy to discuss this issue further and answer any questions you might have. Thank you again for your support of Gateway’s students and communities.
Sincerely,
Here's the introduction to the Rural Aid Report:
For decades, Massachusetts’ most rural schools have increasingly struggled under the burden of circumstances which other communities do not face. Declining populations, stagnant or declining tax bases, in combination with the disproportionately high costs of educating students in smaller schools has left our rural school districts with funding deficits. They have been forced to decide between cutting integral arts, athletic, and academic programming or consider closing schools. In rural communities the closure of a school does not equate to attending a different school within the same community or traveling 5-10 minutes more on a bus. It results in the collapse of community centers, children spending substantially more time on buses, and no significant increase in educational opportunities. As our rural communities continue to change, tens of thousands of Massachusetts students are being stripped of the educational opportunities that they deserve. While we accommodate the burgeoning populations of urban and suburban communities, we must do the same for our rural communities. As our urban counterparts are valuable because of their larger populations, these small, rural regions of our state are also valuable and should be celebrated because of their small size, rather than penalized because of it.
In supporting each and every student in Massachusetts we must consider the long-term sustainability of our rural schools. Equity and access to a high-quality education is central in this mission. We must ensure that each student’s needs are met and beyond that, they are able to thrive regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, or geographic location. Our public educators shape the lives of the next generation. We must give every district, regardless of size or student population, the tools and resources it needs to support our most valuable investment: our children.
GRSD on the fields and ice
Senior Night at the Southwick Hockey Game
CONGRATS TO OUR SENIOR!!
Liam Mckellick #7 Defense.
Southwick hockey team has had the privilege of having Liam skate with them over the past 4 years. Liam and his brother Daniel were one of the first skaters to join the program thru the co-op (an agreement between Gateway Regional and Southwick Schools). Upon joining, Liam quickly became a vital part of the team. Not only as a defensive player, but as a teammate and friend. He became an assistant captain in his junior year and has led the team as Captain in his senior year. It has been a pleasure to watch him skate and he will be missed by his teammates and the Southwick hockey families. Liam, we are wishing you all the best in your future endeavors. We hope you always look back on your years with the Rams fondly. We look forward to seeing and skating with you as a Ram alumni! All the Best! - Southwick Hockey .
Families with MassHealth Need to Renew Coverage
Families with MassHealth need to renew their coverage this year in order to maintain coverage. Coverage protections put in place during the pandemic will end soon, and MassHealth will return to standard annual eligibility renewal processes. Please help inform MassHealth families that they need to take the following steps:
- Update contact information – make sure MassHealth has their most up-to-date address, phone number, and email so that they do not miss important information and notices about what else is needed.
- Report household changes to make sure MassHealth knows about any changes in their household, like a new job, address, changes to income, disability status, or pregnancy.
More information is available on the MassHealth’s Redetermination website, and school leaders can help spread the word with this Redetermination flyer, poster, and toolkit.
Fundraisers
- The Class of 2023 is holding a fundraiser at Applebee's in Westfield on Thursday, March 16th! You may stop in the office or call our office for a flyer to present at time of payment and 15% of your bill will go to the Class of 2023.
Substitutes Needed
Gateway Regional School District is looking for substitute teachers.
What's Happening in our Community
Upcoming Events by our local Appalachian Mt. Club:
Join the Appalachian Mountain Club DEI Speaker Series Webinar, on March 23, 2023 from 7-8:30 to view "Indigenous Voices". Native people have been living here in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts for more than 10,000 years. This is the homeland of many related First People. They are called the Sokoki, Pocumtuck, Nonotuck, Woronoco, and Agawam… Historically, tribes gathered in this valley to trade, to fish, to plant, to participate in sacred ceremonies, to reunite with family, and perhaps to find a spouse. Much has been written about the last of the Indigenous people in the Northeast...These people are not extinct! Native people had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Their spirits, their memory, and their descendants are here living among us. Join the Appalachian Mountain Club DEI Speaker Series Webinar, on March 23, 2023 from 7-8:30 to view "Indigenous Voices" (Produced by Nolumbeka Project in collaboration with Turning Tide Films, Directed by Robbie Leppzer) and discuss their stories with Liz Cold Wind Santana-Kiser an Elder, Council Woman and current Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck Indians and Film Producer Jennifer Lee. (Northern Narragansett)
Trip Art by Deborah Spears Moorhead (Seaconke Wampanoag)
The Russell Cultural Council helped to fund the Nolumbeka Project's production of Indigenous Voices.
Use this link to register:
https://outdoorsorg.webex.com/.../rb248ba91ab7bd4a78245d8...
- Sweet Spring, Maple Syrup Hike March 25 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Families are you ready to indulge in what spring has to offer in the hilltowns of western Massachusetts? Join us for a hike on the Conway Property Trials in Worthington (part of Hilltown Land Trust) and then partake in a sugar house buffett at High Hopes Farm in Worthington. The hike is rated as an easy, 2.1 mile, out and back route taking approximately 60-90 minutes to hike. We will meet at the trail's parking area at 9:30 am on Route 112 in Worthington. Following our hike we will return to our cars to ride the short distance to High Hopes Farm Sugar House to enjoy the buffet. The sugar house buffet is $15.95 per adult. WMA AMC Family Outings will cover the cost of the children's buffet for participating kids. Requirements: Please be prepared at the trailhead on the day of the hike for the variety of spring conditions we may encounter while hiking, such as rocks, exposed roots, icy patches and mud. It is essential to have proper footwear (sturdy, waterproof boots are recommended) as well as a snack and water. (two liters for the average hiker) It is recommended that you bring rain gear, microspikes and hiking poles.(if you use them) Please dress in layers as it will likely be cool/cold when we start. Avoid cotton as it does not retain warmth once wet. A hat, gloves and warm socks are recommended. AMC requires all children under 18 be accompanied by a parent or guardian and have a signed waiver. All hikers will be required to have signed the AMC's Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks & Release Form online prior to the hike. Inclement weather will cancel this hike. Limit 20 Participants
Upcoming Russell Library Events:
Paddle for Water: Canoeing Across America with a Message and a Man I Never Intended to Marry. Adult Book talk with Russell author Nancy Condon at the Russell Public Library, Saturday, March 11th, 2-4 PM Register by email rpldirector@townofrussell.us, call 413-862-6221
and leave a message, or come in and sign up at the library.
Want to see what white water canoe/kayak racing is all about? Join the Westfield River Wildlife Committee for two race clinics this April. Build your skills and learn from experts on April 8th and 15th, 12:30 - 4PM. Bring your kayak or canoe to downtown Huntington, MA. Boats in the water just off the green bridge where Rte 112 meets Rte 20 near the DPW yard.
Past Gator Bites
Past Gator Bites
February 10: https://www.smore.com/3n2tj
February 3: https://www.smore.com/ubjsq
January 9: https://www.smore.com/mu6h0
December 19: https://www.smore.com/hm943
December 7: https://www.smore.com/5yn3t
November 29: https://www.smore.com/4zs6ax
November 14: https://www.smore.com/u49t2
November 7: https://www.smore.com/mb78u
October 26: https://www.smore.com/gmqb5October 19: https://www.smore.com/w2fk5
October 10: https://www.smore.com/m9uke
October 3: https://www.smore.com/pnds3
September 23: https://www.smore.com/q0x4c
September 16: https://www.smore.com/bkwp3
September 9: https://www.smore.com/uyc4m
September 1: https://www.smore.com/vu28z
August 25: https://www.smore.com/k2jehc
Contact Information:
Chester Elementary School:
Principal Vanna Maffuccio vmaffuccio@grsd.org
Littleville Elementary School:
Interim Principal Mark Folta mailto:mfolta@grsd.org
Principal Jason Finnie jfinnie@grsd.org
Assistant Principal Will Sullivan wsullivan@grsd.org
Athletic Director Matt Bonenfant mbonenfant@grsd.org
Superintendent Kristen Smidy, ksmidy@grsd.org
Gateway Regional School District
Website: grsd.org
Location: 12 Littleville Road, Huntington, MA, USA
Phone: 413-685-1100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GatewayRegionalMA?mibextid=LQQJ4d