Gator Bites
October 10, 2022
October Calendar Events..... Did you know???
HOMECOMING is back the week of October 17!
Gateway Middle and High School will celebrate Homecoming the week of October 17. There are home boys and girls soccer games during the week. Boys soccer is home on Oct. 17 and 20. Girls soccer is home on Oct 18. Unfortunately, the cross country teams will be away competing at Hampshire on the 18th. We will end the week with a MS/HS pep rally to celebrate our fall sports teams and seniors. We will also have a dance that evening for high school students. See below for more information.
HOMECOMING FRIDAY
*Pep Rally will be held in the gym. We will be recognizing our Gators Fall sports teams, band members, September Golden Ticket winners, and seniors. We'll have some fun activities, a lot of cheering and even more celebrating being a Gateway Gator.
*High School Homecoming Dance will be held in the High School gym from 6:30 pm- 8:30pm. We would volunteers to help decorate, set up and/or donate baked goods and drinks for the dance. Please email mclark@grsd.org if you are interested in helping us.
HOMECOMING SATURDAY
*Alumni Band Get together, practice and concert on Homecoming Saturday, October 22!!
We are again offering a Gateway Alumni Band as part of the 2022 Homecoming Weekend! Rehearsals will take place on Saturday, October 22 with the concert at 2 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. We are welcoming all GRSD band alums to sign-ups for this fun event. Please complete the form below and music will be emailed to you! Please pass this along to any alums/siblings that you know.
Alumni Band Schedule for Saturday, October 22:
8 - 8:30: Meet & Greet/Coffee, followed by rehearsal
noon - lunch (provided) followed by rehearsal
2 p.m. - Alumni Band Concert (free admission but donations accepted at the door for the music program).
Here is the link to register: https://forms.gle/Q3xJFC39Dj8exS1Q7
*Homecoming 5K will be held on Saturday, October 22 at Littleville Dam. Registration for the race will start at 9:30 am at Gateway Regional High School at the Gator Shack (in front of the soccer field) and the race will start at 10:15. Maps of the course will also be available. Medals will be given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for both male and female divisions and a "best DAM effort" medal to the last place finisher. The race is open to everyone who would like to participate. We also need volunteers. If you're interested in volunteering please email mclark@grsd.org or ddostal@grsd.org. Also, T-Shirts will be on sale at the event.
Cross Country alumni are encouraged to participate!
Please email mclark@grsd.org or ddostal@grsd.org for questions.
Chester's picture day is on October 24th and the Middle/High School's picture day is on October 20th.
Family Conferences:
All schools will have Family Conferences on October 25 and 26. These are HALF DAYS FOR STUDENTS. Each school is doing their conference sign-ups a little differently. Be sure to call your child's school with any questions about signing up for your conference.
On the GRSD fields
Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness
Gateway and Mt. Everett girls soccer teams show support for Breast Cancer Awareness. A special Thank You to Mrs. Cooper for providing armbands for our Gateway girls and what awesome uniforms Mt. Everett wore.
Senior Nights for our senior fall athletes!
Girls Soccer Team Senior Night is October 18th.
Boys Soccer Team Senior Night is October 20th.
GRMS/HS Golf Club is off to a Swinging Start
The Littleville Holiday Bazaar is Back!
Come join us for a fun-filled day of crafts, food, and community building on Saturday, November 19th from 10am - 3pm in the halls of Littleville Elementary School. Events for this day will include: crafts, a variety of vendors with items for sale, a silent auction, raffles, a bake sale and baked potatoes and homemade hot soups for lunch
If you are a crafter or a vendor and would like to join us, please contact Anne Fisk at afisk@grsd.org for a registration form. Act quickly as spaces are limited and filling up fast.
We hope to see you there! 😊
The last days to support our schools - Gator Gear
A. Using this link you can purchase adult hoodies, crew neck sweatshirts and long sleeved T-shirts. The prices are:
Hoodies - $38
Crew Neck Sweatshirt - $28
Long-Sleeved T - $25
All proceeds benefit fun activities like pep rallies, Homecoming, and more!
B. Using this link you can purchase Chester spirit wear. Show your Chester spirit and help support the efforts of their PTO.
GRSD SPED Parent Advisory Council's first meeting is coming up
The Gateway Regional School District's SPED Parent Advisory Council is hosting our first meeting via zoom on Wednesday, October 19th from 5:30-6:30 PM. The link is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88988097209. Hop on the zoom to learn about the parent advisory council and how we can support and assist you and your children. We are an advisory group to the school administrators, school officials and the school committee. We offer advice and resources to anyone navigating the special education process, regardless of their child's 504 or IEP status. For a meeting reminder send a quick RSVP email to Sepac_Chair@GRSD.org
Our Mission
To support and assist exceptional children in the Ga t e w ay Region al School District to reach their full potential. We offer guidance and resources to anyone with a child in special education.
Join us!
We are looking for one parent from each class to join us so that we can share new opportunities to all our families. Even a few minutes per month would help tremendously. Make a difference at Gateway!
Contact Sepac_Chair@GRSD.org for more information or to join our email list for updates.
Hope to see you on October 19th. Our rules are simple, No one apologizes for arriving late or leaving early. Come if you can.
GRMS/HS Counselor's Corner
Our College and Career Fair for all high school students will be held on October 26th.
Armed Forces Opt-Out
Federal legislation designed to strengthen and support our nation's public schools was signed into law by President Bush in 2002. Beyond the funding of education programs and the requirement of academic testing, this law, "No Child Left Behind Act", includes a clause that allows recruiters from the Armed Forces to have access to the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of high school students. This access to student information is conditional upon parent approval. Parents have the right to deny access to this information. Gateway Regional High School has received requests from a number of the branches of the armed forces for this information. If you DO NOT want this information concerning your son/daughter to be released, you must indicate this by filling out the Google Form on the GRSD.ORG Website. This form can be found by selecting “Gateway Regional High School”/Departments and Programs/SchoolCounseling/Armed Forced “Opt Out”. Or follow the link below. If you do not have access to a computer, please call the Counseling Department at 413-685-1107 and leave the name of your student to be removed from the list. Unless you complete this form or make this phone call by October 30, 2022, your student's information will be released in accordance with the provisions of this law.
Please help us keep your contact info and photo permission up to date!
Returning Gateway Students
Why do I have to complete the Online Returning Registration for my child?
It is important for us to have all the most up-to-date information on your child. (Example: change of address, new email address, new emergency contacts, new phone numbers, etc.) Even if nothing has changed, please complete the online form.
1. How do I get started?
Follow the link in the email that was sent to you. Using a cell phone will result in errors. Please use a laptop or desktop computer.
The email includes a special snap code. If you did not receive an email, please check your spam folder or call the building secretary to verify the email address we have on file.
HOT TIP- Please do not duplicate contacts. You cannot use a parent as an emergency contact if you already have them listed in the parent section.
2. What if I do not have access to the internet, a laptop or desktop or I am not tech-savvy?
If you do not have access to the internet or you are having trouble completing the registration or to ask any general questions about the form or the Returning Student Registration process, please contact the building secretary for assistance or to request a paper copy.
Jodi Fairman for Littleville Elementary at (413) 685-1300
Donna Morrissey for Chester Elementary (413) 685-1360
Karen Malinowski for MS & HS (413) 685-1102
Attendance phone calls are back!
8th Grade September Newsletter
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15S9rt0wJWlAYKsgAzCwT-8k0SxOIRDRe/view?usp=sharing
What's happening in the community?
Trunk or Treat in Huntington
Trunk or Treat will be held from 5-6, Saturday, October 22nd in conjunction with the Huntington Fire Association's Bonfire next to the library. If you're interested in hosting a trunk, email the Huntington Recreation Dept. at recreation@huntingtonma.us.
October activities at the Russell Library
Are you a young, too young at heart Russell resident? Do you love raffles with great prizes? Come to the Russell Public Library for our “Rebooting our Russell Readership Raffle,” from October 1st through October 21st and receive a raffle ticket for every book you check out. The more books you read the more tickets you get toward gift cards, earbuds, Legos and more. Winners will be drawn at our "Creepy, Crawly Fall" event October 22nd
Parents, please join us with your little ones ages 1-5 every Tuesday at 11:00 AM or Thursday at 1:00 PM for "Merry Munchkins," an interactive story time with Ms. Dawne.
Kids join us from 4-5 pm on Wednesdays through October for fun Face paints. Choose a design and read or play a game at the library while you wait to be transformed with face paint by Ms. Dawne. Take that book home and earn a ticket to our fabulous raffle.
Families drop into the library for our "Creepy, Crawly Fall" event on Saturday, October 22nd between 10:00- 12:00. There will be stories and facts about bats and spiders, Creepy Crawly Crafts and face painting. Winners for the "Rebooting our Russell Readership Raffle” will be drawn at noon.
- Adults sign up at the Russell Public Library for Pastel Drawing with Greg Maichack on Thursday, November 17th at 6:30 pm . All materials and instruction will be provided to create a piece of art worthy of framing.
The Snowflake Holiday Craft Fair is back in Chester
This wonderful Holiday Craft Fair will be returning to the Chester Town Hall on Saturday, November 5th from 9am - 3pm.
GYAA Sports, Games, Sign-ups and Events
Soccer:
There are no GYAA rec. soccer games this weekend due to the holiday.
Basketball:
Gateway Youth Athletic Association (GYAA) has opened registration for suburban basketball. The suburban basketball league is the competitive travel team. The season starts in November and runs into early March. Registration is open for boys and girls, grades five through eight. If interested visit the GYAA website ( https://clubs.bluesombrero.com/gatewayyaa ) or the GYAA Facebook page for registration links.
The recreational basketball program for kindergarten through sixth will open soon. For questions or comments contact Nick Balboni at nick_balboni@yahoo.com.
What's GYAA and who runs it?
Gateway Youth Athletic Association is a distinctly volunteer, non-profit organization serving the towns of the Gateway Regional School District. We offer programs in soccer and basketball at both the recreational and competitive levels. Volunteers for the executive board and coaching positions are always needed.
Contact Info!
Chester Elementary School:
Principal Vanna Maffuccio vmaffuccio@grsd.org
Littleville Elementary School:
Principal Andrew Samuelson asamuelson@grsd.org
Principal Jason Finnie jfinnie@grsd.org
Assistant Principal Will Sullivan wsullivan@grsd.org
Athletic Director Matt Bonenfant mbonenfant@grsd.org