Gator Bites- 3/1
Important Dates:
Wednesday, March 6-Public Budget Hearing for FY25 Budget
Thursday, March 7-Middle/High School Open House
Tuesday, March 12-Half Day for students***
Friday, March 29-No School
April 15-19-Vacation
Friday, May 3-Kindergarten Screening for Littleville
Friday, May 10-Kindergarten Screening for Chester
Student Opportunity Act Family Engagement
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is requiring districts to complete a comprehensive report sharing how they will spend their Student Opportunity Act funding. Gateway is not a district that receives a significant allocation of funding. Even so, we are still open to hearing feedback about how families would like to see funding allocated.
We will take many of the thoughts and ideas shared in the YouthTruth survey that was sent out through our Barr Foundation grant from October of this school year and translate those ideas into budget priorities. However, if you have additional thoughts or questions you'd like to address, please reach out to Superintendent Kristen Smidy by emailing ksmidy@grsd.org.
Thank you!
Safety Info for Families : Reunification Reminders
A safety tip or reminder will be included in each Gator Bites. This edition, we will focus on part of our reunification protocol.
Over the next several weeks, each school staff will engage in reunification training with first responders--specifically, we will train for the emergency situation of taking students off campus and reunifying them with families at a different site. If this unlikely event needs to take place, school administration will communicate with families about the reunification process and what to expect. It will be especially helpful if you remember these tips:
Safety tip #1: If reunification needs to occur, please wait for instructions from the district to be able to ensure a safe and efficient pick up process at our new location.
Safety tip #2: Anytime you are picking up a child, whether it is at school or at a reunification site, please bring a photo ID with you.
Safety tip #3: Be sure that your contact information is up to date in our system. If your email address or phone number has changed since you've filled out the enrollment paperwork at the beginning of the school year, please let your child's school know ASAP.
Safety tip #4: In addition to your contact information, please keep your child's pick up authorization list up to date. Again, if there have been changes since the start of the school year, please update the school's office with any custody agreement, restraining orders, or other shifts to who is authorized to take students from campus.
Thank you for your assistance and partnership!
Kindergarten Sign Ups
Chester Elementary Kindergarten Sign Up!
Chester Elementary School is getting ready for kindergarten screening for children who will be 5 on or before September 1, 2024, for Chester, Blandford, and Middlefield Residents.
If you have a child that will be entering kindergarten in September 2024, please go to Kindergarten Screening Sign up . In this link, you will sign your child up to receive the registration information packet with directions on how to schedule your child’s screening, important information needed and how to complete the enrollment process.
Chester's screening day is scheduled for Friday May 10, 2024
with appointments happening between 9 am-3 pm
Current kindergarten students will attend school on May 10th!
If you have any questions, please call the office at 413-685-1361.
Littleville Elementary Kindergarten Sign Up!
Littleville is getting ready for kindergarten screening for children who will be 5 on or before September 1, 2024, for Russell, Montgomery and Huntington Residents.
If you have a child that will be entering kindergarten in September 2024, please go to Kindergarten Screening Sign up In this link, you will sign your child up to receive the registration information packet with directions on how to schedule your child’s screening, important information needed and how to complete the enrollment process.
Littleville screening day is set for Friday May 3rd, 2024
with appointments happening between 8-12:30.
Current kindergarten students will not be attending school on that day (May 3rd).
If you have any questions, please call the office at 685-1301.
Reminder: Vocational Applications Due April 1
February Break Fun and Learning!
Gateway Regional High School students traveled to Spain led by Mrs. Batra!
13 Gateway staff traveled to Colorado with the Barr Foundation Grant to see other innovative schools in action!
Gateway Athletics
Western Mass Wrestling
Congratulations to Eli Gilbert for his win at WMASS in the 165lbs weight class! Also, congratulations to Caiden Walker who placed 6th in 106lbs class!
Check out our Spring Sports Schedule!
We hope you consider coming on to cheer our baseball and softball teams this spring!
Lunch Menu for March
Reminder! Calendar Change!!
At the meeting on February 7, the school committee approved a request from administration to change the date of the upcoming half day in March from March 19 to one week early on March 12. This shift is to accommodate the Barr Foundation required meeting that will take place on March 19.
Therefore, the half day in March will be on Tuesday, March 12 for students!
Information from the Southern Hilltown Domestic Violence Task Force
Dear Gateway Parents and Guardians:
February is teen dating violence prevention month. If you have a teen or pre-teen in your life,
we’d like to ask you to talk to them about relationship health.
It can be hard for all of us to know what we have in a relationship. Most relationships start out
healthy, and if they do become unhealthy or abusive it is often gradual. Teens often miss the
early warning signs and misunderstand what their partner’s behavior means. Jealousy can look
like love. Possessiveness and wanting to spend time only with you can feel flattering. Blame
shifting and gas lighting can make teens feel that being mistreated is their fault and that if they
only tried harder their relationship would go back to being how good it was at the beginning.
We think that if teens and pre-teens understand the signs of a healthy, unhealthy, and abusive
relationships early on, they will have a better chance of avoiding harmful relationships and
understanding that being mistreated is never their fault. We also think that if they are used to
talking to adults they trust about relationships, they will be more likely to reach out if they ever
do need help.
A good way to start a conversation is to ask a question. You might ask a teen if they think the
relationships they see at school are healthy or not, and why they think so. Add what you know
about relationships a little bit at a time, without overwhelming them. Listen more than you talk.
And don’t worry if they don’t agree with you. It is when there is tension between two ideas that
real learning often happens.
Below is a Relationship Spectrum that we find helpful. Two websites we recommend are
If you are worried your teen may already be in an unhealthy or abusive relationship, here are
some more tips:
• Ask questions about your teen’s life
• Listen with an open mind and don’t interrupt
• Ask them what they want to do and help them review their options
• Be supportive and remind them of their strengths rather than criticizing them
• Don’t insult their partner, but instead talk about their partner’s behaviors that worry you
• Above all, keep communicating and try to maintain a connection with your teen
• Learn more (see www.loveisrespect.org, or www.onelove.org, or contact the Southern Hill Task
Force thru Facebook @ Southern Hilltown Domestic Violence Task, or Instagram @ Southern
Hilltown DV or email us @ SouthernHillsDVtaskforce@gmail.com)
As always, we’d like to thank the Hilltown community for everything you do to keep our
community
healthy and safe.
Thank you,
Phil Barry
Steph Conway
Lindsey Maxwell
Police Chief Jennifer Dubiel
Sarah McGuinnes
Kim Savery
Monica Moran
Donna Larocque
Members,
Southern Hilltown DV Task Force
Fundraisers and Events
Get your tickets for this awesome competition hosted by local legend/Rock102 DJ/Gateway Parent - STEVE NAGEL and benefit the Gateway Education Foundation!
T-Shirts and Hoodies for Sale!
The Gateway Education Foundation will be selling shirts and hoodies at the secondary open house and other upcoming events for $20 for kid sizes and $25 for adult sizes! Please consider purchasing a shirt to support this great cause and to sport your Gateway Gear! Adult and child sizes are available! T-shirts for pre-sale only and will be delivered within the few weeks!
From the School Based Health Center
COVID Vaccines
COVID vaccine for individuals 12+ are available at the School Based Health Center.
Getting vaccinated lowers your chances of getting infected. If you do get infected, you will be
much less likely to get severely ill if you have been vaccinated.
In addition to protecting yourself, getting vaccinated will also help protect other people, especially
those who are at higher risk of getting very sick or dying. It also protects people who can't get a
vaccine, like young babies.
Call School Based Health Center today to coordinate (413) 667-0142.
From our Community Partners
From the Hilltown Community Health Center
Check out the ParentChild+ Program Info below.
Teen event at Huntington Public Library!
Check out the teen event coming up at the Huntington Public Library! This event is recurring and takes place the 1st Saturday of each month.
Russell Public Library Events
RUSSELL PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3-7pm,
Tuesday & Thursday 10am-2pm
Saturday 10am-1pm
Please join our updated Facebook page and connect with our other resources there.
Russell Public Library Facebook Page
View our new Trustee approved Library Policies
Events at the Porter Memorial Library in Blandford!
Book Squirms: The Porter Memorial Library in Blandford has two PreK sessions each week for families and their littles! On Tuesdays at 4pm and Wednesday mornings at 10:30 we do story time, singing, crafts and sensory play.
Did you miss it?
Contact Information:
Chester Elementary School:
Principal Vanna Maffuccio vmaffuccio@grsd.org
Littleville Elementary School:
Principal Melissa McCaul mmccaul@grsd.org
Principal Will Sullivan wsullivan@grsd.org
Interim Assistant Principal Kylie-blu Crawford kcrawford@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