Last Day GUFS Newsletter
June 25, 2021
A Message From The Principal
Dear Families,
The time capsule ceremony that was held this morning was symbolic of the struggles we endured this year. Although we are all looking forward to a return to normal and to enjoying a well-deserved summer, it feels good to take a moment to reflect on all that we've experienced together. Flexibility, adaptability, and a willingness to make change are key characteristics of those who are doers, problem solvers and creative thinkers. Thank you to Ned Rausch for providing us with the time capsule and thank you to Coulter Young who facilitated the ceremony.
This year, we did not let the pandemic slow us down! It tried to, but we triumphed! Our teachers and staff worked tirelessly this year to make all of the learning experiences possible. For those students who remained in iTutor, we know how hard you worked from home. Your iTutor teachers have shared with us your commitment to learning and how wonderfully you've done this year. We hope that circumstances will be such that we will see you in person in the fall.
Within the GUFS school, creativity could be seen, felt and heard all around us. Our hallways were lined with colorful art work from Mr. Young's art classes. Mr. Connors filled the school grounds with the sounds of music lessons in the courtyards. Ms. Heck used the school as her stage and ignited excitement and friendly competition among classmates during Color Wars. Mr. Beckley created the most epic field day of all time the last week of school complete with an Ice Cream Truck and BBQ after the event. All of our teachers found creative ways to take learning outside of the classrooms by going on field trips, by hosting events on-campus, and by doing lessons under the shade of a tree.
There are some thank yous and congratulatory news to share before I conclude this last Newsletter of the year.
- Nancy Galletto, our Technology Specialist, is retiring at the end of June. Thank you for your 17 years of service at GUFS and congratulations on your retirement! We will miss you!
- Thank you to all of YOU (our GUFS families) for keeping the course, for reinforcing safety procedures at home, for staying positive, for sharing your feedback, and for putting your trust in us to provide a safe and nurturing place for your children to learn.
With gratitude,
Allison Emig
Principal
The Time Capsule Ceremony Was Held This Morning (June 25th)
Ned Rausch, our PTA president, donated a real 4" x 13" time capsule to the school. The time capsule was filled with all sorts of memorabilia from this school year including:
- Written notes and drawings from students in every grade expressing what it was like to attend school during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- A GUFS school calendar;
- Masks: a regular kids mask and a special music class mask with a special slit to allow students to play safely;
- A bottle of hand sanitizer;
- A health and wellness form;
- An article about GUFS having full in-person school; and
- A couple school CDC posters promoting hand-washing, social distancing and mask-wearing.
Congratulations to Our Graduating Class of 2021!
Colonial Day: A Look Back on Part I and Part II
The 7th Graders participated in Part I of Colonial Day on June 17th.
Colonial Day continued this week with part II during our half-day of school on Wednesday. The 7th graders ran the Colonial Day stations such as:
-Blacksmith Demo
-Candle Making Station
-Calligraphy Station
-Tin Tapping
-Apple Cider Making
-Music
-Military Drills
The 4th-6th Grade students had a great time exploring the activities!
5th Grade Trip to Taconic Outdoor Education Center
A Special Thank You to Our Substitutes for the 2020-21 School Year
Below (Left to Right): Haley Karst, Kristina Antonucci, Laynie Callo, Lillian Moser, Mia Emig
Missing from image: Loretto Padilla and Meghan Zoufaly
Report Cards Are Posted to the Parent Portal!
Summer Meal Assistance
If your family needs meal assistance this summer here are some resources:
Nurse Melissa's Corner
Please know that additional immunizations are required for students entering grades 6 (Tdap) and 7 (Meningococcal). Please plan to complete these immunizations over the summer so your child's education is not interrupted. If you need to check your child's status, please feel free to contact me at mdefonce@gufs.org
If your child is receiving the COVID vaccine please snap a photo of the card or send the dates to Nurse Melissa mdefonce@gufs.org so she can input this information into the system. It is best to wait until both vaccines have been received to send this information in.
We are GUFS!
Email: slusardi@gufs.org
Website: https://www.gufs.org/Domain/4
Location: 1100 NY-9D, Garrison, NY 10524
Phone: 845-424-3689
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrisonufs/