GUFS Weekly Newsletter
December 3, 2021
Principal's Message
Dear GUFS Community,
Today was our first day of parent/teacher conferences. It is a wonderful opportunity for parents to have their questions answered about their child's academic and social progress. We are incredibly proud of our students' success this first marking period. We have been so fortunate here at GUFS being able to utilize our outdoor spaces, our own school forest and accessing the community resources for field trips. The children are fully embracing the learning experiences that are presented every day in and out of our school environment.
Our music department is now complete with a new addition to our team, Linda Speziale. Ms. Speziale comes with a wealth of experience and we are excited to have her join us at GUFS! She is currently teaching chorus to our Middle School students. In the near future, chorus will be offered in the 4th and 5th grade. Already, the halls are filling with the beautiful singing voices from our students in chorus.
We hope everyone had a relaxing Thanksgiving break. Sunday was the first night of Hanukkah. We wish all who celebrate Hanukkah a joyous time with friends and family.
Sincerely,
Allison Emig
Calendar Reminders
For a detailed look at what's happening, visit the School Building Calendar for the 2021-2022 school year
- UPCOMING DATES:
- December 8th: Elementary School Report Cards Posted to the Parent Portal
- December 10th: Parent/Teacher Conferences (No School for Students)
- December 24th-December 31st: Winter Holiday Recess (School Closed)
Lost & Found Gallery
Take a peek at our Lost & Found Gallery (updated weekly) to see if any items belong to your child! Many of these items may have already made their way home to you. If you are still missing one of these items, please contact the main office to let us know! slusardi@gufs.org or cmariani@gufs.org
Welcome Linda Speziale
Linda Speziale holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, and has had a career in the performing arts that spans over 40 years.
Linda and her family have been residents of Philipstown since 2001, where she has taught privately at Linda Speziale Voice Studio, and prepared students of all ages and levels for Broadway and regional theatre auditions, as well as help prepare school students for NYSSMA and performing arts college and conservatory auditions.
Linda has been Performer, Music Director, and Stage Director for Mainstage Productions at Philipstown Depot Theatre since 2014, and was Vocal Coach for the grades 8-12 summer program at Philipstown Depot Theatre for 11 years. She most recently directed and vocal coached ages 9-12 in the musical revue “All Together Now” at Philipstown Depot Theatre.
She is delighted to be joining the GUFS team as an Artist-in-Residence for the Singing and Vocal Ensemble program.
The 6th Graders Study Science Atop Anthony's Nose
This week at Anthony's Nose, 6th-grade students worked on analyzing patterns in nature and their creation through the lens of another discipline in science (Forces & Motion, Energy, Chemistry, & Space). It was a chilly day full of adventure and lots of smiles!
2nd & 3rd Graders Study Forces & Motion at Bear Mountain Ice Skating Rink
3rd Graders Teach 2nd Graders About Force & Motion
STEAM for Middle School Students
Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Celebration
Latest Breezeway Gallery Artwork
6th Grade Mandala Project
Nurse Melissa's Corner
A Reminder from Nurse Melissa and the Department of Health
Any student or staff out of school with a symptom of COVID (fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, diarrhea or vomiting, runny nose or muscle aches) will need a COVID test prior to their return to school. Contact Nurse Melissa if you need help finding testing.
COVID-19 Vaccination Status
If your child has received the COVID 19 vaccination, please let Nurse Melissa know. Once they are "fully vaccinated" they will be exempt from quarantine if they remain symptom free.
COVID-19 Testing
Hello Garrison Community,
We continue to keep our eye on ways to keep our school safe and open. There is one mitigation tool we feel is under-utilized and that is our testing. Testing is a tool used to identify people who may be contagious even without knowing they are. It is a way to keep our school a safe environment. We would like to expand our testing program to include more students. To this end, we will expand our testing availability into the school day, with help from the Putnam County Department of Health. If you would like to sign your child(ren) up, please complete the attached consent form. With an increased pool of students to test, we expect to test individual students on a rotating basis, so each student would be tested appropriately once a month. The tests we use are BINAXNow which are rapid antigen tests and results are shown in 15 minutes. A nurse would communicate the results to you.
Please consider completing the consent form to sign your student up for testing. If you have any questions please contact Melissa DeFonce, mdefonce@gufs.org or 845-424-3689 x226.
Thank you for your support,
Melissa DeFonce, RN
Community Organizations & Resources on The GUFS District Website
Stay connected to our community and see what's happening locally by visiting the Community Organizations & Resources page of the GUFS District Website
Philipstown Recreation
PTA Corner
GCEF Corner
Dear Friends of GCEF,
As we check the post office for the final few "snail mail" contributions, we are immensely grateful for your dedicated participation in making Fall Appeal a record-breaking success!
Together, the Garrison community gave over $23,000 in annual donations, to provide academic and extracurricular enrichment to our children, teachers and school staff. We are especially grateful to the many people who gave for the first time ever, yielding an impressive number of participating donor families. Your contributions, at all levels, are truly appreciated.
Coat Drive
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/