GIS School Newsletter
August/September 2021
Our Mission
Important Dates
Wednesday, September 1...............................................................................GIS Virtual Open House
Tuesday, September 7......................................................................First Day Of School For StudentsMonday, October 4..........................................................................No School Students/PD Teachers
Monday, November 1.....................................................................No School Students/PD Teachers
Monday, November 15.......................................................................Firearm Safety Day - No School
November 25 & 26.................................................................................................Thanksgiving Break
A Message from the Principals...
It is our pleasure to welcome each and every one of our students and their families to GIS for the 2021-22 school year. We are eager to have our classrooms and hallways filled with the energy and enthusiasm of our awesome students. It is our goal to make our students feel welcomed, connected, and part of the GIS family. Additionally, we challenge each student to strive to do their best with their school work and behavior.
Our amazing teachers spent many hours this summer planning and creating activities that accelerate student learning and finding ways to support their social-emotional well-being. Teachers will continue to utilize best-practice strategies and analyze academic data to set growth goals with our students. We are prepared to meet the students where they are on their learning journey and help them accelerate forward.
We are honored to serve as your principals again this school year. It is a privilege to work with an amazing group of learners, families, and staff that collaborate to meet the needs of our student body. We appreciated the support that we got from our parents last year when we navigated through our first year of the pandemic. The 2021-22 school year will come with challenges as well, but maintaining a positive relationship will help keep the focus on providing a safe and healthy environment for accelerated learning with our students.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Putnam and Mr. Byram
GIS Welcome Letter
A GIS Welcome Letter is in the mail. This mailing will include: homeroom teacher, emergency card, network/internet agreement, daily health screener agreement, and directory opt out information. Please complete the forms and return them with your child on the first day of school.
GIS Virtual Open House
Transportation Information
GCS Transportation - Masks are mandatory on GCS transportation no matter what learning option you chose for your child. Please see the transportation attachment below.
Transportation Changes—Please send in a note to the teacher or call the school office as early in the day as you can (before 2:00 P.M.) if your child will need to go home in a manner that is different than s/he normally does. Students who do not have written parental permission or a phone call note from the office are not to make changes in how they go home or where they go after school.
2021-2022 Emergency Operations Plan
Student Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
- Student Arrival/Dismissal—The 2021-2022 school day is 8:10 A.M.- 3:09 P.M. Students will not be allowed to enter the building before 8:10 A.M. We are using the same traffic pattern for arrival and dismissal times as we did last year. In an effort to keep traffic flowing efficiently, please do not arrive early for drop off and have your child remain in the car until 8:10 A.M. Fourth grade students will be dropped off/picked up by the GIS playground. Parents will enter the parent parking lot by the football field and go to the back of the parking lot. Fifth grade students will enter the front doors by the office so the drop off/pick up will be in the front of the school. Sixth grade students will enter the doors in the front of the building on the NE side so sixth graders will be dropped off/picked up in the front of the parent parking lot by the football field. Please see the link that is attached to see the flow of traffic. GIS TRAFFIC FLOW We are asking that everyone abides by this system to ensure the safety of our students. Please be patient. We are certain that if everyone is patient and keeps safety the main priority, the process will go smoothly.
- Bus riders will enter the gym doors at 8:10 A.M. and go directly to their classrooms.
GCS Cafeteria Information
Students will receive one breakfast and lunch per day for the 2021-2022 school year at no cost. Gaylord Community Schools have mailed the free and reduced lunch applications. If your child qualifies, please fill out the application and return via mail, email, or applications may be done online by visiting www.gaylordschools.com. The applications will be saved and used to determine student eligibility for the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.
For questions, please call 989-731-0969, ext. 1254.
Other Information You Need To Know!
- Communication - To stay informed with what is happening at GIS, it is important that your contact information stays current throughout the school year. Please make sure that you have updated your contact information on your child's emergency card or call the school office with any changes throughout the year. Most of our communication is sent electronically and it is important that we can keep you informed.
- Signing Students In and Out of School—When bringing your child after the start of the school day or picking your child up before the end of the school day, we need you to come in and sign him/her in or out. Students cannot sign themselves in or out.
- Instant Alert Update- Our school district utilizes an automated system to notify parents of important events, such as school closings. These notifications, which enable us to get information out to thousands of students and their families in a matter of minutes, depend upon us having accurate contact information. Please make sure that you have current contact information in the GIS office so that you receive the alerts. If you have any questions or need to make a change to your contact information, please call the GIS office at (989) 731-0856.
- Facial Coverings - Details about masking requirements can be found in the Emergency Operations Plan.
- School Entrance- Access to the office will be through the front doors by the office. We continue to value our educational partnerships with our parents. Parents will be allowed to sign their child in and out of school or they can make an appointment for other matters. In order to enter the office, visitors must complete a self-health questionnaire.
- Lockers - Fifth and sixth graders will be assigned a locker this year.
- Lunch and Breakfast - Students will eat breakfast in their classrooms and lunch in the cafeteria. Breakfast and lunch are free to all students this year.
- Band - At this time we are planning on offering band to our sixth grade students. Ms. Olson will be sharing band information with the sixth graders the first couple weeks of school during music class.
- 1:1 Student Devices - We are excited that our GCS School Board has adopted 1:1devices for our students. Chromebooks will be housed in each classroom and infused into the daily instruction.
Thank you!
- Thank you to everyone who completed our Learning Options survey so that we can meet the unique needs of everyone for this school year. Your responses on the survey will be used to place your child in the appropriate learning environment for at least the first semester of the 2021-22 school year. We are going to have a great year!
NEW TEACHERS AT GIS!
Cindy McAllister
Julia Neuvirth
Hello! My name is Julia Neuvirth and I am so excited to join the staff at GIS. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Alma College in May and cannot wait to begin my teaching career. I am from Commerce Township, Michigan but have had a cottage in Gaylord my entire life and am excited to get to live up here full time. I am super close with my family and have three brothers, a niece, and nephews, as well as a dog and a bunny for pets. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher and have loved to learn since I was little. My biggest goal is to help your child find a love for learning that they can carry with them beyond the walls of my classroom and our school. I have worked with students of all ability levels and aim to structure my classroom in order for all students to prosper and succeed. I believe in teaching the whole child, going beyond what the curriculum dictates to helping your child become a well-rounded individual both academically and emotionally. I look forward to getting to know everyone at GIS and having a great school year!
Nathan Schumann
Hello Everyone!
I am Nathan Schumann, a new teacher to Gaylord Community Schools, and I am excited to be joining the team at Gaylord Intermediate! I was born and raised in Bay City, MI, and then graduated from Saginaw Valley State University in 2012. I worked for one year in Bay City, but I was then drawn to beautiful Northern Michigan! For the past eight years, I have taught fifth grade at Kalkaska Public Schools. Math, science and social studies have always been my favorite subjects to teach, but I also have a passion for technology. In 2018 I earned my Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology (again from SVSU...Go Cardinals!)
My wife, Kristen, and I live in Mancelona with our three children - Luke, Nora and Leah. I am an avid outdoorsman, and, in my spare time, can usually be found hunting, fishing, camping, gardening, swimming, trail riding or tending to my 26 chickens!
I look forward to starting this new adventure as a member of the Gaylord Intermediate School team!
Christina Warren
Hi! My name is Christina Warren and I am super excited about my new adventure in learning with my fourth-grade students at GIS this fall. I have taught 26 years for Gaylord Community Schools as a kindergarten teacher at South Maple. I am really looking forward to guiding my students academically and socially. My husband Matt is a teacher and coach for Gaylord High School. I am super proud of my four children; Maria who is a second-grade teacher, Noelle who is an Occupational Therapist, Josh who is a welder and Alivia who will be in tenth grade at GHS. Some of my favorite things include traveling with my family, playing trombone, cross country skiing, kayaking and attending Gaylord Evangelical Free Church. I am looking forward seeing some familiar faces and meeting my new friends in fourth grade soon. It is going to be an awesome year!
COVID Parent Agreement
GIS Contact Information
Sean Byram, Assistant Principal
Email: rowleyl@gaylord.k12.mi.us
Website: gaylordschools.com
Location: 240 East Fourth Street
Phone: 989.731.0856