GMS Principal's Corner
September 27, 2020
Dear Galvin Families,
As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, but on Tuesday, ALL students in grades 6-8 who are on the Learning Continuum will start coming to school based on the following:
Cohort A: students with last names that begin with A-L
- In -person: Mondays and Tuesdays
- Remote: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Friday
Cohort B: students with last names that begin with M-Z
- Remote: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays
- In-person: Thursdays and Fridays
All students who have been identified as Category II and requiring a 4-day in-school experience.
As your child prepares to come into the building, we hope they will take a few minutes to re-watch the safety video (linked below) to help familiarize them with our new health and safety protocols.
As I reflect on the week we've had, I want to thank our sixth grade students for being AWESOME! They rocked their first week of middle school! I'd also like to thank our 6th graders' adults for the support they offered and the behind-the-scenes prep work you did. Every student arrived masked and ready to go! And, finally, I'd like to extend a huge thank you to the 6th grade teachers who created a fabulous, week-long experience for our sixth grade students! Welcome, 6th grade students and families to the GMS community! We are so glad you are here!
Warmly,
Sarah Shannon
Our 6th Grade Community
Our Galvin Lockers - We all belong to the Galvin Community!
Outdoor Learning
Working in Class
MONDAY, Sept 28, 2020 - NO SCHOOL
Moving to Google Meet
We strongly believe that this move to Google Meet will minimize many of the technology issues we've been having. To help with this shift and with digital learning in general, we are also encouraging all students to check their school email and their Google Classroom at the start of each day during check in to see if a teacher has sent any important messages.
We appreciate your allowing us to pivot in a way that allows us to make a decision that provides a better learning experience for our students.
Getting to GMS!
If you are planning to drive your child, please enter the school grounds by our main entrance. Pull down to the driveway and along the sidewalk. Let your child out of the car as you get to the school's front walkway and then turn left to exit through the parking lot. Students getting rides to school will enter through the main office entrance and be directed where to go.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING FOR AFTERNOON DISMISSAL:
Afternoon dismissal will be staggered to ensure a safe dismissal process. Students taking busses will be dismissed first. Once the busses leave the Galvin, we will dismiss walkers and riders. When picking up by car, please arrive after 2:10 and pull up behind the buses. Please DO NOT pull into the parking lot (this is a change from last year). Once the buses depart, cars will pull forward along the road closest to the school building to pick up their child(ren).
Please help remind your child that upon entering they should have their masks on, remain socially distanced from their fellow students and utilize the hand sanitizer stations as they come in. Thank you!
Welcoming New Galvin Staff!
Jessica Murphy - Meteorites Science & Remote Learning Pathway (team name coming soon!)
Melissa Hurd - Meteorties Inclusion Specialist
Annie Doherty - Supernova Social Studies
Sue Fuller - Grizzlies Inclusion Specialist
Corrine Coates - Mountain Lions Social Studies
Jeff Nollner - Sharks Social Studies
Colleen Anderson - Sharks Inclusion Specialist
David Place - Maroon Inclusion Specialist
Michelle Jackson - Physical Education
Renee Bousquet - Health & Wellness
Kelly Stigas - Physical Education & Health & Wellness (Remote Learning Pathway)
Kristin Sasanoff - - Health & Wellness
Mike DeLello - Technology & Engineering
Ryan Quinn - Technology & Engineering
Sierra Yard - Art
Ilana Bartok - Art
Michaela Goodman - Music
Allen Maracle - Music
Sigifredo Jara - French and Spanish
We are so excited that these amazing educators are able to join our staff!
CPS Health Updates: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Dear Canton Families and Staff,
The Canton Public School District and the Nursing Team would like to extend a warm welcome back! As we move to in-person experiences and promote the “Culture of Caring”, I am writing to outline the district safety protocols.
The Nursing Team and local safety officials have delivered numerous COVID-19 safety training sessions and activities that outline the implementation of mitigation strategies and protocols to respond to COVID 19 Scenarios. Please take a moment to review this document carefully.
We understand that our collective health relies on our individual adherence to daily safety protocols. Thus, we are implementing the following daily mandatory requirements for all students and staff before entering the school buildings or using school transportation:
- All students and staff must complete the Daily Self Screener each morning before arriving at the building. The Daily Self Screener asks for your temperature and other health-related questions. The links to the screeners can be found on the CPS district website and the school websites. Here are the links:
Student Self Screener
Staff Self Screener
Visitor Self Screener
- Accessing the screener: To access the screener daily, you can bookmark the link or you can post the attached sheet that features QR codes to the Self Screeners. Print out the sheet and post in your house near the door. You simply have to hold your phone up to the QR code, access your camera and it will bring you to the Self Screener link. Give it a test run the first time you use it!
- Masks must be worn by all students and staff. The District has a large inventory of different mask styles and sizes if needed. Please note that handkerchiefs, single-ply gaiters and vented masks are not allowed. The approved Canton Public Schools Mask Policy File: EBCFA can be accessed through this link.
- Principal communication: As we head into the Week of September 21-25 (in-person experiences for preK, K, 6, and 9, students in Category 1 special circumstances) and then into hybrid for all on September 29, building principals will be communicating these protocols and reminders in their weekly communications. If you have questions around a protocol, you can always call the school nurse.
Other District protocols include:
- performing frequent hand hygiene
- social distancing
- increased cleaning and disinfecting
- installation of COVID signage
- safety gear for staff
- hiring additional nursing staff
- creating a building-based health annex areas to safely separate symptomatic individuals. (We are asking for a prompt student pick-up if you are called to pick up your child.)
We deeply appreciate our collaboration with the local safety officials, Canton families, and the Canton Public Schools staff. The collective effort will keep the community and schools safe. We are off to a tremendous start, and we are looking forward to a strong return to our buildings. Thank you for taking time to review and implement all of these safety protocols.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Nightingale
CPS Nurse Leader
GMS Back to School Plan
We are pleased to share with you our Galvin Middle School Back to School plan. We hope that it addresses your questions about school operations, schedules and learning. Please click the green link below to access the document.