GMS Principal's Corner
December 4, 2020
Dear Galvin Families,
Another way that you can help keep our school community safe is by making sure your child has received their flu shot prior to December 31st. All students, including our Remote Ravens, will be required to have received a flu vaccine by December 31, 2020 for the 2020-2021 influenza season, unless either a medical or religious exemption is provided. Vaccine exemption forms can be obtained by reaching out to your child's school nurse. Influenza immunization will be required for all children 6 months of age or older who are attending Massachusetts schools, preschool through grade 12. This immunization is mandatory per the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. School immunization requirements exist to protect students and members of their community from serious vaccine-preventable diseases by ensuring high vaccination rates.
The Canton nurses are running two additional flu clinics sponsored by CVS Pharmacy on December 17th and December 29th, from 3:00-8:00pm in the Rodman gym. More information with registration links for these clinics will be shared with the school community soon.
Though we have been appropriately focused on health and safety this year, the Galvin staff is equally as focused on academics and continuing to move our school toward our vision of being a deeper learning school that prioritizes equity, social emotional learning and creating a culture of purposeful belonging so students can realize their academic and personal potential. One way we ensure that focus on our goals is by reviewing and updating our GMS School Improvement plan each year. Last night we presented this year's School Improvement Plan to the School Committee. Today, I'd like to share it with all of you. (Please click here to access the 2020-2021 GMS SIP.) We are very proud of the work we are doing at the Galvin to build a strong culture and community, to transform the student learning experience and to ensure educational equity and excellence. This year we have asked ourselves "How do we stay true to who we want to be as a school and to support the development of the GMS Learner during this year of COVID, pandemic learning?". As we dug into this question, we recognized that our broader vision and our identified goals and action items are very much aligned with the experience and the community we are building to support students and families through the pandemic. I hope that as we continue to highlight the great work that our teachers and students are doing in this newsletter, you will celebrate our work and progress toward meeting these goals with us.
As stated above and in our SIP, equity is a major focus of the Galvin and the district. To continue our work in this area, we are applying for the opportunity to participate in Harvard University's RIDES intensive clinic: Taking Action for Equity Improvement for the Coming School Year. Though our participation is not guaranteed, if accepted our team would virtually attend two workshops: one on January 27 and one on February 1, as well as a pre and post meeting. We are allowed to select up to 8 team members and we would like our team to include 1-2 parent representatives. If you are interested in working with us on this effort, please email me about your interest and availability (shannons@cantonma.org). You can learn more about the workshop here.
Thank you and enjoy your weekend.
Warmly,
Sarah
GMS Student Work Spotlight
On Tuesday, December 8th and Friday, December 11th, the GMS 6th grade students will be participating in the King Arthur Baking Company's Bake for Good Program. This program allows kids to learn, bake and share their baked goods as an act of kindness using the power of baking to make a difference. Students will learn that combining math, science, reading and baking know-how, adds up to delicious bread! They will access this live presentation in their classroom on their hybrid days. Students who are remote will receive their link on their assigned day as well.
To bring this project to live, all students will receive a baking kit which includes a bag of King Arthur All-Purpose flour, a BFG recipe booklet and card, Red Start Yeast, a KABC dough scraper, a bread donation bag and a twist tie. With their new baking skills, your support, and perhaps a little guidance, your student will bake this recipe at home with confidence. (As your new baker will tell you, this recipe takes about 3 1/2 hours total!) To our Remote Raven students, keep an eye on your email detailing information about picking up your bread-baking kit.
After baking two loaves of bread or rolls, students will share half of their baked goods (one loaf or some rolls), as an act of kindness. We recommend safely sharing with a neighbor, a friend or family member or a first responder. You and your baker keep the other and enjoy!
Please visit https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/about/bakeforgood to learn more about Bake For Good or to find helpful videos and tips for baking at home.
Thank you, Ms. Marianna Biedermann, for bringing this program to the Galvin and to the 6th grade. We can't wait to bake! We hope you enjoy your homemade bread and the act of kindness!
CAPT Meeting Monday, December 7, 2020
Be a COVID-Fighting Superhero!
Harrison Feldman, a ninth grade student at CHS, is partnering with the Canton Board of Health to help reinforce the importance of mask wearing and social distancing among Canton's youth. He has started a campaign to help remind students that it is more important than ever to keep up the fight against Covid as cases surge throughout the country. Please encourage your child to participate in this campaign. The details can be found in the picture below. Thank you, Harrison, for helping keep our Canton community safe!
CHS Food Drive for Canton Food Pantry
Warda Ahmed and Tara Geoghan. two CHS students, are holding a food drive to benefit the Canton Food Pantry from December 1st to December 18th. The participating locations are Bank of Canton, Canton Co-operative Bank, and Pratt Realtors. Monetary donations can be made at the Canton Food Pantry website: https://www.town.canton.ma.us/193/Canton-Food-Pantry. If you have any questions, please contact p351canton@gmail.com. Please be generous this holiday season and donate!
Great Galvin Reminders!
Things to Remember:
Dress for the weather ~ We Love Recess!
Students should remember to pack their Chromebooks, chargers and headphones each day they come to school!
Dates To Know:
- Wednesday, December 23 is a true Early Release Day; no asynchronous afternoon work will be provided.
- School will be closed for winter break from December 24 through January 3. Classes will resume on Monday, January 5, 2021.