Gator Bites- 1/26/24
Important Dates:
*At some point over the next two weeks, we will conduct our regular safety lockdown drill. These are required practice for emergency preparedness.
Monday, January 29-Fundraiser at Hot Table in Westfield for Class of 2025
Monday, February 5-Wrap around is free for registered families with no balance
Wednesday, February 7-School Committee meeting at 7pm
It Takes A Village Coat Giveaway
It Takes a Village has a special event we wanted to invite your kids to. On Monday, February 6th from 5-7 pm, Steve Lewis Subaru is giving away new coats for children, sizes 5T-10.
The event requires pre-registration.
Spaces are limited for free coats sponsored by Steve Lewis Subaru. Here is the sign up link. SIGN UP HERE.
More coats may be available than expected, so signing up for the wait list is encouraged!
Littleville Elementary School and Chester Elementary School are the first schools offered.
The ONLY Requirement- the child has to be on site to get the coat. Families come to the Village Closet (it's a celebration), get a coat fitting, and then walk away with their brand new coat.
Reminder: Wrap Around is free starting February 5!
We are pleased to share that the Gateway Regional School district has been awarded the “After school and Out-of-School Time” ASOST grant from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the second year in a row.
As a result, starting on Monday, February 5, 2024, all fees for Wrap-Around will be waived for families who do not have an outstanding balance on their account. We expect the grant to cover all fees for the remainder of the school year.
Please know that all outstanding fees must be paid in full and students must have a current registration on file before families can enjoy this exciting benefit. Therefore, we ask that your balance is paid in full by February 5, so we can move free programming forward for the remainder of the 23/24 school year. However, If there are extenuating circumstances that the district should consider, please reach out to the school principal.
If you have questions about this programming, please reach out to your child's principal.
Safety Info for Families : Perfumes
A safety tip or reminder will be included in each Gator Bites. This edition, we will focus on bus rides!
Here at Gateway Regional we put the health and safety of our students and staff at the forefront of our operations. This includes the moment your child steps onto a school bus each morning. There are health conditions that can be negatively impacted by fragrances and to ensure the wellbeing of all persons using/riding school transportation, we are reminding/ instituting that perfumes, body sprays and fragrances are not to be sprayed while riding on the school bus. We are asking for your support in talking with your children about body sprays, perfumes and fragrances, and the importance of keeping them at home.
Barr Foundation Grant Update
This week, a group of eight educators visited four of the nation's top schools to be inspired by their best practices. Ten more school visits are planned throughout the months of February, March, and April. We appreciate those who have expressed interest in going on these trips to contribute to the discussion about how to transform Gateway so all students in our district can reach their goals! At this time, the trip lists are closed, but if you are interested in going but have not yet reserved a spot, please contact Superintendent Smidy to be put on a wait list.
Fun Around the District
Building Castles in PreK on the Main Campus!
Gateway Athletics
GRHS/MS Winter Sports Schedule
Senior Night is coming up for all teams!
Lunch Menu for January
From our Nurse Leader
On behalf of the nurses in the district, we are excited to welcome everyone back from winter break and wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!
Now is the perfect time to start or continue healthy habits at home! Take this opportunity to spend some quality time and talk with your child about healthy habits and goals they may have for the new year and create their own New Year’s resolution list.
Here are some healthy and positive goal-setting resolution ideas from Healthychildren.org you can suggest to your children, depending on their age:
New Year's resolution ideas for preschoolers
I will try hard to clean up my toys by putting them where they belong.
I will let my parents help me brush my teeth twice a day.
I will wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
I will try new foods when I can, especially all different colors of vegetables.
I will learn how to help clear the table when I am done eating.
I will be friendly to all animals. I will learn how to ask the owners if I can pet their animal first.
I will always hold a grown-up's hand whenever I cross the street.
I will do my best to be nice to other kids who need a friend or look sad or lonely.
I will talk with my parent or another adult I trust when I need help or am scared.
New Year's resolution ideas for kids (5 to 12 years old)
I will drink water every day and healthy beverages like milk with meals. I will keep soda and fruit drinks only for special times.
I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I'll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
I will try to find a physical activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) or a sport I like and do it at least three times a week!
I will take care of my skin by putting on sunscreen and wearing a hat and sunglasses when possible.
I will always wear a helmet when riding a bike, scooter or skateboard.
I'll try to be friendly to kids who may have a hard time making friends by talking with them and inviting them to join activities.
I will tell an adult about bullying that I see or hear about to do what I can to help keep school safe for everyone.
I will keep my personal info safe and not share my name, home address, school name or telephone number online. Also, I'll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer or phone without asking my parent or guardian if it is okay.
I will try to talk with my parent or a trusted adult when I have a problem or feel stressed.
I promise that I'll do my best to follow our household rules for videogames and internet use.
I will try to save time to read for fun.
New Year's resolution ideas for teens (13 years old and older)
I will try to eat two servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables every day. I will drink sodas or fruit drinks only at special times.
I will do my best to take care of my body through fun physical activity and eating the right types and amounts of foods.
When I have some down time for media, I will try to choose educational, high-quality non-violent TV shows and video games that I enjoy. I will spend only one to two hours each day—at the most—on these activities. I promise to respect our household rules for videogames and internet use.
I will try to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep that my body needs each night.
I will do what I can to help out in my community. I will give some of my time to help others, working with community groups or others that help people in need. These activities will make me feel better about myself and my community.
When I feel angry and stressed out, I will take a break and find helpful ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or talking about my problem with a parent or friend.
When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk about my choices with an adult I can trust.
When I notice my friends are struggling, being bullied or making risky choices, I will look for a trusted adult so that we can attempt to find a way to help.
I will be careful about whom I choose to date. I will treat the other person with respect and not force them to do something they do not want to do. I will not use violence. I will expect to be treated the same way in return.
I will resist peer pressure to try drugs, alcohol or smoking or vaping.
I agree not to use a cell phone or text message while driving and to always use a seat belt.
Healthy New Year's Resolutions for Children & Teens
I have a few updates to share.
State Mandated Health Screenings
The middle and high school will be starting the state mandated health screenings at the end of this month. If you would like to opt out of any health screenings, please do so by emailing Nurse Theresa Brownlee at tbrownlee@grsd.org before January 22, 2024.
Telehealth Room
The Middle and High School Telehealth Room is ready to provide access to telehealth appointments. This space is located in a private room within the nursing health office and has a phone & computer with a webcam that can be used to schedule weekly appointments, a one time appointment or whatever your child may have a need for. We are offering this space to create an access point for kids to have appointments during the school day that are difficult to obtain after school hours. These appointments can be for medical or mental health needs such as counseling.
Time slots are 8:00am-9:00am, 9:00am-10:00am, & 10:00am-11:00am Monday-Friday.
If your child would like to utilize the space for a telehealth appointment, please email me at ksudnick@grsd.org and I can help assist you in reserving the room for the date and time you need.
For any questions about this space, please email me at ksudnick@grsd.org
Fundraisers and Events
GEF Trivia Night--Save the Date!
Get your thinking caps on--March 23rd at Stanton Hall for Trivia Night 2024!
From our Community Partners
Wildlife Tracking Event!
Winter unveils wildlife habits like no other season. Footprints, gait patterns, and other signs not only reveal the inhabitants of the forest, but the behaviors of wildlife we seldom see. Come learn the art of tracking and spy on wildlife foraging practices and travel corridors. Jim shares tips on
identification techniques and where to look for wildlife activity.
Leader:Jim Pelletier, Berkshire Wildlife Tracker. Past chair, Mass AT Management Committee, Coordinator, Committee's Natural Resources, Member of the Berkshire Environmental Action Teams Wildlife Trackers Club & certified Track and Sign Specialist by Cybertracker North America.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Noble View Outdoor Center
Russell, MA
Register for one session:
10:00-12:00 for Families
or
1:00 – 4:00 for Teens and Adults
Space is limited. Register early for this popular hike. Register at
https://activities.outdoors.org/search/index.cfm/action/details/id/148023 or contact Dawne Piers-Gamble at dawne4amc@gmail.com Dress for winter conditions. Snowshoes may be required. Let us know if you need some.
Sponsored by AMC, WMA Family Outings and Education Committee
Events at the Porter Memorial Library in Blandford!
Book Squirms: The Porter Memorial Library in Blandford has two PreK sessions each week for families and their littles! On Tuesdays at 4pm and Wednesday mornings at 10:30 we do story time, singing, crafts and sensory play.
Take Your Child to the Library Day! On Saturday, February 3rd celebrate with us by visiting the library from 10am to 2pm for stories, crafts, giveaways and a scavenger hunt!
February Break:
Tuesday 2/20: Story Time for littles and their siblings...lots of sensory play for all ages.
Wednesday 2/21: PreK at 10:30am and Lego Club for older kids at 3pm.
Thursday 2/22: Slime Time fro 3-4pm for kids aged 6 and up.
Friday 2/23: Pokemon Club for kids 6-13 years old, 3-4pm
Saturday 2/24: Graphic Novel Art and Book Club for kids 8-13. Come into the library and pick up the book "Amulet." Then bring it in for discussion, artwork and fun!
Contact Information:
Chester Elementary School:
Principal Vanna Maffuccio vmaffuccio@grsd.org
Littleville Elementary School:
Principal Melissa McCaul mmccaul@grsd.org
Principal Will Sullivan wsullivan@grsd.org
Interim Assistant Principal Kylie-blu Crawford kcrawford@grsd.org
Athletic Director Matt Bonenfant mbonenfant@grsd.org
Superintendent Kristen Smidy, ksmidy@grsd.org
Gateway Regional School District
Website: grsd.org
Location: 12 Littleville Road, Huntington, MA, USA
Phone: 413-685-1100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GatewayRegionalMA?mibextid=LQQJ4d