GHS-Green Wave Nation News
December, 2020
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
Maya Angelou
Updates from the Administration:
A Message from Karin Patenaude, Principal:
And just like that Quarter 1 is complete. Some of the highlights from 1st Quarter at GHS include:
- In recognition of students’ hard work first quarter and those who achieved Honor Roll, GHS sent Honor Roll cards home to celebrate these students’ success. Although, we sure do miss the ice cream social and the sweet treats we used to enjoy!
- The annual Turkey Trot was held virtually this year from November 23 through November 29! All students and staff who participated were entered into a drawing and raffle prizes will be going home to the lucky winners this week!
While those are just a few of the highlights from the first quarter, we really want to let you know what events are coming up so you can participate and enjoy. So what’s up next:
- The French Club is hosting a virtual CoffeeHouse Night on Thursday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m. The YouTube link will be shared for all to watch and enjoy!
- A virtual School Council meeting on Tuesday, December 8 at 5:15 p.m. These meetings are open to anyone so please join us if you are interested.
- Friday, December 11, 2020 is the 5-week progress report for Quarter 2.
GHS faculty and staff are committed to continuing to do our very best to support students academically, socially, and emotionally during this remote learning time. Please feel free to reach out to me at karpat1@gpsk12.org if there is anything the school can do further to support your student.
A Message from Jonathan Cavallo, Associate Principal:
I appreciate the efforts of GHS students, parents, caregivers, and staff as we work together through these difficult times to deliver a rigorous and engaging learning experience in a virtual environment. Our morning advisory each day from 8:45am to 9:30am provides students the opportunity to connect with the same staff member while learning important themes in social and emotional learning. Our students have been resilient during these times and I couldn’t be more proud of them. Our staff is learning the newest technologies to keep students engaged and motivated in course material. Our parents and caregivers have been so responsive while juggling the many responsibilities they have each day. One day we will look back and remember 2020 as the most unusual year and how it impacted all of our daily lives. In the meantime, please continue to be safe, practice social distancing, and wear a mask. Again, thank you for your efforts as we are most appreciative of them. Take care!
A Message from Sarah Crawford, Assistant Director of Pupil Services:
I have had the opportunity over the past few months of remote learning to connect with and support many parents and students in special education. Here are a few tips to helping your child stay on track with their classes and work that apply to all students:
1) Maintain a consistent routine each day
2) Provide check-ins with your child whenever possible during the school day
3) Designate a quiet space for them to work
4) Create a morning checklist with them
5) Focus on one task at a time
As always, I am available at sarcra1@gpsk12.org if you need additional support or ideas in helping your child succeed in remote learning. Missing all of the students at GHS and wishing you all a safe and healthy holiday season.
SURVEY: We Want Your Feedback!
https://forms.gle/RTLeJe7ekXNVoMxS8
The GHS School Council will use the information collected to support parents/caregivers throughout the school year! Thank you!
Update from Guidance:
Seniors:
On Tuesday, December 1st at 7pm, Amy Proietti, GCC's Financial Aid Coordinator, will be providing a financial aid presentation for any interested community members to attend. See details on the following flyer:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11MR-boWHc2Tt-cSoMOhi3IJ1K3LTAbqL/view?usp=sharing
Seniors: For seniors applying to 2 or 4 year colleges, if you have not filled out your financial aid application (the FAFSA) and need support and have questions, financial aid experts from MEFA will be hosting a live WEBINAR and live Q/A session to get FREE help applying for financial aid for college.
RSVP at: https://www.mefa.org/events/fafsa-day-ma-5
Guidance counselors are working virtually with all seniors and parents to support and assist in the college application process and any additional post-grad plan. Please email your guidance counselor for any questions or to solidify a planning date.
Grades 8-11:
Each student is assigned a guidance counselor and works directly with them. If your student's last name ends in A-K, the guidance counselor is Siobhan Fitzgerald at siofit1@gpsk12.org and if your student's last name ends in L-Z, the guidance counselor is Shelly DeMeo at shedem1@gpsk12.org. If you have any questions, you can also call our guidance administrative assistant, Tami Silk, at 413-772-1350 x1129.
Student Council Updates:
The Student Council recently received a $500 grant from Special Olympics to create a virtual best buddies program. The money will be used to purchase T-shirts for participants, prizes for activities and stamps/cards for handwritten letters between the buddies. The program will be open to all students and will begin in December. For more information contact Angela Mass at angmas1@gpsk12.org
Student Council meetings are every other Sunday from 6-7 p.m. New members are always welcome. There are a few open class officer spots and they will be filled at the next student council meeting. If you have any questions or suggestions for class cup please contact advisor Angela Mass at angmas1@gpsk12.org
UPDATE: Class Cup Competition!
Seniors and 8th graders are really pushing the limits as the first place has traded hands between the two classes three times over the last month. The seniors kept the lead as of this publication with 205 points!
The Turkey Trot, Spirit Days and Honor Roll points are still not calculated, so stay tuned for an update on the Class Cup.
Chef Yaffee presents Green Wavy Gravy:
Culinary Arts is a very popular elective when students are in school! Who wouldn't want to learn how to cook then enjoy the fruits of their labor? Chef Yaffee, the Culinary teacher, is trying to keep students actively engaged in the remote setting by presenting demo slideshows to students, videos of holiday cooking, baking projects, and more. Students have enjoyed the class and have submitted some of their own cooking adventures from home. To showcase the culinary talents of our students, Chef Yaffee has created his own site called Green Wavy Gravy!
Check out the first edition at the following link:
Update on the Green Wave Athletics
Hello Green Wave Nation!
Plans for the Winter sports season are underway. The School Committee will be presented with a proposal on Wednesday, December 9 with the details from our Athletic Director, Michael Kuchieski. However, Family ID is now open for those proposed winter sports: varsity and junior varsity basketball and varsity and junior varsity ice hockey. Stay tuned for more information forthcoming.Congratulations to Ryan Cote and Gabe Mota for being named all league golfers!
If you have any questions please email Mike Kuchieski at mickuc1@gpsk12.org
GO WAVE!
Upcoming Events:
December 4 - Coffee House Videos due to Madame Hartmann at annhar1@gpsk12.org
December 11 - Second Quarter Progress Reports
December 17 - Coffee House - Watch on Youtube at 6:30 pm and enjoy the fun!
December 23 - Early Dismissal - Winter Break
Any Books to Return? Please do so!
Remember no choice reading book is ever required reading for a student. If students do not like the choice reading books sent home, they always have access to our ebook platform Sora. See below!
How to Access E-Books and EAudio-Books via SORA:
Updates from Ms. Pollock, GHS Librarian:
Library Club
The Library Club is meeting twice a month this year. Over the course of the year, we are planning two school-wide events: a new Virtual Comic Convention for 3/10/21 and the annual Poetry Slam for 4/14/21. One of the meetings each month will be a book discussion; the books were chosen by students and the discussions will be facilitated by the student who chose the book. The first book discussion will be held on 12/16 at 2 p.m. for The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, which is a retelling of a Grimm’s fairytale reset on the central Asian steppes. Students who are interested in participating in Library Club should email librarian Jessica Pollock at ghslibrarian@gpsk12.org.
Hey, Kiddo Event
All GHS students in grades 9-12 were offered a personal copy of the book Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt With Family Addiction by Jarrett Krosoczka to read for summer reading. This nonfiction graphic memoir was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2018 and won numerous starred book reviews. Krosoczka was scheduled to speak at GHS in October, but that event has been postponed until April (fingers crossed). The author’s visit and school-wide read are organized in conjunction with the Greenfield Public Library, and are part of a community-wide series of events to raise understanding about the opioid epidemic and its impact on families and communities. On December 9th at 1:30 p.m. librarians from the Greenfield Public Library and GHS will host a discussion about the book. To join the discussion, students can find the Google Meet link in an assignment posted in the GHS Students & Staff Google Classroom. Please reach out to GHS librarian, Jessica Pollock, at ghslibrarian@gpsk12.org with any questions.
Student Support Workshop
On November 18th, School Adjustment Counselors Ms. Page and Mr. Fouche collaborated with Librarian, Ms. Pollock, to offer a one hour support workshop for students who are struggling with remote learning. The session addressed tips on staying organized, focused, and productive during remote learning, as well as strategies to nurture your mental health. Students can access the slide presentation themselves, but we encourage students to reach out to the school adjustment counselors for additional support. For students whose last name begins with A-K, they can email Mr. Fouche at nicfou1@gpsk12.org and for students whose last name begins with L-Z, they can email Ms. Page at stapag1@gpsk12.org
A Note from Nurse Kelly Savitri:
Greetings, GHS families. As we enter the 9th month of the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to acknowledge the many ways that this has been hard on our community. I know that both children and parents have struggled with the loss of in-person social activities and our usual systems of support. The term “pandemic fatigue” has been used to describe both the mental and emotional symptoms (restlessness, anxiety, lethargy, lack of motivation, etc.) and the relaxing of precautions (decreases in mask-wearing, social distancing, etc.) that have been observed recently. I encourage you to seek support if you or your child’s mental health is suffering. This website from Community Action can help you find local professional counseling: https://www.look4help.org/guided-search/mental-health/. Of course, our school counselors continue to be available remotely for any student who needs support.
Also, I urge all families & staff to recommit to safety precautions. Any social activity should include wearing masks, and ideally maintaining 6 feet of distance between people who are not members of the same household. Sleepovers and birthday parties are strongly discouraged at this time. I know that this is hard, but your vigilance is more important than ever due to rising case numbers across the county. If we all work together, we can protect our most vulnerable community members and move ourselves closer to being able to return to some sense of normalcy.
*Reminder: all students must be vaccinated for influenza by December 31, 2020, including those who continue to learn remotely. Contact the school nurse if you need help finding a place to get your family vaccinated.
Update from Food Services:
Want to know what's on the menu? Check out the December offerings here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MhAErDi666df8Rrx5jqaCKF7eMTTOgaz/view?usp=sharing
About us:
Email: karpat1@gpsk12.org
Website: gpsk12.org
Location: 21 Barr Avenue, Greenfield, MA, USA
Phone: 413-772-1350
Twitter: @patenaude_karin