We hope you all had a great holiday break! Week #17 of face to face instruction is now in the books! We were so glad to see our students back to school this week after the break! Their laughter, their questions, their energy is what feeds our souls as educators! Here's a few pictures showcasing some of that passion and energy for learning in our schools this past week!
Now, on to the informational part of this update!
REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION WITH SCHOOLS REGARDING ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH COVID 19
We are back into the swing of things across our schools this week, and with that comes the need for a gentle reminder for parents across all grades to continue to communicate with our schools regarding any issues that may be associated with COVID 19. This means, continuing to please do the following:
1. Complete the daily symptoms checker so that our nurses and aids aren't having to spent too much time tracking down potential missing information to ensure we've heard from everyone, every day.
2. If your child is experiencing symptoms (1 common or 2 less common), please keep them home and be sure to call the school nurse to let them know what is going on.
3. If your child is having to stay home to quarantine due to close contacts or travel, please make sure the nurse is aware.
4. If your child has tested positive for COVID 19, please make sure the nurse is aware.
Our system of safety protocols, their ability to continue to operate effectively, and in essence our abilities to KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN depend heavily upon this important communication between home and school. We take this information seriously, we keep it confidential, and we use it to support our families and ensure all of our students and staff remain safe. We appreciate your continued attention to communication as we all patiently await the possibilities of vaccination, hopefully later this spring.
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES ON HOW TO NAVIGATE RECENT EVENTS
Since it seems we are continuing to "live history" in so many ways as a community, a state, and a nation, I thought it might be beneficial to just share some resources for families that may help you to navigate difficult discussions with children of various ages. You can review, use what you think is helpful, and "circular file" the rest...I hope folks can find some useful nuggets:
*. THIS ARTICLE was shared with me way back in 2018 (I know, seems like a lifetime ago) but the essence of it is still very much pertinent today...check it out - its called: "Helping Kids Navigate Scary News Stories" by PBS.
*. THIS ARTICLE is called "Caring for Students in the Wake of Traumatic News Events". By Edutopia
*. THIS ARTICLE is entitled: How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War by Common Sense Media.
*. THIS ARTICLE is entitled: "How to Talk to Kids About What they See On The News" by Kurtz Pyschology
*. THIS ARTICLE is entitled: "How to Talk to Your Child About The News" by Kids Health
Also, please know that our school resources are here to help! If you have ANY CONCERNS for your child(ren) please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher(s) or school Principals. We stand ready to support our families in any way you may need.
UPCOMING SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Just wanted to take a moment to let folks know of some upcoming School Committee meeting dates/times and ways to access information and follow along in their important work. First, I wanted to make sure you knew that at their next meeting (coming up on Jan. 13 via zoom) we will be presenting the results of our most recent Thought Exchange Survey to the School Committee. I'll share them directly in next week's blog post too...but if you want to hear the presentation to the School Committee - mark your calendars! Here's a list of upcoming meetings and links to agendas (which also give you the zoom links):
*. January 13, 2021 - Regular School Committee Meeting, 7:00 p.m. start
*. January. 27, 2021 - Workshop Meeting with local legislative delegation, 6:00 p.m. start
*. February 10, 2021 - Regular School Committee Meeting, 7:00 start
*. February 24, 2021 - Workshop Meeting, 7:00 p.m. start
*. February 27, 2021 - Full Day Budget Workshop Meeting, 8:30 a.m. start.
You can find all agendas (with zoom links) by CLICKING HERE. On that same page, near the top of the page, you will find a link to access the full board packet materials for each meeting as well.
If you are interested in following the work of standing board subcommittees, you can do so by CLICKING HERE.
If you are interested in just viewing our overall meeting calendar to keep up with events you can go to our district's main website page (www.gorhamschools.org) and just scroll to the bottom right to click on our calendar of events.
Since we have moved back to zoom meetings due to increasing COVID 19 numbers in our community, we have also been recording our meetings for later viewing. You can access those recordings by CLICKING HERE and scrolling to the bottom of that page. Our regular monthly meetings are also streamed live by GOCAT and on the Town's facebook page.
As always, if anyone has any questions about upcoming topics, policies, or where to find any information about our schools - please reach out to me directly and ask away! My email address is: heather.perry@gorhamschools.org
ASPIRE GORHAM JANUARY, 2021 NEWSLETTER
This month's newsletter features some great from some of our talented GHS students who are working hard to write their own "Future Stories"...check it out! CLICK HERE for the Newsletter!
EXCITING EVENTS GEARED TOWARDS PARENTS AND FAMILIES
As we all have found out over the course of the past several months, one of the most difficult things about working through a Pandemic is the sense of isolation that can develop if you don't force yourself to "get out there" and "get involved" in things that maybe aren't the same as they always were, but can be equally as gratifying. Below I am sharing TWO opportunities for parents and families to do that very thing! The first comes from a new organization forming in Gorham called the Gorham Outdoors Club. You can read a little bit about them below:
This group will be putting on its first event this weekend - a trail walk and scavenger hunt! Read more about that below:
For easier access to the "Letterbox Mystery Link" CLICK HERE.
The SECOND event is geared more towards parents, but no less engaging! This event is an evening of learning for parents entitled: "Parenting Teens In a Pandemic" and is sponsored by GATY (Gorham Action Team for Youth). Check out the flyer below for details. I've also hyperlinked the zoom information from the image so it is easier for you to click on...
Here's the zoom link:
Meeting ID: 959 7132 2755
Phone access: 1-646-558-8656
I think that's enough for this week! I hope you all enjoy your weekends...see you right back here for week #18! STAY SAFE! GO RAMS!
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