Happy Sunday, GIS Families!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. Before I jump into information and updates, I need to bring to your attention something teachers and staff have noticed more and more over the past few weeks. The notice of Relational Aggression has been observed in many grades. Relational aggression refers to harm within relationships caused by covert bullying or manipulative behaviors. It is not a one-time observation but rather a trend over time. Examples are isolating peers from social groups, threatening to stop talking to a friend (aka "The Silent Treatment), and spreading rumors or talking about friends behind their backs. In elementary school, sometimes, kids don't realize what behavior they are displaying and don't understand their strong emotions. And we have skilled staff to work with these students on building some skills. I bring this topic up because supporting kids is a community effort, and a strong and open line of communication is the best approach. We want all of our students to learn to develop healthy relationships, which may or may not include being friends with someone. Regardless of "friendship status," we expect that all students are kind to each other. I'm attaching some resources below.

It has been an exciting weekend! The annual GIS craft fair was on Saturday, and it was a very successful day! Thank you to our families who donated baked goods paper products, and their time. It's an impossible feat without all of your help. The PTA also hosted the Chili Cook-Off; this year's winner was Christie Kraemer! Christie's Chili won by unanimous vote from the three judges. There were six entries, and all of the chili was delicious. Sam Thompson made our prizes, and were perfect first-prize gifts.

The student council is hosting a dance for 5th and 6th graders this week. Please see more information below. And K-2 has an afternoon of holiday crafts on Friday. You will find important information below. Please sign up for the ski and ride program before 12/20. The program is $25 for all five weeks of ski and ride. You can also apply for a scholarship.

Special ask of our Unified Arts teachers:

Hello families!

We are planning a special Unified Friday on the afternoon of December 8th based on caring, sharing, and giving at Grand Isle School. The K-1-2 students will be doing various crafts activities. We are looking for parent volunteers to help assist. Please get in touch with your principals before Wednesday if you are willing to join!

As always, my door and inbox are always open,

Mrs. H

We are entering into a stressful time of year with illness. You must keep your kids home if they are feeling unwell. If you medicate your kiddo before coming to school, chances are they need to feel better to attend. Medicine often wears off, and then kids are sent home and, depending on the nature of their sickness, may need to be out an additional day. One sick kiddo can significantly impact our classrooms, so please do the right thing and keep them home.

Please also note that we do our best to keep kids in school if they are not actively exhibiting symptoms, and we will call for a pick-up if they make several visits to the health office. They can't actively engage in learning if they are not feeling well, and we use several strategies before calling for a pick-up.

Our health policy is as follows and can be found in our Handbook starting on page 24. The Handbook is always linked in our newsletter and outlines essential family information.

ILLNESS

Students should not come to school if they have a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, have experienced vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours, have a persistent sore throat with fever or enlarged tonsils, have a constant upset stomach or headache, or have reddened and itchy eyes with discharge. Students on antibiotics must take them for 24 hours before returning to school, and students with vomiting, diarrhea, or fever must remain home for 24 hours after their symptoms end before returning to school. If these conditions occur at school, guardians will be contacted to take their child home.

December 8- 3PM - 5PM 5th and 6th Grade Dance in the Cafeteria @ GIS

December 13- Informational Wrestling Meeting in the GIS Library @ 6PM

December 22- January 2 - No School Winter Break

Please be sure to send your kiddo to school with both boots and indoor shoes if possible. As the weather becomes more wet and slushy, we try not to track the snow and slush into classrooms.

In our main lobby you will find a metal rack with bags; this is our growing family resource center. Currently, we have book bags out that contain our 50 book challenge. Bags do not need to be taken out in order, and there are sign out forms on the top rack. Please fill them out and drop them in the office.

Each week, I'll add more resources!

Operation Happiness brings support and joy to families in need this holiday season. In the link, you will find a contact if your family is in need, and you can also donate an unwrapped toy to support Operation Happiness. Please drop off all unwrapped toys to the main office.

The GIS Ski and Ride program is back and continued sponsorship from the Grand Isle Rec Committee is making this affordable for all families. Please see the informational link below.

Due to a very generous donation, ski and ride has never been more affordable for families! ❤️

📖 📖 📖 📖 📖

All meals are free to ALL students.

Email: ahanlon@gisu.org
Website: https://www.grandisleschool.org/
Location: 224 U.S. Rte 2, Grand Isle, VT, USA
Phone: 802-372-6913
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grandisleschool.org

Attendance Form: https://forms.gle/ABSvVURCxvqbMfXw7