Good Morning, GIS Families!

As I begin to put together this week's newsletter, I'm watching snow fly in the air. This week has been a whirlwind of weather events, and I wish Mother Nature would just pick and stick with it. 🤪

Thank you for a fabulous week of drop-off. It's really the best part of my day. If there are mornings I won't be able to be outside, I'll send out a heads-up, but I don't anticipate many of those.

This week was big for Mrs. Lovejoy's Kindergarten class; they earned 500 Paws and had a dress-up celebration on Friday. Way to go!

Our Universal Testing window has come to an unofficial close. Kids who haven't finished will be able to do so this week, and you can request a copy of your child's iReady scores here.

Our first ski and ride day is coming up on 2/13. Lindsay Lundquist from GI Rec has spearheaded this for families, and I appreciate all the help!

This week, we also saw the start of our upgraded security camera install take place. The CIUUSD Board voted to install cameras at both campus, while other boards voted similarly. With this addition to building safety, Principal Ellison and I are putting the following language into our handbooks:

SECURITY CAMERAS
CIUUSD school campuses have a variety of security systems including cameras both inside and outside of the building. These monitoring systems are not meant to mitigate day-to-day (or Level 1 behaviors) behaviors and will only be utilized during active investigations.

The system is not fully installed yet, but we're getting close.

Strep

We have had a few cases of strep in the building. Students are not exhibiting typically symptoms like a sore throat, but are experiencing fevers, stomachaches, and headaches.

Please check out other information below, including some parent resources on executive functioning and literacy.

As always, my door and inbox are always open,

Mrs. H

February 13- Ski and Ride Day

February 20- Ski and Ride Day

February 26- March 4- February Break, kids return March 5th

March 5- Ski and Ride Day

March 12- Ski and Ride Day

March 15- Trimester 2 Ends

March 19- Ski and Ride Day

March 22- Parent/Family Conferences

It's probably a word you've heard before, but do you know what executive functioning is?

Executive functions are the important self-regulating skills that we all use every day to plan, organize, make decisions, and learn from past mistakes. Kids rely on their executive functions for everything from taking a shower to packing a backpack or doing a book report.

• Use checklists
• Use a planner or calendar
• Establish a routine
• Set time limits
• Spell out the rationale
• Explore different ways of learning
• Temporary rewards for younger kids

As adults, we know how important planning and time management are, and we relied on someone to teach us these skills. For some, these skills come easy. If you're like me, these things take a lot of time and energy.

Skills Needed to Plan Effectively

• Identifying the order and sequence to complete a task or activity.
• Identifying a designated place for materials needed to complete a task.
• Creating a structure or order around frequently performed tasks.
• Creating an orderly plan to complete multiple tasks.
• Using an organization tool like a calendar, timeline, planner, or datebook.

😮😳🥴 it's a lot!

Below are some simple checklists that you can take for yourself and your kiddo(s). Just remember, these skills develop based on age, so your kiddo might not be developmentally old enough to learn some of these skills. See the tool below:

Attendance letters will be going out this week. Please see the resources below and reach out if you feel attendance is a barrier to your student's success.

Please check your student's backpacks for an envelope that is going home!

They are big shoes to step in to, but Ms. Paula has taken on the challenge! Kids know Ms. Paula well, she was our building-based sub, so the transition to a new role has been seamless for kids.

She has taken on many more new tasks and I feel fortunate to leave the office in her capable hands. If you need anything, Ms. Paula will be able to help you or direct you in the appropriate direction.

Let's all welcome Ms. Paula into her new role!

The boys and girls basketball teams brought their talents to St. Albans last week and emerged victorious against both St. Albans City and St. Albans Town. The girls handled both teams with ease while the boys had to draw deep to come back from a 12 point deficit against a tough St Albans City team and win by one point in the final minute.

Will St Albans City spoil the boys perfect season in a rematch this Thursday at the GI gym? The girls game starts at 4:30 and the boys start at 5:30. This may be the last home game of the season so come on out, support the school, and enjoy some great basketball. Concessions will be available to support the PTA.

Congratulations to Ms. G and all students in CIUUSD for putting on a fantastic concert! It takes a lot of practice and hard work to learn songs and organize a music night. Principal Ellison and I feel very fortunate to have Ms. G and all of the staff and teachers who supported to pull this night off.

We also learned is that we need stadium seating in the gym 🤣. We will likely explore grade-band concerts in the future to minimize congestion both inside and out in the parking lot.

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