Green Wave Nation
Parent Update #7- Thursday, September 12, 2024
"People do not experience your intentions; they experience your behavior."
--Unknown
GPS Special Education Advisory Parent Council (SEPAC)
Please join us!
On Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 6:00 pm in the Greenfield Middle School library, the district will host its first SEPAC meeting of the school year. If you are a parent of a special education student and would like to be a part of our team, we encourage you to attend this meeting. Childcare is provided.
September is Social Awareness Month
Greenfield Public Schools uses the CASEL framework as the foundation for our social and emotional learning ("SEL") lessons. This framework fosters knowledge, skills, and attitudes across five areas of social and emotional competence. The lessons help to coordinate practice and acquisition of these skills in our students.
Steps in developing Social Awareness:
- Be an active listener.
- Repeat and paraphrase what you hear.
- Watch facial expressions and body language.
- Pay attention to tone of voice.
- Study how others react to you.
- Analyze your social cues and reactions.
- Demonstrate empathy and compassion.
- Express gratitude to others.
We encourage our parents, families, and community members to practice and model these skills for our students.
Before Care Dropoff Reminder
Greenfield Public Schools are happy to be able to provide Before Care for all three of our elementary schools. We want to remind all folks whose children attend Before Care that it begins at 7:30 am and an employee needs to meet your child and ensure they are safely brought into the building.
Please do not drop students at the school before 7:30 am and leave them unattended outside of our elementary buildings.
If you have any questions, please contact your child's Principal.
BUSES and BUS ROUTES 2024-25
Have you heard the news? GPS is back on the radio!
Tune in every Friday to WHAI 98.3 radio and get updates about Greenfield Public Schools! Each week we will be highlighting different aspects of the schools that air on the radio. Hope you are listening and catching the Green Wave!
Come be a Volunteer at Greenfield Public Schools!
Want to give back to our schools? We need your time and energy!
Do you have a few hours a day? Once a week even? Want to help the schools by becoming a volunteer? If so, please sign up as a volunteer for Greenfield Public Schools at the following link:
https://forms.gle/op8JBFyZRdnCHXHn8
The elementary schools are really looking for volunteers for the following times to assist with lunch and recess coverage:
Federal Street School 10:45 am -12:45 pm
Discovery School at Four Corners 10:55 -1:20 pm
Newton School 10:15 -12:15 pm
Please indicate on the volunteer sign up which school you would be willing to assist and help! Once you have filled out the Google Form, Connie Thacker, our Registrar/Receptionist will be in contact for next steps. All volunteers do need to be CORI and fingerprinted, but we reimburse volunteers for fingerprinting and they can easily be done at Staples in Greenfield. We hope to assist folks in making this process easier so that those of you who want to support our schools are able to do so with ease! Thank you!
Don't forget to catch the Green Wave on Social Media!
GPS Social Media Accounts
Looking for info quickly! Follow Greenfield Public Schools on Facebook and Instagram at the following links:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561436008802&mibextid=LQQJ4d and on Instagram at the following link: https://www.instagram.com/greenfieldpublicschools?igsh=MWl4a3MyeWJraHdueQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr. Instagram at #GreenWave, #GreenfieldPublicSchools or #GreenWaveNation!
Where's the Superintendent going to be next?
Dedication of the Field Hockey Field
Look for the Superintendent at Friday, Sept. 20th's home field hockey game. We will be dedicating the field to Donna Woodcock at 3:30 pm. Please come and support a beloved coach, teacher, and administrator of the Greenfield Public Schools who left us too soon.
Staff Spotlight: Office of Pupil Services
Mr. David Messing, Director of Pupil Services
Mr. Messing is a long-time special educator and special education leader since 2009. A dedicated husband and father of three, Mr. Messing has worked to improve the school experience for students and families who have been historically underserved, including students with learning differences and language differences. Mr. Messing's career began as a special education teacher in a grade 9-12 alternative program then he became a consolidated team chair and then supervisor of special education. He joined Greenfield Public Schools in July of 2023 as Director of Pupil Services. When not in the office Dave enjoys the outdoors and sharing the beauty of the Pioneer Valley with family and friends.
Ms. Elaine Mount, Assistant Director of Pupil Services
Ms. Mount began her career as a coordinator of alternative education at Greenfield High School. Her career track then led to an Assistant Principal of Special Education for nine years as well as an Assistant Director of Pupil Services for five years. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, playing golf with her husband, and playing golf and pickleball with a close group of friends. She has the pleasure of spending time with two of her grandchildren who live locally. GPS is happy to welcome her back in this role.
Ms. Sarah Crawford, Assistant Director of Pupil Services
Ms. Crawford began working for Greenfield Public School as the Assistant Director of Pupil Services in 2019. She worked for the district for 3 years before leaving for a brief period of time. In the spring of 2023 she returned to the district and is passionate about continuing her work in supporting the GPS community. Ms. Crawford has worked in various roles in education for over 20 years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and taking care of her chickens on her farm.
Reminder: Deadline to sign and return the Acceptable Use Policy
Acceptable Use Policy - Parent/Guardian Consent
A reminder to parents that the District requires parents/guardians to formally consent to their child's use of the internet and technology available at each school. The Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") must be signed off by each parent/guardian by Friday, September 13, 2024. If the consent has not been signed off on by that date, then the child's access to technology will be halted and access will not resume until parent/guardian permission is granted. The forms were included in opening day packets, but are also available at each school's main office if you need an additional form.
Greenfield Public Library Events
Tween Advisory Board
Come brainstorm and share ideas for programming at the library on Wednesday, September 25 at 3:00 pm, and help us decorate the Children’s Room for October. Open to all interested tweens ages 8-12. No sign up or library card is needed, and new members are always welcome!
For more information, contact Shannon Gilcreast at shannon.gilcreast-greenfield-ma.gov, or call (413) 772-1544 x5104.
This program, generously sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, is free and intended for tweens ages 8-12.
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024, 03:00 PM
Greenfield Public Library, Main Street, Greenfield, MA, USA
Food Services News
For the 2024-2025 school year, Greenfield Public Schools is once again participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. All GPS schools will offer healthy meals every school day at NO COST to students due to the implementation of the Community Eligibility Provision. Families do not need to complete a household application for free and reduced price meals.
- While first meals are free, a charge will apply for any additional meals or a la carte items purchased in the cafeteria.
- NEW! We have switched our point-of-sale system to SchoolCafé. All existing student balances will carry over from last year. To check your student’s balance and load funds onto their account for a la carte items, please visit family.schoolcafe.com.
- If your child has a new or previously documented food allergy, please provide your School Nurse with an up-to-date signed doctor’s note or a signed copy of the Meal Modification Request Form available on our webpage as soon as possible.
National School Backpack Awareness Day - September 18th
Due to the growing numbers of children who sustain backpack related injuries, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has designated every third Wednesday of September as National School Backpack Awareness Day - a day to educate parents, teachers and kids about the serious health effects resulting from backpacks that are too heavy or improperly worn.
3 Tips for Wearing a Backpack Safely
Use both strapsSlinging your backpack on one shoulder can lead to bad posture, and injury or pain.
Adjust the height
Backpacks should be worn high on your back; they should sit an inch or two above your hips.
Use the waist and chest strap
The horizontal straps help distribute the weight and keep your load stable as you move.
Communities That Care Coalition Family Day
Hello Partners who work with Parents and Families!
Did you know that FAMILY DAY is right around the corner on Monday, September 23rd?
The Communities That Care Coalition along with our PEER Ambassador Host Sites CAPV Family Center, The Recover Project, Valuing Our Children and The Brick House would like your help in spreading the word. Family Day is just a day to encourage families to have dinner or spend other quality time together. Family Day was created to celebrate simple, everyday things parents do to connect with their kids, and to spread the word about the power of family connection.
Spending quality time together regularly helps kids feel connected to their families. This feeling of connectedness is considered a “super-protective factor” that helps kids avoid risky behaviors and promotes their healthy development. Family Day helps remind busy families to work to prioritize regular, quality family time.
Thousands of studies have shown that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs, report symptoms of depression and develop an eating disorder. In addition, children who have regular family dinners are more likely to do well in school.
The local Student Health Survey shows that most local young people have dinner with their families most nights of the week. And more than 9 out of 10 students say they enjoy spending time with one or both of their parents!
In celebration of Family Day, local parent leaders in the Coalition’s PEER Ambassador program worked with Greenfield Community Television to create a video Public Service Announcements – check out the version in English and the one in Spanish!
You can put something in your newsletter about it, or you can put something up on the marquis outside the school, or on your website. Attached is a flyer with more information and fun ideas to share.
- For more information about national Family Day visit www.CASAFamilyDay.org.
- For wonderful family dinner resources visit www.thefamilydinnerproject.org.
- For more information about the Communities That Care Coalition visit www.communitiesthatcarecoalition.org