August 2024
Dear Grantham Village School Families,
I am so excited for the start of the 2024-2025 school year! Welcome back, or welcome!
I hope this summer has presented you with opportunities to rest, relax, and rejuvenate. I was busy with coursework, got lots of work done at GVS, and spent quality time with my family. I have been reading a book about resiliency. You know that moment between something happening and how we respond to what happened? That moment is when we cultivate resilience. The author says, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” (Aguilar, 2018). This year, with staff and students, I would like us to focus on and learn about resiliency as it relates to each one of us being healthier mentally and physically.
Closely connected with resilience is the development of a growth mindset. “By building a growth mindset you’re not only setting yourself up for greater success in achieving your goals—you’ll also face challenges in a different, more intentional way, and that in turn makes you more resilient. The two go hand in hand. Research on resilience suggests that people who demonstrate a growth mindset, believing they can learn from mistakes and improve their skills, also develop more resilience. Resilience is a quality that can be learned and strengthened throughout your lifetime” (Embracing resilience: Developing a growth mindset).
Instead of our Caught Being Good awards, this year we will honor and celebrate resiliency and a growth mindset. Students will get recognized for using self-regulation strategies and staying positive during a challenge, helping out when there is a need, not giving up and sticking with it when things get hard, thinking of new ways to solve problems, considering the feelings of others in a thoughtful way, and for being a problem solver.
This year, we welcome back many former staff members as well as some new staff to work in partnership with you. As well, some staff members have moved into new positions. New staff and new positioned staff include:
Mrs. Samantha Beaudry - Special Education Teacher/ Case Manager
Mrs. Brooke Demanche - Paraeducator
Mrs. Amanda Longcore - Paraeducator
Mrs. Lauren Luce - Special Education Teacher/ Case Manager
Mrs. Kimberly McFarland - Library Media Specialist
Mrs. Andrea McFee - Physical Education Teacher
Mrs. Amy Monroe - Secretary
Mr. Jonathan Parker - Food Service Associate
Mrs. Katie Jo Roberts - Speech and Language Pathologist
Mrs. Katey Wachsman - Fourth Grade Teacher
It always amazes me to be part of the inner workings of the school during the summer, and this summer was no exception. Some of what has gone on at GVS this summer includes:
Cleaning… lots and lots of cleaning! Our custodial staff is amazing! They have been stripping the floors and rewaxing, washing carpets, moving furniture, and continuing the day-to-day cleaning as there are still people working and learning in the building.
The playground! Have you seen the playground?! We have grass and no more orange fencing!
Bathrooms - Some of our bathroom floors were redone with a new epoxy finish.
Ordering - The front office staff placed all orders for the 24-25 school year and then turned around to receive the boxes and distribute them to classrooms.
Summer program - Mr. Cota, Ms. Monica, and various providers worked with many of our GVS students during the four week summer program. There was a lot of hard work and learning!
Learning - Many staff members attended at least one workshop, training, or course!
Updates - We updated policies, handbooks, school schedules, and coverage of duties.
Planning… Teachers started coming into the building to start planning for next year at the beginning of July!
Registration of our new students. The 24-25 school year welcomes
As we all journey into the 2024-2025 school year, please remember that we are working together as a team for a common goal: happy, healthy, and safe children who are receiving a quality education. If ever you have a question or concern, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher or to me.
I wish you all a fun-filled and relaxing end to your summer! I am looking forward to the 2024-2025 school year and the learning and growth that is upon us!
Respectfully,
Kristen Reed
kreed@gvshawks.org
Additionally:
Please be sure to check out the school calendar on our website (gvshawks.org) for important dates. We are looking forward to seeing your child(ren) on the first day of school: Tuesday, August 27!
Please be sure to complete the 2024-2025 registration forms in Alma. If you need help with this, you may contact frontoffice@gvshawks.org or call 603-863-1681.
Included in the registration forms is one to confirm receipt of the 2024-2025 GVS Family Handbook. Please do not just confirm receipt, but actually read through it. There is a lot of important information in it!
Be sure to check out our Back-to-School Carnival and Playground Celebration on August 22, 2024 from 4:30-6:00. Please see flyer below for details.
Are you interested in registering your child for the GVS Before School Program? The link to do so is located on our website under the 2024-2025 Registration tabs.
Are you in need of Before or After School care? Grantham Children's Academy will be running a Before and After School program from the center located at the Grantham Greenway. There are limited part time and full time spots available. In the mornings, our before school students are dropped off at the center and are escorted by a staff member to the bus stop at the Exit 13 Park & Ride. The before school program operates between 7am and 8:25am (when the bus arrives). During after school, students will be picked up from the bus stop at the Exit 13 Park & Ride and are accompanied by a staff member during the short walk back to the center. The After School program will take place from about 3:30pm (when the bus drops off) to 5:00pm this year. Tuition rates for both programs are still to be determined at this time. If you would like to reach out for more information, you can contact Leah Stone, Director of GCA, via email at Leah.Stone@granthamchildrensacademy.com or by phone at (603)865-5654.
