Gananda Blue Panther Gazette

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• 4-year old UPK program: Anyone enrolling for the 2023-24 on or after February 13, 2023 will be placed on a waiting list.

• 3-year old UPK program: Space is limited. Remaining openings will be given on a first come - first served basis until the program is full. Enroll today!

Visit the Gananda website for more information.

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March 3 - School Maintenance

April 4 - School Librarians

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Gananda is announcing our participation in Dell's Education Purchase Program (EPP). This is a free discount program available to us through Dell. EPP is a discount program that allows all employees, students, family and friends to receive member-only pricing on all personal purchases from Dell. Dell has created a dedicated website that we can shop 24/7. http://www.dell.com/GanandaCentralSchoolDistrict. The link to this site can also be found under the "Parents & Community" and "Staff" menu on the district website. Program discounts are automatically applied at checkout.

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Join "The Lift Project" for Mental Health

We all know the importance of health and well-being. For those of you that are looking for ways to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, we wanted to share "The Lift Project." We at Gananda Central School District are partnering with this internationally recognized well-being initiative to provide tools, strategies, and experiences designed to help you take control of your well-being and live a happier life.

The Lift Project is a fun and engaging virtual program that combines proven strategies from Neuroscience, Lifestyle Medicine, and Positive Psychology. Facilitated by award-winning educator and well-being expert Dr. Darren Morton, The Lift Project explores 10 well-being-enhancing topics that are designed to lift your mood and life. This comprehensive well-being adventure is available to you, members of your family, and anyone in your personal or professional community for FREE.

The Lift Project initiative will run through June 30th, so you can complete the challenge at a pace that is comfortable for your schedule.

This is a unique opportunity that has the potential to impact your life positively in many ways. You can register for and learn more about The Lift Project HERE.

We look forward to embarking upon this journey to better health with you.

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Did you know we have an electronic form on our website to report student harassment or bullying? If your child has been experiencing harassment or bullying, please fill out the form to make a report. You can find a "Report Student Harassment/Bullying" link on our website under the Parents heading. The report will go directly to the district's DASA (Dignity for All Students Act) Coordinator, Mr. Elliott Butt. Once reviewed, Mr. Butt will coordinate an investigation into the matter. With your help, we hope to continue to fight against bullying and create a welcoming environment for all students in Gananda Central School District.

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We are excited to reinstate Parent Volunteers in our schools! If you are interested in volunteering for school events, athletics, classroom activities, or as a school helper in the cafeteria, library, or the school offices at any point during the school year, please complete the Parent Volunteer Registration Form. You can also find this form on our website under the Parents heading. It takes approximately three weeks for approval to volunteer due to the background checks and board approval process necessary for access to our school buildings during the day. We look forward to working with you in the coming weeks!

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• Cold symptoms (nasal discharge, daytime cough, or both) lasting more than 10 days without improving

• Thick yellow nasal discharge and a fever for at least 3 or 4 days in a row

• A severe headache behind or around the eyes that gets worse when bending over

• Swelling and dark circles around the eyes, especially in the morning

• Persistent bad breath along with cold symptoms (However, this also could be from a sore throat or a sign that your child is not brushing his teeth!)

Your pediatrician will be able to tell if your child has bacterial sinusitis

Treating Bacterial Sinusitis

• If your child has bacterial sinusitis, your pediatrician may prescribe an antibiotic for at least 10 days. Once your child is on the medication, symptoms should start to go away over the next 2 to 3 days. Even though your child may seem better, continue to give the antibiotics for the prescribed length of time. Ending the medications too early could cause the infection to return.

• If your child's symptoms show no improvement 2 to 3 days after starting the antibiotics, talk with your pediatrician. Your child might need a different medication or need to be re-examined.

Treating Related Symptoms of Bacterial Sinusitis

• Headache or sinus pain. To treat headache or sinus pain, try placing a warm washcloth on your child's face for a few minutes at a time. Pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may also help. Nasal congestion. saline nose drops. These are available without a prescription. Unless advised by your pediatrician, do not use nose drops that contain medications because they can be absorbed in amounts that can cause side effects.

• Placing a cool-mist humidifier in your child's room may help keep your child more comfortable.

As always consult with your doctor for any questions or concerns.

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Richard Mann Elementary is reading across America the week of February 27 - March 3! We are excited to announce our “travel plans” and hope you will join us on our journey across the states. We will start in Niagara Falls, NY and go through a total of 4,560 miles throughout the week, ending in Hollywood, CA. Here's how it works:

1. Record the minutes your student or family reads each day on the Richard Mann Reads Across America form. Each minute equals one mile on our journey.

2. We will be tracking the number of minutes each classroom, student, and family reads each day to see where our "stop" will be the next day. At each "stop" we will explore some fun landmarks!

3. Our end goal is 4,560 minutes! There will be a big poster in front of the library to track our progress across the country so you can see our progress.

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We cordially invite you to attend our Family Winter Wellness event Tuesday, February 28 from 6pm-7:30pm at Richard Mann Elementary. We will have special events all evening to celebrate!

• Yoga Tips for Wellness with Mrs. Richards

• Instrument Exploration with Mr. Kovalovsky

• Taking Care of Your Mental Health and Wellness with Mr. Strachan

• The Dragon’s Lair with Mrs. Bufano and Ms. Williams

• And more!

All ages are welcome to attend.

We hope to see you there!

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Fourth and Fifth grade students are invited to a night of fun hosted by the High School Drama Club on Friday, March 3 from 6-8pm. Students can enjoy an open gym, open swim, Wizard of Oz - themed face painting, photo wall and a viewing of the movie The Wizard of Oz. Admission is $5. Concessions will also be available.

**Event will be chaperoned by teachers and lifeguards with events run by High School Drama Club students. Proceeds help support the upcoming Drama Club's production of the Wizard of Oz.

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We are excited to be teaming up with the American Heart Association for the Kids Heart Challenge! Now through March 10, 2023, our elementary students will be learning about their heart and ways to be heart healthy in physical education classes. As part of this adventure, we are encouraging our students and families to take part in the Kids Heart Challenge to raise funds for the American Heart Association. Information about this challenge was sent home with your student. There's still time to join if you haven't already!

Sign Up Today!

1. Download the Kids Heart Challenge app or visit heart.org/KHC to register and earn the BE THE TORCH WRISTBAND to help light the way!

2. Help your student choose a daily health challenge:

MOVE MORE or BE KIND.

3. Once you've registered, start Finn’s Mission and complete the challenges. As a family you can help to create a community of lifesavers by learning the lifesaving steps of Hands-Only CPR. It’s quick, easy, and fun!

Thanks for your support!

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Please look at the Lost and Found to see if anything belongs to your child(ren). The table is overflowing with many sweatshirts, jackets, water bottles, etc.
If you recognize any of these items in the pictures, please email Rachel Morabito and she will be sure to get them to your child. Click on this link to view the photos.

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Our Elementary School Principal, Mrs. Lumb, and Assistant Elementary School Principal, Ms. Reeves, joined the students pictured below to call home together and share good news about something that happened at school. Proud Calls can be for something big or small such as helping a friend, mastering a goal, or doing something to brighten the day for others. We are #GanandaProud of our students!

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Gananda's Class of 2027 is participating in the Niagara Chocolate Spring Catalog fundraiser. Please connect with a member of the 8th grade class or use this link to access the catalog and place an order to be shipped directly to your home. The sale ends on Friday, March 17th. Thank you for supporting the Class of 2027!

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Gananda Middle School students are invited to join the Gananda Dollars for Scholars for a night of fun on Friday, March 3 from 7-9pm. Admission is $5 and includes a movie, games, gym activities, and more!

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The next board meeting will be Wednesday, March 8 at the Richard Mann Elementary School, Room #918. The meeting starts at 7pm.

Public Comments at Board Meetings

Board Meeting Procedures

More information about the school board can be found on the Gananda Website.

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Gananda Dollars for Scholars News

AmazonSmile

Gananda Dollars for Scholars would like to thank everyone who has participated in the Amazon Smile Program, past and present. Amazon is discontinuing the program, which will end on February 28th, 2023. Throughout its tenure, AmazonSmile raised approximately $1,500 in scholarship funds for GDFS! We appreciate your support!

GDFS 2023 Annual Mail-a-Thon Campaign

Please be on the lookout for an envelope from GDFS, coming by the end of February. Our student volunteers have been working diligently to prepare this mass mailing. 100% of the funds that are raised go directly back to seniors! We appreciate any support you can give us!

Adult Volunteers Needed!

Gananda Dollars for Scholars is looking for adult volunteers willing to help out with our annual activities. The reality is that many of our current volunteers have had their kids already go through the district. Some have grandkids and are ready to move on. We need parents of students who are currently attending school to get involved! GDFS gives out roughly $37.000. Ask yourself, do you really want to see that go away because of lack of support? That's why we don't have a PTSA, because nobody was willing to help out and take it over once those people's kids graduated. You may feel like graduation is a long time from now for your student, but I am here to tell you it goes by very fast. I started volunteering for GDFS when my oldest was in elementary school. My youngest of 3 graduated 4 years ago. It went by in a flash!

We meet the first Tuesday of every month in the high school library at 7:00. Parking is at the back of the school (the gymnasium entrance). Meetings are posted on the district calendar as well. I hope you'll consider joining our committee!

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GCYT will present Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka Jr.”, the timeless story of a world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir is a golden ticket to adventure. The performances will be held at the Gananda Middle School on March 18 and 19 at 1pm.

Tickets will be on sale online and sold at the door for $10.

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^Click on photo for more information^

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The Wayne County Partnership for Strengthening Families is seeking volunteers to help with Foodlink food distributions the third Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of each month. Each event starts at 10:00 am, with volunteers needed at 9:00. If you are interesting in volunteering please fill out the volunteer form.

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Email: ganandapr@gananda.org
Website: www.gananda.org
Location: 1500 Dayspring Ridge, Walworth, NY, USA
Phone: (315)986-3521
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GanandaSchools/
Twitter: @WeAreGananda