February Parent Letter

February 2016

Hello, Great Falls Parents!

Thank you so much for your participation in our midyear Great Falls Comprehensive School Plan review. Please know that our Comprehensive School Plan can be found on our website at http://greatfalls.gorhamschools.org/Comprehensive_plan. This plan is updated every two years and school staff representing administrators, grade level teachers, creative arts, technology, educational technicians, school wellness, special education, and social emotional well being serve on the Great Falls Leadership Team. One of the most important roles of our Leadership Team is to oversee our school plan and make sure that our school community is making adequate progress towards our goals. Your survey feedback helps us to make adjustments and celebrate success! Thank you!

60 families completed the survey which provided useful feedback on our Focus Area: School, Parent, and Community Relations. It is our mission to improve and maintain community relations. Our goal is to broaden communication and interactions within our school, across our parent community, and community at large. The parent survey results indicated that Great Falls is doing a good job with using volunteers, establishing a parent group, communicating school-wide events, providing school wide assemblies, and participating in service projects. According to the survey results, there is room for improvement with building relationships with the local post-secondary educational institutions and local businesses.

As a result of your feedback, the Great Falls Leadership Team will be developing specific steps to improve relationships with the local post-secondary educational institutions and local businesses. We have begun brainstorming and are eager to implement some new initiatives. The general comments parents noted on the survey were also very helpful in guiding us to improve our overall communication.

Although technology and the numerous methods we have for communicating are reported as being successful, I always encourage phone calls and even face-to-face meetings. If you have questions or concerns, don’t wait! Please feel free to reach out directly to myself, our school secretaries, or your child’s teacher. Building a positive home-school relationship is important to school success.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me at any time with questions and feedback. I am available through email at becky.fortier@gorhamschools.org and by phone at 222-1050.  Please follow my Twitter page & blog, which can be found at https://twitter.com/MrsBFortier and  http://greatfallsprincipal.blogspot.com/.

Kindly yours,

Becky Fortier                                                                                                                                                                                               

Jump Rope for Heart at Great Falls

Great Falls will, once again,  participate in the American Heart Association and Jump Rope for Heart student exercise event! Throughout the years, our students have made tremendous donations supporting the American Heart Association!

Before our students ask for donations for the American Heart Association, they will learn (or review) the components of heart health, which are diet and exercise. Diet and exercise are critical elements of both the Physical Education Standards and the Health Standards. This fundraiser gives Great Falls an opportunity to connect these concepts in a thoughtful way.  The students will also learn how the Heart Association uses donations to help save lives through their education efforts and research.

In addition to providing money for the AHA, this student exercise event provides funds that allow us to enhance learning beyond the classroom.  It is our goal to provide children with a fun and engaging field day in June where students participate in wellness experiences outside of their regular PE classes.

Wednesday, January 27th - Kick Off Assembly 1:30 p.m. Spindrifters

“The Spindrifters" are a jump rope demonstration team sponsored by the American Heart Association (AHA). The team consists of 8 to 14 year old girls and boys attending South Bristol School. Team members travel in groups of 8 to 10. Their purpose is twofold; to demonstrate the health benefits and fun of rope jumping and to promote the Jump Rope For Heart student exercise event which benefits the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).  

Monday, February 1st  - AHA Packets will go home with students.

February 1st - February 19th - Students will collect donations for the AHA

February 22nd - February 26th - Students will participate in the Jump Rope for Heart student exercise event during PE

Donations are due back by Friday, February 26th

Thank you for supporting this amazing cause!

Brrrr..... It's Cold Outside!

Winter weather is officially upon us. The daily temperature for Gorham will be checked at www.weather.com. When the "feels like" temperature is below 10 degrees, students will be kept inside for indoor recess. School secretaries, Mrs. Perkins and Mrs. Murray, will check the temperature for the AM recess and make an announcement as soon as possible. If the AM duty staff feel as though it is too cold while on the playground, they can make a judgment call to contact the office and bring the students indoors.Temperatures will be monitored throughout the day and notification about canceling lunch recess will come from the office.

Monitoring temperatures is for the safety of the students and the supervising adults. While many students run around and are dressed appropriately, others are not and extended time at freezing temperature can be a hardship for​ those students. However, even in the cold winter months, outdoor recess is an important part of the students' day. Students need movement breaks and perform best when they have an opportunity for vigorous play, so we will try to get them out whenever possible.

Please make sure your child comes to school with the appropriate winter gear even if the anticipated temperature is projected as mild. Warm jackets, hats, gloves, boots, and snow pants are highly encouraged every day. The office will not be able to supply snow pants if your child forgets them at home. We have limited supply of extra hats and mittens to use when needed. If winter gear is a hardship for your family, please contact Principal Becky Fortier so she can provide resources to assist you in acquiring the appropriate winter gear for your child. Thank you!

A Wish for 2016...

May the new year bring you an abundance of amazing opportunities, beautiful moments, and joy. May your positive actions and attitude influence others. May you be brave enough to take on and overcome rewarding challenges. May you love with all of your heart and find peace in even the most turbulent times. And may you inspire and open the minds of children! 

Happy New Year!