News from the Great Falls Principal: June 2020

Thursday, June 18, 2020

June End of Year Update

Dear Great Falls Families,

We are writing to pass on one last and final thank you from the staff of Great Falls Elementary School. We are truly grateful to our parent community and our students for the kindness, hard work and support you have shown your community, your schools, and each other. We can all be proud of the compassion, ongoing growth mindset and learning. The collaborative partnerships between our students, school staff and families are one of our greatest successes during this challenging time. Thank you!

Summer Learning Option ~ Exact Path: Great Falls students are invited to participate in online learning activities through a program called Exact Path. This online resource will be offered free by the district to provide extra practice in the areas of Math and Literacy over the summer months. What Your Learner Can Expect in Exact Path (Elementary) For Parents

There will be a parent forum and opportunity to sign your child up for this free resource on June 23rd at 6pm. Please follow this Zoom link: https://edmentum.zoom.us/j/2142949709

Kindergarten Screening: We are grateful that we were able to personally connect this week with our incoming families through Zoom chats or phone calls. This opportunity to meet our families and get to know our youngest learners was so valuable. Kindergarten screening has been rescheduled (again) to now take place during the 1st week of school. Our hope is to be able to conduct the screenings in person in order to gather necessary information about your child to create the best learning environments for our students.

School Calendar for 2020-2021: The school calendar for this coming school year can be found HERE.

Introducing our Great Falls Assistant Principal, Deanna Etienne! Deanna comes to us from Connors Elementary School in Lewiston where she served as their RTI Dean. Before starting at Connors in 2019, Deanna had spent 13 years between Pre-K and Kindergarten in both Auburn and Lewiston Schools. Deanna has a Masters in Early Childhood Education, and a Building Administrator Certificate, both through the University of Maine at Farmington. Deanna has been honored to be part of the creative, hard working, dedicated Connors staff and is excited for her new adventure as the Assistant Principal at Great Falls Elementary School.

Important Dates:

Tuesday, June 23rd at 6pm -

Exact Path Parent Zoom Forum: https://edmentum.zoom.us/j/2142949709

Monday, August 31st - Kindergarten Screening

Tuesday, September 1st - 1st Day of School for Grades 1-5

Wednesday, September 2nd - Kindergarten Placement

Thursday, September 3rd - Kindergarten Placement Emails Sent to Families

Friday, September 4th - No School

Monday, September 7th - No School - Labor Day

Tuesday, September 8th - School Resumes and 1st day of School for Kindergarten

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. Please be sure to check out the Great Falls News frequently for important information.

Take care and be well.

Becky Fortier
Great Falls Principal

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Virtual Step Up Day - Friday, June 12th

Mrs. Fortier's Video Describing Virtual Step Up Day

https://safeYouTube.net/w/jU3K

Letter from the Principal - June 8th

June 8, 2020

Dear Great Falls Families,

As we reflect back on this unprecedented school year, we are truly grateful to our parent community and our students for the kindness, hard work and support you have shown your community, your schools, and each other. We can all be proud of the compassion, ongoing growth mindset and learning. The collaborative partnerships between our students, school staff and families are one of our greatest successes during this challenging time. Thank you!

Please note the important items below as we begin our final week of the 2019-2020 school year.

Step-Up Day for ALL Great Falls Students ~ June 12th: Great Falls students are invited to meet with their 2020-21 teacher, in a zoom session, with all students in his/her class. Please reserve the following times for your child’s step-up experience. Zoom invitations will be shared with each family on June 11th along with a Welcome Letter from your child’s new teacher.

Parent Survey ~ Please share your thoughts and ideas around the reopening of school this fall: Although Gorham Schools are not exactly sure what school will look like and what parameters will be put in place by the state government when schools “open up” this fall, we are reaching out to you to hear your valued thoughts/questions/concerns. We will use your feedback to help guide our reopening plans for the fall. Please participate in this Thought Exchange through the following Survey Link. By phone: Text the 9-digit code 573-556-829 to the phone number 728-55 to get a link to participate in this exchange.

Kudos Board Reminder: Superintendent Perry welcomes all families to contribute to a “Kudos Board.” We are hoping you will use this public space to show your gratitude to the teachers, ed techs, special educators, learning lab staff, food service staff, bus drivers, office staff, school nurses, social workers and school counselors who have had a positive impact on your child this year. Please go to the "Kudos Board" and upload your picture or video and then send along a thank you! Here's the LINK. The final board will be shared with everyone on the final district closing for staff on June 16th!

Library Books: As the school year winds down we are giving the Great Falls community a final opportunity to return their school library books before the summer break. When: Monday, June 15th and Tuesday, June 16th from 9AM to 1PM Where: Great Falls School main entrance. There will be a book return cart at the main entrance and Mr. Dowe will be there to wave from a distance!

Celebrating our Students:

5th Grade Recognition Parade: All 5th grade families are welcomed to participate in a parade procession through the Great Falls campus on Friday, June 12th at 2:00 pm. Please refer to this document for specific Parade Directions and Safety Guidelines. More information can be found here. In addition,on Wednesday, June 10th “Congratulations” balloons, generously donated by the Gorham Education Foundation will be delivered to students’ homes by volunteers and school staff.

Kindergarten Celebratory Drive-Through: Thursday June 11th, All Kindergarten families are invited to drive through the school campus. Please note the following schedule so as to arrive with your class. Additional information can be found here.

Beginning today, June 8th, all classroom teachers will begin incorporating end of the year transition activities, recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of our students and bringing closure to this current year. Although our students are physically apart, it is important that they feel connected to their friends and teachers, and that we end our year celebrating as we typically do. Students' experiences might include scavenger hunts and games, memory videos, and classroom “yearbooks.” There will also be student presentations, spirit weeks, and sing alongs. The third grade will even participate in an online virtual Gorham History Tour, thanks to the hard work of staff and community members.

Creative Arts Fun: Our wonderful Creative Arts teachers have events planned for all students. Kindergarten through fourth grade enjoyed their virtual scavenger hunt last week, and this week grade five (schedule) will experience Hanging out with the Creative Arts team. Meeting with each grade level to have a little fun and bring some closure to the school year has been positive for all.

Kindergarten Screening: Kindergarten screening has been rescheduled for August 17 & 18. Our hope is to be able to conduct the screenings in person, using applicable safety protocols. Several members of the Great Falls staff will be reaching out through Welcome Chats to our incoming K families on June 15th as we prepare for the arrival of our youngest learners!

Important Dates:

Thursday, June 11th: Welcome email from your child’s teacher for next year.
Thursday, June 11th: Kindergarten Celebratory Drive Through 1:00-2:30 pm
Friday, June 12th: Virtual Student Step Up Day
Friday, June 12th: 5th Grade Parade 2:00-3:00 pm
Friday, June 12th: Last Student Day
Monday, June 15th: Incoming Kindergarten Welcome Chats
Monday, June 15th: Library Book Drop Off 9am- 1pm
Tuesday, June 16th: Library Book Drop Off 9am-1pm
Tuesday, June 16th: Last Staff Day
July 14: Referendum Vote
Monday, August 17th - Kindergarten Screening
Tuesday, August 18th - Kindergarten Screening
Friday, August 21st - Incoming Kindergarten Placement Letters Mailed Out
Monday, August 31st - Kindergarten Orientation
Tuesday, September 1st - First Day of School

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. Please be sure to check out the Great Falls News frequently for important information.

Take care and be well.

Becky Fortier and Stacey Sawyer
Great Falls Administrators

Welcome to Kindergarten

Click Here: Welcome to Kindergarten Letter - June 1

June 1st Update

Click Here: June 1, 2020

May 26th Update

Click Here: May 26,2020

May 11th Update

Click Here: May 11, 2020

The Virtual GF Family Fun and Wellness Event

Click Here: The ‘Virtual’ Great Falls Family Fun and Wellness Event

Letter from the Tech Department Re: New Chromebooks

Click Here: Letter from the Technology Department Re: New Chromebooks

May 4th Update

Click Here: May 4, 2020

Chromebooks for K-3 Students

Click Here: Chromebooks for K-3 Students

April 30th Update

Click Here: April 30, 2020

April 27th Update

Click Here: April 27, 2020

Letter from the Narragansett Principal - April 25th

Click Here: Letter from the Narragansett Principal - April 25th

April 17th Update

Click Here: April 17, 2020

April 13th Update

Click Here: April 13, 2020

Mrs. Fortier's Tour of GF - April 10th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXrQDtvgP_4&feature=youtu.be

March 30th Update

March 30, 2020

Dear Great Falls Families,

It may feel as though quite some time has passed since we last gathered, but I do sincerely hope you enjoyed your parent/student/teacher conference earlier in the month. Spring conferences are always a wonderful time to celebrate progress and for parents & guardians to gain insight into what your child is learning, how they are demonstrating skills & concepts acquired, and to establish new goals for learning soon to come. Thank you for participating in this process with us!

Gorham teachers have been working hard to identify clear learning targets at each grade level in every content area. These learning targets are aligned to a set of K-12 Graduation Standards, which are based on the Maine Learning Results, including the Common Core State Standards for ELA and Mathematics, and the Next Generation Science Standards. They are called performance indicators because they “indicate” through a student’s “performance” if the student is on track to achieve the K-12 Graduation Standards.

At the K-5 level, teachers have already identified the performance indicators in all content areas and are now using assessments aligned to these indicators. Teachers are using Jump Rope, an online standards-based gradebook, to track student progress to the performance indicators. To learn more about Jump Rope, check out the online resource found at How to Interpret Your Child's K-5 Report Card. The 2nd-trimester report cards are scheduled to be emailed to parents on Friday, April 3rd. The following chart may help to describe the scores that you will see on your child’s report card.

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. Take care and be well!

Sincerely,

Becky Fortier, Great Falls Principal

March 25th Update

March 25, 2020

Dear Great Falls Families,

We hope this letter finds you healthy and well. Thank you for being patient, open-minded and flexible as our staff have worked diligently to communicate and provide instructional opportunities for our students during this unprecedented challenge. Similar to educators, we imagine that you are experiencing good days and days of feeling absolutely overwhelmed. We want you to know that you are doing wonderfully!

This morning we met with the Great Falls staff through one of our many Zoom meetings, and teachers are grateful for your support and dedication to making “remote learning” work for your children. As our Commissioner of Education Pender Makin shared, “Do the best you can with what you have for as many as you can.” We have no doubt that this is happening at home.

For the first two weeks of “remote learning,” our goal was to establish effective communication between our families and students. Your efforts to learn new communication platforms, attend Zoom meetings, and extend the learning to your children have not gone unnoticed. We have witnessed families demonstrate kindness, growth mindsets, risk-taking, and the ability to be flexible and creative thinkers, all skills we work so hard to teach our students. Thank you for modeling such within your households!

We originally thought that we would be able to offer another mass material pick-up by parents that would occur on the campus of Great Falls. Unfortunately, given guidelines and current information provided by medical professionals, this is no longer in the best interest of the Great Falls community. Printed materials will be provided only as needed for equitable access on a case by case basis. Our staff are ready to provide opportunities for our students to maintain skills and be exposed to their grade-level performance indicators without providing physical printed materials.

To help ease the burden at home, we have made some educational decisions for how much time our students should be engaged in daily academic and creative arts activities. Special Education and Response to Intervention supports will begin during the week of March 30th and may happen through the use of Zoom.

Kindergarten
Reading: 15 minutes
Writing: 15 minutes
Math: 15 minutes
Science and Social Studies: optional
Creative Arts: 15-20 minutes

Grade 1
Grade 2
Reading: 20 minutes
Writing: 20 minutes
Math: 20 minutes
Science and Social Studies: optional
Creative Arts: 15-20 minutes

Grade 3
Reading: 30 minutes
Writing: 30 minutes
Math: 30 minutes
Science and Social Studies: optional
Creative Arts: 15-20 minutes

Grade 4
Grade 5
2 Hours (Reading, Writing, Math)
Science and Social Studies: optional
Creative Arts: 15-20 minutes

Teachers will continue to communicate daily expectations while providing learning opportunities for your child through flexible methods that may include email, SeeSaw, or Google Classroom. They are creating experiences that are tied to grade-level performance indicators and may not require the use of printed materials. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you do not have supplies such as pencils, paper, books, and more. We will figure out on a case by case basis how to distribute the materials that your child may need. It is very important to us that all of our students have the tools they need to participate in learning opportunities at home.

Parents and guardians, we’d like to quote Commissioner Pender Makin once more, “Put on your own oxygen mask. Breathe and be gentle with yourselves and everyone else.” We are in this together. We will catch all of the students where they are academically when they return to us. Thank you for being such wonderful partners in education. Please continue to reach out with any questions, concerns, or needs.

Kindly,

Becky Fortier and Stacey Sawyer
Great Falls Administrators

March 16th Update

March 16, 2020

Great Falls Families,

The Great Falls staff came together today to develop “remote learning” opportunities for all students for the duration of our school closure, with the goal of maintaining essential skills and learning. You can expect to hear more specific details about this plan directly from your child’s teacher. Teachers will communicate primarily through email, so please ensure your child’s teacher has your most recent contact information.

In order to get students started on this journey of remote learning, they will need some materials from the classroom/school. These materials will be distributed in a staggered manner to prevent large groups of people coming to the school at the same time.

On Tuesday, March 17th, parents of 4th grade students may come to school to pick up their child’s remote learning packet (between the hours of 8am - 5 pm). This packet will include a chromebook and charger.

On Wednesday, March 18th, parents of 5th grade students may come to school to pick up their child’s remote learning packet (between the hours of 8am - 5 pm). This packet will also contain a chromebook and charger as well as other learning materials.

On Thursday, March 19th, parents of 2nd and 3rd grade students may come to school to pick up their child’s remote learning packet (between the hours of 8am - 5 pm).

On Friday, March 20th, parents of Kindergarten and 1st grade students may come to school to pick up their child’s remote learning packet (between the hours of 8am - 5 pm).

Due to the continued need for social distancing and the fact that our schools are temporarily not open to the public, the remote learning bags will be distributed with the following protocol. Please drive into the bus loop at the front of the school and park your car at the orange cone. Then, please call the main office (222-1050) to announce your arrival and name your student. Staff will be on-hand to place the learning items just outside the front door on a table. Once this occurs, please exit your vehicle and retrieve the items. We ask that only one person approach the door at a time. We apologize for the formality of our process, but these are important measures that we must enforce to keep everyone safe.

Your children are of the utmost importance to each of us here at Great Falls. Thank you for being our partners in education as we maneuver this challenge together. Please reach out with any questions you may have.

Kindly,

Becky Fortier and Stacey Sawyer