April 15, 2021

Dear Great Falls Families,

As you know, the Gorham School Department is making a switch to 4 days a week of learning on-campus beginning Thursday, April 29th. Instead of our A and B student cohorts attending school for two days each week, all current Hybrid students will attend in-person learning 4 days per week (Monday - Thursday).  

Week of April 19-23

This is the district Spring vacation week. During this time, the district will resume the set up of instructional spaces in preparation for a full return. Happy vacation!

April 26th, 27th, 28th

These three days will be non-student days. School staff will be on campus preparing physical spaces and academic lessons for a full return of both cohorts of students. 

Thursday, April 29th 

Both A and B cohorts will return to campus on Thursday, April 29th. Students will be seated 3 feet apart in the classroom setting and will remain 6 feet apart while eating breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Our arrival and dismissal process will remain the same. Although we anticipate that arrival and dismissal may take longer, we will try it as currently established and make adjustments if needed. 

Parent Drop Off

Students dropped off by their parents between 8:30-8:50 a.m. are expected to use the parent drop-off circle. Please use caution when students are exiting vehicles. Students must be wearing face coverings when exiting their vehicles. Grades K-2 bus students will enter through door 4 by the playground and head directly to their classroom. Grades 3-5 students will enter through door 2 in the center of the school and head upstairs and directly to their classroom. Staff will be stationed in the parent drop-off loop to safely assist our students as they exit their vehicles. When you are arriving at the Great Falls campus, please enter the parking lot closest to the playground and stay to the right side of the parent drop-off loop. Do not park. There will likely be a line so your patience is greatly appreciated. We would like 15 cars to unload at the same time, so please move forward in the circle until you are around the corner and pull all the way up to the cone.  After you have dropped off your child you may exit cautiously. If you are waiting to drop off, please wait until the entire line moves forward for the next 15 cars. 

Breakfast

Beginning on Thursday, April 29th, students that participate in the breakfast program will eat their breakfast in the cafeteria upon their arrival before they head to their classroom.  If your child will be having school breakfast they will enter the building through door #1 if they arrive by bus and door #2 if they are parent drop-off. Please note that breakfast ends promptly at 8:50 am. It will be important to account for such in your morning routine if you are transporting your child to school. 

Snack Time

Students will eat snacks either outside using social distancing precautions remaining six feet apart or in the cafeteria at assigned seats. Students are encouraged to bring in water bottles but will be asked to drink in a designated spot in the classroom that allows them to remain 6 feet from their peers while unmasked.

Lunch and Recess Time

Students will be staying in their A/B cohorts for lunch in order to eat 6 feet apart while being unmasked. One cohort will eat in the cafeteria while the other cohort will eat in the classroom. They will rotate each week. Both cohorts will partake in recess and be assigned to a rotating area of the playground.

New Creative Arts Rotation

The colored creative arts rotation will start with a “green” day on Thursday, April 29th, and proceed throughout the school year. The students will participate in 35-minute creative arts sessions every day they are on campus.

Parent Pick Up

School is dismissed daily at 2:50 p.m.  For safety reasons, cars may not arrive on campus prior to 2:40 pm to begin to line up. Students being picked up by their parents will start to be dismissed BEFORE bus students. If you have a pickup number in the 10s, 100s, or 200s, you will enter the left side parking lot to line up to pick up your child.  You will follow staff directions, pulling to the curb alongside the side of the school.  Traffic will move through the parking lot in two lanes until you get to the end of the staff lot where a duty person will direct you into 3 lanes to move forward to the crosswalk.  Please stay in your car and pull forward according to staff directions. Staff will take note of your car tag number, utilize our electronic pick-up generator form on their iPhones, and communicate to the inside staff via a google form.  We will load 10 cars at a time.  

If you have a pickup number in the 300s, 400s, or 500s, you will enter the right side parking lot which is where drop-off occurs in the morning. You will pull in all the way forward to the cone in a single file line where a teacher will check you in. Please have your tag visibly ready. Your child will come to the passenger side of your vehicle and following such you may exit cautiously when you are ready. When waiting to enter the loading zone, please do not move forward until all 15 loading spots are clear and the duty teacher motions you forward.  

If your student usually takes the bus, and you are picking up your student just that day, you will have notified the school by 10:30 am and be prepared to show your driver's license upon arrival at the car pick-up line. If you have arranged a JUST FOR TODAY pickup, please follow the directions from Mrs. Murray on which parking lot you should enter.  Thank you to the Gorham Police Department and Volunteer Police for assisting with our safety measures during the busy arrival and dismissal times. 

Our top priority is to maintain the safety and well-being of all members of our school communities. 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,

Becky Fortier, Great Falls Principal