August 24, 2021
Dear Great Falls Families,
Our Great Falls staff are working hard for the opening of a fabulous school year. We started our formal staff trainings and preparations to create the best learning environment for our students. We can’t wait to see them on campus next week!
Tonight, August 24th, 5:30-6:30 pm: Popsicles with the Principals Night (Incoming K Families Only)
During this event, Mrs. Fortier and Mrs. Etienne will be hanging out on the Great Falls playground ready to greet our Kindergarten families and hand out some yummy frozen treats. This is the perfect time to meet other families and have our new kindergarten students enjoy time together on the playground before the start of the year. We will also have live sing-along music by Tyler Stanley!
School Calendars:
Monday, August 30th, 8:00 am - 3:30 pm: Kindergarten Screening Day
At the time of your child’s scheduled screening, please enter through the main entrance of Great Falls and head into our cafeteria. Masking will be required for all while inside the building. A staff member will greet you and your child. We will welcome your child to join one of our Kindergarten teachers for their screening. Parents will be asked to remain seated in our cafeteria during the screening process. Your child will be reunited with you in the cafeteria at the conclusion of the screening.
Monday, August 30th, 5:30 - 6:30 pm: Grades 1-5 Open House
We are very excited to conduct an in-person Open House for our grades 1-5 families. Masking will be required for all while inside the building. Families with last names A-M are invited to attend from 5:30-6:00 pm while families with last names N-Z are invited to attend from 6:00-6:30 pm. This is to help minimize the crowding that may happen through the building and allow for additional parking options. Teachers may offer a scavenger hunt type visit to encourage students to visit important spaces and spread out through the building.
Tuesday, August 31st: 1st Day of School for Grades 1-5
Thursday, September 2nd: First Day of School for Kindergarten
Friday, September 3rd: No School
Monday, September 6th: No School - Labor Day
Tuesday, September 7th: School Resumes for K-5
COVID Information
The Gorham School Committee voted to require that all students and staff wear face masks in school. Students and staff do not need to wear a mask outside. School staff will still need to conduct contact tracing for any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 and has been at school or during a school function during their infectious period, but there are new rules for who needs to quarantine:
Anyone within six feet of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 will be considered a close contact.
Anyone with direct physical contact with a person who tests positive for COVID-19 will be considered a close contact.
Vaccinated individuals will not need to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact. They will need to monitor for symptoms, however, and they will need to quarantine if they develop symptoms.
In the classroom setting, all classmates of the positive Covid-19 case are considered close contacts. Unvaccinated individuals who are within three feet of or had direct physical contact with a person who tests positive for COVID-19 will need to quarantine for ten days. In the classroom setting, unvaccinated individuals who are greater than three feet but within six feet of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 will not need to quarantine from the academic school day. They WILL need to quarantine from ALL other school-based and community activities. All identified close contacts will need to monitor for symptoms, however, and they will need to be isolated if they develop symptoms.
Beyond the classroom setting (e.g. school bus, lunch, after-school activities), unvaccinated individuals who are within six feet of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 will need to quarantine for ten days.
Unvaccinated individuals who are close contacts will not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at any time at becky.fortier@gorhamschools.org or deanna.etienne@gorhamschools.org. Looking forward to seeing everyone back on campus!
Kindly,
Becky Fortier and Deanna Etienne
Great Falls Administrators
