October Letter

 

Hello Great Falls Families,

It is hard to believe that we are well into the month of October. We hope that you and your loved ones are enjoying fall in Maine. There are a few events and dates that we wanted to be sure to highlight.

Monday, October 10th: No School/ Indigenous Peoples Day

October 17th - 21st: Bus Driver Appreciation Week

 

Grade 5 Band: We are getting closer to hiring a band instructor for our 5th-grade students. If everything works out, our plan is to send permission slips home next week and potentially start band instruction during the week of October 17th. 

NWEA Testing: The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) MAP Growth Assessment (link) in Math and Reading will once again be administered to our students. Great Falls students in grades 1-5 will take the assessment in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. Kindergarten will take the assessment in the Winter and Spring. The fall assessment will take place throughout the month of October. If you have any questions about the assessments, please reach out to your child's teacher.

Great Falls Book Fair: This year our book fair will be held in-person and online. Students will be able to shop in person during their regularly scheduled library time, as well as at arrival and dismissal times. The book fair will be available to parents and guardians shopping with their students at the times listed below! 

The book fair is open to families on the following dates and times: 

• Wednesday, October 19 between 1:00-6:00 PM

• Thursday, October 20 between 3:30-5:00 PM

• Friday, October 21 between 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

To access the book fair online go to https://www.scholastic.com/bf/greatfallselementaryschool2 and place your order between 10/17 and 10/30 (note the online fair is open longer than our in-person fair). All proceeds from the fall book fair will go to our One School, One Book program as well as future Great Falls Library book purchases.

Volunteers are still needed to help during the Book Fair:  We are looking for parent volunteers to help run our book fair. If you’re interested in signing up, please click here. Please be aware that you need to be a district-approved volunteer. Thank you!

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences: Parent/teacher/student conferences will be held on October 19th and 21st. Additional day/time options may also be provided by your child’s teacher. We look forward to seeing everyone and sharing the great things your students are doing in their classes. 

Volunteering at Great Falls: Great Falls is always on the lookout for parent volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering your time at our school, click the following link and find out more. Gorham Schools Volunteer Info

Next Parent Connection Meeting: Join the Great Falls administrators and staff on Thursday, October 27th from 5:30-6:30 p.m. for an informative presentation about our math program. Learn about the activities and games that your child is experiencing in the classroom. 

Back to School Fall Family Picnic and Sparks Ark Presentation: Join the Great Falls staff and Sparks Ark for a fun and engaging fall family picnic. Sparks Ark will entertain the crowd with his fabulous animals on Friday, October 28th from 5:00-6:00 p.m. We will gather in the gym. Bring your chairs, cozy blankets, and picnics. Hope to see you there!

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. Enjoy your upcoming holiday weekend!

Kindly,

Becky Fortier and Deanna Etienne

Great Falls Administrators