Welcome Back!

Dear Great Falls Families,

What a wonderful first day of school! 💙💚

Our hallways and classrooms were filled with lots of smiles, happy kids, excitement, and the wonderful energy that comes with the start of a brand-new school year. It was so great to welcome our students back to Great Falls! Our students did an amazing job learning new routines, reconnecting with friends and staff, meeting new classmates, and settling into their classrooms.

Thank you to our families for helping make the first day such a positive and successful one. We are so excited about the year ahead and all of the learning, growing, friendships, and fun to come!

As we get started, please be sure to stay connected and find important school information, updates, and calendar dates through:

🌐 Great Falls Website
https://greatfalls.gorhamschools.org/

📸 Great Falls Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/great.falls.elementary.school/

💙 Great Falls Parent Connection on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/greatfallsparentconnection

🙋 Interested in volunteering in our schools?
Learn more about volunteer opportunities here:
https://www.gorhamschools.org/page/opportunities-for-parental-engagement

Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us. We are so happy to have everyone back and look forward to a fantastic school year together!

Here’s to a great year at Great Falls! 💙💚

Becky Fortier
Principal
Great Falls Elementary School

August Letter from the Principals

 Dear Great Falls Families,

We hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer! Although there is still plenty of summer left, we know many families are beginning to look ahead. Here are a few important dates and updates to help you prepare for the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

Important Dates

• Wednesday, August 26: Grades 1–5 Open House, 5:30–6:30 p.m.

• Thursday, August 27: First day of school for students in Grades 1–5

• Monday, August 31: Kindergarten Open House and Popsicles with the Principals, 5:30–6:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, September 1: First day of school for Kindergarten students

Open House: Our Grades 1–5 Open House will be held on Wednesday, August 26, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for students and families to meet their teachers, visit classrooms, and become familiar with the school before the first day.

Kindergarten families are invited to a separate Open House on Monday, August 31, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. We will also enjoy Popsicles with the Principals as we welcome our newest Great Falls students and families!

School Supplies: Teachers will share information about any specific classroom supplies students may need. Please remember that we will make sure every child has the materials necessary for a successful school year.

Arrival and Dismissal: Additional information about arrival, dismissal, bus transportation, parent drop-off, and pick-up procedures will be shared before the first day of school. Reviewing these procedures ahead of time helps us keep arrival and dismissal safe and efficient for everyone.

New Staff: We are excited to welcome several new staff members to the Great Falls community this year! We will be sharing introductions over the coming weeks so families can begin getting to know the wonderful educators joining our team.

Please continue to watch your email for additional updates as we get closer to the start of school. We are looking forward to welcoming our returning families back and meeting those who are new to Great Falls.

Until then, enjoy the remaining days of summer. We cannot wait to see our students’ smiling faces back in the building!

Warmly,

Becky Fortier, Principal
Deanna Etienne, Assistant Principal

❤️Connection is the heart of learning.