Tuesday, June 9, 2020
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
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
February Letter from the Principal
Hello, Great Falls Parents!
Happy winter vacation! Enjoy each and every moment with your family and friends. When we return, it will be time for Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences! Here is some important information for you to have:
WHAT:
The general purpose of conferences is to connect in a one-on-one setting with your child’s teacher, as well as an update on academic progress and “skills for life.” These progress checks include student sharing of their work products, goal setting, and the presentation of other assessments and work by the student or teacher. As your child will be present, it is understood that issues that are private and confidential require a different forum for communication. It is expected that issues that are of a serious concern would have been discussed prior to and outside of these conferences. IEP meetings, even in close proximity to conference dates, do not take the place of student-led conferences.
WHEN:
Conferences are held in the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, March 11th and on Friday, March 13th. Technically, however, there is a 2-week window during which your particular conference may be scheduled. The available dates and times during this window of time vary depending on the teacher. You will be able to register for your child’s conference beginning on Wednesday, February 26th at www.PTCfast.com.
HOW:
The PTCfast online program is used for scheduling conferences unless teachers know that there is a family who does not have Internet access at home. Teachers will be sending out notices and passwords for parents to use to set up conferences. The procedure is user-friendly and quite efficient, especially when a family has more than one child in our school. This program allows you a maximum choice in dates and times, choosing the one that works best for your schedule. When you pick a day and time, you will receive a confirmation and a reminder prior to the conference. If you need to change the day and/or time, you simply return to the site and do so, unless it is beyond the cutoff time selected by the classroom teacher.
Parents’ quick guide to www.PTCfast.com
Step 1: You will receive a letter or email from your student’s teacher containing a link to the class’s conference website. Enter the link into your browser.
Step 2: Enter the class code your student’s teacher has sent to you into the box on that screen-- you can copy and paste it if that's easier!
Step 3: You will see the list of available time slots your student’s teacher has available. If someone else has already selected a time slot, you won’t be able to check the box and the time slot will be red. Check the time you would like for your conference. Reminder emails will be sent out closer to the conference.
Please make sure to contact us if you run into any difficulty with this process. We don’t anticipate that you will, but we are, of course, happy to help. Great Falls takes pride in having a very high participation rate in Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences. We look forward very much to seeing you around the school when you come in for your child’s conference!Step 1: You will receive a letter or email from your student’s teacher containing a link to the class’s conference website. Enter the link into your browser.
Step 2: Enter the class code your student’s teacher has sent to you into the box on that screen-- you can copy and paste it if that's easier!
Step 3: You will see the list of available time slots your student’s teacher has available. If someone else has already selected a time slot, you won’t be able to check the box and the time slot will be red. Check the time you would like for your conference. Reminder emails will be sent out closer to the conference.
Sincerely,
Becky Fortier
Great Falls Principal
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Just a reminder with Valentine's Day coming up...
Dear Parents,
The Gorham School District is committed to providing a healthy eating environment for all its students. We ask that parents do not send in any food for celebrations, such as birthdays and holidays to be shared in classrooms. This does not include the daily snacks that you send in for your own child, however, we encourage you to provide healthy options.
We want our school to be a safe and comfortable environment for all students; and we do this for a number of reasons, which reflect our value of respect for all:
We understand that food is part of our culture and a means to celebrate special occasions of all kinds. This does not mean that our children will not have fun, class parties, or celebrations. Instead of food, students can participate in a variety of creative activities during holiday celebrations. Nonfood tokens such as stickers or pencils can be used to celebrate birthdays while promoting a healthier school environment.
We are asking for your support and help by keeping food items out of our school unless we request them for curriculum-based activities. We must adhere to the Gorham Wellness and Allergy Policies for the safety and wellness of all students.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Becky Fortier
Great Falls Principal
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Friday, December 13, 2019
December Letter from the Principal
December 13, 2019
Dear Parents/Guardians of Great Falls Students,
As we enter December, we would like to first take this opportunity to wish each of you and your families, a most happy, healthy holiday season! As always, we are pleased with not only how hard they have been working each and every day, but that they are kind. They strive to be “Citizens of the Code” and we could not be more proud!
One of our school goals is to help our students understand the important characteristics that make up ethical, responsible, and involved citizens. Our staff model and teach our students not only how to take responsibility for his/her own behavior, but how to demonstrate responsible behavior that is consistent with our core values, The Code of Conduct.
ResponsibilityRespectHonestyCourageCompassion
Over the past few months, our school community has embarked on numerous campaigns that exemplify the Code of Conduct. Here are a few highlights to share:
Holiday Giving: As in past years, we have received many wonderful donations from local churches, businesses, Great Falls staff members, and Gorham residents. These generous donations have made it possible for our school community to provide food, warm winter gear, and holiday giving to families in need.
Backpack Program: We are continually accepting new enrollees into the Backpack Program for families experiencing food insecurity. This may be in the form of short-term support for families experiencing a challenging circumstance or extended support for the school year for those families in chronic need of food support. We are grateful for the many donations that allow us to provide food for our students.
7th Annual Empty Bowl Project: The Empty Plate Project is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger. The basic premise is simple: students create handcrafted bowls and then are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. All K-5 students created a pottery bowl during their art classes with art teachers, Allie Rimkunas and Jessica Burton. We asked parents to support our act of kindness by making a donation in any amount to purchase their child’s bowl made during art class. The bowls will be distributed at the Empty Bowl Project K-5 Art Showcase on December 13th. Great Falls will be donating all proceeds to the Gorham Food Pantry.
Please remember to check our school website on a regular basis for updates and information. The website may be accessed by logging onto The Great Falls Website.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Friday, December 20th - Full day of school
December 23rd - January 1st - Holiday Break
Thursday, January 2nd - Return from the holiday break
Monday, January 6th - Grades 3-5 Chorus Begins
Tuesday, January 7th - Parent Connection Meeting with the SC 6pm
Thursday, January 9th - Gorham Elementary Night at the Red Claws
Friday, January 10th - 2nd Annual GF Variety Show Auditions
Wednesday, January 15th - Early Release Day
Friday, January 17th - Great Falls Variety Show 5:30-7:30pm
As always, please feel free to reach out to us at any time with questions and feedback. Please follow our Twitter pages, which can be found at https://twitter.com/GreatFallsElem and https://twitter.com/MrsBFortier and our school Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/great.falls.elementary.school/.
Kindly yours,
Becky Fortier
Great Falls Principal
Stacey Sawyer
Great Falls Assistant Principal
Monday, September 30, 2019
Letter from the Principal - Fall Conferences 2019
Hello, Great Falls Parents!
It is just about time for Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences! Here is some important information for you to have:
WHAT: The general purpose of conferences is to connect in a one-on-one setting with your child’s teacher, as well as obtain an update on academic progress and “skills for life.” These progress checks include student sharing of their work products, goal setting, and the presentation of other assessments and work by the student or teacher. As your child will be present, it is understood that issues which are private and confidential require a different forum for communication. It is expected that issues that are of a serious concern would have been discussed prior to and outside of these conferences. IEP meetings, even in close proximity to conference dates, do not take the place of student-led conferences. The way in which we conduct conferences allows your child the unique opportunity to share with loved ones critical aspects of their learning and a chance to bolster their confidence with their presentation skills.
WHEN: Conferences are held the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, October 23rd and the full day of Friday, October 25th. The available dates and times during this window of time vary depending on the teacher. You will be able to register for your child’s conference beginning on Wednesday, October 9th.
HOW: The PTCfast online program is used for scheduling conferences unless teachers know that there is a family who does not have Internet access at home. Teachers will be sending out notices and passwords for parents to use to set up conferences. The procedure is user-friendly and quite efficient, especially when a family has more than one child in our school. This program allows you a maximum choice in dates and times, choosing the one that works best for your schedule. When you pick a day and time, you will receive a confirmation and a reminder prior to the conference. If you need to change the date and/or time, you simply return to the site and do so, unless it is beyond the cutoff time selected by the classroom teacher.
Step 1: You will receive a letter or email from your child’s teacher containing a link to the class’ conference website. Enter the link into your browser.
Step 2: Enter the class code your child’s teacher has sent to you into the box on that screen-- you can copy and paste it if that's easier!
Step 3: You will see the list of available time slots your child’s teacher has available. If someone else has already selected a time slot, you won’t be able to check the box and the time slot will be red. Check the time you would like for your conference. Reminder emails will be sent out closer to the conference.
Please make sure to contact us if you run into any difficulty with this process. We don’t anticipate that you will, but we are, of course, happy to help. Great Falls takes pride in having a very high participation rate in Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences. We very much look forward to seeing you around school when you come in for your child’s conference!
Sincerely,
Becky Fortier
Great Falls Principal
Monday, August 19, 2019
I am excited to welcome you to the start of the 2019-2020 school year. At this point, you should have received communication from your child’s teacher along with their school supply list. If for any reason you have not received communication from your child’s teacher, feel free to email our staff directly.
The Great Falls office is officially open full-time. Do not hesitate to call with any questions you may have. The official start of our school day is 8:50 AM and the official end of our school day is at 3:10 PM. Drop off time is still 8:30 AM but students being picked up by their parents or guardians will now be dismissed at 3:05 PM in the cafeteria.
Our staff is very excited about the start of our new school year! They have been in the school building, setting up their classrooms, and preparing for the arrival of your children. We are greatly looking forward to our annual Open House. This event will take place on Wednesday, August 28 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM for all students in grades 1-5. This is a wonderful time to bring in your child’s school supplies and leave them in the classroom or in your child’s desk.
Kindergarten orientation will take place on Wednesday, August 28 from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. During this event, kindergarten parents will arrive at Great Falls with their child. Upon arrival, you will report directly to your child’s classroom for further information. We have a morning planned that will include a welcome from the teacher, a classroom tour, information from administrators, orientation to our cafeteria, and a practice bus ride.
Students in grades K through 5 will attend their first full day of school on Thursday, August 29. The bus routes will run as scheduled and your child will arrive at school as they would on any other day. Please be sure to update your transportation information by completing the survey found on our website. You may also call our secretary, Julie Murray if there is any information we need to have. Your child will be sent home at the end of the day with the information we have in our system.
Here are a few important dates you should know for the start of the school year:
Wednesday, August 28 - Kindergarten Orientation 9:30-11:30am
Wednesday, August 28 - Grades 1-5 Open House 5:30-6:30pm
Thursday, August 29 - First full day of school for grades K-5 from 5:30-6:30pm
Friday, August 30 - No School
Monday, September 2 - Labor Day - No School
Please know that our assistant principal, Mrs. Sawyer, and I are always interested in talking with you. Give us a call or email if you have any questions or concerns. Great Falls is ready for another positive, successful year!
Sincerely,
Becky Fortier
Becky Fortier
Great Falls Principal
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