Dear Intermediate School Families,
As a reminder, school will be closed tomorrow in observance of Veterans Day. Thank you to all who have so bravely served the United States of America!
Absent Line:
Though we continue to do very well with our overall student attendance, we are getting hit with those nasty “bugs” and colds as the cold weather arrives. When your child must be out, we ask that you use the absent line to notify us. Doing so allows us to remove your contact information from the automated call system that goes out once morning attendance is completed in homerooms, thus eliminating an unnecessary disruption to your home. As a reminder, we ask that you call into 508.923.3506 x 3100. An example of the minimal information we need is simply, “Elizabeth Sullivan from Mrs. Greene’s homeroom will not be in due to illness.”
Winter After the Bell Session:
https://forms.gle/AqPexGqZqCfNyeEo7
https://forms.gle/AqPexGqZqCfNyeEo7
Campus Programs:
Please be sure to check out our programs! Basic Babysitting for grades 5 - 8, GRAIS handball, GRAIS winter running club, and adult volleyball are all available!
Registration is currently going on. Campus Programs Flyers
Lifetouch Pictures:
If you are having your child retake his/her fall individual picture on the 13th, please have him/her stop by the main office for a form from Lifetouch as soon as possible.
Spring Anticipated MCAS Dates:
March 31 and April 1–Grade Five ELA
April 2 & 3–Grade Four ELA
May 12 & 13–Grade Five Math
May 14 & 15–Grade Four Math
May 19 & 20–Grade Five Science
*Subject to Change
Nature’s Classroom:
Please contact Miss Pimentel at apimentel@freelake.org if you have any questions about Nature’s Classroom, and be reminded that a $150 deposit and registration is due by December 20th.
PTO:
Our next virtual PTO meeting is on November 19th at 7:00 p.m. The password is graispto and the meeting ID is 477 737 8775. We hope you will log in to join us.
18th Annual GRAIS Turkey Trot:
The excitement is building to see who might break some records in GRIAS’ 18th Annual Turkey Trot on the day before Thanksgiving during school hours. This is not a spectator event, but we will be sure to share pictures on the website and news of those earning prizes in our memo.
Traffic and Parking at GRAIS:
As a reminder, parking in front of the building is ALWAYS prohibited, as this area is designated fire lane, so it must remain clear throughout the day. We have had instances of emergencies and scheduled drills being impacted by vehicles parked in this lane. Visitors to the school, regardless of the intended length of stay, must park in one of our lots.
Thank you for adhering to the posted speed limit as you enter and exit on the road to the building. We have many GRAIS walkers this year, as well as students walking to and from ARHS and FLMS at different times throughout the day, and we must keep everyone safe.
Warm Clothing Drive:
Donations of new socks, mittens, hats, and scarves are coming in slowly, and we appreciate each of the items, as they will go to local shelters to help keep those in need a little warmer during the winter. Sizes from infant to adult are welcome! Donation boxes are in the GRAIS lobby and in each homeroom.
Water and Snacks:
Many thanks to the families who donated snacks for the nurse’s office and water bottles for the main office. Your donations allow us to help out the children when they forget items at home, while supplies last.
World Kindness Day is Next Wednesday:
November 13th is World Kindness Day, and we are back to the time of year when gratitude comes into focus. Thanksgiving is a natural time to think about people, events, and moments for which we are grateful and ways in which we can be kind. Research has shown again and again that being intentionally grateful leads to many positive changes for people. This includes improvement in emotions, relationships, self-esteem, and physical health. The “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude” article from Psychology Today, linked here, summarizes some of the benefits and some of the research. A simple way to focus on gratitude and kindness can be simply looking for things throughout the day that bring you joy and sharing joy with others. A small change in habit can lead to many positive results. Gratitude and kindness are such worthy attributes to model for children!
Dates to Remember:
November 11th - No School
November 13th - Picture Retakes
November 13th - World Kindness Day
November 15th -Conference Letters Home
November 18th - Book Fair Week during Library Class
November 22nd - Warm-n-Cozy Sweats Day
November 27th - Trimester One Closes
November 27th - 11:30 a.m. Dismissal
December 2nd - School Resumes
December 4th - Grade Post to the Portal
December 9th - C.A.R.E. (formerly DEI-B) at ARHS at 6:00 p.m.
December 10th - Parent-Teacher Evening Conferences by Appointment
December 12th - Early Student Dismissal at 11:30 a.m.
December 12th - Parent-Teacher Afternoon Conferences by Appointment
December 16th - Grinchy Green Day
December 17th - Silly Hat/Crazy Hair Day
December 18th - Festive Sweater Day
December 19th - Holiday Hustle (Sweats) Day
December 20th - PJs Day
December 20th - Early Dismissal for School Break at 11:30 a.m.
January 2nd - School Resumes
January 20th - No School
February 7th - Early Dismissal at 11:30 a.m.
February 17 - School Break Begins
February 24th - School Resumes
Respectfully,
Dr. Sullivan
508.923.3506 x3150