February Newsletter

February 1, 2019 Dear Parents / Guardians / Friends of GF / JWL, I hope that everyone is well and is staying warm and toasty in this severe cold weather. Please continue to dress your children in appropriate clothing. We try to have outdoor recess as much as possible. Unless the temperatures are severely frigid, it’s important for the students to have the opportunity to get some fresh air during the school day. We are very excited that our PBIS program is progressing well. I particularly wish to thank our PBIS leadership team for their diligence and collaboration. They go above and beyond to ensure that the program’s overarching purpose of promoting, recognizing and emphasizing positive behavior is a success. The PBIS team members are Ms. Turetsky, Mrs. Armstrong, Mrs. Miner, Mrs. MacCall, Mrs. Longino, Mrs. Hansen, Mrs. Malone and Mrs. Shaughnessy. I specifically wanted to follow up with families that per our PBIS celebration policy: Students who receive three minor office referrals and / or one major office referral in a particular month will participate in an alternate activity which will be supervised by staff members. The alternate activity is not a further punishment, but rather an opportunity to participate in a reflective program ultimately designed to allow students to make improved behavior choices moving forward. The next PBIS celebration will be in March - we will let the students and their families know the specific date when it’s finalized. Thank you for your continued support in ensuring the success, growth and progression of our PBIS program for the duration of this school year and beyond. Please make sure to check the school calendar regularly. Here are a few highlights for the month of February and early March: February: 2/1 - PBIS celebration - Movie / Game Day 2/4 - Spirit Day - Sports Teams - wear your favorite team shirt!!! 2/11 - PTO Meeting, 3:30, GFS Media Center 2/15 - Shortened Session for students / PD for staff 2/18 - 2/19 - President’s Day Break - no school for students and staff 2/22 - Early Childhood Breakfast, 8:45 - 10:15 AM, JWL Cafeteria 2/22 - Colonel Rally, 2:10, GF Gymnasium March: 3/1 - Spirit Day - Read Across America - wear a shirt with writing!!! 3/7 - Grades Close I hope all is well with everyone! Sincerely, Andrew R. Tripaldi Principal