Dear Families,
It feels like we all just got back to school after the holiday break, and February is already upon us. How did this happen? As the saying goes, “The days go by slowly, but the years go by quickly!” We waited patiently for the wintry weather to finally come to our playground, and now it just keeps coming. The children are loving their time outside on our Playscape trudging through the snow, creating structures and snow people, taking turns with the toboggans, and building muscles as they climb up to the top of the sledding hill. They are compromising, getting a lot of fresh air, and having so much fun! It takes great patience and extra hands to get all of the snow gear on, but once outside, the excitement and opportunities are so worth it.
CHILDREN’S MID-YEAR OBSERVATIONS
While we are hitting the midpoint of the school year, our GCS Teachers have worked incredibly hard over the past several weeks observing, assessing, and completing written individual Children’s Observations on your children. It is always so exciting to read about the many successes, as well as perhaps some areas for growth, too. Take a few moments to enjoy the milestones, feedback, and examples of your children’s hard work. We are looking forward to seeing many of you this Friday, February 2nd for our scheduled Conference Day. It is always an exciting time to see so many families coming and going. We will be offering coffee and treats for adults to enjoy while waiting and “to go” snacks for children on their way out. In an effort to give you some moments of uninterrupted time for conferencing, we are providing childcare from 8 AM to Noon and from 1 to 4:30 PM for children that are 2 years and older, including siblings that don’t currently attend (if you think they would be capable and comfortable staying in the Big Room for a short time).
2024-25 REGISTRATION
Yikes – that sounds so far away! We have been busy preparing Registration information for the next school year and have distributed packets via Constant Contact. Please double check your email in the event that you may have missed this important communication. The packets contain several different attachments so please read them carefully and reach out to us with any questions. We would be happy to get you a hardcopy if preferred. Just stop by the front desk and let us know. Application forms can be returned anytime beginning this Friday until next Friday, February 9th by day’s end. We are here to help with question about the process or program selections. Teachers will also be able to advise you on conference day as well. For those of you inquiring about our Kindergarten Program, we have an information packet available to you at the front desk.
BID IT FORWARD ~TOGETHER WE”RE STRONGER
We are very excited about our online Auction and Chance Drawing Event! This coordinated fundraising event is being cohosted by our Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, and therefore very much in line with this year’s “Together We’re Stronger” school-wide theme. There are two ways to win! The first is through our online Bid Beacon Auction beginning on Sunday, February 4th. We have an amazing selection of items to win, from experiences, entertainment, sports and food/drink items to art and home related possibilities. The second way to win is through our Chance Drawing. Classroom Baskets are on display in the lobby, and Chance Drawing Tickets are already on sale online. Thank you to classroom families for all of their incredible contributions! Bidding closes and the Chance Drawing will occur on Saturday, February 10th at 7 PM. Visit www.grotoncommunityschool.org/auction-2024 for more info!
PARKING LOT
The weather certainly plays a part in making our school parking a little more difficult to navigate during this time of year. Thank you for being cautious and mindful as you pull in and exit the lot with extra attention. While the parking lane that runs along the front of the school is a fire lane, we would be happy to walk your child to class for you if that helps in anyway. Just give us a call from your car or pop your head in and you can pass off your child(ren) to us for a safe delivery to their classroom for the day.
SUMMER CAMP
Many of you have been asking about Summer Camp at GCS. While it seems counter intuitive, we won’t begin GCS Camp registration until the fall process is complete. However, please know that we will be running a camp program, Monday through Thursday with half- and full-day selections for a full 9 weeks. We will put the schedule up on our website for you to refer to in a couple of weeks so you will have dates and offerings.
TAX SEASON
With tax season upon us, many of you will be looking for ways to use your childcare expenses to reduce your taxable income. Our GCS Tax ID Number is 04-2111-386. Please don’t forget to ask your tax accountant for the best way to utilize the Childcare Tax Credit. Some of you have employers that also offer a Tax Credit Benefit, so please remember to inquire with your employer and let us know if you need anything from us to help you in your filing.
THANK YOU
We’d like to thank our “Stock-the-Staff-Room” volunteers for January’s food/beverage donations: Jessica Clinton, Carrie Eubank, Peter Gollands, Karla King, Katie Noe, Bethany Reis, Chelsea Schaefer, Erin Tito, Betsy Whitney, and Jill Wilson. And thanks to the Aqua Room families for a “Souper Fun Friday” lunch for the Staff last week. Very much appreciated, as always!
Thank you to the following families for various donations this past month: The Harris family for spare clothing, the Giangregorio family for pastries for the Staff, the Miller family for a dollhouse & furnishings, the Waiters family for a Tonie Box & figures and for spare diapers, and to the Welch family for paper goods.
Until next time,
Linda Kosinski, GCS Director
DATES TO REMEMBER
Friday, February 2nd
Parent/Teacher
Conference Day
No School
Friday, February 9th
Enrollment Forms Due
5 PM
Monday, February 12th
Board Meeting
7:30 PM
Week of February 19th
Winter Break
No School
Sunday, March 3rd
Annual GCS Open House
11 AM – 1 PM