On Board Newsletter, Winter 2023
Happy March! Despite the wintry weather, we’re going to be talking a lot about Spring in this newsletter. As I shared in our previous On Board Newsletter, one of our goals for the year was to create more opportunities for families to get together. Over the winter, we had a beautiful wreath-making workshop and a very fun and delicious Valentine’s Day Workshop. As a Board, we loved creating along side you and getting to know you better. We hope you enjoyed taking chances on the classroom baskets and January calendars. It was fun for the Board to notify winners; thank you for donating prizes and participating!
Since the start of the calendar year, teachers worked diligently preparing written observations and discussing their findings with families. We appreciate all of their careful consideration and time. They have also completed Square1Art projects with their classes. I cannot wait to see what the children have created this year!
We have some fun events to look forward to in the coming weeks, the school-wide playdate at One Stop Fun in Westford on Curriculum Day, March 23rd and the Spring Spruce Up on May 6th. We hope to see you then!
Please follow GCS on social media for updates and events, and let us know how we can support you. We are here to represent and help families, too!
Warmly,
Kaitlyn Brokaw
President, GCS Board of Directors
boardofdirectors@grotoncommunityschool.org
School Wide Play Date on Curriculum Day!
Come Play: March 23 from 10AM-12PM
Your family is invited to join GCS Board of Directors members and their children for a morning playdate at One Stop Fun, 49 Powers Road in Westford on Thursday, 3/23 when GCS is closed to children for Curriculum Day.
Meet other parents while your kiddos run, climb and tumble some energy out with friends! This is not a drop off event. Use of the facility has been donated to GCS for parent-supervised open play in both the gymnastics room and indoor playground.
This is a FREE event, siblings are welcome!
One stop Fun Website HERE. No RSVP needed. Email Brie Weider at Publicrelationstions@grotoncommunityschool.org with any questions.
Buildings and Grounds Update:
B&G is going to “Dig Deeper” this spring with the addition of rain barrels and compost bins to to the greenhouse side of our Playscape. The Dig Deeper project is geared toward helping to further teach children about water conservation and reducing waste for our environment.
In Celebration of their 100th Anniversary, members of the Groton Garden Club have visited GCS five classes (with more planned) to read and discuss gardening and nature. Check out more anniversary events at grotongardenclub.org/wp/events/
Save the date for the Spring Spruce Up, Saturday May 6th, rain date May 7th. Please consider donating your time. It’s a wonderful way to meet new friends and give back to our school community.
If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to Jessica Barie & Laura Hankin, Buildings & Grounds Co-Chairs
Parent Representative Update
It’s always so wonderful to start another school year and watch our GCS community come together. The classrooms are thriving and we greatly appreciate everyone’s positive energy and contributions. A special thank you to all the room parents for their continuous efforts in working alongside the teachers for all additional needs of the class, from organizing classroom parties and outside playdates to teacher gifts and amazing Chance Baskets. Thank you for your community support and all you do!
We would also like to send a big thank you to all of our volunteer bakers. Our monthly “stock the fridge” event for our wonderful teachers and staff is so rejuvenating and appreciated. Your generous contributions were also greatly appreciated for our long awaited ribbon cutting ceremony. Watching our community continue to participate and be so generous is what makes the GCS family the special community that it is. We couldn’t do it without you.
Questions? Reach out to Beth Christoforo Representatives at: Parentrepresentatives@grotoncommunityschool.org
Fall Fundraising Recap
We are looking ahead to the Spring and fun events we have planned! We would like to thank all of the families and friends of GCS who participated in the Fall and Winter Fundraisers, especially the Chance Calendar and amazing Classroom Chance Baskets. They were so successful! Following is a summary of the funds raised:
Upcoming Events this Spring:
There are many opportunities to continue to support GCS through our Fundraising efforts this Spring. Be sure to check the weekly email updates and newsletters for important information and deadlines on your favorite fundraisers!
– Square 1 Art: It’s time to Order! Your child’s artwork is available to order on a variety of keepsake items, see the catalogue that came home this week for details. Order deadline March 24th!
– Spring Apparel Sale: Be sure to check out the latest styles of GCS gear and apparel to suit up the whole family for GCS Spirit Week and the early June Family Picnic!
– RaiseRight Gift Card Fundraiser: This April, you will have another opportunity to purchase gift cards just in time for end-of-year teacher, graduation, and Mother’s and Father’s Day gifts. There is no extra cost to buy the gift card through us, but GCS receives a rebate on every card purchased.
– Class Pictures: Details will be announced later this spring.
The monies raised goes directly back into the non-profit budget to help close the gap between tuition and actual costs. Thanks so much for your support of GCS Fundraising!
Questions? Email Fundraising Chair, Lindsay Guaraldi at Fundraising@grotoncommunityschool.org
2023 Board of Directors
Kaitlyn Brokaw, President
Laura Cummings, Vice President
Linda Kosinski, Director
Lisa Stafford, Assistant Director
Terri Martin, Full Day Coordinator and Summer Camp Director
Colleen Neff, Treasurer
Justine Mannix, Secretary
Brie Weider and {co-chair open}, Public Relations
Laura Hankin and Jessica Barie, Buildings and Grounds
Lindsay Guaraldi and {co-chair open}, Fundraising
Beth Christoforo and {co-chair open} Parent Representatives
Kelly Lopez, Kaitlin Phinney and Otonye Braide-Moncoeur, Members-at-Large
Stay Connected with GCS
Check out Groton Community School, Inc. on social media to stay up-to-date on all the fun and exciting activities that are happening every day at GCS. We welcome your feedback and invite you to review our Social Media Etiquette Policy under the About section on our Facebook page.
