On Board Newsletter, Fall 2024
A warm welcome to our new and returning GCS families!
I hope that you are settled into your fall routines. The Board of Directors (BOD) is excited about the new school year and bringing the community together for our 20th Anniversary Home Tour. The school-wide theme, A Sense of Belonging, will be noticed throughout the year. To foster that sense, we encourage you to participate in classroom events and playdates and/or suggest an activity to your room parents! In addition, check out our walking club (kids welcome!) and a book club for grown-ups.
Approaching this weekend is the annual Fall FixUp – more information about volunteering can be found in the Building & Grounds section below. It’s a wonderful way to help the school and meet other parents & guardians.
Our biggest fundraiser, the 20th Anniversary Groton Community Home Tour, is scheduled for November 23rd. Please consider volunteering for a half day and touring the second half of the day. See sign up information below.
As always, please reach out with any thoughts, ideas, or questions. We love to hear from you and want families to feel a sense of belonging as well.
Warmly,
Kaitlyn Brokaw
President, GCS Board of Directors
boardofdirectors@grotoncommunityschool.org
GCS Home Tour
Want to know more?
Watch the video below, view our FAQs or email hometour@grotoncommunityschool.org
GCS Book Club
Click Here to RSVP to our 10/24 Book Club
Building and Grounds Update
Save the Date: Our Fall Fix Up is scheduled for Saturday, October 19th from 9 AM to 3 PM. The Fall Fix Up is a great way to get outside and meet other GCS parents while completing some simple gardening and landscaping tasks around the school
Hope to see you there!
If you are interested in helping with ongoing projects or have suggestions, please reach out to Jessica Barie at: buildingandgrounds@grotoncommunityschool.org.
Parent Representative Update:
GCS is all about embracing community and showing our children that things are better when we all work together! We would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to all who have volunteered to serve as a room parent this year. Room parents play an important role in supporting teachers and furthering the sense of community in the classroom.
Parents will receive classroom specific information and requests coordinated by the room parents throughout the year. These may include classroom parties, play dates, teacher gifts, or other special projects so be on the lookout for these updates.
As always, we are so excited to begin another school year at GCS!
Questions? Contact Luella Simakauskas and Samatha Wall at:
parentrepresentatives@grotoncommunityschool.org
Fundraising Update – Every Bit Counts!
As a nonprofit organization, GCS relies on fundraising to bridge the gap between tuition revenue and operating costs. There are several opportunities for you to take part in our 2024-2025 fundraising efforts, including the following events happening this fall:
- The Annual Fund. Many employers have a generous matching gift option- be sure to check with your employer!
- The Groton Community Home Tour on November 23. On this day, we will feature a bake sale and amazing chance prizes at GCS so be sure to come check it out!
- RaiseRight Gift Card Fundraiser. Turn holiday shopping into savings with GCS’s RaiseRight program! Simply use gift cards instead of cash or credit cards to support our school while you shop. Plus, with eGift cards and a mobile app, earning has never been easier!
- Box Tops for Education. Download the Box Tops for Education app and select “Groton Community School” as your school. Simply take photos of paper receipts or upload digital receipts in the app and earn money back for GCS.
Please see our Year at a Glance HERE for all fundraising opportunities throughout the school year.
On behalf of GCS, we thank you so much for all the ways you support Groton Community School! Our success relies on the community spirit and dedication of all of you!
Questions? email Kaitie Phinney and Melissa Sulprizio at Fundraising@grotoncommunityschool.org
Grotonfest
The Board of Directors had a great time representing GCS at Grotonfest! It was a wonderful day meeting community members, current GCS families and it was fun to catch up with GCS alumni who have moved on!
Kaitlyn Brokaw, President
Otonye Braide-Moncoeur, Vice President
Linda Kosinski, Director
Lisa Stafford, Assistant Director
Lindsay Guaraldi, Treasurer
Justine Mannix, Secretary
Brie Brie Borek and Abbey Lambert, Public Relations
Jess Barie and {open}, Buildings and Grounds
Kaitie Phinney and Melissa Sulprizio Fundraising
Luella Simakauskas and Samantha Wall , Parent Representative
Catherine West and Mai Tirella, Members-at-Large
If you missed the GCS Annual General Meeting we welcome you to attend any of our monthly Board of Director’s meetings. Ask questions and learn about all of the exciting things happening at GCS! We’d love to meet you. Can’t make the meeting but still want to learn more?
Email boardofdirectors@grotoncommunityschool.org and arrange a coffee date!
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.