Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Dear Friends of Gateway:
Here is this week’s installment of Gateway’s weekly e-newsletter. As always, your feedback and suggestions are invited.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.
COMING EVENTS: A schedule of activities for the week ending February 16, 2007 is now posted. (Items for this calendar should be submitted at least two weeks ahead of time!)
UPCOMING MEETINGS: The next meeting of the Gateway Regional School Committee will be on February 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Library Media Center (2nd floor) of the middle/high school campus. Version 1.0 of the 2007-2008 budget will be presented. The Friends of Gateway are now meeting the first Tuesday of every month. Their next meeting will be February 6th at 7 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Office. New members are needed and should feel welcome to attend. As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.
BIRDS OF PREY AT CHESTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: “How do the male eagles impress the female eagles?” Second grade student Camryn Rock asked Tom Ricardi at the Birds of Prey Program at Chester Elementary School on January 30th. Click here for his response, photos, and lots more information.
LOCAL ARTS COUNSELS FUND COMMISSIONED CHORAL PIECE: Thanks to the generous contributions of our town Arts Councils, Dr. Allen Bonde from Mt. Holyoke College has been commissioned to write a piece that will be performed by the High School Chorus with freshman fiddler phenom Leland Martin in the spring concert. Vocal Music Director Jerilyn Beauregard has already written the lyrics for the song, which is entitled “The Dam”. Read more in the complete article.
SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER MONTHLY BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING: This month’s free blood pressure clinic will be held on Valentine’s Day, February 14th from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the School-Based Health Center. Park in front and enter through the main entrance. The SBHC is located off of the main foyer.
LAST CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: The Friends of Gateway are sponsoring their 3rd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Friday, February 9, 2007 from 5 – 7 p.m. in the Gateway MS/HS cafeteria. In addition to organization by the Friends group, our teachers, aides, secretaries, nurses and administrators are pitching in (BIG TIME!) to make the evening special—from decorating the gym, to providing musical entertainment and decorations, serving food and creating baskets for the raffle. All we need now are volunteers! If you volunteer in any capacity for Gateway and wish to attend, please call 685-1003 to RSVP.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT EASTER PLANTS SALE: Easter lilies, tulips, hyacinths and pansies are all on sale through February 26th to benefit the Gateway Music Department. Plants may be picked up in the choral room (room 125) on April 2nd from 2:30 – 5:00. Click here for a printable order form and instructions.
ONLY ONE MONTH LEFT TO REGISTER FOR VOKE SCHOOLS: Students and parents are reminded that the deadline for applying to Westfield Vocational-Technical High School or Smith Vocational Agricultural High School is March 1, 2007. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Applications are available in the Guidance Office; please contact Jeanene Iglesias at 685-1107 for more information.
READY. SET. GO TO COLLEGE: The Boston Globe/Associated Press has reported that the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Board of Higher Education are spending $250,000 to promote a Web Site intended to boost interest in college to middle and high school students. The marketing campaign includes advertisements on buses along with radio, movie theater and television ads. The Web Site, ReadySetGotoCollege.com, provides eight steps for getting into and being successful at college.
REMINDERS:
- PARENTS NEEDED FOR DENTAL PLANNING: Hilltown Community Health Centers won a grant to provide dental services to Gateway students. We need parents to help plan these services in a way that makes sense for our community! Read on for details and contact information.
- MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE EVENT TO BENEFIT ALPINE SKI TEAM: If you can’t get away on that dream cruise this winter, consider the next best thing. Come to the “Murder on the High Seas” mystery dinner at The Rapids restaurant on Friday, March 2, 2007. The play will be presented by the Comical Mystery Tour, which describes this play as having a “love boat gone awry” plot. Read on for details.
- WINTER WEATHER CLOSINGS AT GATEWAY: Many are starting to wonder if we will even need these protocols this year! Nonetheless, parents and students may wish to review our procedure for announcing school delays and cancellations. Whether you use the telephone, Internet, or other media—you’ll want to take note. Also, be advised that these same systems will be used in a school emergency. Click here for details.
- GATEWAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU: The Gateway Regional School Committee has announced that it will again hold meetings in all seven district towns during this school year, so that town officials and area residents will have greater access to those meetings. The next “town” meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14th at Littleville Elementary School. In the meantime, the School Committee will meet at the Gateway complex on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of January and February. Read the complete article for details.
- DISTRICT SAFETY HOTLINE: A reminder that the Gateway Regional School District has a confidential Safety Hotline in place, for students and community members to share their concerns. Just call 685-1050 and leave a message.
IN CLOSING, the Superintendent’s Corner for this week is attached. This week, Dr. Hopson announces that Expanded Learning Time committees (elementary, middle and high school levels) are in the process of sending out parent surveys. He also answers some frequently asked questions about the grant. Please look for and return your survey, to provide us with critical information on this project! Read the entire column for details.
Have a great week!
Wendy V. Long, Editor
|
