Breaking News From Gateway
 
January 29, 2008

Dear Friends of Gateway:

Here is this week’s installment of Gateway’s weekly e-newsletter.  As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  “Democracy is a team sport.  It is not like going to a ballgame where you sit passively and decide if you like the players and evaluate their abilities after watching the game.  We are the players, we are the team, in a democratic nation or a democratic world” – John Renesch

COMING EVENTS:  A schedule of activities for the week ending February 9, 2008 is now posted.  (Items for this calendar should be submitted at least two weeks ahead of time!)

UPCOMING MEETINGS:  If you missed the January 23rd meeting of the Gateway Regional School Committee, you missed the presentation of Version 1.0 of the 2008-09 budget. Click here to view budget documents, presentations and related articles. The next meeting of the Gateway Regional School Committee will be February 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the MS/HS Library Resource Center (2nd floor). Extra agendas and handouts will be available for visitors. The next meeting of the Friends of Gateway will be February 5 from 7 – 9 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Office. We will be putting finishing touches on the Volunteer Dinner and welcome new members. The public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.

JOBS GURU TO RETIRE THIS MONTH: “There’s life after Gateway. That’s my mantra,” said Guidance Counselor Pauline A. McCarthy, who is perhaps best known for helping generations of students explore potential careers. After 34 years, McCarthy will retire shortly from Gateway Regional High School.  Click here for more.

Senior Interns made presentations on their fall semester work experiences earlier this month. Left to right:  Jourdan Merritt, Kristina Loomis, Pauline McCarthy, Jessica Guay, Natalie Tacke, Celeste Cianfrani, Molly McCarthy, Brian Whitman and Hannah Long.

LITTLEVILLE STUDENTS BRING HEART FOCUS TO VALENTINES DAY: Once again, the students at Littleville Elementary School will participate in the American Heart Association’s “Jump Rope For Heart” program—held this year on Valentine’s Day. Read on in the complete article.

MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL POSTER CONTEST FOR MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER DAY:

The Massachusetts Coalition of School-Based Health Centers is sponsoring a poster contest with the theme “School-Based Health Centers: A Key to Student Success.” Students are invited to submit a design to the Gateway School-Based Health Center by February 13th. The Gateway Center staff will forward all student artwork to the Massachusetts Coalition, who will pick the winning design to be used in their annual logo. The Gateway School-Based Health Center will also hold a drawing and award a prize to one of our students who enter. All of the posters will be displayed at the State House on March 3, 2008, where the winning artist and finalists will be recognized. Click here to download a flyer of contest rules and additional details.

COLLEGE PLANNING WORKSHOP FOR JUNIORS AND THEIR PARENTS: Save the date for a special post-high school planning meeting for high school juniors and their parents. The GRHS Guidance Department is hosting an evening college and career planning workshop for juniors on February 5, 2008 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. Click here for a flyer.

DEADLINE FOR VOCATIONAL SCHOOL APPLICATIONS IS ONE MONTH AWAY: Any Gateway 8th grade student or Gateway High School student who is interested in applying to Westfield Vocational-Technical High School or Smith Vocational-Agricultural High School program must apply before the cut-off date of March 1, 2008.  Applications received after this date will not be considered. Interested students should contact either the Middle School or High School Guidance Office for an application. Please contact Jeanene Iglesias at 413-685-1107 if you have questions or need any additional information.

CHOIRS PERFORM AT SKI AREA: Members of the Show Choir and Concert Choir at Gateway Regional High School performed for the Blandford Council on Aging on January 18th. The choirs were entertainment for the group’s annual senior luncheon at Blandford Ski Area. Students received a standing ovation from tat their appreciative audience. Oma’s Kitchen provided a complementary lunch for the students. Click here for photos.

ATHLETIC BOOSTERS TO MEET: The Gateway High School Athletic Booster Club will meet on Monday, February 4th at 7 p.m. in the high school gym.  All are welcome to attend and help support all high school athletic programs. Questions? Call Deb Lariviere at 667-3121.

HIGH SCHOOL TUTORING PROGRAM: Members of the National Honor Society will be on hand from 11:15 to 12:00 in the student lounge, Monday through Friday, to tutor high school students who need help. Students need to get a pass to attend. Please review the tutoring flyer for the schedule of courses that will be covered each day.

ENERGY DRINKS: LOTS OF HYPE, POSSIBLE DANGER: Are your kids drinking Red Bull, KMX, Shark, Guru or Bomba Blue? Are they responding to the massive marketing to teens and college students that promise to “Ignite your mind” and be “Great for Workouts”. Despite the hype, these products are not sports drinks. They are very high in caffeine and sugar and are not recommended by most health experts. Read the reviews.

REMINDERS:

  • GATEWAY VOLUNTEERS—SAVE THE DATE! This notice is for anyone who has served on a committee, council, PTO, booster club, volunteered in a classroom or parent center; anyone who made grinders for the Cabin Fever Concert or served up “Gator Tators” on Booster Field; anyone who read with or tutored students; anyone who chaperoned a field trip or donated items for a raffle. If you have done one or more of these activities for a Gateway school or student(s) in the past 12 months, you are warmly invited to attend our Fourth Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on February 8, 2008. Click here for times, location and RSVP instructions.

  • NEXT YEAR’S HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE SELECTING COURSES NOW: Students will begin meeting with teachers and guidance counselors over the next few weeks to make important course selections for next year. Students will be issued a Program of Studies and a 2008-09 Course Selection Sheet. The sheet will have teacher recommendations on it, and parents/guardians can also indicate their requests. Completed Course Selection Sheets should be returned to the Gateway Guidance Office by February 8, 2008.

  • MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE ON FEBRUARY 1: The Blue & Gold Committee is sponsoring a winter dance for 5th and 6th grade students from 2:15 to 4:30 p.m., and for 7th and 8th grade students from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. on February 1st. Tickets will be sold before school and at lunch from January 28 until January 31. Tickets will be $3.50 for the afternoon dance, and $4.00 for the evening dance. Parents must provide all transportation.

  • PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF 12TH GRADERS, TAKE NOTE: Gateway High School Seniors have received an important form, which must be returned by February 7th. The sheet will be used to order diplomas for the June graduation. As diplomas are legal documents, the form must give the student’s full legal name.

  • GATEWAY CALENDAR CHANGE APPROVED: The Gateway Regional School Committee voted on November 14, 2007 to change the district calendar for the current school year.  The parent-teacher conference day initially scheduled for March 24, 2008 will now be held on March 20, 2008, which will be a day off for students. The change was made to accommodate MCAS testing.
  • FAFSA REMINDER FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: The Gateway Regional High School Guidance Office reminds parents and high school seniors that any student seeking federal financial aid can now fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov (*only use this government site: don’t be fooled by ANY site that asks you to pay to fill the form out!) In addition, there is an opportunity to get FREE assistance in filling out the application on January 27th, 2008 at an event called College Goal Sunday:  see www.FAFSAday.org or call 877-4CGSMAS for more information! The Guidance Department can also assist with questions about the financial aid process.
  • LITTLEVILLE MORNING DROP-OFF CHANGES: Adults are reminded that Littleville Elementary School has changed the way it directs cars to drop off children. The circle in the parking light is now designated as a BUS LOOP ONLY. Others who are dropping off children should go straight in and turn left by the sidewalk, and leave the circle free for busses. If there is a bus with red lights flashing, you must stop and wait.
  • GATEWAY PHONE DIRECTORIES ON SALE AT ALL SCHOOL OFFICES! You can still purchase a Gateway Phone Directory at any school office. Get one and keep it by your phone the next time you want to know if school is cancelled due to bad weather, report your child as absent, or follow-up with the school nurse on a playground injury. Read more in the complete article.
  • GATEWAY SCHOOL SAFETY HOTLINE: As part of Gateway’s School Safety Plan, the school safety hotline (685-1050) will remain in place for the coming school year. Monitored by the district’s Security Monitor, the hotline is a voice mailbox that can be used to report harassment, drug or alcohol concerns, vandalism, and school safety issues. The purpose of the hotline is to help keep Gateway schools safe for all.

IN CLOSING, the Superintendent’s Corner for this week is now posted. This week, Dr. Hopson announces Gateway’s nominees and recipients of the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards. Read the entire column for details .

Have a great week!

 

                                                                                           Wendy V. Long, Editor

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“Breaking News From Gateway”

Is published weekly by the Gateway Regional School District

12 Littleville Rd.

Huntington, MA  01050

For questions or feedback, please contact Wendy Long @ (413) 685-1003 or email wlong@grsd.org

© 2008, Gateway Regional School District