Tuesday, May 22, 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: “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” – Oscar Wilde
COMING EVENTS: A schedule of activities for the week ending June 1, 2007 is now posted. (Items for this calendar should be submitted at least two weeks ahead of time!)
UPCOMING MEETINGS: The next regular meeting of the Gateway Regional School Committee will be on May 23rd at 7:30 p.m. at the Library Media Center (2nd floor). The Committee’s Retiree Reception will precede the SC meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the foyer. The public is welcome to attend the reception; light refreshments will be served. The Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award nominees will be recognized at the beginning of the school committee meeting, at 7:30 p.m. upstairs. The Friends of Gateway are now meeting the first Tuesday of every month. Their next meeting is June 4th to work on the fall fundraiser. New members are needed and should feel welcome to attend. As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend all meetings.
HIGH SCHOOL TO PRESENT “THE OUTSIDERS” NEXT WEEKEND: Gateway Regional High School students will perform “The Outsiders” on June 1 and 2 at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. Tickets will be available at the door and are $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. This play is a modern classic that deals with some violent themes and may not be suitable for young children. Details on the story line, cast and crew in the complete article.
LOCAL POLICE ATTEND ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING AT GATEWAY: Twenty hilltown police officers attended an “Active Shooter” training at the Middle/High School on May 19th, conducted by the Massachusetts State Police STOP (Special Tactical Operations) Team. The training focused on how police would respond to a school shooting or hostage situation. Read more in the complete article.
NO SCHOOL ON MEMORIAL DAY: Gateway schools will be closed on Monday, May 28th for Memorial Day observances. The Gateway Wellness Center and Littleville Wrap-Around Program will also be closed.
MS ORIENTATION TO BE HELD FOR PARENTS OF 4TH GRADERS: Gateway Middle School is offering a Parent Orientation Night for parents of current 4th grade students. Parents are invited to attend on Thursday, May 31, 2007 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Due to preparations for "The Outsiders", this event will be held in the cafeteria.
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: The school committee has confirmed that the final day of school for Gateway students will be June 22, 2007; it will be a half-day.
APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!: Kristina Loomis, a junior at Gateway Regional High School, will tour Europe this summer with the United States Youth Ensembles. She will be part of a select group of singers from across the United States who will perform with the U.S. Youth Chorale under the direction of conductor Mary Catherine Salo. The group will tour Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, and The Netherlands. Loomis was selected for this elite performing group on the basis of her audition for the Western Massachusetts District Chorus earlier this year. (Applause, Applause is a new feature for Breaking News that celebrates student and staff successes outside of school. Send your good news to wlong@grsd.org).
MAY IS NATIONAL BIKE SAFETY MONTH: The snow is (finally) gone and towns have been sweeping the leftover winter sand and salt off of the sides of the roads, making this the perfect time to bring your bicycle out of storage! Before you do, check out the Kids Health website pages on bicycle safety. Why? Because each year, 176,000 children are seriously injured in bicycling accidents, which can be avoided by wearing a bike helmet and understanding the rules of the road.
REMINDERS:
- DON’T MISS ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT FEATURING STUDENTS, STAFF, AND ALUMNI: The Fifth Annual “Night of Music” fundraiser for the Crane Memorial Scholarship will be held on Friday, May 25th at 7 PM in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. Students, faculty, alumni and staff will perform a variety of music including blues, folk and rock-and-roll. Details in the complete article.
- MAY LATE STARTS FOR ALL, EXTRAS FOR GRADES 9, 10 & 11: Students in the Gateway Regional School District will have a two-hour delay on Thursday, May 24th for staff professional development. The Littleville Wraparound program will be open for students who pre-register. There will be no morning preschool program. In addition, high school students in grades 9, 11 and 12 will have two additional delayed starts on May 22 and 23, while tenth graders take the MCAS exam. Students in those grades should be at their bus stops at least 10 minutes earlier (than the May 24th late start) due to quicker bus runs with only three grades.
- BLOOD DRIVE AT HIGH SCHOOL: The Gateway High School Student Council is sponsoring a Blood Drive on Tuesday, May 22nd from 10 AM to 3 PM in the high school gymnasium. Parents and community members are needed! Read on for more information.
- RETIREES, P.V.E.T. NOMINEES TO BE RECOGNIZED ON MAY 23RD: Seven retiring district staff members will be honored by the Gateway Regional School Committee at a reception in the Gateway MS/HS entryway, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Former and current students, parents, community members and colleagues are invited to attend and wish them well. The School Committee will be honoring Ollie Allaire, Marilyn Cangro, Jeff Fisk, Jeff Samson, Kathy MacLean, Nancy Bean and Peter Curro at this event. Details on recognizing the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching nominees in the complete article.
- CALLING ALL TAG SALERS: Littleville Elementary School is holding its first ever school-wide Tag Sale on June 2nd. Anyone wishing to sell items can purchase a prime tag sale spot for $10. The PTO will advertise in local newspapers and businesses; vendors price their own items and keep the profit! Set up will be 7:30 – 9 a.m.; the tag sale will run from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. For those who have items but don’t wish to man their own space, they can be donated and sold at the school table. For planning purposes, please call the school ASAP to let them know you are interested and planning to participate.
- NOW ACCEPTING MS SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATIONS: All students who will attend Gateway Middle School next year are invited to attend a 4-week summer camp at Gateway running July 9th through August 2nd. This is a great opportunity for rising 5th grade students to really get to know their way around the school! (And for grade 6 – 8 students to show them the way!) Students can attend Monday/Wednesday sessions or Tuesday/Thursday sessions. Check out the complete article and then download a registration form here!
- SPRING SPORTS BANQUET REMINDER: The Gateway Athletic Booster Club is pleased to announce that the annual sports banquet will take place on Tuesday, May 29th from 6 – 10 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel in Northampton. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for athletes and children under age 12. Tickets are available through Patti Trzasko at the high school or by calling Deb Lariviere at 667-3121. All Gateway athletes, coaches and families are invited.
- SUMMER PROGRAMS TO BOOST STUDENT MCAS PERFORMANCE OFFERED: Students in Middle and High School who have struggled to pass the MCAS exam in the past, have been invited to a attend a summer program designed to boost student achievement. A four-week program is offered for students currently in grades 8 and 9; a three-week program is available for all others. Read why.
- 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 final “town” meeting of this school year is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13th at Middlefield Town Hall. Read the complete article for details.
- GATEWAY SCHOOL SAFETY REMINDER: 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 looks at the ways we live our district vision statement: “The Gateway Regional School District will provide an exemplary education that challenges all students in an instructional setting appropriate to their needs.” Read the entire column for details.
Have a great week!
Wendy V. Long, Editor
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