Family Engagement
Hello GMRSD Families,
This is the page on our website for YOU: I post resources, school information, and suggestions. Here's more information about my role as our district Family Engagement Coordinator: Family Engagement.
I can be contacted at:
Stacey Langknecht, Family Engagement Coordinator
Stacey.Langknecht@gmrsd.org or 413 863-7473
My office is located in the Central Office building at 35 Crocker Avenue.
FYI, I work part-time, and am generally in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but I have some flexbility for meetings outside of those days, so don't hesitate to reach out anytime! I do try to check my messages and email on the other days.I also work through the summer!
Upcoming District & School Meetings & Events:
Check out our Virtual Family Resource Center: GMRSD Virtual Family Resource Center!!!!! This can also be accessed from the banner on the home page of the gmrsd.org website.
The Elementary Math Night was very well attended and everyone seemed to have a great time!! Next up: Elementary Science Night, this time at Gill Elementary School!!! This will be on Thursday 5/16 from 6-7:30, with a rain date of Thursday 5/23. Because they have very limited parking, we are offering bus rides to and from the school for families; here are the details and sign-up form: Science Night at Gill Bus Registration.
Also, we are doing another Hillcrest/Sheffield Walk/Bike/Roll to School Event! This one will be on Wednesday May 1st - flyer coming soon! In the meantime, I'm looking for volunteers to help guide the groups of families walking and rolling, and/or to be at one of the tables to help distribute goodies at the end. If you are interested, please contact me (Stacey) at either stacey.langknecht@gmrsd.org or 413-863-7473. Thanks in advance!
Here's the Hillcrest Math Newsletter: Hillcrest Math Newsletter
Here's the full schedule plus of Friends of Hillcrest meetings: Friends of Hillcrest Meetings. Their next meeting is Thursday 4/11 from 5:30-6:45 at the school.
Here's Principal Burstein's Friday Newsletter: Hillcrest Friday News
Kindergarten registration is in full swing! If you have child who will be 5 by September 1st, you should have received a registration packet in the mail. If you didn't, please call Hillcrest (863-9526) or the Student Services Office (863-7507) to request one. If you did, please fill it out and submit it ASAP! Also, we had a nice turn-out at Hillcrest's Kindergarten Open House last week!
Sheffield Families, here's Principal Heathwaite's Sheffield Newsletter: Sheffield Spotlight Newsletter. Friends of Sheffield's next meeting is 4/8 from 5:30-6:45 at the school, feel free to join! They had a movie fundraiswer at Greenfield Garden Cinemas recently and a Scholastic Book Fair!
I am still happy to talk with parents and volunteers about forming a parent/community run walking school bus; just call or email me at 863-7473 or stacey.langknecht@gmrsd.org.
Gill also had a successful Kindergarten Open House! Also if you have a 5-year old and live in Gill, you should have received a registration packet so please fill it out as soon as possible! If you haven't received one, please call the school (863-3255) or the Student Services Office (863-7507).
The next Gill PTO meeting will be on Tuesday 5/9 from 5:15-6:15 in the school all-purpose room.
If your middle or high schooler is participating in band/chorus, sports, or theater, we have Booster groups for those programs! These parent groups support the respective programs in many ways, and of course present another opportuniFroty to get to know other parents/guardians in the school. See the sidebar for contact information for each!
Other upcoming events: 5/1 is the Pioneer Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra Collaborative Rehearsal, 5/5 is their concert, 5/8 is the TFHS Spring Concert, 5/23 is the GFMS Spring Concert, and 6/7 is Graduation Night! Phew!! Ms. Comeau will send more info as the dates get closer.
From the GF/TF school nurse's office:
"There are increasing cases of Covid in our school community. Everyone will now be required to wear a mask to enter the nurse's office. You will notice our safety gate will be engaged, so students and staff can mask prior to entering. We encourage anyone who feels sick to please mask outside of the nurse's office as well. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions." Note that they have masks available just outside and inside their door. Please remind your student of this renewed policy. "
Also, hopefully you received Superintendent Beck's email with the latest Covid-19 protocols for our school district; if you didn't, here it is again: GMRSD Covid-19 Protocol.
And, starting this spring, the Community Health Center's dentist will be coming to the school to do dental check-ups on students who are signed up - here's the registration form: CHC Dental Care Registration.
SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council): this is a district-wide group of parents/guardians whose children receive special education services in our district. It's a great way to support each other and also is empowered with advising our district on changes that you feel would be helpful in our program. For more information, please contact Dianne Ellis at either dianne.ellis@gmrsd.org or 863-7508.
EL-PAC (English Learners Parent Advisory Council):
Para obtener más información sobre este grupo, comuníquese con Dianne Ellis a dianne.ellis@gmrsd.org o al 863-7508.
For more information about this group, contact Dianne Ellis at either dianne.ellis@gmrsd.org or 863-7508.
Tina Mahaney, our amazing Director of Technology, sent this along for parents and caregivers about keeping kids safe online: Family Link.
FYI, here's the link that has the Covid protocols that we follow: COVID Protocols.
Community Events:
Here's the April calendar plus some flyers from the Montague Libraries: MPL April Calendar, Wildlife Tales at the DC, Music Story Time, Kidleidoscope Story Time at the DC, Solar Eclipse Event, Maker Space Mondays.
Here are the April events for the Greenfield Public Library: Greenfield Public Library April Events
The Brick House is hosting a 2-part Vision Board workshop for families in April; the first on 4/10 from 9:30-12:30 for parents/caregivers and the second on 4/24 from 4:30-7:30 for the whole family: Vision Board Workshop for Families.
April is sexual assault awareness month and NELCWIT is hosting two in-person, community events for survivors and their allies: Empowerment Workshop and The Healing Power of Collage
There will be a Spring Sustainability Event at the Brick House on 4/17 from 6-8; this includes family dinner: Spring Sustainability Dinner Event y Events de Sostenibilidad de Primavera
The Support Network Program is offering a 6-week, “Parenting Well When you are not Feeling Well”group starting April 12th, 2024 at 10:00 AM for those who are parenting while living with a chronic condition such as fibromyalgia,migraines, depression or anxiety. Attend all groups and earn anAmazon gift card. Since it’s sometimes hard to get out when you arestruggling, this group will be run via Zoom. Registration is limited, so please register ASAP by contacting Gretchen Emond at gemond@wmtcinfo.org or 413-530-4689
The Brick House now offers Drop-in Hours for resource and information: Drop-In Hours at the Brick House
There's a Spanish-English gathering happening at the Brick House every Tuesday from 5-6. It's a way to practice either language informally with others, and is open to all. Here's the flyer in Spanish and English: Spanish-English Gatherings and Espanol-Ingles Reunion.
The Brick House hosts a Coffee Hour every Thursday morning from 9-10am. It's open to the community and offers coffee, tea and refreshments each week.
The Brick House Youth Programs have tons of activities so bug your teen! Here are the flyers: Project Amp Mentoring, Teen Center March Calendar.
If you are looking for advanced manufacturing training, this may be just the thing: Manufacturing Training.
Here's the Community Action Family Resource Center's latest calendar: FRC April Calendar
The Salasin Center offers a weekly Nurturing Program for Families in Recovery Program; here are the details: Nurturing Program for Families in Recovery
Here's the latest Connections Newsletter: Connections Newsletter.
The Communities That Care Coalition's Parent Family Engagement Workgroup published it's 2023 Parenting Guide in the Greenfield Recorder and the Athol Daily News, but you can also find it online here: ParentingGuide.
The Brick House is sponsoring a Women's Money Matters program and still has some slots for upcoming classes; here are flyers in English and Spanish: Women's Money Matters Program and in Spanish: Women's Money Matters Espanol.
The ARC in Turners Falls has a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Group: Grandparents Raising Grandkids Group.
Here's the newletter from HilltownFamilies.org, with lots of community information: HilltownFamilies.
I'm sure you are hearing about Covid rearing its ugly head of late....here's a document about the latest in precautions, etc.: Updated Covid Information.
This website can be helpful for families who want to apply for Section 8 (subsidized) housing or are on the waiting list already: Section 8 Housing Info.
I came across this website, which offers resources and tips for keeping children away from guns in the home: GunSafetyInfo.
If your family receives SNAP benefits, you should check out this info about the Health Incentive Program (HIP): HIP.
Important reminders about SNAP and P-EBT:
Based on federal rules, students attending school in-person are not eligible for Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT), but the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) encourages students and families to keep their P-EBT cards. More information can be found at MAp-EBT.org.
If students received P-EBT, they may be eligible for SNAP. Please encourage families who received P-EBT to sign up for SNAP. It is fast and easy to apply, and the monthly SNAP amount is now higher than ever ($658 for a family of three and $835 for a family of four!). The following resources can help spread the word:
- Outreach materials are available in 11 languages
- Videos are available on DTA's YouTube channel, including “About SNAP” (in English and Spanish) and “How to Apply for SNAP” (in six languages) that can be shared via social media, text or email
- MAp-ebt.org/sna
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Parenting Tip of the Month: Coping Skills Life can be so hard sometimes! One of the best ways to support your child (and yourself!) during challenging times is to practice healthy coping skills and to teach your child how to cope with difficult situations, too. You'll find that you'll all be happier and better off in the long run! Here's a good quick article with tips from the strong4life.com website: |
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Community Resource of the Month: The United Arc This organization serves families who have a family member with a developmental disablity. They help them get appropriate services and offer programs to promote learning and social well-being. Here's the contact information: Main Office: 294 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376 |
The GMRSD Internet Safety Task Force invited the Northwestern District Attorney's office to do a zoom presentation for our parents & guardians on, well, internet safety. The presentation was done by them and the Children's Advocacy Center in March, and for those of you who missed it, here's the link to the Power Point:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1634jmPqCPrkF6vszKilR7oDvkyXyZ7LQ/view?usp=sharing.
Please take a look at it; it has lots of great information and websites that may help you learn how to protect your kids from online dangers!
More Community Resources for Students and Families
Local Resources Updated Sept2022
Community Action of the Pioneer Valley
Pandemic-EBT- Help for Families During Covid
Montague Catholic Social Ministries
https://franklinareasurvivalcenter.org/
Massachusetts Migrant Education Program: https://www.collaborative.org/programs/migrant-education-program
Helpful Websites for Parenting
http://https://www.onetoughjob.org/
https://www.strong4life.com/en/emotional-wellness/coping/healthy-coping-strategies-for-kids
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/