Superintendent's June 2026 Update

💖We know it takes effort to make all of this happen.

Busy schedules. Early mornings. Real-life challenges.

But your consistency—especially when it comes to attendance—
has a lasting impact on your child’s success.

📊 Because of You…

Students were in class more, learned more, and stayed connected.
They grew as readers, problem-solvers, and confident learners.

And most importantly—they knew they had a team behind them.

💛 Thank You for Being Our Partners

For showing up.
For staying engaged.
For making school a priority.

We couldn’t do this without you—and we don’t want to.

🎯 Looking Ahead

We’re excited to keep this partnership strong next year—
because when families and schools work together, students thrive.

Reminder!

Students in grades 1-12 return to school on August 27th!

On Friday evening, June 5, the Turners Falls High School gymnasium was transformed into a sea of pride, tradition, and profound emotion. Clad in our signature blue and white gowns, the Class of 2026 marched in to the familiar notes of "Pomp and Circumstance," taking their final steps as high school students and their first monumental steps into the future.

As I looked out at the rows of graduating seniors, I was reminded of the incredible resilience, talent, and heart that defines this unique group of young adults. This is a class that has navigated challenges with grace, excelled in academics, arts, and athletics, and left an indelible mark on the culture of our entire school community.

To the families, caregivers, teachers, and staff who guided them to this milestone: thank you. This achievement belongs to our entire collective district. It takes a village to raise a graduate, and our community has once again proven its unwavering commitment to our youth.

In Their Own Words: Highlights from the Commencement Speakers

The evening was punctuated by powerful student reflections that captured both the nostalgia of their time in our district and the boundless potential of what lies ahead.

A Joint Welcome

The ceremony opened on a wonderful note of collaboration, featuring a joint welcome address by the Class of 2026 Co-Presidents, Shayly Martin Ovalle and Yolvin Ovalle Mehia. Their shared words set a tone of unity, reflecting on the close bonds formed by the class over their years together.

Looking Backward, Stepping Forward

Our student leaders challenged their peers to honor their roots while boldly embracing change. Salutorian Vaughn La Valley and Valedictorian Estes Lemerise-Reinking delivered moving addresses that reminded the audience that while their time in our classrooms has come to an end, the lessons learned here—from their early days in our elementary schools to their final walks through the high school hallways—are permanently etched into who they are. From freshman year uncertainties to senior year triumphs, the journey was celebrated as a shared victory.

A Charge to the Future

As diplomas were conferred, the message to the Class of 2026 was clear: The world is waiting for your leadership. Whether entering the workforce, joining the military, or heading off to higher education, these graduates leave us fully equipped to be compassionate citizens, critical thinkers, and innovative changemakers.

A Symphony of Celebration: Art and Music

The graduation exercises were beautifully elevated by the incredible musical talents of our student body led by Alyssa Comeau, band/choral/music teacher and Senior Class Advisor. The Turners Falls High School Concert Band brought immense energy to the gymnasium, treating the audience to a stellar performance of "Metal!" that had everyone energized.

Later in the evening, the high school choir touched the hearts of everyone in attendance with a beautiful, nostalgic rendition of "When I Grow Up" from Matilda The Musical. It was a fitting and poignant selection that perfectly captured the bittersweet feeling of transitioning from childhood into the wider world.

Gratitude in Bloom: The Rose of Appreciation

One of the most moving traditions of the evening was the Rose of Appreciation segment. Following the presentation of diplomas, the atmosphere shifted to one of deep gratitude. Members of the senior class were asked to stand up, look into the crowd, and disperse into the audience to hand a single rose to someone who has made a definitive difference in their lives.

Watching our graduates seek out parents, grandparents, teachers, and mentors to deliver a hug and a rose was a beautiful reminder of the tight-knit Montague and Gill communities. It underscored how the unwavering support of local families and neighbors has provided the foundation allowing these students to take risks, grow, and ultimately soar.

To the Class of 2026:

You have made the Gill-Montague Regional School District incredibly proud. Never forget where you came from, keep striving for excellence, and always carry the spirit of the Thunder with you wherever you go.

Congratulations, graduates!

Tari N. Thomas

🌟 20 Senior National Honor Society Members

📚 Ms. Pelis' grade 2 class at Gill School has read just about 1500 books on epic! books. WOW!

✨2 Newspapers from Ms. Keane's Journalism Class Newspaper 2

🎓 52 Graduates for Turners Falls High school

💵 $51,250 in scholarships awarded to the Class of 2026

📜11 John & Abigail Adams Scholarships

🏅 5 Seals of Biliteracy

🙂 81% of our senior class will be pursuing some form of higher education (4 year college, 2 year college, trade school. The remaining students will be seeing employment and/or GAP year opportunities

💼 We had seven students graduate with their Innovation Career Pathways Credentials. Five of them were in Healthcare and Social Assistance and two were in Advanced Manufacturing

💫Twenty-one students have been accepted into the Innovation Career Pathways Program for the Class of 2031

🌎Ten students will be traveling with Global Glimpse this summer to Panama, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica

⭐TFHS Student Council was awarded the Gold Council of Excellence from the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils at the annual conference.

Check this out! Sheffield Elementary is featured in the Massachusetts Farm to School Institute's 2025-2026 Report. So impressive! Click below to read the entire article and see more pictures.

https://www.massfarmtoschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2025-26-Institute-Report.pdf

TFHS is incredibly proud to recognize five outstanding students who have earned the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy. This honor celebrates much more than language proficiency; it reflects years of commitment, resilience, and the invaluable ability to connect across cultures.

• Shayly Martin Ovalle (Earned with Distinction)

• Michael Berdugo

• Elsee Galvez Martin

• Yolvin Ovalle Mejia (Earned with Distinction)

• Mario Pareja (Earned with Distinction)

• John Ramirez Martin

The Global Seal of Literacy

• Christopher Judah Halla
• Michaela Klempmer-Siano - piano

The Town of Montague, engineering firm Fuss & O'Neill, and Ms. Eichorn’s fourth-grade class recently joined forces on an incredible hands-on environmental project. By aligning their classroom learning with the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, students took a deep dive into the real-world mechanics of weathering and erosion.

🌱 The Journey: From Mini-Models to Real-World Impact

Throughout the winter and spring, these fourth graders embarked on a true environmental journey:

• Modeling Watersheds: Students kicked things off by creating watershed models to visualize exactly how water moves through our local neighborhoods.

• Engineering Solutions: They built miniature rain gardens out of water jugs to experiment with how natural infrastructure filters stormwater.

• Design & Selection: After mastering the mechanics, the students finalized real-world rain garden designs and carefully selected native plants suited for our local environment.

🤝 Mentorship & Collaboration across Grades

Before the dirt started flying, the fourth graders took their knowledge on the road. They traveled to Hillcrest Elementary School to visit Mr. Liriano's first-grade class.

Acting as expert mentors, the older students led engaging, hands-on lessons to teach their younger peers all about stormwater runoff, watersheds, and the vital role rain gardens play in protecting our ecosystem.

🛠️ Bringing the Vision to Life

This peer-to-peer prep work set the stage for a wonderful, community-wide collaboration on Friday, May 22. Both classes teamed up alongside the town's Public Works crew and engineers from Fuss & O'Neill.

Side-by-side, the students rolled up their sleeves, grabbed their trowels, and brought their designs to life. The result is a beautiful, functional new rain garden that will help secure Montague's landscape, filter stormwater, and inspire our community's next generation of environmental stewards.

A Huge Thank You to the Town of Montague, Public Works, Fuss & O'Neill, and our incredible teachers and students for turning a science lesson into a lasting community landmark!

By all accounts, this year’s GMRSD Elementary Science Night at Gill Elementary was an absolute triumph! While I wasn't able to be there in person to see the excitement firsthand, I have heard nothing but incredible things about our community coming together.

It is always wonderful to hear about our students and families exploring, questioning, and learning side-by-side. Seeing the excitement in the room—even from afar—and knowing everyone enjoyed that time together is exactly what makes our school community so special.

🌟 A Massive, Heartfelt Thank You!

An event of this scale takes an immense amount of preparation behind the scenes. A huge, heartfelt shout-out goes to the visionaries who brought the magic to life: Veronica Hirst and Zoe Neeley!

Thank you both for your incredible hard work, dedication, and the countless hours you put into designing and setting up all of the fantastic activities and learning centers. You sparked a lot of curiosity and joy on Thursday night, and our entire community is so grateful for your leadership!

🔍 Highlights of the Night

• Family Exploration: Reports came in of parents and students teaming up to tackle design challenges and science puzzles.

• Hands-On Learning: Interactive stations allowed students to test hypotheses and see science in action.

• Community Spirit: The rooms were reportedly buzzing with laughter, collaboration, and plenty of "aha!" moments.

• Keep the Momentum Going: Keep the scientific spirit alive at home! Ask your child what their favorite station was and what discoveries they made.

Check out some of the wonderful moments captured during the event below!

On Friday, our Hillcrest Grade 1 students took an exciting field trip to visit Sheffield, and the day was a massive success—thanks in large part to some incredible student leaders!

Our Grade 4 student council members stepped up to show outstanding leadership, acting as perfect hosts for their younger peers. They went above and beyond to make our first graders feel welcome by:

• Giving fantastic tours of the building to help the Grade 1s get familiar with the school.

• Helping out at lunchtime and making sure the younger students had everything they needed.

• Answering questions about what it’s like to be a big kid at Sheffield.

• Playing fun games together out on the playground during recess.

The fourth graders even introduced the Grade 1s to Everest and spent some quality time getting to know their younger buddies better inside the Grade 2 classrooms.

The Hillcrest Grade 1 teachers were incredibly impressed by the professionalism, warmth, and kindness displayed by the student council throughout the entire visit.

"It was wonderful to see our oldest students mentoring our youngest. The Grade 4 leaders showed so much maturity and empathy!"

Way to go, leaders! You made us all proud and showed exactly what our school community is all about.

Welcome! We are glad you are here, adding a different perspective and new optimism to our mission to prepare every single one of our students, exceedingly well, for higher learning in the 21st century.

No new hires at this time.

Something EGG-straordinarily special happened in Ms. Wheeler’s Grade 2 classroom this week! After 21 days of patient waiting, careful monitoring, and lots of quiet tiptoeing around the incubator, the classroom eggs have officially hatched.

Hands-On Science in Action

Our second-grade scientists have been hard at work observing the life cycle of a chicken firsthand. Over the last three weeks, students have been:

• Tracking the incubation days on their calendars.

• Learning about how embryos develop inside the shell.

• Discussing the vital conditions needed to keep the eggs safe and warm.

Seeing those tiny beaks crack through the shells and hearing the very first little chirps brought pure magic and excitement to the classroom, turning a standard science lesson into an unforgettable core memory.

"The level of care and curiosity the students showed during this project was incredible. They truly took their jobs as caretakers seriously!"

What's Next for the Chicks?

The newborn chicks are currently drying off, fluffing up, and getting used to their cozy new brooder box. Students will continue to observe them as they grow their first real feathers before they head off to their next adventure.

A huge congratulations to Ms. Wheeler's class on a successful hatch, and a warm welcome to our newest, fluffiest district residents!

We are always looking for qualified faculty and staff to serve our students and make a positive contribution to our schools. If you have the qualifications we are looking for, we invite you to complete the employment application. We look forward to hearing from you!

https://www.gmrsd.org/human-resources

We are looking maintenance and custodial staff, sub nurses, PE teachers, and a Facilities Director as well as a Director of Teaching & Learning!

Our Sheffield third-grade classrooms were buzzing with excitement recently as we welcomed Expedition Reptile, a premier traveling wildlife show in New England, for a hands-on educational adventure.

Expedition Reptile’s mission is to help children "shed their fears" by introducing them to cold-blooded creatures in a fun, safe, and interactive environment. During the live animal presentation, students learned about wildlife conservation, distinct habitats, and unique survival adaptations. It was a fantastic, memorable day of learning that showed our students how vital and fascinating these creatures are to our planet's ecosystem!

35 Crocker Avenue,

Turners Falls, MA 01376

Email: tari.thomas@gmrsd.org
Website: www.gmrsd.org