The EduGator
October 15th, 2026
Dear GRSD team,
This opening letter is longer than usual, but the rest of the newsletter is pretty short, so here goes...
I love how I spent a few hours today - I ventured throughout GRS to see what the flow of the day feels like for our students. Watching them enter and depart from class, encounter each other in the hallways and engage with staff as they travel was a positive reminder that our days flow continuously despite the occasional drama of a teenager. Then, I headed outside to the PreK playground, met a few new friends, and almost got run over by a tricycle, through no fault of the student! Every day, the people who receive this newsletter keep our system moving, facing the daily barriers and challenges with - I hope - optimism and excitement for our own ongoing growth to ever better support children who live in 2026. You make me proud to call us a team.
I'm also gearing up to restart our joint walkthroughs with principals at all 3 campuses. For this year, the principal and I will be looking at the areas of focus determined at your school; each school has its own flavor of our overall commitment to Academic Excellence, Connected Culture, and the Portrait of a Gator. You'll start seeing me visit and, as I shared last year, my focus is on aligning expectations between the principals and me (and each other!) and then how to support them in coaching those of you in the classroom. We are not assessing or evaluating, we are learning so our impact as leaders can be more meaningful to you.
In the area of Connected Culture, I wanted to provide an update on the next steps following our initial Addressing Hate and Bias training with Northeastern. The feedback on the session asked us to move into addressing toxic speech and discrimination when you hear it around you, so that's our immediate next step. In this agenda for 10/27's 1/2 day, you'll see I'll lead that with the elementary school and ILT will lead that at GRS as part of their session. Our core next discussion is: What is/ is not toxic speech we hear in our environment? It's not uncommon that we might have different views of what's an acceptable joke versus what is harmful and demeaning, so we want to get specific with a shared understanding.
After 10/27, when our Instructional Assistants participate in the session with our partners at Northeastern, we will select our "team of champions" for this work from those of you who expressed interest in leadership. That small team will participate in training to then lead us in next learning on later PD days this year and into future years.
Here are a few celebrations to share:
- We're delighted to welcome back to Gateway, graduate Randy Garfield who will join us next week as a High School English teacher.
- Congrats to Bill Brown and Liz Lewis for earning a Gateway Education Foundation grant to bolster the inside garden throughout the library and computer lab, where Sunrise students assist in and learn about plant care. Bill also earned a GEF grant to replace some old furniture and add activities that can help our secondary students engage with each other now that they have to put away those phones! If you are interested in applying for a GEF grant, click here.
We continue to look for Instructional Assistants, Substitutes, and a High School Special Education teacher. Please pass on our Employment Opportunities to others who would be a good fit at Gateway.
Enjoy the beautiful sunset over Chester Elementary a few weeks back and have a great end to the week!
Melissa
Shout out to:
- Thanks to Sue Borsella for teaching our students how to make food in Exploratory and especially for allowing/encouraging them to share those goodies! - Cathy Servaes
Share your shout out with me!
October 15: Boys JV and Varsity Soccer @Home
October 17: Southern Hilltowns Domestic Violence Task Force Hilltown Hike
October 18: All-GRSD PTO Color Run
October 20: Girls Varsity Soccer @Home
October 21: Girls JV Soccer @Home
October 27: 1/2 Day for Professional Development
The Search Committee is next inviting up to 6 candidates to complete virtual screening interviews. We look forward to updating the community as we continue to narrow the candidate pool.
Many thanks to the members of the Committee who have shown dedication, flexibility, and a willingness to be honest and open throughout this weok.
Amplify Free Resources
Explore the Amplify Community Showcase to see creative implementation ideas from educators using Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA),.
Have an Amplify moment to share? Submit a photo or video for a chance to see your classroom featured in the Showcase. Let me know if you are showcased!
Word Origins Free Professional Learning
Since Gateway is a member of the Pioneer Valley Early Literacy Consortium, a free PD opportunity is out there for you. Word Origins is beneficial to teachers and Instructional Assistants of students in grades 3 - 8. It's an evidence-based word study program that expands students’ understanding of the morphological underpinnings of the English language.
Built on a strong foundation of research, Word Origins provides instruction in reading, writing, spelling, and vocabulary for students in grades 3 and up. Its explicit and systematic framework and emphasis on orthography, morphology, semantics, and syntax.
It's a series of 2-hour virtual trainings after regular school hours in December but there is not an honorarium/stipend for participation.
- Tuesday, December 1, 2026 (3:30-5:30)
- Thursday, December 3, 2026 (3:30-5:30)
- Tuesday, December 8, 2026 (3:30-5:30)
Learn to Live Webinars
Finding Hope and Healing in the Face of Trauma: Hard things happen in life and sometimes, when we get knocked down, it’s harder to get back on our feet than we would like. We’ll explain the commonly used terms ‘trauma’ and ‘PTSD’ and how they impact our lives. The Preparation and Growth Model will be introduced, and we’ll share important steps for healing in the face of trauma and strategies to build resilience should challenges come your way.
Friday, October 16 th : 12-12:30pm CT/1-1:30pm ET
*NEW* Conquering Financial Stress: Proven Tools for Resilience: Financial stress isn't just a money problem. From our sleep and relationships to our ability to think clearly and solve problems, financial concerns can significantly interfere with our mental and emotional health. In this webinar, our clinical team will explore the psychological challenges that can arise from difficult financial situations and how we can take advantage of Learn to Live's online programs to overcome pressing concerns and develop powerful coping skills for the future.
