This week GMA saw high rates of absenteeism due to illness, which necessitated changes in our usual health and wellness protocols and practices. In times of higher than normal rates of contagion in our community we have to tighten up these practices to try to keep our school healthy and students learning in-person as much as possible. Thank you for partnering with us to keep your children and families as well as our staff healthy and well.
I encourage everyone to continue to follow wellness protocols more vigilantly as we are still in the midst of flu season. Proper hand-washing, staying home when you feel ill (even if you do not have a fever), eating well, getting enough rest, and keeping surfaces sanitized will all go a long way to help us all stay healthy and well. Please wash and sanitize your child's school water bottle, lunch box, backpack, and naptime items frequently. Make sure to express to your child the importance of washing their hands at school, not sharing drinks or food or chapstick, covering their mouth and nose to sneeze or cough, etc. Together, we can help keep our school operating in-person for as many days as possible!
When school is closed due to higher than typical rates of contagious illness, it is important for families to keep children home as much as possible. Days such as these should not be viewed as extrra "days off" to have fun with friends or gather with others in the community. Engaging in such activities is not helpful in stopping the spread of communicable illness and has the exact opposite effect in keeping school communities healthy.
As a reminder, we will continue to use more vigilant measures to ensure the health and wellness of our entire school community. Children who are unwell should not come to school. Parents should not send children to school with a dose of Tylenol or Motrin to make it through the day. As we continue to navigate this flu season, we will err on the side of caution and children who exhibit symptoms or fever of 99*+ will be sent home from school. We know that many individuals in our school community have tested positive for Inflenza A without ever experiencing a fever. Therefore, we must temporarily suspend the normal definition of a "fever" being 100.4*+.
Thank you for your support and partnership with us. Together, we will make sure that our school community is happy, healthy, and safe learning in-person at school for as many days as possible!
Each year, families of currently enrolled students in PK-7th grade complete the Returning Student Verification Process, or RSVP, to indicate their intent to return to GMA the following school year. This secures the student's spot in our school for the new school year and helps our school's administration team plan for staffing, supplies, programming needs for the school community. It is extremely important that all families complete this process through PowerSchool to update pertinent information and ensure that the school has accurate contact information for every student.
This year, we will open the RSVP window on Friday, February 21 and ask that all families complete it for each currently enrolled student no later than Friday, March 7. Families will need to login to PowerSchool to complete this process. If you need assistance with PowerSchool, please contact Mr. Caleb at cday@gma.k12.in.us.
Thank you for helping us plan accordingly for the next school year!
Are you familiar with GMA's Inclement Weather Policy? As we enter the most unpredictable weather season in Indiana, it's important to know what to expect in terms of school delays and closings. Our board adopted and approved policy states the following:
GMA will make every attempt to make a decision regarding school closures or delays as early as possible to allow families ample time to make appropriate plans for children. As an independent school not affiliated with any school district and not providing school transportation, the decision to close or delay school is unique.
As a general rule:
If either Mt. Vernon Community Schools or Hamilton Southeastern Schools are delayed or cancelled, GMA will evaluate our local conditions including parking lots and side roads to determine if a delay or cancellation is necessary.
If both Mt. Vernon Community Schools and Hamilton Southeastern Schools are delayed or cancelled, GMA will follow suit.
We reserve the right to either cancel school or issue a delay whenever we feel it is necessary for the safety of all students and staff.
RAISE CRAZE FUNDRAISER: February 14-28
The PTA is trying out an exciting new fundraiser this year! We will use the platform Raise Craze for students to register, identify acts of kindness they will commit to completing, and seek support and sponsorships from family and friends! This fundraiser helps to encourage the Montessori values of peace and kindness while supporting the PTA in creating incredible opportunities for the school and students. We have set a lofty goal of $20,000 this year and hope to purchase some new playground resources and support school needs and other PTA activities throughout the following year. Fundraisers help ensure we can host events like the fall festival, family game night, and digital literacy events, provide our school and teachers with the resources they need to focus on education, and much more. We would love it if every family participated! There will be prizes available based on each classroom’s performance. Goals such as having 50% of the class registered and sending out 25 sponsorship emails in your class will help to earn incentives for all of the students in the class. We hope this structure will encourage students to work together and give life to the saying that many hands make light work! Watch for more information to come home soon!
DIGITAL LITERACY NIGHT: February 25, 6:30-8:00 PM
Even though kids seem to know more these days about technology than parents, setting rules for online behavior is still important. Come to GMA PTA’s Smart Talk family program on February 25 from 6:30-8:00 pm in the gymnasium, and learn how to create your family’s digital safety rules. A catered dinner will be provided from Puccini’s and there will be opportunities for giveaways and door prizes! Space is limited so register today at https://bit.ly/4haac3P
It is important that everyone in our school community remains committed to keeping our car line running safely and effectively all year long.
Please be mindful of these reminders:
- Your car line tag must be displayed before you pull into our driveway. This helps staff make sure you get in the right line.
- A YELLOW car line tag is required to be in line between 8:00-8:15 am. If you do not have a YELLOW car line tag, please do not arrive on campus before 8:15 am. The GREEN tag car line opens at 8:15 am.
- Families who have children in PK/K and also grades 1-8 will have both a YELLOW and a GREEN tag for car line. Please clip these tags together and write "AM" on the YELLOW tag and "PM" on the GREEN one. Then, flip to the YELLOW side for drop-off in the morning and then to the GREEN side for pick-up in the afternoon. This helps our car line staff tremendously! Remember, if you have both color tags, you drop off with the youngest car line and pick up with the oldest car line.
- Families with a YELLOW car line tag must park in the front parking spaces and walk their child into the office to sign in as tardy if they arrive on campus after 8:15 am. Families with a GREEN car line tag are tardy if they arrive on campus after 8:35 am.
- Families with GREEN car line tags arriving on campus after 3:35 pm must park and come to the office to sign their child out. Car line ends promptly at 3:35 pm as staff have other duties to end the day. Vehicles will not be permitted through car line if they arrive on campus after 3:35 pm.
- DO NOT cut through the parking lot aisles during car line. YOU MUST follow the arrows painted on the blacktop to serpentine through the lot and enter the line at the northeast corner of the property.
- Please slow down when driving through car line. There is no need to speed!
- DO NOT change lanes during car line.
- Please be sure to form three lanes when you exit the serpentine pattern through the aisles. This helps us get as many vehicles into the line as possible to avoid backing traffic out onto the roadways.
- DO NOT use your cell phone during car line. Staff will ask you to put it away and remind you to help us keep everyone safe. Indiana is a hands-free state and cell phone use is not permitted while driving.
- No one will be permitted to line up early for any car line. Due to the volume of traffic and the need to run two separate car lines through the serpentine pattern, we will require all families to abide by the updated expectations. Please plan accordingly and do not arrive on campus before your scheduled drop off or pick up time because you will be asked to leave in order to keep traffic flowing for everyone.
- DO NOT use Traditions at Brookside as a turn-around point. You must go through a neighborhood to safely turn around or use the safest route by heading north or south on Carroll Road to an eastbound roadway of your choice.
- DO NOT use resident driveways as a turn-around point.
- DO NOT make a u-turn on 900N.
- ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT PEDESTRIANS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. We have a handful of families who walk their student to school. Please make sure that you are allowing them to cross the street safely by stopping completely at the crosswalks.
- If you have concerns about traffic safety around our campus, please call the non-emergency number for the McCordsville Police Department at 317.335.2812.
2/13 - Early Childhood Preview Night for prospective GMA families, 6:00-7:30 pm
2/17 - No School - Presidents Day
2/20 - Skating Party, 6:00-8:00 pm at The Roller Cave
2/25 - Digital Literacy Night
2/26 - Board of Directors Meeting, 5:30 pm
2/28 - Open Enrollment closes
3/3 - IREAD-3 begins for all 2nd and 3rd grade students
3/21 - The Little Mermaid, a school play presented by the GMA Drama Club
3/25 - Lottery for Admission for new students only
3/26 - Board of Directors Meeting, 5:30 pm
3/27 - International Fair, 6:00-8:00 pm
3/31-4/4 - No School - Spring Break
When school is closed or delayed due to inclement weather, especially in the unpredictable Indiana winters, it is important that families receive the notification quickly and easily. The best way to ensure that you don't miss an announcement from GMA is to sign up for text alerts!
It's simple to sign up. Just text the word alert to 22300. That's it!
Please contact Ms. Beth at blarock@gma.k12.in.us if you have questions or need to add an additional phone number or email address to our OneCall Now system.