Granite Valley Family Newsletter

Dear Granite Valley Families,
At Granite Valley School, we are committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environment where every student feels respected, valued, and supported. I am reaching out today to ask for your partnership in addressing a concerning trend we have noticed recently regarding the language being used among students.

Specifically, we have had to address comments that cross the line from typical peer conflict into language that is hurtful, inappropriate, or demeaning toward others based on their identity or personal characteristics.

Language that targets, humiliates, intimidates, or demeans another student for who they are will not be tolerated at Granite Valley School. Whether intended as a joke, said out of frustration, or used to gain attention from peers, this type of language is unacceptable because it compromises the emotional safety, dignity, and well-being of our students.

We recognize that children in grades 2–6 are still developing their understanding of social relationships, personal boundaries, and the impact of their words. It is our responsibility, as educators and families working together, to help students understand that their words matter and that they are accountable for how they treat others.

Our schoolwide ROCKS expectations—Respect, Ownership, Communication, Kindness, and Scholarship—are more than words we display throughout our building. They represent the values we expect our students to demonstrate each day, whether they are in the classroom, cafeteria, hallways, bathrooms, at recess, during transitions, or on the bus.

When inappropriate or demeaning language occurs, our staff will address it promptly and directly. This includes pausing the interaction, identifying why the language is harmful, helping students understand the impact of their words, and working toward accountability and restoration. Additional interventions or disciplinary consequences may also be necessary. Our goal is to both stop the behavior and help students develop the understanding and skills needed to make better choices moving forward.

We are asking for your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home. Please take a few minutes this week to talk with your child about the power of their words and the importance of treating others with dignity and respect. Remind them that:

• Words can have a lasting impact, even when someone claims they were "just joking."
• Targeting someone because of who they are, how they look, or how they identify is never acceptable.
• Being a bystander does not mean remaining silent. Students should seek adult support when they witness or experience hurtful language or behavior.
• Taking ownership of our words and actions, making amends, and choosing kindness are essential parts of being a member of our school community.

Monday Oct. 19th - Fri. Oct. 23rd -

Granite Valley Book Fair

Monday, Oct. 19th -

3:00-4:00 - Reflections Art Program

Wednesday, Oct. 21st -

6:00-8:30 - School Committee Mtg.

Saturday, Oct. 24th -

Monson PTSA Trunk or Treat

Monday, Oct. 26th -

3:00-4:00 - Reflections Art Program

Thursday, Oct. 29th -

Picture Retake Day

Friday, Oct. 30th -

5:00-6:30 - 5th & 6th Grade Halloween Dance

The Scholastic Book Fair begins this week at GV.

We need parent volunteers to help students choose books.

Please use the link below to volunteer.

GVS Book Fair Volunteer Sign up

Fam ilies Please Note that @ Arrival:

• Cars will form two lines at the back of the parking lot, this allows us to fit more cars in the parking lot, making way for traffic. If you have questions feel free to roll down your window and ask staff that are at Arrival to assist you.

• Cars will form two lines at the back of the parking lot; the aisle furthest from the building.

• Once the double line is full, we will make four rows of cars, with row one starting closest to the grass with the wooden poles. Staff will be outside to assist with this process.

• A staff member will come around to take down the name of your student(s) for approximately the first fifty cars.

A 5th and 6th Halloween Grade Dance is PLANNED ON: Friday, October 30, 2026 at Granite Valley School from 5:00-6:30pm.

Specific details are: Granite Valley will be hosting a Halloween dance for 5th and 6th grade students only. Parents will need to drop off their students at 5:00pm and pick students up at 6:30pm. Dance will be chaperoned by Granite Valley staff.

There will be a $6.00 cost to the dance which should be sent in with the permission slip below. Please send either a check made out to Granite Valley School or a payment through GoFan Ticketing using the QR code below. No cash will be accepted as payment.

Please complete, return the permission slip and your payment to your child’s homeroom teacher, no later than October 26, 2026. No student will be permitted to stay without a signed permission slip.

Behavioral Expectations for School Dance Participation

Students are expected to follow all school rules and meet behavior expectations while here in school. Students may not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities if expectations are not being met. Students are expected to follow the ROCKS expectations while at school and during the dance.

Click HERE for the Permission Slip

Granite Valley School is having its annual Veterans’ Day Assembly on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 9:30am in the auditorium. We are asking students with veterans in their family to please invite their veteran to attend the assembly. The program will be about one hour long and will include a song by the GV chorus, a few readings by students, introduction of veterans by their student host(s). Please use this link to sign up your veteran. Veteran's Day 26-27

In honor of Kindness Month, our fourth graders have an opportunity to spread kindness around the world! We will be collecting school supplies to bring directly to refugee camps in Bangladesh in mid-November. This is an optional activity, and donations of any size are greatly appreciated!
Students will also have the opportunity to write a letter to a child in Bangladesh and, hopefully, receive a letter back from their new friend on the other side of the globe!
What a wonderful way to practice kindness, make connections, and remind our students that even small acts of generosity can make a big difference! Thank you for helping us spread kindness beyond our 4th grade classrooms!

This program according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) introduces students to the concepts of ecology, population biology, water quality, and conservation. Students raise Brook Trout from eggs during the winter, then release them into approved lakes and streams in the spring. For us in Monson, this is Chicopee Brook right behind the Town Hall and Police Station in downtown Monson.

Caring for the fish fosters a conservation ethic in the students, and the act of participating in a stream study right in their town and then directly releasing the young fish into the water makes a concrete connection between caring for the fish and caring for the water.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our fourth graders and we are lucky that Massachusetts has developed this “Teaching With Trout” program. It’s a valuable learning experience for the children and one they long remember. For it to be successful, we need parent support especially in terms of donating gallons of Poland Spring Water and assisting with the stream study.

Over 300 pies sold!

More info. to come on the Pie Pick Up Procedures

Our ROCKS expectations—Respect, Ownership, Communication, Kindness, and Scholarship—guide how we learn, work, and interact with one another each day.

Through modeling, practice, positive feedback, and opportunities to reflect, we help students build on the understanding that these character traits and skills are directly related to the expected behaviors that were agreed upon at the beginning of the school year.

Bring ROCKS Home!

Ask your child: "What does ROCKS mean at Granite Valley? Which ROCKS expectation did you demonstrate today?"

Together, we can help our students grow stronger with every step!

Monson Public Schools Facebook Pg.

GV Student Handbook

October - 10/5-10/9, 10/12-10/16,

September - 8/31-9/4, 9/7-9/11, 9/14-9/18, 9/21-9/25, 9/28-10/2

August - 8/24-8/28,O

July - 7/31

Serenity Greenwood & Myriah Hudak

Principal / Assistant Principal

greenwoods@monsonschools.com / hudakm@monsonschools.com

Granite Valley School

21 Thompson St.

Monson, MA 01057

413-267-4155