The EduGATOR!

Week of September 9

Weekly Update

Monday, September 9-Our first Monday of the school year :) Regular school day

Tuesday, September 10-Picture day for Gateway Regional School

Wednesday, September 11-School committee meeting 7pm

Thursday, September 12-Regular School Day

New Teacher Orientation for those who came on board after the summer orientation

Friday, September 13-Wear jeans and your Gator Gear! Mandated Trainings Due!

Central Office Staff

Because we have so many new staff, allow me to introduce your central office staff!

In Central Office:

Stacy Stewart-Admin Assistant to the Superintendent

Scott Caron-Accounts Payable

Deb Burkott-Transportation Coordinator

Deb Kuhn-Treasurer/Payroll

Steph Fisk-Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Finance

Deanna LeBlanc-Director of Curriculum

Kristen Smidy-Superintendent

Sub Caller

Kayla Turner has been hired to be the sub caller for the district. Thank you, Kayla!

If you need to be absent and did not received approval on a leave requiest form, please call or text Kayla at 413-977-2833 before 6:15am for Gateway Regional School and before 7:35 AM for elementary schools to inform her of your absence. If elementary staff need to call out after 7:35 AM, staff are expected to also call the main office. If nobody is available in the main office after 7:35 AM, the staff member needs to call the building principal to alert them of the absence. If a staff member knows about an absence in advance, they should fill out an Advanced Request for Absence form for approval.

As a reminder, Kayla does not grant permission to be absent, leave early, or come in late--that communication needs to occur with building principals.

Also, please know that COVID-19 no longer has a required isolation or quarantine period. Please stay home until fever free for 24 hours and symptoms have improved, like other viruses and illnesses.

Yellow Backpack Check

Every classroom should have a yellow backpack to grab in the event of an emergency.

All bags should include:

Safety folder with district safety information

First aid reference guide
First aid kit
Warming blanket
Safety Vest (that must be worn during emergencies)

Here is a list of items you should add to your bag at the start of each school year:

Copies of class lists
Copies of emergency information for students (name, address, primary contact)
Emergency contact info for teacher/staff in room
Pen and blank paper
Optional: small games to occupy students, tissues, gum/mints

If you are missing your backpack or items from it, please contact your school's main office.

School Van Use

The district owns multiple vans to support the transportation of students for different reasons like field trips, athletics, and special events.

Staff who drive the van are typically required to have a 7D license. Some paraprofessionals in specific programs (Learning Lab, Sunrise Academy) are required to have the 7D license, and the district will cover the costs.

All drivers must meet with our transportation coordinator, Deb Burkott, to go through the requirements before using our vehicles. If you have questions about this, please see Deb!

Reminder: Staff Laptop Insurance

We will be offering a staff laptops repair deductible again this year for $50 per device for teacher/faculty MacBook Air and HP laptops. As in the past, this deductible will cover accidental damages as well as manufacturer defects. Staff who decline to contribute towards to deductible will be responsible for all costs associated with repairs to their devices. Staff who would like to opt in should write a check made out to GRSD by October 4 and give to Technology Director Chris Parker.

Para chromebook insurance will be free of charge.

Here is the link to sign up for the optional insurance.

Staff Professional Development Opportunity

The Southern Hilltown Domestic Violence Task Force has graciously volunteered to fund this course for interested staff if they let Kristen know by Wednesday.

Pornography and Adolescents - Preventing Harm & Eliminating Problematic Use
Trainer: Seth Wescott, MS

Friday, November 1, 2024 (9:30 AM - 4:15 PM) (EDT)
Training begins at 9:30 a.m. EST and concludes at 4:15 p.m. EST Lunch 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. (45 minutes)

This session will delve into the complexities of adolescents’ consumption of sexually explicit material. We will briefly cover the evolution of pornography and its influence in the lives of youth. A growing proportion of sexually harmful behaviors committed by youth involve social media. We will discuss the current state of social media and the impact those sites have on adolescents’ interpersonal behavior. Our primary focus will be how to prevent harmful online sexual behavior and eliminate problematic use of pornography. We will discuss the differences between normative adolescent behavior and problematic use and the assessment and treatment of youth whose behavior has become problematic. We discuss how to set achievable and appropriate treatment goals, therapeutic approaches, the importance of reasonable guidance, and education about topics such as consent, sexting, sharing content, Child Sexual Explicit Material (CSEM).

Mandated Trainings Reminder

Mandated trainings are due no later than September 6. Please complete all of the requirements before that time, including the EPI Pen practice with your school nurse. All of the information can be found at this link.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EBj-tn6S0RP7ap8pzFnHLJIaq4cLmdCI8YbazbYt3jE/edit?usp=sharing