The EduGator

Dear GRSD team,

Wow! What a great GRS Open House we had last night, following on the positive evenings at our elementary schools. Thanks to everyone for being present and engaged with families.

I'd like to pause and welcome new members of our community who have joined us since the school year started (that I don't think I introduced already!) Please reach out to extend a warm Gateway greeting to:

• Aidan Gall, Middle School PE
• Joshua Trueheart, Custodian at Littleville & GRS
• Erin Lewis, PreK Instructional Assistant, Littleville
• Allison Avery, Chester Secretary
• Rory McDonough, Evening Security Monitor, GRS

Since we do always have new and different people in many roles here, Amy Mason put together a great graphic (with the help of AI!) below to guide purchasing on behalf of GRSD. As a public institution, our purchasing processes are closely scrutinized by our auditors and the public. Please review the process below and contact Amy with any questions.

In other great news, you may have heard mention of a new program we are offering to 1st and 2nd grade students not yet at grade level in reading. Through DESE support, we have students actively engaged in IGNITE tutoring. This is live, online tutoring with a real human, for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. In other districts, the approach has led to outstanding gains in students' reading. I've had the opportunity to sit in while students joyfully greeted their tutor as they logged in (see photo above). Many thanks to our teachers leading the connections daily: Carrie Harrington, Mary Plumley, Margaret Petzold, Alanna Sharon, and Lisa Delmolino.

Next week will be a short week, with a well-deserved long weekend now to offer some respite for this hard-working team. I hope to restart my visits in schools and classrooms soon, as I always enjoy seeing students also hard at work.

Enjoy your weekend,

Melissa

Shout out to:

• Congrats to Kelly Bartolo and Rick Huard for earning recognition for their commitment to SkillsUSA, a program where CTE students hone their hands-on skills against current industry standards. Kelly has 15 years in and Rick achieved 2. Congrats, colleagues!
• A local emergency physician complimented Amanda Dean, our Chester nurse, for her skillful response to a recent medical emergency. Her execution of proper protocol was flawless! Thank you, Amanda.

Share your shout out with me!

At the October 7 meeting of the Gateway Regional School District School Committee, the following topics were discussed.

• Investigating boiler replacement for 1 or more schools
• Capital planning across the district
• Adding GPS to our students' busses
• Soliciting a firm to assist in an update to our Regional Agreement
• Approval for 8th grade to Boston and SkillsUSA overnight trips
• MCAS results and chronic absenteeism

Our next meeting is on November 4, 2026 at 7:00 pm.

October 12: NO SCHOOL

October 13: Boys JV Soccer @Home

October 15: Boys JV Soccer @Home

October 17: Southern Hilltowns Domestic Violence Task Force Hilltown Hike

October 18: All-GRSD PTO Color Run

At the GRS Open House, I received more than 50 responses on the desired characteristics of our next principal from families and students in attendance.

Our Search Committee held its first meeting and the process is underway!

Amplify Free Resources

In alignment with our elementary literacy focus,a recent roundtable on Amplify's podcast, Beyond My Years, shared ways in which knowledge-rich learning helps students engage with complex texts and grow as speakers and writers.

Free iReady Support

Here are some resources to help you monitor and understand your students' use of Personalized Instruction:

• How can teachers monitor Personalized Instruction?

• Class Personalized Instruction Report resources in Success Central

Cyber Safety Tips from PowerSchool

Please be aware that cybercriminals may attempt to impersonate PowerSchool personnel through phone calls, emails, text messages, or support requests. They may also use email addresses that closely resemble our official domain, such as "powerschoo.com" or other lookalike variations, to appear legitimate.

PowerSchool will never ask you to provide sensitive information via email. If you receive an email that seems suspicious, you can verify its authenticity by contacting security@powerschool.com. Before entering any credentials or sensitive information, make sure you're on PowerSchool's official site, watch for spelling mistakes, unusual or unsecured URLs, and other signs that a page may not be legitimate.

Additionally, remain vigilant against ALL phishing attempts. Never share passwords, verification codes, or other sensitive credentials with anyone via email, phone, or messaging.

Learn to Live Webinars

Public Speaking: What to Do When the Spotlight’s on You: Does the thought of stepping up to the podium make your heart race? Whether it’s presenting in front of a crowd or just speaking up in a small meeting - the fear of public speaking is such a common human experience. In this webinar, the Learn to Live Clinical Team will discuss why you may fear public speaking and equip you with powerful tools to communicate in the spotlight without getting pushed around by fear.

Tuesday, October 13 th : 12-12:30pm CT/1-1:30pm ET

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.

Friday, October 23 rd : 11-11:30am CT/12-12:30pm ET

• October 2, 2026
• September 21, 2026
• September 10, 2026
• September 2, 2026