My lovely blank newsletter

We hope that everyone has had a restful and enjoyable holiday break.

As we begin the new year, we’re excited to welcome everyone back to school!

It's hard to believe we are halfway through the 25-26 school year already. There is still a lot more left to learn and explore. Make sure you are keeping up with our events on the calendar listed below in every newsletter. Teachers also communicate through the Seesaw app, so make sure you are checking that regularly as well.

Attendance can always be placed in the Skyward as well as a note being sent in for any absence and tardy. After 3 unexcused absences a letter will be sent home. An Attendance meeting will be set up for 5 or more unexcused absences. Ten excused or unexcused absences will also have a letter be sent home for a Doctor's note required.

🚨Please be mindful when dropping off and picking up your chil(ren). We have had some concerns with traffic going out onto the main road. Please pull up as far as you can to the car in front of you. This will help with the back up. See the below attachment about drop off and pick up as well for some quick reminders. Thank you for all the help with this matter!

My name is Colleen Rebert and I am thrilled to be joining Gettysburg Area School District as the elementary gifted support teacher. I’m a lifelong Adams County resident and love to travel and explore new places. I’ve spent 17 years in education and I’m still fueled by the same excitement I had on day one. Whether I’m leading new initiatives, supporting students or collaborating with colleagues, I love being part of the spark that makes learning meaningful. My goal is to create a positive and engaging space where I am able to build strong relationships and make learning exciting and relevant! I can’t wait to spark imagination, nurture talents and help my students stretch their thinking in exciting new ways. I look forward to partnering with you to support your child’s unique strengths and interests throughout the year!

Families gathered for a cozy and fun Polar Express Night, where children and families listened to the beloved Polar Express story, sipped warm hot chocolate, and admired a festive train set. The evening was filled with holiday cheer, imagination, and special moments shared together.

A shout out to all of our guest readers, particularly our school board members, Kathleen Pratt and Donna Harrison.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Peter Roy for making our evening even more magical and memorable with his one-of-a-kind trains.

We would also like to give a shout out to our amazing cafeteria staff, Shannon and Whitney and their crew who went above and beyond baking yummy cookies and decorating our cafeteria.

Dear Families,

This month we learned how to use a rain gauge that was installed in the garden in October .

Mrs. Stone from Gettysburg College showed us how to use the rain gauge. Did you know 4.60 inches of rain from the beginning of October through the beginning of December at James Gettys?

How we measure the rain is we take the measuring tube and see how much is in there. Let’s say there was an inch. We pour that into the sink. If there is still water in the collecting tube we take the funnel and put it on top of the measuring tube. After that we take the water from the collecting tube and pour it into the measuring tube. Then we check how much is in there.

Every morning we will check the rain gauge outside and Mrs. Peterman will enter the amount of rain into the website called CoCoRahs to see how much rain people across the country have! That is what we all learned about the rain gauge.

As your GASD Family Navigators, we love to connect with you! To keep things simple on your calendar and ours, you can find us at the same places (& times!) on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, open-house style. Stop by to say hello, share ideas, or simply chat:

Wednesday, January 7
9:30–11:30 AM
Gettysburg Dunkin’

Wednesday, January 21
9:30–11:30 AM
Adams County Library (basement)

If you or someone you know is in need of resources, such as food, clothing, or other supports, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help!

We are also excited to host our third Coffee & Conversation, a relaxed monthly meetup for GASD (and beyond!) community members. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect and learn something new over a warm cup of coffee. Our next gathering will be January 23rd at the Norris-Wachob Alumni House on the Gettysburg College campus. This month’s guest will be someone from within the Gettysburg Area School District (stay tuned!). Free parking is available in the Constitution Lot. Keep an eye out for the event flyer as there will be more information to come. Looking forward to connecting with you there!