September 20th, 2024
IMPORTANT DATES
September 26th - Open House Grades 1-4 - 5:45 pm to 7:15 pm
September 27th - Friday Half Day - Dismissal at 12:17 pm
September 27th - PTO Color Run - 4:30-7:30 pm @ Swallow Union
October 2nd - Custodian Appreciation Day
October 4th - Friday Half Day - Dismissal at 12:17 pm
October 14th - Indigenous People's Day - No School
October 17th - Picture Day
October 18th - Friday Half Day - Dismissal at 12:17 pm
October 25th - Friday Half Day - Dismissal at 12:17 pm
First Six Weeks - Belonging and Community Building
At the beginning of the school year, we are focused on building a safe and respectful school environment in every learning space. Classroom teachers foster belonging through community-building activities such as morning meetings, activators, daily sharing, and finding commonalities among us.
This year, I have been intentional about ways I can be part of those important building blocks to the day and lives of the students we teach by joining in Morning Meeting. This week I joined in with our 2nd & 3rd graders. Here is what we did to build our connections with our classmates and teachers:
In Mrs. Rozzi’s class, we greeted one another using our feet (tapping each other’s feet and saying good morning to one another in a circle). We then took turns sharing one thing about our weekend starting with, “This weekend I…” But the best part was playing the Hula Hoop game working to pass the hoop to each other without using our hands! Lots of encouragement and team-building work!
After greeting one another in Mrs. Bushnell’s class we partnered up and played "Boom, Clap, Snatch". Thank you Tristan for being a competitive and fun partner as we faced off to see who could react faster and grab the bean bag!
In Mrs. Murphy’s class, we used math equations and answer cards to find our partners by making the equation true. When asked which of the equations were hard for us, students were asked to share a strategy that helped them solve the problem. We have some strong mathematical thinkers as they shared their reasoning, they had me thinking about numbers differently!
Tennis Ball sandwiches kicked off Mrs. Keegan’s Morning Meeting! Topic: "Fall is a great season!" We used the lid for our introductory sentence, each ball was a supporting sentence, and the lid was put back on to close off our share. Fall is THE greatest and here are some of the reasons why: cider donuts, football, foliage, sweater weather, food favorites, and cool nights.
Please visit our LIVE FEED section of our school website throughout the year to see what our students and teachers are engaged in!
Mrs. Jarvis’ Visit to Florence Roche Elementary School
On Tuesday, I spent the afternoon in FloRo lunches saying hello and catching up with our former Ti-GRRRs. It was exciting to see so many familiar smiling faces K-4, I got some great hugs, and heard about their summer, their new teachers, school, and the new friendships that are being forged. I have several requests to say “hello” to friends at Swallow so I made my list and took some photos to bring back with me.
Certainly the highlight of my week, here are some of the photos from my visit!
Swallow Union School Council
The council is comprised of equal representation of parents and teachers and we aim to meet a minimum of five (5) times per year with our first meeting in October. The main responsibilities of the School Council are to:
Assist principals in preparing school improvement plans and goals that are consistent with district and local educational policies and standards.
Assist in identifying the educational needs of the students at Swallow Union
Review the School Budget and provide input on the budgeting process for school improvement.
Please contact Jill Jarvis (jjarvis@gdrsd.org) by September 27th, 2024 if you want to volunteer to serve on our School Council for the 2024-2025 school year.
Swallow Union Open House
September 26th, 2024
5:45 pm to 7:15 pm
Parents/guardians of elementary school students in grades 1 through 4, you are invited to attend Open House on Thursday, September 26th. This is an opportunity to meet your child's (rens) teachers and learn:
What the teacher is like as a person
How the teacher will help your child(ren) thrive
How you can be involved in your child('s) education
Learn the classroom routines, rules, and expectations
Learn about what your child(ren) will be learning
The goal of this evening is for families to make connections about what students are doing in school and be able to engage in conversations at home about their day at school. Parents involved in their child(rens) education often result in children who are more likely to be motivated to learn and succeed, increasing their self-esteem and confidence.
Our PTO will also be present throughout the evening so you can learn more about the organization, volunteer opportunities, and donations.
5:45 pm to 6:15 pm | Grades 3 & 4 | Go to Classroom |
6:15 pm to 6:45 pm | Grades 1, 2, 3, & 4 | Visit Specialists in their classrooms |
6:45 pm to 7:15 pm | Grades 1 & 2 | Go to Classroom |
Please note: This evening is designed for informational purposes, not for conferencing with teachers regarding individual students, and is an adult-only evening.
Attention All GD Families!
The GD Class of 2025 is running a fundraiser on September 26th, the evening of Swallow Union’s Open House. Please be sure to stop by their fundraising table in the front lobby.
Please support the senior class by bringing in some $ cash $ and buying a chance to win one of our fabulous giveaways.
You will not be disappointed!
Thank you for your support!
Back to School Color Run - September 27 at 4:30pm @SU! Check your student's folder for the registration form. Don't forget to let your former SU friends know that they're welcome to join! We could use your help during the event! Color Run Volunteer Sign Up
Spirit Wear Store - Sunday is the last day to order! Check out our new merch, featuring new colors! Swallow Union Apparel Store - Orders due 9/22/24
Fun Fridays are back! Want to show how much we appreciate our teachers and staff? Sign up for a Fun Friday, as an individual or as a class! https://www.
10C0F4DAFAA2FA6FB6-51111593-
funfriday#/
3rd Grade Families - don't forget, you're in charge of the Monster Mash this year and next! It's currently scheduled for October 25. It would be great to identify a few parents to lead the charge and get planning.
Groton Dunstable Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
Breakfast Program
GDRSD will offer free breakfast to all students starting this Tuesday, September 3rd.
If you have a child(ren) getting breakfast at school, please review the process with them to ensure a smooth rollout. While their teachers have reviewed this with them in class, reminding them at home is helpful, especially on Tuesday morning.
Once your child arrives at the school, instead of going to their classrooms first, they will go straight to the kitchen to pick up their breakfast, the same way they pick up their lunch. Once there, they will select a “Grab and Go” breakfast and bring it to their classrooms to eat. This will ensure students are present for all morning-related tasks including attendance.
To check out the menu please visit our website - Click HERE for the food planner link, find our school, and click and both breakfast and lunch menus will be there.