Please be sure to visit our Live Feed on our Website to keep up to date on all the exciting things happening both at Swallow Union and in the district.
Good News!
By the end of this month, the sun sets at 5:33 pm (we gain 35 minutes of daylight), and by March 20th, 1st day of Spring, it sets at 6:56 pm!
For day-by-day/month-by-month info - click HERE.
Ms. Jen Marino, recent Teaching Star recipient! Shoutout given by Henry Martin.
IMPORTANT DATES
February 10th-14th - School Spirit Week
February 13th - Grade 2 Concert Performance @ 6:00 pm
February 14th - Half-Day - Dismissal at 12:17 pm
February 17th-21st - School Vacation
March 3rd - Community Reading Day (for Read Across America Day)
March 6th - Kindergarten Information Night 6:00 pm
March 7th - Kindergarten Registration Opens & Half-Day - Dismissal at 12:17 pm
March 12th - Spring Picture Day
March 14th - Half-Day - Dismissal at 12:17 pm
March 21st - Term II Ends & District Half-Day - Dismissal at 12:17 pm
GD Elementary Science Fair - Registration Open
Florence Roche PTA & Swallow Union PTO invite you to participate in the Groton Dunstable Elementary Science Fair!
The fair will be held in the Swallow Union gym on Saturday, March 15th. Judging will begin at 9:30 am. Students in grades K-4 are eligible.
By participating in this fun event, students will have the opportunity to:
complete a scientific project at home,
prepare a visual presentation and oral explanation of their project,
share what they learned with judges, peers, and families at the fair,
receive feedback,
and be a Scientist for a day!
Registration is open now through February 28th. Space is limited to 100 students. We have reached capacity in the past, so register early!
Follow the link below to complete your sign-up form and register.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2025-science-fair
There is a non-refundable $10 registration fee to help cover the cost of operating the fair. If your family needs assistance with this fee, please contact Mrs. Jarvis.
Additional information will be emailed to participants after registration. Please read the rules and guidelines before starting your project. All projects are individual, no groups, please.
If you have questions, please email gdk4sf@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing the many interesting projects that students present!
Kind regards,
Heather Gerteisen and Bethany Vrouhas, Co-Chairs
Healthy Bites Newsletter: Heart Health
Dear Families,
Happy February! This month is not only about Valentine’s Day but is also Heart Health Month! It’s the perfect time to teach children how to take care of their hearts and start healthy habits that last a lifetime. Below are some fun tips and activities to promote heart health at home and school!
Heart Health Tips for Kids
Move More: Encourage at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day! Activities like dancing, jumping rope, or playing tag are great ways to get their hearts pumping.
Eat Colorfully: Fill plates with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. Foods like berries, carrots, and spinach are great for heart health.
Drink Water: Skip sugary drinks and opt for water or milk to stay hydrated and healthy.
Sleep Well: Kids need about 9–12 hours of sleep per night to keep their hearts and bodies strong.
Be Stress-Free: Help your child relax with calming activities like reading, drawing, or deep breathing.
Fun Activities to Celebrate Heart Month
Heart-Healthy Snack Challenge: Have your child create a colorful snack using fruits and vegetables shaped like hearts.
Exercise Scavenger Hunt: Make a list of exercises (e.g., 10 jumping jacks, 5 push-ups) and hide it around the house or classroom for kids to find and complete.
Learn About the Heart: Talk about how the heart works and its importance. Fun fact: A child’s heart beats about 90–120 times per minute!
Thank you for helping us keep our hearts strong and healthy this February. Together, we can make heart health fun and meaningful for our children!
Warm wishes,
Nurse Jen and Nurse Kate
PTO Updates
General PTO Meeting - March 5, 7 pm. Our third meeting of the year, and we are excited to discuss all our fantastic upcoming events!
Groton Dunstable Hockey Days at the Worcester Railers - Friday, February 28 at 7:05 pm and Sunda,y April 6 at 3:05 pm. All students are invited to participate in our pregame high five tunnel for both dates. Purchase tickets here: https://fevo-enterprise.com/group/Grotondunstable86
Volunteer Appreciation Day - March 9, 2 pm. Paddington in Peru at AMC Tyngsboro. If you've volunteered with us, you should have received an email inviting you to join us for an afternoon at the movies with your family on us! Reach out to swallowunionpto@gmail.com if you've been inadvertently left off our list of wonderful volunteers.
Tiger Twist: Save the date! Friday, April 4, 5:30-7:30. Your student + their selected adult can get dressed up and dance the night away (or just enjoy hanging with friends and eating some snacks)!
Pottery Night - April 10, 5:30 pm, SU cafeteria. A big hit last year! Students and their families pre-order a pottery item to decorate that night, and Time to Clay takes the projects back to their studio to fire them up in the kiln and return to school 2 weeks later. Makes a great Mother's Day gift idea!
Fun Fridays: Want to show how much we appreciate our teachers and staff? Sign up for a Fun Friday as an individual or as a class! Fun Friday Sign-Up
Preschool Registration Opens Saturday, February 1st at 9:00 am.
Preschool Registration for the 2025-2026 school year will open on Saturday, February 1st at 9:00 am. Families must register via Google Form, which will be linked directly to the district website and the Boutwell Early Childhood Center Preschool Registration page.
Need assistance with technology or prefer to have a translator available to help you register? Join us in person on Monday, February 3rd, at the Marion Stoddart Middle School Building (344 Main Street, Groton, MA) from 1:00-3:30 pm to register with assistance. Please be sure to indicate you would like to register in person by selecting 'Yes, I want to Register With Help' on the registration form when it's open for submission on Saturday, February 1st.
For any questions, please click here or call (978) 448-2297 for assistance.
Margaret Ross Richardson, M.S. BCBA, LABA
Early Childhood Coordinator
Director, Boutwell Early Childhood Center
Groton-Dunstable Regional School District
Student Expectations for Device Damages
Given the number of damaged devices across the district, this serves as a reminder of the District’s Technology Policy per our Elementary Student Handbook (Section 8, page 18). Please note the following section, Student Expectations for Device Damages (page 20):
Parents are responsible for the cost of damaged or lost Chromebooks or iPads, similar to textbooks.
Typical repair costs range from $75 to $100, while a replacement due to loss or extreme damage costs $275.
Parents who face financial hardship should contact their student’s principal.
Registration for the 2025 Spring Softball season is now open for grades PreK-11! Registration can be found on our website at http://www.gdysl.com
Please contact don@gdysl.com for any questions. We hope to see you this spring!
Parent/Guardian Notes Required for any changes in Dismissal
If your child(ren) has a change in dismissal from their normal plan, a written note or email to the teacher is required. Please be sure to send that note the same day noting the change. From there, those notes go to the office, where we verify the change and create a bus slip for the bus drivers. This ensures students are going where their parents have arranged and provides permission to the bus drivers to take them (or drop them off at a different stop). Students are not allowed to change their dismissal plans on their own.