🐯 Ti-GRRR NEWS
Oct. 1 & 2 - Health Screenings
Oct. 3 - Half-Day, dismissal at 12:17 pm
Oct. 10 - Full Day Friday, dismissal at 3:12 pm
Oct. 13 - No School, Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Oct. 16 - Picture Day (Info below)
Oct. 17 - Half-Day, dismissal at 12:17 pm
Oct. 24 - Half-Day, dismissal at 12:17 pm
Oct. 31 - Full Day Friday, dismissal at 3:12 pm
Be sure to visit our Live Feed section of the website for weekly highlights of teaching and learning, both inside and outside the classroom.
🐯 Ti-GRRR Community Highlights
Community Teamwork wants to learn about our community, from our community. Every three years, in its capacity as a Community Action Agency, Community Teamwork conducts a Community Needs Assessment to gather information on the causes and conditions of poverty directly from the communities we serve. We use this information to derive the greatest needs facing our community, which in turn drives our Strategic Plan. We have launched our survey and would like your help!
We are asking you to please fill out the short survey and/or share with your networks and employees to fill out. Community Needs Assessment Survey - Community Teamwork
Please complete the survey by October 17th and enter to win a $100 Visa Gift Card!
Thank you for participating – Your input is invaluable!
Please click on the links below to start the 5 minute Survey:
· English
· Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole
For more information, please contact Jenny Kimpton Pickett, jpickett@commteam.org
Thank you!
Jenny Kimpton Pickett
Dear Families,
We are in the process of forming our Swallow Union School Council for this school year. The School Council is a state-required advisory group made up of parents, teachers, and the principal. Its purpose is to support school improvement by:
Assisting in the development of the School Improvement Plan
Advising on budget priorities and educational goals
Strengthening the home-school connection
We are looking for parent representatives to join the council. This is a great way to have a voice in shaping the direction of our school.
If you are interested in serving, please contact Jill Jarvis, Principal, via email at jjarvis@gdrsd.org by October 3rd.
Thank you for considering this important opportunity to partner with us in supporting Swallow Union!
Dear Students and Parents,
Welcome back to another school year at Swallow Union! Here is some general information about the Health Office:
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-3:30 PM
Phone: 978-649-7281 extension 6233
Fax: 978-649-5078
Email: kdeloureiro@gdrsd.org and jgervais@gdrsd.org (Please send correspondence to both email addresses as we job share)
Website: Nurse's Website. Please check out our website for lots of information about the health office, health screenings, frequently needed forms, links to some
great resources and much more
Check out this link for tips for keeping your child healthy and in school: Tips for Staying Healthy.
A few notes as we start the year:
Clothing Request: The nurse’s clothing supply closet is running a bit low on a few items. We are looking for gently used clothing in good condition, specifically:
Boys' pants and shorts in sizes 6, 8, or 10
Girls' size medium shirts, long-sleeve and short-sleeve
Third Grade Physicals: The District requires updated physical exams to be on file for 3rd-grade students. If you have a 3rd grader, please remember to send in a copy of the physical when he/she has an exam this year. Physicals done over this past summer are acceptable. Parents of 4th graders, if you did not send in a physical last year, please send it in as soon as possible.
Illness Policy:
Students must remain home or be dismissed for any of the following reasons:
Fever of 100 Degrees Fahrenheit or higher – Students need to be fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication such as Tylenol or Motrin) before returning to school.
Vomiting or Diarrhea – Students may return to school 12-24 hours after the last episode at the School Nurse’s discretion.
Uncontrollable Cough
Contagious Bacterial Infection (such as strep throat, conjunctivitis, impetigo). Students need to be on antibiotics for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to school.
Suspicious Rash – Students may return to school with written documentation from a healthcare provider certifying that the rash is not contagious.
Serious Illness or Injury
Untreated lice infestation
Thank you so much for keeping our school community healthy!
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!
Nurse Jen and Nurse Kate
Swallow Union will begin to conduct the annual state-mandated health screenings in October and into November. We will be conducting the following screenings:
Vision Screenings in Grades K-4
Hearing Screenings in Grades K-3
Body Mass Index (BMI) Screenings in Grades 1 and 4
To learn more about the Vision, Hearing, and BMI screening, or to read about each of the different health screenings conducted at GDRSD, please go to the Health Services page on our district website by clicking HERE and click on “Health Screenings”.
While participation is encouraged, it is voluntary. If you DO NOT wish to have your student participate in one or more of the health screenings offered to their grade, you may opt them out by completing the Swallow Union Health Screening Opt-Out Form by September 30th, 2025.
Parent Volunteer Opportunity October 1st and 2nd.
The school nurses are looking for a few volunteers who are Cori checked to help the hearing, vision, height, and weight district screeners. The need would be getting children back and forth to the screening location in the school building, and helping keep the line moving and children quiet and listening to instructions while waiting. Parents would not be doing any of the screenings. If you have an interest, please email Nurse Jen at jgervais@gdrsd.org with the time you may be available on either of those days.
If you have any questions about the screening process, please reach out to one of our School Nurses in the Health Office.
The Back to School Color Run is TONIGHT! See you on the playground from 4:30-7:30 (races begin with the kindergarten group at 5:15); don't forget to bring goggles! Reminder: Please bring cash for food purchases, the 50/50 raffle (you can't return it!), and the Dunk-A-Dad fundraiser. You can still register and buy tickets at the event for $10/person (racing is optional!). If you'd like to volunteer, check out the Color Run Volunteer Sign Up in our LinkTree: Swallow Union PTO | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree - we could use a few more helping hands to monitor the dunk tank and toss color for the last three races!
Room parents - we'd love to connect with you! We're hosting a Zoom on October 8 to get to know you and talk about all our amazing upcoming events.
Registrations are closing soon for the below programs.
Bruins Learn to Play Hockey - https://tinyurl.com/BruinsCrusadersYouthHockey
A COMPLETE new set of hockey gear and 4 on ice sessions for $225! All Bruins Academy Learn to Play skaters will be eligible to transition immediately into the Crusaders LTP or Learn to Skate program.
Crusaders Learn to Skate - https://share.google/dCl Jr dA3Sh 1JH MJk
10 Week season (1x or 2x a week). Saturdays and/or Sundays.
Full Session (Saturday AND Sunday) $250
Half Session (Sat OR Sunday)- $150
Sat/Sunday mornings at the Groton School.
Crusaders Learn to Play (Mini-Mites) - https://share.google/pkKbo0p22kC2uS6R3
If you know how to skate and are ready for the next step, jump right in your hockey journey with the Crusaders LTP program! Session starts in November and goes through the end of February. Sat/Sunday mornings at the Groton School