Good Evening Gate City Families!
This note is coming to you a day late but so very worth the wait! it's packed with information about yet another few weeks of phenomenal happenings! But first I wanted to extend a gigantic thank you to everyone who helped make our groovy Fall Family Dance possible last Friday! It was amazing to see so many of our families gather together and have a groove-tastic time! If you missed it, I encourage you to join us for one of our many upcoming activities. Our community is one of the many wonderful things about Gate City Charter School. You belong here, and we want you to feel connected!
i-Ready: The i-Ready “window” has begun! i-Ready is an online diagnostic program in math and English that will help your student’s teacher(s) determine your student’s needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. At Gate City our students participate in i-Ready three times during the year. Next week will mark the start of the first round of the diagnostic. Class diagnostic schedules will vary depending on grade level, academic schedules, and technology distribution. You can learn more about i-Ready by visiting here: https://ireadycentral.com/familycenter/what-is-i-ready/
TOMORROW, Tuesday, October 1st is Family STEAM Night! All families are welcome at the Title I STEAM Night! Join us from 5:15pm-6:15pm for whole family STEAM activities and learn a little about the Title I program.
Alltown Car Wash Fundraiser Saturday and Sunday, October 5th and 6th: Stop by and get a carwash at the 2391 Brown Ave location in Manchester anytime this weekend. Gate City will receive $5 for any car wash and $20 for any Unlimited Club sign up!
Potluck Community Dinner and Our Annual Winter Gear Clothing Swap on Tuesday, October 9th from 5:30pm-7pm Our first Community Dinner of the year is just around the corner! Please RSVP and sign up to bring something to share: https://www.signupgenius.com/.../10C0945ACAE2CA0FCC61...
In conjunction, we will also be holding our second annual Winter Gear Swap! Prepare for the cold weather ahead and help our community to do the same! We will be accepting donations of outgrown, gently used outdoor wear now through October 9th. Please bring your donations to the front office.
Please come by Wednesday, October 9th 5:30-7:00 to "shop" (all items are free!) and share a meal with our school community!
DONATION OF THE WEEK: Never worn, gently used, and/or outgrown outdoor winter wear! Please bring your donations to the front office.
Hope to see you tomorrow for STEAM Night!
Onward and Upward!
Director Jenn Blanchette
Happy Sunday!
Welcome fall! Suddenly, the trees are a canvas. In the words of George Eliot,“If I were a bird, I would fly about the Earth seeking the successive autumns.” We had a wonderful Photo Day and Back-to-School Night last week. Electives are off to a fantastic start. Another week and more great things are happening at Gate City!
Family Dance: Join us THIS Friday, Sept. 27th from 5:30-7:30pm as we GROOVE with our family and friends. This is a Family Dance- open to all students and their families. Students MUST attend with an adult. This is NOT a drop-off event. There is no fee to attend, but there are concessions for sale. This is a great opportunity to meet new friends for both students and guardians
Please consider donating items and/or volunteering to help make this event as incredible as possible!
Donations needed - Click Here Volunteers needed - Click Here
Get Your Gate City Gear: School merch is back! Visit the online pop-up store for GCCSA t-shirts, long sleeve T's, and sweatshirts: https://mintprintworks.chipply.com/GCCSA/ Orders must be placed during the next 2 weeks, choose ship to home or local pickup at the school. We work with a wonderful, local family-owned business Mint Printworks for high quality items, and a portion of sales benefits our school! Orders close September 29th, and purchases will be shipped out after that date.
Winter Clothing Swap: We are now accepting donations of gently used winter gear (hats, mittens, gloves, jackets, coats, snow pants, boots, etc.) for our 2nd Annual WINTER GEAR SWAP! Cold weather is just around the corner, as you go through the closets please bring any outgrown items to our school lobby. Stop by on Wednesday October 9th 5:30pm-7pm to grab any cold weather gear you and your family may need AND stay for our Community Dinner Potluck! Please share with family and friends!!!
After School Activities: We are kicking off several after school activities this week and next: D&D Club, Cross Country, Drama Club, a mural class, piano and guitar lessons and more! Questions? Reach out!
Food Help Available: End 48 Hours of Hunger is a program that is available to families who may experience food instability. Students receive a bag of dry goods each Friday to bring home. Please contact our guidance counselor, Mrs. Bates, at BatesG@gccs-nh.org for more information.
Free Library and Food Pantry: Did you know that we have a Little Free Food Pantry and Little Free Library in our school lobby? Please stop by anytime for books and food items (located in the large metal closet) - take any and all that you need!
Volunteers: Volunteers make all of the difference! We are building a team of volunteers that will help Gate City thrive! Our biggest needs are help with events and fundraising. We are seeking volunteers to help with coordinating, planning, seeking donations, fundraising, set up, and clean up for various events throughout the year. Please follow the link for sign ups, and feel free to share with family and friends - thank you! https://forms.gle/bLp1PdxMoYQSgxni6
Look for a Donation Focus-of-the-Week email Monday!
Have a phenomenal week!
Jenn Blanchette
Director, GCCSA
Good Sunday Evening Gate City Community!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first Donuts with the Director last week. It was wonderful to meet with guardians and to exchange ideas and information. The bridges of communication and connection we build with our families are an invaluable piece of what makes Gate City so special! Be on the lookout for an invitation to next month’s Donuts with the Director.
Unable to make a meeting? I would still love to hear from you! Never hesitate to reach out with questions or ideas.
As always, our week is packed to the brim with AMAZING!
Hayward’s Fundraiser Night: TOMORROW, Monday, September 16th, from 4-8pm at the Merrimack Hayward’s location. Bring the attached flier or mention Gate City and a portion of your order proceeds will be donated directly to Gate City!
Playground Committee Meeting Please join us on Tuesday, September 17th, for the first Playground Committee meeting of the 2024-2025 school year! We will meet at Gate City from 3:20-4:20pm. Come get involved in beautifying and improving our outdoor playground!
Guardian Back-to-School Night: Parents and guardians, join us on September 18th from 5:30-7pm to explore classrooms, learn more about curriculum, and discover ways to help your student succeed. This is a night for parents and guardians only. Information about music lessons, band, drama, cross country and other activities will also be available.
Picture Day: Friday, September 20th is picture day! All students will have a photo taken for our records and for the yearbook (unless prohibited). Haven’t ordered your pictures yet? Please use THIS FORM to order today!
Order Delivery Date: 11/22/24
Questions? Email gibbyimages@gmail.com or call 413-522-2742.
Family Dance: Join us on Friday, Sept. 27th from 5:30-7:30pm as we GROOVE with our family and friends. This is a Family Dance- open to all students and their families. This event is a great way to meet new friends and other families!
Please consider donating items and/or volunteering to help make this event as incredible as possible!
Donations needed - Click Here Volunteers needed - Click Here
Volunteering: We need your help to make our year successful in so many ways big and small! Please let us know how you’d like to be involved HERE: https://forms.gle/bLp1PdxMoYQSgxni6
Covid Response: Covid is prevalent again. Gate City will continue to follow public health guidelines to mitigate the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The CDC updated its respiratory virus guidance on Friday, March 1, 2024. A five-day stay-at-home recommendation is no longer applicable. To prevent the spread of a respiratory virus if you are ill, please follow recommended public health guidelines. Staff/students should stay home if displaying symptoms of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and return to school when after 24 hours: • your symptoms are getting better overall, and • you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
Donation Request of the Week: We could REALLY use cases of bottled water! Please drop donations off in the office!
Make it a great week!
Jenn Blanchette
Director of the BEST Charter School in History!
Happy Sunday!
As the school year gets rolling, I just wanted to highlight a few activities, events and opportunities that are going at Gate City this week!
“Donut” miss Donuts with the Director THIS TUESDAY, September 10th at 8:45am in the Great Hall! Come learn more about our school and bring your questions and ideas. Meet community members and learn about ways to get involved in our Community-Staff Organization.
We Need You!
It takes our families to make Gate City the special community that it is! We need your help to make events, fundraisers, and our extra-curricular activities a success.
Electives: Interested in helping with our student electives? Electives are starting soon and we are once again asking for volunteers to teach or assist electives. Electives give students choice in their education and are an integral part of GCCSA culture. Perhaps you have a skill, hobby, foreign language, or other kind of expertise that you can share with students. The more volunteers we have, the more robust our offerings. Bring your passion and knowledge, and we will organize the rest. We need helpers and teachers on Mondays and Fridays!
Volunteers: Volunteers make all of the difference! We are building a team of volunteers that will help Gate City thrive! Our biggest needs are help with events and fundraising. We are seeking volunteers to help with coordinating, planning, seeking donations, fundraising, set up, and clean up for various events throughout the year. Please follow the link for sign ups, and feel free to share with family and friends - thank you! https://forms.gle/bLp1PdxMoYQSgxni6
**Our first big event will be our Family Dance on 9-27. Look for volunteer sign-ups this week!**
See the attachments below for a calendar of other events and information about our upcoming Haywards fundraiser!
Have an amazing week! Hope to see you Tuesday!
Onward and upward!
Jennifer Blanchette
Director, Gate City Charter School for the Arts
Happy Labor Day Families!
I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend and were able to soak up some of the last rays of summer before the crisp fall air settles in. As the school year gets into full swing, I wanted to offer a few reminders and provide you with Information about upcoming events and activities.
A full calendar of events is available on our website under Upcoming Events.
Transportation: As with the beginning of most undertakings, we recognize that there were a few hiccups last week, especially with afternoon transportation and dismissal. We are hopeful that this week will go more smoothly. If you need to change the pick-up plan for your student, please use the designated button on the gccsanh.org website before 2pm.
PLEASE remember not to park in spots designated for other businesses.
Lunches: School lunches begin this week and the menus are posted on the website! If you have not already done so and wish to be considered for the program, please fill out a free and reduced meal application. Copies were sent home last week. If you need another one please let us know or stop by the front office. Without a completed application, the school does not receive funding for the program.
Wednesday Aftercare: Aftercare begins this Wednesday the 4th. If you have not registered and want to participate in the program, this year we are implementing a new sign-up form for GCCSA Wednesday Aftercare. Please fill out THIS FORM if you are interested in your child attending.
Donuts with the Director: Come join me at 8:45 am on September 9th in the Great Hall at Gate for a chance to learn more about Gate City, ask questions, share ideas, and find out more about ways to get involved in our community!
Back-to-School Guardian Night: Parents and guardians, join us on September 18th at drawing 5:30pm to explore classrooms, learn more about curriculum, and discover ways to help your student succeed. This is a night for parents and guardians only.
Picture Day: September 20th
Fall Family Dance: September 27th at 5:30pm join us for our K-8 Fall Family Dance. All families and their students are invited for this annual community bash! Meet new friends, have fun, and make connections that will last!
After School Activities: In the next few weeks look for detailed information on drama, Destination Imagination and cross country!
Can’t wait to see the students tomorrow!
Onward and upward,
Jenn Blanchette
Director, GCCSA
Greetings Gate City Charter School Families!
As the new year approaches, we are looking for ways to make our school the best environment possible for creating, learning, and developing for our students. As a result, we have made adjustments to Gate City Charter School for the Arts’ student cell phone/personal device policy for the 2024-25 school year. It is my hope that providing you with this policy before the beginning of school will make it possible for you to understand our reasoning for its adoption and to have fruitful and supportive conversations with your students about the importance and validity of its implementation.
We live in a time when our students have unprecedented access to phones and other devices. We believe that time spent away from phones can provide mental, social, and educational benefits. Additionally, data is pouring in from worldwide studies confirming that devices not only significantly disrupt education, but also increase and/or exacerbate conditions such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety. We consider it our most solemn responsibility and privilege to care for your students and to provide them with the best opportunity to learn and grow in the fullest sense of those terms. As a result, we have a no phone/personal device policy at Gate City. Personal devices include but are not limited to phones, gaming devices, laptops, iPads/tablets, Airpods/wireless headphones, and Smart Watches.
Below is a portion of the updated phone/personal device policy from our Student and Family Handbook:
Locked Storage: Each classroom in grades 4-8 will have a Phone Home. These are locked storage boxes for phones and other small devices like Smart Watches. Students may store their phones in a labeled slot for the day. This home base for devices provides security and is portable in case of emergency.
Please know that we have carefully considered the development of this policy. We have researched and discussed this matter in depth. Below you will find a link to an evidenced-based article to support this policy, as well as a link to a slideshow with evidence and information on the topic, along with additional cited sources to explore, prepared by GCCSA:
Surgeon General Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html?unlocked_article_code=1.0k0.uGVL.OfmY1BoNGi5A&smid=url-share
Slideshow: Social Media Data
We understand how challenging adhering to this policy may be. Students struggle to avoid checking texts and other notifications.They can even be tempted to bring their phones to the restrooms for a quick game or to find a corner to send a Snap. That is why we are asking for your help. Please discuss these changes with your students, as applicable and appropriate.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out at any time.
We appreciate you partnering with us as we work to implement this policy.
Jenn Blanchette
Director, GCCSA
Main Office Hours
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7 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack, NH 03054
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