A letter to families from Superintendent Yodis and Principal Cornell with updates for both the Elementary and Middle Schoolers!
Dear GD Families,
We hope you are enjoying these beautiful summer days and are finding some time to relax and do the things that make you happy.
The 12-month staff at GD have been busy as we prepare for the upcoming school year. Pavement projects are in motion to fix potholes and enhance our recess area with room for playing basketball, 4-square and hopscotch games. Indoors, our crew is busy stripping and waxing floors, deep cleaning classrooms, painting and transforming new learning spaces such as a new reading and math room, as well as creating an additional bookroom that will house thousands of new book selections for students pre-K-8.
GD’s faculty have been busy working on summer professional development opportunities such as working with our new language arts curriculum and materials, Earth Science curriculum development, Restorative Justice Practices training with NYSED and exploring best teaching practices through the COMPASS Institute with the University at Albany. We are excited as we continue to reflect on our current practices and learn how to expand upon and make them better for our students.
This summer our team continues to focus on social-emotional learning supports and targeted instruction for both elementary and middle school students provided by our school social worker, counselor, and psychologist.
As far as COVID goes, we have received no guidance or updated protocols at this time and will inform you as soon as we hear anything. Please note that our classes at every grade level are between 14-24 students so even in the biggest class, students will be able to safely physically distance should that remain a requirement from the Department of Health.
Our hours for the next school year will be 8:00 am to 2:30 pm for all students in pre-K-8th grades. We are hoping to start school as close to 8:00 am as possible and end as close to 2:30 pm as possible. We are hopeful that we are able to transport more children on our school buses to reduce the number of cars dropping off and picking up each day. Although we are so grateful that so many families were able to help us out and drive during the last two years, the staggered drop-off and pick-up times currently cut into a full hour of instruction each day. We will continue to watch for guidance to ensure it is safe to transport with our buses again fully.
Elementary Update:
We have continued to watch our enrollment numbers as we were contemplating how many sections of kindergarten and 1st grade we were going to hold. Since we have not had any more enrollment in those grade levels, we have made the decision that we will hold one section of each. This will mean that Mrs. Madelone will come out of her 1st-grade classroom for the upcoming year to take on an alternate assignment. Mrs. Madelone is excited to take a lead role and provide support to the pre-K – 5th grade teachers and students as we begin our new Fountas and Pinnell Classroom ELA Program. Mrs. Kelleher’s position will change a bit as well. She will provide support and instruction to both kindergarten and 1st-grade classrooms ensuring small group instruction and early intervention services are provided.
Now that those final decisions are made, Mrs. Cornell will be sending home your child’s pre-K-6th grade classroom teacher by the end of next week so that you can start connecting with your teachers.
Middle School Update:
Thank you to all of the folks who have worked tirelessly to build a master schedule that will offer a cohesive plan for our faculty and staff and ensure that all students get the programming they need. A new addition to the middle school schedule is the creative planning for students to have an access period every day. Instead of students having an unstructured 45-minute lunch and recess time, we will allow the students time to eat for 22 minutes, and then they will move to a structured access period for 23 minutes in which they will be scheduled with one of their core teachers. Core subject area teachers will be available each day to provide individualized support or enrichment opportunities for all students such as; ELA Advanced Book Clubs, Earth Science Lab, Science Support, Math Support, ELA Support, SS Support, SS Enrichment, and Photography/ Video Production of our daily announcements.
With small class sizes in 7th grade this year, we have the opportunity to split the grade level into homogeneous groupings in math and ELA. This will allow for students to be in an enriched math and ELA class or one that will have additional staffing and supports to meet individual needs. Students will be grouped heterogeneously in all other subject areas.
Mrs. Cornell and Mrs. Murphy are putting the finishing touches on the schedule and will be sending them out to students in the next two weeks. Once you receive the schedule and have any questions, please feel free to give them a call.
We will continue to update you throughout the summer. Enjoy this time with your family!
Fondly,
Dr. Yodis and Mrs. Cornell
See offerings on the next page…..
Offerings by grade level:
*Access supports for students in middle school will be fluid and matched with core teachers to meet their needs as the school year progresses.
PreK-5
ELA
Math
SS
Science
Writing
Second-Step Social Emotional Learning
Music/PE/Library/Art
Individualized Instrument Lessons (5th grade)
6th grade
ELA
Math
SS
Science
Spanish
Family and Consumer Science FACS
Health
Music/PE/Library/Art
Individualized Instrument Lessons
Band
Chorus
Access- Photography/Video Production
Access- ELA Support
Access- Math Support
7th grade
Daily Math Enrichment Class
Daily Math Intensive Support Class
Daily ELA Enrichment Class
Daily ELA Intensive Support Class
Access- ELA Support
Access- Advanced Book Club
Access- Social Studies Support
Access- Social Studies Enrichment
Career and Technical Education CTE
Music/PE/Library/Art
Individualized Instrument Lessons
Band
Chorus
Access- Photography/Video Production
8th grade
Algebra
Earth Science
Access- Science Support
Access- Math Support
Access- Health
Access- Studio Art
Access- Photography/Video Production
Career and Technical Education CTE
Individualized Instrument Lessons
Band
Chorus
Music Research