Auld Lang Syne, a poem written in 1788 by Robert Burns, is often sung on New Year’s Eve. Although a literal translation of the title could be ‘for the sake of old-time,’ in the year 2020 I am much more prone to stress its traditional use, rather than its meaning. I can’t think of a better celebration at midnight on December 31st than to say goodbye to the old year as I watch the ball drop in Times Square. “Out with the old and in with the new”, as the saying goes. So, in 2021, what do I hope will be my new? I hope we get through this pandemic by school year’s end. I hope we are able to return to the school of old come September. Most importantly, I hope you all have a quiet, peaceful, relaxing holiday season, free from the stress of this so-called life. May you bring in 2021 with a renewed sense of purpose, spirit, and strength. The end is in sight… even if we have to trudge through several feet of snow to get there… the end is in sight.
Happy Holidays!
Margo Martin, superintendent
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WINTER RESOURCES
This holiday more than any other it is important that we come together to help our neighbors. Here are a few resources that we hope can be of some assistance as the winter months are officially upon us.
Catholic Charities can help with the SNAP application, which is a monthly supplement to help with groceries. HEAP is another program that can help with the costs of heating your home. Catholic Charities can also help with clothing, household goods, employment searches, and more. Our Tompkins County coordinator is Liz Balog and she can be reached at 607-272-5062 (ext. 21). Give her a call - it's free and confidential.
The Groton Food Pantry can assist with meals. They are open every Monday (except for 12/28) from 5:00-6:30pm. Pre-register for quick service or to make an appointment.
Email: GrotonFoodProviders18@outlook.com or call 607-592-4825.
The Groton Public Library is still hosting "Healthy Tuesdays" from 12:30-2:00pm. No registration is required. Call 607-898-5055 to arrange a later pick up.
The Clothing Closet has reopened at 160 Main Street, Groton, NY. They are a ministry that provides free, gently used clothing, shoes, and outerwear to the community. They have items for the entire family from newborns to adults. The inventory changes regularly as donations arrive. They are open on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am-12pm. If you would like to donate items, please do so during their hours on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays. Otherwise, please contact the Groton Assembly of God Church @ 607-898-5263.
The Southern Tier Foodbank has a drive-thru giveaway on the 1st Thursday of the month at the village lot on Main Street. Each family can receive up to 100 pounds of food including meat, dairy and produce. Registration required is at foodbankst.org at 8am the day before the drive-thru.
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A Juggling Act
Remote learning is a new adventure for students, parents, and teachers alike. Teachers worked hard this summer, logging tons of professional development hours to get up to speed with the latest technologies like Google Classroom, Zoom, and other applications that would help them teach students remotely. They continue to hone their practices daily and work through technical difficulties as they arise in order to deliver the best possible instruction to our students. They are doing phenomenal work, but it is not easy. Trying to manage two shifts of kids with an ever-changing roster due to sickness and quarantines from contact tracing is one challenge. Now add teaching a dozen students in-person, while simultaneously teaching another 5-10 virtually through Zoom, or teaching remotely while they are in quarantine with their own family and managing all those distractions! It is a juggling act like no other, and we are proud to say, our teachers are nailing it! They are rock stars and deserve a tremendous pat on the back for helping keep our doors open so our students can receive the education they deserve in a warm and welcoming atmosphere and where they are given food to feed their bellies so their minds can grow. They have certainly earned a spot on Santa's "Nice" list this year!
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Lessons Beyond Physics
"People learn the most when teaching others."
~P. Drucker
Physics students not only learned topic-specific information, but they also enhanced their technology, collaboration, and communication skills by creating video presentations for their classmates. Teaching others is one of the best ways to deeply understand a topic. Please enjoy snippets of their videos in this Physics montage.
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Step up to the Challenge
GES has challenged students to complete the math and ELA competitions to promote goal-setting and goal-management for students. Each student has been assigned a goal in both math and ELA based on their latest assessments. Students who reach their goal will win a prize. Those who exceed their goal will earn extra points. For every 5 points above their goal, they earn a raffle ticket to be entered into a drawing for an Amazon Fire Kids Tablet! There will be two raffles, one for primary, and one for intermediate students. If you haven't started yet no worries, the challenge doesn't end until January 29. Log on today and put those math and ELA skills to the test for your chance to win! Directions are on the website.
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INTERNATIONAL DAY
While it wasn't the smorgasbord of international foods to enjoy as it had been in years past, students still found ways to celebrate cultures from around the world with the Foreign Language Department during International Week. Students researched famous foreign people and created posters to share with their classmates. They also played virtual trivia games and made some at-home cultural crafts. Mrs. Twitchell and Mrs. Lilyea were able to find some pre-packaged snacks from other countries to share with the students as well!
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A Dickens Drive-Thru
Finding ways to allow students to practice their acting and singing skills during a pandemic can be a challenge. Thank you to Annette Twitchell and the Music and Art Departments for providing the community with “A Dickens Drive-Thru” event on December 22. Inspired by the classic Charles Dickens' novel and movie, A Christmas Carol!, students in the Drama Club prepared nine different scenes for families in cars to drive by and enjoy. Backdrops for each of the scenes were prepared by our art students and faculty. It is inspiring to see how even in a pandemic we have the ability to bring in the holiday season with such a family-friendly event! Watch the video courtesy of John Brehm: A Dickens Drive-Thru: The Story of Scrooge
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We are selling yard signs that are still great to put in a business window, front porch window, etc. – help us spread the Groton Rocks pride throughout our community. Signs are $15 each – just let us know that you would like one!
WINTER WONDERLAND
Please send us pictures of your kids playing in the snow and enjoying the great outdoors during the holiday break so we can share them in a later publication! Thank you!
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Music to Our Ears
The Music Department was determined to keep the tradition of the holiday concerts alive. This year students in band and chorus in grades 4-12 (and alumni) came together on different platforms to send some holiday cheer through song. Ensembles look a little different this year, but the love of singing and playing is still very apparent. Please enjoy!
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GROTON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
WWW.GROTONCS.ORG
400 PERU ROAD, GROTON, NY 13073
(607) 898-5301
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