A Message from Rick Riley-Benoit

GNGMS Families!

Here are some guidelines to help our families navigate common bus transportation changes. In all cases we need to hear from a parent to approve changes.

  • The school/office can approve “same bus different stop” with a note or phone call from home and provide student with an “approved bus note” to give to the bus driver. Transportation does not need to be notified.
  • Due to limited seating, requests to go on a different bus can not be accommodated. Exceptions to this policy can only be approved by Transportation. Transportation will inform the school if the request has been approved and we will provide the student with an “approved bus note” to give to the bus driver.
  • We may not be able to accommodate same day requests due to time restraints and staff shortages.
  • Late day and last minute requests can not be accommodated.

KJ and the entire transportation team are amazing and do their very best to assist  families any way they can.

We are also asking parents to contact the office before 1:00 if there are changes to your students dismissal plans. Last minute changes can be difficult to accommodate and disruptive to the classrooms.

Wishing all our families  a safe and fun vacation week!

School Counselor

I would like to appeal to parents to please be aware of caffeine use amongst our middle schoolers. The school staff have noticed a small, but consistent, number of students who are bringing, and at times trying to share, caffeinated drinks in school. Caffeine use (and in some cases abuse) can be romanticized by our students.

Caffeine use in young people can disrupt sleep patterns, increase anxiety and cause poor school performance. It is a moderately addictive drug that interacts with the same dopamine reward pathways in the brain as nicotine, cocaine and alcohol among other drugs. Youth are much more sensitive to caffeine and therefore much more likely to develop addictive patterns of behavior based on early use.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children under 12 should not consume any caffeine and that even high school aged students should have under 100 mg of caffeine a day. One twelve ounce can of Red Bull has over 110 mg of caffeine. We would like to partner with parents in helping our students make this healthy choice.

The school policy (in red below) states that energy drinks are not permitted in school.

Food and Drinks:

  • Food should be eaten only at designated times and in designated areas.
  • Drinks: Students are asked to bring a water bottle to school.
  • Students are not permitted to bring energy drinks to school.

Thank you for your time and please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Martin Lynch, MEd. School Counselor mlynch@sad15.org

Lost and Found

Please have your students check Lost and Found if they are missing any item. Once conferences are over Lost and found will be donated.

Updated  February 14, 2025