Groton Elementary Families,
The parade is ON! After reviewing the radar and hourly forecast, it looks like we’ll have light rain during the parade. Please be sure to bring rain jackets and umbrellas just in case.
This year, students will make two loops around the route so everyone can see their student(s). If the weather shifts, we may adjust to one loop.
If you’ve sent in a note to pick up your student after the parade, please sign them out in the GES Gymnasium once doors open at approximately 2:20 PM. After signing out by last name, you’ll move to the opposite side of the partitioned gym to pick up your student(s). This new setup should help keep everyone out of the rain.
We kindly ask that only ONE adult per family enter the gym to sign out and pick up students due to limited space.
***UPK–3 families: Please follow directions from Mr. Lockwood.
Important: All cars must be moved from the bus loop in front of the gym by 2:50 PM to allow buses to arrive for dismissal.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation. Our students are so excited to show off their costumes — it’s going to be a great parade day at Groton Elementary!
That’s 10 nutritious meals a week to help ease a little bit of the daily burden.
Our meals are fresh, never processed, and made to be tasty and satisfying. Did you know that if the main entrée isn’t your favorite, you can always create a complete, balanced meal from our beautiful salad bar? Both schools offer this option every day!
We’re proud to nourish our students so they can learn, grow, and thrive. 🌱🍎
Here is a link for other avaiable food resources in tompkins county https://hsctc.org/211food/
Mrs. Costa’s 6th grade artists just wrapped up their Intro to Graphic Design project by creating their own custom potato chip brands — complete with logos, packaging, and flair! They celebrated with a potato chip party where students showed off their designs (and enjoyed the real thing, too!). Next up: a STEAM collaboration with Mr. Levick, where students will develop and record a market pitch to sell their snack-worthy creations. Stay tuned — these young designers mean business!
“Fill the Pumpkin” Event
Sat. Nov. 1st at the football game, Ross Field - 11 AM
We’re excited to celebrate our very first Tompkins Tuesday today! On the menu, you’ll find a fresh kale apple salad featured on the salad bars at both schools.
This delicious dish is more than just a healthy choice — it’s a way to connect students to local food and the farmers who grow it. The beautiful kale in today’s salad comes straight from Stick and Stone Farm in Ithaca, NY.
By enjoying local produce, we’re supporting our community, reducing our environmental footprint, and helping students learn where their food comes from.
🎃 Spook-Tacular Family Night at Groton Elementary! 👻
What an incredible evening filled with creativity, laughter, and community spirit! Families explored spooky STEM challenges, made Halloween slime, crafted origami bookmarks, painted pumpkins, built bone bridges, designed haunted houses, and even created magnificent broom keepsakes and candy-corn math bracelets.
Congratulations to Graeson Robinson, Hayden Houck, and Beau Dexter for guessing the closest number of Reese’s Pieces in the jar!
A huge thank you to our amazing staff for organizing such fun-filled activities and to the 21st Century Grant for helping make this event possible for our students and families.
Events like this remind us what makes Groton such a special place—where learning and fun go hand in hand! 💫
#GrotonElementary #RedhawksSOARR #SpookTacularFamilyNight #CommunityStrong
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and that was our focus in Friendship Club today! 💙
We read the book “The Recess Queen” and talked about what it means to be a good friend. Students then worked together to sort pictures into two categories — being a good friend and not being a good friend — helping them reflect on their own choices during playtime.
To finish, we watched “Be an Upstander – Prevent Bullying: A NED Short”, a great video encouraging students to stand up for others and be an upstander instead of a bystander.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/eeqQCyQOCPg
At Groton Elementary, we continue to build a culture of kindness, empathy, and respect — one friendship at a time. 💛
NYSPHSAA - Section IV Events
Cross Country Championships
Cross Country - Boys Varsity & Girls Varsity
Thu, Nov 06, 2025
Chenango Valley State Park
Golf Course
153 State Park Road
Chenanago Forks, NY, 13746
I am writing to inform you that we will be conducting a lockdown drill on Friday, October 24, 2025. As always, our primary focus is on ensuring the safety and preparedness of all our students.
During the drill, students will practice following lockdown procedures in their classroom under the guidance of their teachers and staff. These drills are crucial for ensuring that everyone in our school knows how to respond calmly and efficiently in the event of an emergency.
As a reminder, we will not provide specific times for the drill to preserve its effectiveness, but we wanted to notify you in advance per the new New York State regulations.
We understand that drills like these can be sensitive, and we approach them with the utmost care to ensure students feel safe and supported throughout the process. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact the main office.
Thank you for your continued partnership in maintaining a safe learning environment for all.
October 23, 2025
Dear Families:
This year we will be holding a “Fall Festival” on Friday, October 31st. Teachers have fun, fall-themed activities planned for students to participate in during the school day. We would like to invite you to join us at the end of the day for our traditional “Fall Parade” beginning around 1:50 pm.
We are asking students not to wear their costumes to school but to bring them with them and put them on before the parade if they would like to dress up. Thankfully, we have lots of helpers this year to assist with the costume changing process. Students can wear fall colored clothes, Groton spirit gear, dress up as their favorite book character or choose another costume that is “school-appropriate,” and does not promote or display a violent or graphic theme. Swords, guns, knives and bloody makeup cannot be part of the costume. We know many of the pre-made costumes are pricey, so we hope some of these other ‘fall’ themed ideas will be more economical and just as much fun.
This year the parade will begin at the far side of the building near the modified softball field/concessions stand. Students will follow the sidewalk, loop around the bus circle and enter the main entrance to return to their classrooms. This will give families more room to spread out along a bigger area so you can easily take pictures and enjoy watching the parade.
Taking your Student(s) Home After the Parade?
> As we prepare for the upcoming parade, we want to ensure a safe and efficient pickup process for our students, staff, and families.
> Please be aware that it may take some time for students to return to their classrooms and gather their belongings. Additionally, students will remain in their costumes if they are being picked up.
> To help us plan effectively, kindly send a note with your child on Wednesday or Thursday (October 29th/30th) if you intend to pick them up.
> Student pickups for UPK-4 through 5th grade will take place in the GES Gymnasium. Students will be signed out by last name rather than by grade level. Designated tables will be set up in the gym to assist families in signing out their children efficiently. Once you have signed-out your student(s) please wait outside of the Gymnasium for pick-up.
> For UPK-3 students, they will be dismissed as normal at 2:45 PM in the lobby area.
> Please remember to sign out your child before leaving.
> To ensure the safety and security of everyone, families are kindly requested to remain outside, in the GES Gymnasium, or in the lobby area. Thank you for your understanding.
If the weather is inclement, I will send out a notification using Thrillshare/Rooms by 11:30 AM canceling the parade. Students will still have the opportunity to dress-up and have their regular Fall themed activities/party in their classrooms.
If you have any questions about the Fall Festival or Parade, please email your child’s teacher. We are excited for students to enjoy some “Fall fun” this year and we look forward to seeing you at the parade!
Varsity Soccer Sectionals - Opening Round For the Lady Red Hawks was a success!
We’re celebrating with PJ Day at Groton Elementary on Thursday, October 30th!
Wear your favorite cozy pajamas and get ready for a fun day before all the Halloween excitement! 🧡🕷️
#GrotonElementary #RedhawkPride #SpiritDay #PJDay #HalloweenFun
https://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/students-and-parents/about-yearbooks?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=vanity_URL&utm_campaign=YBK_SY26_STANDARD_HALLOWEEN_20250701
Have you purchased your high school (grades 9-12) yearbook yet? If not, use the qr code on the flyer to order yours today. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Carr at bcarr@grotoncs.org.
