HUNTINGTON – It’s “back to school” time for Gateway students and staff. Opening day for staff will be Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 26 and 27. Students in grades 1 – 12 will return on Wednesday, Aug. 28 for the 2019-2020 school year.
Chester and Littleville Elementary Schools will continue to serve preschool through Grade 5 students, under the direction of Principal Megan Coburn and Assistant Principal Darlene Rehor. The elementary school schedule is 8:55 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. for K-5. Parents may drop off students at 8:45 a.m.
Gateway Regional Middle School (grades 6 – 8) and High School (9-12) will both be under the direction of Principal Jason Finnie and our new Assistant Principal Martha Clark. Both schools run on the earlier time schedule of 7:35 (warning bell at 7:30 a.m.) to 2:05 p.m.
Preschool students begin on Sept. 4. Full and half-day preschool will be available at Chester Elementary, Littleville Elementary, and at Gateway. Preschool Orientation will be held on August 30; times are 9 – 10 a.m. for students having full day and morning preschool; 12:40 – 1:40 p.m. for students attending afternoons. PreK home visits are being scheduled now to take place on Aug. 29. You must email your preschool teacher by August 26 to schedule a home visit. Fall PreK screenings will take place at Littleville Elementary School on Aug. 28. Call Susan Rhoads at 685-1312 if your child will be age 4 on or before Sept. 1.
Kindergarten students will have their first day on Friday, Aug. 30. Kindergarten students and their parents/guardians are welcome to stop in for a visit to their classroom on August 29; feel free to drop by between 9:30 and noon, or 1 to 3 p.m.
Middle School orientation for grades 6 – 8 will be Thursday, Aug. 22 from 3 – 6 p.m. Families are welcome to come in, get their student’s schedule, find classrooms and get information about technology.
Students attending Chester Elementary School are all still eligible for free breakfast and lunch, in accordance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Chester ES students do not need to submit the Free/Reduced Meals Application—they are all automatically eligible. (Families at all other Gateway schools will need to return the application to be eligible; they will go home on the first day of school and are online under the “Food Services” quicklink.)
Preliminary Bus routes are being posted on Aug. 21 on the website; however, families should check back just before school opens because new families are still registering and may impact routes and times. Times are approximate and students should be at their bus stop at least 10 minutes early on the first few days of school, as routes could still be adjusted. Parents of students who have before or after school daycare, or who have shared custody during the school week should consult the transportation page of the Gateway website (under “Administrative Services”) for special information and required forms.
Gateway continues to grow it’s 1 to 1 Chromebook program; this year, students in grades 3 – 12 will be issued a Chromebook at no cost; parents have the option of purchasing insurance to cover damage to the laptop in school ($18 fee). Students in grades 6-12, who wish to take the Chromebook home during the school year, may do so by purchasing an insurance policy that offers additional coverage ($30 fee).
Students in grades 6 – 12 are invited to take part in Gateway athletics. Fall sports include boys and girl’s cross country running and boys and girl’s soccer. Fall sports tryouts begin on Aug. 22 and students are expected to attend all tryout times. Online registration forms are now posted and may be found on the Gateway website (www.grsd.org) on the high school athletics page. Students must be registered before they can tryout. Athletes are reminded to bring a copy of their most updated physical, especially if they had a physical over the summer. By MIAA rule, physicals are good for 13 months. If you are unable to register online, please call Athletic Director Matt Bonenfant at 685-1101 to make an appointment to register in person.
Tryout times for Aug. 22 and 23 are: 3 – 5 p.m. for girl’s cross country, with boys cross country tryouts to be announced; 8 – 10 a.m. and 3 – 5 p.m. for boys soccer; and 9 – 11 a.m., and 5 – 7:30 p.m. for girls soccer. Coaches will issue the rest of the tryout schedule on that day. Athletic fees must be paid before the first game/meet. For more information, please consult the Gateway website’s Athletics Page (top row of menus, far right).
Parents are encouraged to stay up to date on communications from Gateway. Gateway has a mobile app that provides news, events, a staff directory, building information, the lunch menu, the school-year calendar and the Gateway sports schedule. Emergency notifications are also made through the Gateway app. Search for “Gateway Regional School District” for a free download on Google Play or the App Store.
Gateway also uses an autodialer to periodically call parents about reminders, events, or emergency communications. Please make sure that your current telephone number and email address are on file with the district and notify your child’s school office if either change.
Parents and guardians are also reminded that Gateway still offers its weekly e-newsletter Breaking News to all who are interested. You must subscribe online to receive the newsletter in your email. Go to the Gateway website (www.grsd.org) and look for Breaking News under the news drop-down menu. Readers can subscribe for an email notification at the top of the Breaking News webpage.
