Sept. 6, 2022

Good afternoon, GW Families -

I am passing along a welcome packet from our PTO that includes information about this year's events as well as volunteering opportunities.  There are many ways you can help and we can't do it without you! 2022-2023 Welcome PTO packet GW.docx 

I'm also including the meeting agenda on behalf of our PTO for our first general meeting which is tomorrow, Wednesday, September 7th at 7pm in the GW library.  September General Meeting.pdf  Childcare will be provided by CEEL staff Mr. Antonio and Mr. Victor.  If your children join, please have them bring a water bottle from home.  You can also join by Google Meet using the following link: https://meet.google.com/jsi-dunb-wbu.  We hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful week!

Dr. Kristen Dewitt 

Sept. 26, 2022

Good afternoon, 

We look forward to welcoming everyone to Back-to-School Night later this week!

In hopes of providing you with information ahead of time, I've created a Back-to-School Night Slideshow that includes:

    * P.A.C.K. expectations

    * Goals for the school year

    * Important links for home

    * An introduction to this year's specialists and interventionists

    * Updates from our PTO

I hope you enjoy.  See you soon!

Dr. Kristen Dewitt

Sept. 26, 2022

Good afternoon Gray's Woods Families, 

Packets of information for our 2022 Wolf Pack Challenge were sent home with students last week and two errors were included on the collection envelope.

Please make note of the following corrections:

EVENT DETAILS - The event times on the front of the envelope were incorrect and should be as follows:

K/1st grades:                  10:10-10:30 am               

2nd/3rd grades:              1:00-1:20 pm                     

4th/5th grades:               1:30-2:00 pm                      

DONATION AND PLEDGE FORM DEADLINE - In addition, the deadline date on the back of the envelope was incorrect and should be as follows:

                                           All donations and the pledge forms should be returned by October 17th.

We are looking forward to this annual event and appreciate your understanding. Please reach out anytime with questions.  

Dr. Kristen Dewitt

October 6,2022

Good afternoon, GW families -

October is a busy month!  Today we celebrated the Day of Caring by cleaning the garden, making cards and bracelets for Florida school children in areas affected by Hurricane Ian, and made Thanksgiving placemats for Meals on Wheels to distribute next month.  Thank you to all volunteers and our PTO! 

NO SCHOOL OCT. 7th - A reminder that there is no school tomorrow, Fri. Oct. 7th, for professional learning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GW!  Gray’s Woods' 20th birthday is Thursday, Oct. 20th!!!  We can’t wait to celebrate 20 years of PACK Power with an all-school assembly and our Wolf Pack Challenge!  

• Our all-school assembly will include a slideshow of past GW memories, visits from former members of the Wolf Pack and more!  

• The Wolf Pack Challenge will follow!  This is our largest fundraiser of the year and we are 10% of the way to our $20,000 goal!

  • Please be sure your child returns pledge forms and donations by Oct. 17th

  • Parents and guardians are welcome to attend the WPC and cheer on our participants!  Bring your signs, pom poms, and noisemakers!  

  • For security reasons, adults who attend must stop by the office first to sign in and pick up a visitor’s sticker.  Adults without visitor stickers will be asked to leave the property.

  • Challenge times are as follows:  

    • Kdg/1st grade:  10:10-10:30am

    • 2nd/3rd grade:  1-1:20pm

    • 4th/5th grade: 1:40-2:00pm

HARVEST FESTIVAL - Our harvest festival will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 26th and includes class celebrations and an all-school outdoor parade at 1:15pm (weather permitting).

• GW Virtual Academy friends are invited!  Please contact Dr Dewitt if your child plans to attend.

• Costumes - Costumes are always optional. If your child wishes to wear a costume, they will be given a brief amount of time to change shortly before class celebrations begin - costumes, make up, wigs, hats, etc. should not be worn to school.  Please be sure costumes are age and weather appropriate. 

  • For safety reasons, masks may be worn during classrooms during parties only, not in hallways or outdoors.

  • Inflatable costumes are permitted but will only be allowed to stay inflated during our outdoor parade.  

  • Please remember our district weapons policy - weapons of any kind, even replicas, are not permitted.

• Class Celebrations - Brief class celebrations will take place before or after the parade depending on the class schedule. Please watch for notification from your child’s teacher regarding times and need for volunteers. Volunteers who plan to assist with parties which will take that day, clearances must be submitted and verified by the Community Education department.  All clearance information can be found here.  There are three ways to submit clearances:

  • Drop off clearances in-person to our office, located at 240 Villa Crest Drive.

  • Mail hard copies of clearances to our office (mailed clearances must be postmarked by October 21) using the following address: VIPS Supervisor, 240 Villa Crest Drive, State College, PA 16801

  • Email completed clearances to: volunteers@scasd.org

• All-School Parade - Weather permitting, the parade will take place from 1:15-1:45 pm outdoors. Classes will exit the building at the parent pick-up side door, follow the sidewalk up and around the track and reenter the building through the primary recess door then return to their classrooms. Spectators should plan to watch the parade from the perimeter of the soccer field, not indoors. In the case of inclement weather the parade will be indoors and spectators will not be invited in. 

• Opt Out Procedure - As always, participation in the Harvest Festival is optional. We respect the wishes and beliefs of our families so if you’d prefer that your child not participate in these activities, please notify your child’s teacher, and alternative activities will be made available for your child during this time.  If you wish to opt your child out of the parade or parties, please email your child's teacher by Mon. Oct. 24th.

FALL CONFERENCES - These important conversations will take place Oct. 27th & 28th.  We are proud to celebrate over 95% participation each year so please schedule your conference with your child’s teacher ASAP.  We look forward to seeing you then!

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

Dr. Kristen Dewitt