Dear Families,
Here are our weekly reminders and updates. There’s a lot in this one—please read carefully!
- April 3- No School, Good Friday
- April 6-9 Grade 5 NGSS testing
- April 8- Incoming Grade 3 Family Orientation 5:30-7:00 pm
- April 13-17- No School, April Break
- April 21- PTO meeting
- May 4-26 SBAC Testing
- May 5- Family STEAM Night- CHS Complex
- May 25 No School, Memorial Day
Updates
GHR is the 2026 Elementary School of the Year!!!!!
GHR has been named the 2026 Elementary School of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS), recognizing the school for its inclusive and supportive school community. The CAS visiting committee praised GHR for its strong commitment to academic excellence and for providing opportunities for all students to thrive and explore their interests. Notable programs include the school’s robust music programming, Challenge and Enrichment groups, after-school offerings, Project Lead the Way opportunities across all grade levels, and extracurricular activities such as Invention Convention, Math Maniacs, and Kid Governor.
The School of the Year award process begins with an application review by a committee of current administrators. Two finalists are then selected for on-site visits, which include classroom observations and interviews with parents, students, staff, and administrators. Winners are chosen based on the site visit outcomes as well as the strength of their written application. This recognition highlights Coventry’s ongoing achievements and steadfast commitment to providing an outstanding education for every child. GHR’s recent accolades include recognition by U.S. News & World Report as an award-winning elementary school in Connecticut, as well as the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School distinction in 2020 from the Connecticut State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education for being an Exemplary High Performing school.
2026-2027 Class Placement Requests
For a comprehensive review of our class placement process, please refer to the messenger sent to Grades K-4 families on 3/30/26. This does not apply to current Grade 5 families, as they are moving up to CNH! The student placement process is one of the most important responsibilities we have as educators, and it is a process we take very seriously. Our goal is to follow a set of established criteria that allows us to build balanced classrooms which support optimal teaching and learning for all students at GHR.
Parent Input: We invite families to share their environmental requests to indicate the type of classroom environment they would like their child to be placed in (not specific teacher names) where parents feel they will be most successful. This is just one piece of data we consider in the scope of everything else. An electronic form is available beginning today in your PowerSchool Parent Portal and will remain open through the first week of May. Because class placement is developed through a thoughtful process using many factors, requests for specific teachers and requests for class changes are strongly discouraged and may not be granted.
If you wish to share information regarding your child’s placement, please fill out the form in PowerSchool below. The form will be open from 3/30/26 – 5/1/26.
To access the form in your PowerSchool Parent Portal:
- Sign into your PowerSchool Parent Account
- Select your student (you will need to complete a form for each child K-4)
- On the left menu, select the “Forms” icon
- Click on the form titled “Class Placement Parent Input Form for the 2026-2027 School Year”
- Complete and submit the form; repeat if desired for each child K-4
Updates From Last Week
Summer Curiosity Clubs- Update
- Registration closes April 3. Don’t wait, some choices are nearly full!
- NOTE: Term 1 has been adjusted to Tues. June 16 - Fri. June 19. Term 1 fees will be prorated.
- Check out the club catalog, the at-a-glance schedule, and the website for registration.
- Confirmation, cancellation and waitlist messages will go out shortly after April 3rd. Followed by fee payment instructions.
School Climate Survey for Parents!
Please complete the GHR end-of-year climate survey to help us inform our work. Our school is committed to creating a friendly and supportive learning environment, and this survey will help us identify areas to improve. These surveys are anonymous, and are also administered to all GHR students and staff. We greatly appreciate your time in completing the survey. The survey will be open from Monday, March 23 through Friday, April 3.
- https://www.eastconn.org/sc
- The code to access the Parent/Guardian survey is: COV226
From the PTO
Munson’s Orders Reminder:
If you weren’t able to pick up your Munson’s order during last week’s scheduled pickup, please contact nbingaman@coventryct.org as soon as possible to arrange a time to receive your order. All orders that aren't picked up will be donated.
Save the Dates:
April vacation - All week long when you make a purchase from Dad’s Doughs (483 Storrs Rd Suite B, Mansfield Center) and tell them you want to support the schools, a portion of the sales will go back to the PTO!
Ringling Bros Circus at the XL Center- April 26th Flyers have gone home with your student and orders are due back 4/3
Hartford Athletics
May 30th @7PM
Hartford Athletic vs. New Mexico United at Trinity Health Stadium
Flyers will be coming home soon!
A huge thank you to everyone who supported the PTO last week! Whether you donated to the conference lunch, made a purchase at the Scholastic Book Fair, or attended the GHR Talent Show. We truly appreciate your support!
From the Superintendent’s Office
Board of Education Regular Meeting Dates 2026
The Board of Education 2026 meeting dates are listed below. Meetings are open to the public and will also be live streamed through YouTube for convenient viewing. Meeting details and access links are available on our district website. April 20 (Monday) & 30; May 14 & 28; June 11 & 25
Open Door Meetings
Superintendent Dr. David J. Petrone has announced the schedule for his Open Door Meetings for the 2025-26 school year. These sessions will be held virtually, with the meeting link available on the district website. Open Door Meetings provide an opportunity for open communication, where parents and community members are invited to join, ask questions, and learn more about our school system.
- Wednesday, April 29, 2026 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (budget focused)
Good News
Please visit our website at https://www.coventrypublicschools.org/district/district-communications for additional information on district news.
Have a great week,
Jen