✅ What CGS Families Need to Know ✅
📅 Upcoming Dates/Events
Saturday, September 12th: Cardboard Boat Race @ Patriots Park
(You can find more details about this FREE community event here!)
Tuesday, September 22nd: Picture Day (see flyer for details) CGS Photo Day 2026.pdf)
Friday, September 25th: School Spirit Day (wear your CGS gear or green & gold)
Wednesday, September 30th: Open House, 5:30–7:30 PM (See this flyer for details)
Friday, October 9th: NO SCHOOL - Staff Professional Development
Monday, October 12th: NO SCHOOL - October Break
November 4–6: Fall Conferences – Early dismissal (11:40am) all three days
Coventry Public Schools 26/27 District Calendar
✅ To Dos
Order CGS spirit wear if you plan to. TODAY is the last day to place an order until the holidays. Our first spirit day is Friday, 9/25!
Visit The Learning Corner section of this update to find questions you can ask to engage in a conversation with your child about what they learned and enjoyed in specials classes (art, music, PE, library, and STEAM) over the past few weeks!
Complete Annual Update Forms in your PowerSchool Parent Portal.
All forms must be completed in order for your child to attend our October field trip to the fire house!
Currently 71% of families have completed necessary update forms!
🙋 Volunteer Opportunities
Scholastic Book Fair
The PTO is looking for volunteers to help make this event run smoothly. Volunteer tasks include assisting with register transactions, event setup, and cleanup. Please use this link to sign up below!
Be Flippy the Mascot
Cafeteria/Lunch Duty Volunteering
September Sign-Up Genius
Parent/family volunteers are an important part of what makes Coventry Grammar School such a special place. Whether you're helping in a classroom or lunch room, supporting a special event, joining us on a field trip, or lending a hand behind the scenes, we are grateful for your partnership!
Annually, all volunteers must review our Volunteer Guidelines and Procedures and complete the electronic acknowledgment form. This only takes a few minutes and helps ensure a safe, positive, and consistent experience for everyone.
In future newsletters, this will be a place where volunteer opportunities are highlighted!
A Note from Mrs. Hammer
Partnering for Success: Open House (September 30th, 5:30-7:30PM)
We are SO excited to invite you to our CGS Open House! If you are new to our school, Open House is a special evening where our doors open wide for your family. It is an invaluable opportunity to connect with our school community, get a window into your child's daily life, and build a strong partnership with us for the year ahead. Most of all, our students spend days building up excitement to proudly show you around, point out their favorite spots, and walk you through what a day in their shoes looks like!
Preparing for Open House
Grade-Level Presentations: To help you come as informed partners, grade-level curriculum presentations will be shared electronically prior to the event. I encourage you to take a few minutes to review these in advance so you feel fully in the loop about what your child will be learning this year and are able to ask the questions that matter to you!
Event Details
When: Drop in anytime between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Come whenever fits your schedule!
Parking: Parking assistance will be outside to help guide you to an open spot and keep traffic moving smoothly.
What to Expect During Your Visit
Student-Led Tour: Let your child take the lead! They are so eager to show off their desk, walk you through their daily classroom routines, and introduce you to their home away from home.
Meet the CGS Team: Say hello to your child’s teacher and meet other CGS staff members who support your child every day.
Visit the Book Fair: Stop by the gym before or after visiting the classroom to check out the PTO/Scholastic Book Fair together.
A Quick Note on Individual Conferences: Open House is designed as a quick, informal walkthrough and celebration for all families to share together. Because teachers will be welcoming many parents throughout the evening, this event is not designed for individualized conversations about your child's specific progress. However, our teachers are always eager to partner with you! If you ever wish to discuss your child’s personal progress, please feel free to contact their teacher directly to set up a private meeting/conversation.
We cannot wait to see your family and let your child show off their school!
When sending an email communication to me, please also include Mrs. Morrison (kmorrison@coventryct.org).
The Learning Corner
Ask Me About…
From the Art Room:
Ask your Kindergartner about the rules/expectations in the art room.
Ask your First Grader about the different types of lines they know (wavy, straight, etc.)
Ask your Second Grader about what makes them feel like an artist.
From the Gym:
Ask your Kindergartner about the new warm up called “Heads Up”.
Ask your First Grader about the warm up “Have You Ever?”
Ask your Second Grader how they can be safe, responsible or respectful in the gym.
From the Library:
Ask your Kindergartener what they’ve learned about taking care of library books.
Ask your 1st Grader how they use a shelf marker in the library. (They might even sing the “Bookie Lookie” song to you!)
Ask your 2nd Grader what the difference is between a chapter book and a graphic novel.
From the Music Room:
Ask your Kindergartener to show you the difference between speaking, whispering, shouting, silly, and singing voices (you can have them say “this is my _____ voice” in that voice).
Ask your 1st Grader to keep a steady beat on their body while they listen to a song with you (easiest with medium-fast songs).
Ask your 2nd Grader how they can show they are safe, responsible, and respectful in music class.
From STEAM:
Ask your 1st Grader about the collaboration skills we practiced while building/engineering different objects with playdough in partnerships.
Ask your 2nd Grader about the “Rosie’s Runtime” game they played as well as the coding strategies and terms we explored as we prepare to use a programming app called “ScratchJr.”
CGS PTO News & Events
Mum Fundraiser
Thank you to everyone who has already purchased mum vouchers to support our CGS community! Your generosity is truly appreciated. Please note that all orders are due by September 18th. 2026 Coventry PTO Mum Fundraiser.pdf
Spirit Wear — Last Call!
This is your final chance to get your Spirit Wear orders in! Online ordering closes tonight, September 11th, so be sure to grab your gear before the deadline.
PLEASE NOTE: Unlike prior years, Spirit Wear will not be available for ordering on a monthly basis. There is an additional sale planned for later in the school year, however this will be the only sale with this logo! (see attached flyer for additional information) Items will be delivered to the school and sent home with your student.
https://coventry2026.itemorder.com/shop/home/
Scholastic Book Fair
CGS is hosting our annual Scholastic Book Fair on September 30th during Open House! We’re looking for volunteers to help make this event run smoothly. Volunteer tasks include assisting with register transactions, event setup, and cleanup. Please use this link to sign up below!
You can always reach out to the PTO at cgsptoct@gmail.com for any PTO related questions, concerns, or ideas to strengthen our school community!
Coventry Elementary Parent/Family Directory
CGS PTO Facebook page
Reach out to the PTO at cgsptoct@gmail.com for any PTO related questions, concerns, or ideas to strengthen our school community!
A Peek Inside Our Week
Check out this photo gallery to step right into the excitement, learning, and connections made this week. The energy in our building is so high, you’ll feel like you were right there with us!
Some highlights include: “Buddy Reading” in Grade 1, PBIS prize experiences, and “Community Circle”!
We encourage you to take a look together with your child to spark some great conversations about their week.
Meet Our Coventry Grammar School Staff
This week, we’re putting a “spotlight” on:
Mrs. Kate Morrison (Administrative Assistant & Face of the Main Office)
Ms. Kelly Huhtanen (Kindergarten teacher & New to CGS this year!)
Ms. Julie Bezanson (Music Teacher & Flip, Flip Hooray Raffle Queen)
Click the links above to learn more about each staff member personally and professionally, as well as put a face to some of the adults your child(ren) may come home talking about!
CGS First Annual Walk-a-Thon: Coins, Kindess, and Community
One of our CGS priorities this year is to strengthen students’ sense of belonging, connection, and investment in their classroom and school community to foster prosocial behavior. This aligns beautifully with the district objective to enhance opportunities for students in Grades K-5 to engage in endeavors that have a positive impact on the environment, school, and local communities.
One of the ways we’ll work toward this goal in the first trimester is to hold our first annual CGS Walk-a-Thon for Coins, Kindness, and Community. This event will take place during the school day and you can find more information here!
We do need family support in two important ways:
Fundraising
Students are encouraged to bring in loose change. Grade-levels will be working together to raise money through the collection of coins. Each grade-level has a container in our Main Lobby!
Supporting conversations about ways we give back/help our community
For some students this may be their first experience participating in a “service learning project”. It can be helpful to share with your children all the different “community helpers” that exist and how even they can be a “community helper”.
Voicemails from CGS
CGS staff frequently reach out to families during the school day and will always leave a voicemail if we miss you.
We know seeing a missed call from school can cause worry, but please check your voicemail before calling the Main Office. The message will identify who called and why, helping us connect you to the right person without delay!