School begins with exciting additions for Groton students

Although Groton Central School’s (GCS) opening day, Sept. 8, may not be a complete return to “normal as we knew it,” Superintendent Margo Martin and the rest of her administrative team, faculty and staff are ready and eager for students’ arrival.

While it is disappointing that the pandemic situation is not ideal, it is exciting that GCS students will have many great opportunities this academic year and will return to pre-pandemic start and end times for the school day.

Groton Elementary School will begin at 8:40 a.m. and end at 3:08 p.m. The Jr./Sr. High School will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 2:45 p.m.

Once again, GCS has been approved to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which is a nonpricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows GCS to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to every enrolled student every day of the 2021-22 academic year.

Food Services Director Kelley Neville said she is “very excited to be welcoming students back to the cafeteria this year for hot meals.”

“Breakfast will look a little different in the elementary school,” Neville said. “P through [grade] two will have breakfast delivered to the classroom, and students in grades three through five will come through the serving line and take breakfast to go. At the Jr./Sr. High School, all students will grab breakfast from the cafeteria.”

At lunchtime, all students will be eating in the cafeteria, and Neville is thrilled that many student favorites will return to her menu, as well as some creative and new additions.

Neville has been instrumental in garnering competitive grants to bolster the offerings on her menus and is committed to utilizing as much fresh produce and other food items as possible.

“We are looking forward to bringing back the Chef’s Corner for taste tests and introducing new menu items throughout the year,” Neville said. “And there will be ice cream for sale this year, which will be an exciting thing that all students were missing last year.”

Student cafeteria accounts must remain open, even with the free breakfast and lunch program, as they will need money on their accounts to purchase extra things such as ice cream, snacks and bottled beverages. Parents and guardians may visit myschoolbucks.com to set up an account.

Another new and exciting addition this year is the EMT Basic (EMT-B) and EMT Advanced (EMT-A) training programs, which readers can reference more in depth in the April 28 edition of “Groton on the Inside” (tinyurl.com/yebdu84z). Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is open to individuals beginning at age 14, and the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course is available for individuals beginning at age 16.

WFA classes will begin Sept. 15 and run through April 6, with students receiving a certificate upon completion. They will be taught the rudimentary skills needed to assess someone for injury or illness in a remote location and be able to render care until they can either get the individual to safety or keep the person stable until rescue teams arrive.

In the WFR course, students will learn the knowledge and skills to thoroughly evaluate and assess injuries and illness in less-than-ideal environments and formulate stabilization and treatment plans to care for victims until they reach definitive medical care, either by evacuation or by arrival of a rescue team.

This is a hybrid certification virtual classroom and in-person lab class to complete over 80 hours of education to become a first responder in the wilderness, a remote location, a developing country or even a disaster situation.

To enroll in either program, free of charge, contact Michael McWilliams at mmcwilliams@grotoncs.org or by calling GCS at (607) 898-5301.

GCS is offering EMT-B and EMT-A programs for the entire Groton community this fall at no cost to participants. They are held in the evenings, and EMT-B is already filled to capacity for the fall semester.

Participants emerging from EMT-B will be able to continue on to EMT-A in the spring or simply utilize those basic skills to help support local fire departments. High school students who take the course are eligible to earn up to a full science credit toward graduation.

Any participant completing both programs will be able to continue their education by enrolling in a paramedic certification program or a paramedic associate degree program.

GCS will be offering both these programs via its STEAM health sciences program that will be offered in fall 2022 for high school students, with a simultaneous program in the evening for adults in our community through partnerships with area colleges and universities.

Stay tuned for more information on the expansion of these health sciences career opportunities for the Groton community at large in the coming months!

Groton on the Inside appears weekly. Submit news ideas to Linda Competillo, lmc10@cornell.edu or (607) 227-4922.

In brief:

Labor Day 5K

The 24th annual Groton Labor Day 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run will take place Sept. 6 beginning and ending at the Groton Jr./Sr. High School track at 400 Peru Rd. This popular and much-anticipated race is sponsored by, and is a fundraiser for, the Groton High School varsity cross-country program.

All proceeds benefit the girls and boys cross-country teams. Each year since the race’s inception, proceeds have been used to help fund trips to other competitions and to purchase team apparel or equipment that may exceed the school’s limited budget.

Race day fee is $20 for students and $25 for adults. There is no fee for the fun run. There will be ribbons awarded to every finisher, and plaques, medals and gift certificates for the top three finishers in various categories.

Register ahead at grotonlaborday5k.com. On-site registration will take place from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. The fun run takes off at 9 a.m., and the 5K at 9:30 a.m. Parking, restrooms and showers will be available near registration outside the high school gym. Post-race refreshments will be available.

Cooking with Ruth

The Groton Public Library will be the venue for Cooking with Ruth — two opportunities to learn how to make and bake pizza and a make-and-take salad at 1 p.m. Sept. 18 and Oct. 2. These are free classes sponsored by an Finger Lakes Library System mini-grant, and spaces are limited. Sign up by calling (607) 898-5055.

After-school jobs for teens

SewGreen is looking for a few talented teens to help in its sewing classroom and retail store. Hours are weekdays 4 to 6 p.m. — or whenever feasible to arrive after school — two to three days a week, or Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Pay is $13 per hour.

Responsibilities may include teaching younger kids to sew, helping in the store or sewing and mending items for resale. Training is provided, but a strong interest in sewing and/or working with children is preferred. Send a resume and cover letter expressing why you would like to work at SewGreen and what skills you have to offer to Wendy Skinner at ithacasews@gmail.com.