Dear MJT Families,

Happy Spring!  I hope we start to feel the spring weather here soon.  Please continue to send your student with boots and a coat daily.  We do try to get them outside for some fresh air often, but unfortunately the ground is still too frozen for us to be able to safely open up the playground area.  

This week we enjoyed several fun days! 

Below you will see some fun pictures from St. Patrick’s Day!  A pesky little leprechaun visited many classrooms, but unfortunately we weren’t able to catch him with our really awesome traps!  He left Ms. Hahn’s kindergarten class a fun science experiment to try, and Mrs. Stewart’s Kindergarten class got to make homemade snow cones!  

On Wednesday, the Jr/Sr High FFA  Agriculture and Animal Science classes visited MJT and spent the day here teaching our second graders about the four seasons on a farm.  Additionally, the FFA went to several other classrooms around the building to read a story for the Ag Literacy Week.  Our students really enjoyed learning from our High School students.

Today we had a special visit for the second year in a row from Opera Saratoga.  They performed Stone Soup for our students - a musical story about being neighborly and helping others.  This was an engaging and exciting experience, and we look forward to many more visits from them in the future.You can learn more all about it here.

As a reminder, there is a PTO Science, Technology and Art Fair at the Jr/Sr High next week on Wednesday, March 25th and you're all invited to visit and take a tour of K-12 student projects from 5:30 PM - 7 PM. 


Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Mrs. Taylor
Principal, Mary J. Tanner School
518-642-1051 Ext. 4201

btaylor@granvillecsd.org

Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration NOW OPEN 

Deadline to enroll is Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026, or when the program is full.  

If you're already in Pre-K, no need to register for Kindergarten.

Please spread the word.

Here is the information about the program and how to register.

3/21 - High School Talent Show - All families and students welcome! 7:00 PM - $5 at the Door for a Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser by the National Honor Society

3/23 - Board of Education Budget Presentation - Guardians welcome to attend in-person or watch/listen online at the GCSD Youtube channel. 

3/25 - PTO Science, Technology and Art Fair - All families and students welcome! 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM at the Jr/Sr High Senior High Gym 

April

4/1 - Autism Awareness Month Begins - Here is a link to free resources for guardians, students and families.

4/3 - 4/10 - NO SCHOOL: Spring Recess - PTO Bowling available during break. $5 for two games and shoes included at Slate Valley Lanes, and PTO pays for the rest. For GCSD families and students.

4/11 - 4/12 - Community Resource: Free All Day Medical Clinic at Schuylerville, NY

4/15 - Join the PTO! PTO Meeting, 6PM at GES (Attend in-person or virtually). Google Meet link is in the calendar of events. 

4/17 - Marking Period 3 Ends

4/17 - Deadline for PTO Color Run Sign Up

4/20 - 4/24 - Autism Awareness Spirit Week - Simple, fun, daily dress up themes with a message for each day. Here is the link for more info.

4/22 - Deadline for Pre-K Sign Up for 2025-2026 School Year

4/25 - Free Family Friendly Event: Blue and Gold Track and Field Invitational: Come cheer on the Granville Track team. All day free event, concession stand, at the Jr/Sr High Track (behind the Jr/Sr High school).

4/29 - Community Resource: Salem Community Health Open House - You do not need insurance to attend or join the practice. Here is the link to learn more.

Here is the link to all event details in the district calendar.

Ms. Abbott at MJT Main Office Administrative Assistant is the PTO Staff Member of the Month for February!

"Ms. Abbott functions as the nucleus of MJT! She spends her day helping everyone...students, teachers, staff, parents, and community members. Ms. Abbott has an incredible ability to multitask, all with a smile on her face and a calm, friendly demeanor.

Most people truly don't know all of the items that she has to balance each and every day in order to ensure that MJT is running safely and smoothly."

- Principal Taylor

Congratulations to students and staff of Bus 130!

This bus carries students to all buildings and has been example of bus safety, getting along well with each other, and being kind and respectful to their driver and attendant.

Students received gift cards for fun snacks to celebrate and Mr. Burch, driver and Mr. Sharrow, bus attendant received a generous gift card to a local restaurant from the Granville, NY PTO. Thank you!

Who will win for March? Stay tuned!

Go Horde! 

Here is the link to watch a celebratory reel about Bus 130's win.

To learn more about the Bus of the Month contest, visit this blog post.

Opera Saratoga visited MJT today and performed Stone Soup a musical about being neighborly and kindness during hard times. They learned that the story takes place during the Great Depression and how everyone doing a small part helps everyone. And they learned a new word called "bravo" which means “great job”. Ask your students about it this weekend.

The students clapped loudly and shouted "bravo" at the end of the performance and also asked great questions like "how did you learn to sing like that?" and "Wwas the food items placed in the stone soup real?" and "how did the piano accompanist learn to play piano?"

The performers were from all over the country and they all shared they started singing and playing instruments in elementary school and had great music teachers. We have that too! Go Horde!

Here is a link to a snippet of the performance (wait for the very end to here the MJT students shout "bravo!")

Thank you to Mrs. Dickinson for this picture!

Here are some fun pictures from St. Patrick’s Day!  A pesky little leprechaun visited many classrooms, but unfortunately we weren’t able to catch him with our really awesome traps.  He left Ms. Hahn’s kindergarten class a fun science experiment to try, and Mrs. Stewart’s Kindergarten class got to make homemade snow cones!  

On Wednesday, the Jr/Sr High FFA  Agriculture and Animal Science classes visited MJT and spent the day here teaching our second graders about the four seasons on a farm. 

Additionally, the FFA went to several other classrooms around the building to read a story for the Ag Literacy Week.  Our students really enjoyed learning from our High School students.

Kindergarten students will be able to purchase snacks on Thursdays, and Ice Cream on Fridays. 

We've had to adjust this because recently due to the fact that we are finding out that a large number of students are throwing their entire/most lunch away and then going to purchase snacks. 

We are working with them to encourage healthy habits to eat more of their lunch rather than rushing for snacks. 

Please remember to pack sneakers each day for gym class!

March will bring a jump rope unit and will need proper and safe footwear during class. Thank you!

If you like, you can leave an old pair of sneakers in your student's classroom cubby to leave at school for gym. 

If your student needs help tying their shoes, here are two instructional videos to practice at home:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/A3P4aM3MlT0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2KcPbhSfBo

Screen Time Alternatives

Too much screen time can affect their sleep and behavior patterns in many ways. 

Screens provide instant gratification, which children then expect in all aspects of their lives. 

As a result, this can create challenges at both home and school. 

Here are some alternative ideas to consider that can increase your family time while helping them to practice how to share and take turns.

- Board games: Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Trouble, etc

- I spy: Try playing it different ways such as "I spy something that starts with the letter__"

- Card games: Go fish, War

- Sight word or letter hunt: write students trick/sight words on post-it notes and put them all around the house for students to find and practice.  This can also be done with individual letters.

- Reading books: Bedtime stories are a calm, soothing way for children to unwind before going to sleep.

Visit this page and look for the "Better Screen Time" tips to learn about low-stimulation vs high-stimulation screen time ideas that help students sleep better and learn problem solving skills.

Please pack a healthy, filling snack each day to help your child focus, get along with others and feel ready to learn important life skills.  

Here are some great ideas. 

Reading with your child helps them understand new words, improves speech and helps children feel calm and confident about learning new things. 

Start with 10 minutes per day.

Consider visiting your local library on Saturdays and sign up for a free library card. 

Here is a link to winter book ideas to read with your child. 

Here is the link to the Pember Library and Museum - they are open from 10am - 1pm on Saturdays and Tuesday - Friday as well (hours differ). 

Thank you for showing up on time, every day! We love seeing your students in school and appreciate your efforts.

Here are tips for deciding when to keep your student home and when to send them to school. 

Summer 2026 Resources

Here is a link to summer resources for Granville CSD.


Subscribe to the Board of Education Updates

Here is the direct link to the subscribe with an email address.

And here is the link to the general overview of the Granville CSD Board of Education website.

Run for Board of Education - April 20th, 2026 Deadline

Please note, three Board members terms end 2026.

Here is more information about how to run for BOE including dates, deadlines and more.

Meet our volunteer Board members here.

Community News

Here is the link to view it and subscribe for free.

Here is the link to the Board of Education budget planning information.

Get the App! Search "Granville CSD" on any App store and download today.

PTO Newsletter - The latest events and volunteer opportunities

Organizing Tip! Check the district calendar of event, once per week! On the school website and in the school App. 

All Family Resources - Visit the A-Z index here.

Who to contact? Try our District Contact Guide.

eSchool Parent Portal - Check your child's grades, attendance, and tardies.

Snacks! Please pack a healthy, filling snack everyday for your student to help them focus and feel good. Twice per week, students are introduced to new fresh fruit or vegetable.

Parent Rooms - Family-Teacher chat and classroom updates all in the mobile Granville CSD App. Learn more about Parent Rooms at this link.

Free Breakfast and Lunch Each Day - Arrive 15 minutes early to school and come enjoy breakfast before school starts. No registration needed.

Come Cheer On Our Teams - Attend a Jr/Sr High Home Game with your family for a fun, free outing. Here is the link to the game schedule.

Educational Resources - Try our community school page here.

Mary J. Tanner Primary School

9593 State Route 22

Granville, NY 12832

Phone: 518-642-1051

Fax: 518-642-9594

District Contact Guide

School Nurse: Jennifer Blais 518-642-1051 Ext. 4204

School Social Worker: Andrea Smith 518-642-1051Ext. 4205

School Psychologist: Renee Forbes 518-642-1051 Ext. 4147

Here is the link to the District Calendar on our website.

Here is the link to the District App.

A-Z Everything Granville CSD