Weekly Update: July 21, 2017
Weekly Update, July 21, 2017
Dear Families and Friends:
It is my hope that this weeks update finds you in a cool place away from the heat. This week we continued our preparations for opening day 2017-18, finalized our welcome back newsletter, and worked to complete state reports. Further, summer is also a time to reflect upon our past school year and the progress that we have made collectively as a school district. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to new superintendents in the State of Iowa to share my experiences here in Grinnell. As I began to share our #wearegrinnell stories, I could not help but to get somewhat emotional about my first year as the superintendent. I shared with the group that Grinnell has many opportunities to offer our students. Our teachers and administrators deeply care about our students and bring an excitement for learning to the classroom. I have found, even during times of conflict, that people come together to resolve issues or concerns that result in the best interest of students. I greatly appreciate the support of an outstanding school board who focus on students, and support teachers collectively so that we can all do our jobs efficiently, even during times of uncertainty from the State of Iowa and revenue sources. I am proud of our Teacher Leaders who model, facilitate, and share instructional strategies so that students can learn and grow academically. I am grateful for the passion that our teachers have demonstrated to develop their craft and strive to make improvements. I also shared that I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with community groups that support our schools and I look forward to the work ahead, side by side, to ensure that we are doing what is in the best interest of our students. I told the new superintendents that I have an amazing position because I get to work with some of the best educators, community members, and students. I also shared that it is not all perfect, and we have some work to do, as we continue to work towards finding a balance in serving the specific needs of all our students, with limited future funding.
Grinnell has wonderful schools. Each school family brings its own unique character and strives to work collectively together. I also shared that throughout the weekly updates, we celebrated school activities and student success stories. Every day when students walk through their school doors, no matter what building they attend, they walk into a special place where teachers create learning opportunities and memorable events.
It is that time of year when we ask our parents to complete the online registration process. You may find the Registration link for the 2017-18 School Year through the Parent Portal. Families new to the district are encouraged to visit the district website at www.grinnell-k12.org for more information and instructions. Additionally, our school supplies lists have been finalized, and can be found on the website (each building section has building-specific lists).
Have a wonderful weekend! Stay Cool!
Sincerely,
Janet
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Dr. Janet M. Stutz
Superintendent
Grinnell-Newburg Schools