Weekly Update: January 5, 2017
Weekly Update: January 5, 2018
Happy New Year! Welcome back to school! It is my best hope that you had a wonderful holiday break and are geared up for 2018. This week has brought cold temperatures and snow in which we had to delay our start time by two hours for the last two days. I want to thank everyone for your cooperation during this schedule change. I know that it can be difficult to make these delays work for your families. I will continue to do everything I can to notify our families as soon as possible when we have determined a need to schedule a delayed start, or a school cancellation. Thank you for your patience and flexibility. Please ensure that your Infinite Campus phone numbers and emails are updated.
Principal Position
This week, although short, has been very busy! I have been screening qualified candidates for the GMS principal’s position. Please know that once all of the selected screenings have been completed, an interview group from GMS will further narrow the candidate field in the upcoming weeks. Once our finalists have been selected, we will host a principal candidates activity day toward the end of January. Students, parents, and staff will be able to participate in meeting the finalists to provide input into the final selection of the new GMS principal. Our hope is to have a finalist selected for Board approval on February 14th. Please watch the weekly update for further information in the coming weeks regarding the GMS principal selection process.
No School on Monday
Monday is a PD day for our staff. Teachers should check with their building principals regarding the plan for Monday. The district staff will continue to focus on literacy, culture and climate, and instructional practices.
Literacy PD Grades 2, 3 and 5:
Our pilot using School Wide Literacy Resources continues for our staff in grades 2, 3, and 5. These resources support the reading and writing workshop model. We have a trainer coming in next week on January 9 and 10th to collaborate with staff, model a lesson, and deliberate questions or concerns about the implementation of the resources. Teachers, please check with your building principal about the schedule for next week. Our Trainer will be at the Middle School on January 9 in the morning and at Davis in the afternoon. Next, he will be at Bailey Park on the morning of January 10th and Fairview in the afternoon.
Learning how to use a new resource can be challenging. I want to thank our pilot groups for taking this project on and working through the implementation process with our trainer.
Bond Referendum Information:
Please know that the Board of Education has moved to host an election on February 6th. The passage of a bond will enable the district to build a new PreK-5th grade elementary school, completely gut and renovate the current middle school and make renovations to the high school. Please stay informed about the project and the purpose for the bond referendum. For further information, please visit our district website at www.grinnell-k12.org. I invite you to contact me at any time regarding any questions or concerns that you may have regarding the bond referendum.
Upcoming Events:
Please visit the Calendar page for more details
January 8 - PD Day, No School
January 10 - Meeting of the Board of Education
January 12 - Band Boosters Potato Bar
January 24 - GMS Engineering Fair
January 24 - Meeting of the Board of Education
We’ve had new items added to the virtual backpack, make sure to take a look. (Free Dental Clinic, youth volleyball, baseball clinics, AmeriCorps positions, teen advisory group) Lots to do! Check it out!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Janet
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Dr. Janet M. Stutz
Superintendent
Grinnell-Newburg Schools