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Weekly Update: November 6, 2020

Weekly Update: November 6, 2020

Dear Grinnell-Newburg Board of Education, Staff, Families, and Friends:

Happy Friday! We are heading into a beautiful weather weekend. I hope that you have an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the weather!   

I am excited to share with you that we will be featuring staff, teachers, and community members, implementing amazing learning opportunities from in the classroom, school, or online activities in the coming weeks! These groups may be nominated by you to be featured each week and we will share their story on activities, events, student progress, and strategies that they have been creating during these challenging times. I am grateful for the opportunity to highlight the work and progress that is going on in our school district! We are grateful to everyone who has been accommodating our students during these unprecedented times. Please send me an email at janet.stutz@grinnell-k12.org or amber.robson@grinnell-k12.org to share a story about your student’s experience, class, community support group, or colleague that you would like to be featured in this update! Let’s share these positive stories.  

Above and Beyond! 

 Also don't forget, in addition to our weekly highlights, you can nominate a staff member, team, community group for this honor to be presented at the Board Meeting.  Email aboveandbeyond@grinnell-k12.org.

REDI Communications group!  

This week the communications group met to discuss ways in which we can communicate the work of the REDI group. This week we are highlighting the training session during our professional development days. The communications group will be creating an email address in which community members, staff, or families can submit stories related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in our schools and communities. We will share the email address next week once it has been established.  It will be available to all of the REDI leaders and communications group to capture the stories of our efforts!   Here is our first highlight that was provided to us by a teacher who participated in the recent training:

“During the mornings of October 5th and November 2nd, 2020, Leslie Bleichner, the Lawrence S. Pigeon Director at Grinnell College led a diversity presentation for Grinnell-Newburg school staff entitled Cracking the Codes.  As educators, the training gave us multiple opportunities to encounter our own biases and discuss them with our co-workers.  Some of us are still learning, as are some of our students and members of the community, how to have potentially uncomfortable conversations.  The anecdotes provided were eye-opening and initiated a dialogue which is what the REIMAGINING DIVERSITY Committee wants for us all”. 

SENIOR APPRECIATION GOODIE BAGS!

This past week the GHS Library staff, with the help of many community members and staff, provided a goodie bag to honor the senior class! 

Quarterfinal FB information for tonight:

Tickets information: 

• Ticket cost: $8 for everyone, to be paid upon arrival

• Grinnell received 350 vouchers

• Players & Cheer will get 4 vouchers each on Tuesday

• Any leftover vouchers were available at GHS main office Thursday from 8 am until gone

Live Stream:

• The event will be live-streamed via the NFHS network.  

• Follow this link to set up a free account to follow. https://xaviersaints.org/live  

Radio:

• KGRN 1410AM

• KGRN https://www.alphamediaplayer.com/am1410

Gate: The gates will open at 6:00 pm for the 7:00 pm kick-off.

PPE: Masks are required at all times.  Spectators should bring their own hand sanitizer.

Seating: Sit within your household family units and socially distance from other non-family groups.  Bleachers are marked every other row with signage.  You may also stand along the fence around the field. 

Rosters:  No paper rosters are available.  Please use Varsity Bound for rosters.

The Tigers defeated Pella 6-0!  They will play this evening in the state quarterfinals!  

Free COVID-19 Testing Added to 12 Hy-Vee Pharmacy Drive-Thru Locations:

Hy-Vee, Inc. announced today it has expanded COVID-19 testing to

12 additional Hy-Vee drive-thru pharmacy locations throughout its eight-state region and has expanded testing hours at select locations. Click for more information.

Diving Update:

Sophomores Erin Hinshaw and Trista Thompson both completed in district swimming Thursday night. Erin returning from injury scored 241.10 and Trista 357.60. The top 32 scores qualify for the state diving competition and it looks like Trista’s score put her 33rd. Great job to both divers!

Tree Planting at Davis:

Mrs. Elliott’s class had a fun time participating in helping plant a tree at Davis from what was lost from the Derecho! Thanks to the 1,000 Trees Initiative in Grinnell to make this all happen for our kids and our building.

Members of the local "1000 Trees" Initiative took advantage of the nice weather last week to plant a tree at Grinnell High School.  Members of the group included current GHS student:  Brittany Kifer, Katelyn Kriegel, Payal Patel, Kayla Sieck, Ella Stephens, Max Levandoski, Kiran Jones, Adam McFee (2020 alum), Autumn Key, Ani Ford, Thea Larsson, Bridget Blanchard, Barrett Edwards, and Julia Chamberland (2019 alum).  Thanks to everyone for your efforts and we're looking forward to re-planting more trees on the school campuses.  

Alexis (5th grader) is looking good after breaking her own record in a running challenge.

Don’t forget to check the Virtual Backpack!!

Upcoming Events:

Have an awesome weekend!  Go Tigers!

Janet