Grinnell-Newburg CSD Logo

Weekly Update, December 9, 2016

• An emergency voice reach will be sent to parents, staff and community outreach contacts.   
• Information will be posted on our website at http://www.grinnell-k12.org
• The following local media will also announce school closings or late starts:
  • KGRN 1410 am radio
  • KBOE 104.9 am, 740 am, and 99.5 fm radio
  • KCOB  95.9 am, 1280 am, and Energy 106.7 fm
  • Z102.9  1600 am, 102.9 fm,  106.3 fm, and  107.5 fm
  • KCCI-Channel 8
  • WHO-Channel 13
  • WOI-Channel 5

• December 12 - HS Winter Concert - 7:30 PM, GHS Auditorium
• December 13 - 5th & 6th grade Choir and Band Concert - 6:15 PM, GHS Auditorium
• December 15 - 7th & 8th grade Choir and Band Concert - 7:00 PM, GHS Auditorium
• December 16 - BP Kindergarten Carols and Cookies Music Concerts

1. The administrative team will be presenting on the “state of the district” in order to articulate district  facts regarding demographics, assessments, goals, celebrations, and the financial overview.  This information is provided to our community and the Board of Education as a record of baseline information about the Grinnell-Newburg Community School District.  This presentation will also be made available via a youtube account later next week.   If you have questions regarding this presentation, please feel free to contact Dr. Stutz at 236-2700.
2. Celebrations: We look forward to recognizing students, faculty and board members for their recent accomplishments.  Also the GNEE mini grant recipients will be officially recognized.   We would like to thank our GNEE for sponsoring these activities: Wobble Chairs for High School Library and Independent Learning Center, Music Therapy for At-Risk Students, PebbleGo Online Databases, Storyworks Jr.:  Connecting Students with Rich Text. Total Amount Awarded:  $9,190.18
3. The Board will engage in reading a resolution and commit to the “Promise of Iowa” campaign to ensure support for our students.  Please review the Board Packet item in New Business outlining the details of the resolution. Following the resolution, we will take a picture of our Board and have a ceremonial signing of a banner.  Please join me in thanking our board for their service and continued efforts to support public education through this campaign.
4. Project Lead the Way agreements:  Please know that this is not a new idea or initiative.  We are asking the Board of Education to formally recognize the agreements as this was missed in the transition between superintendents.  We have made it practice that the Board signs all agreements.   
   1. The Project Lead the Way Launch - A Bemis grant was awarded in the Spring, 2016 for a 2-year funding to support training, licensing, and purchasing materials to implement Project Lead the Way Launch curriculum in all K-4 science classes.  Launch lessons meet the Next Generation Science Standards, which have recently been adopted in the State.  There are four modules, or units, at each grade level.  This school year, teachers are implementing at least one module with an intended full rollout next school year.
   2. PLTW Introduction to Computer Science - A Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Scale-Up Grant is supporting the training, licensing, and materials necessary to support an introductory computer programming course at the high school.  Jill Scanlan taught the course during the first trimester of this school year with strong enrollment numbers.  Students learn fundamental programming skills while building computer tablet applications.  
   3. FIRST Robotics Competition - A Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Scale-Up Grant is supporting the mentor training and registration for one season for the FRC Tech Tigers team at the high school.  The team is scheduled to compete at the Cedar Falls Regional on March 22-25, 2017.  Teams will have 6 weeks to design and build a robot, beginning January 7th.  During the competition, they are paired with other teams to face a wide variety of challenges.  The robot may weigh up to 130 pounds and the competition area is about the size of a volleyball court.  Students work together to design, build, and program a robot from scratch.  The team meets throughout the school year.  In their rookie season last school year, a Monsanto grant covered these same costs.

• Raising the quality of CTE programs and encouraging alignment of secondary CTE offerings to in-demand occupations to meet the needs of employers.   
• Growing awareness of opportunities  aligned to a student’s interest through career guidance, CTE courses and work based learning opportunities.  
• Improving access to CTE through a statewide system of regional planning partnerships.