Weekly Update: August 10, 2018
Weekly Update: August 10, 2018
Welcome back to school! I want to thank all of our parents and staff who attended this week’s registration day! It was pretty awesome to see our students and parents gearing up for school. You may notice that our schools are busy as staff return to prep their rooms for the first day of school August 23, 2018. We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming open houses (see dates below) in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your last few days of summer.
Grinnell Middle School Facility Update:
Over the summer our heroic maintenance department has fixed 12 Heat pumps, replaced two and will be working on one-two more after this last week’s incident for a total of 16 failures. These Heat pumps are the means for heating and cooling the middle school. Please know that some rooms may not be as cool as students would like during the first few days. We are working on this as quickly as possible to be completed just after school starts.
Please know that many of our systems in the district can no longer be maintained. They are beyond fixable due to their age. We can not go back in time as to what should have been done, we can only move forward. Our heroic maintenance staff has increased the longevity of these systems beyond their life. We are grateful for their work, but our systems are tired. We currently do not have the dollars available to fix all of our systems in HVAC, electrical and plumbing. I encourage you to please stay informed about the upcoming bond issue. The district is hosting several informational meetings. I look forward to seeing you at one of our sessions.
Bond Informational Meetings:
Saturday August 11 10:00-12:00 (Story time room)
Monday August 13 2:00-3:00 PM
Thursday August 23 6:00-7:00 PM
Friday August 31 1:00-2:00 PM
Wed. September 5 7:00-8:00 PM
Monday September 10 12:00-1:00 PM
Electronics Sale Part 2:
We have a second round of electronics for sale at great prices! Please click here to see the list and fill out a bidding sheet.
Fire Lanes:
Each school will have designated fire lanes. Please know that you can drop off students and pick students up in these fire lanes during dismissal or drop off. You may not be parked in the fire lane or remain there for long periods of time. Please know that the Grinnell Police Department may ticket you if your vehicle has been parked in the designated fire lane. Your building principals will provide instructions for you as it pertains to your student’s school.
Virtual Backpack!
Have you checked out the recent virtual backpack? There is an upcoming opportunity to learn about self defense. There will be scholarships available for participants. Also be sure to take advantage of the backpack for kids held at the Drake Library tomorrow from 10:00-12:00. There are other items too such as girl scouts, farm fest, and much more! Please visit our virtual backpack weekly to see amazing opportunities for our students.
Administrators Retreat:
The administrators worked in TEAMS to develop leadership skills this last week. Their challenge was to solve a mystery box puzzle by gathering clues and solving problems in order to escape the room. The winning team to escape first was Brian Conway, Bill Gruman, Sarah Seney and Jerica Latcham. It was an awesome activity sponsored by our very own Central Rivers AEA.
Winning Team!
Upcoming events:
Thursday, August 16 - Football Fall Preview Night 6:45 T.T. Cranny Field
Open House information:
Bailey Park Elementary - Tuesday, August 21 from 4:00-6:00 pm
Fairview Elementary - Tuesday, August 21 from 4:00-6:00 pm
Davis Elementary - Tuesday, August 21 from 4:30-6:30 pm
Middle School New Student Orientation - Monday, August 20 from 4:30-5:15 pm
5th grade - Monday, August 20 from 5:30-6:30 pm
6th grade - Tuesday, August 21 from 5:30-6:30 pm
7th grade - Monday, August 20 from 7:00-8:00 pm
8th grade - Tuesday, August 21 from 7:00-8:00pm
Freshman Orientation - Tuesday, August 21 from 6:00-8:00pm
First day of School is August 23, 2018.
Click here for the Virtual Backpack!
Do you know your bus route?
Click here to sign up for Bus Transportation for the 2018-2019 school year.
Have an awesome weekend!
Janet