Weekly Update: July 17, 2020
Weekly Update: July 17, 2020
Dear Grinnell Newburg Board of Education, Staff, Families and Friends:
Happy Friday! It is my hope that this weekly update finds you well and enjoying your summer! We are roughly 5 weeks away from the opening of this school year. Planning, cleaning and getting organized to welcome students and staff back to school are well underway. The middle school is certainly a busy place this summer as new carpeting is being installed, and the library carpet looks pretty amazing.
Return to Learn:
District staff met via zoom this week to discuss the return to learn plan and to have an opportunity to ask questions. We all recognize that school will look differently in the fall. Students will receive a face mask, face shield and will have an opportunity to sit behind a plexiglass structure to provide breaks. Temperatures will be taken at the door upon entry and building principals will be communicating with families about which door your student will enter.
Signage will be displayed reminding students to wear a mask or face shield, socially distance themselves as they move through the hallways, and be sure to wash their hands regularly. We will have hand sanitizer available in the classrooms. Breakfast and lunch meals will be a grab and go set up for students.
Families that are not comfortable having their child attend school due to health related, or other circumstances, should contact their building principal. Options will be made available to accommodate families to engage in coursework online provided by the Grinnell-Newburg School District.
The working document for the return to learn plan can be found here: Return to Learn. Please know that changes may occur over the next few weeks as we continue to provide further details. This will help you get started with understanding the environment as you prepare for students to return to school. It is important to know that we have set up three environments within the plan. Continuous learning, online, in the event that school is closed for any length of time, Hybrid model that will assist in less students on campus at any given time, and on-site model for all students.
We expect to return on August 24, 2020, however please watch for information as building principals are working on a plan to bring students back gradually to this new environment. Students have been out of the classroom since March 13, and it is important that we build relationships, assist them to understand new routines, and to feel comfortable in a setting that is different from last year. The “way we do school” for prek-8 students will be to attend each day in a cluster classroom. They will have breaks, be able to move in smaller clusters to PE, music or other courses as needed to meet their needs. Recess will be in place and students will not have to wear a mask while outside for recess, or in PE as it is not recommended. Building principals are working with staff to place students into classrooms.
High School students will attend school on an A/B schedule. Information regarding this schedule will be sent out to parents at the beginning of August. Students will be required to wear a face mask, face shield, or have an opportunity to sit behind a plexiglass system to provide breaks.
Fall Sports Activities:
I am expecting to learn about fall programs within the next few weeks. I will keep you posted if these programs are modified, changed or cancelled.
Device Turn in:
If you have not already returned your student's school-owned device, please follow the steps below ASAP as we need to have time to clean and update them for the next school year. The only exception to this is those students active in SLICK which goes until July 31.
Please return ALL devices/chargers to the District Office (M-F 8am-noon) which is located at the High School.
Steps to return the school-owned laptop/iPad/charger:
Step 1 - Come to the High School Sunset Street entrance from 8am - Noon.
Step 2 - Walk up to the main entrance doors.
Step 3 - Call the District Office 641-236-2700 and tell the staff you are at the door and need to return a school-owned device (if you just press the door button, there is no one in the HS office to let you in, so you must call.)
Step 4 - Wait for the staff member to meet you at the door and hand off your device.
If you are unable to make this time work, please contact the Tech Dept via email techhelp@grinngll-k12.org or call Mindy Kostow at 641-236-2683 to make other arrangements to turn it in.
Online Registration:
We have officially opened Online Registration for the 20-21 school year! Please log in to your Parent Portal and on the left hand side of the screen click the "More" button from the menu, then click "Online Registration" to complete registration for next year! Please see the screenshot below to assist you.
If you do not know, or have forgotten your username or password, please contact Amber Robson at 641-236-2700 or at amber.robson@grinnell-k12.org. Please contact Amber for assistance during the week of July 13 or July 27 or later. Staff will not be able to change passwords during the week of July 20.
Families that wish to pay their fees will be able to do so beginning this Monday, July 20, 2020.
Bailey Park Playground:
We have learned that the smaller wooden playground located across Prairie street in the park has to be taken down due to rotting wood. Once we learned about this, we quickly submitted a grant in hopes that we will be able to receive it and collaborate with the City of Grinnell to select pieces to support our K-2 students. We will keep you posted.
REDI:
This week many of our individual groups who are collaborating to Reimagine Equity Diversity Inclusion in Grinnell, (REDI) began their committee work kick off meetings. This August we will host a full group discussion to share our progress and identify our short term, medium term and long term goals.
Congratulations Graduates! We were so pleased that the weather cooperated for our outside graduation ceremony. It was wonderful to see families and graduates! We wish all of you the best journey through life.
Mr. Baker organizes students for a group photo!
Graduates receive their banners that were displayed downtown as they exit the graduation ceremony. Counselors supporting their class song theme!
Have a wonderful weekend! Stay cool. Please note that the heat index is expected to be almost 110 tomorrow. Please take precautions.
Janet
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