Why Grinnell?
Launch the media gallery 1 playerGrinnell-Newburg is continually working to provide opportunities for all students to reach their full potential. We believe that providing programming to enhance learning environments for our students will not only promote student success but will also prepare our students for success as they move on. We work hard to find fun, engaging experiences for our students both in and out of the classroom. Here is a snapshot of a few of the things we are proud to offer or be a part of:
- Dedicated Ag Program
- Business Program, including a partnership with Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company
- Fantastic Family and Consumer Sciences Program - Including Iron Chef Competitions and Catering Programs
- Thriving Fine Arts Program
- Successful Debate Program
- Participation in the Middle School MathCounts Competition Series
- SheCounts Math Club at Davis Elementary
- High School- offers 21 varsity sports
- Middle School- offers 9 sports
- Numerous clubs at the high school and middle school
- Instructional Coaches dedicated to working with our teachers to find best practice solutions in this ever-changing world of education
- At-Risk Counselor at the High School, Behavior Interventionists at the Middle School, and Social Workers in our elementary buildings to assist in the social-emotional development of our students.
A more detailed look at some programs we are really proud of:
Foreign Language
Spanish has been offered at the High School for quite some time, but we are excited to announce that starting in the 2017-18 school year we began offering Spanish to our Middle School students as well.
Music Therapy
We believe in the importance of music therapy, and the impact it has on our students. We are privileged to have board certified music therapists working closely with our students, and communicating with other members of the interdisciplinary team as well as family members, striving together to reach goals set up for our students. Our Music Speaks therapist comes to all three of our elementary buildings to meet with our students. She identifies the abilities of each student she works with, and focuses the research-based interventions to work on non-musical goal areas- the purpose of which is that each student is successful within a session, and also to carries over the desired skills to everyday life outside of music therapy.
1:1 Technology
Not only do all of our students have access to either an iPad or a MacBook computer to engage in content through many applications and collaborative work, our teaching staff participate in some of the best professional development in order to facilitate instruction in creative ways. Our goal is to foster a learning environment in which students become collaborative, creative, communicative and critical thinkers. We are preparing students for their world today but well into their future.
Apple Everything
Beyond just having a device for every student, we have partnered with Apple, Inc. to provide support for all our teachers. We have put Apple TV's in classrooms, we have Apple Classroom in place for our teachers to collaborate with each other, and we have an Apple representative who comes in on Professional Development days to continue teaching our staff how to incorporate technology into their classrooms, just to name a few!
Summer Reading Program
The Grinnell-Newburg school district, in partnership with the Grinnell Education Partnership, have provided an all day summer reading program for students Kindergarten through third grade. The program includes small group instruction from certified teachers, as well as STEM and literacy activities provided by community resources and AmeriCorps summer corps.
Americorps Program
The Grinnell school district serves as a host site supervisor for the AmeriCorps members that serve on the attendance task force, school readiness, and summer learning. Through the partnership with the Campaign for Grade Level Reading and the Grinnell AmeriCorps Program, we are able to offer students an all day summer reading program, kindergarten camp for incoming kindergarten students, and focus on the importance of attendance in school in the community.
SWITCH
The SWITCH Program is a comprehensive school wellness program that aims to help students practice healthy physical activity, screen time, and nutrition behaviors by promoting healthy school environments that enhance learning, engage families, and empower children. “School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health” or SWITCH, encourages students to “Switch what they Do, View, and Chew!”
AP District Honor Roll
The District has been selected as one of 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 7th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. To be included on the Honor Roll, Grinnell-Newburg had to, since 2014, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals demonstrates that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.
Project Lead The Way
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.
Davis Elementary: A 2015 National Blue Ribbon Recipient
Davis Elementary School was awarded The National Blue Ribbon Award by the United States Department of Education in 2015. This award recognizes schools for their overall academic excellence and their ability to close the achievement gap for different subgroups of students. When driving by Davis Elementary, you will see the National Blue Ribbon flag hanging from the flagpole. The staff at Davis Elementary are committed to meeting the needs of all learners evidenced by the different enrichment and intervention opportunities available to its students. Students at Davis have their educations enriched by the multiple opportunities for technology integration in the classroom and outdoor learning experiences provided by staff. We are proud of Davis Elementary!
We work hard to provide an environment where every student is achieving at his or her maximum potential in an engaging, inspiring, and challenging learning environment. We believe there is something for your child here!