Patriot Pulse
March Edition
Hello Grissom Families,
Welcome to March! Welcome to Spring? Between the sun, rain, snow, and hail, I think we've experienced nearly every type of weather within the past couple of weeks. Here's to hoping we enjoy a pleasant Spring season moving forward!
At GMS, the students and teachers are entering the final stretch of third quarter. Our teachers continue to deliver relevant, engaging instruction addressing subject-area standards. The current quarter ends on April 5th. Be sure to check in on your child(ren)'s progress in their studies using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
State testing is on the horizon. We will conduct IAR testing in early April. At each grade level, teachers have been guiding students through small tutorials and practice examples to become familiar with the testing format and resources . We are eager to see our students demonstrate their learning and growth over the course of this school year through their performance on the exams. See below for preliminary information about testing dates and times.
Exciting new extracurricular activities are being offered at Grissom. Our eSports Club just completed its first session. Our sponsors will offer one more spring session to interested students who might have missed out on the first opportunity. Also, a new podcasting club, "The Podcast Squad", just recently launched. Fun interviews and conversations are forthcoming. Be on the lookout for these opportunities in our daily announcements.
Our winter sports teams just capped off fantastic seasons! Our 8th grade boys basketball team captured the regular season conference championship. All of our boys basketball and girls volleyball teams finished strong in post-season play with each team taking home a trophy. Spring sports are now underway as track and soccer begin their seasons.
Our Declamation and Mathletes teams are finishing preparations for their upcoming conference competitions. Good luck to both teams!
Our district bands are in the midst of competition season. The IGSMA District competition was this past Saturday, and the SWIC Honor Band competition is occurring this week. Best of luck to our fabulous Patriot musicians!
Read on to learn more about what is happening at Grissom!
With gratitude,
Mr. Michael Rumbaugh, Principal
mirumbaugh@ksd140.org
Upcoming Events:
- March 19th
Election Day - No Student Attendance
- March 20st
Board of Education Meeting - 7 PM - Admin Building - March 23rd - April 1st
Spring Break - Classes resume Tuesday, April 2nd - April 5th
End of 3rd Quarter - April 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 17th
IAR Testing - April 10th
No School - April 12th
3rd Quarter Report Cards released
Please take the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey!
Deadline March 29th
This survey assesses a school’s culture and climate and provides insight into strengths and weaknesses on the five key factors that research shows are predictive of school success - effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environment, and ambitious instruction.
Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Thanks for your support!
IAR Testing
Students at Grissom will be IAR testing in April.
Students are scheduled to complete the IAR ELA exams on April 8th and 9th as well as the math exams on April 15th, 16th, and 17th.
Our bell schedules will be slightly altered on these testing days. See below for details about period and lunch times.
Student Support
Student support is open to any student who wants to complete schoolwork in a supervised, quiet setting - our Media Center.
Before-school support is offered Monday - Friday starting at 8:00 A.M. Students attending can be dropped off at Grissom's main entrance. Students will not be able to enter the building before 8:00 A.M.
After-school support is offered Monday - Thursday until 4:05 P.M. An activity bus is available to take regular bus riders home at that time, if needed.
After School Activity Bus
An after-school activity bus will be available ONLY for students who already receive bus service. Students who attend after-school activities that last no later than 4:05 P.M. can take the bus home.
Great Grissom Events!
March PBIS Incentive - DJ & Dance Party Lunch
Podcasting in the Media Center!
Student Council at IAJHSC Winter Leadership Workshop
Hot Lunch
Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates
- 3/22 Nick's BBQ
- 4/2 Panda Express
- 4/5 Jet's Pizza
- 4/9 Nick's BBQ
- 4/16 Culver's
Seeking Officers for Next Year
Grissom PTO is looking for people interested in volunteering for the PTO board next school year.
We need a Treasurer, Vice Treasurer, and a Secretary/PR person.
If you have any interest in these volunteer positions, please reach out to grissommspto@gmail.com.
Seeking Volunteers for Treat Days and Holiday Meals
If you are interested in coordinating Treat Days and 3 special holiday meals throughout the school year, please reach out to grissommspto@gmail.com
Volunteer!
Support our PTO by volunteering to distribute hot lunch! Click one or both the links below to sign up.
March Students of the Month!
Congratulations to our March Students of the Month!
Carson, Meghan, Layla, Evie, Kim, Ryland, Lucca, Roxanne, Maeve, Gianluca, Nathan, and Spencer!
Keep in Touch!
#KirbyONE40 #EveryChildEveryDay #LeadthePatriotWay
Respectfully,
Mr. Michael Rumbaugh - Principal
Mrs. Julie Simpson - Assistant Principal
Virgil I. Grissom Middle School
Principal Michael Rumbaugh- mirumbaugh@ksd140.org
Website: ksd140.org/grissom
Location: 17000 South 80th Avenue, Tinley Park, IL, 60477
Phone: 708-429-3030