Grant Dispatch
September 2019
Sustainability--School-Wide at Grant
Our school-wide them this year is sustainability. In working with the district science coordinators, organizations in Columbia, and our grade level teachers and specialists every grade will integrate learning standards to focus on sustainability. One of the new ways to address sustainability throughout the building is a new format for the Grant Dispatch.
To reduce paper usage, this will be our last printed copy of the Grant Dispatch. Starting next month, we will be sending the Grant Dispatch via email. If you would still like to receive the Grant Dispatch in paper form please contact the office at (573) 214-3520.
Letter from the principal
Dear Grant Families,
Welcome to the new school year full of learning and fun at Grant School. I would like to take this opportunity to officially introduce myself. My name is Mrs. Mary Sue Gibson.
Dr. Wingert asked me to step in for her while she is out with her new baby. I have known Jen for several years as I was also a principal in the school district. I was a principal at Locust Street School (formerly Lee), and a principal at Mill Creek for several years before my retirement. I have been working for the school district since my retirement as a new principal mentor, a teacher evaluator, and a principal substitute. I absolutely love children and have four grandchildren of my own! I am so very happy to be at Grant among such professional teachers and staff. The staff and students at Grant are so very friendly and kind! It is such an amazing community of learners. I will be here until early November.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for any reason, I would be happy to talk with you!
September brings two annual family events to Grant. September 5th is our annual Pot Luck/Back to School Night. Outside on the playground from 5:00-6:45, families and school staff eat together, learn how PTA supports our school and meet the staff. In addition, families spend a few minutes in classrooms to learn about curriculum and grade level specific elements that your student will be engaged in this year. We look forward to seeing you then. Please bring a dish to share. Here is the evening's schedule:
5:00-6:00 Potluck on the Playground
5:30-6:00 As you eat, we will have a special presentation
6:00-6:10 K-2 students can be dropped off during this 10 minute window to work on an activity while parents are in classrooms. Kindergarten in Art Room (rm. 97) and Grades 1-2 in Media Center for Maker Space (rm. 110).
6:10-6:25 Visit your student’s classroom for curriculum information
6:25-6:30 Travel time to the next classroom if you have more than one student
6:30-6:45 Visit the second classroom for curriculum information
6:45 Back to School Night Ends-make sure to get any dishes you may have brought
In addition to our Potluck/Back to School Night, Grant School offers many family events to enjoy throughout the year. Another school event in September is our Arts & Blues Night on Thursday, September 26th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This evening features music performed by students and our artist-in-residence, Tj Wheeler, as well as an auction full of artistic elements donated and/or created by the Grant and Columbia community.
A few reminders:
1. We love having parents and students hang out on the playground after school. If you bring a pet to pick up your child at the end of the day, the pet needs to remain outside the playground fence.
2. Biking is so important to our Grant community. If you have given written permission, your 4th or 5th grader can walk or bike home without an adult. Younger students must have a parent or a designated adult with them. Bike locks are required. Grant Elementary is not responsible for lost or stolen bikes. If you bike to school with your child, please either park your bike outside the fence, in the rack or walk it onto the playground.
3. Parents are welcome to come and have lunch with their child. We have a guest table in the cafeteria where you, your child and one additional student can eat lunch together. If you want to eat lunch with your child outside, you and your child may do so as well.
Thank you and we look forward to a wonderful school year!
Mary Sue Gibson
mgibson@cpsk12.org
potluck and back to school night - sept. 5
Blues in the Schools Week - Sept. 20-26
Blues in the Schools at Grant Blues Residency – it’s the 13th Year!!
Blues musician, historian, and educator, Tj Wheeler, will meet with all Grant students Sept. 20-26. Tj will sing the blues with each class and will tie it to grade level curriculum. Members of the Grant Blues Corps will meet with Tj daily to create a program they will perform at Arts & Blues Night at Grant on Thursday, Sept. 26, 5:30-7:30. You will also enjoy other groups of students performing songs, a photo opportunity with an art installation by Ms. Christiansen and our Grant All Star Artists, bid for items at the silent auction, buy tickets to win prizes in the kids’ raffle, and enjoy our great Grant community! Food will be available for purchase or you may bring your own picnic. Be sure to visit the cafeteria that evening if you haven't already seen our six door mixed media art installation depicting Ten Years of Blues in the Schools at Grant by artist Terry Sutton and the 2016-17 Grant All Star Artists.
Look for the Save the Date reminder in Friday folders on Aug. 30 for even more information.
--Pam Sisson, Music Specialist
psisson@cpsk12.org
Music Notes
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine" is the theme in the music room this year. What better way to share and embrace an important message than through music, that we all need to strive for being sunshine-in-shoes. We are singing, moving and will be playing instruments very soon.
4th and 5th grade are welcome to join Grant All Star Choir…if a student wants to sing and makes Grant All Star choices, they are welcome. We perform a musical and sing at the Columbia Earth Day Celebration, normally. Look for forms in August 30 Friday Folders.
Upper grades will also find applications for Grant Blues Corps. Return the forms ASAP!!
--Pam Sisson, Music Specialist
psisson@cpsk12.org
Coach's Corner
We have already been very busy in P.E. class getting back into the swing of things by reviewing rules and playing some fun games! In 3rd-5th grade classes, we have been working on throwing and catching skills and will be working on dribbling and striking skills next. In K-2 classes we have been working on spatial awareness, locomotor skills, and pathways. We are getting ready to work on dribbling and tossing skills very soon. Please make sure to help remind your child to either wear or bring tennis shoes and socks on P.E. days.
--Coach Wagner, Physical Education
P.E. All stars of the month
Kindergarten. - Jireh Booth
1st Grade - Abel Lewis-Murphy
2nd Grade - Marvelous Shavers
3rd Grade - Milo Shannon
4th Grade - Dylan Thompson
5th Grade - Simone Walker
Congratulations and keep up the great work!
Jogging Generals
The Grant running club “Jogging Generals” will begin on Monday, September 16, at
7:15 a.m. Jogging Generals is for 4th and 5th grade students interested in running before school on Mondays and Wednesdays. We will meet on the blacktop basketball courts and do our running in the cemetery. A completed waiver must be returned to Coach Wagner before your student may participate. Look for the waivers in Friday folders very soon.
--Coach Wagner, Physical Education
If your child is interested in learning another language and culture, then join Grant’s Language Club. Classes in Chinese, French, German, Greek, and Spanish will be offered this semester.
- All Grant Elementary students (K-5) are invited to participate.
- Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:25 - 8:05 AM at Grant Elementary School.
- This is a 10-week (20 day) course from Sept 24, 2019 – Dec 5, 2019 (no Language Club classes on Oct 31st & November 28th).
- The course fee is $65.00/student.
- The deadline to enroll is Friday, September 13th to allow our instructors time to prepare.
For the best chance of getting your child's first choice of language, it is important to enroll early. We must make sure we have enough enrollment in each language to offer it, as well as maintain a reasonable number of students in a classroom. Both of these parameters will be used to assign students to their language choices. If we need to move students to their 2nd choice based on the number of students, we will make those decisions based on the order the forms were returned to us.
Scholarships to participate in Language Club are available by request.
To apply, please call or write a brief note to Principal Mrs. Gibson at 573-214-3520 or mgibson@cpsk12.org, requesting a financial scholarship to participate in Language Club, then mark Request Scholarship on the enrollment form. (If you can pay a portion of the fee, please let us know).
This is a PTA sponsored Club - Parent volunteers are what make Language Club possible.
If you have questions, contact Lisa Tye, PTA President/parent volunteer at 573-819-1151 or lisatye@centurylink.net
*We are fortunate to have community members share their expertise as Language Club instructors. Grant All-Star behavior is expected; disruptive students could lose Language Club privileges.
Nurse's Notes
Hello Grant Families!
The Illness and Injury Guidelines listed below are the same as last year. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with them. Also, please ensure that your most up to date contact information is available in the school office, so that if your student becomes ill or has an injury while at school we can contact you right away. As always, please don’t hesitate to call or email for any questions at all.
Students exhibiting the following symptoms will be sent home and/or should remain at home if they exhibit any of the following:
-Temperature of 100 degrees or greater
-Vomiting with associated signs of illness
-Diarrhea
-Unusual or unexplained rash
-Persistent cough
-Ongoing symptoms of discomfort or immobility from an injury
-A concerning health condition that may require further medical evaluation
Students may return to school when:
-fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication
-vomiting and/or diarrhea free for 24 hours
-other conditions (rash, injury or health concern) subside or with a Provider’s note
Students with a communicable disease must have a release from their Healthcare Provider to return to school.
Please do not hesitate to call the School Nurse at (573) 214-3520 if you have any questions at all.
--Julia Faber R.N., B.S.N.
School Nurse, Grant Elementary
jfaber@cpsk12.org
PIE News
This is the 36th year of Grant School's vibrant partnership with Central Bank of Boone County, our Partner in Education (PIE). Once again, volunteers from Central Bank are providing extra opportunities for our students. Fifth graders participate in a job shadowing program that allows them to spend time at the bank and learn about the different bank departments. Fifth graders also participate in an economics curriculum titled “Money and Banking.” This is a four-week course taught by bankers. Bank Buddies is a mentoring program with Grant School students and employees from the bank. Each year selected children are matched with a bank mentor and meet for academic and/or friendship support. Bank on Books is a program that has guest readers from the bank come and read to our children.
Central Bank of Boone County also provides teachers with complimentary books from the fall Scholastic Book Fair. The bank also sponsors our Hall of Fame art gallery at Grant School. The bank frames selected pieces of artwork and they are displayed permanently throughout our school. Central Bank of Boone County has also been active in our food drives, National Teach Children to Save Day, teacher appreciation lunches, and 5th Grade graduation.
--Jenifer Hartz, 2nd grade
jhartz@cpsk12.org
PTA News
As a member of Grant school community, we would love for you to join the Grant Parent Teacher Association (PTA). There are many ways to engage with PTA, with varying levels of commitment. Here are just a few of the activities our PTA organizes and/or funds:
• Each teacher receives $160 at the start the year to assist with class expenses
• Each grade receives $750 to be used across the grade level
• Playground maintenance, improvements, and equipment.
• Language Club Scholarships
• Social activities such as Back to School Potluck, Funesta, Hoedown, and MORE!
Our membership form is now electronic! It only takes a few minutes to complete and the link is provided below. In addition, we are now able to email you an invoice and accept payment electronically! Once you have submitted your information on the membership survey, we will prepare a separate invoice for the payment portion.
The entire Grant school community greatly benefits from the efforts of the Grant PTA. In addition to joining the PTA, there are a variety of volunteer opportunities for every interest, and even the busiest of schedules. We look forward to further engaging you in our programs and events throughout the year. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, and please help us spread the word about Grant PTA. First step ... join today!
JOIN GRANT PTA TODAY! Click this LINK to complete the membership survey.
Grant PTA Leadership
Lisa Tye, President
Kalei Holder, Vice President
Carin Huffman Grinch, Treasurer
Laura Page, Secretary
Grant School Year at a glance
A Community of Learners
Website: cpsk12.org/gre
Location: 10 East Broadway, Columbia, MO, USA
Phone: 573-214-3520