GECKO GAZETTE
GRANT SCHOOL - SANTA MONICA
WEEK OF MAY 9 - 15, 2022
~ IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER ~
Please review these important dates:
- Monday, 5/9 - Thursday, 5/12: CAASPP Testing: Mathematics: Grades 3, 4, 5
- Tuesday, May 17th: 5th Grade Student Transition Meeting for parents with JAMS Principal Dr. Richardson - 6:00 PM on Zoom. This is meeting is for parents only. There will be a message sent to all 5th-grade parents with the Zoom link for this meeting.
- Santa Monica Education Foundation Wine Auction is on May 15th at the Fairmont! Buy tickets here >>>>> https://e.givesmart.com/events/nKe/
- MONDAY, MAY 16 - FRIDAY, MAY 20: BIKE IT! WALK IT! WEEK! LET'S GET THAT GOLDEN SNEAKER BACK TO GRANT!
- Tuesday, May 17th: JOGATHON! A flyer went home with the students on Friday.
- 5th Grade Field Trip to Clover Park with Fulcrum Adventures: 9:00 - 1:00; Lunch is included at this event. Field trip permission slip forms coming home this week.
- Wednesday, May 18th: Grant PTA General Meeting at 6:30 PM - Last PTA meeting of the year!
- Thursday, May 19th: 5th Grade Students to Fulcrum Adventures in Temescal Canyon: All Day; Field Trip permission slip forms coming home this week.
- MAY 20 - 27: SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! SEE BELOW! SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER AT THIS LINK: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/grantelementaryschool33
- Wednesday, May, May 25th: School Tour for Prospective Grant Families - 9:00 AM in person
- Thursday, May 26th: Open House ~6:00 - 7:30 PM~
- Thursday, May 26th: Minimum Day for Open House - All Grades: Dismissal Times:
- PreK, TK, Kinder @ 12:15 PM
- Grades 1, 2, 3 @ 1:00 PM
- Grades 4 & 5 @ 1:15 PM
- Monday, May 30th: MEMORIAL DAY - NO SCHOOL
- Tuesday, May 31st: Kindergarten Field Trip to Underwood Family Farm: All Day
- Tuesday, June 7th: 5th Grade Culmination Ceremony @ 9:00 AM on the Grant Big Field
- Wednesday, June 8th: Kindergarten play for K-Parents. See your teacher's weekly update for details.
- Thursday, June 9th: LAST DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR ~ MINIMUM DAY: Dismissal Times:
- PreK, TK, Kinder @ 12:15 PM
- Grades 1, 2, 3 @ 1:00 PM
- Grades 4 & 5 @ 1:15 PM
~GRANT SPRING 2022 GALA!~
~Grant’s 2022 Heavy “Metal” Gala!~
THANK YOU TO SAMANTHA SUGAR AND STEPHANIE COVINGTON FOR PUTTING TOGETHER SUCH A FUN EVENT FOR OUR PARENTS AND STAFF! THIS WAS AN AMAZING COMMUNITY-BUILDING NIGHT!
WE ALSO WANT TO THANK COLBY SCHWARTZ, ERIKA BELL, BECKY MACFARLANE, JILL CIPRESSO, CYNTHIA LEONARD, NICHOLE DELANSKY, AND JORDAN KUSHNER FOR ALL OF THEIR TIME AND EFFORT IN HELPING MAKE THIS A GREAT NIGHT!
THE SILENT AUCTION WILL BE ONLINE AND CLOSE ON MAY 11 AT 10:00 PM. YOU CAN BID ON ITEMS BY VISITING THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
https://grantpta.betterworld.org/auctions/grant-pta-auction-2022
SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF THE PARENTS WHO DONATED ITEMS FOR THE AUCTION AND TO ALL OF THE TEACHERS AND STAFF WHO DONATED "TEACHER TIME" AUCTION ITEMS THIS YEAR!
~JOGATHON 2022: GECKOS TAKE FLIGHT! HELP US SOAR!!~
PLEDGESTAR IS OPEN NOW!
Date: May 17, 2022 - Parents WILL be invited to attend this year
Time: Timing will be distributed by end of the week and will align with grade PE times.
Goal: Our goal is to raise $85,000 for our school. Together, as a team, we can achieve this goal!
Top Prizes: iFly indoor skydiving, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm plus many more!!
Top Fundraising Grade wins a field trip to Clover Park.
When we hit $65,000 we get to slime Principal Fuhrer!
If you would like to sponsor or get involved or have questions please reach out to Samantha Sugar at execvp@grantpta.org
~BIKE IT! WALK IT! WEEK COMING UP MAY 18TH~
~CITY OF SANTA MONICA SUSTAINABILITY POSTER CONTEST WINNERS~
Congratulations to all of Grant's Winners!
- Ellie Chapman won Grand Prize
- Madeleine Zapien won 2nd Place
- Keshav Srivastava won 3rd Place
- Micaela Gimeno won Honorable Mention
The following students have won prizes in the 3-5th Grade category:
- Maddy Forrer won the Grand Prize
- Irene Lee won 2nd
- Bryan Walker won 3rd Place
There will be a special awards presentation at the Annenberg Community Beach House this week!!
~CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRANT STUDENTS!
Way to go, Geckos!
~Seeking Volunteers for Our Book Fair Committee!~
Dear Parents and Families,
The Scholastic Book Fair will be at our school from May 20 – May 27 and we will have special evening hours during Open House.
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEERS HERE >>>>> https://www.scholastic.com/bf/grantelementaryschool33
Volunteers are the motivators to help any Book Fair become a success. We hope that you share with us your skills to help students discover the power of reading by joining the Book Fair Committee.
If you have some time to help us plan or conduct our next Book Fair, please complete the form below and circle the areas where you would like to help out. Send the form back to Ms. Wolfe. You can email it or leave it in the office.
This book fair funds the purchase of Scholastic News Magazines for all Grant students.
Sincerely,
Ms. Wolfe
Elementary Library Coordinator and Book Fair Co-Chairperson
pwolfe@smmusd.org 310-450-7651 x63152
~GRANT SCHOOL RANKED #2 IN SANTA MONICA AND #56 IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA!~
~SMMUSD Registration for Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Now Available~
If you missed the TK/Kindergarten Roundup last week the link will be posted on the Grant School website under "About Us" and then "Presentations". The link to the video will be posted on Monday, January 31st.
~HELP NEEDED IN THE LIBRARY~
The library needs volunteers to assist with shelving, book repair, book processing and other tasks. If you have a few minutes at drop off/pick up or larger chunks of time please email or call Ms. Wolfe and let her know when you are available. There are no restrictions anymore you just need to be up to date with your volunteer training. The next Volunteer Training is on Monday, March 28th at 4:30 PM. See the information above.
Book Fair Committee Needed! I am looking for a few parents to run the book fair in May. Our spring fair is scheduled from May 20 - May 27. We will need a crew to handle set up, volunteer recruitment and schedule, daily operations, class previews, breakdown and decorations. Contact Ms. Wolfe 310-450-7651 x63152 or pwolfe@smmusd.org
~Additional Important Information re: COVID Protocols~
Community Vaccine Clinics: Our community partner, City of Santa Monica, is offering three upcoming vaccine clinics in Santa Monica. Everyone, regardless of your office/site location, may register. Adults and youth aged 5+ are encouraged to be up to date on COVID-19 vaccines. Here is the direct link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=rirpx2Xf30ueH4az8jOuskFOW02eODtKjWjkGxrgT7VUMzlNOTZMSlNKQzM1WkRZOUw4Uko0U1FCOC4u
Masks may still be required for the below situations:
LAC DPH is expected to update isolation and quarantine protocols by this weekend. A student may still be required to wear a mask when returning early from Isolation on Day 6 (pending LAC DPH update). Our illness protocols will remain the same. Students with symptoms of illness at school may be asked to wear a mask while awaiting pick up from parent/guardian to protect others from contagious illness.
Illness Protocols-Notify Attendance & the Health Office
PCR Test* required to return to campus for the following symptoms: cold symptoms, congestion, runny nose, shortness of breath, new cough, fever >100 or chills, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or sore throat.
* A testing facility verified antigen is acceptable for those who were COVID+ in the past 90 days.
Instructions for COVID in the Household-Notify the Health Office
-Fully vaccinated students living with a COVID+ household member are STRONGLY recommended to STAY HOME for the duration of the positive case’s isolation. This is due to the high likelihood of spread within a home despite vaccination status.
-Students who are not yet fully vaccinated and living with a COVID+ household member is required quarantine at home. Day 0 is the last day of the positive case’s isolation. These students must stay home while the positive case is on isolation and quarantine for an additional 5-10 days after that.
Free at-home COVID tests: www.COVIDtests.gov
SMMUSD Health Services Webpage Resources: https://www.smmusd.org/Page/3733
~SPECIAL NOTES~
SAFETY REMINDER: PLEASE DO NOT WALK STUDENTS THROUGH STAFF PARKING LOTS. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS AND WE WANT TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE.
ADDITIONALLY, PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK OUR NEIGHBORS' DRIVEWAYS WITH YOUR CARS. THE SCHOOL CANNOT CONTROL WHETHER THE POLICE WILL TICKET OR TOW A CAR THAT IS OFF-CAMPUS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
~GECKO WEAR SCHOOL SPIRIT FRIDAYS~
~ DONATE TO THE GRANT PTA AND SANTA MONICA EDUCATION FOUNDATION TODAY! ~
Your donation does so much for Grant!
Please consider donating to the two organizations that enhance education for all Grant students: the Santa Monica Education Foundation and Grant PTA. Your donations are so important. Check out the crucial staff, programs, technology, and materials funded by your donations in this chart!
Our goal is for 100% of Grant families to give to PTA and the Ed Foundation. ANY amount makes a difference to our kids. If you have already donated, thank you!
~COMMUNITY RESOURCES for FAMILIES~
~ELEMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM~
Looking for your new favorite after-school activity? Try Elemental Music! This music program gives young people the chance to meet new friends, work as a team, and have FUN through music! More than 2,700 students have made music with us and now it's your turn.
Whether your child is a total beginner or an advanced musician, our programs for guitar, band, choir, strings, full orchestra, and chamber music offer something for everyone!
Tuition reduction is available for qualified families. Ensemble placements are being held on May 14. For more info or to sign up, visit www.elementalmusic.org or espanol.elementalmusic.org!
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¿Estás buscando una nueva actividad favorita para después de la escuela? ¡Prueba Elemental Music! ¡Este programa de música brinda a los jóvenes la oportunidad de hacer nuevos amigos, trabajar en equipo y divertirse a través de la música! Más de 2.700 alumnos han tocado música con nosotros y ahora te toca a ti.
¡Ya sea que tu hijo sea principiante o un músico avanzado, nuestros programas para guitarra, banda, coro, cuerdas, orquesta y música de cámara ofrecen algo para todos!
Tenemos descuentos disponibles para el costo de la matrícula para familias calificadas. Las asignaciones para los conjuntos se llevarán a cabo el 14 de mayo. Para obtener más información o registrarte, visita www.elementalmusic.org o para ver la página en español, visita espanol.elementalmusic.org!
~TRANSLATION OPTION INTO 100 LANGUAGES!~
~ ¡NUEVA OPCIÓN DE TRADUCCIÓN A 100 IDIOMAS! ~
Para leer la Gaceta Gecko en otro idioma, mire a la derecha del boletín y haga clic en "TRADUCIR EL BOLETÍN". ¡Ahora puede elegir entre 100 idiomas!
~ በ 100 ቋንቋዎች ውስጥ አዲስ የትርጓሜ ምርጫ! ~
የጌኮ ጋዜጣ በሌላ ቋንቋ ለማንበብ እባክዎን በራሪ ወረቀቱ በስተቀኝ በኩል ይመልከቱ እና “የትርጉም ጽሑፍ” ን ጠቅ ያድርጉ ፡፡ አሁን ከ 100 ቋንቋዎች መምረጥ ይችላሉ!
GRANT SCHOOL ~ A CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL
~GRANT SCHOOL NAMED A 2020 TOP LA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP FOR LOW-INCOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS~
~GRANT RANKED AS A TOP TWO SANTA MONICA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL~
https://www.niche.com/k12/grant-elementary-school-santa-monica-ca/