Glacier Ridge Gazette
Glacier Ridge Elementary School | December 9, 2022
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Glacier Ridge Gazette
Principal Message
My 5th grade daughter has her first competitive cheer meet this weekend. We recently made the switch from competitive gymnastics to cheerleading. As a dad, I struggled with this transition because of my misconceptions and judgment of cheerleading. In my mind, gymnastics is prestigious, elite, and touted. Look at the olympics; it is one of the most celebrated and most watched events. Cheer on the other hand seemed like glorified Tik-Tok. This switch taught me a few things about being a dad. But before I go into that, I'll give you a little background in the experience both girls had with gymnastics.
Maybe it was covid or the emotional make up of my daughters, but they both struggled with the concept of gymnastics. As many people know, it is a sport of precision and perfection. You start with a 10. Then, as you perform, you become less perfect and the judges start to dock points for everything that you do wrong. They each practiced upwards of 25 hours per week. So, with that type of time commitment, you have to love it. My girls just “liked” it okay. A caveat, I do not intend to negate the benefits of gymnastics. My point is that it wasn’t right for the make-up of my children.
As we made the switch, I struggled to identify if we were doing the right thing. Should I help my children build resilience? Am I saving them from the experience of hard work and dedication? How much should I push them out of their comfort zone? Do they want to quit just because it is hard? With all of those questions swirling, I also wondered, how do I support and empathize with them at the same time?
Ultimately, I think there is no explicit answers to those questions. However, we had a long conversation about those questions with my daughters. If they wanted to switch, I wanted them to know why THEY wanted to switch. My older daughter, who hates to talk about deep things (especially with her father), really struggled to understand her choice. However, we muscled through what it was about gymnastics that didn’t make her feel good. Through questions and conversation, she got to know herself better and what her needs were. The information also helped me understand her, which allowed me to support her better, while still pushing her.
The second thing I learned was about judgment. I was completely wrong about cheer. My own biases and misinformation had me form an option that was entirely untrue. At the start of the transition, I found myself feeling disappointed in my girls. I could sometimes catch myself projecting that disappointment onto them. I was not okay with that. That is when I started really digging into what the sport is all about. This was a lesson for me about judgment.
As humans, we are wired to synthesize information and fill in gaps of information in order to process it quickly. This is our brain trying to be efficient with all the information that we receive. The problem with that is we are often wrong. We fill in gaps of knowledge and understanding with our judgments or thoughts, which can lead to bias, stereotyping, or just plain being wrong. It’s natural, but not something that I don’t want to do, especially about my children. So, constantly seeking more information helps me do that less.
Lastly, you heard me use the word “sport” earlier, when referring to cheer. If you cringed or chuckled when I did that, I urge you to dig into what competition cheer really is. I certainly couldn’t do the skills as a 44 year old.
So, as I navigate the journey of parenthood, I am constantly revising how I push and support my children at the same time. I try to find that line. However, focusing on their needs, getting more information, and talking with them is always a great place to start.
Enjoy the weekend as we approach the final week before break.
Sincerely,
Pete Kurty, Ed. D
Principal
Resident Author Visit with Mr. Jerzy Drozd!
Kindness Post Office has been a huge success at Glacier Ridge! It runs until Thursday, Dec. 15th!
PTO Holiday Shop - Coming next week...
Next week, the GRE Tiger Trunk will transform into a fun holiday gift shop during lunch time. This is the Purrrr-fect time for students to purchase gifts for siblings, friends and family. The holiday themed Tiger Trunk will be open on the following dates:
- Wednesday, December 14
- Thursday, December 15
- Friday, December 16
Items range in price from $1.00 to $5.00. All gifts purchased will receive complimentary gift wrapping. Happy Holidays!
Celebration of Giving
Here is the link to the student leadership video explanation about the
Celebration of Giving at GRE.
One Dublin Adopt- A- Family
GRE has once again partnered with One Dublin for their Holiday Help Campaign to sponsor families within Dublin City Schools during this holiday season. The grade-level signups are below. If the needs of your child’s grade have been met, you are welcome to check out the other lists. Kindergarten is collecting items that are most needed within the community. Participation is optional and all students will be included in the packing event and Celebration of Giving assembly. Thank you for your generous support! To explore further here is the link to the One-Dublin's Webpage
Fourth Grade - Bertrams/Hayes/Klopfer
Fourth Grade - Manion/Sullivan
Glacier Ridge Information
Fit Fresh Dinner Night(s) Out - December 1 - 13
Make meal prep a snap during this busy time of year with Fit Fresh! Order online anytime between 12/1 - 12/13 and use code “Glacier” at checkout. Select your home delivery window and enjoy your healthy, ready to heat-and-eat meal! And to top it off, 15% of sales will benefit GRE. Fun fact: Fit Fresh is owned by a Dublin Scioto grad and they were one of our Tiger Trot sponsors!
To get a head start on your meal planning and check out the options, visit https://www.fitfreshfast.com!Still LOTS of Lost and Found!
End of Grading Period and Grade Cards
Sign Up and Volunteer Opportunities
Tiger Student Announcements
We have a new and exciting opportunity for 2nd thru 5th graders at Glacier Ridge this year! Would you like to start your day saying “Hello!” to everyone at Glacier Ridge in the morning? Then sign up to read the morning announcements! If you would like to find out more about this opportunity and sign up to be a Tiger Student Announcer then go to this link via SignUp Genius: GRES Tiger Student Announcements
Glacier Ridge Greeter Team
Glacier Ridge Elementary believes in creating a caring and comfortable environment for its community of learners. This begins as students enter the front doors of the school in the morning. Our student greeters help facilitate this goal!
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GRE EVENTS
Upcoming Events
Dec 16: End of 1st semester
Dec 17 - Jan 2: Winter break
Jan 2: No school - staff professional day
Jan 3: School resumes
Jan 13 - 27: Yearbook sale
Jan 16: No school - MLK Day
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DISTRICT NEWS
District News
Winter Break is Around the Corner
As a reminder, the first semester ends Friday, December 16 and winter break begins Monday, December 19. School will resume on Tuesday, January 3.
New Year, New Look for DCS
This year, the Communications and Technology teams have been collaborating on a brand refresh for DCS. We cannot wait to share a new logo and upgraded website when we return from Winter Break.
You may have already noticed some minor changes to the District's website as we prepare for the new look. If you have any questions or concerns about where to find content on the website, please contact our new Public Information Officer, Cassie Dietrich.
Need more information? Visit our sites below.
Attendance
If your child will be absent from school, please email our attendance line at gres_attendance@dublinschools.net.
Glacier Ridge Elementary
Email: glacierridge_info@dublinschools.net
Website: https://www.dublinschools.net/Domain/18
Location: 7175 Glacier Ridge Boulevard, Dublin, OH, USA
Phone: 614.733.0012
Twitter: @greDCSD