Grafton Gazette: September Edition
September 10th, 2021
Grafton Village Elementary School
Message from the Principal
9/10/21
Message from the Principal
Dear Families,
We have just finished our 5th week of school and are very pleased with the progress our students are making. Not surprisingly, it has taken more time than usual to adjust to full days of in person schooling and our recent assessments are helping us get a clear picture of where our students are and what needs they have. Interims went home this week for 1st - 5th graders and we hope this is helpful information as you partner with your child’s teacher to support learning.
As I have mentioned before, the Delta variant of COVID continues to be on the rise in our region and we are seeing an increasing number of cases within our school division. If a positive case is reported and the affected person has been in the school building, we conduct contact tracing and directly notify any persons considered to be primary exposures (who will then be asked to quarantine). We then send a letter to the classes or buses where the COVID positive person is assigned to make sure that all families can closely monitor their own children. The official letter from the school does not mean that you need to quarantine. Only families who are directly contacted by our nurse or a division contact tracer will be asked to quarantine. Hopefully, this information will help to clear up some of the confusion regarding quarantining.
Thank you for your continued support!
Mike Sidebotham
Principal
September Grafton Events
Tuesday, September 14th: GVES Spirit Night at Marco's Pizza
- Join us for lunch and/or dinner on Tuesday, September 14th for a Grafton Spirit Night. 20% of the total sales, which includes carryout and dine in are given back to Grafton Village Elementary School. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to enjoy a delicious meal and support GVES.
Thursday, September 16th: PTA General Membership Meeting
- Join the GVES PTA for the first general membership meeting of the 2021-2022 school year. The general membership meeting will be held via Google Meet at 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 16th.
- They will be presenting last year's audit, vote on this year's budget, and discussing the upcoming events.
Tuesday, September 21st: Lockdown Drill
October Grafton Events
Friday, October 8th: End of 1st Nine Weeks
Monday, October 11th: Professional Day
Thursday, October 14th: GVES Picture Day
- Lifetouch Fall Pictures for Grafton Village Elementary School
GVES Spirit Night: Marco's Pizza
Join us for lunch and/or dinner on Tuesday, September 14th for a Grafton Spirit Night. 20% of the total sales, which includes carryout and dine in are given back to Grafton Village Elementary School. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to enjoy a delicious meal and support GVES.
Special Spotlight: Collaboration in PE
Last week, all students in Kindergarten through 5th grade worked on cooperation and collaboration during PE. Our Grizzlies are using communication skills to work with a partner to achieve a class goal of "aligning the planets"! Grafton Grizzlies are hard at work on the C5W.
The C5W are the following:
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Creativity
- Citizenship
- Wellness
We encourage all our Grizzlies to work on the C5W in school and at home.
September is Attendance Awareness Month
September is Attendance Awareness Month. Make sure you keep us informed of when your student is going to be absent. There are several ways you can excuse your student's absence.
- Fill out the Report an Absence Form.
- Call the school at 540-3737-5454 to report the absence.
- Sent a note to school upon return.
SCPS continues efforts to ensure that all students fully benefit from their education by attending school regularly. Positive school attendance has a huge impact on a student’s academic success. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/2bpe4b7y
Grizzly Guide: Stay Healthy Grizzlies
3 Ways to Stay Grizzly Strong:
Wear a Mask: Cover the mouth and nose with a mask and make sure it fits properly.
- Tip from Otis: Keep an extra mask in your backpack just in case something happens with the mask you were originally wearing.
Wash your Hands: Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or more.
Sanitize your Hands: Use hand sanitizer throughout the day.
Stay Healthy Grizzlies!
GVES PTA General Membership Meeting: 9/16/21
Please join us for our first General Membership Meeting of the 2021-2022 school year on Thursday, September 16th at 6:30pm. We will be presenting last year's audit, voting on this year's budget, and discussing the upcoming event.
This meeting will take place virtually using google meeting:
meet.google.com/pgs-ruxx-orb
PTA Board Members
2021-2022 PTA Board Members:
- President: Jessica Hayes
- VP Hospitality: Hillary Taylor
- VP Events:Kelly Sienkowski
- VP Ways and Means: Vacant Position
- Secretary: Vacant Position
- Treasurer: Kelly Caple
VP Ways and Means (Fundraising) position and Secretary is currently open. If anyone is interested in filling one of these roles, please reach out to the PTA via email at GraftonPTA@gmail.com
Get Involved!
About Grafton's PTA:
Grafton Village Elementary has an active and supportive PTA. The members of this organization work to support the many special programs offered by our school. The PTA sponsors a variety of activities that benefit our students and teachers. This is a wonderful organization that needs your support and enthusiasm.
Join our amazing Grafton PTA, use
this link to become a member!
2021-2022 School Year: Important things to note
Our school hours are 7:45 am. until 1:55 pm.
Children who are brought to school by parents should not arrive before 7:30 A.M. No one will be on duty to supervise children before that time. If a student is being dropped off after 7:45 am, they should be accompanied to the office by a parent/guardian to check-in and receive a tardy slip.
Student Sign Out Procedures:
When picking up your student, please report to the front office to sign them out. You must ring the doorbell to be let in and we ask to have your photo ID on hand. Please note that due to office restrictions there will be no office pick up between 1:40 pm-2:15 pm.
Grafton Front Office Information
Grafton's Front Office Hours:
Grafton's front office is open Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30 am-3:15 pm. During these hours you can call us at (540) 373-5454 to talk to someone directly or if you call outside office hours you can leave a message.
Coming into Grafton's Front Office:
If you plan to come to the front office you will come through the main entrance where you will ring the doorbell and state your reason for entrance. Please have your photo ID readily available when you enter the front office.
Keep us Informed:
Reminder to make sure you let the front office be aware of any transportation changes, your student's attendance, and any other important information regarding your student.
- Transportation changes: If you are to have any changes for your student's transportation, please call the school in advance. This includes but not limited to having your student be a temporary car rider, a student riding home with another student, being picked up outside the list that are permitted to pick up, etc.
- Attendance: Please inform the front office regarding your student's attendance by filling out the Report an Absence Form, sending a note in, or by calling the school. We ask that you inform the front office and your student's teacher about your student's attendance.
Stay Connected
There are a variety of ways you can stay connected to all that is happening at Grafton Village Elementary School.
GVES Facebook Group
- Join the GVES private Facebook group! This Facebook group allows for ways to stay connected and informed about all relative aspects to Grafton. This page is for Grizzly guardians and staff to interact with one another with encouragement, support, and announcements relating to Grafton.
Follow us on Twitter
Join Grafton's PTA!
- Join our amazing Grafton PTA, use this link to become a member!
Grafton's Website
A Social Emotional Outreach Event with Cheri Lovre: Virtual Workshop
Join the Department of Student Services and Special Education for an evening to talk about supporting our kids' social emotional health and well-being. This virtual workshop will be held on Tuesday, September 14th, and Wednesday, September 15th from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm.
Visit www.staffordschools.net/seoutreach to register. A confirmation email including the access link for the event will be emailed to participants prior to the workshop.
SCPS Nutrition
The State of Virginia approved a waiver allowing all children 18 and under to receive meals at no charge through June 30, 2022.
SCPS 2021-2022 School Year Information
Go to
SCPS' website page where they address frequently asked questions regarding this school year. You can find information regarding school hours, elementary schools, secondary schools, general information, and Health Services/COVID protocols.
Information from Virginia's Medicaid Program and Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)
Here is more information on how your family may qualify for FAMIS and may qualify as adults for their new Healthcare Coverage for Adults. Both programs have no monthly enrollment fees, and most copays are free/low cost. The attached flyers are in both English and Spanish of the Adult program (now includes dental!), FAMIS, and the new FAMIS Prenatal.
Families or interested individuals can learn more by contacting Eleni Pakhchanian, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Medical Assistance Services at 804-629-4013 or
eleni.pakhchanian@dmas.virginia.gov. The local Department of Social Services is also a resource for families interested in these programs.
Bus Rider Information
Here are some ways to access your bus times and location.
Versatrans e-Link:
Use Versatrans e-link to view your student's bus assignment, stop location and stop time.
e-Link Instructions:
- Go to the Versatrans e-link website.
- Username: Student's ID number (contact the front office if unknown)
- Password: Student's Date of Birth (Format: mmddyyyy)
- Hover over "Students" then click "View My Students". Select your student. It will then display your student's information.
My Stop:
You can also use My Stop, which is an app or can be accessed through the website. In order to access the app, go to your phone's app store and type in "Versatrans My Stop" where you will find the app to download.
MyStop is a school bus tracking system for SCPS Transportation. My Stop displays the school's bus approximate location on a map, as well as the estimated time of the arrival (ETA) to a specific student's bus stop. The retrieval of bus information requires a separate login for each student, siblings are not linked. See the document below for instructions on how to use My Stop.
Assistance with SCPS Transportation
IssueTrak:
For additional assistance with bus stop information, changes, or any school bus-related issues, you can use SCPS transportation's inquiry system,
Issuetrak. When addressing any school bus transportation issue, please provide the student's name and the school the student attends. Having this information greatly assists us in responding to your inquiry.
SCPS Transportation Office
- Phone: (540) 373-6095
- Open M-F, 6:00 am-5:00 pm
SCPS Resources and Services
