The Woodchuck Word
A Greenwood Elementary Monthly Parent Newsletter
November 1, 2022
Dear Greenwood Families,
October has been a month of so many exciting things! Thanks to generous contributions from our families and surrounding community, we were able to close out our funding for the track and complete construction. Our new track is accessible to all of our students and opened to the public on weeknights after 5:30 and on the weekends. It is one-tenth of a mile, and has provided lots of fun not only during recess, but also for our students participating in Joggers and Girls on the Run. Thank you so much for helping to make that possible! We plan to do a Fun Run/Dedication Ceremony in May, so more details will be shared about that in the Spring after we work out logistics.
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Greenwood Families for working together to help each other out. Earlier this month, I put out a message asking for support with carpools and had an amazing response. I am so grateful that we all work together to ensure that our students get to be in school each day, have what they need to be successful, and feel loved and cared for. As I tell our staff, it takes a village to support each child, and I am so fortunate that you are all a part of our Greenwood Family.
As we move to November and the month of giving thanks, I have so many things to be thankful for. Thank you for your continued support, thank you for your transparency, thank you for your flexibility, and thank you for your grace. I am so grateful to get to serve our students, staff and all of you.
With gratitude,
Jenny Inman
Principal
Friendly Reminders
LEAVING EARLY: Please avoid picking up your child early from school between 2:20pm and the end of the day if at all possible. In addition to parent pick-up traffic, students are finishing up their learning and preparing for dismissal, so it can take extra time to get them signed out.
PARENT PICK-UP/DROP OFF: Please continue to pull all the way up before dropping off or picking up your student. We try to get students in and out of cars as quickly as possible, but it works most efficiently when we can get as many cars curbside as possible. We know your time is valuable, so if you could help us with this small part of the process, we will make sure to get you all on your way. If you would like to get out of your car to meet your child, visit with the teacher, etc, please park in a designated parking to do so. Thank you:)
2nd-5th Grade Field Trip Information for November 3
Fall Picture Retake Information
EL Literacy Parent Letters on SchoolCNXT
Artsonia: A Digital Platform to View and Share Your Child's Artwork
Volunteering At Greenwood
Your volunteer application status is valid for one year, so if you completed the application process last year and want to check on when it would need to be renewed, please let us know.
SCHOOLCNXT: Using the Direct Messaging Feature
Classroom Teachers have started sending home classroom news and reminders via the SchoolCNXT App. If you haven't logged into SchoolCNXT lately, now would be a great time to check it out.
Did you know you can direct message your child's teacher and fellow Greenwood parents?
Please reference the attached directions for how to access this feature. It is a great way to send your child's teacher any updates about absences, appointments, or to follow up on something. It is also a great way to connect with other families to arrange for playdates, send birthday invitations, etc.
If you've created an account in past years, but don't recall your username, please e-mail jenny.inman@dmschools.org and I will help get you connected. Additionally, if you've forgotten your password, but know your username, you can click on the FORGOT PASSWORD link on the sign-on page to reset it.
PTA News & Updates
PENNY WARS IS BACK!
Here is how to play:
Students collect change from home and bring it to school, collecting it in their classroom and then depositing it into their class container in the office. For each penny brought in, they earn a point for their class. Silver coins are placed into other classroom containers to take away points from their total i.e. nickels subtract 5 points, dimes subtract 10, and quarters subtract 25 points.
Ex. Student A in Mrs. Motter's class brings in two quarters and places them in Mrs. Iles container to deduct 50 points from their total.
*At this time, only coins will be accepted, there may be a twist on the last day of the event.
Dough Co. Pizza Night
Greenwood in the News
A Special Ride to School for Fire Poster Winners
Check out the full story HERE
Drake Bulldog Mascot Visits Greenwood
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
IMPORTANT DATES
School hours are 7:45am-2:40pm Monday through Friday.
Nov. 7 & Nov. 8: No School- Fall Break
Nov. 23-25: No School: Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 9: No School: Staff Professional Development
Dec. 22-January 3: No School-Winter Break
NOVEMBER LUNCH MENU
Contact Information
Email: greenwood@dmschools.org
Website: greenwood.dmschools.org
Location: 316 37th Street, Des Moines, IA 50312, USA
Phone: (515)242-8410