My Smore newsletter
April 2020 Edition 2
UPDATE......Schedule for Week of April 13 - 17
April 13: Monday following Easter - Griffith Public Schools will be eLearning on Monday only. At this time all essential staff will remain at home. We want to ensure that we are following Gov. Holcomb’s exec. order. Approval is needed by Superintendent if needing to get in building.
April 14 - 17: Griffith Public Schools will utilize 4 waiver days. Students will NOT have eLearning. Griffith Public Schools will remain closed. At this time all essential staff will remain at home. We want to ensure that we are following Gov. Holcomb’s exec. order. Approval is needed by Superintendent if needing to get in building.
This was a change due to Gov. Holcomb’s new Exec. Order. Our students need 20 eLearning Days after April 2nd. Without adding April 13, we would have only 19 eLearning Days after April 2nd with the present schedule.
Student's Last Day will be on May 22nd.
PLEA to our Families...
1. Student supplies at buildings
2. Graduation and Seniors
3. Ability to enter buildings by staff
Information is updated daily by Gov. Holcomb and Indiana Dept. of Education. We follow their lead on when we can have staff and students back in our buildings.
We can NOT have students clean out lockers or desks. We are unable to refund field trip money, etc... at this time. We will notify you on when we can fulfill these requests; however, please do NOT call our offices in regards to items such as this. This fills our voicemail boxes quickly, and we are unable to obtain the "vital" messages which warrant immediate attention.
We ask for your patience as we continue to address your questions and concerns. Thank you!
Student Textbook Fees
Seniors of 2020
1. Met all of the course and credit requirements for the specific diploma designation based on a combination of high school credits earned prior to and that courses in which you were enrolled as of March 19, 2020, when the Governor issued the statewide school closure, and
2. You meet any virtual or remote learning participation requirements established by the school corporation, you will earn your diploma and graduate on time.
AGAIN, you MUST continue to participate and complete assignments during the eLearning Days!
Those seniors that are low on credits will be contacted by our school counselors to determine next steps. Graduation is NOT guaranteed for you!
Griffith Public Schools will make every attempt to recognize some of the senior events. If possible, these events will be held at a later date if the virus timeline subsides and allows for larger gatherings. If not, we will also consider some alternative ceremony ideas. These decisions will be made by the GHS administration and the school corporation. Please watch for more information!
Students in Grades 7-11
Elementary Students
Kindergarten Registration
We will still require the following once our elementary offices are open to the public:
- Bring child's original birth certificate and immunization records.
- To be eligible for kindergarten, child must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2019.
- If child is 5 by October 1, 2019 for the 2020/21 school year, parent/legal guardian can write a letter of appeal to the building principal by August 2020. Superintendent has the final decision on the enrollment of child into kindergarten.
- Enrollment is open to only Griffith residents. Please make sure to bring proof of residency!
Griffith Public Schools' Food Debt Paid!
Griffith Public Schools' Promise
The Board of School Trustees is pleased to present the 2020 - 2025 Strategic Plan: The Griffith Promise to the greater Griffith community. It is a plan built to meet the challenges of today, while preparing our students and our community for a better tomorrow.
The plan is developed with an understanding of the challenges currently facing the school district, while also anticipating future challenges. Schools across Indiana face pressures related to economic inequality, uncertainty of state assessment and accountability systems, a teacher shortage, loss of local school board control, and reduced state investment in public education. Locally, we face the financial pressures, coupled with the understanding that Griffith Public Schools continues to experience declining enrollment, and the need re-tool instruction to better meet the needs of our learners and our community. We acknowledge the impact of our ever-increasing free/reduced population and their mobility. We understand the need for fostering and promoting community, business, not-for-profit and intergovernmental partnerships.
To meet the needs of our students and to allocate limited resources, the Board of School Trustees is not reacting, but is proactively planning for the future. In this way, the district can make decisions that are sustainable, while meeting the needs of all students. Regardless of these obstacles, Griffith Public Schools has a responsibility to contribute to the well-being of Griffith by educating and providing unprecedented opportunities for students while demonstrating a commitment to community service leadership. Developing appropriate solutions to these challenges will determine the quality of education students will receive and the sustainability of the district over time.
The Board of School Trustees believes this action plan represents the promise of what can be accomplished over the next two years. This plan sets high expectations in order to ensure the success of all of our students and the greater Griffith community. The Board of School Trustees invites you to partner with us as we strive to achieve this transformative plan for a better tomorrow. Thank you to those who served on our community stakeholder forum. We look forward to this strategic plan to continue improving Griffith Public Schools.
You will find that the two attachments are the Griffith Public Schools' Promise. We had to split the plan into two files due to limited space. In addition, the presentation given at Thursday's board meeting could not be attached due to limited spacing as well. It is posted on our website for your view.
Thanks for your understanding!
Getting ready for food delivery!
Volunteers helping us get our food packed and ready to distribute!
All hands on deck!
Who is that Masked Man? Batman? Robin? Superman?
Zooming with our Ready Rockets!
#RocketStrong!
News Release Regarding K-12 Education Resources Being Broadcasted in Our Area
To All,
I'd be grateful if you could broadly share the attached news release with your members and incorporate parts of this information into your members' newsletters. In conjunction with the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations will be broadcasting K-12 education over the air with additional resources available for parents and teachers online at IPBS learning. We would sincerely appreciate your assistance in getting the word out to all your stakeholders. Please direct your questions to Mark Newman whose contact information is set forth below.
MARK NEWMAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations
1630 N. Meridian St. | Indianapolis, IN 46202
O: 317-614-0408 | M: 317-828-6983
mnewman@ipbs.org | www.ipbs.org
Sincerely,
Mark Shublak
Look at the Donations We Collected to Provide to Our Griffith Fire Department and Griffith Police Department!
Indiana's Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-800-800-5556.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You may report abuse and neglect anonymously.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-TALK or text 741741
If you’re in emotional distress or suicidal crisis-or concerned about someone who might be, do not wait and call.
Boys Town National Hotline (800) 448-3000
Crisis and support line for children, youth and their parents.
Crisis Hotline (800) 273-8255 or text 741741
For anyone dealing with a crisis including anxiety, depression, economic concerns, family conflict, grief, etc.
Love is Respect (800) 331-9474
Support for yourself or others in an abusive relationship. If you are unable to speak safely, go to thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.
Trevor Crisis Hotline (866) 488-7386
Emotional support for LGBTQ+ students.