Dragon Dispatch
March 15, 2021
Dear Students and Families,
Greetings from the Deans!
March marks the observance of Women's History Month, a celebration of women's contributions to history, culture, and society. Women's History Month evolved from a weeklong event organized by a school district in Sonoma County, California in1978. Students gave presentations, participated in essay contests, and even hosted a parade. Over the course of the next few years, the idea of setting aside time to honor and lift up the achievements and invaluable contributions of women caught on in school districts and organizations across the country. In 1980 President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women's History Week and six years later Congress expanded the observance to the full month of March.
The TGS building is now open Monday-Friday from 9:00-3:00. We ask that you continue to make appointments if you need to come in. Please contact the front desk at 614-262-1111 or at frontdesk@thegrahamschool.org if you have questions or need assistance.
The Graham School is proud to have been selected as a recipient of a generous donation from Chipotle and the Kids in Need Foundation. This donation provides a backpack filled with supplies, a Chipotle gift card, and a Chromebook for students to keep as their own. We distributed most of these gifts to students in January; however, we have several students who have yet to claim their backpack and Chromebook. If your student has not yet received their Chromebook, please email frontdesk@thegrahamschool.org to make arrangements to pick them up. Click here to read more about this exciting giveaway- and be sure to check out the below clip from the NBC4i newsroom!
The Graham School has begun to welcome some students back to the building in a limited capacity. Due to our class schedule, CCS busing limitations, and COVID social distancing guidelines, we are not able to accommodate all students who may wish to return at this time. We hope to have more options available in April and May. Please keep an eye out for further communication from your student's Crew Leader, Intervention Specialist, and/or the deans for more information on your specific student.
Sincerely,
Amy Vickroy, Sarai Correa, & RJ Larry
Food Distribution for TGS Families in Need
In partnership with Neighborhood Services, Inc Food Pantry, we are excited to announce that we are now offering monthly pre-packed boxes of food to Graham School families in need! Boxes will contain staple items such as bread, rice, pasta, vegetable oil and more, as well as snacks and other items to help nourish your Graham school student. To receive food, you must make a reservation through one of the links below. You will pick up your food at The Graham School: 3950 Indianola Ave., NOT at NSI Food Pantry.
Distribution Dates:
March 19th, 2021, 4pm to 6 pm: Register here
March 26th 4pm to 6 pm: Register here
Please bring your photo ID and wear a face mask when you come! Please note, this event is only available to families with a student currently enrolled at TGS. April distribution dates TBA.
Please reach out to Lindsay Barber at info@neighborhoodservicesinc.org with any questions.
Dr. Susan LaFlesche
Shirley Chisholm
Susan B. Anthony
TGS Family Crew- March
ID: 95366748330
Crew is a core practice at The Graham School that is essential to bringing our community together by allowing for relationship building, promoting shared understandings through equity and inclusion, and building positive connections with peers. Crew is also a vehicle for developing and supporting students socially, emotionally and academically. With all that is going on in our world today- a global pandemic, rampant injustice, political turmoil, and economic strife, Crew is perhaps more important than it has ever been for our community. We believe that if there has ever been a need to wrap around our Graham family, it is now and it is urgent.
We have recently expanded Crew work to include Family Crew, with intent to engage and connect our families through our culture of Crew. This year we are hosting 5 evening Family Crew sessions and offering an accompanying Family Crew workbook. Each Family Crew session will have a specific focus. The focus for March is Restorative Practices.
Please mark your calendars for the remaining Family Crew Dates:
March 24; April 21; May 12 from 6:00-6:45
We hope to see you there!
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021, 06:00 PM
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RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Schoology Help Videos
TGS Instructional Coach, Kate Livingston, graciously created a series of helpful videos to support families in supporting their students. Check them out!
Announcements
- STUDENT PROGRESS: Asynchronous (independent) assignments/homework are VITAL to both attendance and grades. If a student is failing a course they may be missing assignments.
- ATTENDANCE REMINDER: While we are engaged in virtual learning, students must attend ALL virtual class meetings (synchronous) AND submit all ALL independent assigned work (asynchronous) by Friday at 3:30 p.m. in order to be counted as present. It is imperative that students engage in synchronous classes AND complete asynchronous work to avoid being considered truant. If your student is unable to log into class or complete asynchronous work on a given day due to illness or tech issues or you have questions about attendance, please 614-262-1111 or send an email to: frontdesk@thegrahamschool.org. Also CREW is a required course. Students must attend every synchronous Crew session and complete the asynchronous work.
- GOGUARDIAN is a tool that TGS teachers and adminstrators are using to better support students in the virtual classroom. Click here to watch a video demo of GoGuardian Teacher.
- FREE INTERNET HOT SPOTS are being offered to all families eligible for free or reduced lunch through a partnership with the ESCCO. Please contact the front desk at frontdesk@thegrahamschool.org or 614-262-1111 if you are eligible and interested OR if you are not eligible but still in need. Click here to complete a Free & Reduced Lunch Application.
- EXTENSION LEARNING CENTERS: Do you lack high-speed internet? Do you need additional help with your work? Could you use a quiet work space, an extra meal from time to time, or emotional support during these trying times? Rock City Church is providing extension learning centers throughout the Columbus area. Click here for more information. Click here to find an e-learning center near you.
SCHOOLOGY occasionally experiences connections issues. We recommend the following:
- frequently refreshing the Schoology website
- emailing teachers to let them know that you or your student are unable to get in
- monitoring the Schoology status page
- checking school email for instructions from teachers.
Attendance Codes in PowerSchool
- TU (Tardy Unexcused): the total time missed from classes totals less than 3 hours
- HU (Half Unexcused): the total time missed from classes totals approximately 3 hours
- AU (Absent Unexcused): the total time missed from classes totals more than 4 hours
Additionally, Fridays in PowerSchool reflect the percentage of independent (asynchronous) work that was completed and submitted for the week.
About Us
The School:
TGS is a public community secondary school with a charter granted by the State of Ohio. Open to Ohio students in grades 9-12, the school's main focus is experiential education in a small-school setting where all students are known by all staff members. The Graham School serves approximatly 250 students annually. Its demographic characteristics reflect those of urban Columbus and Central Ohio.
Mission:
The Graham School (TGS) has a particular mission to urban students in Central Ohio preparing them for lifelong learning and informed citizenship through real-world experiences and rigorous academics. Fostering ownership and responsibility for their education prepares our students to be successful in college, the workplace, and other endeavors they undertake upon leaving Graham.
Vision Statement:
The Graham School’s vision is to be an innovative leader in the educational world by engaging students in authentic academic work, networking with community partners, and nurturing social emotional growth to empower future citizens and leaders.
Core Values:
- We are committed to listening, learning, unlearning, and putting our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into action
- We vow to stand together to embrace one another fully, empower students continuously, and pursue educational justice unapologetically
- We are a safe, positive school climate
- We solve problems together in a peaceful, restorative way
- We reflect on our experiences in order to gain fresh perspective and inform future outcomes
- We encourage a growth mindset for students and staff
- We believe that learning is a priority and time spent in class and community is essential
- We use these Habits of Learning as foundational principles --Adventure & Risk, Perseverance, Self-Direction, Service & Stewardship, and Teamwork & Collaboration
- We believe that cultivating these habits has a profound impact on student achievement and the ability to thrive
- We create belonging within our school and honor our connection to the world community
- We are CREW, not passengers
Email: frontdesk@thegrahamschool.org
Website: www.thegrahamschool.org
Location: 3950 Indianola Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
Phone: (614) 262-1111
Facebook: facebook.com/The-Graham-School-203552974632