It's come to my attention that we have a potential hazard for our bikers and walkers who leave via the back of the school.

The parking lot to the side of the school is for staff, handicapped and 5 PTA parking spots only. This year we apparently haven't made that clear and there are lots of cars parking in that lot in order to pick up. That is creating moving hazards and obstacles to children being able to see and be seen.

Starting Monday, a staff member will be outside to check cars going into that lot. If you aren't one of the 5 families that paid for a parking spot or don't have a handicapped sign, you won't be allowed into that lot. I know it looks like there is a lot of room, but it is creating a safety issue for our students and we just can't allow that to happen.

Next Friday, 9/16, is Fall picture day. Individual pictures will be taken and those will be used for the yearbook. Friday evening (6-7:30) is also our annual Dad's Club Sock Hop. We normally ask students to wear 50s clothes the day of the Sock Hop but because it is picture day, we will have a 50s dress up day on 10/27 for the 50th day of school. Friday's dress will be picture-worthy clothes!

Join us!

Volunteers Needed We need volunteers to make this event a success. Help is needed with auction, set-up, games and clean-up. This year, room parents will send out a sign-up genius link to each classroom. We ask that you sign-up and volunteer for a minimum of one shift. Many hands make light work.

Volunteer Credit Hours Available for GCISD Students If you know of any responsible, kind, caring GCISD students willing to earn volunteer credit hours, please help us recruit! We have had tremendous success in past years with wonderful student groups. Look for the sign-up genius that will circulate around campuses or contact fallfestvolunteers@glenhopepta.org for more information.

Many thanks to EVERYONE for help

Glenhope PTA provides all students with a t-shirt to wear on class Field Trips. Please fill out the form below so we can order your child the correct size. If you have multiple children at Glenhope please fill out a separate form for each child. Any questions please reach out to Melissa Cross at president@glenhopepta.org.

https://forms.gle/ddB98AgCamAWZHnv8

Did you know that September 17th is a special day in our country? It's Constitution Day - an important day set aside to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Glenhope will celebrate the birthday of our nation's government on Friday, September 16th with curriculum-aligned lessons incorporating the Constitution in social studies classes and a special morning announcement. That will look very different depending on the age of the children but we will be talking about the Constitution as a founding document for our country and the importance it holds for its citizens.

Constitution Day is intended to celebrate not only the signing of what is now the oldest written constitution of any nation in the world, but also the important ideals that set us apart as Americans. This weekend and always, we invite you to reflect with your student on their learning and, specifically, on their understanding of the U.S. Constitution and American citizenship.

Our Greenback Night campaign began last week. We have received $12, 360 at this time and we appreciate those of you who have already contributed. If you haven't yet contributed, you can use the QR code to go to the site to donate.

Many years ago, our community overwhelmingly indicated that they wanted to support our school monetarily but not by fundraising. As a result, for the past 22 years we have held this one fundraiser each year for the school (not counting PTA efforts) where we ask you to support us and then we don't ask again.

Typically, our community is generous and we receive between $15,000-20,000. That is used for things that we can't buy with the funds that are provided by the district. Our district budget was only $35,436 for this year so your generosity allows us to give teachers more money for their classrooms Another thing it allows us to do is provide extra assistance for our teachers. For example, for the past few weeks we've been able to hire a retired teacher to come and complete assessments to help our K-2 teachers with required assessments that are administered one on one.

Also, corporations will often match donations made to educational organizations and we benefit from those matching gifts as well.

If you and your family would like a fun weekend project, consider signing up for caring for the Glenhope chickens one weekend:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084caead2ca7fe3-chicken

• Each slot will be from Friday evening-Sunday evening, with the exception of long weekends or school breaks. If you sign up for a 4 day weekend, Thanksgiving break or winter break, you will be responsible for care during the duration of break.
• You will need to come check on the chickens every morning before 9 AM and every afternoon after 5 PM to check the following:
  • Water (fill if needed from the faucet by the pavillion)
  • Food (fill if needed)
  • Eggs (volunteers can keep any eggs collected)
• In case of severe weather, you will need to place the hens inside the coop and shut the door.
• Treats such as oats, lettuce, berries and vegetables may also be given but are not provided.

Here is this year's Challenge Previews. Parents and students can look at these to get an idea of what DI entails.

https://www.destinationimagination.org/challenge-experience/challenge-previews/

If anyone has questions, they can reach me at di@glenhopepta.org.

GCISD partners with the I Love U Guys Foundation and uses the Standard Response Protocols (SRP) to respond to any situation or emergency that takes place at school or in the district.

• Each campus will conduct drills throughout the school year. These drills are based on the Standard Response Protocols of Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter, and Hold. GCISD developed one additional protocol known as Clear.

• Completion of the drills is mandatory for each campus during the first two weeks of school, so that students and staff are prepared. Drills help us learn and know how to respond in the case of a real emergency at school. Our drills also help us to check certain equipment and responses. Our emergency management leaders on each campus will work with students and staff to complete our drills and document the results.

I have included the SRP Posters that are displayed in your student’s classrooms so that you can review with your student at home and discuss with them when they take part in the drills during the first two weeks. More information about Safety and Security in GCISD can be found at www.gcisd.net/our_district/safety_and_security.

Please remember to email the office (mailto:elizabeth.giblin@gcisd.net and mailto:tanya.hill@gcisd.net) if your child is ill and will be out. It would be helpful to include your child's teacher(s) as well.

Also, please try to call early in the day with changes to after school pick up arrangements. The later you call, the greater the chance that something might be missed due to the level of activity that occurs around dismissal.