Weekly Parent Update
Weekly Update 4/1/2024
West Lawn Students and Families
Yay! Everyone comes back to school tomorrow. I hope you had a Happy Easter and enjoyed spending time with family and loved ones. Spring is here and we have lots coming up between now and the start of summer break. Please check out the important dates below.
I also want to encourage you to nominate your child's teacher (can be anyone that works at the school...counselor, custodian, secretary, etc.) on the GIPS Teacher of the Year form. The deadline is April 25th. The form is super simple to complete and only requires your name and an email address to complete. The person you nominate will receive a paper version of your kind words later this summer.
Registration: The deadline is approaching please make sure your students are registered for the 2024-25 school year. Registering your child early is essential to secure the appropriate number of teachers/staff to meet our needs. If you haven’t done so, please complete your student(s) registration for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. If you need assistance, please give us a call. You can register at gips.org/registration
Important Dates
- April 10th 4th grade Fax Gilbert Nebraska History Play Production
- April 10 &11th 5th grade NSCAS Science test
- April 16 & 17th 3rd & 5th grade NSCAS English Language Arts test
- April 17 & 18 th 4th grade NSCAS English Language Arts test
- April 19th No School Teacher Professional Learning and Planning Day
- April 23 -24th 3rd & 5th grade NSCAS Math test
- April 24-25th 4th grade NSCAS -Math test
- April 25th 3rd Grade Goldilocks Trial
- April 30th Family Night -Edgerton Science Explore It 5:30 pm-7:30 pm
- May 3rd Field Day
- May 14th Kinder Ready (incoming Kinders for 24-25 school year)
- May 20th 5th Grade Graduation
- May 22nd Last Day of School 11:00 am dismissal
Exciting News about a new Parent Resource
Grand Island Public Schools is excited to partner with the Cook Center for Human Connection and their website ParentGuidance.org. This is a mental health resource for parents and provides parents a trusted place to go for real answers, to find support and real help for their children.
GIPS Families are invited to attend a FREE online webinars.
You may register on the GIPS website HERE.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our School Counselor, Sarah Grigsby sgrigsby@gips.org and Regina Juhl rjuhl@gips.org or our School Social Worker Anabel Gonzalez agonzalez2@gips.org
Winter is Here
Winter weather is here to stay for a while. Please send your child with appropriate clothing for outdoor recess. Please ensure your child has a warm coat, hat, gloves, and shoes appropriate for outdoor weather. The GIPS district has the following guidelines regarding outdoor recess:
When the temperature or wind chill is between 20 and 29 degrees Fahrenheit, recess will be limited to 15 min. Special consideration will be given to the length of time outside for kindergarten students.
Indoor Recess will happen when the temperature or wind chill is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or colder or when precipitation or playground conditions warrant staying inside.
Students will be permitted to use playground equipment, fields, and asphalt play areas when conditions are suitable for safe play. Safety considerations include: equipment is dry and ice free, fields are dry, asphalt area is free of ice.
Students need to stay out of snow and snow needs to stay on the ground.
Breakfast is Important and So Is Starting Instruction on Time
We will stop serving breakfast at 7:55 am and the cafeteria will be cleared of students at 8:00 am. Family emergencies do come up: if your child is late and needs a quick breakfast please give us a call. Thank you for understanding the importance of our work and sharing your child(ren) with us each day.
Good News Club On Tuesdays
What is happening inside our school
We are conducting an Attendance Challenge in our classrooms. Each day a room has all students present they earn a letter. The first word we chose is PRIDE. We take PRIDE in showing up. Once the class completes the full word their class will earn a reward. It has been great to see them cheer wildly as they hit their daily goal.
School attendance is very important for your child's success --today, tomorrow and their future. We are here to assist you with your child's attendance. Please reach out if you have questions or are in need of support.
Ms. Anabel Gonzalez -School Social Worker agonzalez2@gips.org
Mrs. Sarah Grigsby -school counselor sgrigsby@gips.org
Ms. Regina Juhl -school counselor rjuhl@gips.org
Drop off and Pick up
Thank you for being safe as you drop off and pick up your children. An important thing to remember is to not stop in the drive through lane. I would encourage you to drive up as far west as possible to drop your children off. Do not stop in the drive-through lane...this causes the traffic to back up. We all want to get to work on time and it is okay if your child walks a few extra steps. Finally, at pick up time do not park in the drive-through lane. This makes it unsafe for our students to use the crosswalk and causes the traffic to back up.
3022 College St, Grand Island, NE 68803