Weekly Parent Update
Weekly Update 3/10/2024
West Lawn Students and Families
We are excited to welcome everyone back to school tomorrow. We hope you had a fantastic time filled with family time and fun. As we resume our school routines, we wanted to provide some guidance on how you can support your child's education at home:
1. Establish consistent routines: Help your child transition back into school routine by setting a consistent daily schedule (bedtime, mealtimes, etc). This is especially important with our recent Daylight Savings Time Change.
2. Encourage regular reading: Reading is a skill that supports all areas of your child's life. Set aside time each day for your child to read independently or read aloud with them.
3. Communicate with Teachers/School staff: It is important we maintain open lines of communication between home and school. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
4. Foster a Love for Learning: Encourage curiosity and a love for learning in your child. Engage in conversations about their school day, ask them questions about what they are learning, and show genuine interest in their educational experiences. Celebrate their achievements and provide positive reinforcement for their efforts.
5. Be a Role Model: As parents, you play a crucial role in shaping your child's attitude towards education. Demonstrate the value of lifelong learning by engaging in your own educational pursuits, such as reading, attending workshops, or pursuing hobbies. Your enthusiasm will inspire your child to be curious and motivated.
Remember, education is a partnership between home and school. By working together, we can create an environment that supports your child's growth and success. We look forward to continuing our educational journey with you and your child.
Warm regards, West Lawn Elementary
Dress for Success: Our weather can be pretty erratic at this time of year. In any given day, we can have freezing cold temperatures in the morning and warm afternoons. Please ensure your student wears a light jacket or sweatshirt and pants to school. Outdoor recess is very important to our students, and we want to ensure they are dressed comfortably.
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
Drop Off Pick Up: Lastly, please be mindful that the safety of our students is a priority. Please keep the traffic flowing by pulling up to the sidewalk before allowing your student to exit your car. There is no need to stop directly in front of the school and cause traffic to back up. Thank you for ensuring the safety of your child(ren) and that of their schoolmates.
Important Dates
- NO Good News Club on March 12th -sessions will resume on March 19
- March 29th and April 1st No School
- April 19th No School Teacher Professional Learning and Planning Day
- May 20th Tentative Date for 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