Dragon Dispatch
11/5/2021
Dear Students and Families,
Have you filled out our tech needs survey yet? If not, please take a moment to do so. This will help us better ensure that all students have access to curriculum both at home and at school. Click here to take the survey. Thank you!
As we work hard to maintain a culture and community based on respect, kindness, and safety, we remind students and families that verbal and physical altercations - including instigating among others; bullying and harassment; and disrespectful behavior towards staff will not be tolerated at The Graham School. Please be aware that as these behaviors occur TGS administration will be issuing consequences including but not limited to: lunch detentions, ISS, and/or OSS. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
We would like to remind you that:
- Masks are the first line of defense against the COVID virus and its variants.
- The health and safety of our students, staff, and families is paramount.
- We want to be able to stay IN SCHOOL to learn.
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated and/or consistently wearing their mask at school do not need to quarantine, even after close contact with a person who later tests positive. Please continue to consider vaccination and speak with your student about the importance of mask-wearing in the school setting.
If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out by email or call the school at 614-262-1111.
Sincerely,
Amy Vickroy, Sarai Correa, & RJ Larry
TGS Spirit Week
Fall Dance
We are excited to host a fall dance for our students! The dance will be held on Friday, November 19 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at the Whetstone Indoor Shelter House; 3901 North High Street. The cost is $15 per ticket. Please review the following:
- Tickets will be sold the week of the dance - beginning November 15.
- COVID protocols, including masking, will be in place at the dance.
- ONLY TGS students may attend - guests who do not attend The Graham School will not be permitted entry.
- Students who have or have had disciplinary issues may be excluded from the dance at the discretion of TGS administration.
- The parents/guardians of students who have disciplinary issues at the dance will be called and asked to pick their student up.
- Please keep an eye out for a permission form that must be signed by a parent/guardian in order for students to attend the dance. Thank you!
Announcements and Important Dates
Please take note of the following important dates, reminders, and announcements:
Important Dates and Times:
- School hours are 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Office hours are 7:30-4:00. Students will not be able to enter the building before 7:30 a.m. and MUST be picked up by 4:00. We cannot guarantee adult supervision before 7:30 or after 4:00.
- Monday, November 8 - NO SCHOOL
- Tuesday, November 16 - Family Crew, 6:00 p.m.
- Friday, November 19 - Fall Dance 7:00-10:00 p.m.
- Monday, November 22 - Friday, November 26 - NO SCHOOL
- Friday, December 3 - NO SCHOOL
- Thursday & Friday, December 9 and 10 - Early Release: 12:30, OST testing; Donuts with the Deans
- Tuesday, December 14 - Family Crew, 6:00 p.m.
- Friday, December 17 - NO SCHOOL, Grades 9-11; Senior & Staff Retreat
- Monday, December 20 - Tuesday, January 3 - NO SCHOOL, Winter Break
Free Breakfast and Lunch for the 2021-2022 school year: All students, regardless of whether they qualify, are entitled to a free breakfast and lunch this year, providing every family completes, signs and submits the Free and Reduced Lunch Application.
CREW 101
What is Crew? Why do we do it? When is it? Why do students have to attend? Here is a quick rundown of all things Crew and why it is so important at The Graham School!
All students at The Graham School are enrolled in a Crew. Crew is a required course that meets M-TH after lunch. Students receive a grade for Crew and are expected to attend regularly and engage in Crew activities. 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 students- our Graham family, it is now and it is urgent.
The structure of Crew provides for consistent academic progress monitoring. Crew is also essential to bringing our community together by allowing for relationship building, promoting shared understandings and positive connections with peers, and encouraging all community members to become Crew, not passengers. At The Graham School we make a point to ensure that all students are known well and supported by adults. Crew helps make this happen!
November Family Crew
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89125775453?pwd=ZnVoZDRmcTZmQlZDcDl1U2hDM01LQT09
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. During these challenging times, Crew is perhaps more important than it has ever been for our community. Last year we 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 monthly Family Crew sessions to engage and connect with our families. Each Family Crew session will have a specific focus related to the work we do at The Graham School, such as Crew, Mindfulness, Restorative Practices, Social-Emotional Learning, etc. The format of the meetings will be determined each month as we keep an eye on the evolving COVID situation in Franklin County and continue to prioritize the safety of students, families, and staff.
Please join us this month as we host a speaker from Nationwide Children's Hospital's Signs of Suicide Prevention Program.
Please mark your calendars for the remaining 2021-2022 Family Crew Dates.
Tuesday, December 14 6:00-6:45
Tuesday, January 18 6:00-6:45
Tuesday, February 15 6:00-6:45
Tuesday, March 15 6:00-6:45
Tuesday, April 12 6:00-6:45
Tuesday, May 17 6:00-6:45
Tuesday, Nov 16, 2021, 06:00 PM
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RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Donuts with the Deans
- Thursday, December 9: 3:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Branch; 3658 Soldano Boulevard
- Friday, December 10: 3:00 p.m. at the Karl Road Branch ; 5590 Karl Road
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