GECKO GAZETTE
GRANT SCHOOL - SANTA MONICA
WEEK OF MAY 30 - JUNE 5, 2022
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May at national cemeteries, by placing flowers and American flags on graves of military personnel. It was formerly observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.
The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868. Then known as Decoration Day, the day was proclaimed by Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic for the purpose of honoring Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. This national observance was preceded by many local ones, between the end of the Civil War and Logan's declaration. Many cities and people have claimed to have first celebrated the event.
Official recognition as a holiday spread among the states, beginning with New York in 1873. By 1890, every Union state had adopted it. The World Wars turned it into a day of remembrance for all members of the U.S. military who died in service. In 1971, Congress standardized the holiday as "Memorial Day" and changed its observance to the last Monday in May.
~ IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER ~
Please review these important dates:
- The last day for PCR COVID testing will be Thursday, June 9th. Please click the following link to read the Superintendent's letter regarding ending PCR testing: Dr. Drati's Letter
- Monday, May 30th: MEMORIAL DAY - NO SCHOOL
- Tuesday, May 31st: Kindergarten Field Trip to Underwood Family Farm: All Day
- Friday, June 3rd: 3rd-Grade Field Trip to Virginia Park @ 11:30
- Monday, June 6th: 5th-Grade Field Day on campus
- Monday, June 6th: Ms. Murcia's class to Virginia Park in the AM. Pen Pal Meet up!
- Tuesday, June 7th: 5th Grade Culmination Ceremony @ 9:00 AM on the Grant Big Field; Reception immediately following the ceremony in the historic garden.
- Wednesday, June 8th: 5th-Grade to the Pier: 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
- Wednesday, June 8th: Kindergarten play for K-Parents. 9:00 AM in the Historic Garden. See your teacher's weekly update for details.
- Thursday, June 9th: LAST DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR ~ MINIMUM DAY: Dismissal Times:
- PreK, TK, Kinder @ 12:15 PM
- Grades 1, 2, 3 @ 1:00 PM
- Grades 4 & 5 @ 1:15 PM
~CALIFORNIA HEALTHY KIDS SURVEY INFORMATION - SURVEY FOR PARENTS AND STAFF~
~ABOUT THE SURVEY - HOW TO TAKE THE SURVEY~
The purpose of this survey is to obtain parent perceptions about the school.
Your participation is voluntary. It is also very important. The information you provide will help guide district and school efforts to promote safety, enhance learning supports, and improve student achievement.
● This is an anonymous survey. It is designed so that no one can be identified from the data. You do not have to respond to any questions that you feel could be used to identify you. Simply skip any such questions.
● All questions apply to this school only.
● The results are for the use of your district. The California Department of Education and WestEd will preserve data confidentiality and refer any data requests to the district.
READ THE LETTER BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY BY FRIDAY, JUNE 3RD.
THANK YOU FOR BEING AN IMPORTANT PARTNER IN MAKING GRANT SCHOOL A GREAT PLACE FOR LEARNING!
~BIKE IT! WALK IT! WEEK!~
~GRANT WINS THE GOLDEN SNEAKER AWARD AGAIN!~
The Golden Sneaker Award will once again return to Grant School. In addition, this year the City of Santa Monica has awarded the Geckos 25 pairs of Bike It! Walk It! socks, 26 City of Santa Monica reusable lunch bags made from upcycled light pole banners around the city, and 50 unlimited ride passes for the Santa Monica pier’s Pacific Park for single-day use.
The committee will determine how the prizes will be distributed this week.
Special thanks go out to our BIWI coordinator David Sirh and his team for all of the efforts they put into promoting sustainable living!
THE TEAM:
Erika Bell, Jill Cipresso, Morgan Ruvolo, Michelle Martinez, Karen Miller, Coach Elmer, Amy Cordes, and all of the teachers and students at Grant!
CONGRATULATIONS, GECKOS!
~5TH GRADE END OF THE YEAR ACTIVITIES~
- Friday, June 3rd: Culmination Ceremony rehearsal. Please be sure your child is in school this day.
- Monday, June 6th: Culmination Ceremony rehearsal and 5th-Grade Field Day!
- Tuesday, June 7th: 5th-Grade Culmination Ceremony. 9:00 - 10:00 AM on the Big Field. There will be a reception in the historic garden immediately following the ceremony.
- Wednesday, June 8th: Pier Day! Students will take the Big Blue Bus (with staff!) to the SM Pier for a day of fun! Lunch will be included. Permission slips will come home soon. *This is an early dismissal Wednesday and the students will return to the campus after their dismissal time so please make arrangements for a late pick-up that day.
- Thursday, May 9th: Last day as a Grant student!! We will miss our Geckos! Minimum Day for all Grades: Dismissal at 1:15 PM
We are so looking forward to providing our culminating 5th-grade students with a fun end to their educational journey at Grant!
Please let us know if you have any questions about any of these activities.
The end of the school year is fast approaching! If you have outgrown any Grant gear or no longer want it, please consider donating to our Grant Recycles Collection so they don’t end up in landfills or second-hand shops. Your donations will help others in our Grant community. If you're a 5th grader, this is a great time to go through your closet and decide if you want to part with any of your gear and pass it on to another Grant Gecko. We accept all sizes & styles from our different school events (ie: Gecko Wear, Jogathon, Science Fair, etc…) We ask that items being donated are washed and gently worn only. Please drop off items in the school office. If you have any questions, contact Florencia Rams, our Bilingual Community Liaison at 310-450-7651 ext 63110 or send an email to frams@smmusd.org or geckowearshop@grantpta.org. Thank you for your support!
~GRANT SCHOOL RANKED #2 IN SANTA MONICA AND #56 IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA!~
~SMMUSD Registration for Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Now Available~
If you missed the TK/Kindergarten Roundup last week the link will be posted on the Grant School website under "About Us" and then "Presentations". The link to the video will be posted on Monday, January 31st.
~GECKO WEAR SCHOOL SPIRIT FRIDAYS~
~ DONATE TO THE GRANT PTA AND SANTA MONICA EDUCATION FOUNDATION TODAY! ~
Your donation does so much for Grant!
Please consider donating to the two organizations that enhance education for all Grant students: the Santa Monica Education Foundation and Grant PTA. Your donations are so important. Check out the crucial staff, programs, technology, and materials funded by your donations in this chart!
Our goal is for 100% of Grant families to give to PTA and the Ed Foundation. ANY amount makes a difference to our kids. If you have already donated, thank you!
~COMMUNITY RESOURCES for FAMILIES~
~TRANSLATION OPTION INTO 100 LANGUAGES!~
~ ¡NUEVA OPCIÓN DE TRADUCCIÓN A 100 IDIOMAS! ~
Para leer la Gaceta Gecko en otro idioma, mire a la derecha del boletín y haga clic en "TRADUCIR EL BOLETÍN". ¡Ahora puede elegir entre 100 idiomas!
~ በ 100 ቋንቋዎች ውስጥ አዲስ የትርጓሜ ምርጫ! ~
የጌኮ ጋዜጣ በሌላ ቋንቋ ለማንበብ እባክዎን በራሪ ወረቀቱ በስተቀኝ በኩል ይመልከቱ እና “የትርጉም ጽሑፍ” ን ጠቅ ያድርጉ ፡፡ አሁን ከ 100 ቋንቋዎች መምረጥ ይችላሉ!
GRANT SCHOOL ~ A CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL
~GRANT SCHOOL NAMED A 2020 TOP LA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP FOR LOW-INCOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS~
~GRANT RANKED AS A TOP TWO SANTA MONICA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL~
https://www.niche.com/k12/grant-elementary-school-santa-monica-ca/