GIPS Back to School - August 2024

Welcome to GIPS Monthly Update!

This online monthly newsletter features helpful information, notable updates, district stories, and more from Grand Island Public Schools.

Don't forget to check out our "Back to School" webpage for information on starting the 2024-25 school year.

Here is how the first week of school will look for students across the district:

AUGUST 14

• First day for Kindergarten, 6th Grade, and 9th Grade only
• Early dismissals - 2:00 p.m. for Kindergarten; 2:15 p.m. for 6th & 9th Grades

AUGUST 15

• First day for ALL grades
• Early dismissal - 2:00 p.m. for K- 5
• Full Day for 6 - 12

AUGUST 16

• Full Day - Grades 1 - 12
• No Kindergarten

AUGUST 17

• Full Day - Grades K - 12
• Normal Dismissal

PRE-SCHOOL

• First day is August 19
• Early Dismissal (10:30 a.m. for morning classes; 2:30 p.m. for afternoon class; 2:00 p.m. for full day)
• Preschool Discovery is August 8 & 9
• Home visits are August 15 & 16

GIPS will continue offering transportation support for the 2024-25 school year for the following routes:

• Gates & Knickrehm bus routes for middle school students riding to Westridge Middle School (AM/PM)
• Routes running between GISH and CPI and CCC throughout the day supporting CPI and CCC classes as well as Newcomers students
• Elementary Newcomers (Grades 2nd-5th) routes between home schools and Stolley Park Elementary School (AM/PM)
• Middle School Routes AFTER activities practices
• Field Trips & Extracurricular Activities
• Transportation for students who qualify for support from Families in Transition
• Transportation for students who have transportation needs identified in their individual education plans (IEPs) and students enrolled in Skills Academy programs

Please Note: Neighborhood Bus Stops will no longer run.

If your student rode the bus in previous years and you do not see the route on the list above, unfortunately that means we will no longer be providing that route for the 2024-25 school year.

We encourage families to work together to ride or walk together to school. Also, please consider leaving a little earlier in the morning this year as there will be increased traffic at our schools.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your school social worker directly or send an email to communications@gips.org.

Grades have different lists of recommended items for school supplies. These supplies are not a requirement to attend school.

All school supplies lists for Elementary, Middle School, GISH, and High School Activities may be found on the district website at the button below.

If you would like additional support for school supplies — please reach out to your school directly.

Breakfast and lunch meals will be available to all students at no cost at all of our schools for the 2024-25 school year!

Due to current needs and qualifications, GIPS has qualified for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) across the district. CEP provides an alternative, state-supported funding source in order to provide meals at no cost to every student at Grand Island Public Schools.

Find school meal menus on the Nutrition Services website HERE.

The menus are able to be translated in over 100 languages and may be downloaded or easily captured through a screenshot on your mobile device.

Follow GIPS Eats on Facebook for more info!

• ELEMENTARY - Doors open by no later than 7:30 a.m.
• MIDDLE SCHOOL - Doors open by no later than 7:45 a.m.
• GISH - Doors open by no later than 7:30 a.m.

School and district calendars for GIPS may be found at the link below:

Academic excellence is part of the Islander way. For more than thirty Grand Island Senior High (GISH) students, going above and beyond in the classroom earned them notable recognition.

34 GISH Juniors and Seniors earned AP Scholar status for the 2023-24 school year. The AP Scholars were honored at last night’s GIPS Board of Education Meeting with 15 of the students and their families able to attend.

Read the full article HERE.

How do we support teachers to teach students?

Three of our Educators, Megan Ahrens, Jocelyn Bloom, & Irene Cuellar, joined the podcast to unpack that huge question. Specifically for Early Childhood Literacy.

Throughout the conversation, they share about the important work they're doing with the Kindergarten - 2nd Grade English Language Arts Summer Task Force. As part of the task force, these Educators work alongside about 20 of their colleagues to map out Literacy efforts for all Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade classrooms at GIPS.

They shared their passion for teaching, highlighted understanding the difference between Reading and Literacy, why we keep showing-up every day for our students, and how much work goes into planning curriculum resources and support for hundreds of teachers across 14 Elementary schools.

Listen to the latest episode of The GIPS Cast HERE.

Catch the Islanders in action here in Grand Island!

Here are some of the upcoming home varsity events for the next few weeks in August:

• Softball v HSC - Monday, August 19th, 4:00 p.m. @ Forest Street Fields/GISH
• Softball v Centura - Monday, August 19th, 5:45 p.m. @ Forest Street Fields/GISH
• Softball Doubleheader v Lincoln East - Thursday, August 22nd, 5:00 p.m. @ Veterans Field
• Volleyball v Gothenburg - Thursday, August 22nd, 6:00 p.m. @ GISH West Gym
• Boys Tennis v Columbus - Thursday, August 29th, 4:00 p.m. @ GISH Tennis Courts
• Softball v Lincoln Pius X - Thursday, August 29th, 5:00 p.m. @ Veterans Field
• Volleyball v Lincoln East - Thursday, August 29th, 6:30 p.m. @ GISH West Gym
• Football v Lincoln SE - Friday, August 30th, 7:00 p.m. @ GISH Memorial Stadium

Full activities calendar and ticket links may be found at the buttons below.

Go Islanders!

If your phone number, mailing address, or student emergency contact information has changed since the last school year, now is a great time to make those changes in ParentVUE.

Updating your information in ParentVUE will help ensure you receive communication from your school and GIPS in the ways you need to.

You may expect to hear from both your school and the district regularly throughout the school year. GIPS utilizes email, text message, phone calls, and direct mail to help you receive important school information and invitations to events and activities.

• ParentVUE Guide
• GIPS Nutrition Services
• Bus Routes
• Cell Phone Expectations & Dress Code
• Nurse Health Forms
• Kindergarten Ready
• GIPS Handbook
• School Drop-Off & Pick-Up Safety: ENGLISH | SPANISH
• Welcome Center
• Families in Transition
• School Boundary Maps