Grass Lake School News

What a great week to be a BRAVE! This past week has been nothing short of amazing as we wrapped up 2024 with celebrations of creativity, collaboration, and school spirit. Our Fine Arts Night and PBL Showcase were shining examples of what makes Grass Lake School so special. The halls were filled with proud families, stunning student work, and the unmistakable energy of students excited to share their projects and talents. Thank you to our incredible teachers, staff, and families for supporting these events and making them a success.

Adding to the excitement, Spirit Week brought fun and joy to every corner of the building! From silly hats to holiday sweaters, it was a delight to see students and staff embracing the festive cheer. Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled Friday morning as there may be an Elf on the Shelf to greet students as they arrive! It’s a fun way to close out the week and a reminder that learning and laughter can and should indeed go hand in hand in a school. Please also note that our school office will close after student dismissal on Friday. Furthermore, there is no 606 this week on Friday after student dismissal.

As we head into the holiday break, I want to extend my warmest wishes to every family in the Grass Lake community. Whether you’re celebrating with loved ones near or far, I hope this time brings you peace, joy, and a chance to recharge. The new year offers a fresh start, and we look forward to all the possibilities that January 2025 and beyond will bring to our students and school. Thank you for your ongoing support, partnership, and commitment to making Grass Lake School a place where students thrive. Enjoy every moment of this holiday season, and we’ll see you in the new year, ready to take on new adventures and milestones together.

Thank you, as always, for your help and support. I hope everyone has a great Winter Break and we look forward to another great week of learning next year in 2025!

Warm Regards,

Ryan Wollberg

Principal/Grass Lake School

Please fill out the survey below on our latest Fall PBLs and share your feedback to help us continue to grow!

606 is excited to offer two programs to accommodate our dynamic group of students. Sports Training and Afterschool Club.

Sports Training

Our Sports Training is for those students that want to learn and advance their skills to be successful within their sport. Basketball is our current sport being offered!

Afterschool Club that provides a safe, fun and socially engaging environment for all kids to participate in theme day activities. Kids will have the opportunity to participate in small group games, art projects, themed movies and snacks.

Weekly signups are now available! Click the LINK to register!

Each week throughout the school year, families enrolled in our Backpack Program will go home with pre-bagged, shelf-stable, nutritious food items. Items may include: milk, pasta, canned fruit, canned vegetables, cereal, tuna, beans, rice, and more! Please complete this form if your family would like to be enrolled. The food will come home with your student once a week. If you decide your family would no longer like to be part of the program, or if you have any questions, please contact Kelly Porter at 847-395-5160 or kporter@gls36.org. This form and program are confidential.

Coming Soon!

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Neihengen and Mrs. Moe for organizing such an incredible Fine Arts Night last week. The students did a fantastic job, and it was clear how much time, effort, and passion went into making the evening a success. Thank you both for showcasing our kids' talents so beautifully and creating a night to remember!

Please follow the link below for more information about our Winter Athletics.

Please follow the button below to be directed to our GLS website for more details related to our Breakfast/Lunch menus and ordering information. If there are any questions, please contact our main office. As a reminder, our lunch fees are $3.75.

This year, you will continue to see important updates from me regarding the importance of attendance every day at GLS. More information will be forthcoming in upcoming newsletters but we wanted all of our students to start the year off headed in the right direction. Please follow this link to view our Academic Calendar for the upcoming school year and we encourage all of our families, to the greatest extent possible, to schedule doctor and dentist appointments, vacations, etc. on days off. While we understand there may certainly be extenuating circumstances out of your control, your help in sending your child to school every day will help them continue to excel at GLS.

As a reminder, Grass Lake encourages you to send your child to school every day, unless they are exhibiting one or more of the following symptoms:

1. The student has a temperature consistently above 100 even when taking medication in the last 24 hours.
2. The student is throwing up or experiencing diarrhea in the last 24 hours.
3. The student has pink eyes that are crusty and not receiving medication for them for 24 hours.

While this list is not all-inclusive your help is appreciated as even missing 2 days a month equates to missing almost 10% of the school year. Also, as a reminder, any absence due to illness that lasts for more than three consecutive days may be verified by a medical note, which must be produced within two days of the student’s return for the absence to be considered excused. Thank you for your help and support!

Grass Lake School hours of attendance are 7:45 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. on regular schedule days and 7:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. on early release late-start days. When reporting an absence please indicate the reason for the absence and if it is due to illness, please report symptoms including if your child has a fever, cough, or sore throat. This will assist the district in assessing when a student will return and whether it must comply with any reporting or notice requirements.

Please report absences by phone OR by email:

• Call (847) 395-1550, or
• Email attendance@gls36.org

If the school has not heard from you and your child is absent, you will receive a call to verify the absence. School code provides that parents/guardians/other persons having legal custody of a child provide telephone numbers at the time of enrollment to enable the school to notify the parent/guardian/other person with legal custody of the child’s absence from school. Accordingly, this verification of absence call will be made to the numbers provided at registration and not necessarily the parents’ places of employment.

This year, we have adjusted and included bus information in Infinite Campus. You can view your child(rens) bus information by following these steps or going to our website by following this link:

1. Sign into Infinite Campus
2. Select your GLS Student(s)
3. Select "More"' in the column on the left
4. Select "Transportation"
5. Under "Bus" it will read one of three numbers GLS00# (# indicates what bus 1, 2, or 3) to indicate if they are on bus 1, 2, or 3. This year we are running three routes for K-8.
6. If you are a Pre-Kindergarten parent it will read GLSPK# (# indicates what bus 1(AM), 2(AM), 3(PM), or 4(PM).

As a reminder, for Friday early release, please plan for students in grades K-8 to be home 1.5 hours earlier than Monday through Thursday.

We’ve also posted this information on our website, which you can access by following this link. As a reminder, during the first few days, the buses may run approximately 5-10 minutes off schedule, so we kindly ask for your patience. Additionally, all Pre- K and Kindergarten families, please plan on meeting your child at the bus stop, as the drivers will not release them unless an adult is present for safety purposes. We truly appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Below, you’ll find a map for your convenience, detailing our drop-off and pick-up procedures. We ask that parents remain in their cars during drop-off and pick-up to ensure smooth traffic flow and student safety. The only exception is for Pre-K families, who may require the need to get out to get their child(ren) out of a 5 point harness car seat.

Please note the following morning waiting areas for students:

- Pre-K: Will enter in the main entrance but have a separate waiting area in our main foyer/hall.

- K-3: Library

- 4-6: MPR (Multi-Purpose Room)

- 7-8: Basement near their lockers

If you plan to pick your child up early from school, kindly email your child's teacher as well as Cristina Monroy, our administrative assistant. Early pick-up and late drop-off should be done through our main entrance. Please remember to bring your ID when picking up your child, as we want to ensure they are sent home with an approved individual.

When your child is dropped off in the morning, they will enter through the main entrance. In the afternoon, they will exit through the same doors (marked by the yellow box below). Please wait in your car, and we will release students to you as quickly as possible. Again, we ask for your patience at the beginning of the year as we refine our procedures—rest assured, the process will become faster as everyone gets accustomed to it. Additionally, please do not drop off your child until the front doors open at 7:30 am.

Thank you for your continued support!

GRASS LAKE SCHOOL

26177 W. Grass Lake Rd. Antioch, IL 60002
Phone: (847) 395-1550 | Fax: (847) 395-8632

Email: rwollberg@gls36.org
Website: www.gls36.org
Location: Grass Lake School District 36, West Grass Lake Road, Antioch, IL, USA
Phone: 847-395-1550