GEMS Family Newsletter

• Mon. Aug. 26, 2024 - 6:00-7:00pm - GEMS Family Crew Fall Playground Cleanup
  
• Wed. Aug. 28 - 6:00-7:30pm - Back to School Night
  
• Mon. Sept. 2 - No School - Labor Day
• Tues. Sept. 3 - 8:30am-3:15pm - First Day of School
• Wed. Sept. 25 - 5:00-8:30pm - GEMS Family Crew Skating Party at Skate Zone 71
  
• Thurs. Sept. 26 - Fri. Sept. 27 - No School - PD Days

• Academic Calendar - 24-25

• Elementary Supply List - 24-25

• 6th-8th Grade Supply List 24-25

• School Year Office Hours - 7:45am-4:30pm - office@gemsschool.org
  

• School Day Hours - 8:30am-3:15pm

Here are some important dates and reminders as we start the school year:

• Monday, August 26, 2024, 6:00-7:00 PM: GEMS Family Crew Fall Playground Cleanup. This is a volunteer opportunity to bring your family to help clean up the GEMS grounds in preparation for Back to School Night.
• Wednesday, August 28, 6:00-7:30 PM: Back to School Night. Meet your child's teacher, receive free school supplies (while supplies last), reconnect with old friends, and make new ones.
• Monday, September 2: No School - Labor Day
• Tuesday, September 3, 8:30 AM-3:15 PM: First Day of School
• Friday, September 6: First Groovy Gryphon Spirit Day. Wear GEMS gear or something green.
• Wednesday, September 25, 5:00-8:30 PM: GEMS Family Crew Skating Party at Skate Zone 71
• Thursday, September 26 - Friday, September 27: No School - Professional Development Days
• Wednesday, October 9th, 5:30-7:00 PM: Curriculum Night

Morning Drop-off and Dismissal

• Morning drop-off starts at 8:00 AM. Please do not drop off students before 8:00 AM as the doors will not be open yet. Students can enter the gym at 8:00 AM for breakfast and start heading to classrooms at 8:15 AM.
• Dismissal begins at 3:15 PM.
• If you have students in grades K-4, they are picked up at the back of the building.
• If you have students in grades 5-8 or both K-4 and 5-8, please pick them up in the front of the building in the car line by the gym doors. To ensure a quick dismissal process, please stay in your car and do not walk up to the pickup spot. Your patience is appreciated as we get into the flow of the school year.

Front Office Hours

• The front office will be closed between 3:00 PM and 3:30 PM to ensure a smoother and quicker dismissal process.
• Please inform the front office (office@gemsschool.org) of any changes in dismissal plans before 2:15 PM.

Please note that your student(s) can not attend GEMS until we have received:

• the 2024-25 Annual Student Registration Forms

Click here https://ps-tge.metasolutions.net/ to log-in to your PowerSchool account, go to the forms page and complete each section under General. Please contact Anjali Haury at records@gemsschool.org or 614-253-4000 with questions.

• your current proof of residence (dated after July 1, 2024)

Please e-mail your POR to records@gemsschool.org

• Click here to print and complete the Ohio Income Household forms.

Annual School Fee

We ask all families to contribute $35 per year, per student to help keep our classrooms equipped with basic supplies. You can send cash or check in with your student to be delivered to the front desk, or you can click here to pay online. Please contact Anjali Haury at records@gemsschool.org or 614-253-4000 with questions

We want to provide you some updates about the current bussing challenges with Columbus City Schools. As you are aware, the Columbus City Schools (CCS) Transportation Department has chosen to implement the “30-minute rule” (ORC 3327.01), which states that they are not required to provide busing for students if it takes longer than 30 minutes to travel from their home school to their chosen charter school. Unfortunately, this decision has impacted some GEMS families.

We have been able to collaborate with other schools in Columbus. Tuesday we spoke with ABC6 News to profile one of our families as well as a family from another Columbus school. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to raise up your voices and concerns. Of course, this is the news media and we don’t know how they will cut the final story, however we presented a good case on your behalf. Our greatest hope is that shining a light on the impact that all are experiencing will lead to some changes but of course we can not plan around that hope.

Moving forward, if you have been denied transportation we urge you to submit an appeal, in writing via email, to CCS and copy the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce as well as our school. Please follow the steps below. Through appealing you should be routed per the Ohio Revised Code until the appeal is decided. We have not engaged in this process with CCS before, so we are unsure about all of the possible outcomes. Appealing may provide you with at least a temporary solution for daily transportation.

Steps for Appealing Transportation determination by Columbus City Schools Bussing

• Write your appeal. Sample text that you can copy and paste:

My name is [insert name] and am the [familial role] of [insert name of students(s)]. I was denied bussing for my student by Columbus City Schools Transportation department. I wish to appeal this decision based on the following reason:

• The eligibility timing is miscalculated.
• I was informed by Columbus City Schools less than 30 days before the start of the school year.
• I have more than one student at the school and one was offered transportation and the other was not.
• My student has been bussed in the past by Columbus City Schools.

I am requesting that this appeal be considered and that during the appeal process my student be provided bussing per the Ohio Revised Code.

Thank you for your consideration,

[insert your name]

• Send your written appeal to Transportation@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Please also CC our school via: transportation@tgfs.org and
• the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce via: TransportationCompliance@education.ohio.gov

Once you receive a confirmation from this email, please share that back with us at transportation@tgfs.org.

Check out the July Newsletter!

• Fall Playground Cleanup

Monday, August 26, 2024 - 6:00-7:00pm

Please join us to help clean up the back parking lot and playground, front parking lot and playground, and the lawns and sidewalks around the school just in time for Back to School Night! Interested in participating or want more information? Please contact Adrienne, Kristian, or Jody at familycrew@gemsschool.org.

• Skating Party at Skate Zone 71

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 - 5:00-8:30pm
4900 Evanswood Dr, Columbus, OH 43229
The 1st hour (5-6pm) will be open to only GEMS students and family members and then from 6-8:30 it will be open to the public. More info to follow.

• Trunk or Treat

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 - 6:00-8:00pm

Join us for a Halloween celebration at GEMS. Watch for the Fall newsletters for more information.

GEMS is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year. Please share this newsletter with anyone who is interested in learning more about GEMS. Click here to complete a New Student Online Application. Please e-mail Anjali Haury at records@gemsschool.org with questions.

Spring 2024 state assessment scores (OST) through the PowerSchool Parent Portal under the state assessments icon on the left near the bottom.

State assessment results that are available within the PowerSchool Parent Portal include:

• Grades 3-8 Ohio’s State Tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics

• Grades 5 and 8 Ohio’s State Test in Science

• Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA): Administered to students who qualify as English language learners

The results listed within the PowerSchool Parent Portal represent overall scores and performance levels. Printed Family Reports for the spring state tests results were mailed home in early August.

If you need assistance logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact office@GEMSSchool.org.

We are pleased to inform you that Graham Elementary and Middle School (GEMS) will be implementing a new option available to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for School Year 2024-2025.

What does this mean for you and your children attending the school(s) identified above?

Great news for you and your students! All enrolled students of GEMS are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2024-2025 school year. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit an application. We will be collecting Ohio Income Household forms in order for students to qualify for other programs. If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us at baney.1@thegrahamschool.org or 614-262-1111.

Sincerely,

Cathy Baney, Child Nutrition Director

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email: Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Graham Elementary & Middle School (GEMS) announced today a change to its policy for serving meals to children served under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for GEMS for the 24-25 school year. Schools qualifying to operate the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) provide breakfast and lunch to all children at no charge and eliminate the collection of meal applications for free, reduced-price, and paid student meals. This new approach reduces burdens for both families and school administrators and helps ensure that students receive nutritious meals.

FREE HEALTH CARE: Families with children eligible for school meals may be eligible for FREE health care coverage through Medicaid and/or Ohio’s Healthy Start & Healthy Families programs. These programs include coverage for doctor visits, immunizations, physicals, prescriptions, dental, vision, mental health, substance abuse and more. Please call 1-800-324-8680 for more information or to request an application. Information can also be found on the web at http://jfs.ohio.gov/ohp/consumers/familychild.stm. Anyone who has an Ohio Medicaid card is already receiving these services.

For additional information please contact the following person:

Cathy Baney, Child Nutrition Director

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   

   U.S. Department of Agriculture

   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

   1400 Independence Avenue, SW

   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2. fax:(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. email: Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Check out the available positions for the 2024-25 school year!

Click here for GEMS

Click here for TGS

Click here for TCS@ODU

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GrahamElementaryandMiddleSchool

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/gemscolumbus/

Kroger

Go to: www.krogercommunityrewards.com or call 1-800-837-4483 to enroll in the program. Add GEMS to your Kroger card. You can search for GEMS by name or use our school code: FD086. Shop! Every time you shop and use your Kroger Rewards Card GEMS gets rebates. Kroger totals those rebates and sends GEMS a check.

Our partnership with EL Education empowers our teachers to unleash the potential of their students. EL Education is built on ten design principles that reflect the educational values and beliefs of Kurt Hahn, founder of Outward Bound and co-founder of EL Education. These principles also reflect the design's connection to other related thinking about teaching, learning, and the culture of schools. The 10 design principles are: The Primacy of Self-Discovery, The Having of Wonderful Ideas, The Responsibility for Learning, Empathy and Caring, Success and Failure, Collaboration and Competition, Diversity and Inclusion, The Natural World, Solitude and Reflection, Service and Compassion.

GEMS is a School-wide Title 1 program, enabling us to receive Federal Funds to ensure that our students receive the support they need to reach and exceed grade level goals particularly in reading and math. We welcome parent involvement in planning, review and improvement of Title 1 programs. Please contact Debbie Addison at addison.2@gemsschool.org with any questions. Follow this link to the Parent Pact.

Per House Bill 21 community schools are required to perform a monthly review of student files and randomly select families for residency verification. Please contact the school immediately in case of an address change. Proof of residency must be submitted within two weeks of an address change. If evidence is not provided, requests for additional documentation or a home visit may occur.

School Day Hours - 8:30am-3:15pm

Email: office@gemsschool.org
Website: https://www.thegrahamfamilyofschools.org/gems_home.aspx
Location: 140 East 16th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201, USA
Phone: (614) 253-4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Graham-Elementary-and-Middle-School-109578509098428