GIPS Monthly Update, September 2024
Updates from Grand Island Public Schools
We are now pretty well settled into the new school year.
As I make my way around the district I see students, even our newest ones, following routines and figuring out how things work. Our teachers and support staff have adjusted to the rigors of working with children throughout the day. Parents have their pickup and drop off routines down. Generally, everything seems to be off and running pretty smoothly.
Along with developing routines in school this is also a great time to be establishing helpful routines outside of the school setting.
Young people, and us older ones as well, really thrive when we have clear structure in our lives. In order to help your children be as successful as possible when they are at school we really encourage parents to set up good routines at home.
Making sure children get enough sleep at night is one vital component for school success. Make sure your children, regardless of their age, have a set bedtime that is going to allow them to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Keeping them on a similar schedule through the weekend and during off days will help them perform better in school. We see a lot of tired children in the classrooms on Mondays and Tuesdays. This is truly unfortunate because many times those early days in the week are when the new material we want students to learn is introduced.
Consistent meals and a healthy diet are another area where families can help children be successful in school. There are lots of studies out there that verify what children have had to eat has a significant impact on their success in school. We recognize across our district there are a lot of different household situations that can impact this. With this in mind we encourage everyone to take advantage of the free meals provided in our schools for breakfast and lunch. We also have support from a number of community groups to help provide food for students in need and we want to make sure everyone is aware of them and using them when needed.
We very much see student success as a partnership between families and our schools. We have great people working in our buildings who want to make sure your children have everything they need to be successful. While they can do a lot to help them succeed, the real key to assuring the best outcome possible is for us to have a strong partnership with our families.
Thanks for partnering with us!
#WeAreGIPS
The Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education plans to conduct interviews of candidates for the vacant Ward C seat this week.
To accommodate the interviews, the GIPS regular Board meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 12th, 2024 will begin at 4:30 p.m. (an hour earlier than typical starting time).
The GIPS Board intends to conduct the bulk of the regular meeting first and then host the Ward C candidate interviews after other regular business has been addressed.
At this time, the GIPS Board of Education intends to interview the full-field of qualified applicants. The Ward C candidates are:
Miguel Aguilera
Carlos Barcenas
Read the full article HERE.
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!
Catch the Islanders in action here in Grand Island!
Here are some of the upcoming home varsity events for the next few weeks in September:
- Softball v Lincoln NE, Thursday, September 12, 5:00 p.m. @ Veteran's Field
- Softball v Columbus, Saturday, September 14, 10:00 a.m. @ Veteran's Field
- Boys Tennis v Lincoln NE, Monday, September 16, 4:00 p.m. @ GISH Tennis Courts
- Girls Golf Grand Island Cup, Tuesday, September 17, 3:00 p.m. @ Jackrabbit Run
- Boys Tennis v Hastings, Tuesday, September 17, 4:00 p.m. @ GISH Tennis Courts
- Boys Tennis v Lincoln SE, Wednesday, September 18, 4:00 p.m. @ GISH Tennis Courts
- Volleyball v Kearney, Thursday, September 19, 6:30 p.m. @ GISH West Gym
- Softball v Fremont, Tuesday, September 24, 5:00 p.m. @ Veteran's Field
- Softball v Kearney, Thursday, September 26, 5:00 p.m. @ Veteran's Field
- Football v Millard West, Friday, September 27, 7:00 p.m. @ GISH Memorial Stadium
Full activities calendar and ticket links may be found at the buttons below.
Go Islanders!
What Does MTSS Mean?
MTSS stands for Multi-tiered Systems of Support. It is a framework that GIPS uses in order to provide specific support to meet the learning and behavior needs of students.
Through the MTSS framework, students learn what it means to be safe, respectful, and responsible in all situations.
What are some ways MTSS is used in our schools?
- Positive office referrals
- School efforts like earning "Gator Tickets"
- Staff affirming positive behavior
- Displaying "Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe" expectations in classrooms, hallways, and common areas
Ask your student what Safe, Respectful and Responsible means and how they can do that every day!
