The Grizzly Growl
May 2022
From the Bear Den
Hello Grizzly Families!
The end of the school year is near! Our seniors can see the finish line, and we are excited to celebrate their accomplishments with them again. As the excitement for the end of the school year builds, please help us remind the students to finish strong. Encourage them to monitor their grades and attendance and to continue to follow school expectations. The Grizzly Way should be our guide.
I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to thank our amazing teachers for their sheer determination to make this difficult school year successful for our students. They have designed innovative lessons, filled in gaps from the last two years, and made our students feel safe, seen, welcomed, and cared for. We appreciate them!
This issue contains important information about graduation, prom, testing, attendance, athletics, and exams. Please monitor our social media and parent emails closely this month. We will continue to communicate important end-of-year information as we have it. Here's to a strong finish! And as always, Go Grizzlies!
Sincerely,
Mr. Michael Perez
Principal
Please also follow our social media pages on Twitter and Instagram for any last-minute updates. If you have any questions, please contact our administrators at 757-558-4749.
Please contact the school nurse if your child tests positive for Covid or has a close contact.
SCHOOL CELEBRATIONS!
We have LOTS to celebrate this season!
- Our Grassfield High School Jazz Band earned a superior rating at the VBODA Regional Jazz Assessment.
- The Virginia Music Educators Association presented the Blue ribbon School Award to Grassfield as we have have superior rated performing ensembles in band, chorus, and orchestra.
- Students in our Economics and Personal Finance classes earned W!SE test scores placing Grassfield in the top 100 schools in the nation, again! A huge thanks to our teachers for preparing our students so well.
Spring SOL Testing
Students should arrive at school between 8:35-8:50 for testing and boot camp. Bus transportation to and from school is still provided. Students who are not picked-up at the conclusion of SOL testing or Boot Camp will be supervised and sent to their classes in-person from 1:00-3:45.
Please be advised that all students will be engaged in live synchronous instruction each afternoon and attendance in these afternoon virtual sessions is mandatory. Students will be marked absent if they do not attend. Please monitor information sent by your child's teachers for specific information or directions. Read this letter from the CPS Department of Assessment for other helpful ways to support your child during testing.
Please remind your child to bring their charged CPS Chromebook to school on testing days.
Semester 2 Exams
Students should check StudentVue to review their MP5-8 grades. Each marking period is weighted equally, so semester two final grades can be determined using the average of marking periods 5-8. Students in full year classes may also opt-out of the final exam. Select the Grade Book tab in ParentVue and StudentVue to see marking period grades.
Students who choose not to opt-in to the final exams are expected to report to the school building for instructional activities each day. Students who do not report to the building will be marked absent. Please monitor your child's absences.
SCA NEWS
Chick Fil A- SCA and Grassfield Clubs will be selling Chick Fil A biscuits for $4 from 8:35-8:55am from the concession stand on the following Fridays in May:
May 13th- Theater Company
May 20th- SCA
Grassfield Market: Do you own a small business? Make products that you sell? Join us for our first ever Grassfield Student Market held on Tuesday, May 17th near the stadium from 4:30-7:30. Any student interested please use the following link to apply.
Mark Your Calendars for these Fine Arts Performances
May 10th--Band Concert--7:00pm--Auditorium
May 15th--Jazz Band Concert 3pm--Auditorium
May 19th--Chorus Concert 7pm--Auditorium
June 3rd--Variety Show (Chorus)--Food Court/Auditorium
SENIOR NEWS
Class of 2022 Events
Senior Spirit Week
The week of May 16-May 20 will be Senior Spirit week. Seniors will be allowed to dress for the theme each day to celebrate the end of their Grassfield High School "career". Spirit days will be announced via GNews, the Class of 2022 Instagram, and Class of 2022 Schoology page.
Senior Sports Tailgate
On Tuesday May 17, Grassfield spring sports will hold their Senior Night to recognize senior athletes. Varsity boys & girls sports will all be at home at the Grassfield stadium and other athletic fields. To celebrate these students, the senior class will be holding a tailgate event that evening. Several food trucks will be on site for dinner and dessert. All members of the class of 2022 are invited to the event and will be given a voucher for one free meal and one free dessert from the food truck of their choice. The PTSA will be doing raffles for gift cards to celebrate graduating seniors, as well! Come out for some fun, food, sports, and prizes!
Senior Prom
On Saturday, May 21, 2022, the Class of 2022 will celebrate their final year of high school with their senior prom: Midnight at the Main. This formal event will take place at the lovely hotel, Hilton: The Main in downtown Norfolk from 8pm - 11pm. Seniors may bring one guest (aged 15-20 as of 5/21/22) to accompany them for an evening of dancing and celebration. Hors d'oeuvres and desserts will be served and the Prom Court will be crowned during the event.
Tickets will be $75 for seniors, and $85 for their guests. Sales will begin online using OSP (credit card only) on Friday, May 6 and will continue until Friday, May 13. A payment link will be available in the Class of 2022 Schoology Group and on the Senior Page of the Grassfield website. Cash sales will take place during all four lunches on Wednesday May 11, Thursday May 12, and Friday May 13. No tickets will be sold after Friday, May 13, 2022.
Senior Calendar--Save the dates:
May 17: Senior Sports Tailgate
May 21: Senior Prom
May 25: Senior Academic Awards
May 26: STEM Recognition Night
June 1: Senior Field Day
June 13: Graduation Practice (9:30 - 12:30)
June 14: Graduation Practice (9:30 - 12:30)
June 15: Graduation Practice (9:30 - 12:30)
June 16: Graduation Practice (9:30 - 12:30) (if necessary)
June 17: Graduation @ The Chartway (12:45)
If you have any questions, please email the senior class sponsors at grizzlygraduates@gmail.com
Grassfield High School Graduation News
ALL GUESTS MUST HAVE A TICKET TO ENTER THE CHARTWAY ARENA. Please note that graduates will each receive up to ten (10) tickets for the ceremony. The tickets will be distributed to seniors at graduation practice the week of June 10. Tickets will be barcoded to prevent duplication.
Graduates are required to attend graduation practice the week of June 13. We will continue to communicate additional information to our seniors.
Student Attendance Matters--Potential Loss of Credit
Your child's attendance is posted in ParentVue. A letter alerting you to a potential loss of credit is posted in ParentVue when your child reaches 6, 9, and 10 absences in each class. This is your official notification of excessive absences, so please check ParentVue often to monitor your student's attendance. Students can make-up a portion of missed time by attending extended day.
If a student must be absent, please email or bring a note to our attendance secretary (lisa.curling@cpschools.com) so we can code the absence appropriately.
Mrs. Pallister (our Assistant Principal for Instruction) should be notified in advance about trips, vacations, and other lengthy unexcused absences to ensure student progress in class. Please email or send a note to Beth.pallister@cpschools.com explaining the absence prior to the absence.
The Chesapeake School Board has defined an excused absence to include any of the following: Sickness of a student, medical appointments, severe illness or death in the family, exposure to contagious disease, religious holidays, or extenuating circumstances such as fire, accident, or extremely inclement weather. Absences other than those listed above will be recorded as unexcused absences.
Attendance Waivers--Formerly Known as Extenuating Circumstances Applications
An attendance waiver is for any student who has been absent from any class for more than 10 days and is in jeopardy of failing the class due to attendance reasons. An attendance waiver for these absences will be considered based on provided documentation and generally fall under the categories of extended illness, death in the family, or other unexpected hardship. Students must be academically passing the class to be considered for extenuating circumstances.
If your child's excessive absences include days missed to a quarantine documented by the nurse, those absences will be automatically waived from the 9 day limit.
The Spring 2022 GFH Attendance Waiver is available from now until May 27, 2022. Please use this link or scan the QR code above if you think your child may be a candidate for an attendance waiver. Notification of the committee decision will occur on or before June 3rd, 2022. Please email Mrs. Collins if you have any questions at kellie.collins@cpschools.com.
The Counseling Corner
ACCESS Information
Grizzlies please visit Mr. Kelly’s Virtual Office for wonderful resources and to sign up for an appointment
SENIOR STUDENTS:
- Seniors the Access Scholarship is due May 2, 2022. Click this link to APPLY
- Mr. Kelly is available to help navigate and understand the financial award process.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO:
· Receive assistance with the FAFSA
· Follow Mr. Kelly on Remind
· Complete college applications
· Review scholarship opportunities-- Mr. Kelly's suggestion is that seniors approach applying for scholarships like a FIFTH class!!
· Not sure if college is your next step? Let's discuss other possible possibilities
· Please fill out the Access Fee Waiver Application and the Access Release Form to see if you are eligible for waivers to take the SAT, ACT, apply to colleges, AP tests, and apply for the eligibility center to play sports.
The countdown to graduation is on so let's make sure we are utilizing all available resources!
JUNIOR STUDENTS:
· FREE SAT WAIVER by filling out these Forms and Joining Mr. Kelly's Khan class. SAT waivers are available to all juniors regardless of income. Waivers will be given on a first-come-first-served basis.
· Follow Mr. Kelly on Remind
· Check this out Preparing for College Junior Checklist
· Visit Mr. Kelly's Junior Class Lobby
· Internship possibilities Next Gen- Pathways
Connect with TCC
If you have a student who is interested in TCC, please see the TCC Prospect Interest Form.
TCC will be hosting two separate Summer Open Houses this year! All interested students are welcomed to attend either or both. This year there will be campus tours, local radio stations, food, program demos, and representatives from student and specialty campus groups. As always, students can complete on site admissions and speak with representatives from Admissions, Financial Aid, Academic Advising, and Center for Military and Veteran's Education about their next steps for enrollment.
Virginia Beach and Portsmouth Campuses: Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Norfolk Campus, Chesapeake Campus and at the Regional Automotive Center: Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
While RSVP is not required, it is recommended to avoid the check in line. Student may complete the online form at https://www.tcc.edu/come-to-tcc/open/.SCHOLARSHIP NEWS
Spring is the season to apply for scholarships in earnest! Be sure to check ScholarshipVue weekly to learn about new scholarships.
Students can find more details about each of these scholarships on ScholarshipVUE!
Get your Yearbook!
MEDIA CENTER NEWS
Overdue Books:
Please check student email accounts for overdue book reminders. Late fines are waived this year so please drop off your overdue books ASAP! You can drop them off in the media center or the red drop off box outside of the media center. If you have lost a book, please stop by the media center. The media center will be closed for AP testing for the first two weeks of May. Students can drop off books in the red drop off box located outside of the media center during this closure.
Contest Winner:
Congratulations to Hannah E. for winning our March Amazon gift card drawing! Check out our Grizzly Media Center Google Site to enter this month’s drawing!
May Media Center Events:
Visit our Grizzly Media Center Google Site to participate in our monthly activities. For every activity you participate in your name will be entered into our monthly drawing for an Amazon gift card! Click on the tab labeled May to access the activities!
Grassfield Parent Teacher and Student Organization
Thank you to all the students and parents who have helped the PTSA this year.
Please follow the GFHS PTSA on twitter @GrizzlyPTSA and our Facebook page is GrassfieldPTSA.
Athletic News
Grassfield Athletics - Important Dates
Monday, May 23rd - "Sports Physicals" will be held at Grassfield High School beginning in the cafeteria at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 23rd. The cost of each sports physical is $25 (Cash). This sports physical will cover athletes for the 2022-2023 school year so all Grassfield athletes are encouraged to attend. Middle school athletes are invited as well. Physical forms can be downloaded from the Grassfield High School website or from the VHSL website. All parent signatures and page two (history portion) of the physical must be completed before seeing the physician.
Wednesday, June 8th - The "Spring Sports Recognition Ceremony" will take place on Wednesday, June 8th at 7 p.m. This is a CHANGE from the previously scheduled date of Tuesday 6/7/22. All spring sports athletes and their parents are invited to attend. Appropriate attire is expected.
The Military and Family Life Counseling, (MFLC) Program
Welcome to those military families who have recently PCS'd to our area. The United States Department of Defense has provided Grassfield High with the Military & Family Life Program, a valuable resource, available to you and your family.
Mrs. Williams is available at Grassfield High School for counseling and consultation on Monday, Tuesday and every other Friday from 8:30am to 4:00pm. She holds individual and group sessions throughout the day. If your student would benefit from her services, she is able to provide assistance for life transitions, deployment, stress, anxiety, anger management, communication, assertive communication skills, divorce, grief, study skills and many other situations.
Parental consent is required for those under 18 to receive services. Confidentiality is maintained with limitation of duty to warn.
Mrs. Mary P Williams, MSEd, LPC, CSAC, ACS
Military & Family Life Counselor
Grassfield High School
757-404-3112
GFH Honor Code
Students at Grassfield are expected to abide by the Honor Code; it's the Grizzly Way. Students are expected to verify that the work on each assignment is their own. Collaborating with another classmate on any assignment must be pre approved by the teacher.
Grassfield High School
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @grassfield_hs. Our website is updated regularly for additional information.
Email: beth.pallister@cpschools.com
Website: https://cpschools.com/gfh/
Location: 2007 Grizzly Trail
Phone: 757-558-4749
Twitter: @grassfield_hs