Grass Lake School News

What a great week to be a BRAVE! This week, our students and staff have been engaged in exciting Lunar New Year activities throughout the building, learning about traditions and celebrations tied to this important holiday. Yesterday, the school was filled with a vibrant sea of red, symbolizing good luck and prosperity for the Year of the Dragon! It was wonderful to see our school come together to embrace this cultural celebration.

I also want to share a fun and free opportunity for families! Hawthorn Mall is hosting a Lunar New Year celebration this Saturday, February 3. This event is a great way for students and families to experience performances, activities, and more. You can find all the details here: Lunar New Year at Hawthorn Mall.

Last week, Dr. Newby sent a letter home in regards to Grass Lake Elementary School remaining committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all students, families, and staff amidst changes in federal regulations. While the district must comply with federal law, school leaders are informed of proper procedures regarding law enforcement, including immigration officials. Families are reminded that federal agents cannot access students without a valid warrant, the district does not collect immigration status information, and student and parent contact details are protected and only shared when legally required. Parents are the primary contact for any concerns, and emergency contacts should be kept up to date. The district remains steadfast in prioritizing student protection during this time of uncertainty.

To address concerns regarding federal regulation changes and their impact on the school community, a Parent/Community Forum will be held via Zoom on February 4 at 6:00 PM. This session will provide an opportunity for discussion and clarification. Families are encouraged to join using the following link.

Lastly, our GLS Board of Education sent a letter on Monday regarding leadership changes in the future at GLS. I am incredibly thankful to our Board of Education and excited to step into the role of Superintendent of Grass Lake Elementary School District #36 following Dr. Newby’s retirement in 2026. It has been a privilege to serve as your principal, and I look forward to continuing to support our students, families, staff, and community in this new capacity.

I appreciate all the well wishes and support from everyone who has reached out! Some families have shared that they will miss having me as their principal. I want to reassure you that while my title may be changing, the person you know isn’t going anywhere. The same person who dresses as the Elf on the Shelf, sleeps on the roof, and most importantly, truly believes in making school a place of joy and connection is still here. My role may shift however, my heart remains with this incredible community, and my commitment to our students and families will not change. I look forward to this next chapter and to working alongside all of you to continue making Grass Lake a place where students thrive, and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.

Thank you, as always, for your help and support and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Warm Regards,

Ryan Wollberg

Principal/Grass Lake School

It was BEACH DAYat GLS Afterschool Club! Our students participated in Beach Ball Volleyball, Limbo, Hula Hoop Challenge, Watched Lilo & Stitch on pool floaties and enjoyed watermelon, goldfish and juice.The students had a great time and see below for some of our fun!

This Friday- January 31 is the Pajama Party! Wear your favorite Pjs and bring your favorite blanket and stuffed animal! Register HERE !

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.

For Black History Month, our Kindergarten students had a wonderful time learning about Alma Thomas, a groundbreaking African American artist known for her vibrant and colorful abstract paintings. Inspired by her work, they created beautiful Valentine’s Day-themed art pieces in her signature style, showcasing their creativity and celebrating her legacy.

Also, We are looking for volunteers! If you would like to volunteer to sell ice cream, sign up below.

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

We are also proud to highlight an exciting Project-Based Learning (PBL) initiative that involves our 5th and 8th grade students partnering with the Antioch Senior Center for a project called “Your Life, Your Legacy.” This intergenerational project will foster communication and connections between our students and seniors in the community. The project will officially launch at the end of January, and we hope to engage as many seniors as possible. If you or someone you know, age 55 or older, would like to participate, see below.

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