Glacier Ridge Gazette

We start each school year focusing on building a strong classroom and school culture, with an emphasis on our motto, Choose Kind! Teachers spend the first weeks of school fostering a kind and empathetic classroom culture that will set each student up for a positive learning and social environment. In the first days of school, all students will read a book about kindness, connection, and collaboration. We will also have multiple school/PTO activities that focus on building relationships and community, which emphases our Start with hello > Find a connection > Create a friendship initiative. You will notice that grade level meet-ups have been scheduled for August 8th (see information below). We will also have new student orientation for all new families in grades 1-5 on August 7th (see information below). A few weeks into school, our annual Tiger Trot will combine tiger conservation and classroom collaboration by incorporating community-building activities.

A special thank you to the GRE PTO for organizing the Tiger Trot and providing funding for the whole school book messaging initiative. In addition, the PTO provided funding for our Start with Hello t-shirts that all students will be receiving upon their return. You’ll notice throughout the year that we focus on kindness, empathy, and connections between our students and throughout the school community. We hope that you and your child feel the impact.

There have been some changes in staffing for the 24-25 school year. Below is a list of all the new staff that will be joining the GRE staff for the 24-25 school year. We are fortunate to attract and hire high-quality professionals.

NEW TO GRE STAFF:

Brittany Au - PM Kindergarten

Natalie Flahive - 3rd grade

Stephanie Hottel - Clinic Aide

Lisa Kent - Kindergarten

Megan Leddy - SLC Intervention Specialist

Megan McCormick - 1st grade

Grayson (Gracie) Roberts - Paraprofessional

Jenn Wilkinson - 2nd grade

TBD - Crossing Guard

Below is the list of all grade level staff for the upcoming school year.

Kindergarten:

Miss Au (PM)

Mrs. Kent (AM & PM)

Mrs. Watts (Johann) (AM)

Third Grade:

Mrs. Baker

Mrs. Flahive

Mrs. Liszeski

Mrs. Santiso

Mrs. Shambaugh

The information below will help you plan for returning to school. Although it is a lot of information, our intent is to help you and your children feel comfortable, informed, and prepared about coming to Glacier Ridge. Any additional Glacier Ridge forms to be completed will be emailed to you as we get closer to school.

Before the start of each school year, families must complete the Annual Update. Items that can be confirmed or changed as part of the Annual Update include street address, phone number, email, and emergency contacts. Parents will also acknowledge our district handbooks, student code of conduct, and technology/network use agreements during the Annual Update process.

DCS uses Infinite Campus as the primary student information management system. Infinite Campus is also where you will access bus routes, homeroom assignments, class schedules, student attendance, and grades/report cards.

STEPS: See the Detailed Step Sheet for more specific directions
To access the Annual Update, please follow steps 1-7 below.

1. Log-in to Infinite Campus Parent Portal

2. Click “More” in the Main Menu or “Annual Update” under district announcements

3. Select “Online Registration Update”

4. Click “24-25 (Current School Year) Existing Student Registration.” Please make sure you select Existing Student Registration, not New Student.

5. Under Action, click “Start”

6. Click “Begin Registration”

7. Fill out your back-to-school forms

If you have issues accessing Infinite Campus Parent Portal, please reference the tutorials and frequently asked questions on our website. For help with password resets, adding parents, updating contact information, and missing students, you can contact Glacier Ridge at 614-733-0012 or gres_attendance@dublinschools.net

• Click HERE to complete the HOW AM I GETTING HOME? Form for ALL STUDENTS..

We must know how each child is getting home from school each day. This is especially important on the first few days of school when students and families are unfamiliar with the dismissal routine. Please talk to your child about how they are getting home each day, especially on the few days of school. School staff will also review dismissal procedures with students.

The week of August 5th, you will be able to view your child’s classroom teacher assignment in Infinite Campus. You will NOT get an email with your child’s assignment this year. Instead, you should log into Infinite Campus to view your child’s classroom teacher. Use the resources below to navigate to find your child’s classroom teacher assignment in Infinite Campus.

• Infinite Campus Parent Portal Resources

• Student View of Schedule Instructions

We can understand the strong range of emotions that come with teacher assignments for both students and parents. If you have concerns about your child’s placement, we encourage you to remain optimistic with your child, support them through the scariness of the unknown, and press pause before taking action. Please know that during the process of creating class lists, teams of staff that know your child as a person and learner consider the needs of each student when determining placement. We also pair each student with a peer that will help support a positive social and learning environment for your child. That positive peer may be someone that is already a close friend or it may be a peer that we know will make a good connection with your child.

Bus routes will be posted on Infinite Campus approximately 1 week before the start of school. Bus route and bus stop information is released this week so it can be as accurate as possible with newly enrolled students. If you have any questions about your child’s bus information, please contact the transportation department at 614-764-5926.

All families who purchased school supply kits for their child (the deadline was July 1st) will have the kits delivered to their child’s classrooms prior to the first day of school. For those who did not order supplies, you can visit the GRE Webpage > Glacier Ridge Families > School Supplies to view the supply lists. You can purchase the items on your own and do the best that you can to find similar items. They do not need to be the exact description of the items listed.

Please take a moment to review the arrival and dismissal procedures for you and your child. This is especially important if you are picking up your child via car or by walking.

• Click HERE to view the procedures for arrival and dismissal

It is important that you notify the office (gres_attendance@dublinschools.net) by 3:00 each time your child will be going home a different way than you have communicated. The office staff will communicate with your child’s teacher.

All kindergarten families should have already received an email earlier in the summer with the AM/PM and phase-in day assignment. If you did not receive this letter, please call the school for your assignments after August 1. Kindergarten students will attend one of the first two days of school (August 15 or 16). All kindergarten students will begin with their regular schedule on Monday, August 19. AM K is from 9:10 (arrive at 9:00) – 11:45 am and PM K is from 1:10 – 3:40 pm (arrive at 1:00).

At the Meet the Teacher event, your child will receive a large name tag lanyard, which helps us identify the kindergartners. They should wear that the first few weeks of school. Other staff are on duty to help escort kindergarten students to their location. Kindergarten teachers will meet students at the front of the building to gather all kindergarten students. Parents/Guardians are welcome to take pictures at that time.

Please communicate with your child how they are getting home. If your child is going home differently on the first day of school, please communicate that to your child’s teacher, in addition to your child. Kindergarten teachers and other school staff will help them get to the proper dismissal location. Please review the arrival and dismissal information prior to the first day of school and talk through it with your child.

Our first day of school for students in grades 1-5 will be Thursday, August 15th. Students will be allowed to go to their classrooms at 9:00am and the tardy bell rings at 9:10am. School dismisses at 3:40pm. Please communicate with your child how they are getting home. If your child is going home differently on the first day of school, please communicate that to your child’s teacher, in addition to your child. Please review the arrival and dismissal information prior to the first day of school and talk through it with your child.

Parents of students in all grade levels should plan to say goodbye to their child before they leave home or outside the school building. Parents are not permitted to walk students to classrooms.

Dublin City Schools uses the Aramark Food Service company to provide lunch service. Lunch menus and payment information will be available at the Back To School page and will be available to view the week of Aug. 12 on the district’s website > Departments > Operations > Food Service.

• Setting up a lunch account & adding money

• Apply for free/reduced lunch

• Menus & other information

All the district parent resources can be found at the district website > Families > Quick Links This resource page includes items such as lunch information and menus, calendars, staff directory, attendance information, and more.

• GRE & PTO Newsletters - Most of our whole school communication is emailed weekly to the email addresses you provided during the back-to-school registration. The school newsletters are emailed on Fridays with important whole-school information and PTO newsletters are emailed on Mondays with PTO specific information. It is extremely important that you read those thoroughly.

• Bloomz - Teacher/Classroom communication is primarily through Bloomz app. Bloomz is a communication app that allows families to customize their notifications and alerts to be notified more quickly. Your child’s teacher will send an invitation link/code to join the class Bloomz account.

• Social Media - The PTO and School and District utilize social media for reminders and pictures. You can join the following social media apps:

• Instagram: Glacier Ridge Instagram @glacierridge1

• Facebook: Glacier Ridge Elementary

• Facebook: Glacier Ridge Elementary PTO

Glacier Ridge is fortunate to have an actively involved PTO. Please visit the PTO Facebook page for important information, board members, and dates. The PTO is always looking for volunteers and support. The PTO provides significant support to the school and there are a variety of opportunities to help, with a variety of time and commitment levels. We encourage you to support the PTO in the method that suits your family and schedule.

• Complete the HOW AM I GETTING HOME? Form HERE

• Complete Dublin City Schools back to school forms on the Parent Portal

All back-to-school events and other school dates throughout the year are listed on the Google Community Calendar on the GRE website > Events. The school and PTO events for the year will be posted on that calendar throughout the year. I encourage you to add the GRE Community Calendar to your digital calendar.

Come meet and connect with other GRE families at an informal meet and greet at the Glacier Ridge Elementary School playground on August 8th. This is an informal opportunity to meet current and new GRE families and students to make new connections and relationships. Much like our ongoing school initiative, we hope that families and students will Start with hello > Find a connection > Create a friendship.

The Tropical Chill Ice Truck will be available from 5:30 - 8:00pm. Siblings in other grades are welcome to attend other grade level meet and greets. GRE staff will not be in attendance, but we hope many families will come out to meet one another. This event will be held rain or shine, so please use your own discretion in the event of inclement weather. Parking will be limited, so consider walking or carpooling. Grade level times are listed below:

• Kindergarten & 1st grade at 4:30PM

• 2nd & 3rd grade at 6:00PM

• 4th & 5th grade at 7:30PM

• Hawaiian Ice Truck 5:30 - 8:00PM

Thanks to the PTO, the Tropical Chill Ice Truck is provided free of charge for all current GRE students and is $3 for siblings or family members.

Our new family orientation is for NEW families and students in grades 1-5 who moved into the attendance area for the 24-25 school year. Kindergarten students DO NOT attend the new student orientation. At the new family orientation, families and students will have the opportunity to meet current students, connect with one another, tour the building, and ask any questions. You can enter the building through the front entrance and keep in mind that parking may be limited.

Students and families are invited to this open house style event to see the classroom and meet the teacher and other staff members. The PTO will be in attendance and have an allergy-free Icee popsicle for the students. Please remember to keep your children with you during this event. As usual, parking is limited, so please be patient and understanding. The back playground will be available for parking, so please supervise your child when outside. We ask that you please exit the building by the ending time of your assigned session.

• Last names A-G @ 1:45 - 2:15

• Last names H-O @ 2:30-3:00

• Last names P-Z @ 3:15-3:45

Aug 5 (week of): Teacher assignments viewable on Infinite Campus

Aug 7: New Student Orientation (grades 1-5 only)

• New 1st-5th grade families only 5:30 - 6:30PM

Aug 8: Grade Level Meet-Ups & Tropical Chill Ice Truck @ Glacier Ridge Elementary Playground (rain or shine)

• Incoming K/1 @ 4:30PM

• Incoming 2/3 @ 6:00PM

• Incoming 4/5 @ 7:30PM

• Hawaiian Ice Truck from 5:30 - 8:00pm

Aug 12-14: Staff Training

Aug 14: Meet the teacher for grades K-5

• Last names A-G @ 1:45 - 2:15

• Last names H-O @ 2:30-3:00

• Last names P-Z @ 3:15-3:45

Aug 15: First day of school

Aug 15: Kindergarten Phase-in Day 1

Aug 16: Kindergarten Phase-on Day 2

Aug 19: All Kindergarten students attend

Aug 28: Parent/Guardian Information Night (adults only)

• 1st grade @ 4:30 - 5:00pm

• 4th grade @ 5:00 - 5:30pm

• 2nd grade & Gifted @ 5:30 - 6:00pm

• 5th grade @ 6:00 - 6:30pm

• Kindergarten 6:30 - 7:00pm

• 3rd grade @ 7:00 - 7:30pm

Sept 2: Labor Day – NO SCHOOL

Sept 3-20: PTO Tiger Trot Fundraiser Collection

Sept 18: Fall Picture Day

Sept 18: PTO Meeting (virtual) @ 10AM

Sept 20: PTO Tiger Trot Event

Oct 16: Family Conference Night 1

Oct 18: No School

Oct 24: Family Conference Night 2

Oct 31: Harvest Parties

Nov 1-7: PTO Feed the Kids Candy Collection

Nov 2-16: PTO Cookie Dough & Pastry Sale

If your child will be absent from school, please email our attendance line at gres_attendance@dublinschools.net.

Email: glacierridge_info@dublinschools.net
Website: https://glacier.dublinschools.net/
Location: 7175 Glacier Ridge Boulevard, Dublin, OH, USA
Phone: 614.733.0012
Instagram: @glacierridge1