Where did the summer go? I feel like I blinked and it was suddenly August! I want to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families and a welcome back to those who are returning! We are so happy you chose Greenwood, and it's an honor to educate your children! Our staff aim to provide a positive learning environment for every one of our students, filled with high levels of learning, supportive adult relationships, opportunities to collaborate with peers, engage in activities of interest, and develop a strong sense of self and belonging.

My name is Jenny Inman, and I am Greenwood's principal. This is my fourth year leading as Head Woodchuck, and I am grateful for the opportunity! My newsletter this month is pretty lengthy, packed with all you might need to know to get the school year started. Read more below to learn about our Meet the Teacher Night Event, First Day of School procedures, Zoo Night, school supply lists, staff lists, and more. Please note, arrival and dismissal procedures will be shared in an e-mail/Snap!Connect message in the week prior to school starting.

I hope you and your families have enjoyed all that summer break had to offer. We were so excited to send off about thirty of our students to Y-Camp in July, where they spent a week outdoors, building new friendships, bonding with classmates, trying new activities, and learning more about themselves. Our hope is to continue the experience in years to come, thanks to a very generous partnership with Live Wild Iowa, Inc.!

Our year-round staff have been busy preparing the building for the upcoming school year. As you enter the building, you'll notice a freshly painted library and office, motivational quotes/math facts/ and sight words on the stair risers, new bathrooms, new windows and doors in portions of the building, and reconstruction of the brick patio. You'll also notice new plants near the entry, thanks to the Thompson family and their efforts to spruce up the front of our building by adopting the flower bed.

We look forward to welcoming a full roster of 40 new preschool students to all-day programming! Last year was a huge success, and this year, programming filled with a waitlist in a very short period of time. Preschool students will begin their Woodchuck adventures on their first day of school, Monday, September 9th. The first day of school for Kindergarten through 5th grade is Monday, August 26th. The doors will open at 7:30am and school will begin at 7:40am. Breakfast will continue to be offered to students daily, free of charge, at the front doors as they enter. Preschool students will be served breakfast in their classrooms. Please note, the bell times have adjusted slightly due to a change in busing structures throughout the district. School will start at 7:40am and dismiss at 2:35pm.

If you ever have questions, concerns, or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out via e-mail: jenny.inman@dmschools.org or phone 515-242-8410. I am typically in classrooms or supporting students during the school day, so Kelly, our Office Manager will take a message if I am unavailable, and I will get back to you within 24 hours.

Your Kindergarten-5th grade child should be receiving a Welcome Postcard in the mail the week of August 12th with their teacher information and important back to school dates. In the event that it doesn't arrive during that time frame, you will also be able to log into Infinite Campus to view their teacher during that timeframe.

Please note that a lot of intentional planning and collaboration went into developing class lists for the upcoming school year. Staff met to create classroom groupings that took into consideration learning strengths, academic growth areas, and peer relationships when creating class lists.

We are so excited to see all of you on the first day of school! The front doors will be open for student entry at 7:30am and school starts at 7:40am. Dismissal is at 2:35pm.

Staff members will be helping students get to their classrooms. There will be opportunities for photos out front by the Greenwood Elementary sign and the front of the building, with our photo backdrop and grade level signs.

We have done our best to include only the necessary supplies this year and the addition of a ream of paper. Preschool students will not need to purchase any school supplies, as all materials are provided by the program. Please let Ms. Kelly, our office manager, or myself know if your family needs help with purchasing school supplies for your child and we can assist. We have received very generous supply donations this summer from Wesley Acres and Des Moines Fellowship. You can also view the supply list for each grade level HERE.

This year, we hired several new staff members due to newly created positions and a few staff changes. We have recruited some great additions and are fully staffed as we start the year! The staff members in bold are new to our staff.

We are excited to have the following staff members serving our Greenwood students:

• Preschool Teachers: Elisha Crow and Angela Hermann
• Preschool Associates: Jane Bishop, Kristen Maahs, and Kevin Smith
• Kindergarten: Lissa Iles and Carrie Motter
• 1st Grade: Amanda Moore and Molly Petersen
  
• 2nd Grade: Anna Brousard and Kaitlin Clough
  
• 3rd Grade: Kristie Lamphere and Nathan Murphy
  
• 4th Grade: Laura Haider and Missy Hughes
• 5th Grade: Ryan Burke and Denise Meredith
  
• Art/Music/PE: Alyssa Moll, Kate Hargrafen, and Miranda Garland
• Associates: Lilly Frew, Donna Halbach, Shamari Little, Erika Morales Munoz, and Molly Phelps
  
• Behavior Strategist: Sarah Aldag
• Community & Schools Coordinator: Jennifer Walker
• Custodians: Todd Newell, Jerome Austin, and Phoeun Chey
  
• ELL/Academic Interventionist/Intern AP: Kara Cox
• Instructional Coach: Amanda Gomes
• Instructional Strategists: Lauren Kluver and Brenda Wise
• K-5 Academic Interventionists: Rachel Garnaas and Jill Lowery
  
• Library Associate: Jennifer Smith
• Metro Kids Coordinator: Kala Mccaune
• Nurse: Melissa Stalvey
• Office Manager: Kelly Moeller
• Principal: Jenny Inman
• School Based Therapist: TBD
• School Counselor: Tamma Howe
• SUCCESS Case Manager: Tiffany Taylor

We look forward to our family and community partnerships this year! If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering at Greenwood, please visit this link for more information and to complete the Online Volunteer Application. We would love volunteers to assist with library inventory, reading with students, practicing sight words and flashcards, mentoring, assisting on field trips, homeroom parents, etc.

Your volunteer application status is valid for five years from this year moving forward. *Please note our district has implemented a new vetting system for volunteers, so all persons interested in volunteering will need to apply, even if you were approved last school year.

We are so excited to bring GIRLS ON THE RUN back to Greenwood for the third year! Girls on the Run is a female empowerment program that will be coached by myself, Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Garland, Mrs. Hughes, and Mrs. Garnaas. This program is open to girls in grades 3 - 5 and begins on September 17, with practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:40pm-4:00pm. The season ends with a celebratory 5k event with all the bells and whistles on Sunday, November 10th.

Twice per week, for ten weeks, girls will have fun, make friends, increase their physical activity levels and learn important life skills. Our trained and caring coaches with lead participants through interactive lessons and movement activities. Registration is limited to 40 participants on a first come first serve basis. Financial assistance is available, if needed, reach out to jenny.inman@dmschools.org.

For more information or to register, please visit www.gotrcentraliowa.org

We will be utilizing SNAP!Connect, a web-based platform, as our primary communication method to share important updates, school news, and announcements in real-time to all Greenwood families. This app/website provides direct access for parents and school staff to communicate instantly through a text messaging feature, in addition to receiving building-wide and classroom announcements. You also have the capability to message other families for coordinating activities, playdates, etc. The best part about the app is that messages and information can be translated into several different languages, allowing all families access to their preferred communication language. You can download the app in the Apple or Android store for free, or access it via the web at https://cloud.schoolcnxt.com

If you don't already have an account, you should be receiving a digital invite in the coming weeks through text or e-mail with a code to sign-up and link to your child's classroom.

If you've created an account in past years, but don't recall your username, please e-mail jenny.inman@dmschools.org and I will help get you connected. Additionally, if you've forgotten your password, but know your username, you can click on the FORGOT PASSWORD link on the sign-on page to reset it.

To access the district calendar click HERE.

School hours are 7:40am-2:35pm Monday through Friday.

August 22: K-5 Meet the Teacher Night 4:30pm-6:00pm

August 22: Pre-K Parent Meeting 5:00-5:30 pm *Gymnasium

August 22: Kindergarten Parent Meeting 5:30-6:00pm *Gymnasium

August 26: First Day of School for Kindergarten-5th Grade, 7:40am-2:35pm

September 2: No School: Labor Day

September 9: 1st day of School for Pre-K Students 7:40am-2:35pm

September 12: Family Night @ Blank Park Zoo 4:30-7:00pm

September 17: 1st Girls on the Run Practice 2:40-4:00pm

September 19: Literacy Night @ Roosevelt-Time TBD

September 20: No School, Staff Professional Development

September 21: DMPS OneRun @ WaterWorks Park 8:00am Check-In

Please click HERE to access the daily breakfast and lunch menus for our building. They are subject to change based on availability of items and delivery schedules. Students will also be served a healthy snack (fruit or vegetable) daily beginning in September as part of our district's healthy snack initiative.

Email: greenwood@dmschools.org
Website: greenwood.dmschools.org
Location: 316 37th Street, Des Moines, IA 50312, USA
Phone: (515)242-8410

Instagram: greenwoodelementarydmps

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenwoodelementarydmps