Patriot Pulse

Hello Grissom Families,

We’re only one quarter into the 2024-25 school year, and we’ve already accomplished so much! Students are working hard in their classes, and they continue to uphold the tenets of The Patriot Way: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe!

We’re thrilled to announce that Grissom Middle School received an EXEMPLARY rating on the recently released 2023-24 Illinois Report Card. More information about this achievement can be found within this newsletter. We’re proud to be recognized as a top-performing school in the state of Illinois.

Parent-Teacher Conference sign-ups are now available on ParentSquare. Be sure to check for available dates and times to schedule a conference with your child’s teacher(s). Conferences will be held on Monday, November 25, and Tuesday, November 26.

We’re also looking forward to holding our Veterans Day Assembly this Friday, November 8. We are honored to welcome family members of Grissom students who are serving or have served in the armed forces.

Read about these and more exciting events happening at Grissom in this edition of the Patriot Pulse!

With gratitude,
Mr. Michael Rumbaugh
Principal

The Illinois State Board of Education has released the annual Illinois Report Card at www.illinoisreportcard.com. The report card contains school performance data from the 2023-24 school year. Grissom's report card information can be found at this link.

We are very pleased to share that Grissom received a summative designation of EXEMPLARY, reserved for the top-performing 10% of schools in the state of Illinois.

Our Report Card is an opportunity to celebrate our strengths and reflect on areas for improvement within our school community. Our focus at Grissom is always on providing a safe, supportive learning environment in which ALL students are given the best opportunity to learn and succeed. Our exemplary rating is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and families. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and we remain committed to reaching even higher levels of achievement as we continue to support every student’s growth and success.

Parent-teacher conferences will be held in all KSD 140 elementary and middle schools on Monday, November 25, and Tuesday, November 26, 2024. Both VIRTUAL and IN-PERSON conference time slots are available.

• VIRTUAL Schedule - Monday, November 25 from 1 - 4 p.m.
• IN-PERSON Schedule - Monday, November 25, from 5 - 8 p.m. and Tuesday, November 26 from
  8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Appointment sign-up links for Parent-Teacher Conferences are posted in ParentSquare and were emailed to parents/guardians. These links will be open Monday, November 4, through Thursday, November 21.

For additional details, please refer to the Parent-Teacher Conference section of our website.

First-quarter student report cards will be available in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal on Friday, November 8, at 3 p.m. Please follow the steps outlined below.

How to Access Student Report Cards

1. Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

2. Select Documents in your Message Center

3. Click 24-25 School Name under Report Card, and a pop-up window displaying your student’s report card will open in a new browser. If you cannot view your student’s report card, please ensure pop-up windows are enabled in your web browser.

Please call your school office if you need assistance accessing your Parent Portal.

Parent-teacher conferences are Monday, November 25, and Tuesday, November 26. These one-to-one meetings are a great way to ask questions and review your student's academic, social, and behavioral progress in school.

• VIRTUAL Schedule - Monday, November 25 from 1 - 4 p.m.

• IN-PERSON Schedule - Monday, November 25, from 5 - 8 p.m. and Tuesday, November 26 from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

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During our Fall Break, there is NO SCHOOL Monday, November 25 through Friday, November 29. School resumes on Monday, December 2.

All Grissom students have received a school-issued ID and lanyard.

Moving forward, students will be expected to wear their ID and lanyard while at school. Both are considered essential school supplies. IDs will also need to be presented at after-school events - such as basketball and volleyball games, for entry. IDs can be used for checking out books from our school library, as well.

If a student loses their ID or lanyard - replacements can be purchased through our main office.

Replacement Costs:

$2 for replacement IDs

$1 for replacement lanyards

The 21st annual Remembering Cathy & Alison Toy Drive runs Thursday, November 7, through Thursday, December 19. Please consider donating toys, small gifts, or gift certificates to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation, which supports kids and teens fighting cancer.

Donations can be dropped off at any KSD 140 school from November 7 through December 19. For questions or more information, please contact Patti Rose at 708-712-5507 or pattirose17030@gmail.com

Yearbook orders are available at the following website YEARBOOKORDERCENTER.COM

Enter code 8034 when you order.

Contact our yearbook sponsors, Mrs. Labudzik or Mrs. LaPlant, if you have any questions.

Student support is open to any student who wants to complete schoolwork in a supervised, quiet setting - our Media Center.

Before-school support is offered Monday - Friday starting at 8:00 A.M. Students attending can be dropped off at Grissom's main entrance. Students will not be able to enter the building before 8:00 A.M.

After-school support is offered Monday - Thursday until 4:05 P.M. An activity bus is available to take regular bus riders home at that time, if needed.

An after-school activity bus will be available ONLY for students who already receive bus service. Students who attend after-school activities that last no later than 4:05 P.M. can take the bus home.

KSD 140 uses ParentSquare for email, text, and voice messaging. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourages greater engagement and connection with the District. Families can choose their language preference and indicate how and when they want to receive information (email, text, and/or app notifications).

We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.

Please visit ParentSquare.com to register or download the free app for iOS or Android devices.

• Tuesday, November 5th
  No School - Election Day
• Friday, November 8th
  Veteran's Day Assembly - during school hours
• Friday, November 8th
  First Quarter report cards released
• Thursday, November 21st
  Board of Education Meeting - 7 PM - Administration Center
• Friday, November 22nd
  Half Day - 12 PM dismissal
• Monday, November 25th & Tuesday, November 26th
  Parent-Teacher Conferences - By Appointment
• November 27th, 28th, & 29th
  No School - Fall Break

The entire school year calendar can be viewed on our website at 2024-25 School Year Calendar.

Calling all former Grissom Patriots!

An alumni page for former students and current/former staff members is available at the link below.

If you are a Grissom alum or staff member, click the link below to join and contribute to our group. Feel free to share the group with other former alum so we can grow our community.

https://www.facebook.com/share/Dj32ArEGLBFUBbnR/

We can’t run any of our wonderful hot lunch days

without our great volunteers! Please consider signing

up even if you can’t come the whole time. Meet new

parents, and get involved at the school! We have

availability on Tuesdays and Fridays. Scan one of the

QR codes below to sign up.

Tuesday Volunteer Sign Up

Friday Volunteer Sign Up

Order your Grissom spiritwear for the 2024-25 school year.

Spiritwear Link.

D140 prioritizes comprehensive strategies to support students' mental, emotional, and physical health. Please click Health Information to review our resources. Together, we can create a nurturing environment where every student can thrive.

Grissom Middle School and Kirby School District 140 are committed to open and transparent communication. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

#KirbyONE40 #EveryChildEveryDay

Respectfully,

Mr. Michael Rumbaugh - Principal

mirumbaugh@ksd140.org

Mr. Alex Weinberg - Assistant Principal

aweinberg@ksd140.org

Principal Michael Rumbaugh- mirumbaugh@ksd140.org

Website: ksd140.org/grissom
Location: 17000 South 80th Avenue, Tinley Park, IL, 60477
Phone: 708-429-3030