As we continue to navigate the challenges of ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment at Gray Hawk Elementary, I want to bring to your attention a matter of significant concern: the impact of unsupervised phone use among our students. Recent incidents have highlighted the negative consequences of unchecked access to social media and communication apps, particularly in fostering bullying behaviors that extend beyond school grounds.

Research consistently underscores the importance of parental monitoring in mitigating these risks. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parental supervision of children's online activities is crucial in preventing cyberbullying and ensuring their online safety (AAP, 2023). This proactive approach not only helps in identifying and addressing negative behaviors early but also promotes responsible digital citizenship among our young learners.

Social media platforms and messaging apps can inadvertently expose children to harmful content and interactions. A study by the Pew Research Center found that a significant number of adolescents have experienced cyberbullying, often through platforms accessed via mobile devices (Pew Research Center, 2022). Such incidents, while occurring outside of school hours, can profoundly affect a student's well-being and academic performance.

Therefore, I urge all parents to take an active role in monitoring their child's phone use, including checking messages, social media accounts, and online interactions. Establishing clear guidelines and boundaries for device usage at home can significantly reduce the likelihood of cyberbullying incidents and help create a safer digital environment for our students.

Unfortunately there have been a number of incidents recently, particularly in our intermediate grades, involving inappropriate texts, language, and bullying behaviors. I am not able to address these issues that are occurring after hours and not on school grounds. These are issues that can be, and should be addressed at home while remaining vigilant in checking your child's phone, being fully aware of who they are friends with, and removing access to the device if necessary.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued partnership in promoting a positive school community.

We are celebrating the Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Monday Night football game with a Tailgate Lunch on November 4. Everyone is invited to attend but please read the following information carefully. You MUST preregister and place your lunch order by Wednesday, October 16 at 5:00 pm. You must place your order at the following link or by clicking on the graphic below.

Details: Lunch will be during your child's lunchtime. Assuming the weather is nice, we encourage you to bring a blanket to sit on outside in the field and enjoy lunch with your child's class. Lunch prices are $2.50 and $3.40 for adults. You may choose to send in your payment ahead of time or charge it to your child's account. Please note: if you place an order and are not able to come, your child's account will still be charged and refunds are not available.

We will print off name tags for adult guests that are preregistered at the link. You are highly encouraged to make sure that you are in the Raptor system as you could be delayed getting to lunch with your child if you must get your ID scanned. We hope to see you there!

GRAY HAWK families are cordially invited to our all school assembly on Monday, October 21 at 12:45. We will be celebrating our students that have been recognized for Respect and Responsibility as well as being recognized with Positive Office Referrals.

Additionally, we will be introducing our community to a brand new member of the Gray Hawk family! (Shhh, the adults are hearing rumblings of the hatching of the egg! You're not going to want to muss this!) :)

Please sign up for this special event at this link and we will have name tags printed off and will allow visitors into the gym around 12:35. Again, if you are not in the Raptor system you could risk missing out as you wait to get checked in. I highly encourage you to stop by the office during conference time and have your ID scanned if it has not already been.

Huge shout out to Kristen and Josh Jordan for once obtaining a trailer for all of our students to ride on. Thank you to Kaylee Mitchell Draisey for the awesome decorations and for all of the families that walked with the float and donated candy to the cause. Check out the photos from last week.

Attention parents! We are so excited to plan for the 2025-2026 school year! In an effort to effectively plan, please complete this form if you will be enrolling your child in kindergarten. Our Parent Informational Meeting will be in the spring. You will be given information prior to this meeting, so completing this form will help us to get all communication to you. THIS IS ONLY FOR BASEHOR-LINWOOD RESIDENTS, THIS IS NOT FOR OUT OF DISTRICT ENROLLMENT.

We are partnering with the ELC for Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 26 from 3:00 - 4:30. It would be awesome to see some of OUR GRAY HAWK family cars out there and decorated. If you are interested, please scan the QR code and sign up.

There are so many good deals this month for BOX TOPS. ! If you don't have the app, use this link to sign up: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=PJ4Z81D9

We will have a drawing at the end of the month for a free car wash to Tidal Wave so sign up, get those referrals, and post a screenshot of your earnings history in the comments below to be entered into the drawing!

Email: dspringer@usd458.org
Website: http://ghes.usd458.org/
Location: 16000 Garden Parkway, Basehor, KS, USA
Phone: (913) 662-7170
Twitter: @grayhawk458