GIPS Monthly Update, November 2024

Welcome to GIPS Monthly Update!

This online monthly newsletter features helpful information, notable updates, district stories, and more from Grand Island Public Schools.

The last few days there has been a coolness in the air that hints at a definite changing of the weather. The leaves on the trees have gone from changing color to finding their way onto the ground. Hopefully this weather that truly feels like fall will stick around for another month or so.

These fall days leading up to Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the fall weather, there is a healthy dose of football on TV, and things in the school world are typically pretty quiet.

Everyone has settled into their routine. Students and staff are working hard at the learning process. Students now know the expectations, and staff members have developed an understanding of what students need to be successful. Parent teacher conferences allowed staff members to exchange information about students with their parents. Most of the challenges of getting a new school year underway have been overcome.

Now we roll into the holiday season.

This is a very special time of the year, but it can also be a very challenging time as well. There is a wide variety of ways that holidays are celebrated. Different families and different cultures have some very different traditions that come to light during the holiday season.

These variations in how we celebrate is one more way that our schools are so special. Having our children get a sense of how holidays are celebrated around the world is a wonderful growth opportunity for them. Teaching our students to respect these diverse traditions is another way we can help to build a better understanding of people around the world.

Enjoy these fall days while they last and have a great kickoff to the Holiday Season!

#WeAreGIPS

"Opportunity and chances. That's what we're here for. We're here to remove obstacles; we're here to provide opportunities. I can't force a kid to learn — but I can create an environment where it's a very positive atmosphere for them to learn."

Dr. Ken DeFrank is more than an educator, he's an advocate for students.

Dr. DeFrank, Principal of Success Academy, joins The GIPS Cast to share his philosophy of education and why alternative learning programs are vital to any public school system. He shares his experiences of more than 20 years in public education dedicated to building systems and learning environments for students in need. He also unpacks his passion for personalized learning, the rise of student anxiety, the power of compassion, and playing the long game for building relationships with every student.

Because it's all about planting seeds and fostering healthy learning environments.

Listen to the podcast episode HERE.

Grand Island Public Schools Foundation was out in the GIPS district with great surprises for innovative teachers, surprising both teachers and their students when they arrived at schools Tuesday and Wednesday to award 14 Classroom Grants.

The GIPS Foundation awards Classroom Grants on an annual basis. These grants are designed to fund educational opportunities for students that are not available through the school district's general budget.

Since the program’s inception, the Grand Island Public Schools Foundation has funded 354 Classroom Grants totaling $326,057. Grants have been awarded to every school in the district benefiting approximately 73,788 students.

Read the full article HERE.

School safety takes a village.

Between staff, administrators, teachers, students, security professionals, and even the community — ensuring all who enter a school are safe is a team effort. Recently, the Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) “village” dedicated to school safety was recognized for its efforts at a statewide level.

At the start of the school year, GIPS was recognized by All Lines Interlocal Cooperative Aggregate Pool - ALICAP as a 2023-24 Safety Honor Roll School District. Citing the outstanding comprehensive efforts towards safety, GIPS was honored alongside approximately 5% of the top performing school districts in Nebraska.

Read the full article HERE.

Pumping water, washing cloths, and peeling apples in the summer kitchen made for a full day of learning, as West Lawn first graders visited Stuhr Museum this month.

Students in Miss Acevedo’s class got to spend an afternoon on the farm, learning what everyday life was like during colonial times.

Students had a friendly competition to see who could fill up their washbuckets from the water pump the fastest, before hand washing cloths. Laughs and cheers filled the air, something that isn’t too common when doing laundry. West Lawn Mustangs were excited to dive in and learn, even if it meant putting in a little work.

Read the full article HERE.

The Islanders are helping to lead the way for career technical education (CTE) in Nebraska and the nation.

Max Mendez, a junior at Grand Island Senior High, and Alex Kemnitz, an engineering and robotics teacher at GISH, both serve on the state leadership team for SkillsUSA.

A student in the GISH Academy of Medical Sciences, Mendez serves as Nebraska SkillsUSA state parliamentarian. During business meetings, his job is to ensure the SkillsUSA team remains on task and accomplishes its set goals. The leadership team is also responsible for planning the SkillsUSA conferences and training.

Kemnitz serves as the SkillsUSA Nebraska State Officer Advisor and is a member of SkillsUSA Nebraska Board of Directors.

Read the full article HERE.

Breakfast and lunch meals will be available to all students at no cost at all of our schools for the 2024-25 school year!

Due to current needs and qualifications, GIPS has qualified for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) across the district. CEP provides an alternative, state-supported funding source in order to provide meals at no cost to every student at Grand Island Public Schools.

Find school meal menus on the Nutrition Services website HERE.

The menus are able to be translated in over 100 languages and may be downloaded or easily captured through a screenshot on your mobile device.

Follow GIPS Eats on Facebook for more info!

• ELEMENTARY - Doors open by no later than 7:30 a.m.
• MIDDLE SCHOOL - Doors open by no later than 7:45 a.m.
• GISH - Doors open by no later than 7:30 a.m.

School and district calendars for GIPS may be found at the link below:

Nicki Nesvara, Starr Elementary School Social Worker, applied for the grant and received funding in fall 2023. The Starr Sharing Stable offers basic necessities such as clothing, hygiene products, food items, and school supplies. By alleviating basic needs, the project aims to improve the overall educational experience and students' social-emotional learning and wellbeing.

Read more about the Stable in this article from April, 2024.

We are 10,000 families, stories, and voices. In teaching hearts as well as minds, we — students, staff, and families — are changing the world together.

Throughout the 2024-25 school year, we will be featuring student and staff voices from across our district.

You're invited to explore our "We Are GIPS" landing page each week for the latest video from our wonderful people.

www.GIPS.org/WeAreGIPS

Catch the Islanders in action here in Grand Island!

Here are some of the upcoming home varsity events for November through early December.

• Unified Bowling Tournament - Thursday, November 21, 11:00 a.m. @ Westside Lanes
• Band Concert - Tuesday, November 26, 7:00 p.m. @ GISH Auditorium
• Unified Bowling Districts - Tuesday, December 3, 1:00 p.m. @ Westside Lanes
• Girls Bowling v Norfolk - Thursday, December 5, Noon @ Westside Lanes
• Boys Bowling v Norfolk - Thursday, December 5, Noon @ Westside Lanes
• Boys Wrestling v Columbus - Friday, December 6, 6:00 p.m. @ GISH East Gym
• Girls Wrestling v North Platte - Tuesday, December 10, 6:30 p.m. GISH East Gym
• Boys Basketball v Lincoln North Star - Friday, December 13, 7:15 p.m.

Full activities calendar and ticket links may be found at the buttons below.

Go Islanders!

• ParentVUE Guide
• GIPS Nutrition Services
• Bus Routes
• Cell Phone Expectations & Dress Code
• Nurse Health Forms
• Kindergarten Ready
• GIPS Handbook
• School Drop-Off & Pick-Up Safety: ENGLISH | SPANISH
• Welcome Center
• Families in Transition
• School Boundary Maps