Patriot Pulse

Hello Grissom Families,

I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed quality time together over the past week. We were excited to welcome our students back to school this week as we embark on a short but eventful December.

Thank you to all the parents, students, and guests who attended our parent-teacher conferences this past week. We appreciated the opportunity to discuss your children’s progress and are grateful for your partnership in supporting their educational journey.

We have several exciting events to share! Our district bands and chorus have multiple performances scheduled this month at our schools and within the community. We encourage you to come out and support our talented student musicians and singers.

It’s also an exciting time in sports as our boys’ volleyball and girls’ basketball teams enter conference tournament play. A special congratulations to our 6th/7th Grade Boys’ Volleyball team for winning the regular season SWIC Conference Championship! We wish all our teams the best of luck as they conclude their seasons.

From December 16th to 20th, our district will participate in a Countdown to Winter Break spirit week. Details on each day’s theme are included below. We will also host a school-wide assembly on December 20th during school hours.

Looking ahead to January, we will conduct our winter round of MAP testing on January 14th, 15th, and 16th. Students will test on two of the three days within their math and language arts classrooms. More information about testing and schedules will be shared closer to the testing dates.

Thank you for your continued support.

With gratitude,
Mr. Michael Rumbaugh
Principal

Did you know Grissom publishes daily announcements regarding school events, clubs, and activities. If you have not ever seen our annoucements page, click the link below to view them!

Announcements are also publicized on screens in common areas of our building as well as on our PA system during our daily morning announcements.

Save the link on your device for easy access to daily announcements in the future.

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.

D140 students and staff are invited to participate in our Countdown to Winter Break spirit days from December 16 through December 20.

• Monday, December 16 - Long Winter’s Nap Day
  Wear pajamas, sweats, or the color green.

• Tuesday, December 17 - Do You Want to Build a Snowman Day
  Dress like a snowman, wear a snowman shirt, or wear the colors white and black.

• Wednesday, December 18 - Brrr…It’s Cold Outside Day
  Wear your warmest, funniest, fanciest, or ugliest sweater or sweatshirt or the color blue.

• Thursday, December 19 - Fuzzy Flannel Day
  Wear warm and fuzzy flannel clothes today or the color red.

• Friday, December 20 - School Spirit Day
  Let's wrap up the countdown by celebrating our school pride! Wear school spiritwear or your school colors.

As a reminder, D140’s Winter Break begins with a half-day on Friday, December 20, and extends through Monday, January 6. There is a Teacher Institute Day on Monday, January 6. School resumes for students on Tuesday, January 7.

As temperatures drop and winter weather begins, we’d like to take a moment to review our Emergency Closing notification protocols and eLearning Day plan.

If emergency days are needed due to snow or extreme cold, families will receive notification via an email/text message, and an alert will be posted on our District website. KSD 140 also communicates school closure information through the District’s social media accounts and the Emergency Closing Center (ECC). Detailed school closing information can be found here.

If an emergency closing day is needed, the District may elect to use an eLearning Day instead of a traditional “snow day” that has to be made up at the end of the school ye

ar. Please refer to our eLearning Day Overview to review specifics of the plan, including school hours and access to D140’s digital platforms.

Now would be a great time to ensure your contact information is up-to-date. Please log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal to check your contact information and make any necessary changes.

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

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

• Thursday, December 12th
  Board of Education Meeting - 6:30 PM - Administration Center
• Week of December 16th - 20th
  Countdown to Winter Break - Spirit Week (Details Above)
• Friday December 20th
  Half Day - 12 PM student dismissal
• December 21st - January 6th
  No School - Winter Break
• January 7th
  School Resumes

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

• December 4th
  Concert and Symphonic Bands Winter Concert
  7:30 PM at Prairie View

• December 6th
  Chorus & Jazz Ensemble at the Tinley Holiday Market
  6:15 PM
  
  
• December 11th
  Cadet & Jazz Bands Winter Concert
  7:30 PM at Grissom
  
  

• December 17th
  Chorus Concert
  7:30 PM at Grissom

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.

There is a new form and protocol for students who need cough drops available to them when at school. The form and guidelines are attached below. Turn it in to Nurse Sarah at the Grissom office along with the cough drops if you wish for your child to have them available.

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.

Check for holiday sales going on right now!

Spiritwear Link.

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.

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