Grass Lake School News

Grass Lake School District 36 is looking for applicants to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education.

The chosen candidate, after the board collaboration process, will serve until the next regular

school election scheduled for April 2027, at which time a candidate will be elected to fill the

remainder of the unexpired two-year term. If you are interested in applying to become a Grass

Lake School District 36 Board Member, please email your cover letter, resume, and completed

application, to Christine Pawlowski, Administrative Assistant to the

Superintendent and Board of Education Secretary of Record, at cpawlowski@gls36.org on/before

May 15, 2025.

All legal requirements must be met for the Board Member position (i.e., resident

of Grass Lake School District 36 and meet criminal background check requirements). If you

have any questions, please call Christine Pawlowski at 847.603.5141.

What a great week to be a BRAVE! Our students continue to amaze us with their growth, creativity, and energy as we head into the final stretch of the school year. Last week’s Project-Based Learning Showcase was a beautiful celebration of all the hard work and learning that has taken place across our classrooms. We are so proud of our students for the confidence and enthusiasm they brought to sharing their learning with the community.

Looking ahead, we will be administering Spring MAP Testing for students in grades K–8 on Wednesday, May 14 (Reading) and Thursday, May 15 (Math). This is a key opportunity for students to show the academic growth they've made throughout the year. It’s a moment to shine and we ask for your support in encouraging strong attendance on both testing days. With the end of the year approaching quickly, every day in the classroom counts and you can support your child by:

• Make sure that your child attends school on the days of testing.

• Ensure he/she receive a good nights sleep the night before testing.

• Provide breakfast on the mornings of testing (snacks will not be provided due to allergies).

• Let him/her know that you have confidence in his/her ability to do his/her best.

• Advise him/her not to worry about the test and to do the best he/she can.

As we plan for the future, I want to personally invite all GLS families to provide input on what qualities and attributes you believe are most important in our next principal. As you may know, I will be transitioning into the role of superintendent beginning July 1, 2026, and your voice is a vital part of ensuring we find the right leader to carry on the great work happening at Grass Lake.

Please take a moment to complete the survey linked here.

Our Scholastic Book Fair will be open one more day on Friday, May 9. It’s a Buy One, Get One Free event. Yes, you heard that correctly, BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE! This is an excellent time to help your child stock up on books and build their home library. More details can be found here.

And let’s not forget the fun of our ABC Countdown now in full swing! Both our 3rd–8th grade and K–2 students are enjoying themed days and a playful build-up to the end of the school year. You can view each countdown calendar below:

• 3rd–8th Grade ABC Countdown

• K–2 ABC Countdown

Our 8th Grade Students will be volunteering at Happy Car Wash on Saturday, May 11, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM to raise money for their upcoming 8th grade trip! Not only will they receive a percentage of the day’s total earnings, but they’ll also be working hard for tips so be sure to show your appreciation.

This is a great way to get your car sparkling clean while helping our students reach their goal. Grab your keys, spread the word, and cruise over to Happy Car Wash this Saturday!

Thank you for being such a supportive part of our school community. Your presence at events, encouraging words, and ongoing partnership mean the world to us at Grass Lake. I hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend!

Warm Regards,

Ryan Wollberg

Principal/Grass Lake School

The staff at Grass Lake School extends heartfelt appreciation to the GLS Board of Education, the PTO, and all GLS families for their generous support during Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week.

This support reflects the strong partnership that exists within the Grass Lake community. One that uplifts our educators, celebrates their impact, and helps create a positive environment where students and staff thrive with one common goal in mind: our students' success! The encouragement and kindness shared this week go far beyond simple gestures; they reinforce a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to give their best.

Thank you for helping make Grass Lake School not just a place to work and learn, but a place to belong. Your continued support plays a vital role in making GLS the best it can be.

Dear GLS Staff and Families,

We greatly value your feedback on Grass Lake School! If you could please take a few mintues to complete this survey, we would greatly appreciate it. All survey responses are due by Friday, May 9, 2025. Thank you in advance for your time! Have a wonderful day!

After a thorough review of student data, a cost analysis, and valuable input from students, staff, and parents, Grass Lake School will not be offering an academic summer school program this year. Instead, we are refocusing our efforts on enhancing our school-year schedule to better meet student needs year-round, rather than just through a three-week summer program. While GLS will not be hosting a summer school program, we’re excited to share that Stellar Athletics (who currently runs our Friday Afterschool Club) will be offering a summer camp opportunity right here at GLS!

This nine-week program, running from June 4 to August 1, will provide structured and engaging activities for students in grades K-8. Families will have flexibility with daily or weekly sign-ups so you can take those summer vacations and still allow the students to join the camp. Stellar Athletics operates independently from GLS, meaning families who choose to participate will be responsible for the cost. GLS is not financially responsible for the program, but we’re excited to share this opportunity with our school community as it was designed with you in mind! See below for more details:

Things to know about Steller Summer Camp:

• 9 week Summer Camp June 4th through August 1st
• Camp operates Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 4:00pm
• Early Bird Drop off and Extended Day Pickup available
• Early Bird- 6:30 am-7:30 am
• Extended Day- 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm
• Campers will be dropped off and picked up by their parents. NO BUSSING available.
• Campers will need to bring their own sack lunch, snack and water.
• Early Bird Registration ends March 21st for a guaranteed spot!

Things to expect from Steller Summer Camp:

• A safe, fun and socially engaging environment for all campers to participate
• Each week will be themed with all activities following the theme!
• Campers will have the opportunity to:
• Participate in small group activities
• Be creative with art projects & crafts
• Explore with experiments to stimulate learning
• Utilize STEM Centers
• Enjoy outdoor activities- weather permitting
• Participate in water activities- weather permitting
• Recieve movement breaks with sports and open play
• Watch themed and purposeful movies
• Have FUN Fridays!

Please see below for the Afterschool Club's Sportsmania, back by popular demand!

Each week throughout the school year, families enrolled in our Backpack Program will go home with pre-bagged, shelf-stable, nutritious food items. Items may include: milk, pasta, canned fruit, canned vegetables, cereal, tuna, beans, rice, and more! Please complete this form if your family would like to be enrolled. The food will come home with your student once a week. If you decide your family would no longer like to be part of the program, or if you have any questions, please contact Kelly Porter at 847-603-5160 or kporter@gls36.org. This form and program are confidential.

What a fantastic evening we had at our recent showcase and it was truly a night to remember! The celebration kicked off with an incredible display of the arts, and our students and staff absolutely knocked it out of the park. From colorful artwork to moving musical performances, the talent and heart poured into every piece were nothing short of inspiring.

The creativity, hard work, and pure joy on display were a powerful reflection of the meaningful learning that happens every day at Grass Lake School. From innovative PBL projects to thoughtful presentations, our students didn’t just participate but were the true owners of their learning. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to cheer them on and celebrate their accomplishments.

Be sure to scroll down and check out some of the amazing moments captured in the photos below—you won’t want to miss them!

Please follow the link below for more information about our Winter Athletics.

Please follow the button below to be directed to our GLS website for more details related to our Breakfast/Lunch menus and ordering information. If there are any questions, please contact our main office. As a reminder, our lunch fees are $3.75.

This year, you will continue to see important updates from me regarding the importance of attendance every day at GLS. More information will be forthcoming in upcoming newsletters but we wanted all of our students to start the year off headed in the right direction. Please follow this link to view our Academic Calendar for the upcoming school year and we encourage all of our families, to the greatest extent possible, to schedule doctor and dentist appointments, vacations, etc. on days off. While we understand there may certainly be extenuating circumstances out of your control, your help in sending your child to school every day will help them continue to excel at GLS.

As a reminder, Grass Lake encourages you to send your child to school every day, unless they are exhibiting one or more of the following symptoms:

1. The student has a temperature consistently above 100 even when taking medication in the last 24 hours.
2. The student is throwing up or experiencing diarrhea in the last 24 hours.
3. The student has pink eyes that are crusty and not receiving medication for them for 24 hours.

While this list is not all-inclusive your help is appreciated as even missing 2 days a month equates to missing almost 10% of the school year. Also, as a reminder, any absence due to illness that lasts for more than three consecutive days may be verified by a medical note, which must be produced within two days of the student’s return for the absence to be considered excused. Thank you for your help and support!

Grass Lake School hours of attendance are 7:45 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. on regular schedule days and 7:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. on early release late-start days. When reporting an absence please indicate the reason for the absence and if it is due to illness, please report symptoms including if your child has a fever, cough, or sore throat. This will assist the district in assessing when a student will return and whether it must comply with any reporting or notice requirements.

Please report absences by phone OR by email:

• Call (847) 395-1550, or
• Email attendance@gls36.org

If the school has not heard from you and your child is absent, you will receive a call to verify the absence. School code provides that parents/guardians/other persons having legal custody of a child provide telephone numbers at the time of enrollment to enable the school to notify the parent/guardian/other person with legal custody of the child’s absence from school. Accordingly, this verification of absence call will be made to the numbers provided at registration and not necessarily the parents’ places of employment.

This year, we have adjusted and included bus information in Infinite Campus. You can view your child(rens) bus information by following these steps or going to our website by following this link:

1. Sign into Infinite Campus
2. Select your GLS Student(s)
3. Select "More"' in the column on the left
4. Select "Transportation"
5. Under "Bus" it will read one of three numbers GLS00# (# indicates what bus 1, 2, or 3) to indicate if they are on bus 1, 2, or 3. This year we are running three routes for K-8.
6. If you are a Pre-Kindergarten parent it will read GLSPK# (# indicates what bus 1(AM), 2(AM), 3(PM), or 4(PM).

As a reminder, for Friday early release, please plan for students in grades K-8 to be home 1.5 hours earlier than Monday through Thursday.

We’ve also posted this information on our website, which you can access by following this link. As a reminder, during the first few days, the buses may run approximately 5-10 minutes off schedule, so we kindly ask for your patience. Additionally, all Pre- K and Kindergarten families, please plan on meeting your child at the bus stop, as the drivers will not release them unless an adult is present for safety purposes. We truly appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Below, you’ll find a map for your convenience, detailing our drop-off and pick-up procedures. We ask that parents remain in their cars during drop-off and pick-up to ensure smooth traffic flow and student safety. The only exception is for Pre-K families, who may require the need to get out to get their child(ren) out of a 5 point harness car seat.

Please note the following morning waiting areas for students:

- Pre-K: Will enter in the main entrance but have a separate waiting area in our main foyer/hall.

- K-3: Library

- 4-6: MPR (Multi-Purpose Room)

- 7-8: Basement near their lockers

If you plan to pick your child up early from school, kindly email your child's teacher as well as Cristina Monroy, our administrative assistant. Early pick-up and late drop-off should be done through our main entrance. Please remember to bring your ID when picking up your child, as we want to ensure they are sent home with an approved individual.

When your child is dropped off in the morning, they will enter through the main entrance. In the afternoon, they will exit through the same doors (marked by the yellow box below). Please wait in your car, and we will release students to you as quickly as possible. Again, we ask for your patience at the beginning of the year as we refine our procedures—rest assured, the process will become faster as everyone gets accustomed to it. Additionally, please do not drop off your child until the front doors open at 7:30 am.

Thank you for your continued support!

GRASS LAKE SCHOOL

26177 W. Grass Lake Rd. Antioch, IL 60002
Phone: (847) 395-1550 | Fax: (847) 395-8632

Email: rwollberg@gls36.org
Website: www.gls36.org
Location: Grass Lake School District 36, West Grass Lake Road, Antioch, IL, USA
Phone: 847-395-1550