Please review these important dates:

• Wednesday, September 13th: Media Safety Assembly for Students in Grades 3-5 featuring Dr. Julia Storm (see below for details)

• Wednesday, September 13th: Fire Drill for After School Programs @ 3:30 PM

• Monday, September 18th: School Site Council Meeting: 3:15 - 4:45 PM on Zoom- SSC Training & School Safety Plan Presentation: Click here to join meeting; Meeting ID: 873 9555 5843; Password: 899075

• Tuesday, September 19th: Emergency Drill: Shelter in Place Drill #1

• Wednesday, September 20th: Student Behavior Expectations Assemblies

• Wednesday, September 20th: PTA General Meeting @ 6:30 PM in the Library

• Monday, September 25th: NO SCHOOL - LOCAL HOLIDAY

• Friday, September 29th: Grant World Cultures Festival - 3:00 PM on the Big Yard

• Monday, October 2nd: Makeup Picture Day

• Wednesday, October 4th: PTA Executive Board Meeting @ 6:30 PM in the Library

• Thursday, October 5th: PTA Reflections Art Contest Submissions Deadline

• Friday, October 6th: Emergency Drill: Fire Drill #1

• Monday, October 16th: School Site Council Meeting @ 3:15 PM in the Sky Room
  

• Wednesday, October 18th: PTA General Meeting @ 6:30 PM in the Library

• Thursday, October 19th: Emergency Drill: The Great California ShakeOut

• Tuesday, October 31st: Halloween Parade! Parents are invited to attend!

• Wednesday, November 1st: PTA General Meeting @ 6:30 PM in the Library

Please do not forget to send with your child every day:

• School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
• Water bottle
• Snack and/or lunch (lunch available to all students free of charge for the 2023-24 school year.)
• Sunscreen (put on prior to arriving at school)
• Hat
• Layers of clothing (sweatshirt, windbreaker, etc.) Keep an eye on the weather.
• A growth mindset for a successful day!

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Thank you all for helping us have a remarkably smooth opening to the 2023 - 2024 school year! The students are starting to settle into their new classroom communities and routines now that we have completed our first full week of school.

This week our first assessment window opened for students in all grades TK-5. Teachers have already begun assessing their students to get baseline data in reading and math. As I mentioned in my Back to School Night presentation, we use this data to help guide our instruction and to better understand each student's current levels. We will assess periodically throughout the year and you will receive information about your child's assessment.

This Wednesday, students in grades 3-5 will participate in an assembly conducted by Julia Storm, digital media wellness educator, and will learn about how to be conscious and literate media users. Some of you may have attended Julia's parent presentation at Grant last spring.

Finally, Grant will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month which runs from September 15 - October 15! Students will be participating in classroom and community activities, morning all-school announcements highlighting famous individuals who have had an impact on society, assemblies, and music!

There is always a lot going on in the Gecko Nation and we are so happy you are part of it all! Please consider volunteering for one or more events. We cannot do them without you and your children would love to see you engaged in their educational journey!

GO GECKOS!

Christian Fuhrer

Principal

cfuhrer@smmusd.org

The Grant Learning Community will be paying tribute to Hispanic Heritage Month through classroom and community activities, morning all-school announcements highlighting famous individuals who have had an impact on society, and assemblies.

“Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

“The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.

“The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30-day period.”

-source: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/hispanic-heritage-month.html

CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK TO WATCH A SHORT VIDEO ON HOW TO CONFIRM YOUR CHILD'S INFORMATION: DATA CONFIRMATION STEP-BY-STEP

• NEW PROCESS: Grant School and SMMUSD have worked to digitize the compliance and document portions of the “First Day Packet.” The Data Confirmation process is easy for you and your student through Aeries Parent Portal in place of our previous process. This includes items like Emergency Cards, Parent Handbooks and Policies and Authorizations. We have many important documents and plenty of information for your family within the online registration site, accessed via your Aeries Parent Portal. Note: You must complete data confirmation for each student. Please be sure to read, review, and discuss all the materials with your student. We also need to gather information from you for emergency contacts and health documents. You may decide to print some of the documents for future reference. For a tutorial on how to complete this process, please click here [English]

• For a tutorial on how to complete this process, please click here (English Handout) (English Video) (Aeries Parent Portal Help Documents)

• NUEVO PROCESO: [Escuela] y SMMUSD han trabajado para digitalizar el cumplimiento y las porciones de documentos del "Paquete del Primer Día". El proceso de Confirmación de Datos es fácil para usted y su estudiante a través de Aeries Parent Portal en lugar de nuestro proceso anterior. Esto incluye artículos como Tarjetas de Emergencia, Manuales de Padres y Pólizas y Autorizaciones. Tenemos muchos documentos importantes y mucha información para su familia dentro del sitio de inscripción en línea, al que se accede a través de su Aeries Parent Portal. Nota: Usted debe completar la confirmación de datos para cada estudiante. Por favor, asegúrese de leer, revisar y discutir todos los materiales con su estudiante. También necesitamos que nos proporcione información sobre los contactos de emergencia y los documentos de salud. Si lo desea, puede imprimir algunos de los documentos para consultarlos en el futuro. Para un tutorial sobre cómo completar este proceso, por favor haga clic aquí[Spanish].

Good evening, Grant Parents and Caregivers,

Thank you to the following parents for volunteering to serve on the Grant School Site Council:

• Ayinde Alakoye
• Laura Kachergus

These two parents shared their interest in joining the council by last Friday's deadline. Site Council seats are filled by election only. Please visit the following link to vote for the candidates listed above. You may only vote once.

>>>GRANT SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL ELECTION BALLOT 2023-2024<<<

The purpose of the GRANT SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL is to develop the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) to ensure that all of the resources available to the school, the basic program, and the supplemental resources, are coordinated and focused on providing a high-quality educational program and learning environment in which students of all ranges and ability and background can succeed. This committee will meet once per month during the course of the 2023 - 2024 school year. The meetings are on the third Monday of each month unless there is a holiday. The public is welcome to attend Site Council meetings as observers. There will always be a time at the start of each meeting for public comment.

On Fridays, Ms. Cedillo's Transitional Kindergarten students and Ms. Croft's 4th-grade students pair up as READING BUDDIES!

Reading buddies programs are an excellent way to address the learning needs of both younger and older children. Through cross-age tutoring and partnerships, students improve their reading and fluency skills and gain broader literacy and social benefits.

Calling all used athletic shoes! Youth Ambassadors Mary Gubbins, Rebe Hall, and Leila Nord are working with the Prince Africa Track Foundation and collecting used shoes that you or anyone in your family no longer needs. The leader of the foundation whose name is Prince Mumba takes them to Zambia and gifts them to youth athletes. See the photos below from his last mission.

There will be a bin at the front of the school for shoe donations. The bins will be there for two months. Our goal is to collect 100 pairs - Let's Go Geckos!

We thank you in advance for helping us and will report back on how many pairs of shoes the Geckos have donated.

This event is not to be missed! Please email Erika Bell if you would like to participate by having a booth and sharing your family's culture!

Erika Bell: diversity@grantpta.org

PLEASE VISIT THE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

https://sites.google.com/grantpta.org/reflections2023/home

This Wednesday, September 13th, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students will participate in an assembly featuring Julia Storm, Digital Media Wellness Educator, to talk about how to develop a healthy and balanced relationship with their digital world to become conscious and literate media users.

Parents, some of you may have seen Julia last January when she came to speak at Grant. Some of the topics she will address are:

• Communicating with Friends
• Watching out for Strangers
• Private vs. Public info
• Privacy Settings
• Mental and Physical Wellbeing
• Creating Healthy Boundaries

If you are interested in learning more, here are a few recommended resources:

• Julia Storm's website: https://www.reconnect-families.com/
• https://thesmarttalk.org/
• https://www.waituntil8th.org/
• https://www.betterscreentime.com/

The Grant community wants to see all its children thrive. With the rise in mental health distress, we want to bolster our students’ skills and abilities to make healthy choices. We hope you will partner with us to work for the health and well-being of our entire community.

At Grant School, we believe that a consistent and fair set of policies help to keep the campus safe and students focused on learning. Many policies are grounded in either the guidelines of SMMUSD or in the California Education Code.

To review the Grant School policies and the SMMUSD Annual Notice Handbook please click the following links:

It is important that all students attend school every day. Exceptions may include if your child is ill. Please plan all family vacations during school vacation days. It is important to set your child up for success by assuring they are in school. For a detailed look at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's attendance policies, please click this link > http://www.grant.smmusd.org/registration/.

We realize some absences are for health or other reasons. But, when students are absent they can fall far behind in what they learn. Whether the absence is excused or unexcused It means your child is missing important classroom learning time.

Some Attendance Tips:

• Please notify the office within 72 hours to report your child's absence and the reason they were not in school.
• Illness, bereavement, and court hearings are the only reason for an "Excused" absence.
  
• Make sure your students keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
  
• Turn off all electronics including TVs, phones, and tablets at bedtime.
  
• Make sure clothes and pack backpacks are ready the night before.
  
• Check with our school nurse or office staff if you are not sure about when to keep your child at home due to illness.
  
• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
  
• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your student feels anxious about going to school.
  
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your student to school.
  

Please let us know how we can best support you and your student so that they can show up for school on time every day.

Greetings Grant Families,

We are excited to announce Gecko Academy's fall schedule and welcome you back to another amazing year of after school enrichment. We are still in the process of securing room assignments, so some things may shift, but wanted to share the offerings and opportunity to enroll as classes are filling up fast. If you have questions, please contact Olivia Donaldson (geckoacademy@grantpta.org) or Steve Atamian (execvp@grantpta.org).

View schedule.

LCAP Parent Advisory Committee (LCAP PAC)

2023 - 2024 Meeting Dates

GRANT SCHOOL IS SEEKING TWO (2) PARENT VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE ON THE SMMUSD LOCAL CONTROL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN (LCAP) PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC). IT IS IMPORTANT THAT GRANT IS REPRESENTED ON THIS CRITICAL COMMITTEE. PLEASE READ BELOW.

The passage of the legislation implementing the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) establishes a role for parent advisory committees in the development of the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). Education code 52063 requires that districts establish two distinct parent advisory committees to review and comment on the LCAP prior to submission to the local board: the Parent Advisory Committee and the English Learner Parent Advisory Committee.

The Parent Advisory Committee must be composed of a majority of parents or guardians of pupils and include parents of pupils to whom the definitions of education code 42238.01 apply. These include parents or guardians of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, English learners, and foster youth. Sites can also include other subgroups, such as Latinx, Black/African-American, Students with Disabilities.

MEETINGS ARE FROM 4:00 – 6:00 PM (Virtual Meetings)

PLEASE CONTACT PRINCIPAL FUHRER IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN REPRESENTING GRANT SCHOOL. cfuhrer@smmusd.org

Grant School is known for being a “neighborhood school” and for its close-knit community. Our goal now is to maintain these special characteristics of our wonderful school. It is important to understand that with these procedures, we are not trying to remove our parents' and guardians’ access; we are merely trying to control who is accessing our campus and when they are visiting.

With this in mind, we will begin the drop-off and pick-up procedures outlined below beginning Monday, August 28th.

During the first two days of school, all parents were permitted to walk their children to their classrooms. Beginning Monday, August 28th, all students will be dropped off at the Pearl Street Gate (Main Gate) and the 24th Street Gate (rear of school) with the exception of our Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten students. See below.

DROP-OFF and PICK-UP PROCEDURES

Preschool and TK Drop-off: Due to State law, all Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten students must be dropped off to their teacher. Preschool parents will continue to enter the campus at the main gates after checking in with the Campus Monitor, proceed to Room 59, and sign their child in with Ms. Reed. TK parents will walk their children to the Transitional Kindergarten yard where Ms. Herman and Ms. Cedillo will greet them each day.

Preschool and TK Pick-up: All Preschool parents will meet Ms. Reed at the main gates for dismissal. Students whose parents have not picked up their child at dismissal will check into the main office and then proceed to Room 59 to check their child out from Ms. Reed.

Ms. Herman's TK parents will enter the Kindergarten playground from the Pearl Street entrance at dismissal time and students will be returned to their parents by Ms. Herman. Ms. Cedillo's TK class will be released at the Pearl Street Gate (Main Gate) at dismissal time.

Kindergarten Drop-off: Kindergarten students will be dropped off by their parent or guardian at the gate next to Room 2 beginning at 8:00 AM Mon - Fri. Students will walk to the Kindergarten playground where they will be met by a teacher or Campus Monitor. Students enrolled in SAP will be walked to their classrooms by SAP personnel.

Kindergarten Pick-up: Kindergarten students will be picked up at the Pearl Street Kinder Gate at dismissal at 1:45 PM. Teachers will be there to greet parents and guardians. No Kinder student will be released to anyone other than a parent, guardian, caregiver, or emergency contact. Students enrolled in SAP will be picked up from SAP personnel in their classrooms.

Grades 1 – 5 Drop-off: All students in grades 1 – 5 will be dropped off by their parent or guardian at the Pearl Street Main Gate in front of the school or at the 24th Street Gate each morning. Students will enter the school and walk to the playground where they will be supervised by a Grant School Teacher, Campus Monitor, or Administrator. Drop-off will begin at 8:00 AM every day.

The start-of-school warning bell will sound at 8:25 AM. The final bell will sound at 8:30 AM. Students in grade 1 will walk to their lineup on the big map on the playground where their teacher will meet them and walk them to the classroom.

Students in Grade 2 will walk to their lineup behind their classroom where their teacher will meet them.

Students in grades 3 – 5 will line up in front of their classroom where their teacher will meet them.

Grades 1 – 3 Pick-up: Students in Grades 1 – 3 will be dismissed at the following times: Grade 1 at 2:40; Grade 2 at 2:45; and Grade 3 at 2:50. Teachers will walk students to the main gate at the front of the school where parents will meet their children at this time. Students in Grades 1 – 3 who are enrolled in an afterschool program, such as CREST or PTA enrichment classes, or Playground Club, will walk or be walked to the lunch tables where their program teacher will meet them. Parents are not to enter the campus until after 3:00 PM and only if they have a Main Gate key card.

Grades 4 – 5 Pick-up: Students in Grades 4 and 5 will be dismissed each day at 2:55 PM. Students will exit the campus either from the Pearl Stree Main Gate or the 24th Street Gate at the rear of the school. Students who are enrolled in an afterschool program, such as CREST or PTA enrichment classes, or Playground Club, will walk to the lunch tables where their program teacher will meet them. Parents are not to enter the campus until after 3:00 PM and only if they have a Main Gate key card.

After-Care Program Pickup Procedures: Parents of students in after-school care programs will receive or have already received a key card that will give them access to the Pearl Street Main Gate only. Please see the office if you have questions about this procedure or if you are having difficulty with your key card.

Early Dismissal Procedures: Wednesday drop-off and pick-up procedures are the same as those during regular school days but will follow the Wednesday bell schedule. Please see the bell schedule ABOVE.

SAP Drop-off: All students enrolled in SAP before-school care will be dropped off in Room 4. Drop-off begins at 7:00 AM. Please use your Pearl Street Main Gate key card for entrance.

Breakfast Club: Students who participate in the Grant Breakfast Club will still arrive at school under the same procedures as all students. Parents will drop their children off at the main gates by 8:00 AM so that there is ample time to eat and walk to their classrooms by 8:30 AM. Preschool, TK, and Kinder students will continue to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to Breakfast Club if the parent so chooses.

Raptor Security System

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will use the Raptor visitor management system to strengthen our campus safety programs for students and staff. All schools currently have this system installed.

An important aspect of keeping students and staff safe is for site staff to know who is on our campuses at all times. The Raptor system achieves this interest as it allows office staff to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers, in our schools and provides us with a safer environment for students, staff, and approved volunteers.

Upon entering campus, visitors will be asked to present identification such as a driver’s license, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian does not have a US government-issued identification, for any reason, the visitor may submit an alternative form of identification for school staff to enter into the Raptor system.

The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the identification is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not allowed on our campuses. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item at the front gate.

Show your Grant school spirit with Gecko Wear! Spirit Day is every Friday.

Purchase your spirit wear here and you will be notified when items are available for pickup in the front office.

GO GECKOS!

To be a volunteer in SMMUSD you must complete the official Volunteer Training and fill out an application.

Volunteer Training dates:

• Tuesday, September 5th @ 4:45 PM in the Library
• More dates to be added soon!

Your donation does so much for Grant!

Please consider donating to the two organizations that enhance education for all Grant students: the Santa Monica Education Foundation and Grant PTA. Your donations are so important. Check out the crucial staff, programs, technology, and materials funded by your donations in this chart!

Our goal is for 100% of Grant families to give to PTA and the Ed Foundation. ANY amount makes a difference to our kids. If you have already donated, thank you!

¡Su donación hace mucho por Grant!

Considere hacer una donación a las dos organizaciones que mejoran la educación de todos los estudiantes de Grant: la Fundación Educativa de Santa Mónica y la PTA de Grant. Sus donaciones siguen siendo muy importantes. ¡Consulte el personal, los programas, la tecnología y los materiales fundamentales financiados con sus donaciones en esta gráfica!

Nuestra meta es que el 100% de las familias de Grant den a la PTA y a la Fundación Ed. CUALQUIER cantidad hace la diferencia para nuestros hijos. Si ya ha donado, ¡gracias!

*Some events and resources not sponsored by or affiliated with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

We are thrilled to announce an amazing opportunity for your children in grades 2nd - 5th to participate in Co-ed Flag Football and Co-ed Volleyball!

Co-ed Flag Football:

Get ready to hit the field and showcase your football skills! Our Co-ed Flag Football program is open to all children in the 2nd - 5th grades. Whether your child is a seasoned athlete or looking to try something new, this program offers a fun and inclusive environment where they can develop teamwork, sportsmanship, and agility.

Co-ed Volleyball:

For those who enjoy a fast-paced and dynamic sport, our Co-ed Volleyball program is the perfect fit! Children in the 2nd - 5th grades can join us to learn and play volleyball, focusing on fundamental skills such as serving, bumping, and spiking. It's a fantastic way for your child to enhance their coordination and teamwork while having a blast.

To read the Gecko Gazette in another language please look to the right of the newsletter and click "TRANSLATE NEWSLETTER". You can now choose from 100 languages!

~ ¡NUEVA OPCIÓN DE TRADUCCIÓN A 100 IDIOMAS! ~

Para leer la Gaceta Gecko en otro idioma, mire a la derecha del boletín y haga clic en "TRADUCIR EL BOLETÍN". ¡Ahora puede elegir entre 100 idiomas!

~ በ 100 ቋንቋዎች ውስጥ አዲስ የትርጓሜ ምርጫ! ~

የጌኮ ጋዜጣ በሌላ ቋንቋ ለማንበብ እባክዎን በራሪ ወረቀቱ በስተቀኝ በኩል ይመልከቱ እና “የትርጉም ጽሑፍ” ን ጠቅ ያድርጉ ፡፡ አሁን ከ 100 ቋንቋዎች መምረጥ ይችላሉ!