Grass Lake School News

Your Voice Matters! Take the Illinois 5Essentials Survey

Parents, teachers, and students across Illinois can participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, helping improve schools by identifying strengths and areas for growth. This year, at least 30% of parents must respond for our school to receive a report—this is an increase from the previous 20% requirement. We need your feedback more than ever!

The survey, conducted by the University of Chicago on behalf of ISBE, focuses on five key areas proven to impact student success:

Effective Leaders
Collaborative Teachers

Involved Families
Supportive Environments
Ambitious Instruction

Why is this important?
Schools strong in these 5 areas are 10 times more likely to improve student learning! Your input directly helps guide improvements at your child’s school.

How does it work?

• The survey is online and confidential—your identity will not be linked to your responses.
• If at least 30% of parents participate, the school will receive a report in June with summary results.
• Results will also be included in the Illinois School Report Card in October and made public.

What a great week to be a BRAVE! March is here, bringing new opportunities for learning, engagement, and community at Grass Lake School. As we move toward spring, there are many exciting events ahead for our students and families.

We are pleased to announce that our NEHS/NJHS Candle Ceremony has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the gym. Students should meet in the MPR by 5:15 that evening. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our students and their commitment to academic excellence and service.

Our PTO is hosting its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 13, at 11:00 a.m. Families are encouraged to arrive prior to 11:00 a.m. as the hunt will begin promptly. This is not a drop-off event, so please plan to stay and enjoy the fun with your child. The Easter Bunny will also be making a special visit, adding to the excitement of the day.

Families looking to get involved in upcoming events are invited to our Family Engagement Team meeting on Wednesday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. in the GLS LRC. This meeting will focus on planning our Multi-Cultural Event in May, and we hope to see many families participate in this opportunity to celebrate the diverse backgrounds within our school community.

Later that evening, at 7:00 p.m., representatives from Stellar Athletics will join me via Google Meet to provide additional details about the new 9-week Stellar Summer Camp. This is a great opportunity to learn more about what the camp offers and ask any questions you may have. You can join the meeting on Wednesday by following this link. For those interested in Stellar Summer Camp, registration is now open, with early bird registration ending on March 21. Families are encouraged to register early to secure a spot, and questions can be directed to coachJ@stellerathletics.org.

Students in fifth grade and up are invited to Rec Night on Saturday, March 8, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. This event is open to both GLS students and friends from outside the district who meet the grade requirement. The cost is $10 per student, and registration is required. Families can sign up using the following link.

Additionally, please see this letter regarding important updates on IAR testing and the 5Essentials Student Survey. This information is relevant for families of students in grades three through eight and provides details on upcoming assessments.

We are excited for everything this month has in store and look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. Thank you, as always, for your help and support and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Warm Regards,

Ryan Wollberg

Principal/Grass Lake School

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 Steller Athletics' next Friday Afterschool offering for next week (March 14). Steller Athletics has shared that they are temporarily capping numbers to ensure the program runs smoothly, safely, and with purpose. The goal is to create a positive and meaningful experience for everyone involved—students, staff, and workers alike. Once they reach capacity, the link will automatically close. Thank you for your support and understanding!

Rec Night is Saturday March 8th from 7-9 for 5th and up students! $10 each student. Have friends outside of the district that are 5th grade and up? They are welcome also! Registration is required.

Here is the Link!

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.

Our PTO is hosting its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 13, at 11:00 a.m. Families are encouraged to arrive prior to 11:00 a.m. as the hunt will begin promptly. This is not a drop-off event, so please plan to stay and enjoy the fun with your child. The Easter Bunny will also be making a special visit, adding to the excitement of the day.

7th grade finished the second trimester strong with making totem poles. We did an art critique in a circle where everyone was able to share the meaning of their piece of the pole. You can see these displayed in the front office.

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