Glacier Ridge Gazette

August 18, 2023

December 13, 2024

DR. KURTY'S CORNER

I’M A CHEER DAD AND I LOVE IT!

This weekend, my daughters have their first competitive cheer meet of a very long season. Years ago, they decided to make the switch from competitive gymnastics to cheerleading. As a dad, I struggled with this transition because of my misconceptions and judgment of cheerleading. In my mind, gymnastics is prestigious, elite, and touted. Look at the olympics; it is one of the most celebrated and most watched events. Cheer on the other hand seemed like glorified Tik-Tok. This switch taught me a few things about being a dad. But before I go into that, I'll give you a little background in the experience both girls had with gymnastics.

Maybe it was covid or the emotional make up of my daughters, but they both struggled with the concept of gymnastics. As many people know, it is a sport of precision and perfection. You start with a 10. Then, as you perform, you become less perfect and the judges start to dock points for everything that you do wrong. They struggled with their confidence because of this structure and they both realized that kind of pressure was not for them. I was glad they were able to recognize that for themselves. A caveat, I do not intend to negate the benefits of gymnastics. My point is that it wasn’t right for the make-up of my children.

As we made the switch, I struggled to identify if we were doing the right thing. Should I help my children build resilience? Am I saving them from the experience of hard work and dedication? How much should I push them out of their comfort zone? Do they want to quit just because it is hard? With all of those questions swirling, I also wondered, how do I support and empathize with them at the same time?

Ultimately, I I learned that there is no explicit answers to those these typical parenting questions, but it is still worth pondering them. We had a long conversation about those questions with my daughters. If they wanted to switch, I wanted them to know why THEY wanted to switch. My older daughter, who hates to talk about deep things (especially with her father), really struggled to understand her choice. However, we muscled through what it was about gymnastics that didn’t make her feel good. Through questions and conversation, she got to know herself better and what her needs were. The information also helped me understand her, which allowed me to support her better, while still pushing her.

The second thing I learned was about judgment. I was completely wrong about cheer. My own biases and misinformation had me form an option that was entirely untrue. At the start of the transition, I found myself feeling disappointed in my girls. I could sometimes catch myself projecting that disappointment onto them. I was not okay with that. That is when I started really digging into what the sport is all about. This was a lesson for me about judgment.

As humans, we are wired to synthesize information and fill in gaps of information in order to process it quickly. This is our brain trying to be efficient with all the information that we receive. The problem with that is we are often wrong. We fill in gaps of knowledge and understanding with our judgments or thoughts, which can lead to bias, stereotyping, or just plain being wrong. It’s natural, but not something that I don’t want to do, especially about my children. So, constantly seeking more information helps me do that less.

So, as I navigate the journey of parenthood, I am constantly revising how I push and support my children at the same time. I try focusing on their needs, getting more information, and talking with them is always a great place to start. I also want them to understand themselves better adn their needs. I want them to be able to communicate their needs and their emotions so we can collaboratively support them.

Enjoy the weekend as we approach the final week before break.

Sincerely,

Pete Kurty, Ed. D

Principal

Three part series about how we inadvertently treat children differently Part 3: Parents are teachers too Expect growth, not perfection. My generation constantly heard the phrase, “There’s no such thing as perfection.” That concept is absolutely true. I’m not sure exactly why or where that phrase originated from. As adults, we certainly know that to be true. High achievers also know that perfection is an impossible outcome. I’m not a perfect principal, father, husband, or leader. However, we sometimes expect children to be perfect - especially during a time when they are just learning how to navigate life and new skills. Children make mistakes….a lot of them. Not only that, but they should make mistakes. That is how they best learn how to navigate life, problem solve, and build resilience for adversity. Teach, don’t tell: When my children were younger, it was much easier to tell them what to do and how to do it. They would often listen because they understood the authoritative structure of child and parent. However, now that I have two young teenagers, just telling them what to do because I’m the parent doesn’t work any more. Furthermore, telling someone something is not a good teaching strategy either. As parents, we are teachers. Telling and giving information is NOT teaching. When someone can understand the concert, apply the skill, think abstractly about it, and then apply it in a variety of new situations, that is the teaching and learning process. It’s easier said than done (especially with teens AND adults). However, that is the most effective process. Enforce growth & reflection, not outcome: Because we have navigated life for decades, we often forget that children are just learning how to do things for the first time. As a child, you are often doing many things in life for the first time. When doing something for the first time, being good at it initially is a rarity, let alone perfect (which is impossible). Instead of expecting perfection, look for growth and reflection. I have found that my children will often just want to do it the way they want to. Schoolwork is a common example. You would think that having my doctorate would make me an expert in teaching children. Regardless, my children don’t see it that way. Instead of portraying that I know what I’m talking about, I ask them reflective questions to get them to plan and explain what they think they need to do. I force them to reflect and plan ahead of time. What is your goal? What do you want from doing this or this way)? Why do you think this is the best way/plan? What are there things that could go wrong? I’m here to support you and I believe in you. What can I do to help you? Afterwards, regardless of whether the outcome was positive or detrimental, we try to reflect. This is often harder because the children are anticipating a parent lecture. So navigate this with caution and don’t force it. They often know their shortcomings and just don’t want to talk about it. I’m proud of you for carrying out your plan. Is there something I could have done differently to help you? (This shows that you are a team and support them in failure and success). What did you plan that went well? What would you plan differently next time? Feedback: Feedback is an important part of learning as well. Again, in the younger years, it is easier. However, that is what also allows adults to just give feedback in a way that we wouldn’t want as adults. If I try something new for the first time at work, I certainly wouldn’t want my boss to just give me constructive feedback. Instead provide balanced feedback and couple it with the reflective questions above. Teaching and learning is about growth and ownership. If someone just tells me what to do, I don’t have any ownership in it. Growth and change occurs more out of strengths than deficits. In other words, I’m more likely to build on my strengths and success than the things that are harder for me to change. Therefore, begin with the reflective questions above and then feedback about what was positive and successful. Follow that with the reflection questions about what to change and feedback. End with a supportive question to show your support and care. Don’t forget to incorporate conversation, questions, and feedback about their effort. Sometimes they have a great plan, but the outcome wasn’t as expected. Therefore, reinforce the amount and quality of the effort that they put in, and don’t focus solely on the outcome. We are growing and learning as parents, too. We make mistakes and it’s okay for our kids to know that. That allows them to see that making mistakes themselves is okay. However, we all must learn and grow from those mistakes. Ironically, it is better for them to know that a perfect parent doesn’t exist either. Sincerely, Pete Kurty, Ed. D Principal

GLACIER RIDGE INFORMATION

Redistricting Maps Now Available

The elementary and middle school redistricting process is now finalized. Families can view the static boundary maps, which will take effect beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, on the Dublin City Schools Maps and Boundaries page or by visiting Cropper GIS's dedicated DCS Redistricting webpage.

To see school assignments based on your address, use the interactive map tool on the Cropper GIS webpage. Simply enter your street address into the search bar to view your elementary and middle school assignments for the 2025-2026 school year.

KINDNESS POST OFFICE - Up and running!

Starting Monday, December 9 through December 18, students will be able to purchase stamps in the mornings from 9:00-9:10 from the fifth graders. The stamps are used to mail Choose Kind letters to other students and staff at Glacier Ridge that are delivered at the end of the day. The proceeds from the sale of the stamps goes to benefit One Dublin. You can find more information about the Kindness Post Office HERE.

Fifth grade students experience the business of creating postage stamps to sell to students. The idea of supply and demand, opportunity cost, labor and division, banking, sales experience, customer service, and profit / loss are all linked to our fifth grade economics standards.

Are you subscribed for text alerts? Don't miss winter communications and other important information! Opt in for Texts from DCS

For school closures, emergencies, urgent alerts, and important reminders, our district utilizes SchoolMessenger to deliver text messages straight to staff and/or mobile phones. You can participate in this free service just by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587, or scanning the QR code below. You can also opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”. We recommend saving this short code and Caller ID to the contacts on your phone. This will help prevent any 3rd party call blocking systems from interfering with your receipt of important messages sent by the school or district.

SIGN UP & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Parent/Guardian Volunteer Background Check

VOLUNTEERING: Dublin City Schools takes the safety of our students and staff seriously and requires a background check for all volunteers interacting with students. In order to attend field trips or volunteer in the classroom, you much go through the background check process. The process is free and easy and takes only a few minutes to complete. This is required for any parents or caregivers wishing to volunteer with students.

Background Check Sign-up

Morning Tiger Student Announcements

Would you like to start your day saying “Hello!” to everyone at Glacier Ridge in the morning? Are you in 2nd thru 5th grade? Then sign up to read the morning announcements! If you would like to find out more about this opportunity and sign up to be a Tiger Student Announcer then go to the sign-up link below.

Students can sign up only 1 time per week.

Morning Tiger Student Announcements Sign-up

Glacier Ridge Student Greeter Team

Glacier Ridge Elementary believes in creating a caring and comfortable environment for it's community of learners. This begins as students enter the front doors of the school in the morning. Sign up your child to be a greeter. Students gain confidence, become leaders, and learn how to present themselves in a positive way.

Click on this link to find out more specific information.

Student Greeter Sign-up

GRE EVENTS

Upcoming GRE Events

December 17th- 4th Grade Caroling after school

December 20th- Celebration of Giving Assembly

December 21st-January 5th- No School Winter Break

January 6th, 2025- NO SCHOOL Teacher Work Day

January 7th-School Resumes

January 9th-PTO Dinner Night Out @ Black Dog Pizza

January 17th-Yearbook Sale Begins

Subscribe to the GRE Google Community Calendar

DISTRICT UPDATES

Winter Break

The last day of school for the first semester is Friday, December 20. School will resume on January 7 following winter break and a teacher work day.

Don’t Miss Out on Available Student Activities

We have recently added new opportunities for students to the Info Hub. Is your student interested in conservation? Or scouting? Or Volleyball? Learn more about how to participate in these activities by visiting the Info Hub.

Fall Grade 3 Ohio State Test Results - English Language Arts

Third grade students participated in the Ohio State English Language Arts Grade 3 assessment earlier this year. This state mandated assessment measures end of year expectations. Third grade students will take the Gr 3 ELA OST again in April. The results can now be found in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. This resource provides additional information about Ohio State Tests and how to interpret the data displayed in Infinite Campus. Directions on how to find the results in Infinite Campus are linked in the resource above.

Additional information regarding these results and the OST Family Report will be shared during winter conferences. Please reach out to your classroom teacher if you have any questions.

Calls from the Santa’s Elves

Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa Phones is an opportunity for the Coffman National Honor Society students to surprise your child with a call from one of “Santa’s Elves.” Calls will be made on Tuesday, December 17 from 6-8 p.m. Sign up for a call using this link.

Parents of 5th Graders - Save the Date

Each middle school will hold a Welcome to Middle School event for parents of incoming 6th Grade students on January 29 from 6-7 p.m. Watch for more details in January, but save the date now!

From the City of Dublin

How To Be Energy Efficient at Home This Winter

MORPC works to support low- and moderate-income households maintain and improve their homes through repair and energy efficiency (weatherization) programs. Each program has different eligibility requirements. If you apply and are ineligible, MORPC staff will redirect you to other resources. Learn more.

Donate to Police Holiday Toy Drive

Come one, come all to the annual Dublin Police toy drive this Saturday, Dec. 14! From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., you can drop off new, unwrapped toys and gift cards at the Dublin Justice Center to support local kids. Donation details.

Dublin City Schools Home

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

To help students discover their interests and enrich their learning, Dublin City Schools partners with local businesses and community organizations to offer After School Activities outside of school hours. These experiences, which vary in content, time, location, and cost, are taught by course instructors employed by a sponsoring business or organization.

Activities List & Registration

Going to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade? What To Know Get ready for Dublin's St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 9! Plan where you'll watch by checking out the parade route and accessible parking. The City is also partnering with Central Ohio Safe Ride for discounted Lyft rides to or from the parade and Downtown Dublin. Get the Lyft code and find your spot. Dublin Is an Exceptional Community Because of YOU You’re invited to the State of the City from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at The Exchange in Bridge Park. Hear from your City Council, public servants and fellow neighbors about Dublin’s successes and what’s to come this year and in the future. All are welcome to attend. RSVP today! We Need Your Input on the DCRC Refresh Join us for the third and final DCRC Refresh Engagement Session from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, at the Dublin Community Recreation Center in Talla 1. A presentation from the designer will begin at 6 p.m. Guests will have an hour after the presentation to walk around, see different design renderings up close and ask questions in an open house-style session. Can't make it? Share your feedback here.

GRE CONTACT INFORMATION

Attendance

If your child will be absent from school, please email our attendance line at gres_attendance@dublinschools.net.

Glacier Ridge Elementary

Email: glacierridge_info@dublinschools.net
Website: https://glacier.dublinschools.net/
Location: 7175 Glacier Ridge Boulevard, Dublin, OH, USA
Phone: 614.733.0012
Twitter: @greDCSD

Glacier Ridge Elementary Home