Please review these important dates:

• Monday, August 28th: Room Representative Meeting @ 8:30 AM in the Auditorium

• Tuesday, August 29th: Minimum Day for all grades: Dismissal times: PreK/TK/Kinder @ 12:15 PM; 1st - 5th Grades @ 1:15 PM

• Tuesday, August 29th: Volunteer Training @ 4:45 PM in the Library

• Tuesday, August 29th: Back to School Night Grades TK – 2 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM; begin in the Auditorium @ 6:00 PM


• Monday, September 4th: No School in observance of Labor Day

• Tuesday, September 5th: Minimum Day for all grades: Dismissal times: PreK/TK/Kinder @ 12:15 PM; 1st - 5th Grades @ 1:15 PM

• Tuesday, September 5th: 5th-Grade Activities Information and Recruiting Meeting @ 4:45 PM in the Library

• Tuesday, September 5th: Volunteer Training @ 4:45 PM in the Auditorium

• Tuesday, September 5th: Back to School Night Grades 3 – 5 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM; begin in the Auditorium @ 6:00 PM

• Wednesday, September 6th: ELAC Meeting #1 @ 8:45 AM in the Sky Room

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

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

• Monday, September 18th: School Site Council Meeting: 3:15 - 4:45 PM in the Sky Room - SSC Training & School Safety Plan Presentation

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

• 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

• 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

August 27, 2023

Dear Grant Families,

Thank you all for an incredible opening week of school! It brought me great happiness and pride to see all of our families on the first day of the new year! I hope you felt the positive energy the way our staff did this week!

Please be sure to read the Gecko Gazette each Sunday night as it contains important information from the school, PTA, Santa Monica Education Foundation, City of Santa Monica, and other community partners. Links to each week’s Gazette are posted on our website.

As a reminder, we will be holding our traditional, in-person Back-to-School Night presentations on Tuesday, August 29th for Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First grade, and Second grade, and Tuesday, September 5th for grades 3-5. Both nights’ programs will begin with a short presentation in the Auditorium where you will meet our teachers, support staff, Assistant Principals, and me. While in the classroom, your child’s teacher will present an overview of the year’s instructional program, schedules, digital resources, and expectations for the coming year. Please refer to the school’s website for additional information on upcoming events: GRANT SCHOOL CALENDAR

If you wish to volunteer at Grant or in SMMUSD this year then you will be required to attend an official Volunteer Training and complete an application. We will be providing training this Tuesday, August 29th at 4:45 PM in the Library and then again on Tuesday, September 5th at 4:45 PM in the Auditorium, both prior to Back to School Night. We hope you will attend. Additionally, there will be a 5th-grade activities parent information session on Tuesday, September 5th at 4:45 PM in the Library. We will be sharing which activities 5th-grade students will participate in this year and I will be actively recruiting parents to help out with each of the activities!

As always, my door is open and our team welcomes your input. Please feel free to contact me via email at the address below or call to make an appointment to speak with me to discuss any ideas you feel will make this the best year yet!

GO GECKOS!

Best regards,

Christian Fuhrer

Principal

Grant School

cfuhrer@smmusd.org

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!

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].

The Grant School Site Council is currently seeking parent volunteers to serve a two-year term. These are elected positions.

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.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the GRANT SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL please email Principal Christian Fuhrer by Friday, September 1st at 3:00 PM. Click the following link to email: >>EMAIL PRINCIPAL FUHRER<<

El Consejo Escolar de Grant actualmente está buscando dos padres voluntarios para servir por un período de dos años. Si más de dos padres están interesados ​​en las vacantes disponibles, entonces se llevarán a cabo ELECCIONES.

El propósito del Consejo Escolar de Gobierno es desarrollar el Plan Único para el Logro Estudiantil ( sigla en inglés SPSA) para asegurar que todos los recursos disponibles para la escuela, el programa básico y los recursos suplementarios estén coordinados y enfocados en proporcionar un programa educativo de calidad y un entorno de aprendizaje en el que los estudiantes de todos los rangos, habilidades y niveles puedan tener éxito. Este comité se reunirá mensualmente durante el año escolar 2023-2024. Las reuniones son el tercer lunes de cada mes a menos que haya un día festivo.

Si está interesado en ser miembro del CONSEJO ESCOLAR DE GOBIERNO de la ESCUELA GRANT, envíe un correo electrónico al director, Christian Fuhrer, antes del viernes 1 de septiembre a las 3:00 pm. Haga clic en el siguiente enlace para enviarle un correo electrónico: >>EMAIL PRINCIPAL

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.

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

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.

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, August 29th @ 4:45 PM in the Library
• 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.

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!