Weekly Update: October 12, 2017
Weekly Update: October 12, 2017
Dear Grinnell-Newburg Family and Friends:
Happy Thursday everyone! We are sending out the update a day early this week due to conflict in schedules and I did not want this to arrive to your inbox to late. It has been a cold rainy week, to say the least, and I hope we will find some relief this weekend. Below you will find our weekly update with information that will keep you in tune to the current events that are happening in our schools.
Elementary Science Meeting
Our elementary science teachers met with Mr. Gruman this week to review our science lessons, and plan and coordinate lessons among the grade levels as we implement more of the modules from our Project Lead the Way Program. This collaboration among our grade level staff and our technology instructional director has been beneficial in meeting the needs of our students as they explore STEM.
Admin Team Meeting
This past week our administrative team came together to talk about Level 1 and Level 2 for High Reliability Schools and our next steps. Each principal will be working with their staff at the next professional development day reviewing the lagging indicators and data as they target areas for improvement. The level 2 strategies regarding instructional practices will connect with our implementation and discussions around our literacy pilot and discipline literacy activities. Please contact your building principal if you need further clarification on how our PD is aligning to our literacy efforts.
LMC meeting
This week we hosted the first “Labor Management Committee Meeting” to talk about process, answer some questions, and begin to review the handbook. This committee consists of union leadership representatives, administration and district office staff. This was a very productive meeting. Our task for our next meeting that will be held in December is to recruit staff members and administrators to review our evaluation process. We will be looking for a representative at each building. We will keep you posted on further information.
Board Meeting
The Board of Education met this past Wednesday evening to review policies, provide feedback to me regarding the superintendent's goals, and approve our new switches to support our Network. The Board also approved an adjustment to their meeting calendar. The Board will meet next week on October 18, and then again on November 8 and November 15. These meetings have been adjusted to accommodate frequent updates on the facilities steering committee’s work.
AEA Assessment Audit
This Friday the administrative team will be meeting with our AEA for an assessment audit. This audit will examine our current assessment practices and we will receive recommendations on how we can improve our practice.
Farm To School Day on Thursday, October 19, 2017
October is Farm to School Month! Our food service department will be featuring some produce from local farms on October 19th. The local produce will be on our school salad bars and all students who eat a school lunch will get to try these wonderful items. We will have radishes, apples, broccoli, and carrots. The farms that will be featured are Heritage Farm, Middle Way Farm, and Sojourn Farm. A special thank you to the Local Foods Connection for helping our food service department get connected with some of our local farms.
State Marching Band
This Saturday the Marching Band will be performing in Pella at the State Marching Band Competition. Grinnell will perform around 1:25 p.m. Let’s hope that the rain will stay away so that they are able to perform. I am looking forward to seeing it!
Girl’s Volleyball Senior Night:
As the fall seasons come to a close, our district is celebrating our senior athletes. Pictured below with their parents are: Kelsey Freeborn and Nicole Popp.
Upcoming events: Please visit the Calendar page on our website for further details
October 11 - Meeting of the Board of Education
October 13 - 4-year old Field Trip to Center Grove Apple Orchard
October 18 - Meeting of the Board of Education
October 26 - 2 Hour Early Dismissal for Parent Teacher Conferences (2:00-8:00 p.m.)
October 27 - No School, Parent Teacher Conferences (8:00 a.m.-Noon)
November 1- Unplugged Night
Please remember to check our district’s Virtual Backpack for activities and events!
Have a great weekend!
Janet
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Dr. Janet M. Stutz
Superintendent
Grinnell-Newburg Schools