Superintendent's Update: January 5th, 2024
Weekly What’s Going Well:
Welcome back after a well deserved winter break. It is my sincere hope that each of you were able to relax, recharge, and reflect on your blessings and accomplishments during 2023. Check out this week’s video as we discuss school safety in the aftermath of the tragedy in Perry. There is also information on an action step we can take to support the whole child as we chat about the LINK Mentorship program with my guest Ashley Grundler. View the rest of the weekly update below to catch up on the latest from across the district.
LINK Mentorship
The LINK Mentorship Program is a great way to support the whole child by partnering with a Big Buddy from the community. This free program matches students with a buddy for a weekly meeting. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or signing your child up for this service click here to learn more. You can also reach out using this email address: mentoring@linkgrinnell.org
Tiger Scholarship Fund
Exciting changes have been made to what was previously known as the Dollars for Scholars program. The program has changed names to Tiger Scholarship Fund and is now partnered with the Ahrens Foundation, so three of the main scholarships students complete will all be in the same place. The application opened December 1st and will remain open until March 18th. Students can find more information about available scholarships here.
New Devices Across the District
You may have noticed some buzz around the district with students swapping out an old device for a new one! Thank you to Mindy Kostow, Bill Gruman, and the tech team for preparing all of the devices for staff and students. At this time, all K-8 devices have been upgraded. The high school devices will be refreshed within the next month. Please remind your students to properly care for their new devices and chargers to ensure they work well into the future to support their education.
Fill It Up
New filling stations were recently added to the second floor as well as near the gym at Davis to help support student and staff hydration needs.
The Virtual Backpack can be found here:
The Activities Calendar can be found here:
Have a great weekend!
Steven H. Barber