Grace Christian Schools
A MESSAGE FROM MRS. SPIELMAN
August 12, 2016
 
"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old,
he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6  
julie spielman 2015
Mrs. Spielman
GCS Preschool Director


Dear Preschool Families,
 
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the family of Grace Christian Schools and our 2016/2017 Preschool year. It has been my honor and privilege to serve the families of Grace for the past fifteen years. I look forward to another year partnering with parents, in helping each child reach the next milestone in their development. I know that I speak for the staff when I say we are truly blessed to be a part of God's work here at Grace Christian Schools. I look forward to seeing how God will work this year in the lives of your children as they begin to walk in truth and love. One of the highlights of my day is to walk out onto the playground, through the classes or hallways, and interact with our preschoolers, receiving their enthusiasm and love!
 
We consider each of our families to be a part of the "Grace Family" whether this is your first year here or you are a returning family. As with any new family member, introductions are important! Make sure to stop by the upcoming Ice Cream Social, for all GCS Parents, to meet Mrs. Boldt, new GCS Administrator/Elementary Principal. This event will be held in the GCC Worship Center on Wednesday, August 17, 6 p.m. All parents are invited to stay and meet our Elementary teachers as the evening transitions into the Elementary Parent Orientation. Our New Parent Orientation for Preschool parents is Thursday, September 1. See more details below.
 
As we get ready to begin our Preschool year, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the continuing focus of our staff, which is training the "whole child." Watch in anticipation as your child develops and grows in each of these areas: spiritually, socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. We will provide opportunities for growth so that each child can be confident to move on in school with a strong and well-balanced foundation. Our preschoolers will have many hands-on activities available, both in the classroom and out on the playground. The children will be learning about God's plan for their life and His truth, as they hear stories from God's Word in chapel and during Bible time in their classroom. They will learn how to talk to God anytime and anywhere and how to listen as He talks, through His word, to their hearts. Be ready for a wonderful transformation as you watch your child grow and thrive!
 
Please know that my door is always open and I encourage you to stop by and visit at any time, should you have questions or concerns. We are all here to serve you.
 
God bless you and your family this year, and I pray that you have a WONDERFUL year at Grace!
 
Blessings,
Julie Spielman
Preschool Director 
FROM THE PRESCHOOL OFFICE 
Everyone agrees "Communication is key!"  
 
Life seems to be so busy at every stage, but especially for young growing families. With everything else going on, it's easy to forget about what's going on at school, we get that! So, we have put together several ways to communicate with you and keep you in the know!
  • Preschool Parent Handbook: The handbook covers everything from the History of GCS, Age based Developmental Goals, Curriculum Philosophy, the Daily Schedule, Student Health, to Financial Obligations. This document is always accessible from the school website: Preschool/Document Library.
  • Preschool Curriculum Guide for Parents:  This is your monthly guide to Learning Themes including: Bible Verse, Curriculum, Chapel, Character Trait, Shapes, Colors, Letters, Science, and tips for parents with suggested ideas of how to reinforce what your child is learning! This document is always accessible from the school website: Preschool/Document Library.
  • Preschool Calendar: Accessible through the school website or by signing into ParentsWeb.  Skip ahead by using the forward arrows by the month title. Hover over a date to see more information. Preschool also has a second calendar where parents can see what we are serving for snack under the "Snack Calendar." The Snack calendar is on the website while the current month is posted on campus in the Parent Resource Center. Future events/snacks are subject to change so please visit the calendars often.
  • Preschool Document Library: All school documents are kept here in the library. Informational flyers about additional programs, forms, etc. are located in this easy to get to area on the website. This is also where you will always find a copy of the Parent Handbook and the Parent Curriculum Guide for Parents.
  • Absence Reporting: Teachers appreciate knowing if your child will be absent from school and this is a great way to let her know. Use the link on our website by clicking on the title under "Quick Links." The other option is to leave her a voicemail message. Phone extensions are listed on the website.
  • ParentsWeb: During Online Enrollment you became familiar with ParentsWeb. Help us make sure your information is up to date by reviewing your Family Information. Reports will be printed soon and we want to supply teachers with the most up to-date information. Open "School Information" and from there choose "Web Forms" and then "Family Demographic Forms." Here is where you can update your home address, phone numbers, child's allergy or medical information, and email addresses. If you add someone as an Emergency Contact, please make sure to also add them to "Transportation." An Emergency Contact should be limited to two or three people. Your Transportation list is all those who are authorized to pick up your child from school. It takes 24 hours for us to be notified of an update. Last minute adds for Transportation can be done as Temporary in the office for same day.
  • Teacher & Class Information: Now, most likely, you are excited to find out who your child's teacher is! On Thursday, September 1, you will be able to login to ParentsWeb and view your child's classroom schedule. Under "School Information" click on "classes."
  • Email from GCS: Watch for a weekly school wide email on Fridays "Grace at a Glance" to highlight upcoming event details, flyers, order forms, links, etc. Typically the information will be regarding the next week's events. Emails are the number one way that we communicate. Other ways are printed flyers, communication from your teacher and also the use of ParentAlert text messages. Please add the following domains to your email address book to eliminate our emails from ending up in your spam or trash folders: "gcs-email.org" and "renweb.com".

UPCOMING IMPORTANT EVENTS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!
All School Ice Cream Social
NEW THIS YEAR FOR ALL GCS PARENTS!
Wednesday, August 17
6-7:30 p.m., Worship Center 
Meeting starts promptly at 6 p.m.
No Child Care Provided
 
Come meet our new Administrator/Principal, Danielle Boldt and enjoy a time of fellowship and ice cream! This is also our Elementary School Parent Orientation and teachers will be giving a brief introduction. If you are considering our elementary school for your family, this would be a great night for you to come and get to know our staff!
*Parent Only Event  

Parent Only "New Parent Orientation" 

Thursday, September 1 

6:30-8:15 p.m. 

Meeting starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:15 p.m.)
Meet in the GCC Worship Center

 

This is a very informative evening, especially for our new parents. If you are not able to arrange childcare, please have one parent attend! 

"Meet the Teacher"

Tuesday, September 6 

9:30-11:30 a.m.

A 20 minute Session scheduled for Individual Classes 
 
Please bring your child to your child's classroom to meet his/her teacher and classmates. Watch for an email on September 1, directing you to ParentsWeb for teacher assignment and room location. The email will also include a more detailed schedule showing you when to come. Each "Meet the Teacher" session is 20 minutes long and scheduled during the time frame of 9:30-11:30 a.m.  
First Days of School
 TTH, MTTH, M-F sessions: Thursday, September 8
WF, MWF sessions: Friday, September 9
AM Sessions: 8:30 -11:30 a.m.
PM Sessions: 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Lunch Bunch: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (pre-reserve through ParentsWeb) 
Above & Beyond Extended Care: 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (pre-reserve through office) 
HELPFUL BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS
Medication at School? 
If you indicated that your child will have medication on file for school use, please bring in all documentation and medicine to the school office, no later than Monday, August 22. This will help us label your child's name tag correctly. The applicable  Medical Authorization Forms must be completed by parent and physician for prescribed medication. 

School Bag Ready?
The only item required to attend preschool is a large open-handled bag - NO BACKPACKS! Grace school bags ($20) & T-Shirts ($15) are available for purchase in the school office as of September. Clearly label your school bag with child's name and place inside a complete change of clothes including socks. Actively potty-training? Don't forget a daily supply of pull-ups!

Nut-Sensitive Campus
Please be mindful that we have children with serious allergies attending our school and we are a "nut-sensitive" school. We do all we can to make sure our campus is safe for those dealing with food allergies. When it comes to dealing with nuts, all snacks served by the school are nut-free and we do not purchase anything processed or possibly contaminated with nut products. Teachers are required to check labels on incoming purchased treats and question parents as homemade treats are brought to school. Open this document for Healthy Nut-Free Lunch Ideas. We also take great care in choosing food vendors for events such as the school Carnival, etc. If your child has a nut allergy, let us take a moment to remind you that although we make every effort to remain nut-sensitive, there are so many avenues in where our campus may become compromised. This is why we state we are a "nut-sensitive" campus. An example of possible contamination would be a "goodie bag" from a classmate, which is sealed and sent home in a child's school bag. Please make sure to check contents and labels when opening something provided from another classmate.