GRES News 9.17.2021

September 17, 2021

Good evening GRES Families,

A big thank you to all families who joined us for Curriculum Night, either in person or by watching the teacher videos sent in advance.

Safety will continue into the coming weeks.

We will continue to adjust what lunch looks like in an effort to reduce or eliminate having to quarantine students due to social distancing requirements. The goal is for all students to be 6 feet apart from their closest neighbor. This means that if students stay in their seat during lunch, we should not have to quarantine students due to lunch time.

And a few important reminders we want to bring to your attention:

In alignment with our current policies (not new), students may NOT bring things to distribute for special events (birthdays, parties, good-byes, etc.).
If you need to deliver lunch for your child(ren), please know items can only be dropped off for your own child(ren). You may not provide food for other students.
It may also be helpful and reduce waiting time if families can review with their child(ren) as part of the morning routine how they are getting home each day.
For the families that walk or bike-ride with their child(ren) to school, please stay back at the yellow gate. This area is the kiss-and-drop and pick-up zone for families. Families should not be on the blacktop drive that leads around to the back of the building or in the grassy area by the bike racks.
Families that pick-up and drop-off via the car line:
students must exit on the curb side,
parents do not exit the vehicle, and
feel free to make a bright sign to help your child(ren) recognize the car.
The green check times out after completing the daily health certification; please take a screenshot to prevent having to do it again!
Please send an extra mask with your child in a ziploc bag that can be kept in their backpack should they need to change it part way through the day.
We still have Kindergarten yard signs if you'd like to pick one up. Call the office to coordinate this.
Most importantly, we'd like to fill our remaining open positions. Currently, we are looking for a paraprofessional (full time) and lunch recess supervisors from 10:30am-12:50pm.

We appreciate any feedback you wish to provide as we believe we are a team working towards the same goal! :)

Sincerely,

Michele Breyne

GRES Principal

Meet & Greet

Hi, my name is Rachel Davis, and I am the Certified School Nurse here at Grande Reserve! I have worked at GRES for 7 years, but I have been a nurse for 17 years! I enjoy traveling, hiking and beekeeping! I live in Yorkville and have two children in the District. A student’s health is directly related to his or her ability to learn. I love being the bridge between student's healthcare and their education. Keeping children healthy, safe, in school, and ready to learn is my top priority! I am always available to address any health related questions or concerns that you may have with your child/children.

SHOUT OUTS!!!

We would like to continue celebrating and awarding shout outs to any GRES Staff nominated!!!

Students or parents can nominate a teacher to be included in our "SHOUT OUTS!" section of the weekly newsletter by sharing a reason(s) why they make school a wonderful place to be! Your input can be shared by completing the Staff Shout Outs or you can email it to [email protected] or [email protected].

Thank you for helping spread some joy!

We are looking forward to sharing your responses!

Intramurals

5th & 6th grade Intramural Cross Country starts Monday, 9/20/21.

In compliance with the state guidance, Yorkville is excited to be offering in-person athletic intramurals for the 21-22 school year for co-ed cross country, co-ed volleyball, girls basketball, boys basketball, and co-ed soccer. All athletic activities will adhere to the levels of play allowed per the Governor and strict social distancing protocols will be followed. Masks will be required for indoor sports and students will need to bring their own water bottles.

Completing THIS google form serves as registration for your student and includes information about requirements, timelines and costs to participate. Registered students will receive an email from the building coaching staff with specific information regarding their sport.

Intramurals Flyer

Google Forms Sign Up

Y115 Athletics Waiver

Y115 Return to Play Waiver - Following Covid Infection

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.

To learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month and how you can engage your child in learning more about it, please visit https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov.

Tonight in the Zócalo of Mexico City, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will lead the country in the "Cry of Dolores" (Grito de Dolores) to commemorate when Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and gave the call to arms that triggered the Mexican War of Independence. Every year on the eve of Independence Day, the President of Mexico re-enacts the cry from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City, while ringing the same bell Hidalgo used in 1810. The Grito often differs slightly from year to year to reflect recent sentiments, or a preference by the President for a shorter or longer shout event has come to symbolize Mexican independence and to initiate Independence Day ceremonies the following day.

To see the Grito de Dolores delivered last year, click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yBJzwYD2hQ

Arrival & Dismissal

One of the other routines that is really coming together is our morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. All good things come with time...as we repeat this procedure daily, our times waiting in line are decreasing!

Please provide all hugs, kisses, and good-byes as you wait on Grande Trail. In the morning when staff waves you up, please pull as far up as possible and encourage your child(ren) to get out as quickly as possible.

In the afternoon, please focus on pulling up, the available staff will help locate your child. We have noticed several families parking on Grande Trail by the park. For any families that do so, please use the blacktop path to walk over by the yellow gate and wait for your child to meet you. It may be a good idea to review every morning with your child how they will be getting home ("don't forget, you're taking the bus this afternoon," "meet at the yellow gate and we'll walk together," "watch for us in the blue truck," etc.). In addition, if someone different than normal will be picking your child(ren) up, please share this information with them so they know who to expect.

If you think it may help, we are happy to provide bright colored paper for those who would like to make an eye-catching sign to hang in the window that may help your child(ren) recognize your car quicker. Please ask your child's teacher, and we'll send it home next week. If nothing else, it's a great activity to do as a family.

As a safety measure, we are talking with individual families when necessary to keep ALL students out of the parking lot. Parking in the parking lot to expedite dropping off or picking up your child is not allowed. Again, our goal is to keep our students safe and we can do that by working together! Please know that due to short- or long-term individual safety needs (students with wheelchairs, on crutches, or with impairments, etc.), we have made arrangements for a small number of our families (less than 1%) to park and pick up their child. To find out if you are eligible, please contact the office. We appreciate your understanding and trust in our decisions!

Nurse's Notes

Many of the same mitigating health factors are still in place from last year.

This includes when ANY family member is sick, ALL family members MUST stay home while waiting for test results. Please contact the school nurse any time positive results are acquired.
This also includes mask requirements. Masks need to prevent droplets from being released. Mesh masks, masks with valves, vents, openings, holes, or visible gaps in the design or material are NOT allowed.