GRES News 5.27.22

May 27, 2022

Good evening GRES families,

May has sure flown by; I'm not sure how we are only single-digit-days away from the end of the 21-22 school year. I'm sure the students are excited for the opportunity to sleep in, play outside, ride their bikes, attend camp, swim, and participate in many other activities. There is a sadness though in that the building will not have the usual buzz of the school year! As we wind down the school year, you may notice less newsletters as we only send them if there is new information to share so that we aren't inundating you with too much communication!

We would like to extend a GREAT BIG thank you to all who helped us celebrate Appreciation Week earlier this month:

Thank you to the teachers for all the hard work, dedication, and

passion you have for the students of GRES.

Thank you to the district for your kind words and

for providing snacks in the morning.

Thank you to the PTO for spoiling the GRES staff. The luncheon was

wonderful and the root beer floats were a wonderful way to end the week.

Thank you to the parents for the contributions to make the week possible

and for making our staff feel like a million bucks!

The YGS PTO is continuing to plan the Daddy/Daughter Dance scheduled for June 4th; it is open to all Y115 students. The beauties of Yorkville and their special someone are invited to the Boots & Beauties dance event Saturday June 4, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at Yorkville High School. Tickets are On Sale Now! Get your tickets by visiting https://y115.revtrak.net/gr-boots-and-beauties/ If there is a financial burden preventing a family from attending, please reach out to Mrs. Breyne, Mrs. Countryman, or Mrs. Lickfelt.

Have a wonderful week,

Michele Breyne

GRES Principal

Please see here for a list of specific resources regarding Mental Health needs.

You may also have noticed the sign and cones, or maybe your child(ren) is talking about the birds by the front entrance...

Birds are “nesting” at GRES

Ki-deah! ki-deah! No, these birds do not kill deer! They're named after their call, which sounds a bit like "kill-deer." And we have killdeer birds at GRES. They were first spotted by and have been photographed by Mrs. Sally Firrantello, a paraprofessional at GRES and Nurse Rachel Davis. But, the killdeer makes no nest at all! The bird lays its eggs right out in the open. At GRES, it is by our front yard rock garden. We have roped off and identified the “nest” with ropes and cones. There was one, then two and now there are three eggs! The eggs take less than a month to hatch, and as soon as they do, the parents lead the chicks to a more protected area. So please be respectful of the designated area at this time.

Facts Source: The Courageous Killdeer: Facts About the Killdeer Bird | The Old Farmer's Almanac and For more information on this bird species Killdeer (KLDR)

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

We adjusted the dismissal procedures to reduce parent wait time, lessen the congestion on Grande Trail, and better ensure student safety. We asked for, accepted and included parent feedback that was in alignment with our goals. We thank you for your continued patience and grace as we implemented and evaluated the first two weeks of our new Dismissal Procedure. The great news is that most cars are off Grande Trail by 3:30pm and the last car has consistently left the back loop by 3:52pm! We have reduced parent/car pick-up time by at least 10 minutes.

We continue to ask that you follow these main points:

Enter the GRES lot at point A no earlier than 3:00pm and stop at the cones indicated in the middle parking row.
Do not block point B; this is where the buses enter the front lot.
Enter the GRES back loop when the gates are opened (3:15-3:20pm). This gate will be closed at 3:50pm or after the last car has entered the back loop, whichever is LATER.
Make 2 lanes as you progress around the building pulling ALL THE WAY up to the cones, regardless of the location of your child.
Wait until signaled and use caution when exiting onto Grande Trail (point C).
Yield to ALL the buses as they are exiting at Point A.
Remind your child(ren) to wait until indicated to step onto the blacktop (from the sidewalk) and enter the vehicle.

We cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to continue to park by the park just passed the school. We are still seeing students walking out between cars. This is VERY alarming to us! I have exchanged emails, made phone calls, and engaged in face-to-face visits about the importance of student safety. Keeping all students safe should be the goal of all GRES members (students, staff, and parents). All parents/guardians are important, but nobody is more important than another. We understand everyone has somewhere to go after school. It may be getting children to after school activities (sports, etc.), returning to work, picking up a grocery order, etc. I ask you again, please be respectful and make decisions with every students' safety in mind!

PTO

Thank you for all the support this school year! We look forward to working with you next year!

YEF

Join Yorkville Educational Foundation on Thursday, June 9th at Blackberry Oaks Golf Course for an un-FORE-gettable day to support Yorkville CUSD 115 students. The outing, co-hosted with the City of Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department, features 18 holes of golf, lunch, on-course contests, a silent auction, prizes and more. Last year we raised more than $10,000, which funded Yorkville School District 115 innovation grants including family engagement nights and music, art, and PE experiences. Learn more and register at: https://www.yef115.org/fore

Fox Foodies

SHOUT OUTS!!!

For Ms. Mahendra: "Kavita is continually going above and beyond to meet the needs of her students. She also is always willing to help her coworkers in anyway that she can. My students absolutely LOVE when she comes in for Mrs. Mahendra Mondays because not only do they learn a lot from her but she gets them engaged in each topic. She is an irreplaceable and phenomenal teacher who continually strives to do everything she can. I am truly amazed by her each and every day. Thank you Kavita for all that you do! All of the GRES students and staff appreciate you!"

For Ms. Phalen, Mrs. Avery, Mrs. Lickfelt, & Dr. Hill: "It was so kind of her to cover my afternoon bus duty. It is greatly appreciated! :)"

Do you have someone you'd like to recognize or thank? Someone who has gone out of the way for you or your child(ren)? Submit a shout out by completing the Staff Shout Outs or you can email it to mbreyne@y115.org or scountryman@y115.org.

Thank you for helping spread joy! We are looking forward to sharing your responses!