Hello, and welcome to this edition of Cruiser Connections. Our goal is to keep our Cruiser community informed of the happenings, celebrations, and news of the school district, our students, staff, and schools. We’re excited to have you join us on this journey, and we look forward to your feedback.

I'm very excited to announce that we will hold our State of the Schools Celebration at 7 PM, on Thursday, March 24, at Groveport Madison H.S. We were unable to hold the event last year because of widespread COVID-19 concerns; however, rapidly declining transmission rates makes it possible to have the in-person event once again safely. 

The evening will begin with a brief presentation where we will recap the past year, talk about some of the District's challenges, and share our plans for the future. There will be displays from our schools and several community partners, and we'll showcase the incredible talents of many of our students through performances and the District's art show. We’ll also have an array of delectable treats to tempt your taste buds.

I sincerely hope you can join us for this special event!

Celebrating and learning about the many ethnicities, cultures, and traditions within our school district and the world is vital to understanding and appreciating one another and from where we come. 

February is Black History Month, and there are an array of activities occurring in our schools as part of this recognition and celebration. Be sure to check out our schools’ social media pages and our Black History Month webpage at https://www.gocruisers.org/BlackHistoryMonth.aspx.

In 2020, Groveport Madison Schools launched a "Free Breakfast for All" program with the assistance of (and a grant from) the Children's Hunger Alliance (CHA) of Columbus.

 The impetus for expanding the free breakfast program came from MS North teacher Jillian Hetki, who, on her own, was providing breakfast to students in her classroom when she noticed they seemed sluggish and struggling to focus in her first-period class. GM Schools Deputy Superintendent Jamie Grube and Food Services Director Dan Magee worked with CHA and other officials to expand the free breakfast program District-wide. Free breakfasts also were provided to students through the District's Grab & Go Meal Program when schools were operating on a remote learning schedule.

The Children's Hunger Alliance will recognize the District in their Menu of Hope virtual event on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at noon. You can view the event live at https://e.givesmart.com/events/jlg/page/MOH2022/.

With enrollment at nearly every GM school exceeding its capacity – and new housing and enrollment continuing to increase year after year, the District will soon begin the process of creating a new facilities master plan. Cropper GIS, one of the country's leading demographers and enrollment trend analysts, has been hired to complete a capacity assessment of our schools and determine the District's anticipated enrollment trends for the next ten years. The Board will also consider contracting with SHP, Inc., one of the region's most experienced architectural and educational facilities planning firms, to lead our efforts to create a new facilities master plan. Beyond both companies' vast experience and excellent reputations, one of the key reasons we want to work with them is their demonstrated commitment to engaging community stakeholders throughout the entire effort. We believe strongly in making sure the Groveport Madison community has a voice in any future facilities plans for the District.

Are you planning to enroll your child in kindergarten for the next school year? Then you'll want to make your life much easier by registering them as soon as possible. Many of our schools' enrollments are already exceeding capacity, so by enrolling early, you are more likely for your child to be able to attend your assigned neighborhood school – or have the opportunity to request another elementary school within the District. The first 100 children to be registered will receive a Cruiser kindergarten backpack stuffed with all kinds of fun treats!

To enroll, your child should be five years of age by August 1, 2022. For more information about our kindergarten program or to check out our kindergarten readiness checklist, go to https://www.gocruisers.org/Kindergarten.aspx. Enrollment can easily be completed online at https://www.gocruisers.org/Enrollment.aspx. Call 614-491-8288, or email Enrollment@GoCruisers.org with any questions.

In early February, an auto auction business in Perrysburg, Ohio, contacted the District's Communications Office after finding a cell phone in a car they'd taken in. The only clue about the phone’s owner was that the lock screen showed a picture of a family wearing Cruiser gear! Given that Groveport Madison Schools has the only Cruiser mascot in the region, the auction company had no problem finding our contact information. A representative from the company reached out to us to see if we could help find the owner of the phone. Within 40 minutes of us posting the picture from the lock screen on our Facebook page (@gocruisers), the post was seen by nearly 16,000 people, and the owner of the phone contacted us. Thank goodness the family members were all proud Cruisers! 

On Friday, February 25, from 8 AM until 12:30 PM, Groveport Madison Schools and PrimaryOne Health will hold a COVID-19 booster clinic. The clinic will be held at the District Service Center (DSC), located at 4400 Marketing Place, Suite B, in Groveport. All three brands of the booster vaccine will be available. Participants should bring their COVID-19 vaccine card with them when getting the booster dose. Register in advance by calling or texting “Vaccine” to 614-502-5329.

The high school has utilized a math grant to purchase Newline Interactive Displays for the 12 math classrooms. The new displays incorporate outstanding features to help the students and teachers work and learn. These boards have:

To coincide with our State of the Schools Celebration, the District’s 2021 Annual Report will be mailed to all residents toward the end of March. An electronic edition also will be available on our GoCruisers website at https://www.gocruisers.org/ODEProfile.aspx.

Please note: With the release of the annual report and the State of the Schools event taking place in March, the next edition of Cruiser Connections will be published in April.

Find out how it's determined if schools can remain open or if classes will be canceled, how you'll be notified, and what you need to do to prepare in the event schools have to close early. You can get answers to these questions and many more at https://www.gocruisers.org/SchoolCancellationInfo.aspx.

We know that great news occurs every day. We invite you to share positive news items with us via our social media outlets as well. News and information can be shared via personal messaging on Facebook (GroveportMadisonSchools). You may also email us at gm.communications@gocruisers.org, or call us at (614) 492-2520.

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