Please review these important dates:

• Monday, August 21st: Class Assignment Notifications for grades 1-5 (evening emails); Email us if you do not receive a notification.


• Monday, August 21st: New Family Orientation and Tour: 4:00 PM in the Auditorium
  


• Wednesday, August 23rd: TK and Kindergarten Meet & Greet on the Kindergarten Yard @ 5:00 PM
  


• Thursday, August 24th: First Day of the 2022-2023 School Year!
  


• Thursday, August 24th: PTA First Day of School Parent Reception @ 8:45 AM in the Auditorium
  


• Thursday, August 24th: Minimum Day for all grades: Dismissal times: PreK/TK/Kinder @ 12:15; 1st - 5th @ 1:15
  




• Friday, August 25th: Minimum Day for all grades: Dismissal times: PreK/TK/Kinder @ 12:15; 1st - 5th @ 1:15
  




• Tuesday, August 29th: Minimum Day for all grades: Dismissal times: PreK/TK/Kinder @ 12:15; 1st - 5th @ 1:15
  


• Tuesday, August 29th: Volunteer Training @ 4:45 PM in the Library

• Tuesday, August 29th: Back to School Night Grades TK – 2 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM; begin in the Auditorium @ 6:00 PM
  


• Monday, September 4th: No School in observance of Labor Day

• Tuesday, September 5th: Minimum Day for all grades: Dismissal times: PreK/TK/Kinder @ 12:15; 1st - 5th @ 1:15

• Tuesday, September 5th: 5th-Grade Activities Information and Recruiting Meeting @ 4:45 in the Library

• Tuesday, September 5th: Back to School Night Grades 3 – 5 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM; begin in the Auditorium @ 6:00 PM

• Friday, September 29th: Grant World Cultures Festival - 3:30 PM on the Big Yard

August 16, 2023

Dear Grant Families,

It is my honor and a pleasure to welcome you to the 2023 – 2024 school year! I hope you all have had a relaxing and fun summer break. I am extremely proud to serve as the Principal of this amazing learning community for the 6th year and to continue to support the students of Sunset Park! This year, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s theme is “Belonging, Curiosity, Empowerment”. As a school, we will be infusing these three concepts in all that we do. As has been our mission at Grant School, we will continue to strive for academic excellence and social and emotional well-being for our students while looking through a lens of equity and inclusion. With that said, the Grant staff and PTA are excited to kick this year off in true Gecko style!

I would like to welcome all of our new families, whether you are joining us from another school in the district or have relocated from another city, state, or country. We are excited to share with you all that Grant has to offer and believe you will soon feel as we do, that Grant School is a special place for all children. Our educators, support staff, families, and other education partners are ready to welcome you into the Gecko Nation.

Our teachers and staff are eager to meet their new students and begin this year’s journey with them. The dedicated staff at Grant has been working tirelessly to finalize classes and schedules, engage in professional learning opportunities, and update our instructional models, class routines, and expectations, all with the goal of fostering academic success and a true sense of connectedness and belonging for our students. Our primary goal is to ensure student proficiency in core academic subjects so we will continuing to refine Tier I instruction, analyze data, conduct observations, and review classwork to guide instruction and intervention. We also will be engaging all of our students in Project Based Learning. Our staff has been trained in the Deep Learning model of PBL and are now immersing ourselves in the Gold Standard PBL from the preeminent experts in this field, The Buck Institute for Education: PBLWorks. Additionally, we will continue placing a focus on the integration of the Social Justice Standards, Responsive Classroom community-building techniques, Restorative Justice practices, and social and emotional support strategies into our students’ daily school experience. We will work together to create a solid foundation for our students so that they have the opportunity to become self-directed learners, collaborative teammates, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens. We will continue to offer intervention services for neurodiverse learners through specialized programs, counseling when appropriate, and the implementation of Tier II and Tier III programs and teaching and learning strategies.

Please be sure to read the Gecko Gazette each Sunday night as it contains important information from the school, PTA, Santa Monica Education Foundation, City of Santa Monica, and other community partners. Links to each week’s Gazette are posted on our website.

We will be holding our traditional, in-person Back-to-School Night presentations on Tuesday, August 29th for Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First grade, and Second grade, and Tuesday, September 5th for grades 3-5. Both nights’ programs will begin with a short presentation in the Auditorium where you will meet our teachers, support staff, Assistant Principals, and me. While in the classroom, your child’s teacher will present an overview of the year’s instructional program, schedules, digital resources, and expectations for the coming year. Please refer to the school’s website for additional information on upcoming events: GRANT SCHOOL CALENDAR

As I have always said, Grant’s outstanding educators create the foundation for your child’s academic success. In addition, a large part of the Grant Learning Community’s success can be attributed to its active and engaged parents who are involved in the PTA, Education Foundation, and various committees. Please consider contributing to the Grant PTA so that we can continue to fund engaging enrichment programs, assemblies, and much-needed supplemental equipment and supplies that will support teaching and learning this year. Your donations directly affect your child’s education. Last year your contributions enabled us to provide digital learning resources in literacy, math, and science, musical instruments, field trips, supplemental materials and supplies, the Grant Grows Gardening program, and a variety of outdoor equipment. This year, we are fortunate that your donations will fund a supplemental science program for all students in Grades TK - 5. Please visit the Grant PTA website at https://www.grantpta.org/ to become a PTA member and to learn of the many opportunities available to volunteer at Grant. In addition, we hope you consider donating to the Santa Monica Education Foundation. Donations to SMEF enable us to provide our students with a well-rounded and world-class education through music, visual arts, and instructional assistant support. Please visit https://www.smedfoundation.org/ to donate today! Donations from last year enabled us to purchase an additional semester of Visual and Performing Arts programming and other important instructional supports!

I look forward to the start of the new school year and to continuing our collaboration of providing your children with an effective and engaging educational experience. As always, we will look to our families to be positive partners in their children’s educational journey. The Grant staff has always made a priority of working together as a caring and compassionate learning community with professionalism, teamwork, action, and expertise. We will always put the best interests of our students at the center of our purpose. Join us in ensuring the success of all Grant’s students. Stay healthy, stay positive, and stay connected.

As always, my door is open and our team welcomes your input. Please feel free to contact me via email at the address below or call to make an appointment to speak with me to discuss any ideas you feel will make this the best year yet!

GO GECKOS!

Best regards,

Christian Fuhrer

Principal

Grant School

cfuhrer@smmusd.org

Please do not forget to send with your child every day:

• School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
• Water bottle
• Snack and/or lunch (lunch available to all students free of charge for the 2023-24 school year.)
• Sunscreen (put on prior to arriving at school)
• Hat
• Layers of clothing (sweatshirt, windbreaker, etc.) Keep an eye on the weather.
• A growth mindset for a successful day!

"Once a Gecko, always a Gecko!" Peggy O'Meara grew up in Santa Monica and attended Grant, JAMS, and SAMO. Not only that, but she has taught in the district since 2001 at JAMS, Grant, Roosevelt, and Rogers. Both her daughters, Lyra and Ellowyn Searles, recently completed elementary school at Grant as well.

Peggy graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Liberal Arts and a minor in Native American Studies. Before coming to teaching, she roamed through Montana and Idaho, worked in the tech industry in San Francisco, and then returned home to Santa Monica. She got her teacher credential at Cal State Northridge as a Mild/Moderate Education Specialist with an extended certification in Autism.

Over the past 10 years, she has also served on the SMMCTA negotiations team as well as the district Health and Welfare committee. In her free time, she can be caught walking the hills around school, running, snowboarding, swimming in cold lakes, hiking, dancing, roller skating, and driving her kids around town. She loves hanging out with family and friends and will gladly join in a cup of coffee and a good chat.

She is thrilled to return to Grant and continue her work with our team, promoting equity, inclusion, and Neuro-Diversity.

Mrs. Johnson grew up in Compton, California. She attended CSUDH earning her Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Human Development, & Grand Canyon University for Masters in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education.

Mrs. Johnson and her husband Wes have three children (Sofia, 17, Atticus, 14, & Astrid, 7) who are all part of the SMMUSD family.

She has been working with children and families for over 20 years as a reading coach, family advocate, and early childhood educator. Most recently, she completed her student teaching here at Grant and is now delighted to join the Grant Elementary teaching team. Mrs. Johnson enjoys hiking, the beach, and relaxing with her family when she is not teaching.

Carrie grew up in New York where she earned her Bachelors degree in Communicative Disorders (B.S., SUNY Geneseo) and Masters degree (M.A.) in Speech Language Hearing Sciences from Hofstra University. She is certified as a Speech-Language Pathologist (CCC-SLP) by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

Carrie and her husband, Andrew, have two daughters (Alice, 10, and Clara, 8). Outside of work, you can find Carrie spending time with her family, traveling, at the gym, running, or reading (especially historical fiction!).

She has worked as a Speech Language Pathologist in a variety of pediatric settings since 2000 and in a variety of places -- from New York to Bermuda, the Middle East, and Hong Kong. She is very excited to now be living in Santa Monica and be part of the SMMUSD community!

CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK TO WATCH A SHORT VIDEO ON HOW TO CONFIRM YOUR CHILD'S INFORMATION: DATA CONFIRMATION STEP-BY-STEP

• NEW PROCESS: Grant School and SMMUSD have worked to digitize the compliance and document portions of the “First Day Packet.” The Data Confirmation process is easy for you and your student through Aeries Parent Portal in place of our previous process. This includes items like Emergency Cards, Parent Handbooks and Policies and Authorizations. We have many important documents and plenty of information for your family within the online registration site, accessed via your Aeries Parent Portal. Note: You must complete data confirmation for each student. Please be sure to read, review, and discuss all the materials with your student. We also need to gather information from you for emergency contacts and health documents. You may decide to print some of the documents for future reference. For a tutorial on how to complete this process, please click here [English]

• NUEVO PROCESO: [Escuela] y SMMUSD han trabajado para digitalizar el cumplimiento y las porciones de documentos del "Paquete del Primer Día". El proceso de Confirmación de Datos es fácil para usted y su estudiante a través de Aeries Parent Portal en lugar de nuestro proceso anterior. Esto incluye artículos como Tarjetas de Emergencia, Manuales de Padres y Pólizas y Autorizaciones. Tenemos muchos documentos importantes y mucha información para su familia dentro del sitio de inscripción en línea, al que se accede a través de su Aeries Parent Portal. Nota: Usted debe completar la confirmación de datos para cada estudiante. Por favor, asegúrese de leer, revisar y discutir todos los materiales con su estudiante. También necesitamos que nos proporcione información sobre los contactos de emergencia y los documentos de salud. Si lo desea, puede imprimir algunos de los documentos para consultarlos en el futuro. Para un tutorial sobre cómo completar este proceso, por favor haga clic aquí[Spanish].

The Grant School Site Council is currently seeking parent volunteers to serve a two-year term. These are elected positions.

The purpose of the GRANT SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL is to develop the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) to ensure that all of the resources available to the school, the basic program, and the supplemental resources, are coordinated and focused on providing a high-quality educational program and learning environment in which students of all ranges and ability and background can succeed. This committee will meet once per month during the course of the 2023 - 2024 school year. The meetings are on the third Monday of each month unless there is a holiday.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the GRANT SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL please email Principal Christian Fuhrer by Friday, September 1st at 3:00 PM. Click the following link to email: >>EMAIL PRINCIPAL FUHRER<<

El Consejo Escolar de Grant actualmente está buscando dos padres voluntarios para servir por un período de dos años. Si más de dos padres están interesados ​​en las vacantes disponibles, entonces se llevarán a cabo ELECCIONES.

El propósito del Consejo Escolar de Gobierno es desarrollar el Plan Único para el Logro Estudiantil ( sigla en inglés SPSA) para asegurar que todos los recursos disponibles para la escuela, el programa básico y los recursos suplementarios estén coordinados y enfocados en proporcionar un programa educativo de calidad y un entorno de aprendizaje en el que los estudiantes de todos los rangos, habilidades y niveles puedan tener éxito. Este comité se reunirá mensualmente durante el año escolar 2023-2024. Las reuniones son el tercer lunes de cada mes a menos que haya un día festivo.

Si está interesado en ser miembro del CONSEJO ESCOLAR DE GOBIERNO de la ESCUELA GRANT, envíe un correo electrónico al director, Christian Fuhrer, antes del viernes 1 de septiembre a las 3:00 pm. Haga clic en el siguiente enlace para enviarle un correo electrónico: >>EMAIL PRINCIPAL

It takes a lot to get the school ready for a new year and we always have members of our community who step up and take the lead! Let's all give a big Gecko "THANK YOU" to the following individuals:

• Inessa Manevich - Inessa coordinated both TK/Kindergarten playdates this summer. both events had a great turnout. These events give our incoming TK and Kinder students an opportunity to meet each other and for the parents to begin forming relationships that will last for years!
• Jennifer Saul - Jennifer has taken the lead in our Grant Grows Learning Garden program. Together with Farmer Mark Abraham they have nurtured our learning garden and the planter boxes throughout the school so everything will look fresh when our students return!
• 
  

Thank you to Inessa Manevich for coordinating this summer's TK and Kindergarten playdates! They were very well attended and it was a great way for our families to meet each other!

It is important that all students attend school every day. Exceptions may include if your child is ill. Please plan all family vacations during school vacation days. It is important to set your child up for success by assuring they are in school. For a detailed look at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's attendance policies, please click this link > http://www.grant.smmusd.org/registration/.

We realize some absences are for health or other reasons. But, when students are absent they can fall far behind in what they learn. Whether the absence is excused or unexcused It means your child is missing important classroom learning time.

Some Attendance Tips:

• Please notify the office within 72 hours to report your child's absence and the reason they were not in school.
• Illness, bereavement, and court hearings are the only reason for an "Excused" absence.
  
• Make sure your students keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
  
• Turn off all electronics including TVs, phones, and tablets at bedtime.
  
• Make sure clothes and pack backpacks are ready the night before.
  
• Check with our school nurse or office staff if you are not sure about when to keep your child at home due to illness.
  
• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
  
• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your student feels anxious about going to school.
  
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your student to school.
  

Please let us know how we can best support you and your student so that they can show up for school on time every day.

This event is not to be missed! Please email Erika Bell if you would like to participate by having a booth and sharing your family's culture!

Erika Bell: diversity@grantpta.org

This year, we will be reverting back to our pre-COVID student drop-off procedures. You may recall that during the 2018-2019 school year, our school community engaged in an extensive, healthy, and productive dialogue around bolstering Grant’s safety and security. All stakeholders, including members of the School Leadership Team, School Site Council, PTA, ELAC, Santa Monica Police Department, and SMMUSD district administration, had an opportunity to share their ideas and feelings about how we as a community can best provide a safe and nurturing environment for our children. The consensus among all of these groups was that Grant students and staff deserve a more secure campus and a greater emphasis on protecting instructional time.

While safety is the paramount reason for implementing this change, an important benefit was the addition of important instructional time in the mornings. Grant students and teachers gained between 45 – 50 minutes per week of instructional time!

Grant School is known for being a “neighborhood school” and for its close-knit community. Our goal now, as it was then, is to maintain these special characteristics of our wonderful school. It is important to understand that with these new procedures, we are not trying to remove our parents' and guardians’ access; we are merely trying to control who is accessing our campus and when they are visiting.

With this in mind, we will begin the drop-off and pick-up procedures outlined below beginning Thursday, August 24th.

In an effort for parents to see where their child’s class is located on campus and to say hello to the teacher, parents in all grades may walk their child to the classroom for the first two days of school, Thursday, August 24th, and Friday, August 25th. It is important to remember that this time is not to meet with the teacher, rather, parents will have an opportunity to learn about their child’s class and ask the teacher questions at one of our Back to School Nights over the next two weeks.

DROP-OFF and PICK-UP PROCEDURES

Preschool and TK Drop-off: Due to State law, all Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten students must be dropped off to their teacher. Preschool parents will continue to enter the campus at the main gates after checking in with the Campus Monitor, proceed to Room 59, and sign their child in with Ms. Reed. TK parents will walk their children to the Transitional Kindergarten yard where Ms. Herman and Ms. Cedillo will greet them each day.

Preschool and TK Pick-up: All Preschool parents will meet Ms. Reed at the main gates for dismissal. Students whose parents have not picked up their child at dismissal will check into the main office and then proceed to Room 59 to check their child out from Ms. Reed. All TK parents will enter the Kindergarten playground from the Pearl Street entrance at dismissal time and students will be checked out by Ms. Herman and Ms. Cedillo.

Kindergarten Drop-off: Kindergarten students will be dropped off by their parent or guardian at the gate next to Room 2 beginning at 8:00 AM M-F. Students will walk to the Kindergarten playground where they will be met by a teacher or Campus Monitor. Students enrolled in SAP will be walked to their classrooms by SAP personnel.

Kindergarten Pick-up: Kindergarten students will be picked up at the Pearl Street Kinder gate at dismissal at 1:45 PM. Teachers will be there to greet parents and guardians. No Kinder student will be released to anyone other than a parent/guardian or emergency contact. Students enrolled in SAP will be picked up from SAP personnel in their classrooms.

Grades 1 – 5 Drop-off: All students in grades 1 – 5 will be dropped off by their parent or guardian at the main gate in front of the school or at the 24th Street gate each morning. Students will enter the school and walk to the playground where they will be supervised by a Grant School Teacher, Campus Monitor, or Administrator. Drop-off will begin at 8:00 AM every day.

The start-of-school warning bell will sound at 8:25 AM. The final bell will sound at 8:30 AM. Students in grade 1 will walk to their lineup on the big map on the playground where their teacher will meet them and walk them to the classroom. Students in Grade 2 will walk to their lineup behind their classroom where their teacher will meet them. Students in grades 3 – 5 will line up in front of their classroom where their teacher will meet them.

Grades 1 – 3 Pick-up: Students in Grades 1 – 3 will be dismissed at the following times: Grade 1 at 2:40; Grade 2 at 2:45; and Grade 3 at 2:50. Teachers will walk students to the main gate at the front of the school where parents will meet their children at this time. Students in Grades 1 – 3 who are enrolled in an afterschool program, such as CREST or PTA enrichment classes, or Playground Club, will walk or be walked to the lunch tables where their program teacher will meet them. Parents are not to enter the campus until after 3:00 PM.

Grades 4 – 5 Pick-up: Students in Grades 4 and 5 will be dismissed each day at 2:55 PM. Students will exit the campus either from the main gates or the 24th Street gate at the rear of the school. Students who are enrolled in an afterschool program, such as CREST or PTA enrichment classes, or Playground Club, will walk to the lunch tables where their program teacher will meet them. Parents are not to enter the campus until after 3:00 PM.

After-Care Program Pickup Procedures: Parents of students in after-school care programs will receive or have already received a key card that will give them access to the front gate only. Please see the office if you have questions about this.

Early Dismissal Procedures: Wednesday drop-off and pick-up procedures are the same as those during regular school days but will follow the Wednesday bell schedule. Please see the bell schedule ABOVE.

SAP Drop-off: All students enrolled in SAP before-school care will be dropped off in Room 4. Drop-off begins at 7:00 AM.

Breakfast Club: Students who participate in the Grant Breakfast Club will still arrive at school under the same procedures as all students. Parents will drop their children off at the main gates by 8:00 AM so that there is ample time to eat and walk to their classrooms by 8:30 AM. Preschool, TK, and Kinder students will continue to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to Breakfast Club if the parent so chooses.

Raptor Security System

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will use the Raptor visitor management system to strengthen our campus safety programs for students and staff. All schools currently have this system installed.

An important aspect of keeping students and staff safe is for site staff to know who is on our campuses at all times. The Raptor system achieves this interest as it allows office staff to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers, in our schools and provides us with a safer environment for students, staff, and approved volunteers.

Upon entering campus, visitors will be asked to present identification such as a driver’s license, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian does not have a US government-issued identification, for any reason, the visitor may submit an alternative form of identification for school staff to enter into the Raptor system.

The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the identification is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not allowed on our campuses. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item at the front gate.

We have so many parents to thank for all the work they did keeping our students engaged over the summer and helping to prepare the campus for the new year!

• PTA Presidents Samantha Sugar and Steve Atamian for everything!
• Inessa Manevich for coordinating the TK and Kindergarten play dates this summer! The turnouts were amazing!
• Jillian Cipresso and Morgan Ruvalo for coordinating the power washing of the walkways and decorating the bulletin boards and hallways!
• Thank you to all of our families who came out on short notice to make the school look nice and clean prior to the students showing up this week!
• We will share a more comprehensive list in the next edition of the Gecko Gazette!

Your donation does so much for Grant!

Please consider donating to the two organizations that enhance education for all Grant students: the Santa Monica Education Foundation and Grant PTA. Your donations are so important. Check out the crucial staff, programs, technology, and materials funded by your donations in this chart!

Our goal is for 100% of Grant families to give to PTA and the Ed Foundation. ANY amount makes a difference to our kids. If you have already donated, thank you!

¡Su donación hace mucho por Grant!

Considere hacer una donación a las dos organizaciones que mejoran la educación de todos los estudiantes de Grant: la Fundación Educativa de Santa Mónica y la PTA de Grant. Sus donaciones siguen siendo muy importantes. ¡Consulte el personal, los programas, la tecnología y los materiales fundamentales financiados con sus donaciones en esta gráfica!

Nuestra meta es que el 100% de las familias de Grant den a la PTA y a la Fundación Ed. CUALQUIER cantidad hace la diferencia para nuestros hijos. Si ya ha donado, ¡gracias!

*Some events and resources not sponsored by or affiliated with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

To read the Gecko Gazette in another language please look to the right of the newsletter and click "TRANSLATE NEWSLETTER". You can now choose from 100 languages!

~ ¡NUEVA OPCIÓN DE TRADUCCIÓN A 100 IDIOMAS! ~

Para leer la Gaceta Gecko en otro idioma, mire a la derecha del boletín y haga clic en "TRADUCIR EL BOLETÍN". ¡Ahora puede elegir entre 100 idiomas!

~ በ 100 ቋንቋዎች ውስጥ አዲስ የትርጓሜ ምርጫ! ~

የጌኮ ጋዜጣ በሌላ ቋንቋ ለማንበብ እባክዎን በራሪ ወረቀቱ በስተቀኝ በኩል ይመልከቱ እና “የትርጉም ጽሑፍ” ን ጠቅ ያድርጉ ፡፡ አሁን ከ 100 ቋንቋዎች መምረጥ ይችላሉ!