GES - Family News From The Nest

Welcome Back Falcon Families!

The school year is quickly approaching and we want to welcome everyone back for the 2023-2024 school year! We also would like to extend a special welcome to families who are new to Graham Elementary School.

We are excited to soon have our students back in the building, filling it with energy and enthusiasm for learning!

Please take the time to look through the GES - Family News From The Nest throughout the year. This will be a one stop shop for important information for our families.

Other Ways To keep informed - follow us on:

Facebook: Graham Elementary School

Graham Elementary Classdojo

Graham Local Schools Webpage: grahamlocalschools.org (Graham Elementary School)

We are here for our students and our families each day. If at any time you have questions please let us know and we will do our best to find the answer for you.

We are looking forward to a great year!

Lynnette Roeth

GES Principal

Emily Shreve

GES Assistant Principal

Kindergarten

Kindergarten will have a staggered start this year August 28, 29, 30 and 31. Once your final forms are complete you will receive a letter from your teacher with the day your child comes in for their staggered start day.

All Kindergarten Students First Official Day All Together Is September 5.

Kindergarten Parent Orientation

August 25th at 9:30am at GES. Please enter the front doors and you will be directed to the cafeteria for the orientation.

KPrep and Preschool

KPrep staggered start Monday, August 28 and Tuesday, August 29. Once your final forms are complete you will receive a letter from your teacher with the day your child comes in for their staggered start day.

All KPrep and Preschool Students First Day Of School Is Wednesday, August 30th. Preschool will not have a staggered start schedule.

KPrep and Preschool Open House/Orientation Please Attend

August 24th - Letter With Times Will Be Sent To Families

At Graham Local Schools, we take a proactive approach to attendance. If/When GES students accumulate 50 hours of excessive absence, families will be provided with Absence Warning Letter #1. When students accumulate 65 excessive hours of absence, families will be provided with Absence Warning Letter #2.

An absence intervention meeting will be scheduled when students accumulates 72 excessive hours of absence

Please see the GES Handbook language below for the steps to report an absence...

A. When a student is ill or for some other reason is unable to attend, the parent/guardian is ex­pected to contact the school office by phone before 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence. For your convenience, you may call the night before and leave a message on the answering machine (937-663-4449).

B. A written reason for all absences properly signed and dated by a parent/guardian is required. Written notes not filed in the office within one day after the student returns to school following an absence will result in an unexcused absence. Administration reserves the right to excuse student absences with reasonable cause.

C. For each unexcused absence, the student is responsible for obtaining work and following make-up work policies.

Class lists for those Graham Elementary students attending in person will be posted on August 18th after 3pm on the Primary and Intermediate front doors.

NOTE:

Your child's Final Forms need to be filled out/updated for the 2023-2024 school year or your child will not be on the posted class list on August 18th.

*Final Forms can be found on grahamlocalschools.org under Parent/Guardian

Graham Elementary School OPEN HOUSE is August 21st from 4:30-6pm

*If you have not filled out/updated your child's information for the 2023-2024 school year on Final Forms - we will have chromebooks set in the cafeteria at GES at Open House. Once the forms are complete then a member of our staff will let you know your child's teacher.

The water fountains will be turned on this year. Students may also bring a water bottle to school if they choose. No glass water bottles should be brought to school.

This year there is not free breakfast and lunch for all students.

Student Breakfast and Lunch Prices For 2023-2024

Breakfast - $1.35

Lunch - $3.20

Individual Milk - $.65

Information - Free and Reduced-Price School Meals

https://filecabinet5.eschoolview.com/CA7BA98B-DAE2-42EF-BC3A-AA7201F54C54/37d3b39f-ba9e-4526-aee8-adaefdd631d2.pdf

During the school year our students will learn the 7 Habit of Highly Effective Kids and learn how to implement the habits in their daily lives.

The 7 Habits

Habit #1 - Be Proactive

Habit #2 - Begin With The End In Mind

Habit #3 - Put First Things First

Habit #4 - Think Win-Win

Habit #5 - Seek First To Understand Then To Be Understood

Habit #6 - Synergize

Habit #7 - Sharpen The Saw

We look forward to working together with you to help your child be successful in all that they do using the 7 Habits!

Graham Elementary

Breakfast

Students eating breakfast may enter the building at 8:30am

School Start Time

Doors Open - 8:45am

School Day Begins - 8:50am

Students arriving after 8:50am will be counted tardy and the student and an adult will need to report to the front office to sign the student in for the day.

School Day End Time

3:25 - Out Front Pick-Ups

3:30 - Bus Dismissal

Building Time Schedule

8:00 Main Office opens

8:15 Teachers/staff in building

8:30 Cafeteria opens for student breakfast

8:45 Students enter the building

*Students eating breakfast may enter the building at 8:30.

8:50 Student day begins

*Students arriving after 8:50 are tardy and must report to the office.

11:00-1:30 Lunchtimes/recess

3:25 Students being picked up are dismissed

3:30 Bus students are dismissed

3:40 Staff is able to depart

4:00 Office closes

If you know your child will be a permanent pick-up in the afternoon. You can email Kristina Thornton and Kayla Yoder, bring a note to open house or send a note in the first day of school.

Kristina Thornton - thorntonk@grahamlocalschools.org

Kayla Yoder - yoderk@grahamlocalschools.org

The end of day pick-up procedure will make our out front pick-up safer for our students at Graham Elementary

Permanent Pick-Up

• Students will be dismissed at 3:25pm each day.

• Each student/family who is a permanent pick-up will be given 2 numbered tags and their child will have a numbered tag with a corresponding number for their bookbag.

• Those students who are picked up by a babysitter with proper transportation forms on file will have a number for their babysitter.

• Each grade level will have a designated area marked outside and the family will come to that area to pick up their student(s) from each area - families should have their numbered tag with them.

• Families must park and come to the sidewalk to pick up their students. There will be no parking in the fire lanes of the building.

We do understand this process takes time and we thank you for your patience and flexibility as we work through this process together, keeping in mind our #1 priority is our students safety.

Students who are not permanent pick-ups on certain days or for the whole week and the family calls in or sends in a note to pick-up their child will need to follow the procedure below.

Call In/Parent Letter Pick-Ups - Non Permanent

• Families who are not permanent pick-ups must come to the front doors, provide ID and sign out their student from inside the building.

• Students will be dismissed to their family once the family has signed them out at the front office.

Once again we thank you for your patience and flexibility as we have made changes to our pick-up process for the safety of our students.

The supply list for the 2023-2024 school year can be found at:

Kindergarten - 5th Grade Supply List

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LZPdLI36WMFqmYxYO8HLSRdJjFQ4eNlUrxUALhjXAek/edit?usp=sharing

KPrep Supply List

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17I0K2OIZixddm3Zja8itVm2lHQEzmtlUJdlEcjaVZsU/edit?usp=sharing

Preschool Supply List

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZKCGGf68Ie5pYzrwQrxDKB3wnG-AZ-PJBpyDO61zpJ8/edit?usp=sharing

Lynnette Roeth - Principal

Emily Shreve - Assistant Principal

Stacey Logwood - Student, Family and Community Support Coordinator

Email: roethl@grahamlocalschools.org
Website: grahamlocalschools.org
Location: 9464 U.S. 36, Saint Paris, OH, USA
Phone: 937-663-4449
Facebook: facebook.com/FreddieFalcon
Twitter: @GESFALCONS