GREENFIELD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
August 8, 2020
Dear GIS Families:
The first full week back to school was awesome! I’ve been thoroughly impressed with how our kids are handling all the changes. So glad to be back at it!
Have a great weekend!
A Few Important Items:
– (NEW) Picture Day – Picture day is coming soon! Thursday, August 13th, Lifetouch will be here taking school pictures for our onsite students (virtual students will have a picture opportunity later in the fall). We will of course make sure the visitors adhere to our safety protocols.
– (NEW) Attendance Clarification – If your student is asked to stay home for 10 days by the clinic, they will be coded in PowerSchool attendance as Virt-Cov – Virtual Temporary due to COVID-19. This is the coding that the Indiana Department of Education has asked us to use. This coding does not mean your student has been moved to our virtual program. Please understand that only staff members see this information. Also, it does not necessarily mean that your student has COVID-19. It just means your student is absent due to a COVID-19 situation. If your student is sent home for 10 days, please have them reach out to their teachers via email or Google Classroom so they can stay connected and working while they are gone. Teachers will be reaching out as well. Please see the attached document that was sent out prior to school starting for further information.
– (NEW) School Dismissal Manager – Please continue to use School Dismissal Manager for ALL transportation changes. Our teachers will send your student to the location that is entered into SDM. Pretty please with sugar on top make sure you are using this system for changes so we may ensure the safety of all our students. As a reminder, students cannot ride a bus that is not their assigned bus. If you need assistance with using this system, please email us at GISoffice@gcsc.k12.in.us.
– (NEW) School Safety – As safety is our number one priority here at school, I wanted to update/remind you of a few safety items we practice here in GC. The first one is SafeSchools Alert. Greenfield-Central Schools uses SafeSchools Alert to help us keep our buildings safe and secure. It is a great way to report (anonymously, if need be) any safety concerns you or your student might have. The second item I want to mention is our Standard Response Protocol. This document summarizes how our staff and students will respond to various emergencies. Students will have the opportunity to practice these responses throughout the school year. Please the two attached flyers for further information on both of these safety items.
– (NEW) NWEA Testing – NWEA testing begins next week. The tests are adaptive in nature, which means the questions on the test get more difficult or simpler depending upon if the student gets the questions correct or not. We take our NWEA tests three times a year and will use the data from these tests to focus our instruction.
– (NEW) 5th Grade Locker Items From 2019-2020 – Items were sent home with 6th grade students today! If your student is in our virtual program, please stop by our office at your convenience to pick up the items. Thanks again for your patience with this.
– (NEW REMINDER) COVID-19 Protocols – As a reminder, you should not send your student to school if:
- The student has had direct contact (less than 6 feet apart, for 15 minutes or greater, regardless of face covering) with a person who is positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days OR
- The student has been directed by a healthcare professional or health department to be in quarantine or isolation OR
- The student has any of the following symptoms: temp greater than 99.5, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, repeated shaking with chills, new onset of loss of taste or smell, fatigue, runny nose or congestion, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea OR
- The student has been tested for any reason and you have not yet received results
– (NEW REMINDER) Spirit Wear – Now is the time to get “geared up” for the new school year! This year, our spirit wear orders will be taken online. Please find the link to the store here. The order deadline is August 23rd.
– The Cougar Code – At Greenfield Intermediate School, our students follow our “Cougar Code.” You can help by reinforcing these at home with your child! The daily expectations at GIS are simple:
1. Be Respectful
2. Be Responsible
3. Be Ready to Learn
– Profile of a Graduate – It’s never too early to start preparing for graduation! Greenfield-Central has identified characteristics we would love to see in all our students by the time they graduate from high school. We call the collection of these characteristics the “Profile of a Graduate.” I’ve attached a digital copy of this document for you to look at throughout the school year. Each month, GIS will be focusing on one of these characteristics.
July 31, 2020
Dear GIS Families:
Wow, what a great first two days of school! I’m so impressed with how our students have handled the transition back to school after being gone for so long. We have the best kids here 🙂
Thanks for all your efforts in getting your students ready to return. We could not do it without you!
A Few Important Items:
– (NEW) Face Coverings – As you are probably aware now, the Executive Order Governor Holcomb put out last week mandates the use of face coverings if a distance of six feet cannot be maintained. This is a slight change from our initial communication. Dr. Olin has posted a video describing the change on the district website. Additionally, I’ve attached to this email a document regarding the use of masks put out by the Indiana State Department of Health.
– (NEW) COVID-19 Protocols – As a reminder, you should not send your student to school if:
- The student has had direct contact (less than 6 feet apart, for 15 minutes or greater, regardless of face covering) with a person who is positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days OR
- The student has been directed by a healthcare professional or health department to be in quarantine or isolation OR
- The student has any of the following symptoms: temp greater than 99.5, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, repeated shaking with chills, new onset of loss of taste or smell, fatigue, runny nose or congestion, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea OR
- The student has been tested for any reason and you have not yet received results
– (NEW) School Dismissal Manager – SDM is up and running now! You should have received a welcome email this morning with you login information. Please start using this system for transportation changes. As a reminder though, students may not ride buses other than their assigned bus. If you need help setting you DEFAULT dismissal, please email us at GISoffice@k12.in.us or call our office at 462-6827.
– (NEW REMINDER) Morning Drop-off – If you drop your child off at school in the mornings, please do not let your child out of the vehicle until one of our supervisors is present. This will help keep everyone safe while waiting for the 7:30am opening. Students should not be dropped off at all before 7:30am. Also, the drop-off lane is only one lane so please patient and do not attempt to pass vehicles 🙂 Thank you!
– (NEW REMINDER) Ride 360 – This is something I am really excited about! You now have the ability to see your child’s bus number, approximate bus pick up time, and approximate drop off time. Registering for this service is extremely easy! All you have to do is go to your App Store, download the Ride 360 app, and enter your information that ties your student to your account. I strongly encourage you to use this service.
– (NEW REMINDER) NWEA Testing – NWEA testing is set to begin for all students during the first month of school. The tests are adaptive in nature, which means the questions on the test get more difficult or simpler depending upon if the student gets the questions correct or not. We take our NWEA tests three times a year and will use the data from these tests to focus our instruction.
– (NEW REMINDER) Spirit Wear – Now is the time to get “geared up” for the new school year! This year, our spirit wear orders will be taken online. Please find the link to the store here. The order deadline is August 23rd.
– The Cougar Code – At Greenfield Intermediate School, our students follow our “Cougar Code.” You can help by reinforcing these at home with your child! The daily expectations at GIS are simple:
1. Be Respectful
2. Be Responsible
3. Be Ready to Learn
– Profile of a Graduate – It’s never too early to start thinking about graduation! Greenfield-Central has identified characteristics we would love to see in all our students by the time they graduate from high school. We call the collection of these characteristics the “Profile of a Graduate.” I’ve attached a digital copy of this document for you to look at throughout the school year. Each month, GIS will be focusing on one of these characteristics.