Welcome to Grand Ridge Grade School
Our Vision
In partnership with our families and community, Grand Ridge CCSD #95 will educate all students to reach their highest potential. Grand Ridge will provide a safe learning environment, will respond to students' individual learning and emotional needs, and will maintain high expectations for achievement. Our goal is to develop students who are responsible, respectful, kind, and passionate for life-long learning.
Illinois Central School Bus:
Illinois Central School Bus is hiring; if interested please contact them at 815-673-1100
Updates from Mr. Sanders:
Dear Parents, Staff, Students, and Community,
Today is our weekly update on the state of education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several news items have occurred in the past few days that I will outline below. The number one issue is to understand that we all believe that in-person learning is the best way to provide education to our students. That is firm. However, there are so many twists and turns to the guidance that is being put out that it is difficult for us to know what it will take to get us there in the fall. We are expected to see some guidance from the state by the end of this month. Here are the main issues we are dealing with right now.
1. Any in-person start to the school year will require students and staff to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, and go through a check-in each morning to fill out a questionnaire and take their temperature before entering the building. The CDC and IDPH also require at least 6ft. distance between individuals both in the school building and on the bus. With August temperatures in the elementary classrooms reaching 94-98 degrees, this poses a significant risk to students and staff who have to wear the PPE during in-person learning. Also, buses are already very hot, so requiring masks to be worn poses concerns there as well. If you want to view State Superintendent Carmen Ayala’s guidance, you may visit the ISBE.net website and look for the COVID-19 tab.
2. Last week we were part of a legal update by the firm of Robbins-Schwartz where they indicated the numerous laws that must be followed during this COVID outbreak and how those laws affect students, staff, and parents. There are many concerns ranging from student health, leave time for employees who are concerned with their health, attendance issues, and parents choosing for their students to remote learn rather than in-person learning at the school. These were just a few of the topics discussed.
3. We have been instructed by the state to develop 3 potential plans. The first is an in-person start to the school year with all the restrictions based on the different phases of the Governor’s plan. The second is a Remote Start plan. And the third is a combination plan which would include a little of both of those options. We are being told that even if we begin in-person learning in the fall, we could at any time be forced to remote learn if the Governor determines it is necessary for the safety and well-being of the students. Any in-person learning must have all the safety measures in place that businesses and other public entities must follow. They are not giving schools leniency in changing those rules.
We would encourage all of you to reach out to our representatives in the Illinois House and Senate to put pressure on our government to come up with a specific plan for opening our schools in the fall. Right now there is too much ambiguity in the decision-making. They are telling us this is for more local control of the situation, yet the entire situation is governed by what the CDC, IDPH, and the Governor’s office dictate regarding the safety of our students. Reach out to them and let them know we want specific guidance in starting schools in order for us to have in-person learning and reduce overwhelming requirements in place that are detrimental in making that learning possible. Specifically, we need to move quickly to phase 5 to begin regular in-person learning rather than being in limbo phase 4; and phase 5 needs to eliminate the wording regarding the necessity of a COVID vaccine as this may take much longer to develop. Here are those contacts:
Senator Sue Rezin: (815) 220-8720 or email senatorrezin@gmail.com
Representative Lance Yednock: (815) 324-5055 or email staterepyednock@gmail.com
Kindergarten Registration:
If you have a student that will be attending Kindergarten in the fall, please email Melissa Bernard bernam@grgs95.org to start the registration process.
Your child must be five years old on or before September 1, 2020 to be eligible to attend.
To begin kindergarten this fall, parents must provide:
Certified birth certificate (not the hosptial one)
Social Security card
Medical card, if applicable
All incoming kindergarten students must have a dental, physical and eye examination prior to the first day of school. The physical exam must include proof of immunizations and lead and diabetes screening.
Congratulations to our 8th Grade Class of 2020
Valedictorian: Christina Snook
Honor Students: Nora Cave, Abigayle Gribbin, Kiley Rhodes and Christina Snook
Beth Centko Award: Kiley Rhodes
Sarah Eutis Award: Cody Orsburn
Congratulations Class of 2020
Aubrey Paige Bowman
Joseph Ronald Burke
Andrew James Cavallini
Nora Elizabeth Cave
Alec Jon Darrow
Aiden Michael Gordon
Abigayle Elizabeth Gribbin
Lexy Sue Jensen
Abby Marie Johanson
Peyton Robert Ludes
James Reagan Maltby
Jett Johanan Mehalic
Saige Marie McNeill
Michael Edward Mills III
Cassiday Lynn Miller
Samuel Donald Mulinazzi
Cody Branson Orsburn
Kaylie Noel Reilly
Kiley Elizabeth Rhodes
Hadley Mae Richardson
Andrew Williams Ristau
Lee Hurtado Rodriguez-Hammond
Jenna Colleen Simons
Christina Belle Snook
News and Notes
Message from the Office
ATTENTION!!! Please notifiy the Office if you have an address change or phone number change. If there is ever an emergency it's important to keep all records current.
The Office is currently on summer hours: Monday - Thursday 8:00 - 3:00 p.m.; Closed on Fridays
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