Heading into the Final Two Weeks of School
GLPS Families,
As we head into the final two weeks of the school year, there is certainly an end of the school year buzz in the buildings. A couple of items to note this week:
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In next week’s communication, I am going to be asking for some feedback from you about a number of things in the district, including how well these weekly notes are working for you. So, please be prepared to provide me with some feedback, because that is how we get better.
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Speaking of feedback, I have been meeting with groups of students at each building to hear about what is going well and how we can improve. The students, as I expected, are very insightful, and they are providing me with great feedback that our leadership teams will use to help guide changes and reinforce positive things happening in the district as we plan for next year.
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As we are now in the month of June, there are a couple of important dates and items to note. Since next week’s communication will be about feedback, and the following week’s will be about well wishes for summer, I want to acknowledge these June celebrations all together this week. First, June is Pride Month, where we recognize and celebrate the contributions that our students, staff, and families who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community make to our schools and communities. Second, we celebrate Flag Day on June 14th, as the date is recognized as the day the American flag was adopted. Finally, on June 19th, we celebrate Juneteenth, which is recognized nationally as a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
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I had the opportunity this week to learn from one of our families about children born with cleft lips and/or palates. Not just the physical challenges that the condition creates, but also the concern about acceptance and bullying that may come with it. I even learned that July is designated as National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month. This conversation, and the learning I was able to do through it, allowed me to reflect on that fact that when we think about creating safe spaces for our students to learn and grow, it is important that we remember and recognize that students, and families, come into our school community with a variety of experiences, perspectives, and needs. It is our collective responsibility, from the staff to the students to the families to the community, to ensure that Grand Ledge Public Schools is truly a place where all people feel safe and welcomed, and that starts with understanding and knowing about one another’s strengths and challenges.
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I received some questions over the last week about whether or not the early dismissal for the power outage for GLHS, Beagle, Holbrook, and Neff would affect our days or hours, because we used up our six snow days. I am happy to share that the hours we missed will not affect us at all, and we do NOT have to make any of them up.
That is it for this week. As I mentioned, next week, I will be looking for feedback, so please be thinking about our strengths and weaknesses so you are able to share them with me.
Have a wonderful weekend; as always, I am #proudtobeacomet.
Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools
