Please view my message here if you need translation services.
September 13, 2024
GLPS Families,
As we wrap up our third week of school, and our first full week, it is clear that we are into the routine of the school year. To those ends, this week, I have a couple of updates for you that will help ensure that we are all on the same page when it comes to expectations for learning.
At the August 26th board meeting, the board approved a number of important documents for the school year. The first set of items to note are academic resources, including our high school curriculum guide, Beagle elective offerings, and Hayes enrichment classes. These documents represent all of the courses we offer. To see these documents, I invite you to visit our academic services page, here. On that page, you will also note the essential learnings that the board approved last summer. These represent all of the learning we expect from our students in those subjects and grade levels. We are currently working to update them and implement a set of high school essential learnings as well, so we hope to have a complete set of documents, from BK-12 grade, in the near future.
In addition to those documents, the board also approved our student handbooks, which can be found here on our Family and Student Resources page, among many other important pieces of information. These contain important details about school operations, codes of conduct, and technology resources. I would also like to specifically call your attention to our attendance policy, which is located in each handbook. It can also be seen here, as a standalone document. This policy is consistent across the district, and represents a few changes from last year. Please make sure you read it carefully so you understand how our attendance processes work.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to send our thoughts and condolences to the community of Apalachee High School in Georgia, which experienced a tragic school shooting last week. Unfortunately, yet another event like this one is a reminder of the work we need to do as a school district and community to keep our students, staff, and school community safe. To those ends, I invite you to read this letter from Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, which references the process for dealing with threats of violence in Eaton County. I cannot stress this enough; threats, whether issued verbally, in writing, or digitally, will be investigated using our county-wide threat assessment protocol, and they will be taken seriously. There is no place for threats in our schools, and as the letter indicates, law enforcement and the prosecutor's office are supportive of our efforts to ensure that if a student or community member makes one, the individual is held accountable. However, we are only as good as the information we receive, so please make sure that if you are aware of a threat, that you immediately report it to law enforcement, your child’s school, or Okay2Say. Remember, do not leave a voicemail; make sure that you connect with a person.
Thank you for continuing to give us the opportunity to work with students every day. Grand Ledge Public Schools is an outstanding place to learn, and we are proud of the efforts we are making to live up to our mission of Growing Learners, Preparing Students. Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, I am #proudtobecomet!
Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools
