Grizzly Growl
School News
Dear Granite Families,
Today’s Utah Read-a-thon was so much fun! It was great seeing our Grizzlies dressed in their adventure gear, snuggled up with good books, and enjoying time reading together.
As always, thank you for supporting our wonderful school community. Please reach out anytime with questions or feedback.
Warmly,
Elcena Saline
Read, Talk, Wonder, Solve!
💡 Check out this week’s tip for family literacy practice:
Have a family read-a-thon! Parents modeling reading and engaging in literature can influence students’ views of reading. Spend a dedicated amount of time together building a cozy space, and reading with each other or along side each other. Talk about your books over snacks or hot cocoa to keep the mountain adventure vibes going.
Attendance
We are about a month out from the end of Q1, and we are excited for our first Attendance Incentive Field Trip to Babe at the Megaplex theater on Nov. 10.
In response to some great questions from parents, here is some more information:
Who gets to go?
- Any student with 2.5 absences or fewer per quarter is eligible for the attendance incentive experience.
- Eligible students must have parent permission to participate
What are the incentives?
- Incentives will be either a field trip or a special assembly depending on the quarter and venue scheduling availability. Fourth quarter will always be an assembly due to the lack of time available to organize a field trip.
How do we count 2.5 days?
- A 0.5 absence is accrued if a student arrives after 10:55am
- A 0.5 absence is accrued if a student checks out before 1:45 (12:00 Fridays).
- Checking out and returning mid-day for less than 2 hours is not an absence.
- Checking out and returning mid-day for more than 2 hours is a half day absence.
What about excused absences?
- There are many valid and important reasons for a student to be absent. Our district attendance policy outlines reasons for excused absences in detail here: https://www.canyonsdistrict.org/policies/student/enrollment/500-35/
- The purpose of this incentive plan is to decrease our number of chronically absent students. Students are considered chronically absent based on both excused and unexcused absences.
- Both excused and unexcused absences will be counted in this incentive plan.
What about Tardies?
- Tardies are not considered for this incentive plan.
What happens at school while the kids are at these field trips or assemblies?
- Teachers and teams will each plan how to spend this time. It will not be punitive time. Teachers will facilitate skill practice, small groups, catch up time for missing work, reviewing skills missed when kids were absent. We will not continue with core instruction while students are out of class.
What else is the school doing to help my student with absenteeism?
- We have a calendar in the front office in which we track days with 93% present attendance. Students earn school-wide rewards at different intervals (10, 25, 50 days, etc.).
- Classrooms complete class puzzles earning a piece each time 93% of the class is present. Classes earn a brief experience each time they complete a puzzle.
- Per state law, we will send notes to families at 5, 10, and 15 days absent.
- We publish our long weekends before school starts so families can plan trips.
Regular attendance is a struggle for my family. How can the school help me?
- There can be many barriers to regular attendance including health concerns, morning routines, transportation, and even student anxiety.
- Please reach out to our counselor, Mindy Ross mindy.ross@canyonsdistrict.org or our principal, Elcena Saline elcena.saline@canyonsdistrict.org or call 801-826-8575 for help working through these com
Upcoming Events
This Month
🎃 October
Mon. 5th – Kindergarten Zoo Field Trip
Tues. 6th – PTA Meeting 10:00
Tues. 6th – 4th Grade Symphony Field Trip
Wed. 7th – Hearing and Vision Screening
Mon. 12th – SCC Meeting 4:15 (tentatively)
Thurs. 15 – Fri.16 – Fall Break No School
Mon. 19 – Fri. 23 – CSD Digital Citizenship Week
Thurs. 22 – 2nd Grade Thriller Field Trip
Fri. 23 – End of Quarter 1
Fri. 26 – Professional Learning Day – No School
Tues. 27 – Fri. 30 – Red Ribbon Week
Fri. 30 – Halloween Parade
Fri. 30 – 2nd Grade Performance
Next Month
🍁 November
Tues. 3 – PTA Meeting 10:00
Thurs. 4 – Picture Retakes
Fri. 6 – Book Blitz Jr. 8:20
Mon. 9 – Fri. 14 – Wellness Week
Mon. 9 – SCC Meeting 4:15
Tues. 10 – Quarter 1 Attendance Field Trip “Babe” @ Megaplex 17
Tues. 10 – Wellness Night 6:00-7:30
Wed. 11 – 5th Grade Veteran’s Day Program 9:30
Fri. 20 – Book Blitz Jr. 8:20
Mon. 23 – 3rd Grade Planetarium Field Trip
Mon. 23 – 4th & 5th Grade Feast 2:00
Wed. 25-Fri. 27 – No School, Thanksgiving Recess
PTA Information
We would still love to have you join the PTA. It is easy to do and doesn’t require a time commitment. Follow this link to join.