News

SLAM Submissions due Monday, Feb 10th

This is the final week to turn in submissions for the Student Literacy and Media (SLAM) showcase, a district K-12 event celebrating reading. All students are invited to make two-dimensional art projects or short video book trailers about books in the special reading list. Submissions are due on Monday, February 10th. Top entries will be announced on February 24, 2020 and will be taken to the district Showcase at the Tampa Convention Center on March 24, 2020. At the event, those student creators will experience projects from all the schools and see award-winning authors and storytellers.
 
Our Media Specialist, Mr. Tsourakis, is available after school this week to consult with students but will need a written note from parents stating that they have given permission and will be able to pick up their student at 3:10, along with a contact number. 
 
For more information, please click here  or contact Mr. Tsourakis, at [email protected].us
SLAM Showcase:
https://youtu.be/iuUxVk72bD0
DIstrict level video book trailers:

Tiger Talk Update 01.30.20

We have many upcoming events that require volunteers and we would be appreciative for any help that you are able to provide.

Here are the detailed events:

  • Assisting Mr. Tsourakis in the media center (ongoing) - Click on Media Center Volunteers to sign up for a 2 hour shift. Please note that dates are organized by days of the week (ie. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays). Currently, no extra help is needed on Mondays, but might be in the future.  
  • Walk to School Wednesday on February 5th from 6:55 - 7:40 am - Please click on Walk to School Wednesday to sign up. 
  • Set up chairs for the Pre-K and Kindergarten Valentine's Concert on February 12th - Volunteers are needed from 2:15 - 3:15 pm. We appreciate any time you can spare, even if you are not able to stay for the entire hour. Please click on Chair setup to sign up. 
  • Jump Rope for Heart on Friday, February 14th - Volunteers are needed to help monitor stations, hand out water, turn jump ropes and more. If you are interested in volunteering, please click on Jump Rope for Heart. You are encouraged to choose the times your child(ren) will be participating.
     
    Below are some upcoming important dates: 
    • 02/02 - Community Cleanup for 5th Grade Students at Coleman Track at 9:00 am     
    • 02/03 - Community Cleanup - Meet at Park & Walk at 12:55 pm    
    • 02/05 - Walk to School Wednesday from 7:00 - 7:35 am   
    • 02/06 - Last day to submit entries for the SLAM Showcase  
    • 02/07 - Fair Day - NO SCHOOL  
    • 02/10 - K-2nd Sculptures due for Doodad Sculpture Contest  
    • 02/12 - 3rd-5th grade Sculptures due for Doodad Sculpture Contest
    • 02/13 - Pre-K and Kindergarten Valentine's Concert at 8:15 am
    • 02/14 - Jump Rope for Heart and Field Day 
    • 02/17 - President's Day - NO SCHOOL  
    • 02/19 - Ready for Kindergarten event for incoming kindergarteners at 8:15 am      
    • 02/28 - Family Skate Night at United Skates of America at 6:00 pm 
    • 03/11 - Spring Concert for 1st and 2nd Grade Students at 6:00 pm  
    • 03/12 - Spring Concert for 3rd - 5th Grade Chorus at 6:00 pm  
    • 04/18 - Grady's Auction Night 

     

    Community Cleanup Opportunities

    • All Grady Students - Please help us clean the Baseball/Softball areas next to Park & Walk every Monday at 12:55 pm, right after school. Bring an adult and check in with Wendy De la Garza at the Park & Walk gate. Please bring tongs/grabbers to help pick up trash from the surrounding area. The PTA will have a few extras your students can use.
    • Grady 5th Graders - Please help us keep the Coleman Middle School track and surrounding area clean of trash. ?? ??This is a great environmental project and it serves our learning community. Bring your parent and a pair of gloves to any or all of the Sunday morning meet-ups at 9:00 am at the track entrance on W. Neptune St.  Please wear your Grady spirit shirts. 

     
    SLAM Showcase
     
    The Student Literacy and Media (SLAM) showcase is in full swing at Grady Elementary! This is a district K-12 event celebrating reading. All students are invited to make two-dimensional art projects or short video book trailers about books in the special reading list. There will be awards given and winners will proceed to a county level showcase. Submissions must be sent in by February 7th. For more information about the SLAM Showcase and the official rules, please click here  or contact our Media Specialist, Mr. Tsourakis, at [email protected].us.  
     
    Doodad Sculpture Contest Important Dates and Details
    (K-2nd):  Due Monday, February 10th
    (3rd-5th):  Due Wednesday, February 12th
    Location: Media Center
    Details to include:
    • Student(s) Name(s)
    • Homeroom Teacher
    • 3-5 Sentence Artist Statement about their sculpture on a separate sheet of paper
    • Must include at least 1 snack wrapper and 1 plastic shopping bag somewhere in the sculpture
    • Must not be any larger than 3'X3'
    • Group projects must have students that are all within the grade level brackets above for judging purposes
    Judging Criteria:
    1. Use of Materials
    2. Creativity
    3. Followed Instructions and Guidelines
    4. Aesthetics (Neatness, Durability, etc.)
     
    For more details and contest guidelines, please click on Doodad Sculpture Contest or email Debonique.Grigsby@sdhc.k12.fl.us with any questions.  
     
    5th Grade Parents
     
    The deadline to purchase ads for your 5th grader is February 22, 2020. To create your ad, click on Create 5th Grade Yearbook Ad. For pricing and details on the process, please click here.   
    Save the date for Coleman Middle School's Incoming 6th Grade Parent Meeting on May 5th from 6:00 - 7:00 pm in the Coleman cafeteria. They will do a quick "Day in the Life of a 6th Grader" and then a Q&A. 
    Yearbooks
     
    We need your help to complete our Yearbook! You don't need to come to Grady Elementary to help create our Yearbook - there is flexibility to create pages and upload photos from home or the office.Please email [email protected] if you are interested in helping. 
     
    Yearbook sales are open online! Please visit www.strawbridge.net to purchase and enter online code yb112045. Yearbooks are all hardcover this year and cost $25 if purchased before March 1, 2020.  On March 1st, prices will rise to $30. Yearbook signing day is May 22nd, so make sure to purchase your Yearbooks early to ensure that your student has for signing day! 
     
    We will be sending paper forms home if you prefer to pay via cash or check. Please note that cash and checks will only be accepted in January and February. 
     
    If you have pictures that you would like included in the yearbook and the website, please email them to [email protected].
     
     

    Box Tops

     
    Keep collecting Box Tops! For every 5 Box Tops submitted, students will obtain 1 entry into the monthly drawing. Submit Box Tops by March 15th for the chance to win a Barnes and Noble Goody Bag! The top class will also win a Pizza Party! For more information, please click Grady Box Tops. 
     
    You can submit Box Tops 3 ways: 
    1. Through the Box Top$ for Education app. Send a screenshot of your current uploaded box top amounts in your app to [email protected] to be eligible for prizes. 
    2. Clip Box Tops and turn in on the form sent home or in a Ziploc Bag. Make sure to include your child's name and teacher on the form/ziploc bag. Please insure that you are sending unexpired Box Tops and not the "Skip the Clip" logos. Items with the "Skip the Clip" logo should be submitted through the Box Top$ for Education App. 
    3. Send unscanned receipts to your teacher with your child's name written on the back. Please note, receipts must be scanned in within 14 days. 
     
    PTA Meetings
     
    The next PTA meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 11th from 8:00 - 9:00 am in the Teachers' Lounge. The meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more about the PTA and upcoming events. If you cannot attend and would like to review the prior meeting minutes, please visit PTA Board Meetings. We have also listed some of the programs that 2019-2020 PTA Fundraisers will help fund. 
     
     
    PTA Membership
     
    Who can join? ANYONE. You can add your neighbor, parents, grandparents, anyone in the community. 
    How much does it cost? $6 for one person, $10 for two.
    Where can we become members? Online at: https://gradypta.memberhub.store/
    High membership participation provides PTA with strength in numbers when advocating for our students and also allows us to participate in PTA programs such as Reflections Art. Our PTA also receives awards for membership and programs PTA offers.
     
     
    Tiger Business and Family Partners
     
    Thank you to all of our Tiger partners! Our Tiger partners greatly assist us in enhancing educational opportunities and experiences for Grady students in four main areas: make a difference in our classrooms by funding programs; deliver PTA events to our students, teachers, and families; support Grady school events by providing volunteers and/or covering expenses; and enhance Grady Elementary through health and safety projects. To learn more about Tiger Family and Business Partnerships, please click here: Tiger Partnership Program. 
     
    Our 2019-20 Tiger Business Partners are: 

    Our 2019-20 Family Sponsors are: 

    • Leader of the Pack level partner: Drs. Siviero & Heather Agazzi
    • Tiger Bronze partners: Melanie Edwards Fowler; The Gibbs Family; The House Family; and The Zysk Family
    • Red (Bengal) level partners: Angi Comas; The Christopher Family; The Du Family; The Fitzgerald Family; The Gomez Family; The Jacobs Family - Jennifer, Jeremy, Welles & Briggs; The Ledford Family; The Lueckeman Family; The Roush Family; and The Schentrup Family
    • Yellow (Cougar) level partners: John Paul and Rosemarie Getting; The Neward Family; Khue and NamSon Nguyen Family; and Ken Vu
    • Green (Cub) level partner: The Knittle Family

     

    Got used markers? ColorCycle them at Grady

    What is Crayola ColorCycle? Crayola’s latest sustainability initiative designed to repurpose markers, highlighters and dry erase markers. All marker brands are accepted. 

    How do I help? Collect markers and drop them off in the front office or your student can give them to our art teacher, Debonique Grigsby. For more information, click on ColorCycle.

     

    Familias que hablan Español

    Si tienen preguntas sobre nuestros eventos o programas, por favor manda un email a communications@gradytigers.org. 


    5th Grade Parent Information

    Coleman Chronicle & PTSA

    5th grade parents can visit www.colemanptsa.com to create their Coleman accounts now. Please note that you are a 5th grade parent - the system automatically promotes you over the summer. Also subscribe to the Coleman Chronicle and calendar. 
     
    Attention Grady Parents who either have a rising 6th grader or who currently have a child at Coleman Middle School.  Coleman’s PTSA is recruiting for next years 2020-2021 Executive Board.  If you are interested please utilize the following link to apply: the Willingness to Lead form is ready and waiting for your attention!  
      
    For more information about the Coleman PTSA please check out our website at  www.colemanptsa.com.
     

    Coleman Incoming 6th Grade Parent Meeting 5/5/20

    Coleman Middle School will be hosting their Incoming 6th Grade Parent Meeting on May 5th from 6:00 - 7:00 pm in the Coleman cafeteria. They will do a quick "Day in the Life of a 6th Grader" and then a Q&A. 

     

    Yearbook Ads for 5th Grade Students Only

    The ability for parents to create and order ads for your yearbook through the Pixami software has been activated.  Here is a direct link to the storefront: http://www.ssiyearbooks.com/112045ges/home3/Bookstore.jsp

    Prices:

    1/4 pg. - $30

    1/2 pg. - $75

    full pg. - $150

    A 10% fee will be added when making the ad.

    The process works as follows:

    • Parents locate the storefront through http://www.ssiyearbooks.com/  or via the direct link above.

    • After selecting their desired ad size on the storefront, naming it, and choosing a theme, the parent will be prompted to create a user account.

    • Once their account is created, the parent will design the ad using an interface similar to the one provided to yearbook advisors for designing page layouts.

    • After the design is complete, customers will then place the order via the online storefront.  They will be charged the appropriate price for their size, plus a 10% handling charge for processing.

    • Once the order is complete, the prepared ads will appear on the yearbook software for placement in the book.

    Deadline to buy 5th grade yearbook ads: February 22, 2020

    Grady Dad's Night 1/16 at 7:30 pm

    Our first Grady Dad's Night of the year is coming up on Thursday, January 16th at 7:30 pm (right after Unlock the Treasures of Reading Night) at the Press Box on Dale Mabry. 

    The Press Box is located at 222 S. Dale Mabry Highway. For more details about the restaurant, please click on The Press Box. 

    If you are able to attend, please RSVP to Drew Catanese at 803-521-3261 or via email at [email protected]. 

    Tiger Talk Update 01.09.20

    We hope everyone had a great winter break! If you are looking to purge any electronics or creative toys after the holiday season, our media center is collecting donations of gently used electronics such as computers (Windows 10 only), ipods, ipads, flat screen tvs (40 in. or less) and any creative play toys or gadgets. These items will be repurposed for education and enrichment purposes for our students.  Please bring items to the media center or contact our Media Specialist, Mr. Tsourakis, at [email protected].us if you have questions on whether we can use your specific item(s).
     
    Please note that early release Mondays are back. Pickup is at 12:55 pm on Mondays for the rest of the school year. 
     
    After School Enrichment (ASE) Club registration is now open. You can register online by clicking on ASE Club Registration. For club dates and details, please click on ASE Spring 2020. We were able to add a second Cooking Club on Tuesdays which lets more students participate and allows us to divide students by grade (although we will attempt to keep siblings together). 
     
    Volunteers are needed for Walk to School Wednesday on 1/15 and to monitor Grady's Black History Art Booth at the Florida State Fair from 2/6 - 2/17. Please see additional details below and click on the links to sign up. 
     
     
    Below are some upcoming important dates: 
    • 01/12 - Community Cleanup for 5th Grade Students at Coleman Track at 9:00 am  
    • 01/13 - Community Cleanup - Meet at Park & Walk at 12:55 pm
    • 01/14 - PTA Meeting from 8:00 - 9:00 am - Open to anyone interested in learning more about PTA and upcoming events    
    • 01/15 - Walk to School Wednesday from 7:00 - 7:35 am 
    • 01/16 - Unlock the Treasures of Reading Night from 6:00 - 7:00 pm, Grady Dad's Night at The Press Box at 7:30 pm    
    • 01/20 - Martin Luther King Jr Holiday - NO SCHOOL
    • 02/06 - Last day to submit entries for the SLAM Showcase  
    • 02/07 - NO SCHOOL  
    • 02/10 - K-2nd Sculptures due for Doodad Sculpture Contest
    • 02/12 - 3rd-5th grade Sculptures due for Doodad Sculpture Contest
    • 02/13 - Kindergarten Valentine's Concert
    • 02/14 - Jump Rope for Heart and Field Day 
    • 02/17 - President's Day - NO SCHOOL  
    • 02/19 - Ready for Kindergarten event for incoming kindergarteners      
    • 02/28 - Family Skate Night at United Skates of America at 6:00 pm 
    • 04/18 - Grady's Auction Night 

         

    Unlock the Treasures of Reading Night (Pirates & Pajamas Night) on 1/16

    On Thursday, January 16th from 6:00 - 7:00 pm is our 12th annual Unlock the Treasures of Reading Night, also known as Grady's Pirates and Pajamas Night. This event is for parents and children. From 6:15 - 7:00 pm, students will go to classrooms and enjoy stories read by pirates from local krewes. At the same time, parents of K-2nd grade students will go to the cafeteria for a Reading Essentials Information Session and parents of 3rd-5th grade students will go to the Media Center for the FSA (Florida Standards Assessment) Information Session. 

    The kids are invited to dress as pirates or wear pajamas. There will be free books, beads, juice and cookies. Don’t miss this fun event!
     

    Grady Dad's Night 1/16 at 7:30 pm

    Our first Grady Dad's Night of the year is coming up on Thursday, January 16th at 7:30 pm (right after Unlock the Treasures of Reading Night) at the Press Box at 222 S. Dale Mabry Highway. Click on The Press Box to view their menu. 

    If you are able to attend, please RSVP to Drew Catanese at 803-521-3261 or via email at [email protected]. 

     

    Volunteers Needed for Walk To School Wednesday and Florida State Fair

    • Walk to School Wed on 12/15 - Volunteers are needed from 6:55 - 7:40 am for student check in during our monthly Walk to School Wednesday event. Please click on Walk to School Volunteers to sign up.   
    • Volunteers are needed to monitor Grady's Black History Art Booth at the Florida State Fair this year. This year, Grady students will be learning about the accomplishments of Medgar Evers and some of their artwork will be selected to be part of the exhibit. The shifts are 3 1/2 hours long and you can walk around to other booths as well. The fair will be here from February 6th until February 17th.  If you are interested, use the link below to register and you will receive 1 free fair entry ticket for that day. https://signup.com/go/nOSfyzt

     

    Community Cleanup Opportunities

    • All Grady Students - Please help us clean the Baseball/Softball areas next to Park & Walk every Monday at 12:55 pm, right after school. Bring an adult and check in with Wendy De la Garza at the Park & Walk gate. Please bring tongs/grabbers to help pick up trash from the surrounding area. The PTA will have a few extras your students can use.
    • Grady 5th Graders - Please help us keep the Coleman Middle School track and surrounding area clean of trash. ?? ??This is a great environmental project and it serves our learning community. Bring your parent and a pair of gloves to any or all of the Sunday morning meet-ups at 9:00 am at the track entrance on W. Neptune St.  Please wear your Grady spirit shirts. 

     
    SLAM Showcase
     
    The Student Literacy and Media (SLAM) showcase is in full swing at Grady Elementary! This is a district K-12 event celebrating reading. All students are invited to make two-dimensional art projects or short video book trailers about books in the special reading list. There will be awards given and winners will proceed to a county level contest. Submissions must be sent in by February 7th. For more information about the SLAM Showcase and the official rules, please click here  or contact our Media Specialist, Mr. Tsourakis, at [email protected].us.  
     
    Doodad Sculpture Contest
     
    This year, Grady will be participating in a new experience: The Doodad Sculpture Contest! Doodads is an art sculpture competition that requires students to use recycled or upcycled materials to create a 3D art sculpture. Each year, different materials are requested to be used according to a theme and this year's theme is "SHOES"! This is an art competition that students will work on at home, but may get advice from Mrs. Grigsby, Grady's art teacher. 
     

    There will be school-level awards given out to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention winners for each grade level. We will also be hosting a party celebrating all school-level winners. All participants will receive a certificate and a ribbon. 

    All sculptures will be turned in on the stage in the cafeteria from 7:10 - 8:00 am on the dates below. If the sculpture is larger than 3' X 3', the parents will be responsible for dropping them off because we are unable to accommodate large sculptures at school. Parents can submit a picture of sculptures larger than 3' X 3' via email to [email protected].fl.us for school level judging. 

    • K-2 sculptures are due on February 10th
    • 3-5 sculptures are due on February 12th
    For more details and contest guidelines, please click on Doodad Sculpture Contest. 
    Yearbooks
     
    We need your help to complete our Yearbook! You don't need to come to Grady Elementary to help create our Yearbook - there is flexibility to create pages and upload photos from home or the office.Please email [email protected] if you are interested in helping. Trainings will be held on Wednesdays from 11:30 - 12:30 or you can email yearbook@gradytigers.org to schedule a different day/time.
     
    Yearbook sales are open online! Please visit www.strawbridge.net to purchase and enter online code yb112045. Yearbooks are all hardcover this year and cost $25 if purchased before March 1, 2020.  On March 1st, prices will rise to $30. 
     
    We will be sending paper forms home if you prefer to pay via cash or check. Please note that cash and checks will only be accepted in January and February. 
     
    If you have pictures from field trips, Tropicana Speeches or the Winter Concerts that you would like included in the yearbook and the website, please email them to [email protected].
     
    5th grade parents - the deadline to purchase ads for your 5th grader is February 22, 2020. 
     
     

    Box Tops

     
    Keep collecting Box Tops! For every 5 Box Tops submitted, students will obtain 1 entry into the monthly drawing. For more information, please click Grady Box Tops. 
     
    You can submit Box Tops 3 ways: 
    1. Through the Box Top$ for Education app. Send a screenshot of your current uploaded box top amounts in your app to [email protected] to be eligible for prizes. 
    2. Clip Box Tops and turn in on the form sent home or in a Ziploc Bag. Make sure to include your child's name and teacher on the form/ziploc bag. Please insure that you are sending unexpired Box Tops and not the "Skip the Clip" logos. Items with the "Skip the Clip" logo should be submitted through the Box Top$ for Education App. 
    3. Send unscanned receipts to your teacher with your child's name written on the back. 
     
    PTA Meetings
     
    The next PTA meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 14th from 8:00 - 9:00 am in the Teachers' Lounge. The meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more about the PTA and upcoming events. If you cannot attend and would like to review the prior meeting minutes, please visit PTA Board Meetings. We have also listed some of the programs that 2019-2020 PTA Fundraisers will help fund. 
     
     
    PTA Membership
     
    Who can join? ANYONE. You can add your neighbor, parents, grandparents, anyone in the community. 
    How much does it cost? $6 for one person, $10 for two.
    Where can we become members? Online at: https://gradypta.memberhub.store/
    High membership participation provides PTA with strength in numbers when advocating for our students and also allows us to participate in PTA programs such as Reflections Art. Our PTA also receives awards for membership and programs PTA offers.
     
     
    Tiger Business and Family Partners
     
    Thank you to all of our Tiger partners! Our Tiger partners greatly assist us in enhancing educational opportunities and experiences for Grady students in four main areas: make a difference in our classrooms by funding programs; deliver PTA events to our students, teachers, and families; support Grady school events by providing volunteers and/or covering expenses; and enhance Grady Elementary through health and safety projects. To learn more about Tiger Family and Business Partnerships, please click here: Tiger Partnership Program. 
     
    Our 2019-20 Tiger Business Partners are: 

    Our 2019-20 Family Sponsors are: 

    • Leader of the Pack level partner: Drs. Siviero & Heather Agazzi
    • Tiger Bronze partners: Melanie Edwards Fowler; The Gibbs Family; The House Family; and The Zysk Family
    • Red (Bengal) level partners: Angi Comas; The Christopher Family; The Du Family; The Fitzgerald Family; The Gomez Family; The Jacobs Family - Jennifer, Jeremy, Welles & Briggs; The Ledford Family; The Lueckeman Family; The Roush Family; and The Schentrup Family
    • Yellow (Cougar) level partners: John Paul and Rosemarie Getting; The Neward Family; Khue and NamSon Nguyen Family; and Ken Vu
    • Green (Cub) level partner: The Knittle Family

     

    Got used markers? ColorCycle them at Grady

    What is Crayola ColorCycle? Crayola’s latest sustainability initiative designed to repurpose markers, highlighters and dry erase markers. All marker brands are accepted. 

    How do I help? Collect markers and drop them off in the front office or your student can give them to our art teacher, Debonique Grigsby. For more information, click on ColorCycle.

     

    Familias que hablan Español

    Si tienen preguntas sobre nuestros eventos o programas, por favor manda un email a communications@gradytigers.org. 

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