Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 14th is our PTA General Assembly Meeting at 8:00 am in the Teacher's Lounge to vote in our 2019-20 PTA Officers. 
We still have open positions on the board for Committee coordinators and Committee members for the 2019-20 school year. If you are interested in volunteering with the PTA, please join us at our PTA Board Meeting on May 14th at 8:15 am in the teacher's lounge or send an email to [email protected] with your interests. 
 
The officers nominated for the 2019-20 school year are: 
1.  President –Norma Maiz   
2.  VP of Membership - Jahaira Quintana
3.  VP of Communication – Laura Lauer
4.  VP of Sponsorship – Lauren Fitzgerald 
5.  VP of Fundraising/Ways and Means – Kat Cowley 
6.  VP of Events – Kate Nelson 
7.  VP of Volunteer Relations – Brad Smith 
8.  VP of Special Projects – Jessica Schentrup
9. VP of Health and Safety – Jannine Neward
10. VP of Finance  –  Clarissa Medeiros
11. Treasurer –  Heather Moniz
12. Secretary – Kate Beauregard
13. Corresponding Secretary – Deanna House

 

We still need Committee Coordinators for the following:

  • Yearbook Committee Coordinator- We do have several committee members that are available to take photos and create some event pages for the Yearbook
  • After School Enrichment Club Committee Assistant - Amy Harris is coordinating, but we are missing an ASE Assistant that assists the ASE in day to day interactions with volunteers and vendors. The ASE Assistant is required to be on campus during the first 2 weeks of clubs in each session. There are volunteers for attendance and dismissal
  • Auction Committee Coordinator - We already have a committee in place and Kat Cowley will support the coordinator
  • Reflections Art Committee Coordinator
  • 5th Grade Parent - Organizes the events specific to 5th grade including fundraisers and the 5th grade banquet
  • Family Nights Coordinator 
  • Welcoming Committee Coordinator – Organizes school uniform collection and distribution, gives school tours and organizes activities to make new parents feel welcome.
  • Formalities or Hospitality Committee Coordinator 
  • Dad’s Club Coordinator – Organizes clean-up day before school starts, schedule dad’s night out gathering and any events to get more men involved in school.

If you are interested in any of these roles or would like to volunteer with the PTA, please join us at our PTA Board Meeting on May 14th at 8:15 am or email [email protected] with your interests.   
We are excited to announce that Mike Campbell has been appointed as Grady's next Principal! Mr. Campbell is currently serving as the Assistant Principal at Grady. 
 
Mike Campbell grew up in Tampa. He attended Jesuit High School and received his Early Childhood/Elementary degree from Furman University and his Masters in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University. He taught for 11 years at Mort and Westchase Elementary before being appointed Assistant Principal at Grady Elementary in 2011. He also coached basketball for 11 years at Gaither High School.  

Purchase your yearbook today! Today, April 30th, is the last day to order a yearbook online and guarantee that your student will receive their yearbook for Yearbook Signing Day, which is held the week of May 20th. 


Please click on Purchase Yearbook to buy online. Yearbooks cost $25 for softcover and $30 for hardcover. 


After online sales close tonight, yearbooks will only be available on a first come first serve basis in the school office. We will only accept cash and checks made out to the Grady Elementary PTA. 

There is no school this Friday, April 19th due to Good Friday. We hope everyone enjoys the 3 day weekend! 

Thank you very much to the Ortiz Family for donating a new wheelchair to the Grady Elementary Clinic! We really appreciate your generosity! 

Congratulations to Norma Maiz for winning the Hillsborough County PTA Volunteer of the Year! We are so happy that they recognized your hard work and amazing dedication to our school! Grady Elementary also won awards for Volunteer Hours, Increased Membership and Golden Participation for parent and grandparent involvement in the school. To view photos from the Awards Ceremony, please click on PTA Awards Ceremony

The new Hillsborough County Student Calendar is now available for the 2019-2020 school year. Click on 2019-20 Student Calendar to view. Please make note that there is a change to Monday Early Release Days. Students will have one-hour early release every Monday with the following exceptions: Oct 14, Oct 21, Oct 28, Nov 4, Nov 18, Dec 2, Dec 9 and Dec 16, 2019. 

Below are some upcoming important dates:

4/19 - Good Friday - NO SCHOOL

4/25 - Cyber Security 101 Presentation at Mitchell Elementary

5/01 - Deadline to Purchase Yearbooks for Yearbook Signing Day

5/06 - 5/10 - Teacher Appreciation Week

5/07 - Coleman Middle School's Incoming 6th Grade Parent Meeting

5/14 - PTA General Assembly Meeting at 8:00 am 

5/20 - 5/24 - Spirit Week

5/27 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL

5/28 - Pre-K and 5th Grade Awards Ceremony

5/29 - K-4th Awards Ceremony

5/31 - Last Day of School & 5th Grade Clap Out 

Yearbook 

Purchase your yearbook today! May 1st is the deadline to guarantee a yearbook for Yearbook Signing day. Please click on Purchase Yearbook to buy online. Yearbooks cost $25 for softcover and $30 for hardcover. 

 

Cyber Security 101 at Mitchell Elementary

Mitchell Elementary is hosting a Cyber Safety 101 presentation on Thursday, April 25th from 6:00 - 7:00 pm. The presentation will be held in the Mitchell Elementary Cafeteria. It is recommended for parents of students in grades 4 & 5, but is open to all parents. Troy Suarez, supervisor of instructional technology for K-12 education will be at Mitchell to highlight ways to keep your children safe on the internet. For more information, please click on Cyber Security

 

Coleman Middle's Incoming 6th Grade Parent Meeting

Coleman Middle School is hosting their annual Incoming 6th Grade Parent meeting on Tuesday, May 7th from 6:00 - 7:00 pm in the Coleman Cafeteria. Please click on Coleman for more details. 

 

Summer Art Camp at Grady

Click on Grady Art Camp to learn about the 3 different week long themed art camps hosted by Debonique Grigsby. Both half and full day camps are available. Grady parents can secure their child's spot with a camp deposit of only $25.  Space is limited as each session will be capped at only 20 campers. Camp will be open to Pre-K through 5th grade students in the South Tampa area. Last year our camps filled up in only 3 weeks! 

 

South Tampa Basketball Camp

Enrollment is now open for the South Tampa Basketball Camp hosted at Grady Elementary by our Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Harris. Click on South Tampa Basketball Camp to learn more and find the enrollment forms. The camp is open to girls and boys grades 1st-9th. Camps run from Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. There are 3 week long sessions from June 10 - 27th. 

 

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.

One of PTA's main goals is to advocate for our children. Here's a quick update on a couple of important subjects that our parents have expressed interest in.

Several weeks ago, we sent a link to a Florida PTA survey concerning Senate Bill 7030 (School Safety and Security) and many parents requested that we provide an update when the bill goes to vote. SB 7030 is set for final debate this Wednesday (4/17) and vote in the Senate on Thursday (4/18). Now is the time to call or email your Florida Senators to share your thoughts on the bill.  This bill contains a provision that would amend last year's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act; it permits full-time classroom teachers to participate in the Guardian Program. In short, once having completed training and having received authorization, full-time classroom teachers could carry arms on school grounds. To view Florida PTA's statement regarding SB 7030 and email your state Senator, please click on Florida PTA Action Center. You can also click on Florida State Senators for a full list of state Senators or click on Janet Cruz to email our local state Senator. 

ABC Action News reported on the lack of crossing guards in 45 Hillsborough County Elementary schools, including Grady. Click here to view the news report. The school is doing everything they can to help protect our kids, from constantly requesting traffic studies to qualify for a crossing guard to having Coach Murrell assist in the crosswalk during student drop off and pick up. Thanks Coach Murrell!! Safety is a huge priority for us and we will continue to advocate for a crossing guard and improvements in pedestrian safety. This video is a great reminder to stop at crosswalks when pedestrians are present. Let's all work together to keep our families safe! 

Finally, Hillsborough County is conducting a countywide survey in spring 2019 to assess resident satisfaction in key areas. Feedback from the anonymous questionnaire will assist county administration in determining priorities for the community and evaluating how Hillsborough County compares with other jurisdictions across the nation.  Click on Hillsborough County Citizen Survey to complete the survey. 

There will be an incoming 6th grade parent meeting at Coleman Middle School on Tuesday, May 7th. The meeting will take place in the Coleman Cafeteria from 6:00 - 7:00 pm. 

Coleman Middle School is located at 1724 S Manhattan Ave. 

Summer VPK registration opens tomorrow, Thursday, March 28th at 8:00 am at Mitchell Elementary (205 S. Bungalow Park Ave). The VPK program will be held at Grady Elementary, but run by Mitchell's Vice Principal, Mr. Moon. The program runs from June 10 - July 31st, Monday - Thursday from 7:30 am - 6:00 pm (drop-off and pick-up are flexible).  

Please see the attached photo for more information or contact Mitchell Elementary at 813-872-5216.