Tuesday, May 26, to Friday, May 29, is Spirit Week at Grady Elementary.  Here are the themes for each day:

Tuesday:     Sports Day

Wednesday: Crazy Hair Day

Thursday:    Mix & Match Day

Friday:       Super Hero Day

Enjoy this fun-filled week at Grady!

The Book Fair was a huge success thanks to all of the families who participated and all of you who volunteered.  Thank you for your support.  Thus far, the sales at the book fair are $6,700.00, but they could go higher and break our record of $7,100, if parents purchase books through the online book fair that runs through May 26.  Please just follow this link Online Book Fair Until May 26 and click in the middle of the page that says “Online Book Fair.”  All orders ship free to the school and there is an expanded selection of books, including books for all ages (child to adult).   

Also, we need more “treasures” for the Treasure Chest in the Kathryn Hance Media Center.  If you have unused party favors, small toys such as Happy Meal toys,  or other cool treats that would be a pleasure for a student to receive, please bring them to Mr. Tsourakis in the Kathryn Hance Media Center or Ms. Taylor in the front office.  This is a great way to give unused party favors or Happy Meal toys a second life.

Link to the Online Scholatis Book Fair: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/gradyelementaryschool

There will be one last End-of-the-Year Family Night at Yogurtology, located at 1202 S. Church Ave., on Wednesday, June 3, from 2 pm to 8 pm.   Please come out for some yogurt and know that a portion of the proceeds of your purchase will benefit our school.  Please mention Grady Elementary at the counter to ensure that our school gets credit for your purchase. 

Grady Elementary has won the Hillsborough County PTA’s Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Increased Membership.  The Award was presented by Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins.  The award was accepted by Grady Principal Kristine Dosal and PTA President, Debbie Bresnahan.  Our school won the award because we had the highest increase in PTA membership of all schools in Hillsborough County.  Prior to presenting the award to Grady, Superintendent Eakins spoke about the importance of parental involvement in schools and how parental and teacher cooperation is critical to the success of a school.  We are delighted and grateful to be presented with this wonderful honor.  At the same award ceremony, Grady also won awards for Volunteerism and a Golden Participation Award for parental involvement.   Grady was represented at the award ceremony by Mrs. Dosal (2014 Principal of the Year), Sandra Richmond (nominated for Outstanding Non-Instructional Person), Mr. Florio (2014-15 Grady Teacher of the Year and nominated for Hillsborough County PTA Teacher of the Year),  PTA President Debbie Bresnahan, PTA President-Elect Kris House, VP of Event Jennifer Narvaes, VP of Membership MaryAnn Hoffman-Dougill, ASE Club Coordinator Moni Sears, and  VP of Communications Ellen Lyons

Receiving the award: 

award

Here's a picture of the group with the Superintendent's Award:

And a picture of the group before the awards ceremony began: 

The Spring Musical is May 13!  Here are the times for the many events:

Morning:

7:30 am to 8:30 am  – buy raffle tickets and bid on silent auction items in front of the school, while enjoying free coffee and pastries.  You need not be present to win raffle and silent auction items.

8 am to 8:30 am – Chair set up in the Pavilion.  We still need volunteers for this, and it goes quickly with more people.  To volunteer, please click here: Volunteer for Set Up or Breakdown of Chairs.

Afternoon and Evening:

3:30 pm to 7:30 pm,  Book Fair in the Kathryn Hance Media Center (to volunteer for the Book Fair, click here: Volunteer for Book Fair

4 pm to 7:30 pm, Student Art Presentation in the Cafeteria

4:30 Food Trucks start serving and vendor tables are set up

5:00 pm Silent Auction and Raffle items available under the Pavilion.  Raffle tickets are 7 for $5.  We take cash, check and credit cards for raffle tickets and silent auction items.   To see prizes, click here: Raffle and Silent Auction Items.

5:15 Students in the Chorus to report to Room 26, Actors report to Room 13, Dancers report to your grade level classrooms.

5:30 pm, Introductory remarks, PTA General Meeting

6:00 Spring Musical, How to Be A Pirate in Seven Easy Songs, begins. All other events, except food truck sales, stop during the Spring Musical Performance (from 5:45 pm to 7:00 pm)

7:00 Spring Musical ends, Silent Auction and Raffle Winners Announced.  Winners will be notified and their names/prizes will be posted on our website.

7:00 Spring Musical chair breakdown occurs.  To volunteer for this please click here:  Volunteer for Set Up or Breakdown of Chairs, or simply stay and help.  It takes less than 30 minutes if enough people help.  Also, we need volunteers with drills (preferably cordless drills) to help break down the stage backdrop after the show.  If you have a drill and can help out, please bring your drill and stay after the show to help!

7:00 to 7:30 Book Fair and Art Presentation are re-opened after end of Spring Musical.

Please be quiet during the Principal’s remarks, the PTA General Meeting and especially during the Spring Musical performance.  Please remember that all parents should be able to hear their children perform.  If you plan to talk during the performance, please proceed to the food truck area for your conversation.   Grady students and teachers have worked hard to put on a wonderful show for you!

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for our many Spring Musical events.  If you have any questions, please email VP of Events, Jennifer Narvaes, at [email protected],  VP of Volunteers, Chely Sierra, at [email protected], VP of Communications, Ellen Lyons, at [email protected]

This has been a tremendous Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week.  Tomorrow is our final day and the theme is desserts.  Please bring in, or send your students to school with special dessert treats (brownies, cookies, cake etc.) that are either homemade or store-bought, and preferably individually wrapped (except cake).  Please plan to drop off the goodies at the front office on Friday, May 8th before 8:00 a.m

Thanks again for such a fun and wonderful week for our teachers.  Teachers that we have talked to feel very appreciated!

Thank you Grady Families for your participation in the gift card give-away on Wednesday.  77 gift cards were donated by families from our school and another 80+ gift cards were funded by money made at the Barnes & Noble Family Night of Reading.  A picture of the gift cards donated by families and some of the Barnes & Noble gift cards is attached.   Gift card and gift item donations were made by the following families: Patterson, Azevedo, Panos, Andres, Mueller, Matos, Jackson, Sierra, Fitzgerald, Ledford, Dougill, Hammond, Schentrup, Lyons, Boyd, Stemac, Carroll, Sahoo, Andratte and Del Castillo.  Some families did not leave their names on the gift cards, and we must simply thank them generally.  The teachers loved the gift card give-away and we’ve received several thank you emails from the teachers.  The teachers appreciate our strong family supporters and strong PTA, both of which greatly help our school.