PTA Updates

Tiger Talk Update 10.4.18

October 4, 2018

Do you know about the Education Referendum and how it will impact our school?

On the ballot this year, our district is facing an extremely important vote. Right now, because of inadequate state funding, our students face a future in aging, crowded schools. The half-penny sales tax would invest $131 million in our county’s students and schools each year for ten years.

The funding would be spent on specific projects to improve our public schools—the list across our district includes replacing air conditioners, fixing leaky roofs, new classroom technology, upgrading safety and security systems, and building 4 new schools to relieve overcrowding. Please see the projects scheduled for Grady at Education Referendum Projects.

You can find some of the frequently asked questions about the half-penny sales tax on our district’s website: Half-penny sales tax FAQs or you can attend one of our scheduled Town Hall Meetings with Superintendent Jeff Eakins.

The Education Referendum will be the final item on the ballot. You must be registered to vote to by Tuesday, October 9th. You can register right now, online, at http://votehillsborough.org/.

Thank you to Superintendent Jeff Eakins and the district staff for sharing the details with us during last week's Town Hall meeting at Grady!

 
Below are some upcoming important dates:
10/5 - Last day to turn in spare change for our Pennies for Patients fundraiser benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
10/17 - Deadline to submit artwork for the Reflections Art Program
10/18 - Family Night at United Skates of America - Click on Purchase tickets to order your wristband today!
10/26 - Grady Fall Festival from 5-8pm - Volunteers needed!
11/4 - End 68 Hours of Hunger's annual Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally
11/30 - Grady's Tiger Trek Walk-a-thon - PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGED TO 11/30
3/9/19 - Grady Auction Night at Christ the King
 
Reflections Art Contest
 
The Reflections Art Program encourages and celebrates students artists.  This year, students will be reflecting on the theme “Heroes Around Me” to develop a piece of art.  The program will be overseen by Grady Art Teacher, Ms. Debonique Grigsby, but the art work will be completed at home by students and submitted in art class. Deadline for submission of art is October 17, 2018. There will be a professionally-judged art contest at the end of the program, complete with award ribbons for the top three art pieces in each grade, honorable mention ribbons, and an awards party that will double as an ice-cream social. For additional information, please visit Reflections Art Program or email [email protected].
Family Skate Night on October 18th
 
Don't miss our Halloween themed Family Skate Night on Thursday, October 18th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm (admission begins at 5:30 pm with pre-sale tickets). Pre-sale tickets are available until Tuesday, October 16th! Tickets are only $6 per person and include regular skate rental. Non-skating adults are free. Click on Skate Night Tickets to purchase.

Dress in costume to skate and support the Grady Elementary PTA. Hope to see you all there!

United Skates of America, 5121 N Armenia Ave., Tampa, Fl 33603 

Book Fair

Grady's "Enchanted Forest" Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the Kathryn Hance Media Center from October 22-26. We'll receive a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level, and all purchases benefit our school! If we reach the Book Fair sales goal of $12,000, Media Specialist Nick Tsourakis will be SLIMED during the Fall Festival!!

We need your help! Please Click Here to Volunteer for the Book Fair.

Fall Festival

Fall Festival is Friday, October 26th from 5pm- 8pm. It’s a very fun family night with a book fair booth, bounce houses, lots of games, 5th grade bake sale, magic show and more!!! Pre-sale wristbands will go on sale shortly and will cost $15 for the 1st wristband and $10 for each additional wristband.

To make the fall festival successful, we depend on parent volunteers to help run the games and booths.Volunteers are needed from 4pm - 9pm. Please click on volunteer to sign up or contact the homeroom parent for your child's classroom.

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.

Grady PTA Membership
Thank you to all of the families that have already signed up to join the Grady PTA! You can still sign up/renew your PTA membership online by clicking PTA Membership. Membership is only $6 for 1 person or $10 for 2 people. High membership allows us to participate in PTA programs such as Reflections Art. Signing up for the PTA does not commit you to any volunteering (although we always love having our families volunteer at the school!)