Grady Elementary is honored to have been selected by the Florida Department of Education as a winner of the Five Star School Award for the 2015-16 school year.  The honor is awarded to schools committed to in incorporating family and community members into the school environment. 

In determining whether to give the award, the FDOE considers the school’s efforts and results in five areas:  Community/Business Partnerships, Family Involvement, Volunteerism, Student Community Service and School Advisory Council.  

Grady consistently has very high volunteer hours.  In fact, the volunteers in our school have repeatedly helped us win district-wide PTA awards for volunteerism. Grady Elementary has had a 100% membership PTA for several years, demonstrating parent involvement.  Our students and families have served the community through food drives (for Alpha House and End 68 Hours of Hunger), Pasta for Pennies (info here: prior newsletter), Tiger Leadership Council, Poetry for a Purpose (photo of published book), and many other community initiatives. And our Grady Tiger Partners, both Family Partners and Business Partners, confirm our community and business partnerships.  All of these factors pushed us over the top to win this award.

Congratulations and thank you to the volunteers, family and business partners, hard-working community-minded students and parents who helped us to win this award.  Awards from the Department of Education have positive consequences for our school; and every award helps us rise in notoriety.  This award would not be possible without the commitment to excellence by the Grady faculty, staff and administration.  They establish the culture of our school.  They set the expectation of participation, volunteerism, partnership and community involvement.  So, thank you and congratulations to Grady faculty, staff and administration for this fine honor.

To read more about the Five Star School Award, please click here: Five Star School Press Release.