Snow Make-Up Day
School will be in session on Presidents Day - Monday, February 20th, as a makeup day for the January 5th snow day. Please mark your calendar!
Delta Dental Information
Staff, reminder that our dental insurance has switched over to Delta Dental as of January 1, 2017. Please read the attached information on how contact Delta Dental, locate providers, and more. When locating providers, please pay special attention to whether the provider is a Delta Dental PPO or Delta Dental Premier provider, as the out of pocket expenses differ between the two types of providers. Also, please note the only cards you will be receiving from Delta Dental are at the bottom of the attachment below. Delta Dental does not print individualized cards. Please print these for your dental provider(s). If you have any questions, please contact the Human Resources Benefits department at (812) 288-4802.
GCCS is "Making It Happen"
Two GCCS schools and two district programs have been recognized by the Indiana Department of Education as a Promising Practice. The Promising Practices: Making it Happen initiative celebrates and recognizes schools across the state of Indiana for their effective implementation of innovative and/or inclusive educational practices. By highlighting these practices, an opportunity for educators to network with one another is created which allows educators to learn about best practices that are taking place throughout our great state. Northaven Elementary's World Fest and Jeffersonville High School's Counseling Department have also been recognized as Promising Practices.
Congratulations to Bridgepoint Elementary for being recognized for the Read and Feed program. The Read and Feed bus traveled through neighborhoods surrounding the school this past summer. Students were provided with a healthy meal three days per week and also a book to take home to read during the summer months. The program was funded through a School Improvement Grant and was fully staffed by Bridgepoint Elementary teachers. Over 575 meals were served and hundreds of books distributed. Thank you to 2015-16 BPES Interim Principal Denise Ellnor for coordinating this amazing program!
Congratulations to River Valley Middle School for being recognized for their Summer Scholar Program. River Valley partnered with the Clark County YMCA to provide full-day learning experiences for students in grades 6-8 that used small group, rigorous intervention and fun, hands-on enrichment activities to provide Language Arts and Math instruction. Students began each day with community time, then worked on language arts and math skills for 3 hours, using research-based curriculum provided by the Bell Summer Learning Program. Following lunch, YMCA staff members engaged students in enrichment activities. By working together, they helped all students #BeGreater.
Congratulations to the district’s Pre-School/Early Childhood Program for being recognized for serving nearly 300 students age 3-5 in an integrated setting for students of all abilities. The district originally started the process of providing preschool in order to provide for students with disabilities. Our focus was for that to be an integrated preschool where students with and without disabilities could be served in the same classroom. To accomplish a program in every building and meet the needs of the community and our students, the district applied for an Indiana Early Education Grant. This grant has allowed the district to provide a preschool program in every building and to reach out to students with 100 percent poverty to provide them with a daily, high quality preschool program and transportation to and from school. Every preschool teacher has had extensive training in Early Childhood education and/or special education. Teachers are also trained in Conscious Discipline, Safe Crisis Management, CPR and First Aid.
Congratulations to the district’s Technology Department for being recognized for the effective implementation and integration of the 1:1 Chromebook Initiative. The district is in its fourth year of the initiative, providing over 8,000 students in grades 3-12 with a Chromebook, in order to provide students with access to technology and access to knowledge. The 1:1 initiative has transformed the district’s classroom learning environment by utilizing the Google platform and leveling the playing field for all students.
School Messenger Text Alerts
Greater Clark County Schools utilizes School Messenger, a quick alert messaging service, to communicate weather related closures/delays and general communications such as important school announcements or events. One feature of School Messenger is the ability to send text message alerts. In order to participate in the text message service, you must indicate your willingness to receive text messages to your phone. The process is simple and will only take a few moments to complete. Follow the following steps: #1 - Ensure that your wireless number is listed the district’s student information system (Power School). Please contact your child’s school if you need to change your contact information. #2 - Text “yes” to the number 67587. #3 - You will know you were successful if you receive the following message: “You are registered to receive aprox 3 msgs/mo. Txt STOP to quit, HELP for help.” Please note, although the district does not charge for this service, it does not pay for text message charges that may be incurred by you for sending or receiving text messages. Check with your wireless carrier for possible charges.
Inclement Weather Plan
If weather and road conditions become bad enough to cause a change in the normal school schedule, one of the following plans below will be announced to the media on the morning in question. The district uses -10 degree wind chill as a starting point when considering a delay or closing of school due to temperature.
The district’s status will also be posted on our website (gccschools.com) and social media sites. Please do not call school offices or school employees because it ties up phone lines which are needed for emergency communications.
A School Messenger notification will be sent regarding a delay or closing of school during inclement weather by 5:30 a.m. to staff members and 6:00 a.m. to parents/guardians. In the event that school is delayed and weather conditions deteriorate, an announcement to close schools will be made by 7:30 a.m.
Plan 1: Two Hour Delay - (a) School will begin two hours late. Buses will run two hours later on their normal routes. (b) Afternoon dismissal will remain the same. (c) The morning sessions of preschool programs will be cancelled.
Plan 2: Schools Closed - (a) No school will be open that day. (b) School will be open the next scheduled day unless another closing announcement is made. (c) Make-up days will be announced and can also be referenced in the 2016-17 school calendar.
During slick road conditions, bus drivers may decide, after approval by the Director of Transportation, that a portion of their route cannot be safely traveled. In such cases, every effort will be made to notify the affected homes. The following rules will apply for students whose bus did not run: (a) Attendance will be taken and recorded with a notation that absence was due to no bus transportation. (b) If the student has perfect attendance in progress for the year, he/she will remain eligible for the recognition. (c) All make-up requirements must be met.
Inclement weather conditions sometimes cause buses to run late. Parents are asked to prepare their children to wait a reasonable amount of time for the bus and to be prepared for some variation in normal schedules. Questions about these procedures may be directed to the school principal, the Chief Financial Officer’s Office (288-4802 ext. 50120), or the Transportation Office (288-4809).