08/31/2026
Dear Grant Community,
We made it through our first two weeks of school! 😅 🎉 Our scholars are settling into routines, learning school and classroom expectations, and beginning to build the relationships and classroom communities that will help them feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.
As we begin this school year together, I want to emphasize that school-home partnership matters. The expectations we establish at school are most successful when students hear the same message at home. Please take time to talk with your student about Being Safe, Being Respectful, Being Responsible, Being Ready to Learn.
Stay Connected 📱
Please make sure you are reading messages from your teachers and the school. Messages are always sent on ParentSquare and ClassDojo, please connect. Two-way communication between home and school is essential. We try to minimize sending paper documents home because they often get lost between the time they are given to students and when they actually make it to you. When we communicate, share information, and work together, we are better able to support our scholars.
If you have a concern about your student, the first step is to speak with your classroom teacher. Please make sure you have all the information before making conclusions about a situation. Please leave a Communigram in the office, send a message, or request a meeting. A conversation with the teacher or trying to catch me at the gates during arrival or dismissal does not give the matter. Remember that your student has a right to confidentiality. We must protect the privacy of all our students and families.
🚸 Safety Is Everyone's Responsibility ⚠️
Our first safety drill was scheduled for today. Teachers were practicing with students this week so that safety procedures become familiar and normalized rather than frightening. We want our students to know what to do and feel confident that the adults around them are prepared to keep them safe.
The same responsibility applies outside our gates!
The white lane in front of the school, on Downer Ave. is for school buses only! Please do not block it. Here’s a casualty of the drivers in front of the school. RIP Traffic Man-this could have easily been a student!
Do not double park.
Do not park in crosswalks.
On 25th Street, the area is designed for you to pull up, drop off, and go. Please do not stop and block the flow of traffic.
Please use the crosswalks when crossing the street.
Do not open the door near the traffic flow and have your student run in the traffic to cross.
We create the safety of our students together. Every individual-parent, caregiver, community member has a responsibility to follow traffic laws and model safe behavior for our children.
⏰ On-Time Arrival Matters
School begins at 8:20 a.m., so students should be on campus by 8:15 a.m. This gives them time to get settled, connect with their classmates, and be ready for instruction.
When students arrive late, they miss important instruction at the beginning of the day. For some students, coming in after everyone else has started can also create anxiety, tears, or fear about going to class. Helping your child arrive on time is one of the simplest ways you can support a successful school day.
🗣️Your Voice Matters
Parent involvement is not just encouraged—it is essential. Please consider joining campus committees, parent groups, and district advisory committees. Parent voice matters. Without families at the table, we cannot make the impact we need to make for our students and our school. We have an incredible community with many cultures represented at our school. It is important that we celebrate that diversity, stand together in solidarity and respect, and recognize all that our school community has accomplished including our California PBIS Gold Level designation!
🎉 The Parade Is Coming! Fiestas Patrias/Unity Parade Saturday, September 12th
Our parade is coming up, and we need an organizing committee! We are looking for families who can help create our school float and organize classrooms so our scholars can participate.This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate who we are as a school community and showcase the many cultures, strengths, and accomplishments that make our school special. Please join us in the MPR on Monday, August 31 at 8:30 am for a planning meeting to discuss and organize our parade decorations, participation, and ideas.
🌟 Special Education Parent Workshop 🌟
📚 Join us on Thursday, September 3rd at 8:30 for an informative and engaging Special Education Workshop designed to support families and strengthen our partnership in helping every student succeed. 💙
✨ Learn about:
🧩 Special education services and supports
📝 Understanding the IEP process
🤝 How families and schools can work together
🏫 Afterschool Program Update
Our afterschool program is currently full and we are waiting for additional personnel to be assigned so we can expand capacity. Please remember that all parents must attend a meeting before their student can be admitted to the program. Submitting a request does not automatically mean that your student has been enrolled. We appreciate your patience as we work within staffing and program requirements.
🏢 Office Expectations & Student Privacy
I also need to address expectations for conduct in the school office. Schools operate through systems, procedures, and protocols. Speaking to our office team or school staff in a disrespectful or dismissive tone does not change those procedures or guarantee a particular outcome.
We are here to help, and we expect everyone to treat our staff with the same respect that we extend to our families. For student privacy and safety, cellphone use and videotaping are not permitted in the office or anywhere on school grounds when it compromises student privacy.
Please also make sure your student's emergency contacts are current. We will not release a student to someone who is not listed as an authorized contact. If there is a special circumstance and someone else needs to pick up your student, please call the office or email us in advance to request that the person be added. When the person arrives, we will verify their identification to ensure they are the individual authorized to pick up your child. These protocols exist to protect our students.
🎶 Instrumental Music Is Coming!
We are excited to welcome Mr. Gray, Grant's new Instrumental Music teacher! Mr. Gray has been an educator and accomplished musician for many years. He will be meeting with our 4th–6th grade students to introduce them to his instrumental music program. If your student is interested, please make sure you sign and return the permission slip right away so they can receive an instrument and participate. Space in the program is limited!
🌟 Let Them Struggle, Learn & Grow
Finally, let's remember that our scholars' success comes from more than completing assignments or getting the right answer. Success comes through productive struggle.
As adults, we naturally want to step in when something is difficult. But our children need opportunities to try, make mistakes, problem-solve, and find their own way through challenges. We cannot step in every time to complete a task or resolve an issue for them. Our job is to teach them how to advocate for themselves, communicate their needs, persevere through challenges, and believe in their own abilities.
As a team, we can support our scholars in believing, achieving, and succeeding!
Thank you for partnering with us, supporting our teachers, following our safety procedures, staying connected, and being active participants in your child's education. When school and home work together, our students are stronger for it.
One school, One community, One shared commitment to our scholars.
In Community,
Principal Heydari
