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December 6, 2024
GLPS Families,
Our first week back from Thanksgiving was a bit choppy, with the staff professional learning day on Monday and the snow day yesterday, but we still had a great week! The three weeks between breaks go very quickly, especially as busy as the holiday season gets, but we still manage to fit a lot of learning, and fun, into the short window.
In the survey that I sent out at the beginning of the year, the top item of interest for families was more information about district events and celebrations; 71.3% of respondents asked me to write about them. So, today, I wanted to share with you a couple of district events and celebrations that show our commitment to the community. After all, strong school districts lead to strong communities, and strong communities lead to strong school districts, and here at GLPS, we are committed to playing our part in the school and community partnerships that are vital to our success.
The first connection that I want to mention is that if you are planning to attend tonight’s Night Lights Christmas Parade, you will see a wonderful representation of GLPS in the lineup. As a member of the Grand Ledge Chamber of Commerce, we understand how valuable it is to create partnerships with our local businesses, as well as how important it is to create opportunities for students and staff to represent their programs. We will have a number of entries in the parade, including a fully decorated bus, so keep an eye out for all of the Comet staff and students! For a sneak peek, check out this nice story from FOX 47.
In addition to highlighting our engagement in the parade, I also want to share an event we will be hosting after the holidays that has become an annual celebration of the diversity of GLPS students and families. On January 24, 2025, we will once again hold our International Night celebration, in which we highlight the wide variety of cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities within the GLPS community through displays, dances, music, clothing, and food. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with students and families from diverse backgrounds, as this rich diversity significantly strengthens our district. International Night allows students and families to learn from one another in authentic ways. Please visit GLcomets.net/InternationalNight for additional information; you can also sign up to participate and/or volunteer for the event. I will send another reminder as we get closer to it, and the flyers will appear in other communications as well, but it certainly fits into my theme of community engagement today, and January 24th will be here before we know it!
Here at GLPS, our students, staff, and families show their commitment to community engagement everyday through a wide variety of activities, clubs, and other events, but these two are very visible representations of the value we place on building community. We hope to see you at one or both of these events, and we appreciate the support that you provide for all of the important work we do to live up to our mission of growing learners and preparing students.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with you and your students every day. As always, I am #proudtobeacomet!
Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools
