Dear EGRMS Families,

Please click on the East logo for this week's personal video message from Mr. Dykhouse.

If you are unable to view the video, please see the slides posted HERE. 

Sincerely,
Jeff Dykhouse
Principal
Twitter: @EGRMSPrincipal

Please review a letter regarding fall testing, which begins this week, here.

Katie McIntosh
Assistant Principal

Dear EGRPS Families,

With the expiration of the COVID “free lunch for all students” program, every family is encouraged to submit a free or reduced lunch application.  It has been reported by some families that the online application (http://egrps.mealapp.org) has not worked for certain birthdates.  The software vendor has acknowledged this problem and is working on a solution.  

Due to the uncertainty of how long a resolution will take, and the importance to families and the District that all eligible families complete an application, the attached paper application is being distributed.  Please consider completing this application and returning it in an envelope to your building secretary.

By completing this application, you are ensuring your family has access to all potential benefits available under a variety of state and federal programs, including the EGRPS Opportunity Grant program. In addition to individual benefits, many important school programs receive funding based on the number of students who qualify for free or reduced school lunch. Examples include elementary reading support, county special education funding, and various mental health and wellness programs. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact one of the following individuals:

1. Assistance with the attached application.
Contact: Your building principal or secretary who can identify the best support person for you.

2. Questions about a previously submitted online application or the attached application.
Contact: Steve Slabbekoorn at 616-819-1662 or slabbekoorns@grps.org

3. Questions about the EGRPS Opportunity Grant program.
Contact: Heather Krajewski, Grant Coordinator, at 616-752-7166 or grants@egrps.org

4. General questions about the food service program.
Contact: Carol Hoeksema, Head Cook, at choeksem@egrps.org

5. Questions about how state and federal funding relates to this application.
Contact: Anthony Morey, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, at 616-235-3535 or amorey@egrps.org

Our Homecoming Parade will take place on Friday, October 7, 2022, beginning at 4:30 p.m. We would like to welcome all our elementary/middle school groups who are interested to participate. Your group will need to be chaperoned along the route. All parade participants should gather on Beechwood at 3:45 p.m. Your group will need to make signs or wear team "uniforms" to help our crowds know who your group is celebrating. 

If your group would like to participate in the parade, please let Heather McKinney, EGRHS Assistant Principal, know no later than Friday, September 23, 2022, by emailing her at hmckinne@egrps.org. 

Students are issued “Way to Go” cards for demonstrating Respect, Responsibility or Personal Best by doing the right thing!  As students receive these cards, they are placed in the container located in the Main Office. Every Friday, names are drawn and announced during the afternoon announcements.  Each student selected, has the opportunity to pick a prize from the prize basket simply as a way to say “Thanks, we appreciate and recognize you!” 
 

Our winners this week are:
Emily Starzyk, 6th Grade
Sydney Lovell, 7th Grade
Gavin Brown, 7th Grade
Zeph White, 8th Grade

PTO Meeting This Friday!

Friday at 8:30 am the first PTO meeting of the year will be held in the MS Learning Commons. This month we are featuring Melissa Block from the Children’s Healing Center, this year’s Hearts of Gold charity!

TONIGHT IS PIZZA NIGHT!

Regatta! 
REGATTA, will take place September 23 at John Collins Park. 

The generosity of families and community sponsors enables EGRMS PTO to support numerous curriculum enhancements and extra curricular activities each year. Here is a list of what your donation helped to fund in the 2021-22 school year. 

Please show your support once again for our students and teachers at EGRMS by donating to the ONE and ONLY PTO fundraiser of the year, REGATTA. Detailed information about Regatta and the sponsorship levels can be found by clicking here for the Regatta Donation Card. Payment can be made online via Schoolpay, please click on the Regatta donation link:  https://schoolpay.com/pay/for/EGRMS-Regatta/SejRUwY, or checks made payable to "EGRMS PTO" with "REGATTA" in the memo, can be dropped off at the school office OR delivered to the PTO table at Parent Information Night on August 31, 2022. 

If you donate at one of the designated sponsorship levels, your payment and name or company logo are needed by SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 for inclusion on the 600+ t-shirts, sponsor recognition banner, personalized pennant, recognition on social media and website and more.  Logo art must be sent as an AI/EPS File (outlined) 1-color vector file to egrms.regatta@gmail.com by 9/16/2022. Please refer to the Regatta Donation Card above to see benefits for each sponsorship level. Recognition starts at $250.

EGRMS PTO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, your donation is tax deductible. 

Regatta Volunteers

We need lots of volunteers for the regatta! Please consider signing up here to participate in this exciting day!  Please make sure you complete the volunteer consent form (see below) if you plan to help out during Regatta!

Please use this link for parents to help assemble this year's Carboard Regatta kits.  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4faaaa2babfec25-regatta3
 

Information related to middle school sports may be found by visiting the eastgr.org website and selecting the Parks & Recreation icon.

On September 1, we had the thrill of presenting big checks for grants to teachers in all three elementary schools and the middle school. Classroom enhancements funded by the grants included iPads for Speech and Math teachers as well as a Spanish field trip for all 5th graders to visit the Grand Rapids Public Museum and learn about other cultures. 

Next month, a new round of grants will be considered by the Foundation board. The deadline to apply for the grants is October 1. Teachers and students can apply for the grants on the Grants page on our website, egrsf.org.  

• For more upcoming events, please be sure to check with your child and reference the MS Calendar which may be found here.
• EGRMS Daily Announcements may be found here.