Dear EGRMS Families,

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

Sincerely,
Jeff Dykhouse
Principal
Twitter: @EGRMSPrincipal

The State of Michigan is requiring students enrolled in grades K-8 to take a benchmark assessment in reading and math several times during the school year. East Grand Rapids Middle School has in the past administered the MAP assessment in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.

Students will take the MAP during their English Language Arts and Math classes with their teachers.  The schedule below includes times and dates for all assessment locations, grade levels, and subjects. 

• ELA: September 20, 21; Make-up dates: September 22, 23, 24
• Math: September 27, 28; Make-up dates: September 29, 30, 31

Students will be using personal devices for taking the tests. Please make sure your student has a device and that it is fully charged each day.  For any questions regarding MAP testing, please contact me at kmcintos@egrps.org.

Thank you for your support,

Katie McIntosh
Assistant Principal

Updates 
 

On Friday, August 20, the Kent County Health Department issued a Public Health Order requiring that masks be worn by all students in grades PK-6. 

Due to COVID-19, we are continuing many of our safety procedures from last school year, which are in alignment with the guidelines provided by the Kent County Health Department (KCHD). Our staff will maintain what we know to be at the heart of teaching and learning; strong, positive relationships. We appreciate your cooperation, understanding and support in keeping our students and staff safe. District information on COVID-19 is available on our website linked here.

Student Covid-19 Health Screener
Please remember to screen your student each morning by using this 
this link to access the student symptom screener.  
 

Hot lunch service has returned for the 2021-22 school year and is available to all students at no charge.  Free school lunches must be ordered online in advance to ensure adequate food is prepared.  This form is simple and quick. Menus and other information can be found on the form.

Did you know breakfast is served at the middle school from 7:30 - 7:45 a.m.?  Students are invited to enjoy a FREE hot or cold breakfast, now that's a great start to a school day!  No preordering necessary, simply send your student in.
 

Regatta VOLUNTEERS Needed

We need more volunteers!!  Shifts are 90 minutes long.  Below are links per grade for a sign-up genius.  **IF you signed up to volunteer during online registration, you need to sign up again for a specific job using the links below.   

• Volunteer Link for 6th Grade:  4 yard game supervisors needed

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FAAAA2BABFEC25-regatta [signupgenius.com]

•  Volunteer Link for 7th Grade:  2 yard game supervisors needed

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FAAAA2BABFEC25-regatta1 [signupgenius.com]

• Volunteer Link for 8th Grade:  9 volunteers needed

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FAAAA2BABFEC25-regatta2 [signupgenius.com] 

Thank you to all who have signed up to help on Friday, September 24th!  Please arrive early to allow time for parking then stop first at the time keepers table to get checked in and receive directions.  Thanks for making this fundraiser safe and fun for our students!

2021 PARKS IMPROVEMENT MILLAGE UPDATE 

Thanks to all who attended our first educational meeting on the Parks Improvement Millage proposal yesterday. There’s still time to learn more about the millage proposal — join City Manager Shea Charles and department directors Sept. 30 and Oct. 19 in person and Oct. 11 via Zoom. 

What if the millage passes? It would provide funding for the replacement of the five playgrounds located within the City as well as several improvements throughout EGR’s parks identified in the City’s Master Plan and the Community Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Residents would pay an annual 0.56 mills (taxable home value multiplied by 0.00056) that would allow the City to borrow up to $7 million over 20 years beginning July 1, 2022, at the earliest. 

What if the millage does not pass? The City will reassess the listed projects and determine which are feasible to accomplish with the available funding to ensure parks remain the vibrant community asset EGR is known for. 

More information and resources at eastgr.org/parksmillage. 

Sign up for EGRMS PTO!

Annual membership dues help us to fund important programs and events for our students.  Each year the EGRMS PTO supports over $35,000 toward enrichment activities and vital classroom materials that benefit the students.  We fund events, provide supplies, organize volunteers and much more!  The East Grand Rapids Middle School (EGRMS) Parent and Teacher Organization (PTO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

• Sign up to join the PTO on SchoolPay or make checks payable EGRMS PTO and return form and payment to the EGRMS office. 
• Click for Printable Membership Form.

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!” 
 

This week's winners are:

Dezi Vargas, 6th Grade
Ben Hannah, 7th Grade
Katelyn Artz, 8th Grade

• We will meet 1-2 times a month on Mondays after school.

The EGRHS Homecoming Parade will take place on Friday, October 1, 2021, beginning at 4:30 p.m. We would like to welcome all our teams/groups who are interested to participate. If your group would like to participate in the parade, please let Heather McKinney, EGRHS Assistant Principal, know no later than Friday, September 24, 2021, by emailing her at hmckinne@egrps.org. 

Each team/group will need to be chaperoned along the route. All parade participants will gather on Beechwood at 3:45 p.m. Your team will need to make signs or wear team uniforms to help our crowds know who your group is celebrating. 

Foundation Approves More Than $120,000 in Fall Grants

At its August 31 Grants Meeting, the Board of the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation approved more than $120,000 in classroom enhancement grants for this fall. The grants include funding for classroom enhancements at all three elementary schools, the middle school and the high school. In all, fourteen grants were approved along with two mini-grants.

On Friday, September 10, thanks to our donors, we got to surprise teachers with the news their grant applications had been approved, along with giant checks from the Foundation. You can watch the highlights on this video. 

• Information related to Fall Fest hosted by Kids Food Basket may be found by visiting:  forms.office.com/r/YuMA1Q8Ane
• Tutoring Club: Please use this link to learn more about a free tutoring opportunity for EGRMS students.
• 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.