Graham Elementary Schools

Hello Falcon families!

Happy New Year! We trust that the last couple of weeks have been full of fun, rest and lots of smiles for our learners and your families! We are looking forward to having learners back with us on Tuesday to start the third nine weeks of the school year!

⭐Reminder...students will return from winter break on Tuesday, January 6, 2026⭐

As we start 2026 and the second half of the school year, we want to refocus on our goals:

*academic growth and achievement

*We are measuring the number of learners at each grade level or are reading at grade level each

quarter.

*attendance

*We know that when our learners are at school consistently and on-time, they grow in so many

ways! We are measuring the percentage of students who are at school each day at each grade

level.

*behavior

*We hold our learners to high standards and expect them to be the best version of themselves

each day. We are measuring the number of bus/office referrals every day. We are at day 15 of

our 30-day goal for the end-of-year celebration.

On Wednesday, January 7, we will celebrate what we have done and remind learners of where we are headed at our 🎉Quarter 3 Townhall Meeting🎉. Please be sure to ask your children all about it on Wednesday afternoon!

This issue of the GES News From the Nest includes important information and an AWESOME celebrations! Keep scrolling to read more about:

⛄GES Habit Heroes,

⛄Family Falcon Focus - dates have been added for various events for the remainder of the school year...check it out!,

⛄GLS Online Learning information...we will use Online Learning Days if/when we reach the 6th calamity day/school closing

⛄REMINDER...GES Allergy Protocol - please review and be advised of the treat policy/protocol at GES

⛄Check out our Third Grade Fall Ohio State Test in Language Arts data,

⛄Wintertime at-home learning resources,

⛄...and much more!

Stay informed about all things happening at Graham Elementary by following us on:

Facebook: Graham Elementary School

Apptegy Rooms and GES Live Feed

Graham Local Schools website: grahamlocalschools.org. (Graham Elementary School)

Emily Shreve, Graham Elementary School Principal

Aaron Myers, Graham Elementary School Assistant Principal

For the last week of 2025 at GES, our habit was Habit 6: Synergize. We saw some fantastic teamwork this week! Synergizing looks like celebrating others’ ways of solving problems, valuing the contributions of others, and working together to build on the strengths of others. These Habit Heroes jumped at the chance to help others and collaborate to achieve success!

As the Winter season comes in full-swing, so might come more calamity days. Ohio districts are "allowed" five calamity days each year and, at Graham Local Schools, we have currently used 3 of our 5 days.

In the event that all five of our calamity days are used, Graham Local Schools will implement "online learning days".

Soon, your child's teacher will reach out via Rooms with specific information and begin sharing any needed paper/pencil materials that will be needed for the day(s). For now, this is what you need to know about online days...

*Students will be expected to complete paper/pencil activities and assignment that are sent home. So, when your child's teacher sends home any materials, please store them in a safe place for future use.

*Teachers will be available for questions or needs on both Rooms and by email from 8:15a.m. to 3:30p.m. Also, on an online day(s), each teacher will share a Google MEET link through Rooms. From 2:15p.m. to 3:30p.m. on an online day(s), families and students can use this link to check-in on camera with their teacher(s).

*Attendance will be taken on each online day. A day's attendance will be earned when a student checks in during the Google MEET link for an online day AND/OR turns in the assigned work on the next in-person school day. We recognized that not all students will have access to a computer/internet in their homes. Therefore, logging on to Google MEET is not required. However, in order to earn a day's attendance, all students must turn in assigned work on the next in-person school day following the online day(s).

If you have questions, please reach out to Mrs. Shreve or Mr. Myers. Also, please watch Rooms and your child's take-home folder closely for online day information/assignments. Teachers will provide all necessary details if/when online days become necessary.

As we continue to focus on student safety at Graham Elementary School, we want to remind families of our class treat protocol.

Please see the information below to learn of updates and additions to allowable treats and protocols. These changes are effective immediately.

**Families must contact their child's/children's teacher prior to sending treats to school**

Please contact Mrs. Shreve and Mr. Myers with any questions.

We appreciate our Falcon families!

At Graham Elementary, we are proud of our learners and our staff!

In October of 2025, our third grade students took the first round of the Ohio State Test in English Language Arts, and we are pleased to announce that the results are promising! Our goal is for each of our Graham Elementary learners to score proficient or above by the end of the third grade, and we are excited to report that 44% of our third graders have already scored at or above proficient on the Ohio State Test in English Language Arts! This assessment measures third grade standards, and our third grade students will deepen their knowledge of these standards over the course of this school year.

These scores are evidence of the hard work that our teachers/staff and students are doing each day to refine and develop their craft as readers and writers. Our kindergarten, first, second and third grade teachers provide explicit instruction on phonemic awareness, phonics, reading and writing. These instructional practices are aimed at developing learners who can both decode words and talk/write about their understanding of what they read. These third grade scores prove that the hard work is paying off!

Next steps for our Graham Elementary third graders will include teachers taking a deep-dive into the Fall Ohio State Test data to continue to create differentiated instructional opportunities for students. We will work to remediate and enrich students’ current levels of progress, and we will be excited to see the fruits of their labor on the Spring 2026 test results!

In the meantime, we will continue to nurture and celebrate all aspects of the students we serve both as learners and as human beings. At Graham Elementary, we believe that “A better me means a better we”, and we are proud of the greatness of our Falcon Family!

The GHS National Honor Society is sponsoring the next Blood Drive when we get back from Winter break on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 from 8:00 - 11:00 AM.

To register to donate, scan the QR on the attached flyer or go to this link:

https://donate.versitidayton.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/77872

Thank you so much for your support,

January

5: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - Staff Inservice/Records Day

6 - School in session - Welcome Back!

6: Q2 ZERO REFERRAL REWARD (during lunch)

7: Q3 GES Townhall Meeting

8: Q2 Report Cards being sent home

13: GES Spelling Bee (grades 4 & 5) in cafeteria

19: NO SCHOOL - MLK Jr. Day

20: GES PTO meeting @ 5:00p.m. in Hatchery

30: Leader in Me Club Day @ GES

February

12: Preschool Ladies Day Out event

13: Leader in Me Club Day @ GES

13: Valentine's Day Parties for K-5

13: PTO K.I.S.S. Valentine's Day event in evening (time TBD)

16: NO SCHOOL - Presidents Day

23: GES PTO meeting @ 3:45p.m. in GES Hatchery

March

2-4: Health Partners of Western Ohio Vision Outreach

13: end of quarter 3

13: Q3 ZERO REFERRAL REWARD (during lunch)

16: first day of quarter 4

17: Spring Music program - grades 2 and 3 (time TBD)

19: Columbus Zoo @ GES for PreK-2 Students

19: P/T Conferences @ 3:30p.m. to 7:00p.m.

20: NO SCHOOL - Staff PD day

24: GES PTO Meeting @ 5:00p.m. in Hatchery

24: P/T Conferences @ 3:30p.m. to 7:00p.m.

26: GES Spring Picture Day starting at 9:15a.m

27: Leader in Me Club Day @ GES

31: Boonshoft Museum of Natural Discovery @ GES for grades 3-5 students

April

1-7: NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

10: Preschool Games with Grandparents event in cafeteria

14: ELA OST 3-5 Day 1

16: ELA OST 3-5 Day 2 (THURSDAY)

17 ELA OST Make-Ups Begin

20: GES PTO Meeting @ 3:45p.m. in Hatchery

21: Math OST 3-5 Day 1

22: Math OST 3-5 Day 2

23: Math OST Make-Ups Begin

28: Science OST 5th Day 1

29 Science OST 5th Day 2

30: Science OST Make-Ups Begin

May

6: Trout Release 2026

7: Leader in Me Club Day @ GES

8: Kindergarten Field Trip @ 9:30a.m. to 2:00p.m.

11: Q4 ZERO REFERRAL REWARD (during lunch)

14: Last day of school with preschool and KPrep

15: Field Day for grades kindergarten thru 5th

15: Last day of school with Kindergarten

15: K-5 EOY 30-Day Referral Free Celebration (if earned)

19: GES PTO meeting @ 5:00p.m. in Hatchery

19: 5th grade promotion @ 6p.m.

20: Preschool celebration day (last day for preschoolers)

21: Last day of school with students grades 1-5

21: Fifth grade clap out @ 3:15p.m. (line hallways at 3:10p.m.)

21: end of quarter 4

Please see the attached flyer for more information about opportunities that can be accessed through Community Health and Wellness Partners.

These sessions provide students with a safe, supportive space to build coping skills, reduce stress, and connect with peers—all led by a licensed therapist during school hours.

Wintertime can bring more time spent indoors, and this can be a great time for families to connect by making reading FUN! InfOhio is a FREE resource that is full of many valuable resources. Check out this blog that is packed full of links to text-based activities!

https://www.infohio.org/blog/item/let-family-literacy-burn-bright-this-winter-season

At Graham Local Schools, we are proud to serve our students both as learners and as individuals. Community Health and Wellness Partners allows access to medical and mental-health supports. Read on to learn more👍

Community Health & Wellness Partners believes that school-based health care can play an important role in helping families manage the physical and mental health needs of their children. Having a health care center on-site at a school offers a convenient way for parents to have their child seen by a provider. A school-based health center also provides a consistent care provider relationship, reducing the need for parents to switch health care providers to fit their schedules or changes in health insurance.

The goal of a school-based health center is to minimize the time children are out of class and maximize the amount of time they spend learning. Studies have shown that students who receive school-based health care also have fewer long-term health issues and experience improved academic outcomes.

If you want to learn more, visit the Graham School-Based Health Center website HERE.

Reminder: Free & Reduced Meal Applications

As we draw near the end of September, last year’s status will be removed. To continue receiving benefits, a new application must be completed each school year.

Apply online: www.payschoolscentral.com

Paper copies are available in every office

Questions? Contact Jodi Lough at loughj@grahamlocalschools.org

• Volunteers must be approved each school year, and their approval will be valid from approval until the last day of each school year.

  • Example: A volunteer who applies and is approved in April needs to re-apply to volunteer the next school year in September.

• Volunteers should apply by visiting https://securevolunteer.com/Graham-Local-School-District/home

  • The fee collected is paid directly to Secure Volunteer and is not refundable.

• Volunteers are able to come into Graham Local Schools with approval once the background check is complete, approved, and recommended to the Board of Education/on the Approved Volunteer List.

  • Volunteers should not be in schools until they are recommended to the Board of Education or are on the Approved Volunteer List.

• Volunteer applicants cover the cost of the Secure Volunteer Background Check.

Please email Mrs. Shreve (shrevee@grahamlocalschools.org) with any questions.

Thank you for your partnership in your child's education!

Thank you for taking the time to review our Graham Elementary Student Handbook! Please note the following important and/or updated portions of the handbook. Please contact Mrs. Shreve with any questions or concerns😊

Please use this link to access the handbook in its entirety.

❗❕SCHOOL FEES and FIELD TRIPS: All school fees must be paid in order for students to attend field trips (Glen Helen included) or participate in preschool celebration and or 5th grade promotion.

⌚📵Cell phones and Smart Watches are to remain off and in student bookbags upon entering the building and should not be used until after the final dismissal bell and students have exited the school building. In effect, cell phones should not be “seen, heard, or used” during this time.

👕👖DRESS CODE (revised...please read)

Reminder: If you have a change of phone number, address, custody, etc., please update your child's Final Forms immediately Please use this LINK to log in if information needs to be updated.

Thank you!

Please read this in its entirety and abide by all procedures. Please contact Mrs. Shreve (shrevee@grahamlocalschools.org OR 937-663-4449 ext. 4605) with any questions.

At Graham Elementary, our students' safety is critical. One piece of ensuring student safety is the morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups procedures.

Please be reminded that the west lane of the front parking lot is for handicap drop-off only. Vehicles entering this lane should have a handicapped placard posted in their vehicle. Often times, the gate is not in the lane to allow for handicap drop-off/pick-up. Even when the gate is not blocking the lane, we ask that that lane be used for handicap drop-off/pick-up only.

In addition, the east lane of the front parking lot is not to be used in the afternoon. Typically, it is blocked by a saw horse. In the event that it is not, please refrain from using this lane.

Lastly, if someone other than parents/guardian are dropping off/picking up your child, please advise them of these procedures.

Thank you for your cooperation🙂

As we continue to focus on student safety at Graham Elementary School, we have made some updates to our class treat protocol.

Please see the information below to learn of updates and additions to allowable treats and protocols. These changes are effective immediately.

Please contact Mrs. Shreve and Mr. Myers with any questions.

We appreciate our Falcon families!

Want to help your school??

Before you head out to the grocery store, please consider linking your Kroger card to Graham Local Schools. When you spend, we earn!

Graham Local Schools has been accepted into the Kroger Community Rewards program. Funding earned through this program will be used to directly support student needs. If you and your family and friends shop at Kroger in Ohio, please take 2 minutes to link your Kroger Plus Card to Graham Local Schools. Linked accounts earn our school money from your shopping trips.

Thank you for supporting our students!

Graham Local Schools can now receive funding from Kroger Community Rewards. Funding is generated when our staff and friends and family link their KROGER PLUS CARD to Graham Local Schools. Grocery shopping at Kroger with a linked card will help us earn money to support students in the district directly.

Linking your card is easy!

If you have an existing Kroger Plus Card:

Step 1: Visit https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards, scroll to the bottom and click on this image:

Step 2: Your Kroger Plus Card is set to a preferred store. Some stores in our area are within the Columbus Division of Kroger (Urbana, Bellefontaine) and some stores are within the Cincinnati Division of Kroger (Springfield, Dayton areas). You will put in the code or GRAHAM LOCAL SCHOOLS into the organization you wish to link to.

To Use the Kroger Community Rewards Program:

CINCINNATI REGION CODES

Simply encourage your participants to visit http://www.kroger.com. Once logged into their Kroger account they can search either by name GRAHAM LOCAL SCHOOLS or WI866 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.

COLUMBUS REGION CODES

Simply encourage your participants to visit http://www.kroger.com. Once logged into their Kroger account they can search either by name GRAHAM LOCAL SCHOOLS or NH792 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.

Step 3: CONFIRMATION

Donation Summary

Status:

Enrolled

Organization Name:

Graham Local Schools

Organization Number: NH792 or WI866

Emily Shreve - Principal - shrevee@grahamlocalschools.org

Aaron Myers - Assistant Principal - myersa@grahamlocalschools.org

Grace Ludlow - Pupil Services Coordinator - ludlowg@grahamlocalschools.org

Morgan Boggess - School Nurse - boggessm@grahamlocalschools.org

Kristina Thornton - Administrative Assistant - thorntonk@grahamlocalschools.org

Kayla Yoder - Administrative Assistant - yoderk@grahamlocalschools.org
Website: grahamlocalschools.org
Location: 9464 U.S. 36, Saint Paris, OH, USA
Phone: 937-663-4449
Facebook: facebook.com/FreddieFalcon
Twitter: @GESFALCONS