Parent-Student Handbook
We ask all our families and students to read through and bookmark the Parent-Student Handbook. This handbook has plenty of information about our school policies and procedures, along with academic overviews and school forms.
School Forms
Please review and sign the GRACE Conduct Forms before the first day of school.
All students: If your child needs medication administered while on campus, you must submit the Request for Medical Administration Form, and for students with allergies, we will need an Allergy/Asthma Action Plan. This form will need to be signed by a healthcare provider and submitted to our school nurse, Natalie Morreale. If you have any additional questions related to the administration of medication, please refer to this section of the handbook or contact Nurse Natalie ([email protected]).
Students who have not submitted their immunizations, health forms or birth certificates should email them to Angela Morrison (Lower Campus) at [email protected] or Willa Bea Coates (Upper Campus) at [email protected].
Dress Code
As you shop for school clothes, please follow the GRACE Dress Code guidelines. If you are interested in purchasing GRACE-wear, please visit the Eagles Nest GCS School Store or 323 Sports.
GRACE Illness Policy
Please make sure you familiarize yourself with the GRACE Illness Policy – especially the information related to COVID protocols. If you are ever unsure of whether or not to send your child to school, please contact our school nurse, Natalie Morreale, at [email protected].
Visitor Policy
Visitors and volunteers are allowed on campus during the school day. All visitors will be required to provide their driver’s license to the receptionist for a security screening prior to receiving their visitor’s badge.
Attendance Reminders
When a student is absent, parents should email the school by 8:00 a.m. For Lower Campus (TK-6th grade) students, email [email protected]. For Upper Campus (7th-12th grade) students, email [email protected].
For planned absences (see Parent/Student Handbook for guidelines) please use the following links to submit forms:
School Calendar & Bell Schedule
You can find the School Calendar & Bell Schedule here. You can also check the Events section of our website to see upcoming events.
Meet the Teacher, Staggered Start Dates, and Parent Orientation
- 11 am - 12 p.m. - New and 7th grade Student Orientation: Students will have the opportunity to meet other students and their teachers, locate their lockers and become familiar with the campus
- 12 - 1 p.m. - Pizza lunch for new students and 7th graders
- 1 - 3 p.m. - Mandatory Technology training for New Students Only (7th grade students who attended GRACE for 6th grade do not need to attend this training and are free to leave)
- 2 - 3 p.m. - Principal's Coffee - all 7th grade and new 7th-12th grade parents may come and meet with Mandy Gill in the IT department to get their new parent and technology questions answered. This meeting will be held in the Student Center.
- 3 - 5 p.m. - Meet and Greet. Students will have the opportunity to meet other students and introduce their parents to their teachers before leaving for the day.
Seniors & Parents Meeting - Tuesday, August 16th | 4 - 4:30 p.m.
Staggered Entry, Early-Release Days
Wednesday, August 17th - Last names A-H
Thursday, August 18th - Last names I-O
Friday, August 19th - Last names P-Z
First full day of school - Monday, August 22nd
Upper Campus Parent Orientation* - Monday, August 22nd | 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
*Parent orientation is for parents only – students will not be permitted to attend.
Hot Lunch
Hot lunch will start September 6th so all students should have lunch brought from home until then. Also, please always send utensils from home for packed lunches; utensils are always provided for hot lunch. Information on ordering will be sent shortly from our food services team. Upper Campus parents wanting to volunteer should contact Marlene Brown at [email protected]. Lower Campus parents wanting to volunteer should contact Beth Chapman at [email protected]. You are also welcome to reach out to them with any questions regarding food allergies. It is very important to notify the school of all food allergies. For more on Hot Lunch, click here.
Lower Campus Carpool
Morning Drop Off
- Students should be ready to exit the vehicle when approaching the cones.
- All students should exit via the passenger side.
- Driving drop off may only take place in the carpool lane. The crosswalk is closed to walkers at this time of day.
- No parents will be allowed to enter the building until after the 8:15 a.m. bell.
Afternoon Pick Up - Walker Option
Back by popular demand this year is our option to park and walk to the side door to pick your child up for dismissal if you would prefer not to wait in our carpool lane. You may have seen in some earlier communication that asked each family to make a year-long commitment to this plan if they want to utilize this option. However, after rethinking this plan, we have put our heads together and created a revised plan that will allow for more flexibility and no longer requires this commitment. If you are interested in using this pick-up option on any given day, you will simply need to park (in the yellow-coded section of the parking lot on the map below) and use the crosswalk at the front of the carpool lane to report to the staff entrance door on the staff parking lot side of the building WITH your carpool tag, and someone will be there to take your name and call for your child(ren) to meet you there. Please note that anyone who tries to pick a child up must have either the carpool tag OR a valid form of photo identification.
Carpool Dismissal Procedures
- Carpool riders will begin exiting the building at 3:00 p.m.
- If your child will be a carpool rider, you should remain in your car at all times and follow the traffic pattern outlined in blue below. Please also make a note of the merge point indicated on the map and be sure to alternate cars entering the single lane here.
- Carpool tags should be affixed to the passenger side visor (as shown below) and should remain visible until after all car riders are secured in the car.
- If your child is not present at the traffic cone for pick-up, you will be asked to park in the walkers’ parking area (see yellow blocks in the map above) and adhere to the walkers’ dismissal procedures to retrieve your child.
Walk-Up Dismissal Procedures
- Park your car in the lot that is located directly across from the staff parking lot (see yellow blocks in the map above).
- Follow the green path (in the map above) to the staff entrance and present your walker dismissal tag to a staff member stationed at this location who will call your child(ren) to meet you there.
- Escort your child(ren) back to your car via the same route.
Early Dismissal (prior to 3:00 p.m.) Procedures
- Any student who needs to be dismissed early must be signed out at the front desk no later than 2:30 p.m.
- Parents will not be allowed to enter the building after 2:30 p.m. until all car riders have been dismissed.
Upper Campus Carpool
- The upper campus traffic pattern map (shown below) should be followed.
- Middle (7th-8th grade) and high school students are dismissed at 3:15 p.m. They will leave the building using the designated doors.
- Athletes and student drivers dismiss out the back door.
- Activity building students may be picked up at the activity building.
- All other students exit at the front door for carpool.
- Any students remaining on campus after 3:30 p.m. must report to After Care. Students going to help classes should report directly to the teacher’s room and be picked up by 4:00 p.m. or go to After Care.
- Students driving to school must complete a Parking Registration Form prior to driving on campus.
- All students should park in designated student parking only. Students are expected to follow all guidelines given on the Parking Registration Form.
Summer Reading & School Supply Lists
You can find information about summer reading and school supply lists here.