Back-to-School Guide

Parent-Student Handbook

Please review and sign the Parent and Student Conduct Forms and the Acceptable Use Policy for each student located in Blackbaud forms before the first staggered entry day of school. Devices will not be distributed to students until these forms have been signed and submitted. We have a new Parent Partnership Agreement for all TK-12 parents. The purpose is to establish expectations for all GRACE parents about conduct, interactions, and policies to make an effort to keep the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3).

If your child needs medication administered while on campus, you must submit the Request for Medical Administration Form. For students with allergies, we will need an Allergy/Asthma Action Plan. This form must be signed by a healthcare provider and submitted to our school nurse, Cooper Evans. If you have any additional questions related to medication administration, please refer to this section of the handbook or contact Nurse Cooper at [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 Esther Madison (Upper Campus) at [email protected].

Blackbaud Tutorial 

GRACE Parents: Our director of technology, Hayley Field, has put together a video that walks through how to use Blackbaud - including reviewing assignments, updates, events and more. We highly recommend you watch this video, as it will answer many of the questions you may have about navigating this new system.

Dress Code

GRACE Illness Policy

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]. Please make sure to read the Parent/Student Handbook for attendance policy, as it differs from previous years.

For planned absences (see Parent/Student Handbook for guidelines), please use the following links to submit forms:

Upper Campus Absence Form

Lower Campus Absence Form

School Calendar & Bell Schedule

Meet the Teacher, Staggered Start Dates, and Parent Orientation

Tuesday, August 13: Student Meet and Greet

UPPER CAMPUS ONLY
New Students in Grades 8-12 and New Parents Meeting ~ 30 minutes
12:30 pm | Location: Student Center

New Students in Grades 8-12 Students - Computer Distribution and Training, Schedules with Student Council 
1:00 pm | Location: Chapel

All 7th-grade Students and Parent Meeting
3:00 - 3:30 p.m. | Location: Student Center

All 7th- grade Students with Student Council for schedules and tours
~3:45 p.m. | Location: Student Center and Upper Campus classrooms

BOTH CAMPUSES
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. All School TK-12 Meet and Greet
 • For all new and returning students 7-12
 • Seniors: Stop by the front desk to make a parking lot space selection

Kindergarten Meet the Teacher - Friday, August 16th | 1 - 2 p.m.

First full day of school - Monday, August 19th. After Care will begin on the first full day of school.

Hot Lunch

Lower Campus Carpool

For the safety of our students and staff, we ask that you please refrain from cell phone use at all times in carpool.

Morning Drop Off 

• Morning drop off takes place from 7:40-8:15 a.m.
• Students should be ready to exit the vehicle when approaching the cones.
• All students should exit via the passenger side. 
• 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

All Lower Campus students will be dismissed in carpool this year. We are no longer able to offer the walker door as an option due to increasing safety concerns. We have added a couple of cones to our carpool lane, in hopes that this will help expedite the pick-up process, but please know that dismissal always takes longer than normal during the first few weeks of school as our new families learn our procedures and everyone makes adjustments. We thank you in advance for your patience. Please continue reading for more details about our dismissal procedures.  

Carpool Dismissal Procedures

• Students will begin exiting the building at 2:55 p.m. and (after the first few weeks), dismissal will end by 3:20. Any student not picked up by 3:30 will be signed into aftercare, and charges will apply. 
  
  
• All individuals picking children up in carpool should remain in their car at all times and follow the traffic pattern outlined in blue below. Please also make a note of the merge point indicated by the yellow dot on the map below and be sure to alternate cars entering the single lane here. 
  
  
• Carpool tags will be available for pick up at Parent Orientation. Every family has a NEW carpool tag, and last year’s tag should be discarded. The new 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.
  
  
  
  
  
• Please be sure to follow the instructions of the staff on duty in the carpool lane and pull as far forward as possible to allow room for the cars behind you to fill all the cone lanes. Your children will only be loaded through the rear passenger-side door. 
  
  
• Please begin preparing your car for loading (move other car seats, cargo, etc.) and start teaching your children to buckle themselves in as you will not be allowed to exit the car at any time in the carpool lane. If you must help a child to buckle up, we ask that you continue all the way through the carpool lane and past the staff parking lot THEN pull over to the curb on the right-hand side of our exit drive to ensure that everyone is secure before turning onto Buck Jones Rd. 
  
  
• If your child is not present at the traffic cone for pick-up, you will be asked to go to “holding” (in the staff parking lot to the right as you exit the carpool lane). If you are instructed to go to “holding,” please pull forward and turn right into the staff parking lot where you should make a u-turn and wait for your child to be escorted to your car by a staff member. Do not exit your vehicle at any time. 

Multi-Family Pick Up

• For families that will regularly share afternoon pick-up responsibilities please complete this form to receive a multi-family carpool tag.
• Within 24 hours, you will receive an additional carpool tag that should be used when picking up students listed in the form. 

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. 

• The Upper Campus traffic pattern map 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 main building back door.
• Students with their last class in the activity building 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 before 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

Before & After Care