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The Grove Grizzly New Procedures for Bus Riders On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 we will be implementing a new safety and security procedure at all elementary schools in the district. Students will be required to use an ID card when riding the bus to and from school.   Devices to scan student ID cards are part of the transportation system enhancements that were initiated earlier this school year. Students will simply be expected to scan their ID cards when they get on and off the bus.   The new feature provides several benefits to our transportation services. It will allow bus drivers the ability to verify that students are riding the assigned bus and using the correct pickup location on a daily basis. The system also records valuable data such as ridership trends and rates, that will be used to efficiently plan and program bus routes. Most importantly, the system will provide real-time ridership information by identifying which students are actually on the bus at any given time in order to assist with emergencies and transportation-related notifications.   Students who ride the bus to and from school will receive ID cards with a badge holder that will be attached to their backpacks at school on Tuesday. If a student has lost or damaged the school ID card, they can stop in the main office to obtain a new ID card. The replacement fee for the ID card is $3.00 and will be added to your child’s Infinite Campus account.   Reminders for Car Riders in the Morning All students who are car riders and being dropped off in the morning should be dropped off on the Grove Avenue side of the building. This helps avoid congestion with the busses that are dropping off students on the Cook Street (main entrance) side of the school. Students can be dropped off starting at 7:40 a.m., when supervisors are present on the playgrounds. When pulling into the circle drive on Grove Avenue, parents should pull ALL the way up (or as far up as possible) in order to allow as many cars to enter the circle drive at one time as possible. In addition, parents should remain in their cars and students should exit the vehicle independently, getting out of the vehicle on the passenger side. This requires students to have their backpacks and all materials ready and will allow them to exit the vehicle quickly, keeping the line of cars moving! We appreciate the cooperation of all parents in this manner and know that if our families follow these guidelines, the arrival will be smooth for all involved!! Please also keep in mind that all students enter the building at 7:55 a.m., so students need to arrive to school prior to this time and are able to arrive as early as 7:40 a.m. to play with their friends and run around before school starts!!   Upcoming Dates April 2nd – April 12th: Spring MAP Assessments for 2nd – 5th Grades Monday, April 8th – 5th Grade Parent Orientation Night for Middle School @ Station Tuesday, April 9th – 5th Grade Adolescent Unit Parent Information Night, 6:30 p.m.  Wednesday, April 10th – 5th Grade Parent Orientation Night for Middle School @ Prairie April 15th – April 30th: Illinois Assessments for Readiness for 3rd-5th Grades Tuesday, April 16th – PTO Meeting, 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, April 17th – 5th Grade Band Concert @ Prairie, 7-8 p.m. Friday, April 19th – NO SCHOOL     Hey Grove parents, we need you! We need to fill PTO executive positions for next school year. These positions are open to every parent at Grove. Please email Jessie Erickson at jerickson@vcllc.net if you'd like more information and are interested for the 2019-2020 school year. The PTO depends on parents like you sharing their talents in these leadership roles. Thank you!