9/29: No School for students, Staff Professional Development Day *please note the date*
10/3: School Picture Day - ordering information coming soon
10/4: GRCDC Family Fall Fest and Mum order pick up day, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
10/8: Community Meeting, K - 2nd feat. Parker's class, 8:30 - 8:45 AM (make up for missed meeting due to water main break)
10/9 & 10/10: No School for Students, Parent Teacher Conferences will be held during the day and evening
10/31: No School for Students, Staff Professional Development Day
Message from the Executive Director
Dear Families,
Wow! What an unexpected week we have had here at GRCDC. Thank you for you flexibility as we handled the water main break. Ms. Parker's class will have a make up community meeting offering coming soon!
This week is the final week I will share some basic school structures with you. These structures are consistent across every class in the school- such as the 3 Bs and the use of hand signals. The other routine structures all classroom use are the morning meeting and closing circle. Morning meeting happens at the beginning of the day and closing circle at the end. Beginnings and endings matter- they build community, set the stage for transitions, build consistency, and ensure that every child is noticed, every day.
Morning Meeting: The morning meeting ensures that every child has a chance to get their body and brain ready to learn! The morning meeting has 4 parts: Greeting, Share, Group Activity, and Morning Message. Each student is greeted by name, has the opportunity to share an idea, has a little time to connect with classmates, and then the Morning Message from the teacher transitions students into learning. This routine frames the day for children and build community. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to be on time for school- sharing community time together at the beginning of the day supports a smoother day for everyone!
Closing Circle: The closing circle brings the class back together at the end of the day and gives the class the opportunity to do two things: celebrate accomplishments and reflect on their learning. Teachers often use prompts like "glows and grows" or "roses and thorns" for the students to share about their day. The benefit to this is that it give students a rhythm to their day, supporting the transition to after care or home and reinforces group cohesion.
How to apply the Ideas to Family Time: Of course, family time doesn't require this level of structure, but there are a few strategies in the routine of morning meeting and closing circle that just may make a difference in the beginning and end of your day at home! For the mornings, think through how you can make sure each child feels seen, there is a short chance to connect, and something to make everyone smile (a fave song? a silly joke- think low lift!). For the end of each day, find a way to celebrate and recognize the ways your child contributed to the family and a way to set an intention for the day ahead or reflect on the day gone by.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely yours,
Lisa
Lisa Nuyens, Executive Director
e. nuyensl@childdiscoverycenter.org
o. 616.459.0330
c. 517.206.3868 (text or VM)
Meet the GRCDC Board of Directors - Stephen Tanner
Stephen Tanner joined the GRCDC board with a heart for inclusion and a passion for building stronger communities. He’s long been drawn to places where people of diverse backgrounds come together—and he sees GRCDC as exactly that kind of space. As a board member, he’s committed to supporting the school’s mission of empowering creative, confident learners.
Professionally, Stephen is a freelance marketing and media producer with a wide range of experience in digital storytelling and branding. His creative lens and communications expertise offer fresh insights to the board’s strategic work. Whether crafting campaigns or helping organizations tell their story, Stephen is driven by the power of authentic connection.
Outside of work, Stephen enjoys live music, hiking, travel, and film—and most importantly, spending time with his family. Whether he’s producing media or volunteering his time, he approaches each opportunity with curiosity and care—qualities that serve him well in his board service.
Central Office Updates
Parent/Teacher Conferences: On 10/9 and 10/10, students do not have school, so teachers may meet with each family for conferences. Conferences are a special time for teachers and families to come together and focus on your child. We’ll celebrate strengths, talk about an area for growth, and share what we’re each noticing. Together, we’ll make a plan to support your child’s progress, using both your insights and the snapshot of how they’re approaching grade-level skills. Stay tuned to next week's Link Letter for instructions on how to schedule your conference.
School Pictures on 10/3: School Picture ordering envelopes will be coming soon. In the meantime, here is a copy of the order form so you can see the pricing and package options. You are not obligated to purchase photos, all students will have their photos taken for school records and a class picture. The class picture is free and will be sent home after the new year.
ParentSquare Skill Corner - Voice, Text, and Email Notifications: As many of you experienced on Wednesday, GRCDC now can send a mass alert via phone, email, and text in an emergency situation. If you miss a call from the school, first check your email and text notifications to see what the call was about. We will limit the use of the voice feature for issues of an urgent nature.
Rain Garden Volunteer Day:
When: September 23rd – Right After School
Where: Meet on the green space at Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center
Why: Help prepare our garden for the upcoming seasons and beyond.
As the seasons began to change our rain garden could use some love. We will be weeding and mulching to help keep our rain garden thriving. Please bring gloves, shovels, and wheel barrels if you are able.
*Children are welcome, but the school playground will be closed to the public at this time.*
Shout out to Granger Construction for letting us borrow and helping us get Road Closed signs in place when the water main broke!
Family Team Updates
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Fall Fest will be Saturday, October 4, from 1:00pm - 3:00pm at GRCDC. Opportunities to help plan and volunteer at Fall Fest are coming soon!
Let's Connect
We want to hear from you! If you have an idea, question, or suggestion for the Family Team email us at grcdcfamilyteam@gmail.com.
Extracurricular Opportunities
Lego Club - Grades 3-5:
Calling all builders, creators, and LEGO lovers! Join us for LEGO Club, where imagination meets engineering. Each week, students will take on fun building challenges and team up for creative projects. Club meeting dates and time:
Get ready to build, create, and imagine! LEGO Club is the perfect place for young builders to explore their creativity through fun, hands-on activities. Each session includes exciting building challenges, free play, and teamwork. Club meeting dates and time:
Thursdays November 6, 13, 20 from 3:45pm - 5:00pm.
Families Supporting Families! We want to support our families. We are collecting the information for any family-owned businesses within our community. If you own a business, please fill out this survey. We will add you to the directory once we receive your information.
OK2SAY: If you receive a threat or know of a threat of violence against your community, please contact your local law enforcement or call 9-1-1. Non-emergency tips can be submitted the following ways:
OK2SAY Mobile App: Available for download for Apple, Google and Android mobile devices.
Click here for the digital menu link. This menu is also linked in ParentSquare. Here is a 1 minute video showing you where to find the link in the ParentSquare app:
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
