October 2026
We have had such a strong start to the school year at Gracemor, and I am incredibly proud of the way our students, staff, families, and community continue to come together to support our Lions.
Our theme this year is Growing Our Pride: Every Learner, Every Day. This theme reflects our commitment to helping every student grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
One of our major areas of focus this year is strengthening our schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) practices by explicitly teaching expectations, recognizing positive behavior, building strong relationships, and creating consistent, supportive learning environments for every student. We are also working to recognize and celebrate students when they demonstrate our schoolwide expectations of being respectful, responsible, and safe. Our goal is to create a positive and predictable school environment where students feel supported, successful, and ready to learn.
Along with our PBIS work, we are intentionally helping students develop the skills identified in NKC Schools’ Portrait of a Graduate: adaptability, communication, collaboration, empathy, integrity, problem solving, and a learner’s mindset. These are skills that will help our students be successful not only in the classroom, but throughout their lives. We want our students to recognize these qualities in themselves and understand that success is about more than academics alone.
Throughout the year, we will celebrate our students during grade-level assemblies. These celebrations will recognize students for reaching academic, attendance, and behavior goals, as well as for demonstrating our Portrait of a Graduate competencies. We want students to set goals, recognize their own growth, and know that their hard work and positive choices are worth celebrating.
We are also placing a strong emphasis on attendance. Being at school each day matters, and we want our students to understand the important role they play in their own success. Students are setting personal attendance goals, classrooms are working toward shared goals, and we are setting buildingwide goals as well. Throughout the year, we will celebrate progress and help students see how consistent attendance supports their learning and growth.
Another exciting opportunity for Gracemor is our participation in the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant. This grant provides additional funding to strengthen reading and writing instruction across our school. It will help support high-quality literacy resources for teachers and families, professional learning for teachers, and strong instructional practices that help students build the skills they need to become confident readers and writers.
There is so much to be excited about at Gracemor this year. I am grateful for the continued partnership of our families and community as we work together to help every Lion learn, grow, and succeed. Thank you for being an important part of our Gracemor community and for helping us continue to Grow Our Pride: Every Learner, Every Day.
