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Greenwood Elementary School

September 21, 2026

Sunday Greetings: September 20, 2026

Ryan Stein

Sunday Greetings 

What a week at Greenwood! Back to School Night, our PTA Spirit Night at Ashland Skateland, and the Glen Allen Parade were great reminders of what makes our community special—students, families, teachers, and friends coming together. I loved watching our Gators sing, dance, cheer, and proudly represent Greenwood both inside our school and throughout our community. These moments remind us that school culture isn't something we put on a poster or social media; it is something we build together, one student and one family at a time. That's the Power of Us. 

This Week's Big 3

1️⃣ School Song is released! Power of Us

2️⃣ Student leaders begin leading our morning meetings on Tuesday.

3️⃣ Friday is packed with Greenwood fun—New Family Breakfast, House Achievement, and Cornival!

School Song, Power of Us
We hope you enjoy our new school song! The song was created to capture the heart of Greenwood: the Power of We over Me. It celebrates belonging, connection, courage, and the belief that we are stronger together. Greenwood is more than a school—it is a family, and the magic happens when we lift one another up. Click here for all school songs. 

PTA Stock The Fridge
A huge thank-you to our PTA families for helping us Stock the Fridge with drinks for our teachers! We appreciate you taking care of the people who take care of our Gators every day. 

Morning Clubs
Morning clubs close their doors at 7:25 AM. We strongly recommend arriving at 7:10 AM so students have time to eat breakfast before their club begins. Bus riders should plan to eat breakfast at home. We had several students bring breakfast into class after attending a morning club. This can make it difficult for students to participate in morning meetings and be ready for instruction at 8:00 AM.  

Our goal is simple: fun extracurricular opportunities without missing valuable instructional time. If a student’s participation in an extracurricular activity begins to interfere with the instructional day, we will reach out to the family. 

Mid-Marking Period Academic Check
This week marks our mid-marking period, which is a great time to check your child’s grades and assignments online. All grades and assignments are available in real time, so please don’t wait until the final week of the quarter to discover missing work. If you need help accessing or understanding your child’s information, please reach out to their teacher. A quick check now can help us celebrate successes, address concerns, and make a plan for the second half of the quarter.

Backpack Check
As we reach the middle of the first quarter, we encourage families to take a few minutes to check your child’s backpack and green folder. Helping students clean out old papers, organize important materials, and prepare for the week ahead builds healthy habits that support organization, responsibility, and academic success. Sometimes a five-minute backpack check can make a big difference!

📅 This Week at Greenwood

Monday, September 21 -  Student and Teacher Holiday - Yom Kippur/Jewish High Holiday 

Tuesday, September 22 Head of House and Spirit Captains Morning Meetings Begin
We can't wait to see our student leaders take the lead! Head of House students and Spirit Captains will lead our morning meetings from 7:45–7:58 AM. 

Friday, September 25 New Family Breakfast - Click Here to Register
Are you a new PK–5th grade family this year? Join us for a special breakfast from 7:20–7:50 AM in the gym. We will learn some Greenwood chants, complete a quick activity about supporting your family's transition to Greenwood, and finish with a few House Achievement dances! Students must attend with an adult. 

Friday, September 25: House Achievement
Get ready to dance, sing, and celebrate during lunch! 

Friday, September 25: Cornival 
Our 5th graders are celebrating the completion of their first reading unit with a little Greenwood-style learning! After reading several stories about farming and corn, our 5th graders will fire up the grill and serve corn to our students. We love watching our teachers take learning beyond the textbook and turn it into experiences students remember.

🔜 Coming Up

Bus Evacuation Drills
Students who ride the bus will participate in a bus evacuation drill when they arrive at school. The goal is to make sure students know what to do and how to safely exit a bus in an emergency. 

Monday, September 28 Student Holiday - Teacher Professional Learning

Friday, October 2: Reading Award Ceremony

We look forward to celebrating students who have demonstrated a love of literacy! Award recipients will earn 10 House Points. Students being recognized should arrive between 7:10–7:20 AM with a parent. The ceremony will begin promptly at 7:25 AM and end before 8 AM.  We believe what we celebrate becomes part of our culture. 

Friday, October 2: Spilling the Tea @ 9 AM
Join us for another monthly virtual conversation! Our special guest will be Reading Specialist Mrs. Foster, who will help us take a deeper look at reading at Greenwood.

We will discuss:

  • What students are learning in reading
  • How we identify and support students who need additional help
  • Simple ways families can build strong reading habits at home
  • Our Reading Awards and why we celebrate them
  • House Achievement and our first month behavior data
  • All In Tutoring, beginning October 5
  • How attendance impacts student learning

As always, this will be an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and stay connected to what is happening at Greenwood.

Friday, October 2: Custodian Appreciation Day
Our custodians do so much behind the scenes to keep Greenwood clean, safe, and ready for our students each day. Help us show them some love on October 2! 

Friday, October 2: House Achievement Picnic
Students in Grades 1–5 who meet their academic and behavior goals will have the opportunity to eat lunch with their classmates in the Gator Gardens. We love finding new ways to celebrate student achievement—and this is just one more example of the Power of Us in action!

Final Thought
The Power of Us is not just a theme for this school year—it is how we choose to show up for one another. When students, families, teachers, and our community all pull in the same direction, 1 + 1 really does equal 3. Thank you for being part of the Power of Us at Greenwood. Once a Gator, always a Gator! 

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