Grand Island Public Schools

Congratulations to this week's GIPS Staff Shoutout: Josie Lindell, social worker at Westridge Middle School! Here is their nomination from fellow educators: "Ms. Josie is a rockstar social worker. She genuinely goes out of her way to tend to the many needs of our students while also supporting our staff. She is in the classroom supporting students and teaching social emotional or social skills lessons to our students. She always has a smile on her face and encourages everyone to do their best! Great job, Josie! #WeAreGIPS

"I really like the staff and the principal and everything [at Newell]. It's amazing. It just makes me feel like I belong here." As a 4th Grader at Newell Elementary, Coco's love for school has shaped her passion for helping others. She has her sights set on becoming an advocate for kids through educational programs when she grows-up. 💜 #WeAreGIPS

From the classroom to the community, for Barr Middle School November was about making a difference. ⬇️ For the second straight year, Barr hosted their annual “Be Thankful Challenge” — a week-long effort to keep thankfulness top-of-mind for students in school while also giving back to the community. Led by the efforts Barr's National Junior Honor Society, the school collected and donated 1,1000 items to Hope Harbor, Inc.! Read the full story at the link below! READ: https://trst.in/XE2NJS -- #WeAreGIPS

Congratulations to GISH Unified Bowling! The Islanders battled hard yesterday hosting A-6 Districts and brought home the 2nd Place plaque. Way to go, Islanders, we're proud of you! -- #IslanderPride

GISH students in Mrs. Renee Ekhoff's class got a unique opportunity to participate in a National Research Project. As part of Ekhoff's Biotechnology Showcase, students were able to collect and extract dog DNA to analyze if the dog contained a gene related to hyper social behavior. Students also heard from local speakers in the biotechology industry, expanding their knowledge of possible career fields. Learn more: https://trst.in/6Yi4tz -- #WeAreGIPS

"I really believe that we can change the world one child at a time." 34 years deep in public education and Mrs. Thorne still lives that truth every day.  Mrs. Michelle Thorne, Academic Support Coach at Wasmer Elementary, joins The GIPS Cast to share why teaching is the best way to change the world. Hear her story on the latest episode of The GIPS Cast! 🔽 🔽 🔽 LISTEN: https://trst.in/mY1XrQ 🔼 🔼 🔼 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform. -- #WeAreGIPS | #GIPSPodcast

📣 Join the GIPS Team! 📣 Grand Island Public Schools is now hiring elementary teachers. Full time and part time positions are available beginning January 2025. For more information and to apply, visit www.gips.org/employment. #WeAreGIPS

🧡 Community Impact 🧡 Just before the holiday break, student leaders from the National Junior Honor Society at Barr Middle School delivered approximately 1,500 donated items to Hope Harbor, Inc.! As part of the school's annual "Be Thankful Challenge", the student leaders empowered each grade to bring donated goods to school in November. Barr connected the efforts to the classroom as well, curating discussions on thankfulness during advisory time throughout the month. We'll share more on this story soon. Way to go, Bulldogs! -- #WeAreGIPS

I am a HELPER. ⬇️ As a 4th Grader at Newell Elementary, Coco has her sights set on becoming a helper and advocate for kids. Her experiences at school are shaping her way forward. We'll share more of her story this week! 💜 #WeAreGIPS

New week, new goals, new mindset! 💜 #WeAreGIPS