Hello from the Bridge Team!
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Please take a moment to read through, as we have included Team updates and information.
Check out GRMS Newsletter below for more!
Important upcoming dates/events:
September 1: Labor Day, No School
September 4: PTO (Every 1st Thursday) GRMS Library at 3:00 pm
September 5: Picture Day (Individual Students)
September 18 (change from the 25th): SAC (School Advisory Committee, more info soon) GRMS Library at 3:15 pm
Bridge Connect: Volume 2.2
GMRS office hours will be 7:00 am – 2:50 pm, Monday thru Friday.
General Announcements
We had a wonderful second week and are excited to continue to work hard and see success!
From Mrs. Dufrain, our Best Buddies Sponsor.…If you were here last year, you know that Best Buddies does a service project every year. Last year we had a snack drive for the children at the St. Augustine Homeless Coalition. She contacted me last week and asked if we would be interested in doing a sock drive….they are in desperate need, especially for children. I asked my officers and, of course, they said “heck yes!” So, our officers are holding a sock drive from 8/18 – 9/12. ( We will do another project 2nd semester with our whole club). Please see the flyer attached (below) for information on how you, and our students and families can donate. There is even a link for an Amazon wish list to make it easy. If you would, please share with your students and families; whoever you want. We would appreciate any and all donations!!
Picture Day is September 5th.
PARENT School Access Form – this is completed through district and NOT at the school level. Parents will not be able to be pushed through if they are not cleared. This includes but not limited to, field trips, SPELLING BEE, class events, etc.…
It has been advised that EVERYONE fills this out in the event they want/need to be on campus vs. showing up for something and not being cleared.
Volunteer Services – St. Johns County School District
GRMS FACEBOOK PAGE: In addition to Mr. Wilson’s Newsletter this is how GRMS will send out information about events going on at the school.
-Bridge Program Updates-
DOJO Points and Star Jar Rewards
DOJO points continue to fill our Star Jar for our Quarter 1 team incentive. Root beer floats!
How do student earn DOJO points? We focus on being seated and calm. Using kind words and not being loud! Being on task and participating. Transitioning in the hallways will be our final focus. These team “goals” will help students practice and implement affective and academic learning!
Phone Policy: TURNED OFF AND IN LOCKER/Backpack for the remainder of the day once on campus.
Students have done great with this new state law/school rule! Thank you, families, for your support with this!
Annual IEP meetings will begin at the end of this month. Please check your email that you have registered with HAC. Initial contact will be made this way. Please take some time and review the current plan with your student. This is a good opportunity to find out from their perspective what they feel is working, what they might need instead. Be on the lookout for an email in regard to meeting.
Questions? Please reach out!
ACADEMICS
Please check HAC (Home Access Center) grades are updated on Fridays for your child’s classes. December is a short month! Everything counts.
Fridays have been designated for summative assessments and for the chance for students to show what they know! Please check HAC with your child.
Social Perspectives
The focus of our program is to teach students alternative behaviors to replace challenging ones, helping students reach their academic and affective learning potential. The goal of the Bridge Program at GRMS is to gradually reintegrate students into the general education setting with minimal support.
Our social perspectives focus this week will be CHOICES! Students this week will focus on different real-life situations were making good choices, at times, presents challenging. Together, we will work through options students have when they find themselves in similar real-life situations.
Station Rotations
In Learning Strategies, we continue to implement Station Rotations. The small group setting allows students to work with peers and adults to ensure they are getting the support they need. Students will rotate through a Learning Strats Station, focusing on study, organizational and independent functioning skills, a Novel Study Station and for our Kinesthetic Learners, a Get Up and Move Station.
The Bridge Program at GRMS supports students that have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that includes specific goals in the Social/Emotional Behavior, Independent Functioning and/or Communication domains. Many students also benefit from a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and counseling services.
The focus of our program is to teach students alternative behaviors to replace challenging ones, with data collected to monitor their progress. The ultimate aim of the Bridge Program at GRMS is to gradually reintegrate students into the general education setting with minimal support.
Hello! My name is Jaci Racano, and I am thrilled to be a part of your child’s educational journey. I am originally from Union, New Jersey, in 2004 my family and I moved to Saint Augustine and have considered it home ever since! I hold a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
This is my 28th year in education, with over 10 years of experience in Exceptional Student Education. I am a proud mother of three sons, in my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my loved ones at the beach, reading books, and playing with our adorable puppies, Frankie, Dino and their friend George.
Should you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me anytime. [email protected]
Please consider donating to our class wish list:
I am looking forward to another great year!
Jaci Racano
Ms. Racano: History, Science, Learning Strategies and Social Perspectives.
Mr. Arnold: ELA, Math, Learning Strategies and Social Perspectives.
Ms. Becka, Ms. Leggett, Mr. Jones and Ms. B: Teacher Assistants
Mr. Cooper: LEA/Assistance Principal
Ms. Emily Geisel: District Mental Health Counselor
The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is composed of parents, educators, administrators, business representatives, and other interested community members concerned with the education of students with disabilities.
The purpose of the committee is to provide information to parents and input to district staff regarding our ongoing effort to continuously improve services for students with disabilities.
A link to join these meetings will be emailed prior to meeting date and will be posted on district and school websites.
For more information: Parent Advisory Committee – Exceptional Student Education (ESE) (stjohns.k12.fl.us)