5th grade had an amazing opportunity to tour the LOTT wastewater management facility today. A huge thanks to LOTT for funding this opportunity for our Grizzlies!! 🐻
We wrapped up the last of the Student Forums today. Students met with each of the three finalists for Superintendent this week. They asked several great questions to each candidate for example . . . "What do you think about after school activities like different types of clubs, sports, math or maybe even bringing back science, the science fair and STEM?"
--Laileeauna Hartfield Keith. We hope you can join us for the last community forum with Mrs. Orr this evening at 5:30 PM in the Library.
5th grade is enjoying a field trip to the Leopold F. Schmidt House in Tumwater thanks to an invitation from the Daughters of the American Revolution. The beautiful Schmidt House is listed on the National Register of Historic places.
The Griffin School District announced three finalists for Superintendent today following preliminary interviews. The interviews were observed by as many as 30 people online. The Board selected six candidates from a pool of 12 applicants to move forward to preliminary interviews prior to selecting three finalists.
Finalist 1 is currently Assistant Superintendent in Peninsula School District. Dan Gregory is a 33-year educator with several years as a secondary mathematics teacher and later as a building administrator serving as Principal and Assistant Principal in two districts. Mr. Gregory also taught at the American International School in Lagos, Nigeria. He has experience in creating partnerships with local community organizations. Mr. Gregory also has experience with implementation of several district-level initiatives in Peninsula.
Finalist 2 Dr. Cindy Orr is the Executive Director for the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections in Boise. She has held a variety of positions including Elementary Principal in Kuna, Idaho and Associate Professor of Innovations of Learning at Northwest Nazarene University. She began her career in education as an elementary teacher in 1991 and was a leader in that role immediately. She oversees three high schools that are housed within detention facilities in Idaho. These schools are in different parts of the state. She looks forward to leading in a school where she can be more connected to staff and students on a daily basis.
Finalist 3 Kirsten Rue serves as Director of Student Achievement for the North Thurston School District. She has a career that began in 1997 as a high school teacher in the Olympia School District and progressed to building level leadership positions in North Thurston. She has experience with programs that provide opportunities for all learners and build social and emotional learning skills. She has experience with serving the needs of children and families from diverse backgrounds through restorative practices and multi-tiered systems of support.
All three candidates expressed a desire to collaborate with the community and build relationships. Each has experience leading many of the programs currently in place at Griffin School. Board Chair Julie Osterberg commented, “The Board appreciates the time that all of the candidates put into completing the application and interview process.”
Each candidate will be interviewed on a separate day and will be interviewed by students, staff and the community. Community forums will be in the Library at Griffin School. Forums will begin at 5:30 p.m. and last until 6:30 p.m. when candidates will be interviewed by the Board in executive session.
Final interviews will cap a two-month process that provided several opportunities for public participation. The Board anticipates selecting a new Superintendent by April 19th.
Capital High School Choir visited Griffin Middle School today with a beautiful performance! Thank you Mrs. Dowers and CHS performers!
Superintendent Search Timeline
April 13, 2024 - Preliminary interviews- Community Invited to observe and provide input
• 50 minute interviews, with 10 minute break between
• Executive Session to follow last interview to select finalists
April 16, 17, & 18 2024 - Final interviews, schedule to be developed (Format to be
developed by NWLA, and approved by board), but will include:
• Meetings with community, students and staff
• Interview with candidate and Board in Executive Session
April 22, 2024 - Announcement of final selection
• Final background checks
• Contract negotiations
April 24, 2024 or ASAP - Contract to be approved by Board
• Offer to be pre-negotiated by consultant
Welcome back GMS Grizzlies!
ASB Officers meeting Thursday, April 11th @ 9:00 AM
in the Board Room
Welcome back Elementary! Don't forget about our . . .
5th Grade Science Showcase
Thursday, April 11, 2024
3:30 to 5:30 PM
Check out our Future Scientists!
It's a busy night at Griffin School! Girls Soccer, Boys 7/8 Basketball, and the Spring Band Concert!! Great job everyone! 🐻⚽️🏀🥁🎺
Go Griffin Lady Grizzlies! Good luck at your soccer game this afternoon...and a lucky rainbow showed up too!
Come out and root on your Griffin Grizzlies boys basketball team this season! 8th grade vs Reeves is happening now! 🏀🐻
Hope you can make it for . . .
Coffee w/Chris @ Urraco
Friday, March 15th at 5:00 PM
Thank you Griffin Archery coaches Mr. Poland and Mr. Whitney for hosting a successful Archery Parent Night! It was fun to see parents give it a try, and Mr. Rust too!
A huge thanks to our generous PTO for funding transportation for our 1st-3rd grade Grizzlies. They attended Olympia Junior Program's presentation of 'Dino-Light; A Glow in the Dark Adventure' today!
7th grade boys basketball team putting in the work today! Nice hustle Grizzlies!
Griffin's National Junior Honor Society Field trip . . .
Members of the Griffin School Chapter of National Junior Honor Society visited the Thurston County Food Bank Distribution Center in Olympia, Washington to help prepare the "For Kids" bags that go home with students on Fridays!
39 NJHS members assembled the bags that go home on Fridays to make sure students from all over Thurston County have enough food for the weekend. In less than two hours, the Griffin NJHS assembly line put together over 1,000 For Kids bags! And on top of that, our members also sorted and coded another pallet of food donations in preparation for future distribution. It was a great day of service for our local community, and we also had a lot of fun doing it!
A "cozy" ASB Meeting today! Happy Kindness Week everyone!
Congratulations to all of our Griffin participants in today's SOGO (Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia) concert at the Washington Center. It was wonderful to see so many Griffin students perform! 🎺 📯🪈
Don't miss out on this year's Annual Arts Walk . . .
Friday, March 1, 2024 - 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Sponsored by the Griffin PTO
Reporting live from the 6th grade CIRCUS show! Amazing performance
by our PE students, thank you Mr. Poland! 🎪
