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The Link Letter 4.1.2026

Posted Date: 04/01/26 (04:03 PM)
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A whimsical illustration of a narwhal with colorful details, the logo for Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center.

The Link Letter

April 1, 2026

Upcoming Events:

4/2 - 4/10: Spring Break, No School
4/14: MStep testing window for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students opens
4/14: Early Release day
  • 2:30 - 2:45 is for students with the last name A - I
  • 2:45 - 3:00 is for students with the last name J - Z
4/15: Community Meeting, 3rd - 5th  "Welcome Back from Spring Break" (no feature)
4/16: Community Meeting, K - 2nd feat.  "Welcome Back from Spring Break" (no feature)
4/18: GRCDC Spring Outdoor Clean Up, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
5/2: GRCDC Family Dance, 1:00 - 3:00 PM


What's for breakfast and lunch this week? School Meals Menu
What are the school hours? Click Here

Please take the Spring Family Survey! Our goal is 100% participation:

Spring Family Survey Link
Spring Break announcement with dates April 2 - April 10, featuring a narwhal and floral design.
 
This is "light" version of the Link Letter ahead of Spring Break. It's mostly covering upcoming dates to know and there are some summer food, camp and academic resources to share. See you all on April 13th!

Summer Resources

  • Summer Academic Workbook Order: You have the opportunity to order the GRASP (Grand Rapids Academic Summer Program) program for your child this summer. GRASP is a correspondence program for grades K to 8 that helps students maintain reading and math skills while on summer break. The fees for the summer of 2026 are $30 for one subject or $50 for both subjects for each child. You can enroll your child by completing the form and paying the enrollment fee. For the form and more information, please click here. Orders are due April 24th.
  • Sunbucks, Michigan Summer EBT: Michigan Summer EBT is a program to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Families will get $120 for each eligible child to buy groceries during the summer. For more information, please follow this link.
  • Registration is open for free summer day camps at three park locations: Garfield and MLK summer camps will be held every weekday from noon to 4 p.m. and Roosevelt camp will be held every weekday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free lunch and snacks will be provided every day. Parents can only sign their children up for one camp location and must register their child for each session individually. For session dates and registration, please follow this link. Thank you, Kate Assarian, for sharing this information with the school community!

Central Office Updates

2026 - 2027 School Year Calendar Key Dates:
  • Back to School Night (required for all students), Thursday, August 20th, 4:00 - 7:00, you will sign up for a time slot for this event at a later date
  • First Day of School, Monday, August 24th
  • No School, Labor Day Break, September 4th - September 7th
  • No School, Thanksgiving Break, November 25th - November 27th
  • No School, Winter Break, December 19th - January 3rd
  • No School, Spring Break, Thursday, April 1st – Friday, April 9th
  • NOTE: This is not a finalized calendar. Other dates will be added for events such as parent teacher conferences, portfolio day, and professional development days. However, the major holiday breaks are confirmed as days off from school. Please use these dates to plan family vacations and avoid taking days off for reasons other than illness on days school is in session.
 

Family Team Updates

Spring Flower Fundraiser
Brighten up your space this spring with beautiful flowers from Rinzema Greenhouse. A portion of the proceeds will support this year's Family Dance as well as continued support of classroom project work! Orders due Wednesday, April 15. Pickup on Saturday, May 2 at the Family Dance. Order today at https://givebutter.com/spring-2026-flower-sale-ffw4vk

Upcoming Events
  • Spring Clean Up - Saturday April 18, 1pm - 3pm 
  • Family Dance - Saturday May 2, 1pm - 3pm
Family Team Meetings
  • The next Family Team meeting is Thursday April 16 after the Community Meeting.
  • Dates for the year are: May 14

Find Family Team on ParentSquare!
The GRCDC Narwhals - Families of Current Students Facebook group has been archived, so stay up to date through the Family Team GRCDC Narwhals Group on ParentSquare. 


Let's Connect
We want to hear from you! If you have an idea, question, or suggestion for the Family Team email us at grcdcfamilyteam@gmail.com. 
 

Community Resources

  • If you are experiencing a housing crisis or issue, please contact us at 616-459-0330 and our Homeless Liaison will reach out to you.


  • Families Supporting Families! We want to support our families. We are collecting the information for any family-owned businesses within our community. If you own a business, please fill out this survey. We will add you to the directory once we receive your information.

  • OK2SAY: If you receive a threat or know of a threat of violence against your community, please contact your local law enforcement or call 9-1-1. Non-emergency tips can be submitted the following ways:  
  1. Call: 8-555-OK2SAY, (855-565-2729 )  
  2. Text: 652729 (OK2SAY)   
  3. Email: OK2SAY   
  4. Visit: OK2SAY website   
  5. OK2SAY Mobile App: Available for download for Apple, Google and Android mobile devices.