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The Link Letter 8.14.2026

Posted Date: 08/14/26 (05:00 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

8.14.2026

Upcoming Events

8/17: GRCDC Board Meeting, 6:00 - 7:30 PM- ALL ARE WELCOME!
8/20: Complete Online Registration before Back to School Night, see details below
8/20: Back to School Night, 4:00 - 7:00 PM, Sign ups are live now
8/24: First Day of School!
8/28: Half Day of School, 11:30 Dismissal
9/4 & 9/7: No School, Labor Day Break
9/9 and 9/10: Kick off Community Meetings for 26-27! W- 3-5th and TH- K-2 at drop off time

What are the school hours? Click Here

2026-2027 School Calendar: You may find the PDF of the calendar here, click here to subscribe to the Google calendar, or view it on our website.

Message from the Executive Director


Dear Families,
Back to School Night is less than a week away! We cannot wait to welcome you and your children back to the building! The staff has been hard at work preparing the building, prepping spaces, making plans, and getting ready for a great school year.

How to Get the Most Out of GRCDC's Back to School Night:
  • Prepare any questions you have for your child's teacher
  • Stop by the Specials' Spaces (Studio, Gym, and Pod Pad)
  • If your child has resource room minutes, sign up for a time with Ms. Elly and Ms. Rose
  • Check the Classroom Newsletter and see if there are suggested donations or supply needs to bring with you
  • Find out what your child's goals are for the evening, and commit to talking to one new-to-you family and one old friend!

Have a great weekend, and we will see you at 409 Lafayette soon!
Sincerely,
Lisa

Lisa Nuyens, Executive Director
616-459-0330 (office)
517-206-3868 (cell- voicemail/note or text)
nuyensl@childdiscoverycenter.org

 

Central Office Updates

Back to School Night, Thursday, August 20th: Sign-ups are live for Back to School Night! This is a required event for all families. At Back to School Night you will:
  • Visit your child's classroom in a small group session planned to help form intentional connections between the family and the teacher.
  • Pick up dismissal car cards
  • Visit with the teachers of Movement, Studio, and Music
  • Visit the medical table (required for students who have prescription medication or inhalers).
Here is a link to all of the session sign ups. You can also find the sign up in a post on your ParentSquare feed as well:
Online Registration via Skyward Family Access DUE 8/20:
Instructions for completing Skyward online registration, including account setup and login steps.
If you are having any access issue, please message Rachel Harth for follow up.
Arrival and Dismissal Full Details: New families, please review this document before Back to School Night so you are prepared for the Walkthrough Session.
  • RETURNING FAMILIES: Please note that students will only be using the Orange Door for arrival. This will be an adjustment for some! We will have staff present to help guide students to the correct door.
Arrival Note: School instruction begins at 8:20 AM. Please make every effort to arrive on time for instruction daily. If arriving after 8:20, you will not be able to drop your child off at the car line. Please come to the front of the school to check in at the office.

Dismissal Times: Dismissal operates on a staggered schedule based on your child's last name. For new families, we will have a session at Back to School Night to introduce this process! For reference, here are the staggered dismissal times:

Regular School Days M, W, Th, F:
  • 3:45 - 4:00 is for students with the last name A - I
  • 4:00 - 4:15 is for students with the last name J - Z
Tuesday Early Release:
  • 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
Half Days:
  • 11:30 - 11:45 is for students with the last name A - I
  • 11:45 - 12:00 is for students with the last name J - Z
School Meals: Breakfast and lunch are free for all GRCDC students. Each classroom will have a daily morning process for students to let the teacher know if they need a school lunch or have brought a lunch from home. Please note: Milk is included in the school lunches, however, milk will not be available to purchase for students who bring a lunch from home. Breakfast is served before instruction begins. Please aim to have your child arrive between 8:00 - 8:15 AM for breakfast.
 

Mary Free Bed Construction Updates

No updates at the time.
 

Family Team Updates

Visit the Family Team at Back to School Night to learn about events and opportunites for your family this school year!

Back to School Grand Rapids Community Events

We have heard about these events happening in the community. Please make sure to check all the details to see if it is a fit for your family.

  • Endless Opportunities: Back to School Celebration | Free haircuts, school supplies and more. Sunday, Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Details


  • Fifth annual back to school bash by RTS Trash Service | Free backpacks, school supplies, haircuts and more. | Aug. 16 from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. | Details
 

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.


  • GRCDC Threat Reporting Form: It takes everybody in the school community to keep a school safe! In short, if you see or hear something, say something! GRCDC has a team of staff that have been trained to assess and respond to any threats to the school community. Please use this form to make a report.  


  • 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. 
 
Absence Reporting: If your child will be absent from school, please contact us by 8:20 AM if possible. There are a few ways you can contact us about an absence:
  • Email office@childdiscoverycenter.org
  • Call the main office, 616-459-0330
  • Send a ParentSquare message
  • If you contact a teacher only regarding attendance, please know that they do not always have time to inform the office about your child's attendance. Your first contact should always be the school office. If you want to include the teacher and inform them as well, go for it!
If we do not hear from you, ParentSquare will send an automated message around 8:50 AM that you may also reply to. If you do not contact the office to excuse the absence, it will be marked unexcused.