Back-to School Guide

7/25/2025

Find everything you need to know in our Back-to-School guide to start the new year off right!

Parent-Student Handbook

We ask all our families and students to read through and bookmark the Parent-Student Handbook. This handbook provides comprehensive information on our school's policies and procedures, as well as academic overviews and school forms.

School Forms

Please keep an eye out for an email containing instructions on how to complete the school forms through Blackbaud.

GRACE Illness Policy

Please ensure you are familiar with the GRACE Illness Policy. If you have any additional questions related to medication administration or are ever unsure about sending your child to school, please contact our school nurse, Cooper Evans, at cevans@gracechristian.net.

Dress Code

As you shop for school clothes, please follow the GRACE Dress Code guidelines. If you are interested in purchasing GRACE-wear, please visit the Eagles Nest GCS School Store.

Blackbaud Tutorial

GRACE Parents: Our Director of Technology, Hayley Field, has created a video that guides you through using Blackbaud, including reviewing assignments, updates, events, and more. We recommend you watch this video, as it will answer many of the questions you may have about navigating this new system.

Attendance Reminders

When a student is absent, parents should email the school by 8:00 a.m. For Lower Campus (TK-6th grade) students, email TK6attendance@GRACEChristian.net. For Upper Campus (7th-12th grade) students, email 712attendance@GRACEChristian.net. Please ensure that you read the Parent/Student Handbook for the attendance policy, as it differs from previous years. The Upper Campus has been revised to distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.

For planned absences (see Parent/Student Handbook for guidelines), please use the following links to submit forms:

Upper Campus Absence Form

Lower Campus Absence Form

Students must obtain permission to leave campus via email from a parent or guardian for any reason during the school day. This policy is in place to ensure student safety and clear communication with families. Without written parental consent via email, students will not be allowed to leave school grounds.

School Calendar & Bell Schedule

You can find the School Calendar & Bell Schedule in the Resources section of Blackbaud. Also, be sure to check the Blackbaud calendar regularly for detailed school information.

Meet the Teacher, Staggered Start Dates, and Parent Orientation

Please be sure to mark your calendars for the following events:

Lower Campus Parent Orientation (Parents Only) - Tuesday, August 12th

4:00- 4:30 p.m. - New Parent Welcome in the Martin Gymnasium
4:30- 6:00 p.m. - Orientation Sessions with Classroom Teachers

Upper Campus Parent Orientation (Parents Only) Tuesday, August 12th | 6:00- 8:00 p.m.

Parents will follow their student’s Monday schedule and will have 10 minutes to visit each classroom.

August 13:

Upper Campus:

See the letter from the Upper Campus principal for extended details for Back to School events for new 8th-12th grade students and parents of all 7th grade students and parents.

BOTH CAMPUSES:

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. All School TK-12 Meet and Greet

For all new and returning Upper Campus students

*Staggered Entry, Early-Release Days for Both Campuses

Thursday, August 14th - Last names A-L

Friday, August 15th - Last names M-Z

Returning Upper Campus students in grades 8-12 will receive their MacBooks on their staggered entry day. Fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students will receive their iPads on their staggered entry day. The Acceptable Use Policy must be completed in Blackbaud forms before the first day of school, or a computer/iPad will not be issued.

First Full Day of School - Monday, August 18th. Aftercare will begin on the first full day of school.

Hot Lunch

Hot lunch orders for September will open on August 12 at 9:00 a.m. and close on August 19 at 4:00 p.m. The first lunch service will be held on Tuesday, September 2, so all students should bring their lunch from home until then. Also, please remember to bring your own utensils from home for packed lunches; utensils are always provided for hot lunches. Information on ordering will be sent shortly from our food services team. Upper Campus parents interested in volunteering should contact Marlene Brown at mbrown@gracechristian.net. Lower Campus parents interested in volunteering should contact Courtney McAloon at cmcaloon@gracechristian.net. You are also welcome to reach out to them with any questions regarding food allergies. It is very important to notify the school of all food allergies. For more information on Hot Lunch, please refer to the resources tab on Blackbaud.

Lower Campus Carpool

For the safety of our students and staff, please refrain from cell phone use at all times in carpool.

Morning Drop Off

Morning drop-off takes place from 7:40 to 8:15 a.m.
Students should be ready to exit the vehicle when approaching the cones.
All students should exit via the passenger side.
Drop off may only take place in the carpool lane. The crosswalk is closed to walkers at this time of day.
No parents will be allowed to enter the building until after the 8:15 a.m. bell.

Afternoon Pick Up

All Lower Campus students will be dismissed in carpool. Please note that dismissal always takes longer than normal during the first few weeks of school, as our new families learn our procedures and everyone makes adjustments. We appreciate your patience in advance. Please continue reading for more details about our dismissal procedures.

Carpool Dismissal Procedures

Students will begin exiting the building at 2:55 p.m. and (after the first few weeks), dismissal will end by 3:20. Any student not picked up by 3:30 will be signed into aftercare, and charges will apply.
All individuals picking children up in carpool should remain in their car at all times and follow the traffic pattern outlined in blue below. Please also make a note of the merge point indicated by the yellow dot on the map below and be sure to alternate cars entering the single lane here.

Carpool tags will be available for pick-up at Parent Orientation. Every family has a NEW carpool tag, and last year’s tag should be discarded. The new tags should be affixed to the passenger-side visor (as shown below) and remain visible until all car riders are secured in the car.

Please follow the instructions of the staff on duty in the carpool lane and pull forward as far as possible to allow room for the cars behind you to fill all the cone lanes. Your children will only be loaded through the rear passenger-side door.
Please begin preparing your car for loading (move other car seats, cargo, etc.) and start teaching your children to buckle themselves in, as you will not be allowed to exit the car at any time in the carpool lane. If you must help a child buckle up, we kindly request that you proceed through the carpool lane and past the staff parking lot, then pull over to the curb on the right-hand side of our exit drive to ensure everyone is secure before turning onto Buck Jones Road.
If your child is not present at the traffic cone for pick-up, you will be asked to proceed to the “holding” area (located in the staff parking lot to the right as you exit the carpool lane). If you are instructed to go to “holding,” please pull forward and turn right into the staff parking lot, where you should make a U-turn and wait for your child to be escorted to your car by a staff member. Do not exit your vehicle at any time.

Multi-Family Pick Up

For families that will regularly share afternoon pick-up responsibilities, please complete this form to receive a multi-family carpool tag.
Within 24 hours, you will receive an additional carpool tag to be used when picking up students listed on the form.

Early Dismissal (before 3:00 p.m.) Procedures

Any student who needs to be dismissed early must be signed out at the front desk by 2:30 p.m.
Parents will not be allowed to enter the building after 2:30 p.m. until all car riders have been dismissed.

Upper Campus Carpool

The Upper Campus traffic pattern map should be followed.
Middle (7th-8th grade) and high school students are dismissed at 3:15 p.m. They will leave the building using the designated doors.
Athletes and student drivers exit the main building through the back door.
Students with their last class in the activity building may be picked up there.
All other students exit at the front door for carpool.
Any students remaining on campus after 3:30 p.m. must report to AfterCare. Students participating in help classes should report directly to the teacher’s room and be picked up by 4:00 p.m. or attend AfterCare.
Students driving to school must complete a Parking Registration Form before driving on campus.
All students should park in designated student parking only. Students are expected to follow all guidelines given on the Parking Registration Form.

Summer Reading & School Supply Lists

Summer reading and school supply lists can be found in Blackbaud under the Resources section.

Before & AfterCare

Students can be dropped off as early as 7:40 a.m., and Before Care is provided to all families free of charge. AfterCare is available on both campuses for an additional cost. To learn more about Before & AfterCare, check the resources tab on Blackbaud.

We look forward to partnering with you for an incredible 2025-2026 school year! If you are unable to find the information you need in the Back to School Guide or letters from Administration, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Lower or Upper Campus offices for support. May God bless each one of you as we embark on this new school year together!

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