Welcome to the 2026–27 School Year, Glenwood Eagles!

 

Monday, August 10, 2026

 

Dear Glenwood Community,

Welcome to the 2026–27 school year! My name is Jacob Hodgson, and I am honored to begin my fourth year as principal of Glenwood Elementary School and my seventeenth year as a principal. 

Even after many years in education, I still experience all the same feelings that come with the start of a new school year—the excitement, anticipation, and perhaps a few nerves. I imagine many of you and your children are feeling the same way. The best part is that we get to experience it together. We are fortunate to have an incredible team of educators and staff who are excited to welcome our students and families back to campus.

 

A New Year, Full of Possibility

The beginning of a new school year is a time full of possibility. It is wonderful to reunite with familiar friends, welcome new members of our community, and see how much our returning students have grown over the summer. We look forward to watching them take on new challenges, build new relationships, and continue their academic and personal growth in their new classrooms.

 

This year, we are especially excited to welcome our newest Glenwood Eagles in Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten. We know this is a big milestone for both students and caregivers, and we want to make the transition as welcoming and comfortable as possible.

 

We are also excited to welcome a third TK classroom to Glenwood! Our TK teachers will host a Meet and Greet on Tuesday, August 18, from 2:00–3:00 p.m. in front of the TK classrooms. This will be an opportunity for students and caregivers to peek inside the classrooms, meet their teachers, and connect with other TK families. Kindergarten will hold its Meet and Greet at 2:45 p.m. that same day.
 

Welcoming New Faces to Glenwood

We are excited to welcome several new staff members and colleagues to our Glenwood community this year, and some returning to new roles:

 

● Danica Doving – Office Coordinator

● Emily Guerrero – Transitional Kindergarten

● Emily deGrassi – 2nd Grade

● Sydney Costan – 3rd Grade

● Sumaiya Bassa – 3rd Grade

● Nicole Cribioli – Family Community Liaison and Office Support

● Nicole O'Neill – 4th/5th Grade Combination Class

● Vanessa Golias – Speech and Language

● Katherine Lee – School Counselor

● Luminita Necula – TK Instructional Assistant

● Reilly Urban – Kindergarten Instructional Assistant

● Dajahnaee Straiten – Instructional Assistant

● Lyell Wycko – Instructional Assistant

● Jacqueline Grubb – Instructional Assistant

● Anitah Ghabarzadeh – Instructional Assistant

 

Please join me in giving all of our new staff members a warm Glenwood welcome!

 

Campus Updates & Construction

As many of you know, there is still significant construction taking place at Glenwood as we begin the school year. While this will mean some temporary changes to our usual routines, we appreciate everyone's patience and flexibility as this important work continues.

 

A few key updates:

● The only accessible school entrances will be the gates east of the office, or to the right of the office as you enter campus.

● The multipurpose room will be closed for the entire school year while it undergoes a major

renovation.

● Breakfast and lunch service will operate out of Room 9 this year.

● Temporary fencing will surround areas where construction is underway.

● We are excited about the improvements coming to the upper yard and look forward to seeing the progress throughout the year.

 

First Day & Morning Gatherings

 

Please join us in the school gym on Wednesday, August 19 at 8:45 a.m. for our first Morning Gathering of the year. We will welcome everyone back, kick off the school year, and give families an opportunity to connect with teachers and one another.

 

Beginning this year, Morning Gatherings will take place every Friday morning. TK and Kindergarten students will not participate at the start of the school year.

 

The Glenwood School Foundation (GSF) will also host a Welcome Back Celebration on Friday, August 21. More details about the time and location will be shared soon.

 

Phones and Smart Watches

We understand many families choose to send their child to school with phones and smart watches or Gizmos. Please read our school and district Ed Code regarding their use.

 

Arrival & Drop-Off

We know the first few days of school can bring a mix of excitement, nerves, and curiosity—especially for our youngest and newest students. If your child needs extra support transitioning to school, please plan to hand them off directly to a caring Glenwood adult.

 

For everyone's safety, please keep the following arrival procedures in mind:

 

● If you plan to attend the Morning Gathering or need to stay with your child, please park along Knight Drive so the parking lot remains safe and accessible.

● If you are dropping off and leaving, please do so safely and efficiently.

● Do not leave vehicles unattended outside of a designated parking spot.

● Please do not park in staff spaces, along the red curb, or in the bus zone.

● Enter through the designated entrance at the westernmost part of West Castlewood.

● For drop-off in front of the school, pull forward to the furthest available space near the red curb.

● A Glenwood staff member will help your child safely exit the vehicle.

● Once your child is safely with staff, please slowly pull forward and exit the parking lot.

There will be significant foot traffic during arrival, so please drive slowly, remain patient, and give yourself a little extra time during the first few days.

 

Helping Your Child Start Strong

The first day of school can bring all kinds of emotions. A consistent routine at home can help children feel prepared and confident as they begin the year. As you get ready for school, we recommend:

● 9–12 hours of sleep each night, as recommended by pediatricians

● Putting away screens at least two hours before bedtime

● Waking up early enough to get ready and arrive at school on time

A predictable morning routine can make a big difference in helping children begin their school day feeling calm and ready to learn.

 

School Supplies

The good news: all essential school supplies will be provided by the school. Students only need to bring:

● A backpack

● A lunchbox

● A water bottle

Please label your child's belongings with their first name and last initial, including sweatshirts, jackets, and other clothing that may be removed during the school day. This helps us return lost items to their owners.

 

Breakfast & Lunch

Free breakfast and lunch will once again be available to all students who would like them.

● Breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m.

● Yard supervision begins at 8:30 a.m.

● Please do not drop students off before 8:30 a.m.

● Students who eat breakfast must finish eating before playing on the yard.

● Breakfast cannot be taken into classrooms. Please talk with your child about this routine ahead of time, as students sometimes choose to play first and then try to get breakfast once the bell rings. This will not be possible.

 

Nut Free School

If you are sending snacks and lunch to school, I wanted to remind you that Glenwood is a Nut Free campus. This applies to all food being sent to school.

 

Class Lists & TK/Kindergarten Placement

TK and Kindergarten will begin the year with a flexible start, so students will not begin the first day in assigned classrooms. All other student placement will be posted on ParentSquare on Tuesday, August 18 at noon.

 

Our teachers and staff have put significant thought, time, and care into creating balanced classes. We will not be making changes to classroom placements. We appreciate your understanding and support of this process.

 

District Forms on Aeries

 

● Next week, you will receive an email from SRCS asking you to login to your Aeries Parent Portal account to complete the back-to-school forms - this is called the Data Confirmation Process. The login links will be shared via email.

● This process allows you to confirm or update your child’s information, including contact information, household income, emergency contacts, medical information and more. It also allows you to acknowledge required District policies and authorizations.

● One of the steps is for you to enter your household income and the number of people in your

household. This is required critical information for the District to ensure continued funding to support all students in SRCS, and your support in completing it is very appreciated.

● Back-to-School forms / Data Confirmation Process Parent Guide (English) (Spanish)

● Video tutorial on Data Confirmation Process (English) (Spanish)

● Aeries Parent Portal FAQs (English) (Spanish)

 

● Returning Aeries Parent Portal Users: If you accessed Aeries Parent Portal last year, login with the same email and password through these links:

○ Grades TK-8 Aeries Parent Portal

○ Password Reset: If your child is a returning SRCS student, but you do not remember your

password, use these links: Grades TK-8 Reset Password

● New Student Parent Portal Accounts: If you are newly enrolled to SRCS for the 2026-27 year,

Parent Portal accounts are automatically generated and an email was recently sent from

donotreply@aeries.com to the parent/guardian email(s). Please check your inbox or SPAM for this email and complete the steps. If your child is newly enrolled and you have not received an email from aeries.com, contact your school’s office. Once you have activated your Parent Portal account, you can login using the links below to complete the Data Confirmation Process.

 

○ Grades TK-8 Aeries Parent Portal

 

Important Dates

Tuesday, August 18

● TK Meet & Greet: 2:00–3:00 p.m.

● Kindergarten Meet & Greet: 2:45-3:45 p.m.

● Class lists posted on ParentSquare: 12:00 p.m.

Wednesday, August 19

● First Day of School

● Start: 8:45 a.m.

● First Morning Gathering: 8:45 a.m. in the gym

● Early Dismissal: 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 20

● Start: 8:45 a.m.

● Dismissal: 3:30 p.m.

Friday, August 21

● Start: 8:45 a.m.

● Dismissal: 3:30 p.m.

● Glenwood School Foundation Welcome Back Celebration — details to come

Wednesday, September 2

● Back to School Night: 5:30–7:00 p.m.

Friday, September 4

● Minimum Day

● Dismissal: 12:35 p.m.

 

A Few Final Reminders

Please remember that Wednesday, August 19 is a 1:30 p.m. dismissal day.

Our campus gates will close at 8:45 a.m. once the school bell rings and will remain closed until the end of the

school day. If you arrive late or need to check your child out early for an appointment, please use the single point of entry at the main office.

 

As we begin the year, teachers will share important classroom policies and expectations with families. I will also be sharing our schoolwide expectations so that every student understands what is expected and has the support they need to be successful on campus.

 

Thank you for partnering with us as we begin another school year. We are excited to welcome our students back, reconnect with our families, and make Glenwood an even stronger community together.

 

We can't wait to see you, Glenwood Eagles! Here's to a wonderful 2026–27 school year!

 

Let's go, Eagles!

 

Sincerely,

Jacob Hodgson

Principal

Glenwood Elementary School