October - Looking Forward Newsletter 2026

Traditional Schools: No school for students on October 15–16.

Granville Early College High School: No school for students on October 14–16.

Traditional Schools: Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on October 22 & 23. There will be no school for students on October 23rd. 

October is Principal Appreciation Month! Take a moment to thank your principal for all they do to support students, staff, and your school community.

A parent can request an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting at any time during the school year. When is it appropriate to request a meeting? 

If you want to ask a team to meet, make the request in writing. An email is the best form of communication for this request. Include your child’s teacher, case manager, the exceptional children’s teacher, and the school principal. The exceptional children’s teacher is often the case manager. Explain why you are requesting the meeting and which topics you want to discuss. If you do not get a response in a reasonable time, follow up with another email.

We are quickly approaching the end of the first nine weeks of school! This is an important time to celebrate your child’s progress, stay informed, and continue working together to support student success.

Our first Parent-Teacher Conference dates are October 22–23. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers, learn about your child’s progress, ask questions, and discuss ways you can support learning at home.  More information will be shared with you from your child’s school regarding times to meet with teachers.

We encourage all families to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers.

Staying connected with your child’s school is an important part of supporting their success. Be sure to join ParentSquare to receive important messages, announcements, reminders, and updates from your child’s school and the district office.

Families of students in grades 3–12 can stay up to date on academic progress by using Parent Portal. Parent Portal allows you to access your child’s grades and monitor their progress throughout the school year.

Thank you for partnering with us in your child’s education! When families and schools work together, we create stronger opportunities for every student to learn, grow, and succeed.

Stay connected. Stay informed. Stay involved!

The GCPS Homeless Education Program can be found on our website under the Student Services Department. The law defines a child or youth as homeless as one who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate residence. GCPS is committed to supporting our students that may be experiencing housing instability. Recently the GCPS CARES Closet was opened. CARES stands for Clothing, Access, Resources, Essentials and Supplies. Through generous donations from community partners, items that our students may be in need of are available! Parents and students can reach out to their school counselor or a district social worker for more information or support.

Christy Currin (currinc@gcs.k12.nc.us), SSES, WOES, NGMS, SGHS - 252-430-9416

Sara Michaelsen (michaelsensk@gcs.k12.nc.us), BSES, GCMS, JFWHS - 984-514-2362   

Katie Perkinson (perkinsonk@gcs.k12.nc.us), MEES, Credle, TRES, GECHS - 919-691-5264

Sandra Williams (williamss2@gcs.k12.nc.us), PA, GA – 984-353-0056