August 23, 2026
Sunday Snapshot
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Paws Pillar Skill of Cooperation
8/24/2026
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School Fees are Due
8/28/2026
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BOY Testing (iReady/Star360) Window Opens
8/31/2026
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No School: Labor Day
9/7/2026
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Parent Volunteer Process
Level I & Level II Volunteer Application Process: All individuals who are interested in volunteering (includes chaperoning field trips) must be approved by CPS. Depending on the level of volunteering you plan to do, you will be asked to complete an application for either a “Level I” or “Level II” volunteer.
- Level I (Advanced): Best for mentors, tutors, coaches, unsupervised classroom assistants, and overnight field trip chaperones. In order to become a Level I volunteer, you must complete the volunteer form for CPS, provide fingerprints, get a background check and take a TB test.
- Level II (Basic): Best for day field trips, general school events, or volunteering under 10 hours a week where you remain in the line of sight of a full-time employee. Requires you to complete the volunteer form for CPS and submit your ID for verification.
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Happy Sunday Garvy!
Be Kind 🐾 Be Strong 🐾 Be Well 🐾 Be a Bulldog
The first day of school is tomorrow, Monday, August 24th. Thank you to all who attended the annual Supply Drop off. Special thanks to the PTA and volunteers for selling Garvy Garb.
The teachers and staff have been excitedly preparing for the return of our Bulldogs. Whether you are new to our school community or a returning member, please know that we are committed to maintaining an environment where every student feels seen, supported, and safe. This fosters great academic growth and personal development. This does not happen by accident, it happens when school and home have a successful partnership built on trust and communication.
We are in this together! 🐾
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Students will line up at 8:15 at the following door locations. For the younger grades, K-4, look for the classroom flags/cones to indicate where to line up. Please note that there is no adult supervision prior to 8:15am. If a student arrives at school later than 8:32 A.M., they are to report to Door 7 to receive a tardy pass before reporting to class.
Arrival Entrance
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Dismissal Exit
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Door 5 (Rutherford- next to turf)
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
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Door 5 (Rutherford- Basketball Courts)
Kindergarten
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Door 8 (Oak Park- by Garden)
Grades 2 and 4
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Door 5 (Rutherford- next to turf)
Grades 1 and 3
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Door 5 (Line up on Basketball Courts)
3rd Grade
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Door 9 (Oak Park- by Gym doors)
Grades 2 and 4
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Door 4 (Rutherford-Basketball courts)
Grades 5, 6, and 7
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Door 4 (Rutherford-Basketball courts)
Grades 6 and 7
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Door 2 (Foster)
8th Grade
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Door 2 (Foster)
Grades 5 and 8
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Dismissal: Students in grades K-4 must be picked up by an adult or older sibling. If a child is not picked up in a timely manner, the student will be taken to the round table by the Main Office to await pick up.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Remember that it is all of our jobs to keep our school community safe. Due to the size of our student population, arrival and dismissal times can be a challenge. Please be mindful of the following:
- Use the Kiss N Go areas for arrival. It is an easy process. Pull up, drop off students, and pull off slowly. DO NOT stop, nor double park in the Kiss N Go lanes.
- Do not double park and leave your car unattended. This blocks others in and creates unnecessary delays.
- The opposite side of Oak Park is permit parking. DO NOT park there. The neighbors will call the police and you may be ticketed.
- Take notice of the driveways of our neighbors, the alleys, the crosswalks, as well as the apron of the school parking lot. DO NOT park in these areas for any amount of time.
- Streets around us are within a school zone and the driving speed limit is 20mph, under IL law. This is a major safety concern. Kids are on bikes, kids are distracted by the ice cream truck, and there are people crossing the street. Slow down!
- Most importantly, be mindful that there are children everywhere. Please set the proper example of community, cooperation, and safety precautions for our children.
Welcome our New Staff Member
Attendance
As we begin a new school year, we want to take a moment to highlight the importance of consistent school attendance. Every day your child is in school is a chance to learn something new, connect with peers, and build the skills they need for a bright future.
There are only 7 school days in August. Be sure to be here!
Safety Month
During the month of September, we will practice what to do in case of fire, severe weather, or a potential need to lockdown the building. We take safety very seriously at Garvy and providing students with the information for what to do in case of an emergency is very important. This year, we are conducting all the drills as early as we can in the year in order to ensure all students, teachers and staff are prepared and knowledgeable of our safety plans. Please review the following for more details: Safety Month Flyer
Important Documents
School Fees
A school fee will be collected from each student to purchase consumable materials (ex. workbooks, magazines, science supplies, digital platforms, etc.). Parents are asked to submit payment by August 28th. Please submit payment via Aspen Parent Portal. The fee does not cover the expense of field trips, lost or damaged books, or typical school supplies.
1 Student at Garvy: $125 3 Students at Garvy: $300
2 Students at Garvy: $250 4 Students or more: $325
Dear Garvy Families,
We would love to invite you to our first organizational meeting of the Bilingual Advisory Committee on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026 at 8:45 a.m. in Room 208A.
The Garvy PTA has been working hard to get events planned and ready for the 2026-2027, but we need your help!
Every year we ask parents and teachers to join the PTA- our name says it all: Parent Teacher Association. To become a PTA member this year it is $20, and not only does it cover the cost for the PTA dues this year, but also to help pay for things around Garvy School. You are not required to volunteer when you join, we appreciate your support any way we can get it! Click here to join today!
With that being said, the PTA is planning our annual block party but we need your help! We are requesting donations, as well as some volunteer time (even an hour will help!) to make this event a successful one. To donate physical items, you can contact the PTA directly at [email protected] and we can schedule a pickup. If it is a smaller item you can have your child deliver the item to the front office and we will take care of it from there.
To volunteer for our annual block party click here. If you have any questions about the block party please reach out- we can answer any questions you may have!
Finally, this year is Garvy School's 90th birthday. We would like to celebrate by offering a chance to leave your mark and purchase a brick to enhance our school grounds. To purchase a brick please use this link
We appreciate your support with anything you are willing to contribute!
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SAVE THE DATE: Garvy's 90th Anniversary Celebration
Garvy School opened its doors on October 26, 1936 and this fall we will celebrate our 90th Birthday with a community party on Friday, October 16th.
Read More...
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RAS: Before and After School Care
At RAS, after school is a meaningful extension of the school day — not just an afterthought.
While many programs offer a safe place to play, RAS goes further by combining high-quality academic enrichment, active play, and social skill-building — all in a nurturing environment where your child will thrive.
Read More...
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8th Grade High School Test Prep Class for Fall 2026
Read More...
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Young Rembrandts After School Program- Fall 2026 Session
Fall Session starts September 8th
Read More...
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Band and Piano classes for the Fall 2026
Enrolling your child in music lessons is one of the best things you can do for them.
The benefits of music will last a lifetime!
All lessons start the week of September 21st.
For more information, visit: bandfortoday.com
Read More...
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Olympia Park Fall Programs
Below is a link that can take parents directly to our website to view and register for classes!
https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/chicagoparkdistrict/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&days_of_week=0000000¢er_ids=385&drop_in=0&season_ids=82&viewMode=list
Read More...
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Go Bulldogs!!!
Mrs. Bester 🐾 🐾
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