June 18, 2018
June 18, 2018
August 6, 2018
August 6, 2018
A message from GRANT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Good evening Grant School families.  It has been a long time since you have heard my voice and it feels like the world is a drastically different place.  Let me start by expressing my sincerest sympathy on behalf the Grant Elementary School District to all those whose lives have been changed as a result of the Carr Fire.  So many of you are still evacuated from your homes and unfortunately too many of you have no home to return to.  I wish I could make it all go away but I can’t, at least not yet.  In trying times like these, with so much out of our control, it helps for all of us to focus on those things that we can control.  I have been in the process of doing just that.  I have rallied a small group of Grant School employees and we are in the process of working with state and county resources to develop our recovery plan.  It is a daunting task to say the least but we are up for the challenge of meeting the needs of our staff and families as we prepare for the 2018-19 school year.  We will share the details of our plans as soon as possible but until then I have a few announcements.  I am happy to announce that the boil orders for the Centerville Water District have been lifted as of this afternoon.  This is a huge step in the repopulation efforts of the area so while we are not home to drink the water, we are one step closer.  I am also excited to see the progress of the utility work that is being done to restore damaged power lines.  Along with the fire fighters and law enforcement, line men and women are my new heroes.  I am also sending along an extremely valuable resource for all of us dealing with life after the Carr Fire.  It includes information on talking to kids, dealing with relocation and evacuation, and monitoring and relieving our own stress and the stress of loved ones.  I encourage all of us to review this in our families and follow the counsel and guidance it provides.  The last thing on my list tonight is to invite you to complete a brief survey that we have developed to gather information that will help in our recovery planning.  We are trying to get an idea of who is currently displaced and what your needs may be now and into the school year.  I appreciate your cooperation in this.  The more information that we have the better prepared we will be to develop a plan to help all of our Grant School family.  Here is the link to the survey:

https://goo.gl/forms/1KZrSaLWvSv3hAlD3

Before I go, I want to remind everyone of a couple of things.  First, we are family and you are not alone in this fight.  We are hopeful that we will get access to our school campus soon and when we do we will be reaching out to those in need and connecting them with support.  Last thing is remember the power of “yet”.  Several Grant School staff members taught me this lesson.  Sure it works with reading and multiplication tables, but it also works with life.  We are not home…yet.  The fire took everything and we don’t have anything…yet.  We don’t have a place to live…yet.  It is a little word but it shifts our mindset and gives us hope.  We don’t have all of the answers…yet.  But we will.  And together, we will tackle this challenge.  We will not overcome it overnight but we will, just not yet.  Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers and we look forward to standing side by side to do amazing things together.  Thanks for being strong and for your time tonight.  Please review the resources that will be sent in the email and complete the survey to help us help you.  Stay tuned for more information.  Be safe and have a good night.  GO COUGARS!

Centerville Community Services District

Wildfire Resources

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