Parent Notes

Every week, parents in all divisions will receive an email including dates, updates, and important information. Keep an eye on your email every Friday at 4:00 PM for this communication! The email will contain important details for the entire school as well as links to your divisional landing pages for more specific information. You can also click below to visit your divisional Parent Notes landing pages:

October 2, 2026

PINK AND DENIM DAY AND PLAY PINK GAMES: Each year, the GFS community comes together to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month with pink games and our annual Pink and Denim day, and out-of-uniform day, on Wednesday, October 7. Stop by to cheer on your Grizzlies at an upcoming game! Pink shirts are available for purchase in the School Store (limited quantities.)

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION OPEN: The financial assistance application is officially open for the 2027-2028 school year. Families moving into grades Kindergarten through Grade 12 are welcome to apply. The link to apply can be found here. The deadline to submit and complete your application is November 1, 2026.

COLLEGE COUNSELING EVENT OPEN TO ALL FAMILIES: Dream School: Redefining College Fit, Tuesday, October 13 | Ceres M. Horn Theatre, McDonogh School The GFS College Counseling Office is proud to co-host an evening with New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo, presented in partnership with McDonogh School’s Parents Association and College Counseling Office, and St. Paul’s School. Selingo, author of Dream School and Who Gets In and Why, will lead a conversation about how families can look beyond rankings and selectivity to find colleges where students truly thrive. The program includes audience Q&A and a book signing.

This event is open to parents and caregivers of students in every grade. For those already curious about the process, Selingo offers a healthy, grounded perspective that puts fit and well-being ahead of prestige.

• Doors open 6:15 pm; program runs 6:30–7:30 p.m., with book signing to follow
• A limited number of books will be available for purchase
• Please RSVP here by Friday, October 9, for a chance to win a signed copy of Dream School

GFS FAMILY WEEKEND, OCTOBER 16-18: MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Visit www.gfs.org/familyweekend for more details, get your Emma tickets, and sign up for the Grizzly 2K Fun Run/Walk!

HALLOWEEN AT GFS: Halloween at GFS is a lively, festive, and fun tradition that is celebrated across our campus. We invite students to come dressed in Halloween costumes on Friday, October 30. As you and your children are considering costumes, please be mindful that they align with our Statement of Respect and Core Values. Some things to keep in mind:

• Please refrain from choosing any costume that mocks or appropriates cultural or religious symbols or promotes a stereotype of a culture, ethnicity, or gender.
• Because we would also like to be mindful of keeping the day fun and playful and avoiding potential divisiveness, we also ask that students do not wear costumes representing current political figures or that represent current political debates.
• In addition, no masks that make it impossible to see a child's face, weapons, or "creepy clown" costumes. This helps to prevent any safety issues and scaring our younger students so that everyone can enjoy the day.

Our Statement of Respect is so central to our community that we will ask any student who arrives in a costume that seems inappropriate in any way to remove it. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact your Division Head. Please see your divisional notes in the coming weeks for details about fun events and celebrations planned for Halloween!

OPT-IN TO EMERGENCY TEXT ALERTS: In the case of an emergency and for weather-related delays/closings, we use texting and emailing to keep our community informed, depending on the situation. If you are a new GFS family or have not previously opted in to receive text messages, please follow the instructions below. Please note: Returning families who were already receiving alerts are still in the system and do not need to opt-in again.

How to opt-in to text alerts:

• On your cell phone as if you are sending a text message, enter 67587 in the "To" field and enter "Yes" in the text field. You will receive a message confirming your opt-in within 10 minutes.
• Some plans (Sprint and T-Mobile) do not allow this "short code" automatically. You will need to contact them directly to have the service turned on.
• Contact Robert Ammons at robertammons@gfs.org if you have difficulty with your opt-in.

UPCOMING ADMISSION EVENTS: Know someone who would make a great addition to our community? Encourage them to learn more during these upcoming events!

• Open House for K-12: Friday, October 16 at 9:30 AM. Register here!
• Early Childhood Events (designed for ages 2+); Current students are invited to join us as well–bring a friend! Learn more and register here.
  • Wheels of Wonder: Saturday, October 3
  • Animal Adventures at Irvine Nature Center: Saturday, November 14

SUBMIT CONTACT DETAILS FOR GRANDFRIENDS DAY! We are so excited to welcome your child’s grandparents or special friends to join us for the morning on Tuesday, November 24. More details will be forthcoming; to ensure your child’s grandfriends receive an invitation and information, please complete this form by Monday, October 12. Please note: submitting info on this form ensures your child’s grandfriends will receive an email and paper invite; registration will still be required.

ATHLETIC EVENTS: The GFS Athletics Department is hosting two events this fall:

• Lacrosse and Field Hockey Night: Tuesday, October 6, 6:00-7:30 PM. Current and prospective students are inverted to join our talented coaches for an evening of fun skills and drills. For current and prospective students in grades 5-11. Click here to register.
• Athletics Open House: Following the general Open House, athletes can join our Athletics Team for a special session. Mark that you’ll be joining us when you sign up for the Open House. For prospective students.

COMMUNITY VACCINE CLINIC ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21st, 3:00-6:00 PM: We are happy to once again offer a vaccine clinic for our community! Flu, Pneumonia, COVID, and Shingles vaccines will be available on Wednesday, October 21, from 3:00-6:00 PM in Lohr Hall. Appointments: Please click the link here to sign up for a slot (note: enter 21117 as your ZIP code to populate the GFS clinic). The link will shut down 24 hours before the clinic date. Please try to sign up so we know how many vaccines to bring. If you do forget, please come anyway! Please note:

• Please bring a copy of your medical and pharmacy insurance cards, as well as photo ID, to your appointment.
• To save time, please bring a completed copy of this informed consent document for each person who is being vaccinated.
• Family members are welcome to participate as well; you will just need to make separate appointments for each person attending.