August, 2024

Dear GP Families: 

I am so excited about the upcoming school year and can’t wait to welcome back our students, staff, and parents to Grant Park School District.  Without doubt, the 2024-25 school year is planned to be one of our best in history, as we have developed clear and focused initiatives aimed at improving our already excellent school system.  

One of those initiatives is to increase our communication efforts and social media presence.  Over the past year, we have been planning those efforts and will “roll out” new ideas and postings throughout the year.  If you have not done so already, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  We want to ensure that the positive accomplishments of our staff and students are shared with you on a routine basis, as well as provide general announcements and/or updates.    

Yet another initiative is to celebrate our past success and the GP WAY.  When I was a younger superintendent, my mentor once offered the important advice to remember to “stop and smell the roses” when a positive thing occurs in your district.  With that in mind, I am excited to share with you that we are officially celebrating what we refer to as a “Decade of Excellence” during the 2024-25 school year.   Over the past ten years or so, it has been so rewarding to watch the numerous accomplishments which include state, national and local recognition.  The District plans to kick off this year’s celebration with a brief video acknowledging what makes GP so special.  I am thankful to our staff, students, and parents who were involved with the formation of this project as well as solidifying the positive reputation of our District.  Stay tuned! 

Although as a District we have experienced much success, there also needs to be a continued focus on how we can improve our learning environment.  For example, we will be updating and aligning our curriculum this year to ensure that the most optimum instruction and learning takes place at every grade level.  Also, we will continue to have a laser-like focus on reading and literacy instruction for our younger students as it is a critical stepping stone for success later in school (and in life). We also must remain vigilant in ensuring that our high school students have access and knowledge with different career paths and opportunities.  Equally important, we plan to address our growing needs with our facilities, as aging roofs and boiler systems (Grant Park Elementary) are clearly showing signs of breaking down.  

As always, we appreciate your support for Grant Park #6.  I am so excited to welcome our staff and students back for another school year.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  Let’s get this thing started!   

Dr. John Palan

Superintendent, Grant Park #6