It is with immense pleasure that I introduce myself as the Principal of Grand View Elementary. This is my 3rd year serving in this role, and I am thankful each and every day to support in laying the foundation for our student’s academic and social-emotional success. 

We used to say, we were the little school with the Grand View. However, with the new completion of a 5-year construction project, it’s now the GRAND School with the Grand View! Grand View boasts a beautiful campus with a junior-sized soccer field, three playgrounds, and 22 classrooms. This year, we welcomed 518 of our brightest Gators to GV, and we opened an additional TK and Kindergarten class! 

Thanks to the feedback we received from our California Healthy Kids Survey and our LCAP parent survey, we noted that 78% of students feel connected to our school. 94% of students feel safe at school. 84% have never experienced cyber bullying, and 79% of students have a caring adult at school. These numbers show that we are on the right track in ensuring students have a strong sense of belonging. However, there’s always room to improve, and your collaboration and partnership will make a world of difference. 

In line with our District’s Board Goals of maximizing academic success for all students, and creating a climate of care, at Grand View, we are a family believing that all students can and must learn at high levels. We foster an inspiring and inclusive environment in which students become independent, confident, and empathetic leaders of society. 

An area of growth for us this year is ensuring learning is personalized and supported particularly for our neurodiverse students. We are excited to offer more support in this growing area of need to our staff, students, and parents so we are better equipped to adapt to the needs of our students today!

Finally, we want to continue to maximize student academic success. Grand View’s test scores in ELA and Math continue to fall within the very high range. However, we believe that aligning our practices as part of our Professional Learning Communities framework will provide a more systematic approach to maximizing individual student growth. Put plainly, when we know what students are learning, we know how to help if they don’t get it, and we know what to do once they know it, we are well on our way to meeting the unique needs of every student. 

I am so looking forward to another year! The excitement of a new year, and the fresh start always energizes me to continue to improve and refine our practices. Thanks to all of you for entrusted your little ones with us, and cheers to a wonderful school year!

Later Gators, 

Tara Grings

Principal of Grand View Elementary School