September 29, 2023

Dear Dragon Families,

It was a busy week of learning at Keith Elementary School! I hope you all relax and recharge this weekend and get your kids ready for our upcoming Keith PTA Fun Run next week. Please read our Dragon’s Tale Newsletter that has links for our fundraising efforts and more. Be sure to view the PTA video so you can understand ways to support our Keith Giving Garden!

We will be sure to email a sign up genius for Parent Volunteers for our Fun Run early next week. We are excited to host this memorable event for our students.

Have a wonderful weekend and be sure to read with your amazing children! This makes such a difference.

Warm Regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools takes great pride in honoring exemplary educators within our district. Help us recognized someone that has made an impact on your family by nominating that person for 2023-24 Teacher of the Year! All nominations must be completed by October 20, 2023.

The Keith Elementary School Community will collaboratively inspire and empower all – academically, socially, and emotionally.

We are a dragon family united with a common purpose.

Dragons believe…

…in welcoming and trusting one another;

…in learning beyond the school day and for the future;

…in empowering every member of our community to be helpful, respectful, and kind;

…learning is engaging, purposeful, and fun.

October 2023

Oct. 4 - Count Day

Oct. 6 - Fun Run - See Details Below

Oct. 9 - 5th Grade Intro to Instruments 12:50pm

Oct. 10 - PTA Meeting 6:30pm - Learning Commons

Oct. 13 - Keith Fall Fest - 5-7pm

Oct. 20 - Picture Re-Take Day

Oct. 31 - Halloween Parade 11:00am, Classroom Celebration to Follow, Half Day

Please see the informational flyer and image below regarding our upcoming Fun Run, where we hope to raise funds to invest in our Keith Giving Garden and ensure our PTA is able to continue their educational assemblies and awesome activities for our students throughout the year. Our goal is to raise $25,000 this year!

Please visit Mybooster.com and select that you are a parent/guardian from Keith Elementary school.

Additional information regarding parent volunteers and more will be shared with all Keith families in the coming weeks. Thank you for your support of our awesome school!

What are you doing Friday the 13th of October from 5:00-7:00 p.m.? Join us for the 3rd annual Keith Fall Fest on the school’s playground to celebrate fall (and a great Fun Run) with friends!

Pizza Pre-Order Form Sept 2023

Now accepting Hungry Howie’s pizza pre-orders delivered to your family during our Fall Fest Fri, Oct 13th. Pizza forms & cash payment are due Tuesday, October 10th at Keith Elementary. We’re working to have multiple food trucks available at the Fall Fest that will take cash and credit. Don’t miss out on:

• Music and fun with our DJ
• Raffle tickets to win Willow merch
• Here’s the Scoop food truck
• Hungry Howie’s pizza (pre-orders best, limited slices available onsite)
• Pie Walk contest
• Arts, crafts and games
• So much fun!

Want to sign up to volunteer for the event? Signup Genius coming soon! We hope to see you there!

If you would like for your information to be shared with the Keith community, please complete one form per child. Anything submitted will be published to all Keith families, shared in the link below. You may choose to complete this form or not. The purpose is for our families to stay connected with one another. This list is for Keith Elementary School use only and may not be distributed.

Hello Dragon Families,

I am Kate Tomasik, Vice President of the Keith Elementary PTA and Clubs Chair for this school year. I am calling for nominations to fill out the Garden Club leadership role. This volunteer spot is not only unique and impactful, but literally lets you get your hands dirty and grow your own snacks!

Opportunity: The Garden Club Chair will be able to help:

(1) design a garden plan--this can be exciting for a true visionary;

(2) spend the funds we raise--our FUN RUN this year is raising capital just for that purpose;

(3) make it happen--we have many volunteers who have offered to devote time to make it work, we just need a leader.

Bonus: On top of what we raise for FUN RUN, there is a $2,000 in bonus grant funds available for installing a simple irrigation system (which we are eager to finally put to use once we actually have a garden to irrigate).

Want to co-chair with another person? That's fine! Just let me know.

How? Just simply email me at K8Tomasik@yahoo.com and state that you would like to be considered for the Garden Chair position.

Deadline: Nominations received by MONDAY, October 9th will be considered for appointment by the Keith PTA Board at its next General PTA Meeting, Tuesday, October 10th at 6:30pm.

Looking forward to finding someone awesome to work on this project with us!

Kate Tomasik,

Keith PTA Vice President

K8Tomasik@yahoo.com

Cub Scout Pack 36 earns our badges the wild way! The Detroit Zoo has workshops that allow our Dens to interact directly with Zoo experts and engage with the world around us. Here's what we're working on Sat, Oct 14th @ 10AM:

Lions (Kindergarten): Rumble in the Jungle

Tigers (1st Gr): Tigers in the Wild

Wolves (2nd Gr): Digging in the Past

Bears (3rd Gr): Critter Care

Webelos (4th & 5th Gr): Into the Wild

Attendance is not required, but what a cool new adventure! Click the flyer below for more info.

The Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY) nomination window is open for 2024-25. We ask for you to shine a spotlight on an educator within your district and share the following MTOY information with your schools.

What is MTOY? The MTOY program recognizes outstanding teachers from across Michigan. Each year, ten Regional Teachers of the Year (RTOYs) are selected through this competitive application process, with one of the RTOYs being named Michigan Teacher of the Year. Honored teachers will have an opportunity to learn more about educational initiatives and policies at the state level and provide input on how to better serve Michigan’s teachers and students.

People wishing to nominate a dedicated teacher for this recognition are asked to make nominations using the online form, which is available until Monday, October 16, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.

Please consider sharing the online nomination form in your school district communications with principals, teachers, staff, and parents. District, school, and classroom newsletters and social media are avenues to share the link and create an opportunity for dedicated educators to be recognized.

2024-25 Michigan Teacher of the Year Nominations

Please take a moment to nominate one or more teachers for the

2024-25 Michigan Teacher of the Year by simply clicking here or using the QR Code.

Let’s shine a spotlight on the heroes in our schools across this great state.

The nomination window is open September 5 – October 16, 2023.

Please contact the Office of Educator Excellence at MTOY@Michigan.gov with any questions regarding the program or nomination process.

Commerce, Dublin and Keith Elementary, along with CHS Middle School Parents and Guardians are invited to an internet safety presentation on Tuesday, October 10th. The presentation is from 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. and will be held at CHS Middle School.

Many people know that the secret service protects the president of the United States, but most do not know that they also investigate cases of missing and exploited children. Special Agenda William Shink will be discussing online risks, cite statistics, and provide tips for keeping children safe online. Some of the specific topics that will be discussed include inappropriate content, online privacy, online sexual solicitations, and cyberbullying.

Please note that this presentation is for parents and guardians only. It contains some potentially sensitive and emotional content, which is not appropriate for children to be present at.

You do not need to complete this form if you WILL NOT be in attendance.

This form will close on Monday, October 2nd.

Thank you,

Nayal Maktari, CHS Middle School Principal

What to watch for:

Fri, Oct 6th ~ Chocolate Chip Cookie Day ~ $1.50 ea
Thurs, Oct 26th ~ Pizza Day ~ $1.75 / extra slice, $1.00 chips

Fri, Oct 27th ~ Tubby's Sub & Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00 ice cream cups

The breakfasts & lunches are free this year for all students. For snacks, parents can add funds to student accounts via Skyward, or cash / check brought to the kitchen.

i-Ready is an online program for reading and/or mathematics that will help your student’s teacher(s) determine your student’s needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows your teacher(s) to meet your student exactly where they are and provides data to increase your student’s learning gains. i-Ready consists of two parts: Diagnostic and Personalized Instruction.

iReady Diagnostic:

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your student’s needs. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions. The purpose of this is not to give your student a score or grade, but instead to determine how best to support your student’s learning.

iReady Personalized Instruction:

i-Ready Personalized Instruction provides students with lessons based on their individual skill level and needs, so your student can learn at a pace that is just right for them. These lessons are fun and interactive to keep your student engaged as they learn.

On behalf of the Keith Elementary PTA, welcome to the 2023/2024 school year!

Today more than ever, schools are challenged to provide every child with the best education. Budgets are tight while government requirements are mounting. Schools are challenged to do more with less.

More than 30 years of research has proven that children do better when their parents are involved, both at home and in school. Grades are higher. Test scores rise. Self-esteem grows. Schools improve.

Powerful outcomes come from your active involvement in your child’s education. You know the benefits and want to make a difference, but how can you be more actively involved? It’s simple - join the PTA!

Please offer your support by completing the PTA membership form below. Annual dues are $10.00 per individual or family if you join by September 1st. The annual dues increase to $12.00 starting September 2nd. The form, and dues, can be turned in to Keith Elementary using either cash or check.

Keith PTA meetings are held monthly, in the evening, with FREE childcare provided (when meetings are in-person). We welcome your input at these meetings, as all members are encouraged to vote on how our fundraising dollars are spent. This is also a great opportunity to understand how the PTA works at your school. The meeting dates are posted on the Keith website (wlcsd.org/schools/elementary/keith) and also listed in the Dragon’s Tale newsletter which is published every week. Additionally, reminders will be sent via email. Being a member of the PTA does not require you to volunteer for any PTA activities. We welcome your support of all or some of our many events!

Thank you for your support and interest in the Keith Elementary PTA! Staff, please make sure you join as well to get your classroom reimbursement payment!

Heather DiDonato

Membership Chairperson

h.l.didonato@hotmail.com

Please visit: https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/#/ to order your school pictures using the Picture Day ID below.

School Name: Keith Elementary School

Picture Day Date: Friday, September 8

Picture Day ID: EVTBM86GC

Yearbook Reminder: Yearbooks are no longer provided through the school picture program. Yearbooks must be purchased separately, to receive a copy. A yearbook order form is linked for you below.

Please remember to register or re-register your Kroger Plus card to Keith Elementary. Last year we made just over $2,000! It’s easy! Just go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com and go to the community rewards section. You must re-register your card annually. Anyone having an issue with their email address or password can call 1-800-KROGERS for customer service.

For additional information regarding our Transportation Department, please visit our website!

• Bus transportation will be provided on the first day of school for those students who are eligible for bus transportation throughout the regular school year.

• Transportation postcards will not be sent. Bus routes will be posted on the district website and in Skyward Family Access after 8:00 am on August 18, 2023.
• Bus drivers will be contacting Kindergarten families by August 20th (drop off times for students attending in the AM and pick up times for the PM students will be provided in that call.)
• If your child is eligible for bus transportation, it is recommended that they start this routine on the first day of school. Parents are welcome to follow the bus to school to see your child off to their first day of school, but it is highly recommended that they ride the bus to and from school this first day if they will be riding daily during the school year.

Our hot lunch program begins on Monday, August 28th for students in grades K-5. Please see below for additional details.

During the 2023-24 school year, all Michigan public school students in grades Pre-K through 12 will have access to free breakfast and free lunch every day through the "Healthy School Meals for All" program. This includes a meat/meat alternative, grain, fruit/vegetable and milk. A la carte items will be available for purchase.

Families are still encouraged to complete the free/reduced meal form in Skyward help secure additional funding for the District including Title I funding. By completing the form, eligible families may also receive access to other free and reduced programs within the District including SAT testing, pay to participate, and more.

You can always visit Walled Lake's Food Service Website for information by clicking HERE.

October 10th at 6:30pm - Keith Media Center

Visit our PTA's Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/KeithElemPTA/

The Keith Elementary School Community will inspire and empower all- academically, socially, and emotionally.

Diana Tyrrell - Principal's Secretary

DianaTyrrel@wlcsd.org

Alice Johnson - Building Secretary

AliceJohnson@wlcsd.org

Marci Augenstein, Ph.D. - Principal, Keith Elementary

MarciAugenstein@wlcsd.org

Email: DianaTyrrell@wlcsd.org
Website: https://keith.wlcsd.org/
Location: 2800 Keith Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States
Phone: (248)956-3700
Twitter: @KeithElementary