Dragon's Tale

November 3, 2023

Dear Dragon Families,

We had a wonderful week of learning and fun at Keith Elementary School this week. I was so excited to see so many of our families enjoy the annual Halloween parade. It was also fun to add the mystery box reveal from our PTA fundraising goals to the Halloween festivities. I’ve never heard the word “Barbie” screamed so loudly! Your kids had the most overwhelmingly excited and loud reaction to the box reveal and I hope you were able to see their reactions on the Keith PTA Facebook page.

I had the opportunity to visit many classrooms this week and it was awesome to see your students focus and learn. Even today, watching students work in speech, PE, Resource Room, and 4th grade – every child seemed engaged and wanting to do their best work. I am thankful for our parents instilling a hard work ethic and that making mistakes is part of the learning process.

Next week, our PTA Meeting has been moved to Monday, November 6th at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons. There is no school on Tuesday for Election Day. Our PTA Book Fair will also be underway and there are so many details of that in this week’s Dragon’s Tale Newsletter.

Thank you for sharing your amazing children with us!

Warm Regards,

Marci

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.

November 2023

Nov. 6 - 5th Grade NASA Presentation (details below)

Nov. 7 - No School - Election Day

Nov. 6 - Keith PTA Meeting 6:30pm Learning Commons

Nov. 8 - Nov. 15 - PTA Book Fair (details below)

Nov. 13 - 5th Grade Intro to Instruments Presentation (details below)

Nov. 14 - Half Day 12:25pm Dragon Pick Up, 12:30pm Walkers, 12:42pm Buses depart Keith

Nov. 21 - Buster the Bus Safety Presentation for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students

Nov. 22 - End of 1st Trimester

Nov. 23-24 - No School - Thanksgiving

We are excited to welcome Carol Trembath (former Walled Lake Media Specialist) a NASA Solar System Ambassador as a guest speaker for our fifth graders. Carol’s presentation will include fifth grade space and solar system science standards. Her presentation will also be an opportunity for our fifth graders to learn about NASA careers. Keith 5th Graders will enjoy this presentation at 2:40pm on 11/6/23.

The Student Council is participating in a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital in Detroit called Operation Snowpile. We will be collecting money so Student Council can purchase gifts for children who have to be in the hospital during the holiday season.

You can put your cash donations in the collection canister in your classroom.

We will also be having a Spirit Days to raise funds and awareness of the program for our students.

Friday, October 27th - Students may bring in a stuffy to school for $1.00

The week of Nov. 27th - Spirit Week (details to come) will cost $1.00

Friday, December 1st - Hat Day $1.00

The class that raises the most money will have a pizza day or bagel breakfast (the winning class can decide) and if we hit our school-wide goal of $2500 we will have a whole school pajama day as a reward as well.

More details to come! Thank you for teaching your children how they might help other kids in need!

One week until our “Books are Sweeter Than Candy” Book Fair! Please consider donating or volunteering some of your time to support our children and teachers.

Below are the important links:

CLICK: To donate items for the Teacher Preview Luncheon

CLICK: To help set up BEFORE the fair:

CLICK: To help with shifts DURING the fair:

CLICK: Check out Keith’s book fair homepage:

Have you set up an eWallet yet? The eWallet is the super-easy digital way to fund your child's Fair shopping in advance. How to set up an eWallet: Visit our Book Fair Homepage & click "Get Started" to create an account.

Thank you!

The Book Fair Committee

The book fair opens Thur, Nov 9th. Have you set up an eWallet yet? The eWallet is the super-easy digital way to fund your child's Fair shopping in advance. Why set up an eWallet?

1. CASHLESS MEANS STRESS LESS

Once you set up the account, there’s no reason to worry about plastic baggies of cash, loose change, lost money, and unnecessary tears.

2. ACTIVATE AND FUND FROM VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE

Your child’s eWallet account can be set up and loaded up in under 5 minutes, right from your phone.

3. ANYONE CAN JOIN THE FUN

With eWallet, it’s easy to invite friends and family to contribute digital dollars.

Get ready for some festive fun! Strike a pose and catch your holiday spirit! The WLN Forensics team is happy to offer Holiday mini-photo sessions!

When: Nov. 4, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Where: Walled Lake Northern High School

What: Mini photo sessions, 30 minutes each

Cost: $50.00 Payment due at appointment time. Cash or Check made payable to Walled Lake Schools.

Sign Up: https://bit.ly/WLN-HolidayPhotos

What you receive: 4-5 digital photos from your session. Additional digital photos from your session are available for purchase through the photographer. Please indicate at sign-up if you would like photos with Santa.

Thank you to all of our Keith family & friends who supported the Charleston Wrap Fall Fundraiser. Students have been receiving their daily prizes for the various sales levels achieved. On Monday, November 6th, we'll be raffling off the giant stuffie. If you have any more Charleston Wrap coupons, send them into school by Monday, as we'll do the grand drawing at the end of the day.

Alison Link, PTA President

Explore the arts and yourself with the annual PTA Reflections contest. This year's theme is: I AM HOPEFUL BECAUSE ...

CONTEST DIVISIONS:

Keith Elementary has separate divisions for grades K-2nd and 3rd-5th. 2 winners from each category (per division) will advance to District level. Students may submit an entry in any of the six areas listed below:

· Literature

· Music Composition

· Photography

· Visual Arts

· Dance Choreography

· Film Production

DEADLINE:

Submissions must be sent digitally and are accepted until November 14, 2023.

ENTRY FORM:

Submit contest entries using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVHWaTHuBIZmN5r3e30d9-CCG89-LP07BBcATS20AdguIqrg/viewform

A letter will be sent home with students next week with more information. Updates will be posted on the Keith Elementary PTA Facebook page so be sure to follow us!

Please email kmeisnitzer@gmail.com with questions. Thanks for your support and be sure to print/enjoy the free coloring pages below.

Hello Music Appreciation Club!

Welcome to our new members and I'm so pleased to see many returning members to the Music Appreciation Club as we start the 2023-24 season. A note to those who have moved onto High School, this club is an "unofficial" club due to the nature of its off-campus meetings. Walled Lake Northern officially requires all clubs to meet regularly on campus. However having said so, please forward to any interested students, we are happy to have you.

We will be meeting this weekend for the Latin Fire Concert Sunday, October 27th at the DSO Orchestra Hall. Please join us for our first Music Appreciation Club meet right before the concert at:

Time: 2:30pm (Concert will start at 3pm)

Where: inside Orchestra Hall, Ground Floor by the wall between the Men's restroom and entry after the Ushers scan your tickets

Tickets are still available if you have not already reserved yours through your Soundcard membership.

Do share the following with your student or if you are the student take a moment to have some fun with the following tidbits about the upcoming concert:

PROGRAM AT-A-GLANCE

LATIN FIRE

Latin American Legends

This celebration highlights the long history of Latin American and Latinx artists in the orchestral realm. Featuring acclaimed Costa Rican trumpet player José Sibaja and celebrated Mexican vocalist Mönica Abrega. Our program includes hits like "Tico-Tico no Fuba," "Bésame Mucho," "Granada," "Carmen Suite," and "Brasil" all under the baton of Enrica Lopez-Yanez. Hope you wore your dancing shoes and that you're prepared to leave today's concert with many of these popular and catchy tunes stuck in your head!

See attached Latin Fire Artist Profiles PDF that includes profiles for:

• Guest Conductor: Enrico Lopez-Yañez, nation’s leading conductors of popular music
• Guest Artist: José Sibaja, highly acclaimed Costa Rican trumpet player
• Guest Artist: Mónica Ábrego, one of Mexico’s most outstanding sopranos

Please let me know if you will be coming to the Concert Club Meet at 2:30pm. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact me: monique.levu@gmail.com 248-301-1415

I look forward to seeing those who will be attending Sunday’s meet and Concert,

p.s. FYI below are some general notes for attending the concert:

• We will be meeting inside Orchestra Hall (inside the Max & Marjorie Fisher Music Center), Ground Floor under the Cube sign (beside the men's restroom) at 2:30pm for our pre-concert Club meet.
• Box Office 313.576.5111 number should you have any ticketing issues
• Please be sure to allow ample time for traffic, parking and for clearing the entry line where your tickets are scanned.
• Do be prepared to show your Student ID or a screenshot of your student ID or of your Skyward Account page with your Student photo and school name on your phone. The Ushers scanning tickets may ask for proof of being a student.
• Note, you can send barcodes of tickets to your phone from your online DSO account and Ushers can scan directly from your phone screen.
• The concert is approximately 2hrs long with an intermission half way.
• Restrooms are located on all the floors so no need to go to the ground floor.
• There is a Bar on the 3rd floor and on the ground floor serving beverages and light snacks before the concert and during the intermission.
• During colder months, there is a coat check available on the ground floor opposite of the Bar. Coat check is optional and many patrons opt to bring their jackets to their seats.

***Should you wish to be removed from this email list, please reply email with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.***

Please click on the link below for all of the important information from our Keith Green Team!

The Bee is back. Build the Buzz!

You may have already heard about this from your students, their teachers, or the PTA, but we want to confirm it: The Spelling Bee has returned to Keith. This will be an exciting opportunity to give all of our students the opportunity to expand their English language skills. This will help them with their reading and writing, which have a direct impact on every other academic subject area.

In order to avoid overwhelming you with information, this newsletter article will focus on one thing: the learning resources available to each student and their families.

Each of the grade levels from 1st to 5th have their own list of 50 words with definitions. These lists serve as the starting point for the eventual classroom-level and all-school competitions. There is also an all-school list of 450 words and definitions. You, as Keith families, can help your students by:

· Asking to see their grade-level list of words and definitions;

· Using those words in your conversations with your students; and

· Checking out the “Word-of-the-Day” format, which is a convenient way to gradually learn the words and definitions over the coming three months.

Convenient links to those resources can be found below.

Future Dragon’s Tale Newsletter articles will include information about the timing of the competitions at Keith, the availability of additional resources (including an app for your phone), and the opportunity to join the small team of volunteers working to make this a reality.

For more information or assistance, please contact Cory Lupinacci at CoryLupinacci@wlcsd.org or (248)956-3700.

Dear Dragon Families,

Since the 2019-2020 school year, we have shared information about district-wide efforts to improve our emergency responses. At the start of the 2022-2023 school year, our district adopted ALICE, a research-based training program to ensure schools are prepared to respond to potential intruder events. ALICE is about empowering individuals and providing options or strategies beyond the traditional lockdown methods.

This week, all K-5 classrooms will read the book, “I’m not scared, I’m prepared,” by Julia Cook, as we have done in previous years. In the book by Julia Cook, comparisons to stranger danger, and additional resources linked below may be helpful for families that discuss the drills at home with their children.

In October and November, students at Keith Elementary will learn about ALICE principles in relation to our school building. In these lessons, all classrooms will review ALICE principles in an age appropriate manner. Teachers will use similar language and will utilize the same materials to ensure consistent implementation. Please see the chart below for what each drill will entail:

Week of 10/16

• Review of ALICE acronym

• Discuss what a teacher might do to barricade a door

• Discuss the on-site rally point outside

• Visit the on-site rally point outside

• Review of ALICE acronym

• Practice situational awareness through designed activities

• Discuss options to evacuate the classroom

• Practice evacuating through the doorway of the classroom

Week of 10/23

• Review ALICE principles

• Review on-site rally point

• Learn about exit options all around the school

• Review ALICE principles

• Practice barricading the classroom door

Week of 11/13

The entire school will participate in a drill, at the same date and time, in which each class will choose an option based on their location in the building. The scenario presented will NOT include a specific threat, but rather read, “if there was something dangerous happening in the (a specific location in the school.)”

Although possible in a real emergency, at no time during the drill will any student(s) evacuate through a window, nor will they travel off of school property.

We will NOT simulate gunfire or other violent situations. We will engage in age-appropriate discussions and practice to prepare students. Lesson teaching points that may assist families with at-home discussions include:

• We practice so we know what to do in an emergency. We’re not scared, we’re prepared!

• Our job is to keep you safe. Your job is to listen and follow the adults’ directions.

• Evacuation means to leave the building. Your teacher or a trusted adult may tell you to leave the building and go to a safe place.

• If an adult tells you to leave the building. Listen, quickly go to a safe place, and then wait for helpers (police officers, firefighters, trusted adults, etc.)

Student safety continues to be our first priority. Additional safety drills will take place later in the school year. We will continue to collaborate with local law enforcement and families to ensure a safe learning environment for our children.

In partnership,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

Keith Elementary School

Helpful Links:

Talking to your Child about Safety - K-2

Talking to your Child about Safety - 3-5

Talking to Children about Violence - Tips for Parents and Teachers

Is My School Safe: How to Ease Your Child’s Anxiety

If your family has any needs for the approaching holiday season, please take advantage of our LAYA program, Adopt-A-Child.

LAYA’s fillable Holiday “Adopt-a-Child” application is available online at :https://www.wlcsd.org/community/lakes-area-youth-assistance.

The deadline to apply is Friday, November 3, 2023

What to watch for:

Fri, Nov 10th ~ Chocolate Chip Cookie Day ~ $1.50 ea

Wed, Nov 15th ~ Pizza Day ~ $1.75 / extra slice, $1.00 chips

Wed, Nov 22nd ~ Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00 ice cream

Fri, Dec 1st ~ Tubby's Sub & Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00 ice cream

As always, parents can add funds to student accounts via Skyward, or cash / check brought to the kitchen.

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.

November 6th 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