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Mustang Express
February 17th, 2023
Mustang Minute: Spread the Love
I hope you enjoyed today's Snow Day and are looking forward to a fun and restful week ahead! See you back on Monday, February 27th.
Cheers, Mustangs!
Mrs. VanWagnen
#everychildeveryday #mustangproud
Student Safety Drill Update
Since the 2019-2020 school year, we have shared information about district-wide efforts to improve our emergency responses. Walled Lake Consolidated Schools has 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 past fall, District staff partnered with local law enforcement agencies to train in ALICE protocols. Shortly thereafter, students participated in ALICE based safety lessons and drills. We will continue with this work in the coming months as listed below:
Week of February 6
Students will review ALICE options in each of the following areas that they visit during the school week:
Art room
Gymnasium
Music room
Learning Commons (Media Center)
Non-load bearing classrooms
Week of February 27
Students will review ALICE options in each of the following areas that they visit during the school day:
Lunchroom
Playground
Hallways/Bathrooms
Week of April 24
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.
The book, “I’m not scared, I’m prepared,” by Julia Cook, read in classrooms this fall, comparisons to stranger danger, and additional resources linked below may be helpful for families that discuss the drills at home with their children.
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. We will continue to collaborate with local law enforcement and families to ensure a safe learning environment for our children.
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
Important Dates
February
2/20-2/24: No School, Midwinter Break
2/26: Happiest of Birthdays to Kelly Parks!
2/28: Happiest of Birthdays to Kellan Watkins!
March
3/1: PTA Meeting @ 6 PM in Media Center
3/2: 2nd and 3rd Grade Girl Scout Informational Mtg. (See Flyer Below)
3/3: Student Council Meeting @ 8:10 AM
3/10: End of Second Trimester
3/12: Daylight Savings Time Ends: Spring Ahead One Hour
3/13: Kindergarten Orientation for Families of Incoming Students @ 6 PM
3/14: Half Day for Students, Dismissal @ 12:25 PM
3/17-3/24: Spring Book Fair
3/27-3/31: No School for Spring Break
Congratulations to our February Student of the Month Nominees!
Playground Paraeducators Needed at MBE!
We are currently looking for a volunteer to assist with Block Recess from 2-3 PM each day of the week, and especially on Mondays during Kindergarten Recess. Students will spend 30-minutes outdoors followed by 30 inside. Please click on the Sign-Up Genius below if you can help!
Unfortunately, we are still short staffed on the playground. This position has been posted for quite some time, and we still do not have any applicants. Luckily, a playground substitute will be helping us until further notice. In addition, we have created a Sign-Up Genius to offer parents and community members the opportunity to help out should they be available. All volunteers will be entered into a bi-weekly random drawing to win a $25 Amazon gift card. A huge THANK YOU to those who have already served.
Checkout the signup to see if you are able to help in any way. Even filling one spot makes a big difference.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4aaaa928a6f8c61-playground#/
Yearbooks
Important: Please Review and Follow Recess Apparel Guidelines
Outdoor play is an important of every child's day. Students will go outside when the temperature is zero degrees and above, with the wind-chill factored in. We continue to see students not prepared for outdoor recess. Please take a look at the guideline graphic below to make sure your student(s) is dressed appropriately. It's always better to send your student "overdressed" than "underdressed" for recess. Even if there's no snow on the ground, it can be wet and muddy and snow pants help keep clothes dry. Please make sure your child has the following items for recess and refer to the infographic below for further information:
Winter Coat
Snow pants
Snow boots
Hat/Earmuffs
Mittens/Gloves
Please label all of these items and place them in a bag. Students will remain on the blacktop if they do not have the appropriate outdoor gear. If you need help providing winter wear for your child, please reach out to us! We want all of our Mustangs to have the items they need!
Donations will gladly be accepted and can be dropped off to the Meadowbrook office anytime between 9am-4pm. Thank you for your support!
Attendance Meetings with Principal VanWagnen
Thank you to those families who ensure their child is on time and in school each day. As a reminder, the school day begins promptly at 8:55 AM and ends at 4:00 PM. As parents, you play an important role in ensuring strong attendance in school. Research has shown that excessive absences, tardies and early dismissals can negatively impact academic and social progress in school. As a reminder, the district attendance policy is as follows:
5 or more absences: 1st parent contact
7-10 absences: 2nd parent contact including meeting with principal
11-24 absences: Legal “Notice to Parents or Guardians with Non-Attendance of Children in School” sent to parent/guardian and referral to local agency
25 or more absences: School district takes legal action through the Juvenile Court system to return child to school
Our Principal's Secretary, Kellan Watkins, has begun reaching out to families with 7-10 or more absences or excessive tardies/early dismissals to schedule a meeting with Principal VanWagnen. The purpose of this meeting is to support families, provide support services as needed, and ensure consistent attendance in school. We sincerely appreciate your support and partnership in this matter.
Important Information: Curriculum & Instruction
Accessing iReady at home
i-Ready is an online program for reading and mathematics that diagnoses the just right next steps for students. It is one tool that your student’s teacher will use to guide class and small group instruction. iReady lessons support classroom instruction and are designed to meet your student’s specific needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. It is a great tool to fill gaps and support classroom learning.
Your child's teacher can provide his/her login information if your child chooses to practice iReady at home.
Kindergarten Orientation on March 13th
Kindergarten Orientation is right around the corner! All families who will have an incoming Kindergarten student for the 2023-2024 school year are invited to attend Kindergarten Orientation at (insert school name) on March 13th at 6pm. Please click HERE for a Kindergarten newsletter full of valuable Kindergarten information.
It’s important that you watch the Kindergarten Orientation Video (Step 1 in the newsletter) and that you complete the Kindergarten Orientation Questionnaire (Step 2 in the newsletter) prior to attending the informational meeting on March 13th.
We look forward to seeing you at Meadowbrook Elementary on Monday, March 13th at 6pm.
District Information
Junior Kindergarten Interest Forms available NOW! - Click this text to fill out form TODAY!
Junior Kindergarten Interest Form Must Be Completed
- The JK Interest form is now open! Use the QR code above to access the form.
- Completing the interest form does not guarantee a spot in JK. Families will be notified regarding placement decisions in March. All interested families MUST complete the form.
- Questions?
- Visit the JK website: www.wlcsd.org/jk
WLCSD Staff Nomination Form: Please Consider Spreading Joy and Nominating a Mustang!
A sample of what these shout outs will look like on social media and in our District newsletters can be found below.
Preschool Planning and Interest Survey for Families
The district is currently surveying families in preparation for next school year to better guide our planning. If you have children that are of preschool age, please complete the survey to better help us serve you. Any extra input we can gather would be very helpful.
Look for registration information in late February/early March on our website, https://wlcsd.org/programs/preschool/.
Set Up Your Communication Preferences in Skyward
Not receiving district and/or building communications?
If you are not receiving emails from Mrs. VanWagnen, including the Mustang Express, District Weekly Updates, please use the link below to double-check your preferences are correct.
Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert
In addition to receiving phone calls and email notifications from the school district in the event of a school closing or emergency, parents can also sign up to receive SMS Text messages.
Please find the helpful step-by-step instructions linked below as well as the video tutorial on signing up for SMS messages.
Connect With Us
Principal: jennifervanwagnen@wlcsd.org
Kellan Watkins
Principal's Secretary: kellanwatkins@wlcsd.org
Jennifer Schloegl
Building Secretary: jenniferschloegl@wlcsd.org
Important Phone Numbers:
Main Line: 248-956-2700
Attendance: 248-956-2790