Dragon's Tale

December 8, 2023

Dear Dragon Families,

Our students had a wonderful week of learning. It was wonderful to hear them learning the difference between cause and effect in 3rd grade. I really enjoy watching your children learn and had the pleasure of getting into some classrooms earlier this week. I appreciate how patient our teachers are with answering their questions with that delicate balance of not giving them the answer, but helping to guide students to sort out the answer through their own thinking. We have such skilled, amazing teachers at Keith and I have been impressed whenever I enter our classrooms.

Please be sure to read our Dragon’s Tale Newsletter with important updates and upcoming events at Keith. Please be reminded that next week we have an half day with early dismissal for our parent/teacher conferences on December 14th. We will begin dismissing students to the parking lot at 11:15am, walkers will be dismissed at 11:20am, and buses will depart Keith at 11:25am. Please be sure to note these earlier times to accommodate lunch for our teachers before our important parent teacher conference meetings.

Thank you for your partnership and for making the time to meet with your child’s teacher about their individual academic progress at school. It is important for us to collaborate and ensure that our kids are getting the best practice both in and out of school. Thank you for supporting our teachers with participating in our PTA Snacks for Teachers also linked in our Dragon’s Tale Newsletter.

As always, thank you for your partnership.

Warm Regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

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.

Please email Dr. A. or reach out to our HR department if you might be interested in working at our crossing guard position. We are also always looking for substitute teachers. Again, please reach out to Dr. A. or visit the WLCSD webpage under our Human Resources department you will find all of the information you need to begin your application process.

December, 2023

12/5 - 6:30pm Keith PTA Meeting - Learning Commons

12/13 - PTA Assembly for ALL Dragons - Skydome Planetarium at Keith

12/14 - Half Day - Early Dismissal Schedule for Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:15am - Dragon Pick Up, 11:20am Walker, 11:25am Buses Depart Keith

12/18 - 12/21 - School-Wide Spirit Week (See dates below)

12/21 - 5th Grade Intro to Instruments Concert - 10am

12/21 - Final Day of School before Winter Break. School resumes on 1/3/24.

Our teachers put in long hours on Parent-Teacher Conferences Day. The PTA would like to provide a quick meal and "Survival Kits" of snacks to ensure they have energy (and a little treat!) to get through the long day. We would appreciate your help with this. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Please leave donations in the box in front of the main entrance at Keith NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12th. Contact Kirsten Woodby at kmwoodby@gmail.com with questions. Thank you!

Thank you to all who support our school-wide Student Council Operation Snowpile to purchase gifts for children in the hospital. All students earned a school-wide pajama day and we were so thankful the student council decided to add on a few spirit days as well for the last week before winter break.

Congratulations to Mrs. Sesi's class! They were the winning class that raised the most money for Operation Snowpile!

Monday 12/18 - Holiday PJ Day

Tuesday 12/19 - Holiday Hat Day

Wednesday 12/20 - Ugly Holiday Sweater Day

Thursday 12/21 - Grinch Day - dress like a Whoville who or wear all green!

Dear Dragon Families,

A strong partnership with parents/guardians and teachers is key to ensuring our children’s success. One important component of that partnership is parent/teacher conferences. This is an opportunity for us to meet, celebrate your child’s progress, and discuss goals for continued growth.

This year, parent/teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, December 14. On this date, students will be dismissed at 11:25am. Dragon Pick Up will begin at 11:15am, Walkers will be dismissed at 11:20am, and buses will depart Keith at 11:25am. After our dismissal process, teachers will be available for conferences beginning at 12:00 p.m. throughout the afternoon and evening until 8:00 p.m.

As you sign up for conferences, please know that conferences at the elementary level, district wide are in-person. Any parent/guardian who may be requesting a virtual conference, by necessity, is asked to work directly with the classroom teacher for a link. Your conference time, on that date, will still reflected as in-person conferences in Skyward and you will sign up as directed below.

Parents and guardians can sign-up for parent/teacher conferences using Skyward Family Access. Online sign-up for conferences opens on Thursday, November 30 at *approximately* 7:00 AM and closes on December 11 at *approximately* 7:00 AM.

Below are directions to help you sign-up:

• Elementary – Conference Sign-Up – Directions for Parents (Video)
• Link to Skyward Family Access

Please Note:

• In addition to your child’s classroom teacher, you may also choose to sign-up for conferences with our FAPES teachers: PE, Music, Art, and Media. These conferences are OPTIONAL but we encourage you to sign-up if you have concerns, would like more information, or want to connect with our wonderful FAPES staff.
• If you need help logging in to Skyward Family Access, please e-mail familyaccess@wlcsd.org for tech support.

Please contact me or your child’s teacher if you have any questions. We look forward to meeting with you at conferences!

Warm Regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

I am honored to recognize Mrs. Jane Wendyker, Keith's 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year! I was happy to surprise her during our staff meeting and with her students just prior to our Thanksgiving break. The kids were so excited for her as well. We will be honoring Mrs. Wendyker on January 11, 2023 at the WLCSD School Board Meeting. Thank you for congratulating Mrs. Wendyker!

Dear Dragon Families,

Your feedback and perspectives are very important to the teachers and I here at Keith Elementary School and we hope our families will take a few moments to complete the Climate and Culture Survey. In addition to some demographic data, there are just 3 questions, but they will help our teachers to know and understand more about how we might ensure clear, transparent communication with our families regarding your child's education. Please know how much we appreciate your continued partnership and time in providing us with your feedback.

Warm Regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

Do you know what's right around the corner? The holidays! Many of our Keith families like to show their appreciation during this special time, but in a more personal way. Here is a link with a “Favorite Things” questionnaire filled out by all your student’s teachers & staff.

Click here for the full list of Keith’s Staff Favorite Things Surveys.

Please know this is optional - a big smile and a hearty "THANK YOU!" is always enough to show your appreciation.

-The PTA’s Staff Appreciation Committee

Hello Ski and Snowboard Families! Club cards for 2024 are officially on sale now! They're on sale until Thursday January 4th 2024, which is the first day of Keith Ski club 2024!

Keith Ski Club Website

Ski club card order form: Keith Ski- Club Card Order Form

Thanks to all the families who came out for our Vanessa Williams Concert. We had a blast and her encore performance had all of us on our feet dancing and singing along!

Our next club concert meet is this Saturday, December 9th for Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony Concert. We will be meeting at 7:40pm under the cube sign for a pre-concert club meet. Kindly email me back should you be attending either the club meet or concert.

Please see below for more information about the concert and the artists who would be performing. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me: monique.levu@gmail.com 248-301-1415

I look forward to seeing those families who will be joining us!

TCHAIKOVSKY'S SIXTH SYMPHONY

When: Saturday, December 9, 2023, 8pm

Where: Orchestra Hall, 2hrs

• For more information about our conductor Jader Bignamini click here:
• https://www.dso.org/events-and-tickets/artists/jader-bignamini
• For more information about our special guest pianist Sergei Babayan click here:
• https://www.dso.org/events-and-tickets/artists/sergei-babayan
• For more information about our DSO click here:
• https://www.dso.org/about-the-dso/meet-the-orchestra

If you have not had a chance to join the Music Appreciation Club please fill out this Google Form
https://forms.gle/3eAmCFB4Vf9FCP626 . Do forward this link to any interested student. After attending one concert, the student membership will have paid for itself. We welcome any interested students!

We’re currently planning our Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on January 15th and need your help. It’ll be very similar to previous years. This year’s theme is “You belong” with the focus on inclusivity. Our keynote speaker is Kevin Szawala, aka “Mr. Peace”. Kevin is a National Youth Speaker and Michigan native who travels the county speaking to students and schools on the topics of bullying prevention, diversity and inclusion, teen mental health, and suicide awareness. Please consider nominating someone from our Keith community for these important district recognitions.

Students of WLCSD are welcomed to submit an Express Yourself project. The theme for this year’s project is “You Belong”. Students should create a project that expresses what this theme means to them. Projects can be a speech, an essay, a picture, a poem, a drawing, a video, a musical piece or any other format to express “You Belong". The winner(s) of this contest will share their projects, on stage, at the 25th annual WLCSD MLK Day Celebration. This is a great opportunity to recognize students and their creativity. It is by far the crowd’s favorite part of the MLK Celebration. Check out the project details and entry form. All entries must be submitted to a school office by Wednesday, December 13.

Express Yourself Contest Information and Entry Form (deadline 12/13)

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is seeking nominations for the 2024 Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Award. This award honors individuals who are true friends of multicultural diversity in our school district and community. This honor will be bestowed on the recipient(s) WLCSD 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on January 15, 2024. Any student, staff, community member, local business, or local organization is eligible to be nominated. Any member of the Walled Lake Schools community may submit a nomination. Nominations must be submitted through the nomination form by Friday, December 8.

Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Nomination Form (deadline 12/8)

What to watch for:

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

Fri, Dec 8th ~ Chocolate Chip Cookie Day ~ $1.50 ea

Tue, Dec 12th ~ Pizza Day ~ $1.75 / extra slice, $1.00 chips

Thur, Dec 21st ~ Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00 ice cream

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

Alison Link, Keith Kitchen Server

Keith Elementary, 956-3735

In an effort to celebrate our staff, the WLCSD Community Relations department requests that families fill out the form below to nominate staff who are rock stars in their classrooms and school communities. A sample of what these shout outs will look like on social media and in our district newsletters is on the right.

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.

January 9, 2024 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