Upton Update

Students in Grades 3-5 will be taking the M-STEP this year. 5th Grade will be starting the week of April 7. 4th Grade will be starting the week of April 21. 3rd Grade will be starting the week of April 28. Please see the schedule below for exact dates. Please note that the M-STEP is required by the state of Michigan.

We ask that your child is at school on time on each of the scheduled testing days and comes to school well-rested.

Also, electronic devices (smartphones, smart watches, cell phones, book readers, electronic tablets, cameras, non-approved calculators, music players, voice recorders, etc.) are not allowed to be with students during the testing sessions.

Additional Testing Guidelines:

Electronic Assessment Administrative Guidelines for Royal Oak Schools

Testing Dates (all testing sessions will begin at 9:35 a.m.):

5th Grade

Wednesday, April 9: Math

Thursday, April 10: Math

Monday, April 14: English Language Arts

Tuesday, April 15: English Language Arts

Wednesday, April 16: English Language Arts

Thursday, April 17: Social Studies

Monday, April 21: Science

Tuesday, April 22: Science

4th Grade

Wednesday, April 23: English Language Arts

Thursday, April 24: English Language Arts

Friday, April 25: English Language Arts

Monday, April 28: Math

Tuesday, April 29: Math

3rd Grade

Wednesday, April 30: Math

Thursday, May 1: Math

Tuesday, May 6: English Language Arts

Wednesday, May 7: English Language Arts

Thursday, May 8: English Language Arts

Testing is designed to be manageable for students by breaking it up into small sessions over several days. The testing schedule is designed to be safe, fulfill state testing requirements, and provide meaningful data while being minimally disruptive to learning as possible.

As we plan for the administration of these assessments, we will continue to monitor communication from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the United States Department of Education (USDE). If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

As the school year winds down, Royal Oak Schools is excited to offer Summer Learning Sessions to keep students engaged and growing throughout the summer months! This is for elementary students exiting DK-4 in June 2025 and middle school students exiting grades 5-8 in June 2025. High School classes will be announced later.

Program Details:

All classes will be held from 8:30 am - 11:30 am, Monday - Thursday, for both sessions.

📍 Location: Addams Elementary School
📆 Session I: June 23 – July 10 (No classes July 3-4)
📆 Session II: July 14 – July 31
🕣 Time: Monday – Thursday, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Designed for students in DK-8, these sessions provide an opportunity to reinforce learning in a supportive and engaging environment. Students will engage in math and ELA enrichment. An email confirmation will be sent once registration closes on April 30, 2025. Classes are subject to cancellation or consolidation due to low enrollment. You can sign up for one or both sessions.

Please fill out a separate form for each of your children.

Cost: $160 per student/session

Registration:

• Elementary: https://bit.ly/4iN9P0c
• Middle School: https://bit.ly/425BjY3

Upton staff will once again be sponsoring a Talent Show for our students on Friday, May 16, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at Royal Oak Middle School. If your child is interested, please complete the form that was sent home. I have attached a copy of the form in case it did not make it home. It is important to read over all the requirements so that your child will be able to participate.

Please click the link for an update on our Media Center! Mrs. Savona will be updating this each week with new information.

Media Center News

Royal Oak Schools is pleased to welcome children and their families to kindergarten. Kindergarten enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year began on Monday, February 3, 2025. District-wide enrollment for all kindergarten programs, including Developmental Kindergarten, is processed through our Central Enrollment Office.

Enrollment Video

All enrollments into Royal Oak Schools are done online. Documents uploaded should be in PDF format and legibly. We may require in person documentation if the proofs uploaded online are not clear.

Kindergarten Age Requirements
A resident child must be five (5) years of age on or before September 1st in order to be eligible to attend kindergarten.

If a child is not five (5) years of age by the September 1st enrollment eligibility date, but will be five (5) years of age no later than December 1st, the parent/guardian may still enroll the child in kindergarten. The parent must notify the school district, in writing, prior to the beginning of the school year. Notification, by way of a completed Kindergarten Age Waiver, must be received in order for a child born between September 1 and December 1 to be enrolled in kindergarten.

If you need assistance navigating the online process or do not have a home computer, please call Theresa Baughman at 248-435-8400 x 1260. Appointments are highly recommended if you'd like to enroll in person.

Documents Specific to Kinder Enrollment:

• Kindergarten Age Waiver
• Immunization Waiver Information

Vision, Hearing and Dental Screening for Kindergarten Entry

• Vision & Hearing Screening Flyer
• OCHD Vision Screening Website
• OCHD Hearing Screening Website
• OCHD Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Flyer
• Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment

More information regarding Kindergarten Eligibility can be found on the following sites:

• MDE Recommends
• Michigan Legislature, The Revised School Code Section 380.1147

Schools of Choice applications for the 25/26 school year will be accepted March 10th-April 8th, 2025.

The application link will be available on the district webpage starting on March 10th at 9am.

Click this link for a flowchart to see if Schools of Choice applies to your family

Summer EBT is Back!

About 30 million children participate in USDA’s school breakfast and lunch programs on an average school day. When school is out for the summer, kids lose access to these healthy meals, but they still need nutritious food to grow healthy and strong.

Michigan offers SUN Bucks, a summer grocery benefit that provides eligible school-aged children $120, so you can stretch your grocery budget and buy more of the foods your children love! SUN Bucks is designed to work together with other benefits your family may already receive, like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children).

Find out about all the summer nutrition options available to your kids.
Explore Summer EBT

Eligibility

Families will be automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks if they are already enrolled in SNAP, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), or FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations) benefits or meet the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals. In other words, keep an eye out for $120, per child, at the beginning of summer!

Families that are not automatically enrolled should apply for SUN Bucks directly.
Apply Now

"Blessings in a Backpack” is a program designed to provide students on the free and reduced lunch program with enough food for three meals a day during the weekends. This program is active in Royal Oak Schools. If you agree to take part in this program during the school year, your child will receive a bag filled with food for the weekend. A bag of food will be put in your child's locker for take home on Fridays. The simple meals may include food like macaroni and cheese, beef ravioli, canned fruit, granola bars, soups, juice and other items. Students will receive a bag every week.

If you would like to have your child participate in this program, fill out the form below and mail it to the board office at 800 Devillen, Royal Oak, MI 48073, or just hit submit on this form. Please be sure to indicate on the form if you child has any food allergies. If your child has a food allergy, you as the parent are responsible for checking all food labels when the food arrives home. Royal Oak Schools, as well as Blessings in a Backpack, will not be held responsible for any accidental food allergen exposure.

Blessings in a Backpack Form

Monday

School Resumes 8:25 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Tuesday

5th Grade Field Trip

Wednesday

5th Grade M-STEP: Math 9:25 a.m.

Thursday

5th Grade M-STEP: Math 9:25 a.m.

Friday

Half Day for Students- Dismissal at 12:15 p.m.

End of 3rd Marking Period

Mr. John Grzywack

john.grzywack@royaloakschools.org

4400 Mandalay Avenue, Royal Oak, MI, United States

(248) 549-4968

https://upton.royaloakschools.org/

The vision of Upton Elementary School is to inspire students to become lifelong learners.