Dragon's Tale

November 22, 2024

Dear Dragon Families,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to each of you for your continued support and partnership in helping make this school year a success. Our students have been working hard, and we are so proud of the progress they have made—thank you for your encouragement and involvement in their learning journey.

I wanted to give a special thank you to our amazing PTA and especially Mrs. Lauren June who has been partnering with local organizations to ensure that every student at Keith has warm winter gear and has helped to coordinate our holiday meals for our families who need some additional love and support. Thank you to all of our families who have contributed in making sure this upcoming holiday season is wonderful for all.

As you enjoy time with family and friends this holiday season, I encourage you to continue nurturing your child’s love for reading. Whether it’s a bedtime story or a cozy afternoon read, spending time together with a good book is a wonderful way to bond and keep their minds engaged.

Please take a moment to read the Dragon's Tale Newsletter, which includes important information about upcoming events, including Parent-Teacher Conferences in December. It’s a great opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher and stay informed about their growth and goals.

Wishing you all a safe and joyful Thanksgiving break! With the upcoming short week ahead, this with be the final installment of our family newsletter until we return in December. Enjoy the time with your loved ones, and if you're traveling, we wish you safe travels. We look forward to seeing everyone back in school after the Thanksgiving break, ready for more learning and fun!

Warm regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

November, 2024

Nov. 4 - Parent Book Study with Dr. A. and Mrs. Faber - The Anxious Generation - 6-7pm Learning Commons (Details below)

Nov. 5 - No School

Nov. 7 - Nov. 14 - Keith PTA Book Fair

Nov. 8 - Bagel Order Forms Due

Nov. 11 - Nov. 13 - 5th Grade Camp at WLOEC (Questions - Email your child's teacher.)

Nov. 12 - Keith PTA Meeting - Learning Commons, 6:30pm

Nov. 13 - Walk into Walled Lake Event 4-6pm Educational Services Center 850 Ladd Rd. (Details below)

Nov. 15 - Bagel delivery day

Nov. 19 - Half Day 12:25pm Dragon Dismissal to Parking Lot, 12:30pm Walkers and Prime Time Care Dismissed, 12:42pm Buses Depart Keith

Nov. 19 - Taste of the Lakes - Benefit for Lakes Area Youth Assistance

Nov. 25 - Dec. 6 - Student Council Penny Wars Fundraiser for Operation Snow Pile (Details Below)

Nov. 27 - Half Day 2:25pm Dragon Dismissal to Parking Lot, 12:30pm Walkers and Prime Time Care Dismissed, 12:42pm Buses Depart Keith

Nov. 28-29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

December, 2024

Dec. 3 - Keith PTA Meeting - Learning Commons, 6:30pm

Dec. 9 - Parent Book Study with Dr. A. and Mrs. Faber - The Anxious Generation - 6-7pm Learning Commons (Details below)

Dec. 11 - Report Cards Posted in Skyward

Dec. 12 - Half-Day with Early Dismissal - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Additional Info. Below)

Dec. 13 - MLK Day Express Yourself Contest and Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Contest Submissions Due (See additional information below)

Dec. 19 - Keith Sing-A-Long - Front of Building - 6pm

Dec. 20 - Last Day of School Before Winter Break

Dec. 23 - Jan. 3 - Winter Break

Jan. 6 - School Resumes - Reminder School Begins at 8:55a.m.

Our teachers put in long hours on Parent-Teacher Conference Day, which is Thursday, December 12th. 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 like to ask your help with this.

Please click the Signup Genuis link below and consider making a donation. We're asking to leave donations in the box out front of the main entrance at Keith NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10th. The box will be set out the week following Thanksgiving. Thank you for your consideration.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B4AA9AE2CA3FB6-53536540-teacher

Qs? Lauren Jaffe, LJJAFFE@gmail.com

The Keith PTA is looking for interested adults to help coach our Keith Robotics teams. A little about the club:

Who: Coaches for Keith 1st, 2nd and 3rd Graders

Where: Keith Media Center

When: Tuesdays after school, 3:50-5pm, Mid- January through April

What will you do: The role of the coach is to facilitate the group meetings. You will have a group of 4 students that will work on a project over the course of 8- 10 weeks. There will be a course manual that leads your group through multiple LEGO builds and then an introduction to robotics. Your group will use a provided app and ipad to program different movements for your LEGO build. At the end of the 8 week program, your team will attend an exposition to present their final build and poster. Ideally, we will get enough volunteers that each group will have two parents to lead them through their project.

Please contact Anna Mitrik at annamitrik@wlcsd.org if you have questions or are interested in leading a group of kids!

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 12. 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 Wednesday, November 27 at *approximately* 7:00 AM and closes on December 10 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

Thank you forthe generous and giving Keith community… we collected 1,665 books during our Fall Book Fair!!!! Congratulations second grade for winning a pajama day with collecting 514 books! Your child's teacher will announce the PJ Day date!

The WLCSD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is seeking Walled Lake Schools Student Speakers for our 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration that will take place on Monday, January 20th at Walled Lake Northern High School. Please click on the form below for more information.

Annual Walled Lake Schools Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration-Student Keynote Speaker Application

Walled Lake Schools 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Walled Lake Northern High School on Monday, January 20th beginning at 5:00 p.m.

This year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration theme is Unity.

“Unity in diversity is unity between all individuals and groups, regardless of differences. It is unity without uniformity, and diversity without divisiveness. It is an understanding that the differences between people enrich our lives and makes our country the special, and unique place it is”.

Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Award

Walled Lake Schools has created an award to honor individuals who are true friends of diversity. We hope you will join us in an effort that will result in the selection of a Fiend of Diversity. This honor will be bestowed on the recipient(s) at the 26th annual district-wide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on Monday, January 20th, 2025.

Our committee hopes that each school building will nominate at least one staff member, student, parent, or community member for the Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Award. Nominations will be submitted to the Walled Lake School Central Office Administration for final selection. Nomination forms must be completed no later than Friday, December 13th, 2024. Please click on the form below and nominate someone you believe is deserving of the Friend of Diversity Award.

Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Award

Express Yourself Contest

Walled Lake Students are invited to submit an entry that express’s the theme of “Unity” in your own unique way. There are lots of possibilities for creating a project. It can be a piece of writing, music, art, or other visual that shows what unity means to you. Click on the contest form below and submit your entry to your school’s main office by Friday, December 13th.

Express Yourself Contest

The following message was sent to our 2nd grade families in room 125 on Thursday evening. I thought it important for our entire Dragon Community to welcome Ms. TImmermann to our Dragon Family. Thank you!

Dear Dragon Families of Room 125,

We are pleased to share the exciting news that Ms. Madalynn Timmermann will be joining our team as the new 2nd grade teacher. While we continue to mourn the loss of our beloved Mr. Jahn, we are filled with confidence in Ms. Timmermann’s ability to continue providing both exceptional education and heartfelt care for our students. Her impact has already been deeply felt, and it is clear how much the children enjoy being in her classroom.

Ms. Timmermann is a recent graduate of Eastern Michigan University, where she completed her studies in December 2023. Through a series of enriching internships and substitute teaching experiences, she has built a strong foundation in education, which has led her to this opportunity at Keith. We are excited for the positive influence she will undoubtedly have on your child’s growth and learning.

We encourage you to speak with your child tonight so that they can share in the excitement of welcoming Ms. Timmermann tomorrow. Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we transition into this new chapter.

Warm Regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

Penny Wars will start Nov 25th and will run until Friday Dec 6th. All proceeds will go towards Operation Snow Pile. The winner of the Penny Wars competition will be announced Monday Dec 9th.

All the money raised from our Penny Wars will go towards Operation Snow Pile. Operation Snow Pile is a Student Council Fundraiser that helps raise money to buy toys for children in the hospital this holiday season.

Keith Elementary is looking for a dedicated Permanent Assistant Server to join our team. This is a part-time position, offering 3.75 hours per day during the school week. As an assistant server, you’ll play a vital role in helping provide students with nutritious meals in a supportive environment.

Position: Permanent Assistant Elementary Server
Location: Keith Elementary
Hours: 3.75 hours/day (Monday-Friday)

If you're enthusiastic about supporting students and want to be part of a great team, apply now!

Apply online today at https://www.applitrack.com/oaklandschools/onlineapp/default.aspx?choosedistrict=true&applitrackclient=46172&category=Non%2DCertified+Student+Support+Services&subcategory=Food+Services

Hello Dragon Families,

Thank you for supporting our Mileage Club this Fall. Our final Mileage Club is Tuesday, 11/26/24. We will reach out again in the Spring for your support when the weather can better support our students running/walking safely around the track at Keith.

Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped to support the physical fitness of our students at Keith!

Jamin Stewart and Steven LaCross

Keith PE Teachers

Calling all artists, writers, dancers, musicians, photographers, and videographers! Entries are now being accepted for the National PTA Reflections art competition. Create something in one of the categories below with the theme “ACCEPTING IMPERFECTION” and fill out the google doc to submit your entry!

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

For more information and official rules per category click here

DEADLINE:

Submissions must be sent digitally and are accepted until November 11, 2024.

ENTRY FORM:

Submit contest entries using this link:

REFLECTIONS SUBMISSIONS 2024-2025

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

For more information on this year’s theme: “ACCEPTING IMPERFECTION” click here

Please email ljones456@sbcglobal.net with questions. Thanks for your support in unleashing your child’s inner artist!

'The Keith PTA has partnered with Oakland County Sheriff's Department 'Coats for Cold' initiative and will be collecting new and clean, gently used coats for distribution to those in need in Oakland County. Please consider donating as the weather turns colder! The coat drive will run throughout the month of November; the donation box is located in the atrium. Thanks for your support!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you so much to the almost 20 parents who were able to attend our discussion on Part 1 last Monday. I would encourage anyone who still may want to participate to catch up on the reading and join us for the future sessions!

We invite you to join us in this important conversation, participate in discussions, and partner with our school in looking out for our kids. Together, we can create a supportive environment that fosters resilience and understanding.

Meeting Schedule

We will hold four meetings, each lasting one hour, where we will discuss different sections of the book. ALL meetings will be from 6-7pm in the Keith Learning Commons. Please see the schedule below:

11/4/24 - Introduction to the book and Discussion of Part 1: The Great Rewiring of Childhood

12/9/24 - Review of Part 2: The Backstory: The Decline of Play-based Childhood and increase in childhood anxiety

1/13/25 - Discussion of Part 3: Social Media and Mental Health- Strategies for healthy technology use – The Rise of the phone-based childhood

2/10/25 - Overview of Part 4: Building Resilience - Collaborative ideas for supporting our children

To help ensure that everyone can participate, I am happy to provide a copy of the book for any family that may face financial barriers. If you would like to receive a book, please let me know when you RSVP.

You are welcome to attend any or all of the meetings. Each session will provide a space for open dialogue, sharing of experiences, and brainstorming actionable steps we can take as a community.

Thank you for your commitment to our students’ well-being. I look forward to engaging with you in these discussions that will undoubtedly strengthen our community and support our children’s futures.

Warm regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

Links

Ski Club Enrollment and Information Form

Keith Elementary Ski/Snowboard Facebook Link

Sponsor Contact Email: Ulrey.Christopher@gmail.com

Please click on the button below to learn more about our Keith Green Team!

What to watch for:

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

Fri, Nov 8th ~Chips $1.25 & Snacks $1.00

Mon, Nov 11th ~ Lucky Tray Day

Fri, Nov 15th ~ Chips $1.25 & Snacks $1.00

Fri, Nov 22nd ~ Chips $1.25 & Snacks $1.00

Fri, Nov 26th ~ $1.00 ice cream cups

As always, parents & staff can add funds to student accounts via Skyward, or cash / check brought to me in the kitchen. If students bring cash/checks, please send the funds to the cafeteria either:

1. Labeled inside your lunch barcode sheet, or
2. Have students bring down their money during breakfast

The lunch line moves quicker if their funds are deposited beforehand. Thank you in advance for your help!

***For those students who usually book tickets online, please note the DSO is transitioning to only allowing the booking of Student Soundcard tickets through visiting or calling the box office 313.576.5111***

Thanks to all the families who came out for the Under The Streetlamp Concert and thanks to Ms. Jenn for hosting our club meet in my absence. Club members and their families learned about harmonies and talked about their favorite ‘old-timey’ music that has transcended generations. It was wonderful seeing the multigenerational celebration of music together!

Our next Club meet is Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 2:30 followed by the 3pm Ellington & The Nutcracker concert with the talented soloist Ray Chen on his violin.

With such a world class guest violinist performing with our very own Detroit Symphony Orchestra, do try to book earlier as it is anticipated this will be another sold out concert. Tickets are available starting Monday, November 25th at 9am, by calling or visiting the box office 313.576.5111 and are subject to availability.

It is not too late to join now! After attending only 1 concert, your student membership will have paid for itself.

Cost: $25 per student membership unlocks one free ticket to almost every Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) 2024-2025 concert series, including the concerts outside of those we plan to meet at, and up to two companion tickets (bring or invite your parents/sibling/friend/teacher) for $5 each, access to the best seats, access to DSO Replay and online Live streaming performances. Carpooling opportunities are available!

We will be learning more about the music, the performances, the artists and attend concerts with:

Oldies Music by The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Nat King Cole, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles; Ray Chen; Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker; Broadway Love Songs; Music of Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, Santana, & Ricky Martin; Women Rock! (Music by Carole King, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Pat Benatar, Tina Turner), Ben Folds and many more!

See Music Appreciation Club Details Document for more information and link to Google form for registration https://forms.gle/3eAmCFB4Vf9FCP626

Upcoming concerts where we plan to meet as a group:

· Sunday, December 8, 2024 2:30 Club meet, 3pm Ellington & The Nutcracker

· Sunday, Feb 16 2025, 2:30 Club meet, 3pm Broadway Love Songs

· Sunday, March 16, 2025, 2:30 Club meet, 3pm La Vida Loca

· Sunday, April 27 2025, 2:30 Club meet, 3pm Women Rock!

· Saturday, May 24 2025, 2:30 Club meet, 3pm Ben Folds

***Your student soundcard membership allows you to attend many more concerts in addition to the ones above. Do consider making the most of your membership and attend as many concerts your schedule allows***

The Leadership class at Walled Lake Northern high school is having an annual gift drive. Below is the link to our Amazon Storefront to help donate to our annual Gift Drive ran by the Leadership class. Thank you so much!

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/2QEWGD83JR5LN

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.

November 12th at 6:30pm - Keith Learning Commons

Visit our PTA's Facebook Page

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

Keith Vision Screening Schedule:

Grades to be assessed: J/K, 1, 3, 5

TECHNICIAN: TERRI ALCOCER

10/16, 10/17, 10/18, 10/22, 10/23, 10/24, 10/25/2024 AM

Keith Hearing Screening Schedule:

Grades to be assessed: J/K, K, 2, 4

TECHNICIAN: DENISE GAARDER

03/14, 03/17, 03/18, 03/19, 03/20/2025

Please visit the WLCSD website linked in the button below for additional information about your child's health and immunizations for school. In addition, should your child need to take medication while at school, all medicines must be kept in the main office. They must be brought to school by an adult with the permission to administer medicine at school form (linked in the button below) and original bottle included. Please review the Keith Medical Information section of our family handbook for additional information.

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: http://wlcsd.org/schools/elementary/keith/
Location: 2800 Keith Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States
Phone: (248)956-3700
Twitter: @KeithElementary