Waukazoo Newsletter

Parent Teacher conferences are an important moment during the school year for our students and staff. We have loved having our families in the building this week to see the growth all our students are making this school year. We thank you for giving us your time to discuss how this school year is going for your students. We would also like to extend our appreciation to all those who helped provide meals for teachers this week- it was delicious!

WaukaBOO is coming next week Friday at Waukazoo from 6-7pm! This event offers the opportunity for students to show off their costumes. On Halloween, please do not send your student to school in costume.

As the weather changes and gets colder, please remember to send your student to school prepared to play outside! And if something goes missing, remember we have a lost and found.

We hope you all enjoy the long weekend.

Go WO!
Mrs. Bolhuis

• 10/21 3rd Grade Field Trip- Outdoor Discovery Center
• 10/21-10/22 & 10/24-10/25 2nd Grade Swim Lessons
• 10/23 Half Day- dismissal at 11:52am
• 10/25 WaukaBOO 6-7pm
• 10/25 End of 1st Quarter
• 10/28 Upper Montessori Field Trip- GR Museum
• 10/29 Lower Montessori Field Trip- GR Museum
• 10/31 Halloween- no costumes at school please

This year all meals are free to all students. All students enrolled at WOPS schools can receive a healthy breakfast and lunch each day.

However, we still need every household to fill out a Education Benefits Form because this information is critical in determining the amount of money that our school receives from a variety of State and Federal supplemental programs like Title I A, At-risk (31a), Title II A, E-Rate, etc.

These supplemental programs have the potential to offer supports and services for our students including, but not limited to:

• Instructional supports (staff, supplies & materials, etc.)
• Non-instructional services (counseling, social work, health services, etc.)
• Professional Learning for staff
• Parent and Community engagement supplies and activities
• Technology
• Pandemic-EBT

We are asking that you please complete and submit a meal application as soon as possible to ensure that additional funding for our school is available to meet the needs of our students. All information on the application submitted is confidential. Without your assistance in completing and returning the attached application, our school cannot maximize the use of available State and Federal funds.

🙂Please email simonsona@westottawa.net to request a paper form🙂

Thank you so much, parents, for making our drop off and pick up procedures go so smoothly! It is with all your efforts and support that our students arrive and leave school SAFE! Please make sure to continue following these rules:

Rules of the Road:

• Do not turn left around the left turn lane
• Do not block residential driveways on Lakewood
• Do not drop off or pick up students in unsafe areas, which include:
• ON Lakewood Blvd.
• Driveway to back bus loop
• East side of crosswalk in front parking lot

Drop Off:

• All student drop off will begin at 8:30am; doors will not open until 8:30am
• We will not have any playground or student supervision prior to 8:30am
• ALL parent drop off students will enter the building at the front entrance
• Please remember that the Parent Drop Off is a “kiss and go” lane - have your child ready to exit the car and please make sure they ALWAYS exit to the sidewalk or out the passenger side of the car
• It is essential to traffic flow that no one park along the curb and no one exit the car aside from the students onto the curb
• Please utilize a parking space if your child needs assistance in exiting the vehicle
• FOLLOWING THESE PROCEDURES HELP KEEP ALL OUR STUDENTS AT WAUKAZOO SAFE!

Pick Up:

• Parent Locations for Pick Up:
• IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE CAR LINE: Please wait in the GRASS at the grade position on the map for your child
• NO PARENTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO STAND OUTSIDE THE MAIN DOORS FOR PICKUP
• Please help us make sure our students go home with the right parent/guardian by following these rules
• Parents may wait in their car in the pickup/drop off lane for their child to arrive and leave the parking lot as the line moves forward. Please do not park and exit your vehicle in the pickup/drop off lane.
• If your child needs assistance with their car seat or buckling - please pull into a spot
• If you park - please utilize the crosswalk at the table top across from the main entry/exit doors when traversing the lot
• Students will exit with their classroom teacher in a group during parent pick up.

Watch DOGS (Dads Of Great Students) is a fast growing program at Waukazoo that seeks to support the involvement of all dads, uncles, grandpas, or other father-figures into the classroom and school life of their kids. Many awesome opportunities exist for you to spend some time with your kid, either in their classroom, on the playground, working on school projects or other things outside of the school with other DOGS and their kids! There are also planned events for the guys to get together and connect, both with and without their kids. If you're interested in learning more about the Waukazoo Watch DOGS program, contact Brandon at brandon.hazen@gmail.com

Student council is a student representative organization made up of 3rd through 5th grade students. These students serve as the voice of the student body. They help share ideas, interests, and concerns with teachers and administrators. Student council representatives help with school-wide activities such as our school store, popcorn Fridays, social events, and community service. All money raised at our school store and popcorn Fridays goes toward a scholarship for a West Ottawa Senior who attended Wauakzoo! This is a tradition that we are very proud of! Student council members also engage in activities centered on leadership development, government, and democracy.

• MEMBERSHIP- Student Council is composed of two student representatives from each third, fourth, fifth grade class and upper Montessori classes, one rep for each of the lower Montessori classes due to the lower number of 3rd grade students. Elections are currently taking place in each classroom. Once classroom reps are chosen, Fourth and Fifth grade students may choose to run for the following officer positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer. Student Council representatives and officers are looked upon as role models. They are expected to adhere to the lifelong guidelines and life skills that are infused throughout our Leadership curriculum at all times.(Respect, Responsible, and Ready to Learn)

Student Council representatives are expected to attend all monthly morning meetings. Any student missing more than 3 meetings will no longer be able to participate as a representative.

• MEETINGS- Meetings are generally held once the fourth Friday of the month at 7:45AM, our first meeting is October 25th. Meeting days are also our popcorn days!

• PROJECTS At Waukazoo Elementary, giving back to the community is an important part of our education. Student Council sets the bar for excellence as they assist with school-wide events, and give back to the community. Some projects Student Council will be working on this year are: November: Student Council sponsors a Harvest Drive, collecting food and items for a local Food Bank.

December: Student Council will sponsor a toy drive.

January- May: Students participated in and raised funds for various organizations.

We need people to help pop popcorn! Sign up at this link! Please remember that you must have a completed AND processed volunteer profile. This is an annual requirement! Go to this link to complete a volunteer profile.

Dear Waukazoo Families,

Last year, the 3rd grade SAIL students wrote and published a book to celebrate Waukazoo's 150th anniversary to donate to the school's library. If your family would like to order your own copy of Z is for Family, print off the attached order form below and return it to school. The price is $12 per book which covers printing, tax, and shipping. Please pay when you send in your order (directions are on the flyer). The books should arrive in 3-4 weeks.

If you need a paper copy, please let us know and we'll send one home with your student. The deadline to order is next Friday, October 25th.

Thank you!

Ms. Kovacs