Dragon's Tale

February 28, 2025

Dear Dragon Families,

Happy Friday! I hope this message finds you well as we wrap up another busy and productive week here at Keith Elementary. We have some exciting events coming up, and I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of a few important events ahead...

Staff Volleyball Game – TONIGHT!
Tonight is the night! Please join us for our Staff Volleyball Game at 6pm in the main gym at Walled Lake Northern High School. This is always a fun and spirited event, and we would love to see all of our families come out to support our amazing Dragon staff. It’s a great opportunity to cheer on our team and connect with other families in our community. We hope to see you there!

March is Reading Month
March is just around the corner, and that means it’s time for March is Reading Month! We are excited to celebrate the joy of reading with our students throughout the month. To kick off the celebration, we will be welcoming a special guest next week on March 7th—an author visit from Jonathan Rand, that we know our students will love! Be sure to ask your child all about it afterward.

Additionally, classroom teachers will be sharing more information about our Mystery Reader program and other fun activities we have planned. It’s a fantastic way for our school community to come together and inspire a love of reading. Stay tuned for more details from your child’s teacher on how you can participate!

Reading with Your Child – A Daily Reminder
As always, one of the best ways you can support your child’s learning is by reading together every day. Reading at home builds strong literacy skills and helps keep your child engaged in learning. Whether it's a favorite book, a new story, or even a quick article or poem, those few minutes of reading can make a big difference. Please continue to encourage reading as part of your daily routine!

Upcoming Events & More
This week's Dragon's Tale Newsletter contains important details about upcoming events, activities, and other information you won’t want to miss. Be sure to read through it in its entirety so you don’t miss out on anything. We have some wonderful things planned for our Dragon students in the weeks ahead!

Thank you for your continued support of our school community. We look forward to seeing many of you tonight at the volleyball game and at our upcoming events.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead!

Warm regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

Mar. 3 - 5th Grade Visit from Principal Nayal Maktari at Keith

Mar. 3 - The Anxious Generation Family Book Study - 6pm Keith Learning Commons - ALL are invited to attend, additional details below

Mar. 4 - Keith PTA Meeting - 6:30pm Keith Learning Commons

Mar. 7 - Jonathan Rand - March is Reading Month PTA Assembly

Mar. 12 - A Taste of Spring - Hospitality House Fundraiser - Wixom Community Center

Mar. 13 - 1/2 Day of School - Dragon Dismissal 12:25pm, 12:30pm Prime Time and Walkers, 12:42pm Buses Depart Keith

Mar. 17 - 21 - WLCSD Inclusion Week (Classroom activities will be shared closer to this event)

Mar. 24 - 28 - No School - Spring Break

Mar. 31 - WLCSD PTSA Reflections Ceremony (Details will be sent closer to the event)

We will be holding a whole-school music concert at WLN Auditorium on May 13th! K(JK)-2 will perform from 6:00-6:30. 3rd-5th grades will perform from 7:00-7:30.

Dear Keith Families,

Although every month is “reading month” at Keith Elementary, we love to celebrate reading in special ways during March is Reading Month! Please see below for our exciting plans to motivate and engage our community of readers!

Our Goal

To grow and celebrate a love of reading!

To achieve our goal for 100 minutes per week!

To have fun as a community of readers!

Details

Each week, students will have a goal of reading at least 100 minutes per week. They will log their nightly reading on their March is Reading Month log. Students can read independently or with a family member. Parents/caregivers can also read to their child. A calendar will be sent home with fun ideas for reading!

Rewards

If students achieve their goal of reading 100 minutes per week AND return their reading log, they will earn the chance to be put in a class raffle to choose a book from the book vending machine!

🌸 Happy Reading! 🌸

I am thrilled to share some exciting updates regarding our resource program!

It is with great pleasure that I announce Kelly Powers will be returning to Keith as a full-time resource program teacher. We are excited to welcome her back to the team! At the same time, Rochelle Sansom will transition to a 0.6 resource program position.

With these changes, our caseloads will also be shifting. Earlier today, those families impacted received an email from me, and a more personalized email from the resource program teachers. If your child has an IEP and you did not receive an email, it means there will be no change to the current caseload assignment for your child with an IEP.

Thank you so much for all in our community who were a part of our Family Book Study on The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. It remains evident to me how committed our families are to the wellbeing of our children at Keith. Please be sure to look out for more information from this committed group of parents and know that we want every parent to learn more about opportunities for phone free events, internet safety events, and more. Please feel free to email MarciAugenstein@wlcsd.org if you'd like to be added to this groups future events, or join us on March 3, 2025 6:00pm Keith Learning Commons to keep the discussion going!

Hello (current and future) Dragon Families,

Please plan for your child to attend ONE morning of Keith JK/Kindergarten Round Up on Monday, March 10 or Wednesday, March 12 or Tuesday, March 18 from 9:30am-11:00am.

Your child will meet others attending JK/Kindergarten in the fall, play together with learning materials, color and write their name, as well as visit a real kindergarten classroom! Parents are welcome to drop off your child and meet with PTA parents for coffee and a tour of the school or return at 11am for pick up. Please contact the Keith Elementary office with questions 248-956-3700.

Drop off your child at Door 5 and parents are welcome to join PTA at Door 7 (north side of Keith).

Please use this sign-up link for both JK and Kindergarten programs. Welcome to Keith Elementary School!

Keith JK/Kindergarten Round-Up Sign Up

Kind regards,

Marci Augenstein, Ph. D.

Keith Elementary School Principal

Go Dragons!

WLCSD has partnered with OCHD to provide free in-district Kindergarten Dental Screenings for our incoming kindergarten students. The district website has been updated with the new dates. These clinics will be walk-in. There is no need for families to call to schedule an appointment.

8/12/2025 4p-6p at Dublin

8/14/2025 4p-6p at Walled Lake El

8/18/2025 4p-6p at Meadowbrook

MONDAY, MARCH 10TH FROM 6:30 P.M.-7:30 P.M.

Please join the following CHS Staff Members on March 10th!

Nayal Maktari, Principal

Dan Holland, Assistant Principal

Steve Spickard, Dean of Students

Kathleen Hoover, 6th Grade Counselor

The evening will be dedicated to sharing what you can expect next school year at CHS Middle School. We'll also be available to answer any questions you may have following our presentation.

We look forward to seeing you in the CHS Middle School Main Gym on March 10th beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Nayal Maktari

Principal

She cheered on former Keith Dragons at a high school gymnastics meet, "helped" out with social studies, she wore red for National Wear Red Day for women's heart health, and she has been helping out in classrooms.

Dear Families,

Our current math standards are more rigorous and demanding than ever. Students are expected to develop a deep understanding of concepts leading to fluency with facts and procedures, and the ability to clearly communicate their mathematical thinking. Further, students must pass a demanding sequence of high school math courses in order to meet graduation requirements. In response to the increased expectations for all students, we have adjusted the content focus and instructional approaches in all of our math courses.

Because of the higher standards and to ensure student success at all points of their mathematical education, we are using the procedures described below to accelerate students. In order to skip a course in the math sequence, students must demonstrate proficiency in the content and skills of the course they are attempting to skip.

The process and procedures described on the following pages (in the button linked below) apply to all students currently in grades 2 through 7. Students attempting to test-out of high school courses will use the existing process described on the district website. If you have questions after reviewing the process, please contact your building principal or me.

Thank you for your partnership in education.

Sincerely,

Ellen McDonald

Math/Science Coordinator

ELLENMCDONALD@WLCSD.ORG

248.956.2029

In an effort to find additional ways to celebrate our staff, the WLCSD Community Relations department requests that families fill out the information below for 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 can be found below.

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

Keith Green Team / Steam4hc 4H Club thank you note to classrooms who participated in the senior home visit project.

In December 2024, the Stem 4 Compassion 4H Club, Keith Green Team, and several classrooms collaborated to create some special gifts for residents of a senior care home.

Students created colorful bird themed posters and letters, that showcased how we can take care of birds in our environment. 3rd grade students from Mrs. Matyus’s classroom put on their engineering and scientist hats and assembled bird feeders.

One of the bird feeders and the letters were delivered to the seniors, bringing much joy to their hearts. We greatly appreciate the efforts and good hearts of the school staff and students involved.

The seniors would love for us to visit more frequently. Any parents interested in getting their kids involved in visiting the senior home can contact me at steam4hc@gmail.com

What to watch for in March:

Tue, March 4th ~ Marco's Pizza Day ~ $2.00 extra slice, $1.25 chips

Mon, March 10th ~ Lucky Tray Day

Fri, March 14th ~`Tubby's Subs & Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00

Fri, March 21st ~Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00

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!

Thanks to all the families who came out for the Ellington and The Nutcracker concert. We learned about Carlos Simon, Concertos, Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker and Ray Chen at our Club meet. We also had a great discussion about the future of classical music and how the online presence of artists, composers and their social media content is the major source of introducing and keeping students engaged. Ray Chen stole the show playing with effortless grace and technical mastery, and it was such a treat to hear him perform an encore - his newly released Serenade.

Our next Club meet is Sunday, February 16, 2024 at 2:30 followed by the 3pm Broadway Love Songs concert.

Tickets are available starting Monday, February 3rd at 9am, by calling or visiting the box office and are subject to availability. For those students who usually book tickets online, please note the DSO is transitioning to only booking Student Soundcard tickets through visiting or calling the box office 313.576.5111.

Upcoming concerts where we plan to meet as a group:

· 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 listed above. Please consider making the most of your membership and check out other concerts at DSO.org***

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

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.

March 4th 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