The Kurtz Connection

12/10 Early Release (students dismissed at 2:37)

12/11 PTA Meeting @ 4:30 in the Cafeteria

12/23 - 12/31 Winter Break (no school)

It is our hope that all students come to school prepared to go outside for recess each day. There are no supervision options for students who do not have medical conditions that are documented and are a part of a formal Plan of Care, on file in the office at Kurtz. We want you to know that we go to great lengths to make sure our students are dressed appropriately for the weather, but we will not argue when they come to school not adequately dressed for the cold. If your family is in need of support and/or clothing items for financial reasons, please reach out to Mr. Chisik or Mrs. Smith directly as we have many resources that we can access to make sure our students are warm and dry.

This is also a great time to make sure boots, gloves, snow pants and other items are clearly labeled as so many winter clothing items tend to look almost identical. This extra step may save your child from not having the needed items during recess or from coming home without his or her things.

Congratulations to Earl Tate and Graham Trebesh for being recognized as our Students in the Spotlight this month. Earl is a fourth grader in Ms. Tabert's class this year. He is an inspiration! Earl has worked hard to build many connections with his peers and has really elevated the learning experience for everyone. His passion for learning is not only contagious and motivating for his classmates, but for our whole staff.

Graham is a first grader in Mrs. Zimmerman's class. He is always "LEVELING UP" his work by adding extra details and putting in extra effort. He is a kind friend and goes out of his way to help everyone.

Both students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

In the past few years, we have experienced a significant rise in what the state refers to as chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is defined as students exceeding 10% of days attended for any given school year. Letters are sent to parents of students who typically have missed 10 or more days of school.

Parents may not be aware of the implications related to excessive days missed from school. You should be aware of the issues related to missing portions of learning in multiple academic areas. Students who miss topics are expected to play catch up when they return. Students miss collaborative work and the important scaffolding that occurs in classrooms each day.

With that being said, sicknesses, family emergencies and/or special circumstances are a part of the landscape in schools. We understand that things do happen, but hope parents go to great lengths to make sure students are at school each and every day, from bell to bell.

Late drop-offs and early pick-ups should also be avoided whenever possible. We strongly encourage parents to work hard to get students to school by 9:15 and allow them to finish the day at 4:08. Parents should know that we are very proud of our pick-up and drop-off process at Kurtz. We have a solid, average time of about twelve minutes for parents to drop off and pick up their child(ren). We work very hard to make the process safe, quick and run as smoothly as possible. If the bus is not a possibility for your family, please work with us to get your child to school on time, and to keep the car loop line moving smoothly. Remember to respect the parents behind you by getting kids in and out of the vehicle quickly and safely and always moving forward in order to get the maximum amount of students in and out of cars. Our hope is that we always work together as a team, in order to ensure the highest degree of success possible for every student at Kurtz.

Our team has noticed parents picking up their children in the back of the building, in the staff parking area. We hope parents are not instructing children to leave the building inappropriately. Students who are being picked up should be called from their classroom and then exit at the front of the school. Students walking out to the staff parking lot should always be escorted by a parent or by an authorized adult, for safety purposes. That lot is very small and our bus drivers are very concerned about little ones popping out from behind parked cars, in our lot. Please, do not avoid the parent pick-up process to save a few moments, as stated above. We are very proud of our process and are consistently able to get parents in an out of the loop quickly.

Click here to check out the district's link to redistricting information.

Redistricting Process
With the planned closure of Muir and the repurposing of Oak Valley, the district has begun the process of redistricting. This will help balance enrollment across schools and ensure efficient operations district-wide. Guided by our Strategic Plan, we aim to establish attendance boundaries that promote equity and reflect the needs of our students and families.

We understand that redistricting can bring about uncertainty, and we are committed to ensuring this process is as smooth as possible. The redistricting plan will be finalized and shared with families by mid-December, well in advance of when the changes take effect. We will work closely with affected families and students, providing support to help students feel welcome and prepared as they transition to their new schools.

Thank you to everyone who supported the Color Run last month. We raised over $26,000, which is $1,000 more than our goal! The Color Run was a great experience for all of our students and the money raised will fund our PTA in the 2025-26 school year. You all made a difference! A special thank you to our PTA and all of our involved parents.

Congratulations to Hannah Smith and Lorelie Timoschuk for being recognized as our Students in the Spotlight this month. Hanna is a 4th grader in Ms. Petrak's class this year. She is very helpful to her classmates and always follows rules and exceeds expectations at school. She is a hard worker and a leader to her peers.

Lorelie is a 3rd grader in Mrs. Boom's class. She is a kindhearted student who always has a smile on her face. She consistently volunteers to share her complex thinking and amazing ideas with the class. Lorelie frequently expresses how much she loves school and learning new content. She is an inspiration to her teachers and to others. She truly embodies the spirit of leadership within our Kurtz community.

Both students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

We are encouraging our families to bring in their veterans to enjoy breakfast at Kurtz on November 11 starting at 8:30 (in the cafeteria) and then take part in our student-led ceremony at approximately 9:45.

A special thank you to our sponsors for donating breakfast to our valued heroes!

Our Kurtz Unified Student Peers team is asking all staff and students to wear blue on 11/22 in order to recognize Diabetes Awareness month. Please join us and wear blue clothing to school as a demonstration of solidarity. This is a great opportunity for parents to talk to their children about diabetes and how many people have diabetes and have to manage their blood sugar in order to manage their own health.

Click here to learn about diabetes.

Our focus this month is on PERSEVERANCE.

See our November focus points below. Our team hopes parents will ask their child about the topic and encourage everyone to grow their thinking and understanding about how perseverance has a positive impact on our lives.

Week 1 - Share with the children the goals you might have for yourself. How will you need to use perseverance to achieve them?

Week 2- Some people need perseverance to solve math problems, read or write a great story. Remind children that everyone can learn and succeed!

Week 3 - Even famous athletes must work hard to get better, stronger or faster. Encourage children to use perseverance to meet a goal this week.

Week 4 - Describe a time you accomplished something that was difficult. How did you feel?

The media center will be very busy the month of November. First we will have our mock Presidential election. Each student will be voting for the candidate of their choice on Monday, Nov 4th. There will be a voting box for the students to place their ballots. All votes will be counted with the winner announced at the end of the day. I can't wait to see how the Kurtz kids vote.

The Book Fair will be from Nov 7-14. Make sure to read the email if you'd like to volunteer during this time. It will be open during Parent Teacher Conferences also. What a great time to buy holiday gifts for your child. Happy Thanksgiving!

Join us for our first Kurtz Night at the Highland Leo's Coney Island on Monday, November 25th from 6-8. The event will be held at the location on Milford Road just past Milford High School. This is a great opportunity to dine with your neighbors and friends in the Kurtz community. Baffling Bill the Magician will also be on hand to provide entertainment for the kids during our evening event. Our generous partners at Leo's will be donating 10% of the revenue collected that evening to our PTA.

The 2024 Color Run made October a special month. Kurtz parents, PTA and local businesses raised over $26,000. Mrs. Shaw’s fourth grade class got to silly string Mr. Chisik and Mrs. Oates was taped to the wall by Mrs. Shaw’s Kindergarten Class.

PTA EVENTS AT A GLANCE

1-Popcorn Friday

1-Coffee Truck 8am-10am

8-Popcorn Friday

13-PTA Meeting @9:30

15-Popcorn Friday

25-Kurtz Night at Leo’s

Facebook: Kurtz Elementary PTA

Email: kurtzelementarypta@gmail.com

The Mobile Dentist will be at Kurtz on Friday, October 4th!

Students are released at 2:37.

Come join us in the cafeteria at Kurtz at 4:30 for our monthly PTA meeting.

The 2024 Color Run will take place at Kurtz on October 17th with a rain date on October 25th. It is our hope that all families make a contribution to our biggest fundraiser of the school year. All of the proceeds donated from this event go directly to supporting our students. It is our hope that families get behind our event and collectively fund the PTA for the upcoming school year. We are excited to have many prizes and experiences lined up for individuals, classes and grade levels. Keep an eye out for information coming home with students and online. Thank your from the Kurtz staff, students and our PTA!

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!

Click here to learn more about this Rec & Ed event.

Join us for fall fun at Kurtz.

On October 16, we will participate in Wear Orange Day to stand against bullying. This day, known as Unity Day, is the hallmark event of National Bullying Prevention Month and will take place on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The central message of the day is to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to help prevent bullying.

The color orange symbolizes safety, visibility, and protection, serving as a bold statement of support for students who have been affected by bullying. We will share more information as the date approaches. Thank you for your support and participation in these important initiatives.

October is Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Awareness Month! It's a great time to highlight how many of our students use AAC to express themselves. For those who might struggle with speech or language, AAC opens up new ways to communicate. This can include sign language, gestures, facial expressions, or even tablet devices featuring symbols. Let's celebrate the diverse ways our students share their voices!

Congratulations to Ava Abraham and Joseph McGuire for being recognized as our Students in the Spotlight this month. Ava is a 4th grader in Mrs. Shaw's class this year. She is new to Kurtz but you would never know it! The first day of school she walked in smiling, was ready for learning, and has immediately encompassed what it means to be a Kurtz Cougar. She leads by example and is a friend to everyone!

Joe is a Kurtz Cougar who is really leveling up this year. He is working hard in class every day. Joe asks great questions that help him and his peers to better understand ideas and concepts. Joe is a leader this year in his role supporting kindergarteners at the end of the day.

Both students exemplify the type of leadership attributes our staff and students recognize as meaningful and effective. We celebrate our Students in the Spotlight each month because they make a difference at school and in our great community.

Last month, the Watch D.O.G.S. program was launched with our Annual Pizza Kick-off event. We had a great turn out of students and their dads. The group listened to Mr. Chisik and Mrs. Zimmerman as they walked through the program. We truly love having our positive male role models involved and visible at school.

Click here is the link to the CRC Form.

Click here is the onboarding Form.

Click here for the slide show.

Each year, Mrs. Oates (lead custodian) has students complete applications in order to be selected to take on the role of Trash Talker. At Kurtz, Trash Talkers have a very positive connotation. Our students are selected to take on cleaning and organizing responsibilities during their recess time. They take great pride in being selected to help make Kurtz the best place to learn. Our students maintain recycling in all spaces in the building, clean places and spaces and just go to great lengths to make sure that everyone at Kurtz feels valued. They are all true leaders in our community. We thank them for making us look so great every day.

Since 2014, the Huron Valley Optimists have partnered with a national organization, Blessings in a Backpack (www.blessingsinabackpack.org) to create the local program, Blessings in a Backpack-Huron Valley.

As Covid19 has taken its toll on children in our local schools, approximately 30% of those children are food insecure. What is food insecurity? A food-insecure household has limited or uncertain access to enough food to support a healthy life.

Three out of four teachers say they have children in their classrooms who regularly come to school hungry. The consequences of hunger are much more than a growling stomach. Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement. Children are fed during the school week by federal government programs. We want to make sure they’re getting nutritional meals over the weekend, too.

Each week, starting this month, prepackaged meals will be shipped directly to Kurtz. Our team members provide classroom teachers with the meals and discretely make sure they get in the hands of students in order to bring home for the weekend. Parents do not have to do anything if they want to receive these food items, as long as your child is on our free or reduced food services list. If you are receiving food items and do not want to participate in this program, just send in this opt out form and we will remove your child(ren) from the list, no questions asked.

At Kurtz, we currently have 36% of our students qualifying for free or reduced lunches. This is a hard number to lock down as the State of Michigan continues to pay for all school breakfasts and lunches for all students. That number is important to us as our funding is partially based on the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced lunches. In order to qualify, parents just need to fill out and submit this district form. A child is never made aware of their status, it just helps to provide our school and district with that important funding resource.

Several grade levels have been reading the book Wild Robot by Peter Brown. We took advantage of our close proximity to the Milford Independent Cinema and walked on over to enjoy the movie together. The kids all said that the movie was a lot of fun. Thank you to Mrs. Papciak and Mrs. Gerwolds for making this fun event happen for our students.

This year, we are welcoming a number of new team members to Kurtz. This gives us a great opportunity to re-establish some of the expectations we have in place at school. We are working very hard to always provide consistent expectations in every space of our great school community. One of our goals this year is to really "LEVEL UP" our focus on engaging with students in consistent ways. This means staff members at every grade level will be working together to rollout and maintain the expectations we have for our students in the classrooms, in the hallways, in the cafeteria and on the playground. With the support of each and every stakeholder at Kurtz, we can "LEVEL UP" the quality of the experiences everyone has at Kurtz, every day. Please take the time to review our Student Behavior Matrix and talk with your child(ren) about how they are going to "LEVEL UP" at school this year.

Student placement at Kurtz is a huge priority for each member of the team. Your Kurtz staff members work hard to make sure classes are well-balanced in several important areas. The sending teachers work diligently to place students with teachers based on personality, needs (behavioral and other considerations) and academics. Our rosters are created to set everyone up for success, each school year.

As we close out each school year, Student Profile forms are made available for parents to share concerns, suggestions and/or to help us best understand all implications related to placing their child in the new year. We ask all of our parents to trust in our team and the work we put into placing students. Moving students at this time of the year unravels the intentional work our team does to ensure the success of each student and teacher. We appreciate parents not requesting changes to placement at the beginning of the school year. Not requesting changes is another way for community members to show respect, support and appreciation to members of your Kurtz team.

Unfortunately, there were only six students interested in attending before school care and eight students for after school care. This means, due to lack of interest, we will not be able to offer School Aged Care at Kurtz, in the new school year. We are very aware of the impact of not having School Aged Care has on families in our community. Please look for Empower Hour options being offered as the staff works very hard to run programs that will help out working parents, during the school year.

Kurtz staff members make it a priority to start each day connecting with students. Our team members meet students outside at their designated doors at 9:05. Parents should note there is no supervision of students before 9:05, so students should not be released from cars until that supervision is in place. The first bell rings at 9:10 and the tardy bell rings at 9:15. If your child arrives after 9:15, parents must escort their child into the building in order to sign him/her in.

Where should your child meet their class each morning?

Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten: Meets under the awning near the main entrance.

First Grade: Meets at the door labeled A5 (in front of the building/orange hall).

Second Grade: Meets under the awning near the main entrance.

Third Grade: Meets at the door labeled B6 (along the side of the building, on the way to the playground / green hall).

Fourth Grade: Meets at the door labeled B3 (along the side of the building, on the way to the playground / blue hall).

Fifth Grade: Meets at the door labeled A8 (along the side of the building, on the way to the playground / purple hall).

Teachers will have signs outside, with their name and grade level, during the first week of the school year!

Parents picking up their child(ren) should start a line-up on Kurtz Drive (before the island with our school sign) in order to allow for our special education buses to load and depart each day. This process will be in place throughout the school year and staff members will be on hand to remind drivers to get in the line up. We appreciate your patience and support as visitors become acclimated to our processes and protocols. You can read more about our process below.

WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is the safe schools initiative of the National Center for Fathering that involves fathers and father figures in schools to serve as an unobtrusive, natural security presence and as positive male role models for children at school. To date, WATCH D.O.G.S have been initiated in more than 1,150 schools in 36 states. This school year, more than 70,000 dads will serve one day as Watch D.O.G.S. at school.

At Kurtz, each WATCH D.O.G. must complete a CRC (criminal background check) and agree to following the expectations we have in place for them each day. We are very proud of our program as it provides our volunteers with a clear schedule for the day that get's them into their child(ren)'s classrooms, specials, have lunch and go out to recess with them. Our volunteers understand they are here to support students and to be visible on campus. WATCH D.O.G.S. walk the exterior of the building making sure doors are secured and that students are safe. They help out in classrooms, in the lunchroom and on the playground. Our WATCH D.O.G.S. know that their day is about students and not about them.

This year we are asking WATCH D.O.G.S. to sign up for one school day. This change is taking place this year in order to create opportunities for our positive male role models to lock in a day at school. We believe that doubling up on WATCH D.O.G.S. takes away from the special experience our volunteers experience on their day, so we are focused on continuing to have one WATCH D.O.G. at a time on duty during the school year.

Stay tuned for information on our WATCH D.O.G.S.' pizza kick-off night when Mr. Chisik and Mrs. Zimmerman will be presenting more information to new and interested members of the Kurtz community. Volunteers will be able to sign up for their day starting at the pizza kick-off. The calendar will be displayed in the main hallway, across from the main office, for parents and kids to review.

In Huron Valley and across the State of Michigan, high student absence patterns have been impacting student achievement. It is our hope to see significant reduction in the number of days our students miss during the school year. Parents should be aware that state truancy guidelines are in place to address students missing more than 10% (or eighteen days) of the school year. It should be noted that students who miss excessive days of school are negatively impacted in many ways.

Excessive tardies are also issues for many students. Parents, please make every effort to ensure that your child(ren) are in the building by 9:15 each and every day. When students are late, teachers must stop morning routines and practices to receive children who are late. If you are unable to get your child(ren) to school by 9:15, we hope you consider using our HVS transportation and/or reach out to Mr. Chisik or Mrs. Smith for support in coming up with strategies that will ensure your children are able to participate in the school experience from bell to bell each day.

Please check out the attached resources from www.attendanceworks.org

All visitors to Kurtz must enter through the main office where they will be required to sign in and present identification. If an individual is interested in volunteering in a classroom at Kurtz, he or she must have a completed CRC (Criminal Records Check) on file here at the building and have their visit scheduled with the classroom teacher. A CRC is good for the school year that it was completed in, so it is important to make sure you complete the process if you would like to volunteer in the building in the new school year.

A CRC is not required for guests to attend large events or classroom parties where there is a teacher or designated staff member supervising students. We do encourage all parents to complete the form in order to help ensure our ability to maintain a safe and secure environment at school.

All families with emails entered in Skyward should have received a message directly from Droplet inviting you to complete the CRC form. If you have not received your email, please check your spam folder. You can use the link emailed from Droplet for multiple CRC applications.

Click here to complete a CRC form.

All breakfasts and lunches are free to students in Huron Valley Schools this year. However, it is still very important that parents are filling out the Free or Reduced Lunch form as funding is directly related to the data that comes from that information. Please take time to complete the form for us as we depend on state funding for staffing and supports that are directed to each of our classrooms. You can click here to download the form.

Please remember, students do not have refrigerator, freezer or microwave access at school. Also, if your child struggles to open containers or packaging at home, they will likely have the same issues at school. All students have twenty minutes to eat during lunch time. We would much rather see kids eating than waiting for an adult to come and help them open containers.

Keeping our students hydrated throughout the school day is very important, however current trends with water bottles has led to some issues within our classrooms. Very large and/or metal water bottles are taking up a lot of space on desks or in designated water spots in classes and often fall to the ground creating a very startling distraction. If you choose to send a water bottle in with your child, please consider purchasing a light weight, plastic bottle that is 20 fluid ounces or less. As a side note, we often have a limited number of plastic bottles that are often donated to us through community partners for children who lose or forget their water bottle, but rest assured, there are still water fountains (that are attached to the same filtration system as our bottle fillers are) that students can have access to. If you are interested in donating unused water bottles to Kurtz for students, please contact Mr. Chisik directly. Rest assured that water breaks, movement breaks, bathroom breaks are all a part of daily routines at Kurtz Elementary School.

Melissa Booms: Third Grade Teacher

I am thrilled to join the Kurtz team as a third grade teacher. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching kindergarten, fourth grade and fifth grade in northern Michigan, but I’m especially excited to start this new chapter here in Milford. Teaching is my passion, and I particularly enjoy guiding students through the wonders of math, helping them discover their voices in writing and inspiring a lifelong love of reading. On a personal note, my husband will be teaching social studies at White Lake Middle School. We also have a two-year-old daughter and two cats, Gingersnap and Bagel, who all keep us on our toes. I’m looking forward to a fantastic year ahead and can’t wait to meet all my amazing third graders!

Mrs. Fiyalko: Fourth Grade Teacher

My name is Brittney Fiyalko and this is my 13th year of teaching. I have a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and Master’s Degree’s in Reading and Curriculum Development. I have taught lower and upper elementary grades throughout the years and this year I am excited to be teaching 4th grade at Kurtz. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and with our golden retriever, Ruby. I also like to be active and I enjoy reading good books. I am looking forward to meeting the families in the Kurtz community this year!

Mrs. Shoup: First Grade Teacher

My name is Ms. Mary Jo Shoup. I will be teaching first grade at Kurtz Elementary. Before coming to Kurtz, I was a Title I teacher K-5, for reading and math for 4 years. Prior to that, I taught kindergarten and first grade. I am happy to be joining the Huron Valley School District and honored to be a member of the Kurtz Elementary team. I am the proud parent of two beautiful daughters. Both my daughters and I are Alumni of the HVS District and I feel as though I am coming home. I enjoy working with both my students and their parents. I believe a child's education is a result of family, school and society. This places a great responsibility on an educator and I take that responsibility seriously. I enjoy gardening and spending time with my family and friends. I am always looking for new ways to learn and grow in my career so as to better serve my students and their families.

Holly Allen:

Hello Kurtz families. I’m so excited to be joining the Kurtz lunch and recess crew. I am an incoming Kurtz parent. I have a 5-year-old entering kindergarten at Kurtz, as well as an 8-year-old entering third grade at Lakewood elementary in the ASD program. My background is in Aquatics management and swim lesson education. I currently teach swim lessons at Hocken Family Swim Academy in Waterford, MI. I was a stay-at-home mom for 8 years and now that both my children are in school, I’m ready to rejoin the workforce. I love working with children and am really looking forward to meeting all of you this coming school year.

Rachel Burtka:

I have a first grader and a fifth grader who attend Kurtz. I volunteered in the kindergarten classroom last year and really enjoyed working with the kids! I have a bachelor's degree in youth studies and have co-lead a Girl Scout troop at Kurtz for the last three years. I'm looking forward to the upcoming school year!

Brendan Slaughter:

My name is Brendan Slaughter and I will be helping with lunch and recess. I was a helper at Heritage Elementary during a semester and a Hockey Team Manager at Milford High School. I helped the students read and whatever else they needed. I am excited to be at Kurtz because I had a great experience at Heritage with the students. They are fun and it's fulfilling to be their helper/role model. I am currently the Milford High School Hockey Team Manager which I enjoy immensely as well. This will be my third year with the team. Please come support our boys this fall!

It is important to know the role of the traditional school social worker has evolved over the years. At Kurtz, our social workers do a lot to support what we refer to as social emotional learning or SEL. SEL is a big part of our work together and can be observed in every corner of the school, in the cafeteria an on the playground. Our full time building social worker, Mrs. Smith leads our Positive Behavior Intervention system and the paraprofessionals that work with our staff and students to make sure they have the tools they need in order to solve problems and navigate issues with others. Our social workers are a part of our BEST process where we support students by implementing systems that are designed to make every child thrive, regardless of obstacles. Mrs. Smith often tells children that she is the feelings teacher at Kurtz in order to help them to navigate issues and learn about how to utilize tools like deep breathing, taking breaks, talking things out or just encouraging the children to connect and share "worries" at school with their family members. If you hear that your child has gone to see Mrs. Smith or our part time social worker Mrs. Mattingly, know that they have been able to work with them to solve a problem, which has been a part of the way we have serviced students for years at Kurtz. Please know that our social work team reaches back out to parents whenever an issue occurs that is larger than a disagreement or misunderstanding between students. Our SEL team wants you to know that they are here to provide support to family members looking for creative ways to solve problems and are very much plugged in to the community. Their community connections make them the best member of your community based support team to help parents navigate difficult situations when they need it most.

Our social workers work hand in hand with the principal in order to make sure that all community members are supported appropriately. As many of you know, every staff member at Kurtz is a mandatory reporter (click here to read more about mandatory reporting) and is expected, by law to report issues to the state when he or she suspects the possibility of neglect or abuse. Our teachers and social workers do everything in their power to understand that children often say things that are questionable and even false.

Melissa Hornyak: Literacy Coach

I am so thrilled to be taking on the role as the Literacy Coach at Kurtz! I may be a familiar face since this will be my 14th year at Kurtz. I have taught kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. It is an honor to be in this role this year and work with our Kurtz students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

This summer was extremely busy at the Hornyak household. I took Orton Gillingham training to prepare me for my new role. We took vacations to St. Pete Beach, Florida, Traverse City and Key Largo, Florida. We visited family in Ohio, and moved Molly back to Western Michigan University. I also was able to relax and enjoy some family time on our boat and jet skis.

I am very excited to be walking this journey with our Kurtz families. I look forward to the work and growth we will all accomplish this year. I just know it’s going to be a terrific school year! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns at any time. I am always available and willing to help out in any way that I can.

Mrs. Mattingly: Halftime Social Worker for CATS and General Education Groups

I am thrilled to be returning to Kurtz for the upcoming school year! I will be working with students in the CATS program, as well as partnering with the building Social Worker, Leah Smith, to support the entire Kurtz community. This will be my third year working as a social worker in Huron Valley; I will be working at Kurtz 3 days a week and Country Oaks 2 days a week. My family moved to Milford in 2021 (proud HVS Mom of 3), and I am so eager to serve this community that we have grown to love. Fun fact: We recently started a Christmas tree farm and are growing pumpkins, so I guess that makes me a farmer! I look forward to meeting many of you and working with such an amazing group of educators.

Sheena Stephens: JK Para, Lunch and Recess Supervisor and PBIS Para

I'm so excited to be joining our Kurtz team full time! I will be growing my roll at Kurtz this year as a junior kindergarten para as well as joining our PBIS team as the newest para. Don't worry kiddos. You'll still see me in the lunch room too! I have a bachelors from Wayne State University ( GO WARRIORS) and I have 4 kids in Huron Valley Schools including 3 at Kurtz! In my spare time (if i have any) you can find me crafting, drawing, puzzling, reading or on the sidelines cheering for my kids. I am very much looking forward to this school year and getting to work with our kurtz kids!

Ms. Yee: Halftime Resource Room Teacher

I graduated with an Undergraduate Degree in Elementary Education from Grand Valley State University and worked with students with cognitive impairments. I have earned an International Education Certification from Thessaloniki Greece and am currently working on my Master's in Education for students with Learning Disabilities. Why Kurtz? I grew up in the surrounding area and knew HVS was a district I wanted to get into. After interviewing, I had the gut feeling that this is where I wanted to be and I am now excited to be a part of it! I am a huge family person. I have a brother who is in the United States Marines and is starting school at the University of Alabama and a sister who is going into high school and dances in the area. I also was a dancer in the area for 18 years!

During the school day, if you need to drop off something that was forgotten by your child, we have a procedure in place. When you come in through the main doors at Kurtz, you will find a black shelving unit that is set up for each grade level. There is always a stack of Post-it notes that parents can use to identify their child and teacher. Leave the item, with the Post-it note attached, in the designated space on the shelf, according to grade level. Visitors do not need to buzz the office in order to let the team know. Our amazing office team checks the shelves throughout the day to make sure each child gets their lunch, backpack, water bottle, etc.

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year. At Kurtz, we are very hopeful that we are finally on the other side of pandemic-related protocols and procedures. It goes without saying that we have all learned so much about teaching, learning and working together during this time. The Kurtz team has worked hard to partner with parents in leading the way in all aspects of safety and academic growth of our students. Together we have used tools like communication, empathy and patience to stay committed to all of the members of our school family. Through the many community conversations, surveys and communications, we consistently heard the message that you recognize the hard work we put into making Kurtz Elementary School, a world class organization and resource. We value your understanding and support of our commitment to execute the protocols and procedures that have been delivered to us throughout the pandemic. We understand that not every parent or community member feels the same way about the decisions that are made or about how those decisions impact us at the building level.

We believe you recognize that the Kurtz team does not and will not bring politics, personal beliefs or protocols into play here at school, especially where they involve our students. We strive to make Kurtz a key foundational experience that prepares our students to eventually move on to the middle school as prepared students and individuals. Our focus is on creating and maintaining systems that help our students become leaders and thinkers. It is never our intention to provide students with “hot topics” related to political or social media-based subject matter. You can rely on us to execute our state and local board approved curriculum with the highest degree of professionalism and integrity. In the event you hear something that contradicts this message, we encourage you to seek clarification at the source before assuming ill intent.

Sometimes social media or even community conversations present ideas that are not consistent with the reality of what is actually taking place at the building level. We want to put your mind at ease and squash any information that could cause any potential stress or obstacles in our relationship as a team centered around the positive growth of our students. During the school year, you may hear conversations related to diversity, equity and/or inclusion. These concepts are key to the work we do to recognize our students and their families. We focus on teaching our students to be all inclusive, kind and to stick up for themselves and others when issues arise. We do not teach our students how to think about race or ethnicity, rather to understand that there are differences and those differences should not impact what we do at school. If you have questions about teaching or learning practices at Kurtz, you are encouraged to reach out to us for more information.

By seeking to understand the context of the conversation you might find out that a discussion was held in a classroom, designed to promote empathy and inclusion rather than being politically motivated. Once again, we would greatly appreciate you seeking more information starting with your own child. If you feel like clarification is still required, please go directly to the source. Email your child’s teacher and seek to understand. With a little bit of effort, we can continue to grow our collaborative teams and you might find that providing our team members with the benefit of the doubt and reaching out may have a significant and positive outcome. Your principal is always available to parents who follow through this process and still require more information or perspective. Know that we care for each and every one of our students and are invested in helping them become positive and productive citizens, friends and neighbors, as they age through elementary, middle school and high school.

Kurtz Elementary has and will continue to follow the district policy on electronics. To ensure that no misunderstanding occurs relating to this issue, we consider a Kindle, Nook, tablet, smart watch or even a cell phone to fit into the district’s set position on the student’s use of electronics. Please check out the district’s policy.

As technology is becoming more and more a part of our lives, we at Kurtz realize that many devices can be used in the classrooms to enhance the educational experience for our students. We are moving forward with the integration of technology while limiting the amount of distractions that may be created in the learning environment. We are a one-to-one district. This means we have a Chromebook for each student to access during the school day.

Parents are asked not to give in to sending students with cell phones, smart watches or other devices as our focus is on maximizing positive social experiences for our students. We find that students with devices often choose those devices over interacting with friends. Also, students are often tempted to take and send pictures of one another that might not be approved or appreciated. We have protocols in place for parents to use in order to communicate with their children without calling or texting them directly during school hours.

Student possession of an electronic device in the building is allowed and subject to the discretion of the classroom teacher. The administrative staff, along with the classroom teacher, reserves the right to define the educational value of any new electronic devices that may become available in the future, and to prohibit or allow their use accordingly. Possession of an electronic device by a student is a privilege and will be forfeited by any student not following school policies and/or classroom protocols. If a parent chooses to send a child to school, the device must be off and in a backpack or pocket. A student using a device without permission or in an inappropriate fashion will result in the device being turned in to the principal. Parents will be called and will be responsible for picking the device up in the office. Please ask your child’s teacher for more information regarding classroom expectations if your child is interested in bringing a device from home.

If a teacher allows students to bring in a device that teacher must provide a secure location in the classroom. The student is personally responsible for the safety and security of their electronic device when it is not secured by the classroom teacher.

Students may not text, email, take pictures or otherwise use a personal device on school property during school hours. Please note, if a parent allows their child(ren) to bring in a device to school, the device must be turned off and put away. All communication during the school day should be through the teacher and/or main office in order to avoid distraction during learning time or confusion related to messages that are not communicated to all parties.

Click here to download a BYOD permission form.

We are very proud of the pick-up and drop-off processes we have in place at Kurtz. We work hard to make this daily routine safe and effective. There are Kurtz staff members assigned to ensuring our systems work effectively, while still making sure to use the time to connect with students and provide support when and if support is needed. We assure you that our system works and is most effective when visitors follow our plan. We are always focused on getting you in and out of the parking lot as quickly as possible. Visitors can help us make pick-up and drop-off times flow best by not parking on the curb during pick-up and drop-off times.

· Mind the 15 MPH speed limit on Kurtz Drive.

· Vehicles should be pulling all the way up and quickly getting child(ren) in and out of the car. Please do not get out and help children in or out of the vehicle.

· Utilize pick-up and drop-off Kurtz staff or park if your child requires extra support.

· Visitors should never pass in the left lane of the loop because it is not safe for our students and could (and has) resulted in damage to vehicles, adding unnecessary stress on individuals. We feel strongly that passing really only has the potential to save a few seconds on your commute and strongly expect you not to do it.

· If you are planning to park, please park in a designate parking space. Kurtz staff members park in the back of the lot in order to make it as easy as possible for parents to find a parking space in our small parking lot. Also, students should never be walking through the parking lot without an adult. Parents, please observe the posted speed limit sign on Kurtz Drive.

· We ask parents to respect our neighbors and never block driveways when you are picking up or dropping off. We have also been contacted by our neighbors at the Document Store to ask parents not to use their parking lot as a pick-up space.

Parents are not to escort their child(ren) to their classrooms for various health and safety reasons. Teachers meet their students outside each morning to start the day in a positive and personal manner. Your participation in this process is both expected and appreciated. Please feel free to share ideas and suggestions in writing with me, Mr. Chisik, at your earliest convenience

Milford Police have been alerted to address concerns related to Kurtz community members picking up or dropping off students from the neighborhood side of our campus. We understand that parents may be using that area to avoid waiting in our formal car loop in front of the school. Our neighbors indicate that cars regularly block driveways and/or narrowly avoid accidents trying to navigate the narrow connecting road just behind our playground.

Students who are allowed to exit the building through the playground, reside in the neighborhoods surrounding our building. Although we do not monitor or enforce traffic in that area at the school level, car riders are expected to drop off and pick up students from the front of our building in the pick-up drop-off lane. Please consider using our formal pick-up and drop-off loop instead of the adjacent neighborhoods. If you do, please be safe, follow posted signage and do not block driveways.

We recognize that parking at Kurtz is a challenge, especially during those special times of the year when we invite family members in to school. Another way of showing support to your Kurtz team is to refrain from parking past the stop sign to the left of the gym. The area in the back of the building, by the cafeteria door, is considered the staff parking area. The exception to that designation is the signed handicapped parking spots. Thank you in advance for making sure your Kurtz team members have easy access to the school at all times during the school day.

Kurtz Elementary School strives to create a safe zone for all students, staff members and visitors. During the school day, we do not allow dogs on our school campus. As the weather starts to warm up, we understand the interest our families may have in bringing the dog along to drop off or pick up Kurtz students from school each day. We recognize and appreciate how well trained and/or well behaved your dog may seem, but we also respect the fact that all parents expect their child(ren) to be safe at school each day. Even well-trained/behaved fury friends can have unexpected responses while out in public. This means parents, guardians, and visitors should not bring their four legged family members to the school at drop-off or pick-up time under any circumstances.

It should be noted that you may hear about visits from Rosie, the district’s resident therapy dog. Rosie has had extensive training and is a certified therapy dog and is recognized by the State of Michigan as a certified therapy dog. Rosie also carries liability insurance as a part of the partnership agreement we have with her owner.

OK2SAY is the student safety program which allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees, and schools. It uses a comprehensive communication system to facilitate tip sharing among students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and law enforcement officials, about harmful behaviors that threaten to disrupt the learning environment.

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Email: steve.chisik@hvs.org
Website: http://www.hvs.org/schools/elementaryschools/kurtz/
Location: 1350 Kurtz Drive, MI, United States
Phone: (248) 684-8250