CUBS COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION

Our mission at Collins, with the help of the community, is to foster a caring and enriching environment that enables all students to grow academically and socially, to reach their individual potential as they become lifelong learners.

SCHOOL HOURS: 8:25-3:15 DAILY

HALF-DAY HOURS: 8:25-11:29

BREAKFAST OPENS @ 8:15-8:25

email: mailto:officecollins@uticak12.org

website: https://collins.uticak12.org

Location: 12900 Grand Haven, Sterling Heights, MI 48312

Phone: 586-797-4200

Attendance Line: 586-797-4299 (24 hours)

COLLINS Facebook: www.facebook.com/CollinsCubs

PTO Facebook: www.facebook.com/BruceCollinsPTO

AUGUST RETURN DATES:

20: Kindergarten Welcome 5:30-6:30pm DODGE PARK PTO

22: Elementary Cashier Training 8-11

26: SUPPLY DROP OFF! 4-5pm

27: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL-HALF DAY DISMISSAL @ 11:29

30: NO SCHOOL LABOR DAY RECESS

SEPTEMBER DATES

2: NO SCHOOL LABOR DAY RECESS

3-17: PTO MUM SALE

8: 5th grade DIA FIELD TRIP

9: PICTURE DAY!!! (PLEASE THE ORDER FORM BELOW)

11: OPEN HOUSE!! 6:30-8pm. 6:30-7pm TITLE I PARENT MEETING WELCOME, 7-8 OPEN HOUSE

18: NO SCHOOL STAFF PD

20: ICE CREAM SOCIAL 5-7pm

OCTOBER DATES

2: COUNT DAY!!

2: Custodian Appreciation Day-Make a card to say thank you!

16: NO SCHOOL PD

18: Trunk or Treat PTO TBD

30: PTO Little Ceasar's Pizza Kits

31: HALF- DAY DISMISSAL @ 11:29 Parade and Parties-TBD.

NOVEMBER DATES

1: HALF-DAY DISMISSAL @ 11:29 END OF QUARTER 1

5: NO SCHOOL ELECTION DAY

Greetings CUBS-

We sincerely hope you continue to enjoy this special time with friends and family. Great things are happening at Collins Elementary School! Our school staff and our district continue to work on getting all materials ready to go for our FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL on TUESDAY, AUGUST 27th for a half-day of school dismissal at 11:29!

8/20 KINDERGARTEN WELCOME: PTO SPONSORED EVENT

Next week, we look forward to welcoming all KINDERGARTNERS to our PTO SPONSORED POPSICLES IN THE PARK event. I look forward to meeting you all there and a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to our WONDERFUL PTO for their planning and organization of this wonderful event.

*NEW* CIACCHELLA CHATS: Friday, 8/23 from 12-1pm.

I am so excited to introduce the new, "CIACCHELLA CHATS." This is just a new way for me to get to know our CUBS community a little bit better and listen to your stories! If you would like to wave hello, walk and talk, stop and chat, or just tell me all about your summer, look for me on my CIACCHELLA CHAT walking loop on Grand Haven, Jared, Canterbury, and Idaho on my lunch from 12-1. Can't wait to walk and talk our wonderful Collins neighborhood! See you then!

STAFFING UPDATE:

Collins has some exciting news to share with our community: we are pleased to welcome some FULL-TIME additional staff and new staff members that will be joining us here at Collins for the 24-25 school year. In addition, we are pleased to welcome a brand-new ASD program that will join our other 2 ECSE programs already housed at Collins. Such an exciting time to be a part of our COLLINS COMMUNITY! Although further updates will follow, at this time, we would like to extend a formal welcome to the following new staff members to COLLINS ELEMENTARY:

• Ms. Jennifer Merrifield, Behavior Interventionist, FULL-TIME
• Ms. Alexandra House, School Social Worker, FULL-TIME
• Ms. Linda Elgert, Learning Center, FULL-TIME
• Ms. Emily Hauss, ASD Classroom, FULL-TIME

LUNCH/RECESS SUPERVISORS
Wow! What a GREAT response from our community to volunteer their time and/or get paid for their time to be our LUNCH/RECESS Supervisors! We are PLEASED to formally welcome Ms. Kelly and Ms. Jasmine as our lead LUNCH/RECESS Supervisors. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!! In addition to those positions, we have received four additional parent volunteers that plan to give us their time M-F to support as paid lunch/recess support. THANK YOU! 🥰We are very excited to welcome our new leads and our school appreciates your support. WE STILL HAVE SPACES FOR 2 MORE PAID LUNCH/RECESS SUPERVISOR SUPPORTS! Please contact the office if you are interested in this position. We will have a Lunchroom/Recess Supervisor and Volunteer meeting on Thursday at 2pm.

PTO SUPPORT NEEDED:

CUBS, we would LOVE to extend a formal invitation to help support our FABULOUS and HARDWORKING PTO!! Our PTO Board does a wonderful job of planning and supporting our building in countless ways, but they NEED YOUR HELP!! If you are willing to help our community grow, please contact them at BRUCECOLLINS.PTO20@gmail.com.

Please see the attached special edition to help your family navigate the next few weeks before our official start of the school year on August 27th. We hope you all are having a wonderful and restful summer vacation. Please see below with some very important information for our community. More details will be posted on our FACEBOOK page as well as our UCS homepage: Collins Elementary / Homepage (uticak12.org).

We look forward to welcoming our students back on August 27th for a half-day of school.

HAPPY (continued) SUMMER VACATION CUBS!

Warm regards,

Principal Ciacchella

• *ALL GENERAL FORMS*
• Emergency Contacts
• MEDICAL INFORMATION including important allergy Information
• Other important information.

For additional forms to be completed, please click on the Registration Forms in UCS:

• Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan
• Transportation Health Information Card
• UCS ASTHMA Health Care Plan
• UCS Authorization for Medication
• UCS Diabetes Health Care Plan
• UCS General Health Care Plan
• UCS HEART CONDITION Health Care Plan
• UCS SEIZURE Health Care Plan
• UCS Special Diet Statement

TECHNOLOGY

• We highly recommend paying the optional $20.00 technology device insurance to cover possible damages that may occur.
• $20.00 *optional* fee is due by SEPTEMBER 6, 2024 through PaySchools.

ALL INFORMATION MUST BE COMPLETED ONLINE AT: PowerSchool / Home (uticak12.org)

Are you interested in volunteering at our school? If so, please be sure to complete the background check and volunteer form below. A REMINDER THAT A NEW FORM MUST BE COMPLETED EACH YEAR and completed within 2 weeks of the event. :)

FREE MEALS

Great news, free meals will be provided again this year due to Michigan School Meals. However, in order to continue to provide service, we will still need the Educational Benefit Forms completed in order to maintain our Title I funding.

• Please complete this form to apply online below.
• Families with food allergies should complete the MDE Special Dietary Needs form filled out and signed by a physician each year and submitted to the Food Service Office. SEE BELOW

SAY CHEESE CUBS!! PICTURE DAY IS SEPTEMBER 9th!

Picture day at Collins will be held on September 9th with SchoolPictures.com. Please use the QR code below to scan and pre-order your pictures now. In addition, the paper copies will be sent home with your student at the beginning of the school year. However, if you would like to view the order form to prepare in advance, we have included that as well. Orders are accepted both DIGITALLY and via PAPER. 📷

• SCHOOL KEYWORD: AA0107Fall24

Collins Community, we would like to hire you! Our CUBS community is one that is inclusive, inviting, warm, and friendly. Our school thrives because of the parent volunteers, such as yourself. Besides our wonderful and hardworking PTO, we would like you to work for us. If you have thought about getting involved with the school and continuing to help our village grow with support, please consider applying for the following positions:

AVAILABLE PAID POSITIONS:

• Cashier
• LUNCH/RECESS SUPERVISOR (4 positions available)
• ISM TEACHER

AVAILABLE VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

• MAIN DOORS CROSS WALK CROSSING GUARD

We have several positions that will be open and available for Utica Community Schools for the 2024-2025 school year. If you have every considered getting involved in this amazing community, this is the time to do so! Please be sure to check out the website FREQUENTLY!!

https://uticak12.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

If you'd like to SUBSTITUTE TEACH in our building, please visit the website below!!

https://www.edustaff.org

Even though your school doors will be closed, our Care Match site is always running. At anytime, students, staff, or families can submit an anonymous request to care through your district's custom link caresolace.com/utica.

Bond Issue Updates / Bond Issue Updates (uticak12.org)

SUPER CUBS SHOW THEIR P.A.W.S!

P: Positive Choices

A: Act Responsibly

W: Will be Respectful

S: Shows Integrity

All Collins Cubs are expected to follow protocols and procedures while showing their PAWS! That includes inside the classrooms, during the hallways, on the playgrounds, and for arrivial/dismissal as well. Teachers will be on the lookout for ways to celebrate students showing their PAWS and have a chance to earn incentives.

Please review all Utica Community Schools behavior policies in the Parent Handbook attached to the link below. It is expected that all UCS policies and procedures will be adhered to at any/all school functions and on school properties. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Safety remains a priority for our school. Collins Elementary is once again providing training to our students on our safety protocols. The protocols identify actions that students may be asked to take in the event of a potential incident: hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate and shelter.

The training is provided through a short, animated video. In the video, the teacher – Mrs. Appleton – and her students walk through the different responses in a very relaxed and engaging way for younger children. The script was written by our staff.

The protocols will continue to be part of the training while practicing our regular school safety drills, such as fire drills, security drills, tornado drills, evacuation procedures, etc.)

The video is available for you to review at this link: UCS School Safety: Standard Response Protocol - Elementary - YouTube If you have any questions, please contact our office.

Principal of Collins Elementary

Email: collinsquestions@uticak12.org
Website: https://www.uticak12.org/Collins
Location: 12900 Grand Haven Drive, Sterling Heights, MI, USA
Phone: (586)797-4200
Facebook: facebook.com/collins