🚗🚘🛻🚌 It's time for a carline conversation. We need your help. This is long, so thank you for reading it.

The elementary school's #1 job is safety. It is the most important thing we do every day. We need your carline help, in the morning and the afternoon. Five years ago, we discontinued using the turnaround for drop off and pickup because, with the increasing number of parents dropping children off, it was a problem with M-22 being blocked. We use Leelanau because there is a lot more room to spread out the carline, without blocking travelers on M-22. In short, it is for safety and efficiency.

Morning: We ask you not to use the turnaround in the morning for student safety and visibility with so many moving pieces in the morning of children walking, and moving staff vehicles and buses in the parking lot. Again, it's about student safety.

If you do not want to use the carline on Leelanau in the morning, you have options to Leelanau's carline:

1) park along the or drive through the area along the M-22 fence to drop your child off

2) pull across M-22 on Leelanau (east of the intersection) and drop your child off--they can cross with the crossing guard to get to the building safely.

Afternoon. Our carline is completed by about 3:13 almost every day--only eight minutes after the bell rings in the afternoon. It's really fast and safe, if everyone can follow the simple requests we have. If you arrive on Leelanau from Third or Fourth Streets at 3:08, you will move almost constantly to reach your child.

When staff members ask you to pull forward, please do. They will treat you with respect and kindness; please return it. They are only doing what they have been instructed to do, and to get every child to the correct car, safely.

Our staff will direct you to the farthest open curb cut. If you pull up, you will be directed to the farthest open curb cut, and they will help your child find you and get into the car without snow being part of pick up. Cars whipping around stopped cars which are refusing to move creates a very dangerous situation. There may be children who have to walk around a car to get into the passenger side instead of the driver's side, and there may be cars already passing on Leelanau.

And as always, please don't block driveways in the morning or afternoon. Our neighbors need to be able to get in or out during our movement times, too.

Please call Mrs. Aldrich to schedule an appointment to meet with me if you have any constructive ideas for how we can improve our carline as we begin planning for 2025-2026. Thanks in advance for your help. 🚌 🛻🚘🚗

Dear Frankfort Families,

We had such a fun weekend with our Date With Your Dude and Ties and Tiaras dances. Thank you to all who attended, and to the Panther Parents for such amazing back-to-back events.

It's hard to believe that it's time, but the Summer Care Program is enrolling now. Please see information below.

A Girl's Basketball Clinic is available for grades PK- grade 3 for three Sundays in March. See the flyer and link below!

Benzie Shores District Library updates are below!

Our third Behavior Incentive has begun. Encourage your child to behave in a positive way every day! And watch folders for information to come home this week about our second incentive activity!

Febraruary 26 Early Release Wednesday, 12:30 dismissal for students.

Weather: It will be a mostly cold week this week. Make sure your child comes to school each day with a coat with a hood or a hat (or both!), snow pants, boots, and gloves or mittens--preferably nylon, water resistant mittens. Please mark the inside of your child's clothing with a Sharpie or other method so we can get "lost" clothing to your child quickly. If you need help getting winter gear for your child, please contact Mrs. Aldrich in the office.

Have a great two weeks and a wonderful Winter Break!

Best,

Anne

Anne Gwaltney, Principal

Frankfort Elementary School

Grades Kindergarten through 5th Grade are working on their third behavior incentive of the year.

• The third quarter ends on Friday, April 4!
• We will keep the incentive prize a secret until it's time!
• For most of our students, earning the incentive is E-A-S-Y, so it will reward the Panther Pride they show every day! Please encourage your child to be safe with their bodies, respectful to all people, and responsible by trying to do their best and making good choices.

Handle with Care. If your child is coming to school with carrying extra concerns, we can help. Please contact the classroom teacher, me (agwaltney@frankfort.k12.mi.us), or Carrie Aldrich (contact information below) with an email, message, or call to let us know. We will be sure your child has extra support throughout the day.

Please meet at the HS wrestling room.

February Youth Wrestling Schedule:

Practices Times:

Advanced Group —4:45pm 6:15pm Mon/Wed

Novice Group (Combined Beginner/Intermediate)

6:15-7:15 Mon/Wed

Contact Nash Myers with any questions about Youth Wrestling.

It’s time to build! Open Build will be at the Benzie Shores Library on Monday, February 17 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Visit us on your day off from school to build with LEGO, Magnatiles and more!

Upcoming Programs:

Monday, February 17: Open Build Day 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Wednesday, February 26: Snacktivity - Early Release Wednesday! 1:30 - 4:30 pm

Benzie Shores District Library

630 Main St. Frankfort

231-352-4671

www.benzieshoreslibrary.org

Monday, 2.10

4th Grade Boys Basketball, 3:15-5:15 p.m.

Tuesday, 2.11

Wednesday, 2.12

4th Grade Boys Basketball, 3:15-5:15 p.m.

Chess Club, 3:05 p.m.

Thursday, 2.13

Knitting Club, 3:05, TBD

3-5 Art Club, 3:05 in the STEAM room

Girl Scouts, 3:30, library

Friday, 2.14

No School! Winter break!

Monday, 2.17

No School! Winter break!

Tuesday, 2.18

Wednesday, 2.19

Thursday, 2.20

Knitting Club, 3:05

NO ART CLUB this week

Friday, 2.21

Upcoming:

February 26--Early Release Wednesday, 12:30 dismissal for students

March 7--12:30 dismissal for students

Drop Offs:

• All student drop offs are along Leelanau Avenue.
• Please park on 6th Street and bring your child to the Preschool entrance.
• Preschool drop off is at 7:50 a.m. Preschool teachers will greet students and walk them to their classrooms.
  
• Kindergarten-grade 5 doors open at 7:55 a.m. and school begins at 8:05. Students dropped off early, will line up by grade to be admitted. In times of inclement weather, students will be invited to stand on tiled areas inside the building until 7:55 a.m.
• Kindergarten and grade 1 enter at the west set of entry doors on Leelanau.
• Grades 2 and 5 enter through the east set of doors on Leelanau.
• Grades three and four walk up the cement steps facing Leelanau and into the doors facing M-22.
• No cars are permitted in the elementary parking lot turn around from 7:45 to 8:10 a.m. to allow buses to move easily through the turn around.

Pick Ups:

• All student pick ups are along Leelanau Avenue.
• Your K-6 grade child will receive a number (with the same number for all students of a single family) for pickups. If your child does not receive a number by the end of the first week, please call Carrie Aldrich at 352-7601 to obtain a number.
  
• When you pull up, your number will be radioed into the school, and students will be dismissed by number, including families with upper and lower grade children.
• Please continue to pull up as far as possible to help the line move more easily. Adults will help your child get to your car.
• If you are a returning student, the number will be the same as last year’s.
• Preschool pickup is at 2:45 p.m.
• Kindergarten-grade 5 pick up is at 3:05 p.m.
  
• No cars are permitted in the elementary parking lot turn around from 2:45 to 3:10 p.m. to allow for buses to move easily through the turn around.

There is absolutely NO parking on Leelanau Avenue, morning or afternoon. If you wish to walk your child to or pick your child up from the door, please park on one of the side streets--5th or 6th or along the wire fence on M-22.

Safety is our number one concern during drop off and pickup. Thanks in advance for your patience , care, and consideration during the first week's drop off and pick up. It will be faster after everyone gets used to being in or back in carline.

Click here to see a map of Carline.