Dragon's Tale

January 17, 2025

Dear Dragon Families,

We have had a wonderful week of learning at Keith Elementary School. Your children have been working hard on their academic work, as well as thriving in their Physical Education, Art, Media, and Music classes.

I want to encourage all of our families to continue making reading a priority at home. Whether it’s reading together in the evenings, during weekends, or even enjoying a quiet moment before bed, reading plays an essential role in the development of your child’s literacy skills. Research shows that children who read regularly at home perform better academically, and it is one of the most valuable gifts you can give to them. Let’s keep those pages turning!

Also, please note that there will be no school on Monday, January 20th, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I encourage you to take this day to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, and if you’re looking for ways to participate in community activities, we invite you to attend the MLK Day celebration at WLN High School. For additional details on this event and other school happenings, be sure to read through the entire Dragon's Tale Newsletter. There are plenty of exciting things coming up in the next few weeks, and we want to ensure that everyone is well-informed and involved.

Thank you for your continued support in making Keith Elementary a wonderful place for our students to grow and learn. We look forward to seeing you at upcoming events and continuing to work together to support our children.

Warm regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

January, 2025

Jan. 6 - School Resumes - Reminder School Begins at 8:55a.m.

Jan. 7 - Keith PTA Meeting - 6:30pm Learning Commons

Jan. 13 - The Anxious Generation Family Book Study 6pm Learning Commons

Jan. 20 - No School - MLK Day

Jan. 20 - MLK Day Celebration at WLN - Details about this WLCSD Event Below

Jan. 22 - Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Orientation - 6:00pm Keith Cafeteria

Jan. 24 - Keith's Got Talent Show at WLC - 5:30pm Call Time, 6pm Show Begins!

Jan. 27 - 5th Grade Concert Tour at WLN High School - 9:30am (details to come)

Jan. 29 - 1/2 Day of School

Walled Lake Schools 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Walled Lake Northern High School on Monday, January 20th beginning at 5:00 p.m.

This year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration theme is Unity.

“Unity in diversity is unity between all individuals and groups, regardless of differences. It is unity without uniformity, and diversity without divisiveness. It is an understanding that the differences between people enrich our lives and makes our country the special, and unique place it is”.

Just a reminder about Skate Night, Tue, Jan 21st, at the Rolladium Skate Family Fun Center!

📍 Location: 4475 Highland Rd, Waterford, MI

⏰ Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

💲 Admission: $7 per person

🎉 Skate Rentals: Regular skates are free! Rollerblades or speed skates are available for $5, or feel free to bring your own.

It’s going to be a fantastic evening of fun and laughter, no matter the weather, and we hope to see everyone there!

The Keith Office is requesting the following items to help replenish the dwindling supply:

• Boxes of facial tissues
• Snack size, zip-top baggies

Thank you! Your help is greatly appreciated!

Student Council is so excited to bring back Cereal Box Challenge! Last year we collected over 900 boxes. Can we get over 1,000 to donate to Hospitality House this year? We are going to try!

We will start collecting cereal box donations on Jan. 21st and will collect until Feb. 13th. We will once again build our domino run around the school on Valentine's Day as our way of spreading love throughout our school and community.

Thank you everyone for your continued support. We appreciate it!

Have a great night,

Your Student Council Team

Hello Families,

I have heard from another one of my WLCSD Principal colleagues that some of the students are in need of boots and snow pants. If you have anything extra in your home that no longer fit your children or are willing to make a donation, please bring items to the Keith entrance and know that I will get it to the children in need. As always, thank you for your help and support of our local families.

Kind regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

Keith’s Got Talent, our annual variety show is back, and it’s coming soon! Please mark your calendars for Friday, January 24, 2025 at 6:00 pm for a night of fabulous performances by our very own students. The event will be held in Walled Lake Central’s auditorium. The price of admission will be $3.00 (plus online fees). Students performing in the show do not need tickets and are free. Students and Children not performing in the show will need a ticket selected when purchasing tickets but will be free, Please make sure to select a student/child ticket price when selecting your seats. Families in need of financial assistance to attend the show should contact your principal.

• Students performing in the show do not need a ticket
• Students/children not performing in the show do need a ticket selected and when selecting the type of ticket select Student/Child and the price of that ticket will be free.
• Please encourage families to purchase tickets online in advance to avoid a long line at the door.

The Keith PTA is so excited about the coming 'Keith's Got Talent' show! Reminder: the submission deadline for student performers is Monday, January 13th ~ Sign up and show us what you've got! We are also seeking help from parent volunteers to ensure that the show runs smoothly. Please click on the link below to sign up.

Hello Keith Community,

Keith’s Got Talent, our annual variety show is back, and it’s coming soon! Please mark your calendars for Friday, January 24th, 2025 at 6:00 pm for a night of fabulous performances by our very own students. The event will be held in Walled Lake Central’s auditorium.

If your child would like to perform, please fill out the form below and return it to the main office.

Please note: Each act must submit a taped video of their act to Mrs. Matyus along with a file of their music track (if needed) to:

(ShannonMatyus@teachers.wlcsd.org)

Submissions are due by Monday, January 13th. Any type of electronic submission will be accepted, including Google files and CD’s. Our variety acts might include singing, dancing, acting, gymnastics, comedy, instrumental music, magic, athletic abilities, and more. All acts must be under 1 ½ minutes, making sure any music/content is age appropriate. In order to keep the show to a reasonable time frame, we strongly encourage group acts. Please turn in one form for each child, even if they are in the same act.

**Any further inquiries may be sent to ShannonMatyus@wlcsd.org or MatthewHewitt@wlcsd.org**

- The “Keith’s Got Talent” Team

Hello, everyone!

Thank you so much to all of our creative students for their participation in the Reflections competition this year! We had some amazing entries representing Keith Elementary this year and I'm so proud of our Dragons! School and District judging has been completed and I'm excited to share the results.

The following students made it to the District round:

District Entries | Keith Elementary 2024-2025

Literature: Ameya Rajesh, Havanna Wright, Blake Mikho, Noah Dabesh

Visual Arts: Giavanna Pauls, Charlotte Borders, Ah’ Mari Hill, Matteo Canchola, Silas Leger

Photography: Vinay Madhavan, Silas Leger, Hunter Spiess

Film Production: Dresden Neumann

Congratulations to all of our students whose entries moved onto Districts!

***SAVE THE DATE***

There will be a WLCSD celebration on March 31st for all the above entries that advanced to the District level. The award ceremony is at Walled Lake Northern on Monday, March 31st. This is an exciting annual event where all of those students' entries will be displayed. If I don't have a hard copy of your child's piece already, I will need it by March 1st to include it in the display. Please email me with any questions. We can't wait to celebrate all of this amazing work! I will send out more details about the District celebration in the coming weeks.

An extra round of applause, please, for students whose entries advanced to the State level of competition after District judging!

The following students made it to the State round:

State Entries | Keith Elementary 2024-2025

Literature: Ameya Rajesh, Blake Mikho, Noah Debesh

Visual Arts: Matteo Canchola, Silas Leger

Photography: Silas Leger, Hunter Spiess

Film Production: Dresden Neumann

WAY TO GO!

Making it to the State round is such an amazing accomplishment! I will let you know when State judging has been completed and if any of our artists will be moving on to the National level.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks again to all of your children (and also to you) for your participation!

Lauren June

Keith PTA Reflections Chair

Q’s? Please send me an email: ljones456@sbcglobal.net

Thank you for supporting the 5th grade party by purchasing bagels from New York Bagel for $2.00 each. Thank you for supporting the 5th grade party by purchasing bagels from New York Bagel for $2.00 each.

Cash: return with this form by: Friday, January 17th OR Venmo:

Bagel delivery to classroom on: Friday, January 24th

Additional Information is in the form below and the form was also sent home with your child on 1/10/25. Please email your child's teacher if you need another form.

Dear Dragon Families,

Since the 2019-2020 school year, we have shared information about district-wide efforts to improve our emergency responses. Walled Lake Consolidated Schools uses ALICE, a research-based training program to ensure schools are prepared to respond to potential intruder events. ALICE is about empowering individuals and providing options or strategies beyond the traditional lockdown methods. We will continue with this work in the coming weeks as listed below:

Week of Jan. 20

Students will review ALICE options in each of the following areas that they visit during the school week:

• Art room
• Gymnasium
• Music room
• Learning Commons (Media Center)
• Non-load bearing classrooms

Week of Jan. 20

Students will review ALICE options in each of the following areas that they visit during the school day:

• Lunchroom
• Hallways/Bathrooms

Week of Jan. 27

The entire school will participate in a drill, at the same date and time, in which each class will choose an option based on their location in the building. The scenario presented will NOT include a specific threat, but rather read, “if there was something dangerous happening in the (a specific location in the school.)”

Although possible in a real emergency, at no time during the drill will any student(s) evacuate through a window, nor will they travel off of school property.

The book, “I’m not scared, I’m prepared,” by Julia Cook, read in classrooms this fall, comparisons to stranger danger, and additional resources linked below may be helpful for families that discuss the drills at home with their children.

Lesson teaching points that may assist families with at-home discussions include:

• We practice so we know what to do in an emergency. We’re not scared, we’re prepared!
• Our job is to keep you safe. Your job is to listen and follow the adults’ directions.
• Evacuation means to leave the building. Your teacher or a trusted adult may tell you to leave the building and go to a safe place.
• If an adult tells you to leave the building. Listen, quickly go to a safe place, and then wait for helpers (police officers, firefighters, trusted adults, etc.)

Student safety continues to be our first priority. We will continue to collaborate with local law enforcement and families to ensure a safe learning environment for our children.

In partnership,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you so much to the almost 20 parents who were able to attend our discussion on Part 1 last Monday. I would encourage anyone who still may want to participate to catch up on the reading and join us for the future sessions!

We invite you to join us in this important conversation, participate in discussions, and partner with our school in looking out for our kids. Together, we can create a supportive environment that fosters resilience and understanding.

Meeting Schedule

We will hold four meetings, each lasting one hour, where we will discuss different sections of the book. ALL meetings will be from 6-7pm in the Keith Learning Commons. Please see the schedule below:

11/4/24 - Introduction to the book and Discussion of Part 1: The Great Rewiring of Childhood

12/9/24 - Review of Part 2: The Backstory: The Decline of Play-based Childhood and increase in childhood anxiety

1/13/25 - Discussion of Part 3: Social Media and Mental Health- Strategies for healthy technology use – The Rise of the phone-based childhood

2/10/25 - Overview of Part 4: Building Resilience - Collaborative ideas for supporting our children

To help ensure that everyone can participate, I am happy to provide a copy of the book for any family that may face financial barriers. If you would like to receive a book, please let me know when you RSVP.

You are welcome to attend any or all of the meetings. Each session will provide a space for open dialogue, sharing of experiences, and brainstorming actionable steps we can take as a community.

Thank you for your commitment to our students’ well-being. I look forward to engaging with you in these discussions that will undoubtedly strengthen our community and support our children’s futures.

Warm regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

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.

Links

Ski Club Enrollment and Information Form

Keith Elementary Ski/Snowboard Facebook Link

Sponsor Contact Email: Ulrey.Christopher@gmail.com

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

Happy New Year! What to watch for in January:

Wed, Jan 8th ~ Marco's Pizza Day ~ $2 / extra slice, $1.25 chips

Mon, Jan 13th ~ Lucky Tray Day

Fri, Jan 17th ~ Big Chocolate Chip Cookie Day ~ $1.50 ea

Fri, Jan 24th ~ Chips Day ~ $1.25

Fri, Jan 31st ~ Tubby's Sub Lunch & Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00 ice cream

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 save the date for these WLCSD Parent Advisory Meetings!

Go go go Joseph! Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor is coming to Walled Lake Northern! There are students from Keith Elementary School in the junior cast, and we are excited to see the future knights shine on stage! With a running time of just 90 minutes, this family-friendly show will have you singing and dancing in the seats! Show dates are February 6-9, and discount ticket rates are available for groups of 15 or more. Questions? Reach out to Director Ashley Ward- ashleyward@wlcsd.org.

5:30 PM - 8:00 PM - January 28, 2025 - Zekelman Holocaust Center

In partnership with the Walled Lake Consolidated School District and the Zekelman Holocaust Center, the Walled Lake Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is proud to host Building Connections - Learning from the Past, Uniting for the Future on Tuesday, January 28 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, MI. (This event is better suited for students aged 10 and up.)

Please register for this FREE event using the online registration LINK.

WLCSD, in partnership with the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities, invites parents, guardians, and community members to an important educational presentation by Fentanyl Fathers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about fentanyl prevention and the dangers of misuse.

📅 Date: Monday, January 27
🕔 Time: 5:45–6:45 p.m.
📍 Location: Clifford H. Smart Middle School Media Center

This presentation will take place just before the WLCSD PTSA Council Meeting, which begins at 7:00 p.m. in the same location. Students are also welcome to attend the presentation; however, all three WLCSD high schools will host similar assemblies during the school day that week. High school parents should watch for additional details regarding these events.

We hope to see you there for this crucial conversation!

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District is committed to supporting the health and well-being of our students and families. To help address concerns about vaping, we are sharing valuable resources that provide information on the risks of vaping and strategies for prevention. These tools are designed to empower families with knowledge and support meaningful conversations at home. Together, we can help every child make healthy choices every day.

• E-cigarettes and Vaping: What Parents Should Know - American Lung Association

• E-cigarettes and Youth: What Parents Need to Know - Centers for Disease Control

• E-cigarettes/Vaping Facts - Oakland County Health Department

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.

February 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