Bobcat Innovation

With Thanksgiving right around the corner we have lots to be thankful for here at Bobcat Innovation. Check out our Thankful Wall below where so many of our kids have posted. For Thanksgiving, our Bobcat Innovation In-Person Grades 2-5 are excited to gather for a Friendsgiving brunch on Tuesday, November 26th from 8:30-9:30. Students will gather to have a shared meal and participate in a pumpkin catapult STEAM challenge in mixed grade level teams. Communication has come home about this from our teachers. Thank you to those who have already offered their support by way of volunteering to help set-up, cook breakfast, serve and clean-up or have agreed to donated items needed. Please check the sign-up genius sent home to see how you can help. This annual event is always fun for our students. Whether you can volunteer an item for our brunch, your time, or both...know that you are appreciated! Our Elementary hybrid and virtual students will be enjoying a meal together from 1:30-2:30 that our hybrid students will actually be making throughout the day.

The PTO raffle fundraiser is complete and we sold a grand total of $16,080 in tickets. With about $3000 going out to prizes, we raised a little over $13,000 for our kids. This is a great start towards being able to provide our kids with all the wonderful opportunities that we are normally able to do, however, we were well short of our $23,000 goal. We will be considering how we can make up this difference so kids can still participate in all the great opportunities provided at Bobcat Innovation. In the meantime, an easy way to earn money for our school is Kroger Community Awards. All you have to do is create a digital account by scanning the QR code below or clicking this link, and choose Bobcat Innovation (#NG214). Every time you shop at Kroger Bobcat Innovation will automatically get a percentage of your spending when you use your card! See below for more details. Thank you PTO for all you do!!

Our event Fall Festival was a blast. We had a ton of kids and families come out for the event and everybody had a blast. It was great seeing everybody!

Mark your Calendars, our 2024 Bobcat Innovation Winter Sing-Along is Wednesday Dec. 18th in the Perry Center Gym from 6:00-7:00 pm. Each of our Elementary classes will be singing 2 songs. Upper school will be singing a song and our advanced band will also be performing. I am looking forward to a HUGE turnout for this event! Hopefully we see everybody there. If you are a virtual student and have interest in participating please reach out to me at zhamilton@gbcs.org.

Just an FYI, due to the short week next week we will not be putting out a newsletter.

Warm regards,

Zach Hamilton, Director of Innovative Programs (Daily oversight of Bobcat Innovation In-Person and Hybrid)

(810) 591-6077

zhamilton@gbcs.org

Kevin Keilitz, Asst. Director of Innovative Programs (Daily oversight of Bobcat Innovation Virtual)

(810) 591-6375

kkeilitz@gbcs.org

November and December

* Tuesday Nov. 26th - Friendsgiving - Elementary In-Person Program - Perry Center

* Wednesday-Friday Nov. 27th-29th - Thanksgiving Break - No School for Students and Staff

* Wednesday-Dec. 18th - Holiday Sing-along - Perry Gym - 6:00-7:00 pm

* Wednesday-Dec. 18th - 4th Grade Market Day - In-Person programming

* Monday Dec. 23rd-Friday January 3rd - Winter Break - No School for Students and Staff

Bobcat Innovation Upper School is looking for volunteer engineers to help guide our 6-8 grade students in a real-world STEAM challenge that involves a motorized vehicle. No training or planning is necessary, there is a tentative plan and resources that can be used. Please reach out to Mr. Vallimont (jvallimo@gbcs.org) if you are interested or if you have questions.

Bobcat Innovation Athletics Website: https://bobcatinnovation.gbcs.org/for-students/pic-athletics

Grand Blanc East Middle School Fall Athletics Newsletter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_r_X39BRlT6_Q_9ysmZlTzGvmSkvTdbQ4ZpdXKmwhKk/edit?usp=sharing

BVL Seniors: The 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is coming by Dec. 1, 2024. Submitting the FAFSA is the first step to getting federal grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities and student loans.

https://www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/students-families/fafsa-resources

We have been experiencing an increase in respiratory illnesses in our school district. This is consistent with trends throughout the state and the country.

Both Pertussis (Whooping Cough) and Mycoplasma Pneumonia (Walking Pneumonia) have been on the rise so please be vigilant in monitoring for symptoms. Infection is spread by inhaling respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Pertussis

• Symptoms: sneezing, runny nose, mild dry cough, and low-grade fever
• After about 1 to 2 weeks, more serious “coughing spells” develop that can last for more than a minute and result in difficulty breathing.
• At the end of a coughing spell, the cough may make a high-pitched “whooping” sound as they try to catch their breath.
• Sometimes the coughing will cause vomiting. Between spells, usually feel well.
• Who is at Risk
• Pertussis can spread easily among susceptible household members and in group settings such as schools, workplaces, and sports teams.
• Adolescents and adults are also at risk for infection since vaccine protection decreases over time.
• The time between exposure to the bacteria and disease symptoms is usually between 7 - 10 days, but in rare cases, it can take up to 3 weeks.
• Treatment

• Pertussis can be treated or even prevented with antibiotics if detected early or before the disease has started.
• If you develop any of the symptoms described above, stay home from school and contact your doctor immediately. Please also inform the school office of any illness.

Walking Pneumonia:

• Symptoms: can include cough, fever, sore throat, headache, and sometimes wheezing
• Often people don’t feel sick enough to stay home or in bed, thus the term “walking pneumonia”
• Who is at Risk
• Infection can occur at any age, but most often among children ages 5-17 years and young adults
• Treatment
• Some people get better on their own with a mild mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, but some with more severe infection will need an antibiotic

For general respiratory illness, it is recommended you stay home if you have a fever and you can return 24 hours after fever free and symptoms are improving. However, if you are diagnosed with Pertussis you must stay home from school until your 5 day antibiotic treatment is complete.

Strategies that prevent respiratory viruses, such as handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes, prevent these bacteria from spreading.

Mrs. O’Mara & Mrs. Fredrick

GBCS District Nurse Consultants

Email: zhamilton@gbcs.org
Website: https://bobcatinnovation.gbcs.org/
Location: 11920 South Saginaw Street, Grand Blanc, MI, USA
Phone: (810) 591-6078
Facebook: Visit us on Facebook at: Bobcat Innovation