A Message from Dr. A.
October 4, 2024
Dear Dragon Families,
What an incredible week of learning we’ve had! It’s always inspiring to see our students engaged and excited about their education. Thank you to all the families who continue to support our school and encourage their children to embrace new challenges.
As many of you may know, we recently completed the iReady diagnostic assessment. If you have any questions or need clarification regarding the results or the parent reports, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher. They are more than happy to provide insights and help you understand how your child is progressing.
To those celebrating Rosh Hashanah, we wish you a Shana Tovah! May this new year bring you joy. Next week, we wish you a good fast.
Looking ahead, we have some exciting events coming up! Next Wednesday is our Walk/Bike to School Day. We encourage all families to participate and promote a healthy, active lifestyle. Then, on Friday, we will host our much-anticipated Fun Run. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to come together, have fun, and raise funds for our school.
For more details about these events and additional upcoming activities, please be sure to check out the latest issue of our Dragon's Tale Newsletter. It’s packed with important information, including specifics about our Fun Run and the upcoming Fall Fest.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's education. Let’s keep the momentum going!
Warm regards,
Marci Augenstein, Principal
Upcoming Events at Keith
October 2024
Oct. 1 - Keith PTA Meeting - 6:30pm Learning Commons
Oct. 2 - Count Day
Oct. 3 - No School
Oct. 9 - Bike/Walk to School Day
Oct. 11 - Fun Run
Oct. 18 - Teacher of the Year Nominations Due
Oct. 18 - Keith PTA Fall Fest - 5pm Playground
Oct. 25 - Picture Re-Take Day
Oct. 29 - ALICE Drill - See notes below
Oct. 31 - Halloween Parade 11am
Oct. 31 - Half Day - Dismissal Schedule below
October 11, 2024 - Fun Run Schedule - Volunteer Sign Up to Come Soon!
On October 11 during our Fun Run, only parent volunteers who are signed up are allowed to be present at the Fun Run. This helps us account for the number of adults expected. We appreciate your help with this important step. Additional information will be sent soon with volunteer sign up links and more. We hope you're all willing to come and help out - it's a fun day for our students and they make so many memories!
9:15-9:45am – JK/K
9:45 – 10:15am – 1st Grade
10:15 – 10:45am – 2nd Grade
LUNCH/RECESS
1:10 – 1:40pm – 3rd Grade
1:45 – 2:15pm – 4th Grade
2:20 – 2:50pm – 5th Grade
Keith Fun Run PTA Fundraiser Information
Dear Keith Elementary School Families,
This is our biggest fundraiser of the year to help support our students and school. We’re raising $30,000 for a magical playground and outdoor learning realm where every child's adventure begins.
Who’s ready for a weekend challenge?!🙋♀️ Get a $60 flat donation or $2 per lap donation before Monday and you’ll score a GOLDEN EDITION Dude Perfect keychain! 😮 Good luck!
Help us reach our $30,000 for a magical playground and outdoor learning realm ⬇️
1. SIGN UP your student(s) on MyBooster.com today. (Please also check out the informational videos about our fundraiser on this page.)
2. SHARE with your family/friends using the SHARE tools on MyBooster.com.
3. GIVE a donation.
We’re currently at $11,355 towards our goal of $30,000. Every donation counts and brings us closer to a magical playground and outdoor learning realm where every child's adventure begins for our students!
Reminder: Our big Keith Fun Run is coming up on 10/11/2024! We can’t wait to celebrate with you.
Thank you again for supporting our school! Let's make this weekend a huge success!
PTA FALL FEST: Pizza Pre-Order Forms and Volunteer Sign-Up
The Keith PTA annual Fall Fest is quickly approaching ~ Mark your calendars for October 18th from 5-7pm! We will be gathering on the playground and have a fun evening planned with food, music, activities and special guests. The PTA will be taking pre-orders for cheese and pepperoni pizzas for your family to enjoy at the event. Please return completed forms and money to the office by October 14th. A limited amount of pizza will be available to purchase by the slice at the event, as well as Food Trucks on site as another option for your dinner plans.
We are also looking for PARENT VOLUNTEERS to help out before, during and after the event! Volunteering is a fun way to meet new people, reconnect with old friends and help support our school community. There are many different opportunities to lend a hand with this event and we look forward to hanging out with you for part of the evening! Many thanks!!
2024-2025 REFLECTIONS CALL FOR ENTRIES!
Calling all artists, writers, dancers, musicians, photographers, and videographers! Entries are now being accepted for the National PTA Reflections art competition. Create something in one of the categories below with the theme “ACCEPTING IMPERFECTION” and fill out the google doc to submit your entry!
CONTEST DIVISIONS:
Keith Elementary has separate divisions for grades K-2nd and 3rd-5th. 2 winners from each category (per division) will advance to District level. Students may submit an entry in any of the six areas listed below:
· Literature
· Music Composition
· Photography
· Visual Arts
· Dance Choreography
· Film Production
For more information and official rules per category click here
DEADLINE:
Submissions must be sent digitally and are accepted until November 11, 2024.
ENTRY FORM:
Submit contest entries using this link:
REFLECTIONS SUBMISSIONS 2024-2025
A letter will be sent home with students this week with more information. Updates will be posted on the Keith Elementary PTA Facebook page so be sure to follow us!
For more information on this year’s theme: “ACCEPTING IMPERFECTION” click here
Please email ljones456@sbcglobal.net with questions. Thanks for your support in unleashing your child’s inner artist!
WLCSD - Teacher of the Year for Keith Elementary School
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools takes great pride in honoring exemplary educators within our district. Help us recognize someone that has made an impact on your family by nominating that person for 2024-25 Teacher of the Year! All nominations must be completed by October 18, 2024.
October 31, 2024
Halloween Parade - 11am
Parents may attend on the blacktop area on the playground. There will be cones set up to make a "parent tunnel" for students to walk through.
Half-Day Dismissal schedule on 10/31/24:
12:25pm - Dismissal begins for Dragon Pick Up
12:30pm - Walkers and Prime Time Dismissed
12:42pm - Buses depart Keith
Electronic Communication Device Policy
The WLCSD Student Code of Conduct has an Electronic Communication Device policy, which includes cell phones and other personal communication devices. Increasingly our students wearing watches with technology are being distracted from learning from parent texts, playing games, or more. We will request our students put devices into their backpacks during the school day so it is not a disruption to the learning environment. Thank you for talking with your children about keeping these devices off during the school day.
Fun Run Student T-Shirt Sizing Needed!
Every year the Keith PTA provides Fun Run t-shirts to its students & staff. If you didn't submit your student(s) t-shirt size(s) during the enrollment packet, please CLICK HERE. This year's in-school Fun Run event will be Friday, October 11th on the Keith track. What's the "Fun Run", you ask? Throughout the day on Oct 11th, grade levels will run & walk laps around the track in support of Keith's fundraiser to beautify the playground, its equipment, & a newly proposed, outdoor learning space. More details to come on that learning space at Wednesday, September 4th's 630PM PTA meeting! We meet in the Learning Commons (Media Center) for 1 hour & would love for you to meet & join us.
Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities during the Fun Run! Until then, shoot us your shirt sizes, please.
Literacy Learning at Home - Grades JK through 2nd Grade
The helpful resource linked below is an excellent way to assist our Dragon Families who are searching for best practices to support their children's learning at home. Please take a moment to review these helpful videos linked below and reach out to your child's teacher if you'd like additional help or support.
News from the Keith Cafe
What to watch for:
- Fri, Oct 4th ~ Tubby's Sub & Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00 ice cream cups
- Thurs, Oct 10th ~ Marco's Pizza Day ~ $2 / extra slice, $1.25 chips
- Mon, Oct 14th ~ Lucky Tray Day
As always, parents ( AND 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:
- Labeled inside your lunch barcode sheet, or
- 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!
Keith Music Appreciation Club
Are you curious about Classical / Pops / Jazz music or just enjoy listening to music? Do you like going to concerts? Then come join the Music Appreciation Club. We will be learning more about the music, the performances, the artists and attend concerts with:
Music of Star Wars; 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!
Our first Meet and Concert of this season will be this Sunday, October 6th at Orchestra Hall. The Club will meet at 2:30pm followed by attending the Concert at 3pm for the Music of Star Wars. Feel the force of the entire Star Wars saga as the DSO performs the best of John Williams’s film music from every episode in the series. Plus, selections from Michael Giacchino’s score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Cost: $25 per student membership which covers one free ticket to above concert and 1 free ticket to almost 45 other Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) 2024-2025 Classical, POPs and Jazz concert series, as well as up to two companion tickets (bring 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!
For Students who already have a DSO account. You will need to sign into your DSO account first. Then while logged into your account, purchase your Student Soundcard membership for the 2024-2025 season. This way, your student membership will be automatically attached to your DSO account.
For new students joining, you can either purchase memberships and tickets by calling the DSO Box Office 313.576.5111 or create an online DSO account and purchase your membership and tickets while signed into your account.
Please see Music Appreciation Club PDF below for more information on Club meets, membership and concerts.
To Join, fill out Club Registration form after you have purchased your DSO Student Soundcard membership
https://forms.gle/3eAmCFB4Vf9FCP626
Should you have any question, contact Monique Levu monique.levu@gmail.com 248-301-1415
District begins the strategic planning process
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is focused on building on its successes over the past decade and set a new course for our district based on the context of the current academic, social, emotional, and economic environment of the community we serve.
As we focus on the future of our district in creating a new strategic plan, we value the input of all of our stakeholders. We are working with G&D Associates to gather perspectives from our community to inform the next strategic plan. Opportunities will include:
A brief community survey aimed at identifying key themes for in-depth focus group discussions.
Focus groups and community forums involving students, families, staff, community members, and local partners.
Numerous opportunities for feedback throughout the entire process.
Share your voice by completing a short survey that will assist in creating our next strategic plan. The survey opens on Wednesday, September 4, and will close on Wednesday, September 25.
More information about strategic planning can be found at www.wlcsd.org/strategic-plan
District seeks operating millage replacement in November Election
The Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ Board of Education approved seeking a replacement of the district’s operating millage in the upcoming November election during its August 8, 2024 special meeting.
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is asking the community to replace its current operating millage with an 18 mill non-homestead millage that represents roughly $31 million and a 3.6297 mill hold harmless that represents approximately $2 million of the district’s budget. The total of $33 million accounts for 18 percent of the district’s $187 million revenue budget.
Every District in the state is expected to levy, with voter approval, 18 mills on all non-homestead properties in order to receive full state funding under Proposal A. The 3 mill "Headlee cushion" will allow the district to collect the full 18 mills over the duration of the operating millage. The proposal will not increase property taxes on any primary residence property that is within Walled Lake Consolidated Schools boundaries. Since the approval of Proposal A in 1994, the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ community has overwhelmingly supported the operating millage, most recently in 2014.
If the November 5, 2024 proposal is not approved, the school district will lose more than $33 million in operating revenue every year and the state will not make up the shortfall.
More information about the 2024 Operating Millage Replacement can be found at www.wlcsd.org/elections.
Westacres Blood Drive
Westacres is holding their 3rd annual Red Cross blood drive! Sunday, October 13 between 12-4 at 3700 Westacres Dr. You can literally save lives in less than 30 minutes by donating blood. You can sign up at https://shorturl.at/hF28n or text Melissa Brown at 734-395-9025 to set up an appointment. Thank you so much!
Kroger Rewards - $$$ For Keith!
Vision and Hearing Screenings for Keith Students
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
WLCSD Health and Immunization Information
Keith Elementary School
Diana Tyrrell - Principal's Secretary
Alice Johnson - Building Secretary
Marci Augenstein, Ph.D. - Principal, Keith Elementary
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