The Haviland Happenings

Greetings Haviland Families! My name is Shelley Werthman, and I'm the proud principal of Haviland Elementary. Our Main Office Staff, Beverly Jacobs and Danielle Spencer, will be updating you throughout this school year about what is happening in our school. We are so excited to welcome back our families and students as well as welcoming all of our new members to our school community! Here are some important dates and important information to get you started and ready for the beginning of the year!

Back to School Online Registration is available through the Parent Portal.

Once you sign in to Parent Portal, you will see a link at the top of the page that says, “Click here to begin Back to School Registration”. It is a very easy process and we would ask that it be completed as soon as possible. It must be completed before Meet and Greet or Registration.

Instructions and video will be on the Parent Portal page before you log in if you need additional instructions under: District Links.

The Parent Portal web address is: https://mistar.oakland.k12.mi.us/waterford/parentportal/

Note: Parents of kindergarten students or students new to the district will not be able to log in to the parent portal until after the second week of August.

Any questions, please call us at (248) 682-2648 or email us at parentportal@wsdmi.org.

Meet and Greet is an opportunity for you to meet your teacher and see your classroom as well as learn about the curriculum and what your student will be learning about this coming school year. To give you quality time with your teacher, we are scheduling three time slots based on your child's LAST name.

• 4 - 4:30 Last Names A - H

• 4:45 - 5:15 Last Names I - R

• 5:30 - 6:00 Last Names S - Z

PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ATTEND DURING YOUR SCHEDULED TIME. IF THAT TIME DOESN'T WORK, YOU MAY ATTEND ANOTHER TIME SLOT. PLEASE BRING SUGGESTED SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO MEET AND GREET.

Before you attend Meet & Greet on August 21, check the MiStar Parent Portal for the name of your child's new teacher. The information will be available 24 hours prior to Meet and Greet. If you need your information for MiStar Parent Portal, please call the Main Office at 248-682-2620.

Weekly Schedule:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:30 AM-3:57 PM

Thursday (Early Release): 8:30 AM-2:57 AM

Half Day Schedule: 8:30 AM- 11:58 AM

DOORS OPEN AT EVERY MORNING AT 8:30 AM

Please Note: In order to keep the building secure, parents are not allowed in the building in the mornings without an appointment. This includes the first day of school.

In order to meet the needs of all our kindergarten students, they will begin their school year with a staggered start.

Child's Last Name A-L:

First Day-August 26th

No School- August 27th

Return to School August 28th with all students

Child's Last Name M-Z:

No school August 26th

First Day- August 27th

All Kindergarten students attend on August 28

Please Note: In order to keep the building secure, parents are not allowed in the building in the mornings without an appointment, including the first day of school.

We are asking ALL families to please fill out the educational benefits form. Although this is normally seen as the "free and reduced lunch" form, schools receive certain funding based on the information shared in this form. Even if you do not need or want free or reduced breakfast and/or lunch, filling out the form gives the state information to provide additional funding.

Please click on this link, then click on APPLY FOR BENEFITS and fill out the form. Thanks!

https://waterford.familyportal.cloud/

All Plan of Care Forms should be filled out and returned to the Main Office before school begins. They then need to be reviewed by our school district nurse prior to having them in the hands of teachers. Any and all prescription medication and over-the-counter medicines (including Tylenol, Motrin, cough drops, cough medicine, etc.) need a plan of care form. Completed forms can be faxed to 248-738-4798.

Administering Medication/Treatment Consent Forms

Allergy Plan of Care

Asthma Plan of Care

Diabetic Plan of Care

Seizure Plan of Care

Haviland is a 1:1 school. Below you will find a link to the WSD Chromebook Student Handbook. Please send your child to school with headphones that are Chromebook compatible. The headphones also need to have a microphone so that when students use the Amira program it can hear the words students are reading.

WSD Chromebook Student Handbook

WSD Chromebook Student Handbook in Spanish

If you need assistance with your Chromebook, please submit a Computer Tech Support Ticket and one of our team members will assist you.

Please be patient and kind in the arrival line to other students, their parents, and staff.

ARRIVAL PROCEDURES:

Car Riders:

• For both arrival and dismissal cars form one line traveling eastbound on Cass Elizabeth Road. This creates a very fast and efficient system.

• Doors will open at 8:30 AM.

• Students stay in the car until they are near their unloading zone and assigned door. If multiple students, you should unload at appropriate entrance or at the lowest grade level door.

• K - 2 unload at the Library Entrance

• 3 - 5 unload at the Gym Doors Entrance

• ASD unload at the Main Entrance

• Staff members will be outside helping to move traffic along safely. Do not let your child out of the car unless you see staff outside.

• Please have your child sit on the right side of the vehicle.

• Parents need to stay in the vehicle at ALL times.

• If a parent needs to exit the vehicle for any reason, please park in the lot so the arrival line can move along quickly and safely.

• Students will be marked tardy starting at 8:45 AM.

• Tardy students will need to enter through the Main Office and will need to be signed in by a parent.

Walkers:

• Walkers cannot enter the building before 8:30 AM

• If riding a bike, please walk your bike on the school sidewalks and DO NOT ride your bike in the parking lot. Bike racks are near the Main Office Door.

• Students will be marked tardy starting at 8:45 AM.

Bussers:

• All students are encouraged to ride the bus if they live over a mile away from Haviland. This reduces the amount of traffic in the parking lot during arrival and dismissal. If buses arrival late in the morning, students are not marked tardy. Buses arrive and leave at the end of the day in parking lot near the Gym

• Staff will be available to assist students

Walkers:

• Parents who are parking at the apartment complex, Elizabeth Lake Estates, and walking across the road to Haviland, please park in the spots near the mailboxes. These are open parking spots. All other parking spots are assigned to tenants who rent an apartment at the Elizabeth Lake Estates.

• Lower elementary walkers exit the building first at 3:50 PM and meet parents at the top of the stairs in the parking lot. Upper elementary walkers follow at 3:55 PM.

Bussers:

• Bussers will be with supervising staff in the Gym or Main Office Hallway waiting for their bus.

• Remember cell phones are not to be used while waiting for or on the school bus.

• Lower Elementary students will have bus tags attached to their backpacks. If your student's tag is lost, please let your teacher or the office know and we will replace it.

• If buses are going to be late, a Blackboard message will go out to families (please note that at the beginning of the year as drivers are getting to know their routes and students, the ride may take a little longer.)

Car Pick Up:

• Parents must stay in their vehicle.

• Parents will get a special sign to put in the passenger side of the windshield with student's name, teacher's name, and grade level. These will be passed out at Meet and Greet or the First Day of School. If you need additional signs for additional cars, please let us know.

• Teachers will be outside with your student waiting for pickup.

• This process will take a little longer at the beginning of the year as we get to know and recognize vehicles and faces. Please have your picture ID readily available if needed.

We know that sometimes plans change unexpectedly and the normal routine of after school plans for your child changes. Please keep in mind that the end of the day is very busy at an elementary school. Any and all end of the day changes need to be communicated to the office no later than 3:00 PM. Communicating with the teacher is also recommended but teachers do not always have time to check email or their apps so it is important to ALWAYS let the office know of these changes before 3 PM.

Cell phones are not allowed to be used or on a student during the school day. If your child has a cell phone, it is required to be turned off and stored in the locker/backpack of the student at ALL times. Cell phones are not allowed to be used at lunch or on the bus. The bus is considered an extension of the school and classroom and all of the expectations from the code of conduct apply to the bus. If there is an immediate need or if you need to get a hold of your child in an emergency, please call the office at 248-682-2620.

Please review the calendar for the school year: Waterford School Calendar

Your child's attendance at school is very important. Make every effort to schedule appointments and vacations for when school is not in session. Thank you!