Dragon's Tale

February 9, 2024

Dear Dragon Families,

This week at Keith Elementary School, Dr. Bernia our Superintendent of Schools and our Cabinet level administrators came to see our students and watch them demonstrate their learning. Your children’s engagement in learning, as well as the depth of their understanding and willingness to struggle with difficult concepts impressed our administration. I always love showing how hard our kids work to improve in their academic skills.

Earlier this week I sent an email to keep you informed of a concerning incident and reassure you all that your children’s safety is extremely important to me. In collaborating with Keith parents, a PBS link was shared with me to help Parents Talk with Young Children about Race and Racism and I wanted to share this with our parent community. It is important that we engage our children in dialogue and reassure them that they are never too young to learn about diversity in our community. Often I will hear our students talk about ways they are different and it is awesome to hear them celebrate and respect differences. For example, this week I was able to help a student who speaks Japanese zoom with other Japanese-speaking students in our district. Creating community for all is very important and we appreciate your help and support.

I hope you all enjoy the weekend ahead with your amazing children. Please be sure to read this week’s Dragon’s Tale Newsletter for additional information about upcoming Keith events and more.

Warm Regards,

Marci

The Keith Elementary School Community will collaboratively inspire and empower all – academically, socially, and emotionally.

We are a dragon family united with a common purpose.

Dragons believe…

…in welcoming and trusting one another;

…in learning beyond the school day and for the future;

…in empowering every member of our community to be helpful, respectful, and kind;

…learning is engaging, purposeful, and fun.

Please email Dr. A. or reach out to our HR department if you might be interested in working at our crossing guard position. We are also always looking for substitute teachers. Again, please reach out to Dr. A. or visit the WLCSD webpage under our Human Resources department you will find all of the information you need to begin your application process.

February, 2024

2/1 - 5th Grade Instrument Fitting

2/5 - School-wide Spelling Bee

2/6 - Keith PTA Meeting - Learning Commons 6:30pm

2/14 - 3:00pm Classroom Valentine's Day Parties - Teachers will share more information

2/19-2/23 - Mid-Winter Break

2/27 - No School - Election

3/1 - Life Touch Activity Group Photo Day

Pizza Kit Pick Up Fri Feb 9th @ 3PM

Friday, February 9th, the Little Caesar's pizza kits will be available for pick up at Keith.

Beginning at 3pm, you can pick up your orders at Keith, just outside of the main office doors. Pick up in the bus loop will be closed at 3:45pm, and will resume after busses depart for the day. Kits will be sorted alphabetically, stored outdoors, & ready for curbside pick up.

Any purchaser with unclaimed boxes after 7PM on Friday will receive 1 reminder text/call for product pickup. It’s the responsibility of the purchaser to pick up product, as there is no available refrigeration & storage options inside the building.

Hello, everyone!

Thank you so much to all of our super creative students for their participation in the Reflections competition this year and for your support and encouragement along the way! We had so many 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 2023-2024

Literature: Mariam Aman, Noah Dabesh, Brody Fried, Christos Hanna, Ethan Tomasik

Music Composition: Liliana Alpert, Poppy Kraft

Visual Arts: Noah Dabesh, Emelia Kelso, Adhi Kiran, Silas Leger, Blake Mikho, Isabelle Rivera, Elisha Rodas, Juliet Trotter

Photography: Alex Bascom, Blake Mikho, Briella Muir

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

There will be a WLCSD celebration on March 18th for all entries that advanced to the District level (above). The award ceremony is scheduled for 5:30PM at Walled Lake Western on Monday, March 18th. 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 2023-2024

Literature: Noah Dabesh, Brody Fried, Christos Hanna

Music Composition: Liliana Alpert, Poppy Kraft

Visual Arts: Noah Dabesh, Adhi Kiran, Silas Leger, Blake Mikho

Photography: Alex Bascom, Blake Mikho

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!

Kristen Meisnitzer

Keith PTA Reflections Chair

Oakland Schools will be hosting our fifth annual African American Read In. Children and families will virtually meet award winning author/illustrator Don Tate. Each family will receive a copy of the book Jerry Changed the Game (while supplies last). We hope you and your family will join us. This will be a wonderful experience for our youth to inspire to have a career in STEM! Feel free to share in your network. If you have any questions please email: Stacey Lamb Stacey.Lamb@oakland.k12.mi.us

Our current math standards are more rigorous and demanding than ever. Students

are expected to develop a deep understanding of concepts leading to fluency with facts and

procedures, and the ability to clearly communicate their mathematical thinking. Further,

students must pass a demanding sequence of high school math courses in order to meet

graduation requirements. In response to the increased expectations for all students, we have

adjusted the content focus and instructional approaches in all of our math courses.

Because of the higher standards and to ensure student success at all points of their

mathematical education, we are using the procedures described below to accelerate students.

In order to skip a course in the math sequence, students must demonstrate proficiency in

the content and skills of the course they are attempting to skip.

The process and procedures described on the following pages apply to all students

currently in grades 2 through 7. Students attempting to test-out of high school courses will

use the existing process described on the district website. If you have questions after

reviewing the process, please contact your building principal or me.

Lost & Found – Donation Day Fri Feb 16th

As temperatures have changed, as they do in Michigan, your children have been taking off jackets and sweatshirts and forgetting them. School employees do work to check the inside of coats/sweatshirts for your child's name, so writing their names on the inside is helpful for us to be able to return lost items. Attached you'll find a photo of today's L&F items: Lost and Found 020524.pdf

All unclaimed clothing will be donated Friday, February 16th. Please tell your children to stop by the L&F located just outside of the Art Room. We will have the L&F items moved to the front of the school on 2/14 - 2/16/24 so that you might check them when you pick up or drop off your children.

Cereal Box Challenge has begun! To help spread love throughout our community, Keith Elementary School is collecting unopened cereal boxes from now until Feb. 13. Our goal is set them up like dominoes across the entire school on Valentine's Day and then donate them to our local food pantry. Thank you so much to all the families who have already begun sending in boxes.

The students have set a school-wide goal of 500 boxes by February 13th. So far we have 91 boxes. We appreciate your help and support. We want to keep the momentum going so on Friday, Feb. 9th we will have a school wide pajama day. Bring in a box of unopened cereal as "payment" for being able to enjoy a comfy day learning in your pajamas. Or - feel free to send your child in pajamas to show their support! Thank you for supporting this important initiative.

Here is a fun video you can share with your kids to continue to get them excited.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0zJx_OJgDk

Hello Parents,

Please take a moment to read the letter from Mrs. Catherine Kochanski, Assistant Superintendent for Learning Services for WLCSD. Our students have been working hard to complete their second diagnostic assessment for iReady. Your child's teacher will be sending home the parent report and a copy of the letter linked below by February 16th. Should you have any questions or concerns about iReady, please reach out to your child's teacher. Thank you for your partnership.

Warm regards,

Marci Augenstein, Principal

WLCSD Calendar Update - School CLOSED on Feb. 27, 2024

Since publishing our current school year calendar in early 2023, the State of Michigan’s legislature recently decided to adjust the date of our state’s upcoming presidential primary from March 12, 2024, to February 27, 2024. As you may know, many of our schools serve as polling places for our local municipalities, and this particular election is sure to draw a larger-than-average voter turnout causing increased foot and vehicle traffic around our schools.

After thorough consideration, the Walled Lake Consolidated School District will be CLOSED on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. We acknowledge the potential inconvenience this calendar change may pose for your family and apologize. This decision is rooted in the unique circumstances surrounding this election; a national election outside the traditional election cycle, and an anticipated larger-than-average voter turnout.

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District is pleased to offer Junior Kindergarten to families for the 2024-25 school year. Based on the results from the Junior Kindergarten Interest Survey, tentative JK locations for 24-25 are as follows: Commerce, Dublin, Guest, Loon Lake, Meadowbrook, Oakley Park, Wixom. *Please note that these tentative locations may still be subject to change if enrollment fluctuations occur.

Families interested in and eligible for Junior Kindergarten in 2024-25 (See the chart below for eligibility guidelines.) should fill out the Junior Kindergarten Interest Application by Monday, February 12, 2024. More information on Junior Kindergarten in Walled Lake Schools can be found on the District website: https://www.wlcsd.org/programs/junior-kindergarten

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 2/5/24

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 2/12/24

Students will review ALICE options in each of the following areas that they visit during the school day: Lunchroom, Hallways/Bathrooms

Week of 2/12/24

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

Keith Elementary School

Helpful Links:

Talking to your Child about Safety - K-2

Talking to your Child about Safety - 3-5

Talking to Children about Violence - Tips for Parents and Teachers

Is My School Safe: How to Ease Your Child’s Anxiety

While it may seem a bit early to be thinking about our 5th grade children transitioning to Middle School next year, CHS Middle School Principal, Mr. Nayal Maktari asked that I forward the 5th Grade Transition Information to our 5th grade Dragon Families.

Please save the date:

THURSDAY, MARCH 11th FROM 6:30 P.M.-7:30 P.M.

The evening will be dedicated to sharing what you can expect next school year at CHS Middle School. We'll also be available to answer any questions you may have following our presentation. We look forward to seeing you in the CHS Middle School Main Gym on March 11th beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Get ready to show off your school pride with our brand-new Keith Elementary spirit wear! Available for purchase now through the end of the year, these stylish and comfortable items are the perfect way to support our school community.

From cozy hoodies to trendy t-shirts, we have a variety of options for students, parents, and staff. Don't miss out on this limited-time opportunity to elevate your school spirit.

Also, It’s that time of year again for multi-purpose bags! They are great for winter gear, keeping your child’s belongings in one place, traveling, camping, and so much more. They cost $13.50 and come complete with a cord lock and your student’s name. Eight different colors to choose from.

Visit our online store today and gear up for a spirited end to the year! Available for free pickup before the holiday.

Click here or visit www.brodysonline.com

Best regards,

Alison Link

Keith PTA President

What to watch for:

Fri, Feb 2nd ~ Tubby's Sub & Ice Cream Day ~ $1.00 ice cream

Thur, Feb 8th ~ Pizza Day ~ $1.75 / extra slice, $1.00 chips

Fri, Feb 9th ~ Chocolate Chip Cookie Day ~ $1.50 ea

Mon, Feb 12th ~ Lucky Tray Day

Fri, Feb 16th ~ $1.00 ice cream

As always, parents can add funds to student accounts via Skyward, or cash / check can be given to Mrs. Link in the kitchen.

Alison Link, Keith Kitchen Server

Keith Elementary, 956-3735

In an effort to celebrate our staff, the WLCSD Community Relations department requests that families fill out the form below to nominate 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 is on the right.

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.

For additional information regarding our Transportation Department, please visit our website!

• Bus transportation will be provided on the first day of school for those students who are eligible for bus transportation throughout the regular school year.

• Transportation postcards will not be sent. Bus routes will be posted on the district website and in Skyward Family Access after 8:00 am on August 18, 2023.
• Bus drivers will be contacting Kindergarten families by August 20th (drop off times for students attending in the AM and pick up times for the PM students will be provided in that call.)
• If your child is eligible for bus transportation, it is recommended that they start this routine on the first day of school. Parents are welcome to follow the bus to school to see your child off to their first day of school, but it is highly recommended that they ride the bus to and from school this first day if they will be riding daily during the school year.

Our hot lunch program begins on Monday, August 28th for students in grades K-5. Please see below for additional details.

During the 2023-24 school year, all Michigan public school students in grades Pre-K through 12 will have access to free breakfast and free lunch every day through the "Healthy School Meals for All" program. This includes a meat/meat alternative, grain, fruit/vegetable and milk. A la carte items will be available for purchase.

Families are still encouraged to complete the free/reduced meal form in Skyward help secure additional funding for the District including Title I funding. By completing the form, eligible families may also receive access to other free and reduced programs within the District including SAT testing, pay to participate, and more.

You can always visit Walled Lake's Food Service Website for information by clicking HERE.

February 6, 2024 at 6:30pm - Keith Learning Commons

Visit our PTA's Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/KeithElemPTA/

The Keith Elementary School Community will inspire and empower all- academically, socially, and emotionally.

Diana Tyrrell - Principal's Secretary

DianaTyrrell@wlcsd.org

Alice Johnson - Building Secretary

AliceJohnson@wlcsd.org

Marci Augenstein, Ph.D. - Principal, Keith Elementary

MarciAugenstein@wlcsd.org

Email: DianaTyrrell@wlcsd.org
Website: https://keith.wlcsd.org/
Location: 2800 Keith Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States
Phone: (248)956-3700
Twitter: @KeithElementary