March 7 - Half Day for Students - Dismissal at 12:10
March 11 - In Person Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 pm
March 13 - In Person Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 pm
March 18 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-7:00 pm
March 18 - PTA Meeting 6:00 pm
March 21-28 - No School - Spring Break
March 31 - No School - Teacher PD Day
April 1 - Classes Resume
The Principal's Pen
Welcome back! The students did a great job settling back into school this week. As you are well aware, the temperature was particularly cold this week. I want to again take a moment and reiterate our outdoor recess policy, which is briefly explained in the handbook on page 8. Students will be going outside during the day unless it is raining or below zero degrees with the windchill. Please ensure your child has the appropriate winter attire to enjoy the season.
Next week we will begin our winter screening cycle with students taking the NWEA and Acadience assessments, which will look at their progress from the fall in the areas of reading and math. This window of time to complete the assessments is the next two weeks. Your child's teacher will be able to get a specific day of when the assessments will be given.
Main Entrance / Office
Any parents that need to come into the building during school hours should plan to enter through the southwest entrance, not the main entrance. The door camera, buzzer, and fob have been moved to that door. That is now the closest door to the new office location.
Willow Ridge PBIS H.E.R.O. Headquarters!
Today we recognized our December Heroes of the Month!
These students were recognized for being a HERO by exhibiting Honesty, Encouragement, Respect and Ownership
Beckett Edwards Grace McConnon Jackson Williams Preston Maddox Carter Schalk Natalie Tate
Sophia Cano
Riley Earley Courtney Lynch Hilal Himmat
Charlotte Schaberg Amelia Schutt Annabelle Barros Joanna Keller Maverick Morgan Nora Khaled Lennyx Lee
Hannah Detering Ezrah Koetje
Sofia Mejia Torres
Emma Cleven
Michael Galey
Brezlyn Ream
Theo Kingery
Evelyn Wilson Breslyn Hansbarger
Amelia Tate
Harrison Winters
Grayson Gee
Easton Gottleber
Madison Toomey
Bexley Bouwens
Olivia Kahl
Zachary Moreno
Avery Onan
Harper Wedell
Elizabeth Anderson
Ella Delfin
Emma O'Connor
Mirielle Boone
Kristin Humphrey Kinleigh Nelson Sylvia Brokstad-Franks
Lillian Hatfield Patrick O'Keefe Arria Christman Amelia Ghastin
Levi Mendez
Willow Birdsell
Paige Janetzke
Michael Sefton
Reid Deters
Emilia Ulrich
Emma Jones
Paige Kildee
Henry Wright
Jaymeson Hansbarger
Ceian Riley
PTA News
Please join us on Tuesday, January 21st at 6:00 pm in the Willow Ridge Art room for our January PTA meeting. Dr. Barnes will be at this meeting to give district updates and answer any questions.
The Daddy Daughter Dance is being planned for February 28th. Registration flyers will be sent home soon. We will need volunteers for this event before, during, and after. A signup genius will also be out soon.
Morning Drop Off Line
A couple of drop off notes:
Do not turn left into the parking lot when coming south on Nixon. Please follow the traffic pattern shown below to get in the loop.
The only exception to this is for employees who have a laminated sign in their window. Please allow these staff members to turn into the parking lot. Thank you for your cooperation!!
Spare Clothes in Lockers
While our office is under construction for the remainder of the school year, there will not be any extra clothing to offer in case of accidents. Please send in clothes (socks, underwear, pants and shirt) to keep in their lockers. Thank you for your support and patience as we all navigate through this construction phase to make our school even better!!
Counselor's Corner
Thank you for helping your students remember to return their library books! Email reminders will continue as this seems to have been helpful in cutting down on the number of books lost this school year.
This week we continued with our new routine of reading a story in the classroom, then moving to the library for quiet check out. In the library, we featured displays of books about snow, winter and penguins.
Library Schedule:
Monday - BK and Kindergarten
Tuesday - First and Second grades
Wednesday - Third Grade
Thursday - Fourth Grade
~ Mrs Garnaat
Snow Day Menu Changes
It's that time of year for possible snow days. In the event of a snow day, the menu for the day students return will be what was planned for the snow day. The scheduled menu will resume the day after we return. This is done to have the least amount of waste.
Possession of Cell Phones, Smart Watches, and Other Electronic/Recording Communication Devices
The use of cell phones, smart watches, or any other ECD are prohibited to be used during the school day. It is recognized that some students may need access to these devices for transportation purposes after school and are therefore permitted after dismissal. During school, however, cell phones, smart watches, and other ECDs shall be turned off and stored away out of sight. If you are concerned that an electronic device might be stolen, broken or inappropriately used, please do not allow your student to bring it to school.
Attendance / Absence Policy Update
All absences from school conflict with the continuity of learning and need to be avoided when possible. Regular school attendance is necessary to academic success and continuous and consecutive attendance in school is required by State law; 10-undocumented absences limit per school year. The 10-absence limit per school year includes both Explained Absence (AE) and Unexplained Absence (AU).
In order to help provide supports for students and families, GLPS closely monitors explained and unexplained absences. We also work with families to ensure that as many absences as possible are documented, because undocumented absences can trigger truancy considerations.
Documented Absence (AD) - Absence that includes a note from a professional (ie. doctor, dentist, lawyer, etc.) to explain the absence. Absences are only considered documented for the days identified in the note. For example, if a doctor excuses a student for Monday and Tuesday, but the student is absent on Wednesday and Thursday as well, only Monday and Tuesday’s absences are considered documented. Any absence that does not include a note from a professional is considered undocumented.
Explained Absence (AE) - Undocumented absence in which a parent/guardian calls the office or sends a note to alert the school their child will not be in attendance, but does not include a note from a professional (ie. doctor, dentist, lawyer, etc.). This is important because explained absences are necessary for schools to meet pupil accounting requirements.
Unexplained Absence (AU) - Undocumented absence in which a parent/guardian does not call the office to alert the school their child will not be in attendance.
Attendance Policy - Undocumented Absences
A student's school will send a letter after 6 undocumented absences and after 10 undocumented absences in a school year, providing you with notice of the absences and outlining steps to help your child attend school regularly.
A student's school will communicate with families if the student has undocumented absences on more than 10% of the first 30 days.
Ten (10) or more days of undocumented absences in a school year can be sent to court. However, GLPS will make every effort to work with you and your student before it gets to that point.
Please note that school related absences, such as field trips or athletic events, are not factored into any truancy related processes.
Extra Clothes
PLEASE send your child to school with an extra set of clothes to keep in their locker for emergencies. This could mean they wet their pants, fell in the mud, spilled their lunch, etc. If they use those clothes, please send in another set to keep in their locker.
BREAKFAST IS ONLY SERVED UNTIL 8:55
If you arrive after 8:55, you will not be able to get breakfast
Background Checks
If you are interested in working with students during the school day or chaperoning field trips, you need to complete the volunteer application here. This process will run a thorough criminal background check. Once approved, you will need to check in at the office using our new Raptor system that will run your state issued ID and print you out a badge to wear. You will need to check in at the office and run your ID each time you volunteer.
Birthday Treats
Our classes do not have students bring in birthday treats. We have a number of food related allergies across the building so that is a practice we have not done for quite a number of years now. If your child wants to bring something for the class, it can be non-edible items like bookmarks, pencils, etc.
Absent Students
The office needs to be notified if your child will be absent or tardy. You can leave a voice message on the attendance line at 517-925-5812. In that message, please leave the following information:
* Student Name
* Teacher
* Reason for Absence (out of town, funeral, car trouble, sick, etc. If your child is sick, please leave
the nature of the illness – fever, vomiting, pink eye, cough, respiratory trouble, head lice, etc.
PLEASE NOTE: Teachers can only mark students unexcused. The office has to change those to excused absences after you call in or bring your child to school. This can take some time to get all the absences updated. If your child is still marked unexcused after 11:00, please feel free to contact the office.
Illness Reminders
We ask that your child be 24 hours free of fever, vomiting or diarrhea before you send them back to school after they have been out sick. We appreciate your cooperation with this!
Saturday Morning Art (SmArt) Spring 2025 - Free Program
Calling all young artists ages 7-16! The Art Education Program at MSU is inviting Lansing area students to enroll in the Saturday Morning Art (SmArt) program this Spring 2025! This FREE program has 3 stand-alone, in-person studio art learning sessions on the MSU campus, as well as 3 stand-alone community learning days at gathering spaces in the Greater Lansing Area. Interested students are welcome to enroll for as many sessions as they'd like to attend at no cost. No prior artmaking experience is required!
What is smART?
The Saturday Morning Art (SmArt) program is a creative initiative from MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design. It’s a part of our Art Education degree program, giving our pre-service art educators the chance to work directly with diverse populations. Through hands-on art-making and culturally responsive teaching, SmArt enriches the artistic experience for everyone involved.
This Spring 2025, SmArt will offer 3 studio sessions for students, ages 7-16, as well as 3 community learning days. Each session is designed to spark creativity, encourage self-expression, and explore new artistic techniques in a welcoming environment!
When, Where, and What Will Students Be Making? We’re offering three Saturday studio sessions on MSU’s campus in the Kresge Art Center classrooms, scheduled for the last three Saturdays in March. You can sign up for one, two, or all three sessions—whatever fits your schedule!
Studio Sessions: Dates: Last three Saturdays in March 2025 (3/15, 3/22, 3/29) Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Location: Kresge Art Center at MSU 600 Auditorium Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824
During each session, students will dive into exciting art lessons with a variety of materials and techniques. We focus on projects that encourage creativity and give students the chance to let their unique voice shine through their art!
Exhibition of Student Work Following the studio sessions, students’ work will be featured in an exhibition hosted in partnership with the MSU Broad Art Museum on Saturday, April 5. This exhibition coincides with the Museum’s April Family Day where community members are invited to engage in their own artmaking!
Cost? Zero! That’s right—enrollment is absolutely FREE, and we provide all the art materials!
Sign Up Now! The deadline for enrollment is Monday, February 17 at midnight. Since spots are limited, we recommend enrolling as soon as possible! Enrollment is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and you’ll receive a confirmation email before the first session.
Ready to get started? Visithttps://art.msu.edu/smart/ to access the application and the three required MSU forms for youth programs.
What about Community Learning Days? Our SmArt program doesn’t stop on campus! To give our preservice art educators a chance to engage with even more emerging artists, we’ll be hosting special community days in local spaces. For more details, feel free to email us at msusmart.msu.edu.
Is something missing? Please share with John Ellsworth, GLPS Director of Communications, any additional Recognitions & Acknowledgments you think we should include on this list or upcoming lists – email him at EllsworthJ@GLcomets.net.
The Board of Education approved a letter of agreement between the school district and the teachers' union regarding the calendar for the next school year. Here is the 2025-2026 GLPS District Calendar. Our website now has two school calendars, one for this this year and one for the next year.
Cold & Flu Season? Try the GLPS Health Center!
GLPS International Night is January 24, 2025, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Sign up to participate: share a cultural display or exhibit, to walk in the fasion show, or to do a cultural performance
Volunteers are needed to make International Night go well, so please sign up to volunteer.
The event is open to any students or community members who would like to enroll in the VIP program, a voluntary program designed for individuals with special needs. Program participants are fingerprinted and photographed (optional). The information gathered is then added to the State of Michigan repository and can be used to assist in identifying individuals should they become lost or find themselves in a situation in which they cannot identify themselves.
Parents or guardians must complete a consent and enrollment form in order to enroll an individual in the VIP program. The program was developed after the passage of “Bubba’s Bill” which allows for parents of an individual with special needs to voluntarily enroll children in the program.
Once enrolled in the VIP program, law enforcement has the ability to utilize a Live Scan device or mobile fingerprint scanner to access the information to quickly identify a person who may have trouble identifying themselves.
WHEN: Monday, January 13, 2025, 2-6 PM
WHERE: Eaton RESA, 1790 Packard Hwy, Charlotte, MI 48813 – Please enter through door marked with “Event” sign
Interested individuals can learn more and complete the registration form for the event. Forms may be completed during the event or drop it off in advance at Eaton RESA. Please contact Meadowview School at 517.541.8750 with any questions.
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