October 7, 8 & 9 - Vision and Hearing Screenings by BEDHD
October 21 - PTA Meeting 6:00 pm
October 24 - Picture Retake Day
October 24 - Fun Run
November 7 - No School - Staff PD Day
November 11 - Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 pm (In Person)
November 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 pm (In Person)
November 14 - Half Day for Students - Dismissal at 12:10 pm
November 14 - Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-3:00 pm (Virtual)
November 18 - PTA Meeting 6:00 pm
November 26-28 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 1 - No School - Staff PD Day
Students must be in their seats at 8:55 or they are late. We continue to have a large number of students arriving late every single day. This disrupts the teacher and the students who have already begun learning for the day. Please have your students at school on time.
We have also been receiving complaints from Hayes Intermediate staff that cars are speeding down the drive behind Hayes between 8:55-9:05. Hayes students are in and out of the building all day and it's dangerous for cars to be speeding down that back road. Please demonstrate HERO behavior to your children by having them to school on time and driving in a safe manner. Thank you for your cooperation!
The Principal's Pen
This week you should've received your child's DIBELS and NWEA assessment results. At Grand Ledge Public Schools, we use several tools to better understand how our students are growing as readers and learners. Two important screeners we administer are NWEA MAP Growth and DIBELS 8th Edition.
* NWEA MAP Growth is a computer-based assessment that helps us see how students are progressing in reading and math. It adjusts to each child’s learning level, giving teachers information about what students are ready to learn next.
* DIBELS 8 (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a short, one-on-one assessment that measures foundational reading skills. It helps us identify students’ strengths as well as areas where they may need additional support.
These screeners are not “high-stakes tests.” Instead, they provide a snapshot of your child’s learning at a particular point in time. Teachers combine this information with classroom work, observations, and other assessments to guide instruction and ensure that every child gets the support they need to grow.
Please do not be discouraged if your child’s score isn’t what you expected or had hoped for. We will spend a lot of time in class working on these skills, and this time of year, some of the students do not understand what the questions are asking them to do. As educators, we recognize that there is far more to your child than 2 scores and we will work each day to be sure your child is reaching their full potential by June.
Thank you for partnering with us in supporting your child’s learning journey.
Willow Ridge PBIS H.E.R.O. Headquarters!
Today we recognized our March H.E.R.O.'s of the Month!
These students were recognized for being a HERO by exhibiting Honesty, Encouragement, Respect and Ownership
Omar Abuawad Cora Bielawski Kayleigh Lyons Carson Price Judson Bodell Mackenzie Morden Oscar Bourgeois Anvi Velicheti George Sims
Grace McConnon
Hope Davis
Tilly Byrens
Koda Martin
Megg Nkwayep
Mackenzie Jenkot
Theo Sommerlot
Kamden Stolicker
Kamden Efting
Ava Grow
Breslyn Stock
Sanay Watts
Eden Bushnell
Kora Krauss
Kinsley Ybarra
Vanessa Hernandez
Hudson Lyons
Emma Rizzo
Karis Algrim
Adeline Bryan
Lincoln Nelson
Ozias Jones
Nora Khaled
Nolan Thackthay
Zachary Bock
Harper McMillan
Madison Toomey
Chris Ptaszynski
Massy Nassery
AddiLynn Decker
Sophia Yang
Zachary Moreno
Callie Henn
Winter Waters
Persephone Kemmer
Van Field
Piper Ference
Tyson Chemacki
Susan MacMillan
Ella Delfin
Chase Downey
Braxton Stock
Natalia Dungey
Ana Loveless
Norah Batten
William Kuznicki Victoria Hall
PTA News
FUN RUN is Coming!
We’re excited to kick off our Fun Run campaign this Monday! Willow Ridge is raising money to support our amazing PTA, which helps make our school the best it can be!
Your donations go toward:
* School assemblies
* Classroom supplies
* Staff appreciation
* School T-shirts
* Fun events ...and so much more!
Get started this weekend! Register your child online and share their personalized fundraising page via Facebook, email, or text.
Unable to scan? Visit www.getmovinfundhub.com and enter our School Identifier: 603939df5ad34
Thank you for supporting our school and helping us make a difference at Willow Ridge!
It's Popcorn Time Again!
We’re looking for volunteers to help with popping popcorn, bagging it, and delivering it to classrooms. Whether you can spare 30 minutes or the whole morning, we'd love your help!
No experience necessary – just bring your enthusiasm (and maybe a love for that buttery smell)!
If you're available to lend a hand, please let us know!
Please shop the virtual store for any Willow Ridge Hero wear. There are children’s and adult items available.
Remember to place your order before the store closing date. No exceptions will be made for late orders as it delays the production & fulfillment process.
Orders will be fulfilled approximately 2-3 weeks after the store close date. The store’s close date is October 7th.
The Willow Ridge HEROes did an excellent job of remembering to return their library books this week! Because of that, third and fourth graders are now able to check out two books at a time. I hope to be able to offer this privilege to second graders as well in early 2026. Thank you for helping your students remember their library books!
We are just about six weeks away from our Scholastic Book Fair! The book fair is one of the main funding sources for our library. Funds raised at the book fair help to continually update and grow our collection of books, as well as support classroom libraries and school wide opportunities. Students will have the opportunity to shop during the school day with their classes, and there will be family shopping hours during Parent Teacher Conferences. Look for more book fair information here and in Friday folders in the coming weeks.
Thursday: Sweet, Weidenbach, Rozycki, Oetting, Nelson
Friday: Ford
“Reading is a passport to countless adventures.”
Mary Pope Osborne, author of The Magic Treehouse series
~ Mrs Garnaat
Attendance / Absence Policy
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 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
Illness Reminders
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.
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!
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.
Hispanic Heritage Month Spirit Week
The Grand Ledge Emergency Assistance Program (GLEAP) is currently accepting paper applications for its annual Christmas Food Basket program for families residing in the Grand Ledge School District. Donors in the community (individuals and groups) have volunteered to help provide a food basket during the Christmas season for families in need. If this would be helpful for your family, please apply by October 28. You may pick up a paper application in the school’s main office or print one from this link. You may return the completed application to the school’s main office or mail it to the address on the application. Assistance is not guaranteed and will be given based on the donations received by GLEAP. You will be notified of eligibility by Dec. 10th by email or text.
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK is October 5-12
GLPS Supervisor of Student Safety Chris Chester is reminding you that Fire Safety Week is October 5-12. You're invited to the Delta Township Fire Department open house, and you are invited to watch a video about and review some fire safety tips related to lithium-ion batteries.
