November 15 - Half Day for Students - Dismissal at 12:10 pm
November 19 - Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 pm
November 21 - Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 pm
November 27-29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 2 - No School - Teacher PD Day
December 3 - Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-7:00 pm
The Principal's Pen
This week our new school counselor, Annemarie Reik started. Once again, we are excited to have her join our team and I know the students are going to love having her. See below for her introduction to our Willow Ridge families.
Our main school fundraiser is getting ready to start again. We are gearing up for our Fun Run which begins on Monday. This fundraiser has been very successful the last few years and we are looking forward to another stellar fundraising campaign. Our goal is $20,000 again this year. Here is a breakdown of some rewards for raising different increments of money:
Individual Rewards
Register - Mini Resin Animals
$50 raised - Smencils
$150 raised - Silly String Party
School Rewards
$5,000 - Popsicles at the fun run
$10,000 - Bubbles and music at drop off
$15,000 - Hat and Crazy socks
$20,000 - Popcorn and a movie in the gym
$25,000 - Block Party is free this year
Top 5 classes get a pizza party
Top class slimes Mr. Gee!
Be sure to look below for registration details from the PTA.
The students and staff enjoyed the Homecoming Spirit Week! We saw pajamas, robes, cowgirl boots, cowboy hats, goggles, lifejackets, etc., throughout the week. Good luck tonight Grand Ledge High School boys varsity football team. Go Comets!
PTA News
FUN RUN
Monday we are kicking off our Fun Run campaign! Our school will be raising money to help our PTA continue to make Willow Ridge the best school we can be. The PTA uses our funds to help support assemblies, classroom supplies, staff appreciation, school t-shirts, fun events, and more. Sign up your student today, share their personalized webpage through Facebook or email. You can start registering your child this weekend! Thanks for your support!!
HERO WEAR SALE
Free school T-shirt order forms will be coming home with any student who is NEW to Willow Ridge this year. ALL families are encouraged to participate in the online HERO wear sale. A flyer for the online store will come home in today's Friday folders. You can purchase Willow Ridge items through this sale.
POPCORN FRIDAYS
Popcorn Friday is starting up on October 11th. Popcorn Friday will be the second Friday of every month. If we do not have school the on the second Friday, popcorn day will move to the next Friday. See the list below.
The cost of popcorn this year is $1.00. You can pay $10.00 for the school year. The $10.00 is nonrefundable and is a donation. You may also send in money every month. Please have your child turn in their popcorn money to their teacher.
The money raised from popcorn days will go towards buying new Decodable reading books for classrooms.
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.
Morning Drop Off Line
Counselor's Corner
Hello Willow Ridge families! My name is Annie Reik and I am the new Willow Ridge school counselor. This will be my ninth year as an Elementary school counselor. I am coming from Bath Elementary School, but before that, I was the school counselor at Neff Kindergarten. I am very excited to be back in Grand Ledge! I have a BA from Michigan State University and an MS from Butler University. I am passionate about helping students build strong social-emotional skills at a young age that will serve them for life! I am looking forward to a great school year!
This week, we welcomed Autumn in the library, reading books with Fall themes.
Library Reminders: In the next few weeks, families will begin receiving the automated library reminders. These emails will be sent to the first email on file for each student and will detail which items are checked out to the student at the time of the email. Receiving an email does not mean that your child’s books are past due; the email includes all items that are checked out and will be due on your child’s next library day. These reminders are meant to help students and families find and return library books on time, so that students may check out new books at each visit.
What if your child forgets their library book? We have several “Just Looking” books available for students to read while they are in the library, and there are often other activities available during check out time as well, like word searches, puzzles, and coloring pages. All students have the opportunity to visit the library and participate in those activities, regardless of their library account status.
When does your child’s class visit the library?
Begindergarten and Kindergarten - Monday
First and Second Grade - Tuesday
Third Grade - Wednesday
Fourth Grade - Thursday
~ Mrs. Garnaat
Grand Ledge Alumni Investing in Younger Students
This week, Noah Ford, a 2015 Grand Ledge graduate, came to Willow Ridge and presented to fourth-grade students about being a Parts Validation Engineer. Our students are studying electrical systems and Noah works with all kinds of systems in his job. Noah told the students about himself and how he started working at Block Imaging. In his interactive presentation, he shared about different systems and how he has to solve problems when the system does not work correctly. One student asked him, "What has been his biggest challenge in his job?" Noah answered, "Having patience as he is solving the problem." Then he tied that into how we have to have patience every day as we are trying to solve problems. It was good for students to hear that what they learn in school relates to real life.
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!
Sep. is Library Card Sign-up Month
Sep. is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Sep. is National Suicide Prevention Month
Sep. 15 - Oct. 15 » National Hispanic Heritage Month
Sep. 28 » National Good Neighbor Day
Sep. 29 » Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival; Mooncake Festival)
Sep. 29 - Oct. 6 » Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
Sep. 30 » National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Canada)
Oct. is National Bullying Prevention Month
Oct. is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
Oct. is National Principals Month
Oct. is Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Oct. is National ADHD Awareness Month
Oct. is Crime Prevention Month
Oct. is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Oct. 2-4 » Rosh Hashanah
Oct. 2 » Nat'l Custodial Workers Recognition Day
Oct. 3-12 » Navaratri
Oct. 7 » Child Health Day
Oct. 11-12 » Yom Kippur
Oct. 11 » International Day of the Girl
Oct. 6-12 » Fire Prevention Week
Oct. 6-12 » National Metric Week
Oct. 14-18 » National School Lunch Week
Oct. 14 » Indigenous People's Day
Oct. 14 » Columbus Day
Oct. 16 » Boss’s Day
Oct. 16 » World Food Day
Oct. 19 » Sweetest Day
Oct. 20-26 » America’s Safe Schools Week
Oct. 21-25 » National School Bus Safety Week
Oct. 23-25 » Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah
Oct. 23-31 » Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 26 » Make a Difference Day
Oct. 27 » World Occupational Therapy Day
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.
Sep. is National Suicide Prevention Month
Annual Notices for FERPA & PPRA
No action is required of families, but Grand Ledge Public Schools (GLPS) is legally required to annually provide families with information about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). FERPA information is on our website at GLcomets.net/FERPA, and PPRA information is on our website at GLcomets.net/PPRA.
Grand Ledge Area District Library
Join a Destination Imagination Team
Be creative, study science, be artistic, and understand how things work – all while making friends and having fun by joining Destination Imagination! Interested? Register using this form to secure a spot and then plan to attend a team forming meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 6:15 p.m. at Delta Center Elementary School.
DI is a STEAM-based, competitive extracurricular activity that promotes creativity and teamwork for students in grades 3 through high school. Early learning opportunities are available for K-2 students.
Challenges are in the technical, scientific, fine arts, improvisational, engineering and service learning categories. Click this link for more details about this year’s exciting challenges! Teams pick a challenge to tackle, work on it at weekly practices, try their hand at instant challenges and then showcase their teamwork and solutions at a regional tournament.
Please contact Jennifer Pakkala, Clever Comets Coordinator, at pakkala@comcast.net to get on the email list or for answers to your questions, and follow us on Facebook!
Lifeline is an FCC program that helps make communications services more affordable for low-income consumers. Lifeline provides subscribers a discount on qualifying monthly telephone service, broadband Internet service, or bundled voice-broadband packages purchased from participating wireline or wireless providers. The discount helps ensure that low-income consumers can afford 21st century connectivity services and the access they provide to jobs, healthcare, and educational resources.
NEW Community Giving Program Coordinated by Grand Ledge Chamber
Seven Grand Ledge charities, programs, and nonprofits have come together to form a "one stop shop" resource for neighbors to use. Once a form for the program is filled out, all nonprofits receive the information and provide the help they can. Watch the FOX47NEWS story about the new Community Giving Program.
