June 5 - Last Day of School (Half Day) - Dismissal at 12:10
The Principal's Pen
As a reminder, parents should not be entering the building through any door other than the main entrance. After entering the main entrance, you must check in at the office. I am getting reports that at arrival and dismissal, some parents are entering the building without following those guidelines. For safety reasons, we cannot allow that. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
International Night is this Saturday, 4/18 from 4-8 PM at Beagle Middle School, 600 South Street, Grand Ledge. This is a free event which celebrates cultures around the world by providing cultural displays, delicious food, live performances, and even a fashion show! I have gone with my family a number of times and it really is an awesome experience. You can drop in anytime during the event - no pressure to stay the full four hours. I hope to see you there!
Hello!
My name is Mrs. Rebh, and I am the Unified coordinator at Willow Ridge. Unified is a group to help get students with special needs into activities and events with their general education peers, to raise awareness while building compassion and understanding.
This year, Willow Ridge Unified is holding a penny war called Bills VS. Coins from April 20th-24th. The class who has the highest total points at the end of the fundraiser will get a pizza party!
This fundraiser will allow the Special Education (SPED) team to purchase T-shirts for our athletes, and for our kindergarten class, so that each class will have Unified shirts as we go forward to support our athletes in their Special Olympics events. It will also be used to support students in their sensory needs and making spaces comfortably accessible for all. If we raise enough money, we would also love to purchase shirts for our outgoing 4th graders, as a farewell gift, and so they can proudly represent Willow Ridge at Hayes.
*The penny war was changed to Bills Vs. Coins due to recent changes with the treasury, but pennies are still accepted and appreciated*
PTA News
Mother Son Bowling
We are looking for a few volunteers to make sure this event runs smoothly!
We need two volunteers at the check-in table and two volunteers
to be floaters. Thank you for your help!
Please click the graphic to the right to sign up. Thank you!
Willow Ridge Block Party – May 8th, 6–8 PM
We are excited to invite all Willow Ridge families to our upcoming Block Party on Friday, May 8th from 6:00–8:00 PM! This special evening is a great opportunity to come together as a community and enjoy a night filled with food, music, games, and fun for all ages.
A highlight of the evening will be our Silent Auction, featuring a variety of unique items, including themed classroom baskets, classroom fingerprint plates, and special “Lunch with a Teacher/Staff” experiences. Be sure to stop by and place your bids!
We are still collecting donations for classroom baskets and appreciate your continued support in helping us create exciting auction items.
To make this event a success, we are also looking for volunteers and item donations (items are just borrowed for the evening). If you’re able to help, please sign up using the link below:
This week we prepared for our upcoming visit from author Maria Dismondy by reading The Fruit Salad Friend (BK and Kindergarten), The Potato Chip Champ (1st and 2nd grades) and The Little Linebacker (3rd and 4th grade).
Looking ahead:
*The last week to check out books will be the week of May 11
*All library books are due back by Thursday, May 21
Thursday: Sweet, Weidenbach, Rozycki, Oetting, Nelson
Friday: Ford
“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.” - Dr. Seuss
~ 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 students arrive after
8:55, they 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.
We have been able to provide significant upgrades through our current bond program, from a new Wacousta to the district restructuring to increased safety throughout the district, and we appreciate the support that our community has provided us through this process. We are now winding down the 2018 bond program, and as good stewards of the community’s resources, we need to look ahead at continued needs over the next five years. To those ends, we are currently partnering with architects TMP and construction managers Clark Construction to develop that plan, which could include a potential zero mill increase over our current rates bond proposal to enhance our instructional facilities. We spent the winter working with our partners and helping them get familiar with our needs, including those listed here from an October 2025 presentation. Now, we have reached a point where we would like to share our thoughts with you, our families, staff, and the community. To those ends, we are hosting two community forms, and would like to invite you to attend. Please see the flyer above for more details, and if you plan to attend, please RSVP at GLcomets.net/RSVP so we can maximize participant engagement.
The team at Impression 5 has been hard at work prepping for this year's Summer L.A.B.S. program! The Summer L.A.B.S. program offers children hands-on experiences exploring scientific concepts through interactive experimentation, challenges, artistic expression, and play. These unique programs are designed to pique your child’s interest in the world around them, encourage curiosity and creativity, and celebrate new discoveries each day! The Summer L.A.B.S. program offers exciting sessions for ages 5 to 14. 5-year-olds who plan to attend Summer L.A.B.S. must have completed kindergarten by their first program date.
Registration for Summer L.A.B.S. will open to Members only on Tuesday, March 3, at 9 a.m.Not-yet Member registration will be available the following week starting March 10.
Science Center Members, please be sure your membership is up to date through the summer months to receive your special member pricing on Summer L.A.B.S. registration.
March 2026 - Food Resources
Grand Ledge Emergency Assistance Program (GLEAP) - The GLEAP Food pantry serves the GLPS district. ID & proof of residency required. Call ahead to place an order at least 1 hour before the pantry closes. Open Tue. 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Thu. 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. 4980 Burt Ave. 517-627-4348
MI Capital Cares - Resource for finding the services and supports you need within your community. Select one of the service areas listed to search for the resources you need or call 2-1-1 or 866-561-2500 for additional assistance.
Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton Counties - This charity has an active community kitchen, food pantry, & bread rack. Hot breakfast (9:00 - 10:30 AM) and lunch (11:30 AM - 1:00 PM) provided Mon. - Fri. at the Cristo Rey Campus. Make an appointment to access food pantry: 517-372-4700.
Helping Hands Food Pantry Charlotte - Clients are subject to low-income guidelines and residency requirements and are required to sign a statement attesting to their need and the accuracy of the information. Open Tuesday (11:00 AM - 5:30 PM), Wednesday (10:00 AM - 4:30 PM), and Thursday (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM). 621 Jefferson St, Charlotte. 517-543-8737
The Salvation Army - This location has a food / personal needs pantry and hot meals available. The food pantry is open Monday thru Friday (9:00 AM -12:00 PM and 1:00 - 4:00 PM). Walk-In only. Hot meals are served Tuesday - Friday (12:00 -1:00 PM). 525 N. Pennsylvania Ave. 517-484-4424
517 Living - A list of the area food-focused nonprofits.
