Dear Glengary Families,

Thank you for a fantastic October! We had a very successful Fun Run and now we are gearing up for a terrific Trunk or Treat event TONIGHT! We hope you will join us!

The Glengary community sure is a special one and I continue to be grateful for your partnership and support. Please take time to read Glengary Gazette to stay informed and learn about the great happenings and opportunities at Glengary!

-RosaLeigh Johnson, Principal

If any parents that volunteered for the Fun Run took pictures, please email them to glengary.yearbook@gmail.com so we can review them for the yearbook! Thank you!

Below you will find the topics of focus for the next 2 weeks. I strongly encourage families to click on the links below and use the family resources to reinforce the learning at home! Once you click on the P2 for Families, you’ll find 1 quote, 1 video, and 3 questions to help you and your children discuss The Positivity Project’s character strength of the week. Please join us!

The character strength of focus for this week is Creativity (Oct 24-30) . Please take a look at the links below about Creativity as they will provide you with the knowledge and tools needed to partner in this important work. The resources in the links below were created to help parents reinforce this important learning at home.

Next week our students are learning one of the 5 pillars of the Positivity Project, Knowing My Words and Actions Affect Others (October 31-Nov 4).Thank you!

Creativity means you come up with new and original ways to think about and do things.

Creative people can look at the world in original ways. They are open to new experiences, and have an imaginative and independent thought process. They generate lots of different ideas and can pursue them with energy and enthusiasm. Creativity is a process that takes courage.

The Positivity Project's Other People Mindset includes five elements that are intended to help people understand way to build positive relationships in their own lives. This week we will focus on one element of the Other People Mindset- Knowing My Words and Actions Affect Others.

Everything that you say and do can affect others -- and your relationships with them.

Everything we do, say, text, tweet, snap, or post can positively or negatively impact other people. Our words and our actions are our choices to make, but they can have ripple effects long after we make them

This is an important reminder that Monday, 10/31 is a half day of school with a 12:25 dismissal time. We will utilize a tiered dismissal process, just as we do on full days. Dismissal times are detailed below:

12:15- APU and Walkers

12:20 -Prime Time Care

12:23- Begin loading busses

12:30-12:32- Departure

October 31st is a 1/2 day of school at GLE with dismissal at 12:25 PM. Please note the following about Halloween at GLE:

-Students at GLE are welcome to wear a school-appropriate costume. Please do not send students with scary masks, look-alike weapons, fake blood/gore, or scary costumes. Non-scary masks will only be permitted during the parade. During transportation and the rest of the school day students’ faces must be visible.

-Students who ride the bus are permitted to wear their costume as long as their faces are visible and the costume meets the same criteria above. It would be helpful if students arrive already dressed in their costume.

-At 11:00 a.m. we will host our outdoor parade*. Parents/guardians and younger siblings are invited to view the parade from the inside of the walking track. There is no need to check-in at the main office because visitors will be outside and not coming into the school. Gates will be open to accommodate overflow parking on the blacktop. Please do NOT park in the road. With safety at the forefront of our minds, please note that local law enforcement plan to join us for the parade.

-In case of rain, students will parade through the building and an alternate plan will be communicated with families the morning of 10/31.

-After the parade, students will return to the classroom. Students are NOT permitted to leave with parents directly from the parade. For the safety or our students, they MUST return to class with their classroom teacher and we STRONGLY encourage you to utilize your regular afternoon transportation schedule. In the event that you need sign your child our early, you MUST still follow the normal procedure of checking into the office first. Again, to minimize traffic congestion, maintain order and ensure safety for all, we STRONGLY encourage you to utilize your regular afternoon transportation schedule.

-Classroom teachers are collaborating with Room Parents to plan a Halloween celebration prior to the parade. Again, with safety at the forefront of our minds, we are limiting classroom volunteers for the Halloween parties. If your classroom requests volunteers, and your child’s teacher confirms that you have been selected, please sign-in at the main office and get a visitor’s badge. Only pre-arranged volunteers will be permitted. **We kindly ask that you make arrangements for any younger siblings if you plan to volunteer in your child’s classroom.**

-Most importantly, we ask for your cooperation and patience, as it will be a very busy day here at school. Student safety is our top priority.

Consistent, on-time attendance is a key component to school success. Over the past few years, it has been a challenge to prioritize school attendance while also following COVID protocols. This letter is to inform families of the District’s attendance procedures and COVID protocols. Please click on the link below to read the full letter.

We are ready to build some excitement around i-Ready at Glengary! i-Ready is a district-wide program that Walled Lake Schools uses to not only assess students’ academic levels, but to enrich and supplement instruction so that we can close academic gaps and differentiate appropriately. As we work to build a positive culture around i-Ready and ignite excitement among our Gators, we will again be implementing some friendly competition.

At the front of the building, we have put together a large bulletin board entitled, We are Nutty for i-Ready. Each grade-level has a squirrel labeled with their grade and they will earn 1 acorn for every 10 i-Ready lessons passed in their class. Lessons will be tallied each week and a bar graph of acorns displayed to show grade-level progress. You can find more details below:

November Theme: We are Nutty for i-Ready

November Competition Dates: 10/31-11/27

Week 1: 10/31-11/6

Week 2: 11/7-11/13

Week 3: 11/14-11/20

Week 4: 11/21-11/27

Competition Focus: Each class will earn 1 acorn for every 10 lessons passed. Classrooms will earn 1 bonus acorn in math and/or reading if 80% of the class has met their goal of 45 minutes. We will have a K-2 competition and a 3-5 competition.

Purpose: To increase student engagement with the i-Ready instructional lessons which target specific focus areas for each student based on their individualized fall diagnostic. i-Ready is research based and while it does not replace the core, quality instruction happening in the classroom, it certainly serves as a great way to close gaps and enrich our learners that are ready for the next challenge.

How Can you Help? Encourage students take their i-Ready lessons seriously. Teachers will do their best to ensure students have the appropriate number of minutes built into their weekly schedule to complete the recommended number of minutes per week at school (30 minutes for K and 45 minutes for grades 1-5). If students have not been able to complete the recommended amount of time on their i-Ready lessons at school, please encourage them to complete them at home if possible. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have Chromebooks available to send home with students.

There is still a bit of time to form Destination Imagination teams. We are looking for kids that love to be creative that would be interested in a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) extracurricular program. Practices will be on Tuesdays from 4:00-5:15 in the Learning Commons (Media Center), and the competition will be on Saturday, March 18, 2023 likely at a high school in the Jackson area. Please watch the video: https://youtu.be/vguFJXggNlQ to learn more.

If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Bond, a former 3rd grade teacher at Glengary, at JenniferBond@wlcsd.org. To register your child, use the link below!

Attached, please find the fillable applications for our annual holiday events – “Adopt-a-Child” and “Shop With a Cop/Hero”. The deadline to apply for “Adopt-a-Child” is Friday, Nov. 11, 2022 and the deadline to apply for “Shop With a Cop/Hero” is Friday, Nov. 18, 2022.

If you are a family that needs Holiday support this season please reach out by e-mail to rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org.

At Glengary this year, we are teaching all students about the Zones of Regulation.

Here are some skills taught during The Zones of Regulation:

• Identifying your emotions by categorizing feelings into four zones (more on this below)
• Self-regulation: Achieving the preferred state of alertness (zone) for a situation. This is all about regulating your body and emotional regulation.
• Identifying triggers: Learning what makes you “tick” and why.
• Coping strategies: Various techniques and strategies that help achieve emotional regulation and manage strong emotions
• Size of the problem: Introduces the idea that the size of your reaction should match the size of your problem, how to identify the size of your problem, and strategies for problem-solving.
• Expected behavior vs unexpected behavior: This also covers perspective taking and how your behavior affects the thoughts and feelings of the people around you.

Click on the link to learn more! This is a GREAT tool and language to use at home as well!

As you know, Glengary staff recently completed ALICE training facilitated by the Oakland County Sherriff’s Office. Throughout the month of October, Glengary staff has been working to refine our procedures and teach our Gators about safety in a developmentally appropriate way.

This week, students continue to learn about school safety by reviewing ALICE principles with a specific focus on exit options at school and methods for barricading the classroom door (grades 4 & 5). As a reminder, we will NOT simulate gunfire or other violent situations. We will engage in age-appropriate discussions and practice to prepare students. 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 you should 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. Additional safety drills will take place later in the school year. We will continue to collaborate with local law enforcement and families to ensure a safe learning environment for our children.

Check out the resources below from our school social worker, Ms. Abbo! It contains a lot of resources to support families in need.

Calling all Gators! It's that time of year again for Reflections! This year's program theme is "Show Your Voice!"

Tell us your interpretations of "Show Your Voice!" through any of the seven categories below. Only new and original works of art will be accepted:

1. Dance Choreography
2. Film Production
3. Literature
4. Music Composition
5. Photography
6. Visual Arts (2D and 3D)
7. Special Artist (must qualify)

Please Join us for a Reflections Creativity Nights! Students are invited to stay after school and put the character strength of creativity to work as they create a submission for Reflections using supplies provided by the PTA!

K ~ 2nd: Wed 11/2 and Thr 11/3

3rd ~ 5th: Wed 11/9 and Thr 11/10

After school in the Media Center 4 ~ 5:30pm

There will be snacks and supplies will be provided. Send your RSVP by Friday, 10/28 to GlengaryReflections@gmail.com, or text/call parent, Yoko Metcalf, at 734-837-3984.

We will send out a Sign-Up link for volunteers on Creativity Night. Stay tuned!

This year, the PTA is excited to use their own communication platform to help organize important information all in one place. The Glengary Gazette is often loaded with info and sometimes the PTA updates can become buried. The link to the first edition of the PTA Post is linked below and will be regularly blasted out via Skyward and linked in the Glengary Gazette! Be sure to check it out!

The PTA and Glengary Elementary thank you for an incredible Fun Run! Totals will be shared in the next PTA Post!

We are encouraging all families to join the Glengary PTA! To join, simply click the link below. The fee is $10.00 and can now easily be done electronically below. Joining the PTA does not commit you to anything but it does ensure you have a voice and partnership with the Parent/Teacher Association at Glengary Elementary!

October 24, 2022

Dear WLCSD families:

Following today’s upsetting news related to the events at Oxford High School from last November as well as the tragic news out of St. Louis, Missouri, feelings of sadness, anger, and/or anxiety are normal. The first step in maintaining safe learning environments is ensuring students feel connected at school. If your child needs support, please reach out to a teacher, administrator, counselor, or adult in our school buildings for assistance.

A word of caution for our students, families and staff about news and media consumption during this difficult time. Please consider limiting your consumption of upsetting news and posts on social media and via broadcast mediums.

In the Walled Lake Consolidated School District, we remain committed to the safety and security of our students, staff, and families. We continue to review and practice our safety and security measures to ensure the safety of all who learn, work, and play within our buildings.

As safety and security is our top priority, earlier this school year we closed each school for one day to host ALICE training for staff members. Our District is committed to becoming an ALICE certified school district. Each school also has an, age appropriate, ALICE training session for students either implemented or plans for it to be implemented by December.

We take all incidents involving student and staff safety seriously and appreciate our partnerships with local law enforcement officials. We ask students, parents, and community members to report all suspicious or threatening activity to law enforcement and/or school/district administration immediately.

Please know that ALL threats, even those made in a joking manner, are investigated fully and taken seriously in this District. There is nothing humorous about impacting the safety of others. Also if you or your child sees or hears threats please contact your local police agency and your building principal. You can also report them using the OK2SAY app or call (855) 565-2729 or text 652729.

Your children are our children, and we will continue to do everything in our control to maintain safety in our schools. We continue to appreciate your support and cooperation as we continue to serve every child, every day.

Sincerely,

Dr. John Bernia

Superintendent of Schools

Walled Lake Consolidated School District

During the Aug. 11 Special Board meeting, the Walled Lake Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a motion to ask the residents of the Walled Lake School District to renew the half mill levy for the District Building and Site Sinking Fund (.5 mil, 10 year levy). The election for this renewal is Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

In Walled Lake Schools, our schools and facilities are in good repair as a result of the Sinking Fund that voters approved back in 2004 and renewed in 2012. The District has been able to complete construction, repair and renovation projects annually, with Board approval, because of the current Building and Site Sinking Fund.

For more information, please visit www.wlcsd.org/elections or click the image below.

Thank you for voting on Nov. 8!

In an effort to find additional ways to celebrate our staff, the WLCSD Community Relations department requests that families fill out the information below for staff who are rock stars in their classrooms and school communities. Please complete the form below and contact Dan Durkin (danieldurkin@wlcsd.org) with any questions you may have.

Click on the links below to see the great offerings currently available!

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District, following the guidance of the Oakland County Health Division, requires individuals that are positive for COVID-19 AND individuals that exhibit symptoms of COVID-19, (one symptom from the top section or two symptoms from the second section), to follow certain steps before they can return to school. The link below contains a symptom screener as well as the options a family can take for their student to be eligible to return to school when a student is suggestive of COVID.

Many symptoms of COVID overlap with symptoms of other common illnesses and seasonal allergies. Current guidance requires us to follow COVID protocols for individuals that cannot pass the health screener until COVID is medically ruled out or a certain period of time has passed.

At this time, communication to families regarding COVID-19 cases at school is the same as it was at the end of the 2021-22 school year. When I learn of a positive case, I will send a letter to the classroom of the positive individual, as well as a letter to the entire grade level, to notify families of a possible exposure. For privacy reasons, names and identifying information will not be disclosed.

If you have any questions or need additional guidance regarding a sick child and school attendance, please contact our GLE Main Office. We recognize the added layer of responsibility on parents and school staff when an individual presents with symptoms during the pandemic and appreciate your partnership.

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, it is critical that the office staff and classroom teacher are quickly informed.

Please send an email to:

RosaLeigh Johnson - rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org

Melissa Roth - melissaroth@wlcsd.org

Cheryl Maten- cherylmaten@wlcsd.org

Your child's teacher

In the email, please include ALL of the following information:

Your child's name

Your child's grade

Your child's teacher

Your name

Your contact phone number

The date of symptom onset

The date your child was tested

The last date your child was in school

Type of test that was given (Home test, Rapid test at a testing site, PCR test at a testing site)

Name of testing site, if tested in a facility

*Note: Once staff are informed, the following action items occur.

1. Office reports to WL Human Resources Department

2. Families receive quarantine timeline via email from WL Human Resource Department

2. Office alerts custodians who deep clean the impacted classroom

3. Office sends a letter to the classroom of the positive individual & a letter to the entire grade level, to notify families of a possible exposure. Individual's names and identifying information is NOT shared.

As we prepare for the colder fall/winter weather to hit, please take a moment to review the recess wear guidelines.

Please make sure your child has an appropriate coat or jacket for the weather. Many classes have an early morning block recess and we are looking ahead at some chilly mornings.

Hopefully we are still a ways away from snow, put please note that IT IS ESSENTIAL that students have boots and snow pants when there is snow on the ground.

If you need help providing winter wear for your child, please reach out to me and we will help you! We want all of our Gators to have the items that they need!

A strong home/school partnership is one of our core values at Glengary Elementary. As parents or guardians, we welcome your engagement and collaboration. When concerns arise, we ask that you assume positive intent and seek information first, before drawing conclusions.

When you have a concern specific to your child:

1. Contact the teacher or staff member involved first.

2. Ask for information, express a concern, suggest a solution through a respectful conversation or meeting.

3. Collaborate to generate a plan and agree to a timeline for resolving the issue.

4. Monitor and evaluate the success of your plan and make adjustments as needed.

After genuine collaboration and open communication with your child’s teacher, if resolution cannot be reached, it is then appropriate to contact the principal. Working with the teacher and principal, generate a plan that meets the situation’s needs and agree to a timeline for trying the solution. If you are unable to agree to a solution at the building level, the principal will invite the next most appropriate administrator to join the process.

Not receiving district and/or building communications?

If you are not receiving emails from Mrs. Johnson like The Glengary Gazette, or District Weekly Updates, please use the link below to double-check your preferences are correct.

Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

In addition to receiving phone calls and email notifications from the school district in the event of a school closing or emergency, parents can also sign up to receive SMS Text messages.

Please find the helpful step-by-step instructions linked below as well as the video tutorial on signing up for SMS messages.

• Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

The Student Pantry is a local resource we have available for any families in need. If your family has a need for basic school supplies, clothing, or food, please email RosaLeigh Johnson, Principal, Kristen Abbo, Social Worker, or Laura Locke, Teacher Liason. We will work in partnership with the Student Pantry to get you resources and supplies at no cost while respecting your privacy.

rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org

kristenabbo@wlcsd.org

lauralocke@wlcsd.org

Those who are interested in volunteering or making a donation should visit the Student Pantry website, www.thestudentpantry.weebly.com.

During the 2022-2023 school year, breakfast and lunch will NO LONGER BE FREE for ALL students. It will only be free (or reduced) for those who qualify.

Congress voted not to extend the waiver which provided free breakfast and free lunch for all students. The waiver ended June 30, 2022.

Your family may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals. You can complete a free and reduced lunch application during registration in August.

If you do not qualify for free or reduced meals, you may begin depositing money into student accounts at any time to prepare for the cost of school lunches next year. Information on meal prices for the 2022-2023 school year are listed below

Breakfast costs

• $1.50 for Elementary
• $1.75 for Middle/High School

Lunch costs

• $3.00 for Elementary
• $3.25 for Middle/High School

If your student has a negative lunch account balance, we encourage you to pay it off as soon as possible and then begin depositing money into the account to prepare for the 2022-2023 school year.

Your family may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals. Reduced-price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch. Completing an application is the only way to be considered for free or reduced meals next school year. Please take action now. You can complete the online free and reduced meal application located in Family Access once registration is open.

This free and reduced meal application information is critical in determining the amount of money that the District receives from a variety of State and Federal supplemental programs like Title I A, At-risk (31a), Title II A, E-Rate, etc.

These supplemental programs have the potential to offer supports and services for our students including, but not limited to:

• Instructional supports (staff, supplies & materials, etc.)
• Non-instructional services (counseling, social work, health services, etc.)
• Professional Learning for staff
• Parent and Community engagement supplies and activities
• Technology
• Pandemic-EBT

Our food service department is asking families to complete and submit the free and reduced meal application as soon as possible to ensure that additional funding for our school is available to meet the needs of our students. All information on the application submitted is confidential.

Please contact Anne Merchant at 248-956-3081 or at annemerchant@wlcsd.org with questions.

Glengary Elementary welcomed Romeo, our therapy dog, in the fall of 2021. We are thrilled to welcome Romeo as therapy dogs provide a host of benefits to students and staff.

Our program would not be possible with the support of many donors and sponsors. If you are interested in making a donation for Romeo's ongoing care, you can contact lauralocke@wlcsd.org or rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org.

Thank you to our AWESOME sponsors below!

Communication is important to us at Glengary. Parents will be notified and updated in a variety of ways throughout the school year. The majority of information for parents will be available on our school and District website and through email.

SKYWARD FAMILY ACCESS

It is critical that parents keep an updated email address and let us know if it changes as soon as possible. Parents may update this information for us on Skyward Family Access. All teachers at Glengary utilize Skyward Family Access to communicate with parents.Report cards, lunch account information, progress reports, attendance, and other important information will always be posted on Skyward Family Access. If you are a new family to Walled Lake Schools or have misplaced or lost your Family Access ID and password, please click HERE to get connected.

Glengary Gazette AND School Web Page

Our Glengary Gazette newsletter will be sent electronically to families. This is typically a bi-weekly communication filled with all important school and PTA updates. As we begin the year, the communication may be sent on a weekly basis if needed. An archive of newsletters will be posted to our school website. Please visit this page often for information about our school. You will find links to important documents, websites and blogs from your child's classroom, PTA forms and information, and important updates and forms that you will need to access.

PTA Post & Website

Our PTA will share updates via a PTA Post. Additionally, the PTA has an excellent website with upcoming events, fundraiser information, PTA membership links, and other pertinent information and forms.

Social Media

Glengary Elementary also has a Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter which are linked below!

RosaLeigh Johnson

Principal: rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org

Cheryl Maten

Principal's Secretary: cherylmaten@wlcsd.org

Melissa Roth

Building Secretary: melissaroth@wlcsd.org

Important Phone Numbers:

Main Line: 248-956-3100

Fax Line: 248-956-3105
Attendance: 248-956-3190