Upton Update
Week of November 8, 2021
Week of November 6, 2023
Election Day- Tuesday, November 7
There will be no school for students on Tuesday, November 7. Our staff will be having professional development. Please remember to vote!
Picture Retake Day
Picture Retake Day will be on Wednesday, November 8, for students who need to have their pictures retaken or who missed our original Picture Day. For those having their pictures retaken, please return the original picture package that you received.
ROCK Bands
We will be having our ROCK Bands on Wednesday, November 8, from 8:45-9:15 a.m. The students will be in multi-aged groups working on Character Education traits. A staff member will be supporting the students as they work on projects together to support teamwork and our ROCK Star characteristics (Responsibility, Open Mindedness, Cooperation, Kindness, and Self-Control. Please make sure your child arrives to school on time so they don't miss this special time!
PTA Book Fair
Get Ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way!! (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them to become BOLDER, PROUDER & STRONGER readers. And of course - every book they buy earns rewards for our school.
Here's what you need to know about the Book Fair:
WHEN:
During School hours on November 8th, 9th & 10th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Or
After School hours on November 8th and 9th ONLY 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
WHERE: Upton Media Center
This year, say goodbye to cash and hello to eWallet - your child's digital payment account. Before the fair, set up eWallet for worry-free, cash-free purchases. Anyone can contribute! Share each child's eWallet so friends and family can add funds and give your kids more books to enjoy. However, cash and checks made payable to Upton PTA are still accepted, as well as eWallet.
If you can't make it to the Fair, then shop at our school's Book Fair online until November 21st! All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Every online purchase will also benefit our school.
PTA Bingo
Our PTA will be sponsoring a Bingo Night for families on Friday, November 10, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria. Come play Bingo and win some cool prizes! All are welcome to attend this fun event!
Report Cards
Spanish News
Parent Teacher Conferences
Half Day- November 16
There will be a Half Day of School on November 16. Students will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m. There will be NO Latchkey on this date.
Be Internet Awesome Family Guide
Royal Oak High School recently sent out a letter to families with some helpful information to protect children using the internet. I wanted to include this information in my newsletter as I know this is helpful information for families as children start to use the internet without being closely monitored.
The Be Internet Awesome Family Guide gives families the tools and resources to learn
about online safety and citizenship at home:
- English
- Spanish
Royal Oak Parent Advocacy Committee - November Meeting 11/21 @ 6:30 PM
The Royal Oak Parent Advocacy Committee (ROPAC) is our school district's Parent Advisory Committee - a group made up of parents/caregivers of students with IEPs or 504 Plans, those that want to learn more, those that think their student may benefit from special education services. ROPAC sincerely welcomes any parent or caregiver with a student(s) in Royal Oak schools to join us in our mission to make this a destination for students receiving special education services. Learn more about the ROPAC here: ROPAC Info Flyer
The PAC's November meeting will be held Tuesday, 11/21 @ 6:30 PM - this meeting will be held in person at the Administration Building. BABYSITTING WILL BE AVAILABLE! This meeting will be a community conversation, where we will be compiling information about what families are looking for in their relationships with special education providers and the district: communication, transitions, programming and educational opportunities. We intend to share this with the school district. Let your voice be heard! To join our mailing list for meeting reminders and other updates, complete this quick form: ROPAC Email List
ROHS Arts & Crafts Market- Nov. 18
Blessings In A Backpack
"Blessings in a Backpack” is a program designed to provide students on the free and reduced lunch program with enough food for three meals a day during the weekends. This program, administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, is active in Royal Oak Schools. If you agree to take part in this program during the school year, your child will receive a bag filled with food for the weekend. A bag of food will be put in your child's locker for take home on Fridays. The simple meals may include food like macaroni and cheese, beef ravioli, canned fruit, granola bars, soups, juice and other items. Students will receive a bag every week.
If you would like to have your child participate in this program, fill out the form below and mail it to the board office at 800 Devillen, Royal Oak, MI 48073, or just hit submit on this form. Please be sure to indicate on the form if you child has any food allergies. If your child has a food allergy, you as the parent are responsible for checking all food labels when the food arrives home. Royal Oak Schools, as well as Blessings in a Backpack, will not be held responsible for any accidental food allergen exposure.
Attendance Reminder
Students who are tardy to school also miss valuable instruction. If your child is tardy, you need to come into the office and sign your child in on the yellow form.
If you pick up your child from school prior to regular dismissal time, you also need to sign your child out on the yellow form.
Free & Reduced Price Meal Applications
Thanks to the Michigan School Meals Program, a state-funded program that allows all students to receive meals at no cost for the 2023-2024 school year, breakfast and lunch will be free to all students. Second meals are not free and will be considered ala carte. Elementary school second lunches will be charged $2.60.
Although all students can receive meals at no cost, it is still vital that eligible families fill out a free/reduced meal application: A school’s eligibility for federal Child Nutrition Programs such as Summer Food Service Program and others is based on free and reduced-price eligibility. Students and families may qualify for other program fee reductions based on their eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Federal and state education finding uses free and reduced-price eligibility.
Please complete the 2023-2024 online application on our website under Free and Reduced Meals Information. Paper applications will be sent out this month and available at the district office and in all schools in August.
Food Menus
OCHN Offers Mental Health Tips Following Global Violence
Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) is re-releasing tips for families and individuals to manage stress or trauma associated with recent violence. Situations of global violence can be difficult, and this is especially true if residents are concerned about family members abroad and/or members of their community.
To help manage anxiety, fear, sadness, or stress associated with these traumatic events as well as graphic news reporting, OCHN is recommending the following mental health tips:
Tips for Adults:
- Be mindful to consider your amount of exposure to the news / media and ensure the news you consume is from a trusted source to limit misinformation.
- Everyone experiences events and trauma in different ways and however they think or feel after an event like this is okay. Some people respond with fear, some anger, some shock, sadness, etc.
- Encourage people to talk about what they are thinking and feeling. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from mental health professionals, especially if thoughts of self-harm or suicide arise.
- Try to get back to routines and schedules to promote feelings of consistency and balance to reduce fear and provide a feeling of returning control and predictability.
Tips for Parents:
- Acknowledge what happened. If your child is talking or asking about traumatic events, it is important for the caregivers / loved ones in their life to acknowledge what happened, provide age-appropriate information, and be supportive.
- Parents may want to approach older children who may have seen the news or videos on social media and find out what they know and what their thoughts / feelings are about what happened.
- Recognize the effect this has on your child. Talk to your child about their thoughts and emotions as it pertains to the event and validate their feelings and concerns.
Tips for Community Members:
- Building and maintaining authentic relationships will help your partners and allies better understand and respond.
- Engage in implicit bias training and ongoing opportunities for meaningful dialogue.
- Establishing relationships with neighbors can create a cadre of allies who can provide support and help counter injustice in the community.
- As a community member, you have the power to stand up to injustice.
OCHN Resources:
- OCHN’s non-emergency behavioral health access department is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. at 248-464-6363.
- OCHN’s Mental Health School Navigators (MHSN) connect youth and families to behavioral health and substance use supports, as well as financial assistance. For more information about the School Mental Health Navigator Program please call 248-462-6294 or email SchoolNavigator@oaklandchn.org
- Call 988 for Crisis and Emergency Support
Resources for Discussing Injustice
Calendar for This School Year
2023-2024 Calendar: A calendar for the 2023-2024 school year is now available! Building and program specific calendars, as well as a complete calendar for our current school year, are all available from the calendar page of our district website.
This Week's Calendar
Sunday, Nov. 5
Daylight Savings Time Ends at 2:00 a.m. (Set your clocks back one hour)
Tuesday
No School for Students
Wednesday
Picture Retake Day
ROCK Bands 8:45-9:15 a.m.
PTA Book Fair
Thursday
PTA Book Fair
Friday
Report Cards Can be Viewed Through Parent Portal
PTA Book Fair
PTA Bingo Night 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Mr. John Grzywack
john.grzywack@royaloakschools.org
4400 Mandalay Avenue, Royal Oak, MI, United States
(248) 549-4968
royaloakschools.org/elementary/upton
The vision of Upton Elementary School is to inspire students to become lifelong learners.