Gretchko Newsletter
November 18, 2022
Principal's Update
Hello Team WB!
Thank you to the donation efforts of our school community in our food drive for Lighthouse of Oakland County. Check out the item below to see the results of our efforts!
We have had quite a few families coming to pick up their children between 3:30 and 4:00 in recent weeks. Please remember that 3:30pm is the latest time for early pick-up for appointments, etc. Having pick-ups in this final stretch of the day really interrupts the last segment of instructional time and complicates our dismissal procedures. Thank you for your understanding.
As we head into Thanksgiving week, I want to remind all of you that we have full days of school on Monday and Tuesday. We have no school from Wednesday, Nov 23-Friday, November 25. Check out the book this week, which will help your kiddos remember that no matter what Thanksgiving looks like in your home, it is a day to be grateful.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Jen Teal, Principal
FEATURED BOOK
Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules
It's almost Thanksgiving, and Tuyet is excited about the holiday and the vacation from school. There's just one problem: her Vietnamese American family is having duck for Thanksgiving dinner - not turkey! Nobody has duck for Thanksgiving - what will her teacher and the other kids think? To her surprise, Tuyet enjoys her yummy thanksgiving dinner anyhow - and an even bigger surprise is waiting for her at school on Monday.
Star Slip Winners
We would like to congratulate this week's star slip winners. Congratulations to - Daxx Seglund, Stevie Peterson, Carter Adnson, Lucas Caruso, Aniyah Gallimore, Fisher Hitchcock, Ny’laa Roberts, Jaxon Neal, Mia Garza-Carcamo, Nick Baker, Hudson Rudy, Sawyer Goidosik, Ava Decker, Bradley Brewart, Adeline Serata, Kelsi Sharpe. We are very proud of all of our Gretchko Stars and would like to remind everyone about our upcoming monthly super draw. If a student has earned a Star Slip and is not drawn for the weekly draw the names are kept for our end of the month second chance Super Draw.
Donations All Packed and Ready to Deliver!
What a fantastic food and supply drive we had at Gretchko this past week. We were able to donate more than 1, 041 pounds of non-perishable food with our supplies. We also raised $277.00 at our Friday, November 11 Pajama Day. The children enjoyed the casual pajama day and extra reading time while the Lighthouse benefited from everyone's generosity. Thank you to all of our Gretchko Star families and for their support for this drive. The funds were delivered with the food and supply donations to Oakland County Lighthouse Monday morning. Monday afternoon we had already received an email from the Lighthouse thanking Gretchko School for the generous food and monetary donations. The email stated, "Lighthouse is so grateful and we will be sure to put both the supplies and funds to good use." Thank you so very much!
Gretchko Goes to WBHS for a Student Play
Great news! We have been invited to attend a student play at West Bloomfield High School that is performed especially for our young students by the WBHS Theatre Department. The Play is titled, "Fairy Tale Courtroom." We will leave Gretchko on Monday, December 5 at 9:30 a.m. on school buses. The play will begin at 10:00 a.m. When the play is complete we will ride school buses back to school in time to have school lunch and recess as usual. This is a special "Dress Up" day and we hope the children enjoy the feel of a "live" play. Permission slips will be coming home shortly. Students will be chaperoned by our staff. Families are welcome to join us at the High School to see the play. Seating for families will be directly behind our students.
Here is a brief description of this year's play. This extremely adaptable comedy shows the other side of several familiar fairy tales, when two of their biggest villains, the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch, are brought to trial. Both the Wolf and the Witch have been frolicking from fairy tale to fairy tale, wreaking havoc as they try to prevent the general public from living happily ever after. Hear the personal accounts of what happened, told in testimonies and flashback sequences, from characters such as Snow White, Dorothy, Sleeping Beauty, the Three Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and many others, including the Witch and the Wolf themselves, as each trial unfolds. The audience is the jury, so each trial has two endings, depending on the verdict.
Friends of the Rouge - Tips for fall!
iCenter Update
Book Fair Coming to Gretchko
We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. This event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. It’s the perfect time to do some holiday shopping. As always, all purchases benefit our school. Our Book Fair will take place from December 5 – 9 in the Gretchko Maker Space. Students will shop during their iCenter time throughout the week.
Our Book Fair offers eWallet, a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free account to add funds and/or invite family and friends to contribute so your child can select their own books. Any unused funds can be spent at The Scholastic Store Online or to fund a future eWallet. As always, students may bring cash to shop, however the safest way to make sure money is not misplaced or lost on the bus, is to set up an eWallet for your child.
If you would rather shop from the comfort of your own home, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.
At this fair, we will be allowing parent volunteers to assist our young shoppers during their iCenter class times. Interested volunteers must complete a volunteer form and provide a copy of their driver’s license/ID to the school’s office staff. Once completed the paperwork is forwarded to HR for a background check, ICHAT, which is still required for all non-student volunteers. Visit our Book Fair homepage to get started with eWallet, online shop, and to sign up to volunteer.
100 Books To Read In Kindergarten
Congratulations to Liliana Patra and Carter Adnson for reading 100 BOOKS TO READ IN KINDERGARTEN. They each received a certificate from Mrs. Hammerick and a few reading prizes too! Be sure to visit The WBTPL to thank them for providing all the books in our Kindergarten reading programs. They will also give you a prize too! We are so thankful.
In iCenter, Kindergartners have read BATS AT THE LIBRARY and CREEPY CARROTS. Be sure to add this titles to your 100 Books poster!
November's Important Celebrations
Diabetes Awareness Month
Movember (awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer)
National Native American, American Indian, and Alaskan Native Heritage Month
November 19 – International Men’s Day
November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 20 – Universal Children’s Day (Human Rights, U.N.)
November 24 – Thanksgiving
November 25 - Native American Heritage Day
November 26 – Baha’i
Great Start Readiness Program
Great Start Readiness Program - space available
West Bloomfield Preschool Academy is very excited to share great news with our families. Oakland County has changed eligibility guidelines for our free preschool program to include more students. The program is called Great Start to Readiness Program or GSRP. We have space available for kiddos who will turn 4 before December 1, 2022. For more information please contact Collette Goestenkors at 248-865-6466. The classes will be held at Scotch Elementary!
Art Fundraiser
Gretchko Spirit Wear Now Available Online!
Does your child (or you) need some more Gretchko spirit wear? Now you can order online at https://gretchko-pto.square.site/ or see the QR code here:
New Board of Education Members
Communications Survey
WBSD Parents: We Need Your Feedback!
As we embark on our Strategic Plan, please take a few minutes to provide your input regarding WBSD Communications. Click here to complete the 2022 Strategic Planning Communication Survey. Thank you in advance for your time!
First Lego League Explore for 1st-3rd Graders
West Bloomfield School District Community Education
Registration is OPEN for FIRST Lego League EXPLORE
FIRST Lego League EXPLORE makes learning STEM and coding skills fun! All skill levels welcome! 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade Only
This season, students will explore where energy comes from and how it is distributed, stored, and used to work to innovate for a better energy future.For more information and to register visit WBSD Community Education, click here.
Sunset Theatre Visits Gretchko Preschool - families are welcome! December 21st
United We Walk
UNITED WE WALK BUTTON CONTEST
Do you have students that like to draw? Well, do we have an opportunity for you! Our school district’s United We Walk Committee has an event each year celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The students have the opportunity to create a design that will be the inspiration for our 2023 United We Walk Button. I would like to personally invite you to encourage your students to participate in the United We Walk Button Contest. Students can draw a piece of art about what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy means to them focusing on Dr. King's message: "I Have A Dream. . .1963-2023. We know that our students are awesome!! Let's give them a chance to share their amazing skills. The attached information will provide more details. Please submit any contest entries to me at Jennifer.Graham@wbsd.org no later than Friday, December 9. Thank you for your help, time, and support.
Gretchko Calendar
November
- November 23,24, 25 - NO SCHOOL -Thanksgiving Break
- November 28 - Gretchko Book Fair preview
- December - NO PTO MEETING THIS MONTH
- December 5 - 9 - Gretchko Book Fair
- December 7 - Marco's Fundraiser Day
- December 16 - Bagel Day $1.00 each
- December 22 - Global Equity Team Meeting in the iCenter at 8:00am
- December 23 - Spirit day (Mismatch Day)
- December 26 - January 6 - NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
Gretchko Contact Information
Location: 5300 Greer Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone:
- Main Office Phone: (248)865-6570
- SAFELINE to report absences: (248) 865-6572. This is a 24 hour answering machine.