We have had a significant increase in people coming to the school to drop-off/pick-up their child this year, creating a great deal of congestion in the parking lot and office.

Please adhere to the following guidelines to support a safe, respectful, responsible, and efficient process

• If your child receives bus services, please try to utilize these services to alleviate traffic in the parking lot.
  
• Remember that there is an AM drop off from 8:45-8:55. Please pull as far forward as possible. Do not get out of your car. Students exit from the passenger side.
  
• Dismissal begins at 3:58pm. Buses leave at approximately 4:06 and Wildcat ends at approximately 4:08. As you can see, our process is efficient taking no more than 10-12 minutes to complete the dismissal of almost 400 children.
• Consider the drop off and pick up loop a NO CELL PHONE zone. Limit this distraction unless you are in a parking space.
  
• Do not exit your vehicle unless you are in a clearly marked parking space.
• Never exit your vehicle if you are in the LOOP
• Students should know how to buckle themselves; please practice
• Only park in Handicap Accessible spaces if you have an identified need. Please park in the spot and not sideways.

Students fall into one of the categories for their transportation needs:

1. Wildcat Pickup
2. Walkers
3. Bus Riders
4. Change of plans for a particular day

Below, please find information regarding all three categories.

On behalf of the entire MHG staff, we appreciate and thank you for adhering to our school procedures. Together we can create a safe and optimal learning environment for Guest Elementary. If you have any questions, please contact the main office.

The Wildcat Pickup dismissal plan was created to allow parents to pick up their children without coming into the building to sign their student out on a daily basis.

If you are signed up for Prime Time Care, or your student has a bus, you are not eligible for Wildcat Pickup solely because of space for vehicles to line up in our drop off and pickup loop.

Priority will be given to the following:

• School of choice families
• In-district transfer families
• Families designated as walkers

APPLICATION PROCESS & INFORMATION:

1. Visit the main office to fill out an application, or ask your child's classroom teacher to send an application home.

2. The main office will create a car sign and backpack Wildcat Pickup tags.

If you already have a number, you DO NOT have to apply again and most families will have the same number. However, please update any pickup information by contacting the main office. You can also email any updates to heatherpengelly@wlcsd.org

3. You should arrive no later than 3:55 to pick up your children.

4. Students in the Wildcat Pickup will be dismissed at the front of the building exiting through the front doors by the office.

5. Cars wait in line with “Wildcat” signs visible. While waiting in line, please adhere to kind, considerate, and safe driving procedures. Make sure that your vehicle is not blocking others, pull as far forward as possible and keep moving forward with the traffic, do not get out of your car,

6. Please do not let cell phone usage distract the process.

The Traffic Engineer stated that if the pickup line begins to back up, it would be helpful if you would make a right turn to move the process along.

7. Do not enter the building looking for your student

8. We found it is helpful for you to practice the following with your student:

• independently put on their seat belt
• have backpack and other belongings easily accessible to grab quickly from the vehicle
• Exit ONLY from the passenger side

Students that are WALKERS will follow the process listed below:

1. Arrival - students wait outside for the first bell to ring. Please do not arrive before 8:45am.

2. Dismissal - students that are designated as "WALKERS" will exit the building by the main office and wait by a WALKER sign and blue bench. This is where families can meet their students.

4. Families - for the safety and security of all students, please do not enter the building - no one should be in the vestibule or hallways. We ask that you wait outside by the sign and bench.

Students that ride the bus will follow the process listed below:

Bus Riders in the morning - Students riding the bus will be dropped off in the bus loop and allowed off the bus just before the first bell. If students are getting breakfast they are allowed off the bus a minute or two earlier. Please refer to the district’s transportation hot-line (248-956-5199) for information regarding any late buses.

Bus Riders in the afternoon - Students riding the bus home will exit through the south end doors. Staff will assist all students.

If your child's transportation/dismissal for the end of the day changes in any way, please send in a note at the beginning of the day to your child's teacher AND the office. If this changes during the school day, please call our secretaries BEFORE 3:00 PM. We will do our best to ensure your child gets to the correct place at the end of the day, but we ask for your help with this by notifying us EARLY in the day or with a note. It is too difficult to get a dismissal change to a student at the last minute. You must call before 3:00 or send in a note. If a student does not have a note stating the change for dismissal they will be sent home in their usual way.

If your student attends Prime Time and you have a change of plans, be sure to call the Prime Time number and leave a message.

Procedure:

1. Call the office by 3:00pm, or send in a note to the office and teacher

2. If you are picking your child up at dismissal - buzz to enter the office, sign your student out, and then exit the building. Families will wait by blue bench until dismissal. The office will escort your student outside.

3. If you are picking your child up early - Please NOTE this is an Early Dismissal and treated like a tardy - buzz to enter the office, sign your child out wait in the office for your student. The office staff will call down to their classroom. Please stay in the office at all times.

On Friday, October 19, the Guest students put on their shades, bandannas, and crazy cool grade level t-shirts, and celebrated a day of fun. Our annual Color Splash and Dash Run got students and staff moving! Everyone dashed through various color stations along the course, getting splashed with bold and bright powder paints! The entire event, including some dancing, was spectacular. On behalf of the Guest students and staff, we thank our new PTA President, Rachel Justin, and Co-chair Devon Kmet for making this event a success. Thank you to all the amazing volunteers as well! Thank you to all the families, businesses, and friends that made a donation to our Color Run Fundraiser. All proceeds benefit our children and school community.

Video coming soon.

Our color run was followed by the PTA Family Movie Night. Once again, our volunteers and event coordinator, Alicia Randell, made sure everyone had a great time. It was nice to relax and watch a fun movie with so many students and their families. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!

CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs. Payton's room as the TOP sellers for the entire school!

Top Grade level winners all received a Red Robin gift card.

Top Class winners all received an Emagine gift card

TOTAL AMOUNT COLLECTED before expenses was just over $9.000.00

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on 12/13/18 from 12:00-8:00pm.

This is also a HALF DAY of school for elementary students. School will be dismissed an hour earlier on this day at 11:00 AM.

This time is an important opportunity to talk with your learner’s teacher to discuss the progress that your child has made thus far this school year and to share your perspective with us for the year. Conferences are a two-way conversation and your insights with regard to your child’s strengths and needs, learning style, and other non-school learning opportunities can help us to shape our instruction.

Conferences are scheduled through Family Access. If you do not have a Family Access account, please contact FamilyAccess@wlcsd.org or contact the Family Access hotline at 248-956-2190. Be sure to include your name, the name of each child in the district, your email address and a daytime phone number.

Online scheduling through Family Access will open Monday, 11/19 and stay open until Friday, 12/7. Watch the video of how to schedule your conference time or use the written directions.

If you need any assistance with this process, please contact your child’s teacher. If you need support accessing the internet, please contact our main office at 248-956-3300.

As many of our fine arts, physical education, and media staff are in multiple buildings throughout the week and/or see hundreds of students, they will need to have modified schedules for this day.

Our Special Services teachers will be joining your child's conferences, and are also available for additional time if needed.

Walled Lake Western Performing Arts
Proudly Presents
Fiddler on the Roof

Friday November 9, 2018 @ 7:00pm
Saturday November 10, 2018 @ 7:00pm
Friday November 16, 2018 @ 7:00pm
Saturday November 17, 2018 @ 7:00pm
Sunday November 18, 2018 @ 2:00pm

Through November 20th MHG will collect unexpired goods & Non-perishable food items.

Thank you Brownie Girl Scout Troop #76556 for planning the food drive.

Meetings will be held in the ART room beginning right after school until 5:00pm

November 7

December 5

January 9

February 6

March 13

April 10

May 1

June 5th 5:00-6:00 Student Council Celebration - students will go home and then return for the Student Council End-of-Year Celebration Dinner

If you intend to keep your child home on a school day for any reason, please use our attendance hotline at 248-956-3390. You may leave a voicemail message 24 hours a day. IF we do not receive a call from you, we will call you to make sure that your child is indeed absent.

The Transportation Department will not issue bus passes for after school study, play dates etc. Bus passes will be issued for shared custody and sometimes day care, babysitting, or other emergencies. The Transportation Department will also issue year-long passes for in-district transfer and school of choice students when there is room on the bus.

If your child's transportation/dismissal for the end of the day changes in any way, please send in a note at the beginning of the day to your child's teacher AND the office. If this changes during the school day, please call our secretaries BEFORE 3:00 PM. We will do our best to ensure your child gets to the correct place at the end of the day, but we ask for your help with this by notifying us EARLY in the day or with a note. Thank you!

Michelle Fiebke-Lang

Mary Helen Guest Elementary, Principal

Walled Lake Consolidated School District

Main Office: 248.956.3300

Office: 248.956.3332

Cell or text: 248.766.5771