Dear Glengary Families,

In the Curriculum Night Smore link, I shared an important message about our school year together. If you didn't get to watch it, I linked it below. I also shared what I spoke about in the text below. If you prefer to read the message over watching it, I totally understand. I do respectfully ask that all families take time to watch or read the message below, as I believe it will help us have a successful year together.

As we moved into the 21-22 school year, I know everyone was hopeful and ready for a more “normal” school year, myself included. As you are well aware, more changes came about in the final hour, the most notable being the mask mandate and the no visitor policy. I know this left some families feeling relieved about additional safety measures and others feeling frustrated and even angry. Let me take a minute to say that no matter where you stand on these different topics, your feelings and emotions are real and they matter.

My personal mantra for this school year is going to be to focus on what I can control and to be honest, a lot of what people feel upset about is out of my control. However, what I can control is making Glengary a positive learning environment, where your students feel loved and cared for. I can control prioritizing meaningful instruction and instilling a love of learning within our students. I can control prioritizing character development where students celebrate character strengths, respect differences, and develop empathy. Finally, I can control the climate and culture of Glengary to ensure our students have the best experience possible this year. But this is where I need your help. I want to briefly talk about 3 requests I have for our families and staff that I believe will help make this the best year possible:

1. I am asking that all stakeholders to presume positive intent. The premise behind positive intent is that when something happens that is upsetting or surprising or frustrating, etc. you assume that the person meant well or was doing their best in the situation with the information that they had at the time. Sometimes it is easy to jump to a wrong conclusion or see that your child is upset and react. I get it, I promise I do. But, reacting to a situation often intensifies what happens, leads to responding in a way that is not productive and most importantly, it can cause your child to see and hear your reaction and emulate some of those same feelings (which may be big feelings for your kids to take on). By presuming positive intent, you are able to pause before you react and approach the situation in a more productive way, be it asking to meet with the teacher, learning a different perspective, or simply accepting whatever change may have occurred because you understand it wasn't put forth with any sort of ill intent. So I kindly ask that you presume positive intent as we work in partnership to make this an excellent school year.

2. The second request is for all stakeholders to seek to understand. This goes hand in hand with presuming positive intent. In order to really seek to understand, you cannot have already judged a person or situation. You need to develop a desire to understand — meaning a desire to see things from others' point of view, to see their reasons, and feel what they feel. If a staff member shares something with you that doesn’t make sense or that you don’t agree with, first assume that the teacher meant well and next, seek to understand. Take time to reach out to the teacher and ask them to help you understand the situation, or protocol, or statement, or disciplinary action, or whatever else it may be. There is power in our approach and when we are able to step into the other person’s shoes and ask questions that allow us to understand their perspective, we are often more productive and positive in our interactions.

3. The third and final request is that we communicate effectively with one another. Effective communication means that we are able to share our ideas in a respectful tone, listen, understand, and take action on what other people say. When I think about effective communication, I also think about the chain of command. If you have a concern about something that happened in the classroom, please speak to the teacher first. I am always here to support when needed but often a small misunderstanding can become escalated if it goes to the building principal first. Additionally, if you have a building level concern, I respectfully ask that you first bring that concern to me. Trying to problem solve using effective communication is SO much more productive when we work with the individuals that our concern directly involves first, in a respectful and kind manner.

I can guarantee with 100% certainty that some circumstance will occur this school year that requires communication to problem solve. If we presume positive intent, seek first to understand, and then effectively communicate with one another, I promise you we will accomplish great things! My goal as the leader at GLE is to be kind, listen, give grace and compassion freely, assume the best, and leave situations and conversations better than I found them. I am committed to an excellent school year and look forward to your partnership.

As always, the Glengary Staff is here to support you. Should you have questions or if concerns arise, please reach out to your child's teacher or myself and we will work together to find a solution. I can be reached at rosaleighjohnson@wlcsd.org or at 248-956-3100.

Here's to a GREAT week ahead!

RosaLeigh Johnson, Principal

September

9/9: Regular Board Meeting

9/10: Walled Northern's Homecoming Parade (GLE Gators invited to walk in parade)

9/14: PTA Meeting @ 6:30 (Glengary Media Center)

9/21: Taste of the Lakes @ 5:00 p.m. (More Info Coming Soon)

9/24: Glengary Picture Day

9/26: Fall Flower Sale Ends

9/16: No School-Yom Kippur

9/28: Half Day of School

October

10/1: Fun Run Kick-Off

10/5: PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m.

10/7: Fall Flower Pick-Up (More details coming soon!)

10/13: Dining to Donate (Chipolte)

10/13: Glengary PTA Chipotle Fundraiser 5:00-9:00 PM

Please take note of the symptoms below. Based on guidance from the Oakland County Health Department, if a student presents the following symptoms, they may be suggestive of COVID-19.

1. Is this student currently experiencing ONE or more of the following symptoms unrelated to a known pre-existing condition (e.g. asthma, allergies)?

* New Cough

*Shortness of breath

*Difficulty breathing

*New loss of taste or smell

2. Is this student currently experiencing any TWO or more of the following symptoms unrelated to a known pre-existing condition (e.g. asthma, allergies)?

*Fever (100.4 degrees +)

*Chills

*Diarrhea (2x in 24 hours)

* Fatigue

*Congestion/runny nose

*Headache

*Muscle aches

*Sore throat

*Nausea/Vomiting (2x in 24 hours)

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) COVID-19 testing is strongly recommended. Contact your medical provider and get tested for COVID-19.

For the student to return back to school, there are three options:

1. Receive COVID-19 testing, and return to school with proof of a negative PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test result, provided symptoms have improved and fever resolved for 24 hours without fever reducing medicine. Rapid test results are not acceptable.

2. Exclude from school until 10 calendar days have passed since symptom onset and at least 24 hours fever free without fever reducing medicine.

3. Provide a note from your physician indicating a clear alternative diagnosis (e.g. positive strep throat, urinary infection, etc.). Must be fever free for over 24 hours without fever reducing medicine with improvement in symptoms.

Glengary kicked off the Positivity Project this week! This week served as the intro week where are helping students to understand that there are 24 character strengths which we all possess. Throughout the school year, we will be working together to help students recognize these strengths within themselves and others! We will also teach students the 5 pillars that make up the Other People Matter Mindset.

Next week students will be learning about the first character strength of the year, curiosity! Please take a look at the links below about curiosity, 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. Thank you!

Make your signs, pack your pep and meet us at Walled Lake Northern on Friday, September 10th at 5pm to walk in the Homecoming Parade! Get a glimpse of how the high schoolers celebrate and represent Glengary! Those kiddos in attendance will receive a Future Knight t-shirt, courtesy of Student Congress!

Meet on the north side of Northern High School at 5:00 PM. Look for the Glengary banner and Gator. Parents/guardians, please stay with your kids during the duration of the event. The parade will begin at 5:30 PM. Students will receive a Future Knight t-shirt (while supplies last) and walk around Northern in the parade. Families are welcome to attend the football game at 7:00 PM.

In observance of Yom Kippur, we will not have school on Thursday, September 16th.

Glengary's picture day will be on Friday, September 24th. There will also be a make-up day scheduled. More information coming soon!

STRIDE is designed to develop and enhance boys social, emotional, and physical competencies to successfully navigate life experiences. Screened and trained adult volunteer coaches will teach the STRIDE curriculum focused on developing life skills through intentional conversation-based lessons and running games. At the end of the 8 weeks, boys will be physically and emotionally prepared to complete a 5K run.

STRIDE practices will be on Tuesday and Friday 7:30am to 8:45am in the Glengary Media Center.

See the flyer below for information about the Lakes Area Youth Association's fundraiser, Taste of the Lakes, which will be on September 21st from 5:00-7:30pm.

THIS FUNDRAISER IS TO HELP SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY’S YOUTH AND FAMILIES.

HELP US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD NEGLECT, ABUSE AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Parents, caregivers and family members! Plug in and make a difference in the events and fundraisers that happen at Glengary! Share your ideas and voice at our first PTA

meeting of the year! September 14th at 6:30 in the Media Center. Childcare will be provided for school aged children while the meeting is in progress. If you or any adult living with your child have not become members, don't forget to sign up as a PTA member - and the top 3 classes with the most adult members will win a PJ, pizza or popsicle party!!!

*Please note that masks must be worn at the meeting.

Calling all Parents, Grandparents and Care givers!

Our members are the heart of everything we do as a PTA. The more members we have the more likely we are to deliver quality events for our children, support to the staff by helping cover field trip costs, classroom materials and fun rewards for their hard work and participation! We have so many great events and traditions to bring back this year, but WE NEED YOU! Every adult in your student’s household can sign up to be a member of the PTA for only $10 for the whole year! We will keep track of membership totals for each classroom and the top 3 classes in the school will get a Pajama Day, Pizza Party of Popsicle Treat for all of YOUR participation! Let’s start out the year showing them how much we care about their school!!!

Sign up online via memberhub linked below!

Fall MUM-kins sales are underway! Continue to assist your friends, neighbors and family decorate their porches and patios for fall with these humongous mums and festive decorative pots!!! They are going fast!!!

IMPORTANT DATES

Sunday, September 26th: Mum Flower Sale ends and online store closes.

First week of October (exact date TBD): Pick Up Mums at Glengary!

Dining to Donate kicks off Wednesday, October 13th, starting at Chipolte in Novi! Dine in or carry out (delivery orders do not count toward fundraiser) from 5-9pm and we will get 33% of sales made! See attached flier and watch for them coming home as the day approaches!

Dear WLCSD Families:

We are sharing the obituary for Henry Stertz, Keith Kindergarten student, who passed away over the weekend. The family has asked that anyone wanting to help consider making donations to the Autism Alliance of Michigan in Henry’s honor. Thank you truly for coming together as a community and supporting our own Dragon Family during such a difficult time. Our deepest sympathy goes out to the Stertz family.

With the start of the 2021-22 school year in full gear, students and staff are fully engaged in teaching and learning. Please mark your calendars for the upcoming Virtual Curriculum Nights.

*All WL Western football games are cancelled for this week. Games are expected to resume next week.

· On October 13, 2021, our high school students in grades 9-12 will have the option of taking the state assessments as outlined here.

· Register for Preschool. Afternoon availability at Dublin Elementary only.

· 2021-22 Academic Year FAQ updated 9/7.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

If you are interested in preschool teacher positions open in Walled Lake, please contact Michele Gunyou at michelegunyou@wlcsd.org or by phone at 248-956-2020. Alternatively, visit the Human Resources employment opportunities page on the District website. Assistance with the job application process on-line can be made available. Click here to access existing, available positions and sort by Walled Lake Consolidated Schools. Preschool substitute teacher positions are also available through EDUStaff.

Additionally, view the link here for coaching positions open in WLCSD.

ORDER YOUR TICKETS NOW

Lakes Area Youth Assistance is presenting its 20th annual Taste of the Lakes fundraiser, on September 21, 2021, from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. at Edgewood Country Club. Ticket prices are $25, if purchased in advance, or $30 at the door. You may purchase tickets online at wlcstickets.com or at the LAYA office: 248-956-5070. ($2 fee applied for online orders.)

ENROLLMENT UPDATE

We appreciate the support and patience of our parent community as we continue finalizing enrollment for all district students. Please be sure to respond to all information requests from the Student Services Department as we cannot fully enroll students without all of the required documentation.

CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU TO:

Dianna Westervelt, summer care assistant and prime time care assistant at Wixom and Oakley Park Elementaries and Trish Fletcher, preschool teacher at Dublin Elementary, on receiving Golden Apple Awards at tonight's Board of Education meeting.

DISTRICT LINKS:

· Fall Adult Education Programs

· Walled Lake Gymnastics Parent/Athlete meeting, September 13, 2021. Please attend at the WLC Media Center at 7 p.m. to complete paperwork. Meeting will start at 7:15p.m. Attendance is required for this meeting if interested in joining the team. Contact Coach Taylor if you have any questions.

· 2021-2022 calendar

· Warriors for Warriors Pink Out Game at WL Western - Friday, Oct. 1

· Salute to Service Game at WL Northern - Friday, Oct. 15

· Foundation for Excellence-Walled Lake Schools celebrates 30 years of service: Back to School 2021 Newsletter.

· Community Education Fall Brochure

· Eligible households are encouraged to complete the free and reduced price meal application in the Skyward Family Access Back-to-School packet. WLCSD will be participating in the Seamless Summer Option as part of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2021-22 school year.

· Hospitality House Food Pantry is here to help and NEEDS your help.

· Lakes Area Youth Assistance Referral Form

· COVID-19 Dashboard

· August 2021 LEARNING newsletter

COMMUNITY LINKS AND SPORTS LINKS (Click link to view)

Thank you for referring to the District website for up-to-date information.

Sincerely,

Vildana Kurtovic

Director of Community Relations

Arrival and Dismissal are two busy and important times of the day and I want to provide some friendly reminders to ensure the systems run smoothly. Please note that a large number of families are utlizing this service and we ask for your patience and cooperation.

Woodbury is a narrow, dead end, residential street. As a proactive measure, we position a staff member to direct traffic during arrival and dismissal. It is important that we stop car traffic when we see busses to allow for those buses to successfully come down the street and enter the bus loop. Please also note that staff also directs a black SUV down Woodbury and into the North parking lot (The vechicle has a purple sticker that says Friendship Circle). This individual is not bypassing the line but rather, is getting into position to pick up her students in the North parking lot who have medical equipment that must be loaded into the vehicle.

Please be courteous of our Glengary neighbors who reside on Woodbury Street. I ask that you do not block residential driveways as it is imperative that our neighbors have access to their homes at all times.

As an additional reminder, if you need to pick up your child prior to the end of the day, please plan to do so prior to 3:30 p.m. I ask that no parents park in the front bus loop after 3:15 as our buses begin arriving shortly thereafter.

Finally, please note that our preschool programs will begin on September 13th. Preschool families will use the front bus loop to drop off between 8:20-8:30. They will use the front bus loop to pick up from 8:20-8:30.

Drop-Off Reminders:

1. The first bell rings at 8:50 AM. This is the earliest time that students will be released from vehicles, as this is when the school day starts. We priortize safety and need our staff in position to welcome students. We kindly ask you to avoide arriving prior to 8:45 as this may cause a back-up on Woodbury and we want to avoid cars waiting on Glengary Rd.

2. Students must exit their cars from the passenger side along the sidewalk in the south parking lot (Apple Pick-Up parking lot) for safety purposes.

3. Parents MUST remain in their vehicle while in the pick-up/drop-off line.

4. Before entering the building, students must wear their mask per the Oakland County Health Department Mandate.

Pick-Up Reminders:

1. We run a tierd dismissal at Glengary to lessen confusion and congestion. Please see the following:

-3:40 PM- Staff pull up Google Doc

-3:45 PM- Apple Pick-Up and Walkers

The first group of Apple Pick-Up students are dismissed. Students will see their names displayed in their classrooms and know to go to the doors by the Media Center. Walkers will also be dismissed at this time. Parents meeting their children that are walking, please meet at the gate by the South Parking Lot.

-3:50 PM- Prime Time Care

The office will dismiss Prime Time Care students.

-3:55 PM- Busses

The office will dismiss and load busses as they arrive. The departure for busses is between 4:05-4:07.

2. Students must enter their cars from the passenger side along the sidewalk in the south parking lot (Apple Pick-Up parking lot) for safety purposes.

3. Please do not get out of your vehicle, as we will have staff members available to assist students if needed. If you need to help your child get buckled in, I kindly ask that you allow them to get into the vehicle and then you may pull into a parking spot to assist them. Please do not get out of your vehicle while in the carpool line as it causes a back-up of vehicles.

4. Please pull up to the farthest available cone. Please do not stop at the first available cone as we won't be able to properly load all students.

5. This is a friendly reminder that the bell schedule has reverted back to 19-20 school year, meaning Friday dismissal will occur at 4:00 p.m. There is no early Friday dismissal.

Please review the following information from our transportation department:

• If your child is eligible for bus transportation, it is recommended that they start this routine on the first day of school.

• Bus Stops/Routes: Bus stops/routes will be posted on the district website and Skyward Family Access the week of August 16, 2021. www.wlcsd.org

• Bus Drivers - Bus drivers will be contacting all kindergarten families to introduce themselves. You can expect a phone call from your child’s driver in the coming weeks! Our drivers take care to ensure our kindergartners get on/off the bus safely each day.

Please click on the below link for information on the Glengary Healthy Snack and Water Bottle policy.

Registration for Prime Time Care/Teen Club is now open. Due to technical difficulties, registration will not be online. Please use the forms located on our website, under "Resources".

Romeo, Glengary's first ever therapy dog, was born in October 2020. He moved in with his trainer in late November and is currently hard at work completing his training. We anticipate that Romeo will join our school community later this fall!

Romeo is a purebred chocolate lab, bred specifically to be a therapy dog in schools. Research has shown that therapy dogs within a school setting not only enhance skills such as reading, but also improve emotional development. Just the presence of a therapy dog can decrease anxiety and enable students to work through issues such as anger management and other social difficulties. Introducing a non-threatening therapy dog into our school will be a key tool for forming social interactions for many of our students. Reading skills are often associated with improved academic performance and positive attitudes about school in children. Research has found that animal-assisted intervention in the form of reading aloud to a dog in a classroom setting contributes to improved skills and attitudes. There are so many benefits for a school to have its own therapy dog! We have been fortunate to witness these benefits at Mary Helen Guest Elementary and Walled Lake Western High School. Both schools have very successful therapy dog programs.

For any new Glengary families, please make us aware if your child has a fear of or allergy to dogs by completing the form below. We will contact you so that we can collaborate and develop a proactive plan to meet your child’s needs.

We continue to urge all families to check your child's health daily and make decisions that will help ensure we keep our students, staff and community healthy and safe.

Daily Health Checks: Please check your child(ren) daily for ANY signs of illness before attending school. Check for the following symptoms:

• Fever/Chills
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
• Muscle of Body Aches
• Headache
• New loss of smell or taste
• Sore throat
• Congestion
• Runny Nose
• Nausea or Vomiting
• Diarrhea

If your child has any of these symptoms, please err on the side of caution and keep them home until they are feeling better! We appreciate your partnership as we continue to work together to keep our community healthy and safe!

If your child needs to have medication administered at school, parents must complete an AUTHORIZATION to ADMINISTER MEDICATION FORM.

Please click on the link to view. Print out and complete the form. Please drop it off at our main office as soon as possible. You can also email it to our secretaries Cheryl Maten or Melissa Roth.

Cheryl Maten - cherylmaten@wlcsd.org

Melissa Roth- melissaroth@wlcsd.org

WALLED LAKE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS DOES NOT CARRY HEALTH OR ACCIDENT INSURANCE FOR STUDENTS. If your child is injured while at school, medical costs are the responsibility of the parents and/or guardians.

As a service to students and their families, our District is making available a student accident insurance plan for your child at a very nominal cost. The District offers this program because of trends in rising family health and dental insurance costs, increased deductibles, co-payments or lack of health or dental insurance coverage.

REASONS TO PURCHASE THIS COVERAGE:

1. Deductible and co-pays in your health plan. Many health plans have increased the amount of out-of-pocket expenses.
2. No insurance.

This plan will provide benefits for medical expenses incurred because of an accident. If you have other insurance, benefits can be applied to your deductible or co-pay. If you have no other insurance, this will become your primary accident plan.

For the 2021-22 school year, breakfast and lunch is free for all students. If you would normally fill out a form to receive free or reduced lunch, we ask that you do so for accounting purposes. Forms are available on the district food service web page.

Below you will find the breakfast and lunch menus for August and September. You will also find the contact information for our Food Service Department.

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 Website and Updates

Our PTA has an excellent website with upcoming events, fundraiser information, PTA membership links, and other pertinent information and forms. PTA information and updates are also shared with the Tuesday Tidbits.

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