Baker Bits
March 1st 2024
A Note from the Principal
Hello Baker Families!
I am writing to you from The Legoland of Baker! Our halls have completely transformed into all things legos as we celebrate reading the month of March. You have seen information come home with many ways to engage your child in reading throughout this month. We cannot wait to hear of the fun engaging activities you participate in!
Conferences are next week! We value this time as an opportunity to connect with each of you as we continue rallying around each student. If you know you will not be able to attend the time you signed up for, please let us know as soon as possible. We would love an opportunity to reschedule.
Finally, Young Fives and Kindergarten Registration is open as of Friday, March 1st. If you have any questions regarding this process, please do not hesitate to call our office at (269)792-9208. We are here to help!
Respectfully,
Rachel Cimek
Open Enrollment for Kinder/Y5
Hello parents!
Believe it or not we are beginning to think about and plan for next school year!
If your child will be 5 by September 1st, we invite you to enroll your child for the next school year beginning on Friday, MARCH 1st!
Step by step directions for enrollment are listed below:
Step 1 - Complete the Online Registration (OLR)
● Go to www.waylandunion.org
● Click on Enrollment in the upper right hand corner.
○ If you already have a child who attends a school in the Wayland district, chances are you have a parent portal. If so, click on "Existing Families Enrollment." If this is your first child in Wayland or you've never had a portal, click on "New to WUS Enroll." Either way you get to the enrollment, you'll click through all the screens, filling in the necessary info as you go. Make sure to hit the "SUBMIT" button when you are done!
○ Next you will receive an email letting you know whether the enrollment application has been APPROVED or placed on HOLD .
"HOLD" means that documents and/or signatures are needed. You will need to call the Administration Building at 269-792-2181 and request an enrollment meeting. Go to STEP 2
"APPROVED" means you’ll wait for further instructions from the Baker Office (keep in mind the school office is closed from mid-June thru August 1st) SKIP TO STEP 3
Step 2 - (only if app was placed on HOLD) Enrollment meeting at the Admin Building (269-792-2181).
● Here you will sign or submit the following documents:
○ Birth certificate (if not uploaded during OLR process)
○ Proofs of residency (if not uploaded during OLR process)
○ Immunization Record (if not uploaded during OLR process)
○ Concussion Form (just needs a signature)
○ MCIR authorization form (just needs a signature)
○ School of Choice (only if residing outside of Wayland district)
Step 3 - Apply for a Parent Portal (if you're a new family)
● Go to www.waylandunion.org
○ Click "Parents/Students" and then "Parent Quicklinks"
○ "Parent Portal Application - First time users to Parent Portal"
Step 4 - Kindergarten Screening
● This occurs in early spring and will be held at Baker Elementary. After your enrollment is complete, you will receive an email from the Baker Office with an invitation from Signup Genius to choose a screening time. This occurs during the school day and takes about 45 minutes in total. Our Kindergarten and Young Fives teachers are the ones who administer these screenings. Teachers are assessing where the child is developmentally including interaction skills, fine motor skills, personal and social skills, language skills, auditory memory skills, visual skills and basic concepts. Parents are welcome to be at the school during the time of the assessment (but not with their child) and they can meet with the screening teacher afterwards for a brief conference. Based on the screening results, there will be a recommendation to place your child in Young Fives or Kindergarten.
Step 5 - Hearing/Vision/Dental Screenings
● Hearing/Vision Screenings
○ If your child is a current Baker preschooler, these assessments will be done by the Health Department here at school during their visit in the spring.
○ If you are coming from the community or your child misses the school visit, you will need to make an appointment with your doctor for these screenings or you can plan to attend one of the Health Department's free clinics in the spring or summer. For more information, please visit this website.
● Dental Screenings
○ New recommendation for this year!
○ A dental assessment is simple and fast. A dental professional will look into your child's mouth and note what they see on the KOHA Assessment Form. The form can be found here. No treatment is done -- it's simply a quick look in the mouth. They will let you know if your child needs to see a dentist.
○ Plan to either visit your dentist and have them complete the KOHA Assessment Form OR contact your health department for a dental assessment schedule. For more information, you can visit this website.
If you have questions, please ask!
Krista Battenfield, Baker Secretary
Reading Month is HERE!
Students of the Month: February
We are so proud of this month's Students of the Month!
back row (l-r) Jayce, Brynlee, Kameron, Hayden, Monroe, Bucky
front row (l-r) Zoey, Rayne, Ophelia, Meilani, Presley, Raegan
Book Fair has arrived!
Kindergarten/Young Fives Roundup
PE Newsletter
Friendly Reminders
Please remember to send a healthy snack with your child to school. WEPA has been generous enough to provide extra snacks for those in the building who occasionally forget, but with more and more students "forgetting" we are running out quickly! Thank you!
Also regarding our illness and attendance policy, if your child has been sent home from school after being sick or running a fever, they may not come to school the next day! We ask that they are fever and puke free for 24 hours (at least!) before returning. Thanks for helping us control the spread of germs at Baker!
Preschool Enrollment
Popcorn Fridays
Thanks for considering volunteering at one of our popcorn Fridays!
Menu -- MARCH
Helpful Links
Upcoming Dates
Mar 5 ----- P/T Conferences (also - Book Fair is open 4-8)
Mar 7 ----- P/T Conferences (also - Book Fair is open 4-8)
Mar 7 ----- Report Cards published to portal by 4pm
Mar 8 ----- NO SCHOOL
Mar 11 --- NO SCHOOL
Mar 19 -- Kindergarten/Young Five Roundup Night 6-7pm
Mar 29 thru Apr 5 - Spring Break
Apr 12 ---- Popcorn Friday
May 1 ---- Celebration of the Arts (more info coming)
May 3 ---- Popcorn Friday
May 27 ---- Memorial Day
May 31 ---- Last 1/2 day of school